Yona and the Beast by CC Hogan
enough. We will not be chased now. I reckon those slavers are trapped in their gorge.”
“You know much about these lands?”
“A little. I have travelled to Tellmond for work before. They have mines up there, mostly dug by slaves. I didn’t stay long.” Beak shrugged as if it was unimportant, but Yona suspected it was anything but. “If you can work out how to stop our friend while it is still daylight, we can light fires and cut some spears from the trees somehow. Some can forage and some can fish.”
“I will try,” the woman said and leant forward along the neck and pulled at one of the beasts ears. The calliston’s head was huge, but it did not have the dramatic crests of the dragons, and she could reach the ears easily. The calliston huffed and she pulled again. She had no idea whether it would work, but perhaps if it was annoyed it would stop. The beast twitched its head in irritation and Yona, feeling guilty, stroked the smooth neck. The calliston rumbled and turned its head slightly to look back at her. The large eyes were light brown and golden, and he blinked softly and slowed down. As he reached walking pace, Yona slid off his back and trotted along by his head, putting her hand on his cheek. “We’ll stop here, friend,” she said, slowing her own pace. The calliston, sensing her change in speed slowed and stopped and then with a sigh, lay down.
“Clever!” Phoran remarked as he slid down stiffly.
“I need a hug, Phoran,” Yona complained and he wrapped her in his arms.
“I am not sure I am much good for hugs at the moment. I need to eat. We all do.” Beva wandered over to him and pushed her way under his arm.
“So does she,” Yona said, touching the girls face lightly. “I will help Beak. He is going to try to light fires and perhaps fish. I’ll check to see how everyone is doing.” Behind her the Calliston suddenly grumbled and stood up, the humans scattering quickly.
“What is he doing?” Beva asked nervously.
“I am not sure,” Phoran told the girl who was squeezing him in fear. He winced in pain. “A little care with me, Beva,” he said softly. “I am a bit broken.”
“Sorry,” she said.
The Calliston sniffed the dusty air then turned and walked to the river, plunging its head into the water. Yona chuckled.
“He has run so far and he did not drink last night. Oh, Phoran, I wish knew more about callistons. He is saving our lives and I am doing nothing for him in return.”
“Keep him moving us south, and that will help him too, my love.”
“I know. I think he knows that too. Go sit down, both of you. I will help Beak.”
Yona, Beak and five others who were the strongest split themselves into teams; three went fishing with sharpened sticks, two collected fallen wood for fires and two foraged. They had no tools so they snapped thin sticks to make fishing spears and could only burn what they could find, and eat what they could dig up with bare hands. It took them three hours, but each of the humans fell asleep with a few mouthfuls of food in their stomachs. It was not enough, but it would have to do. The poor man who had died during the day they laid to rest behind a tree. They had no tools to dig a grave and not enough strength to pick up the large stones on the river bank to cover his body. No one knew his name, but a few wept for him anyway.
“If I remember rightly, the river turns east at some point,” Beak told Phoran and Yona just after dawn, marking out a sketch on the ground.
“Do you know where we are?” Yona asked.
“I think so,” the dark-skinned man said. “We crossed a trail a little way back yesterday. There are a couple of roads through here that head towards Ponack in the Sand Hills.”
“I don’t know Ponack,” Phoran said.
“Desert people. Good people. But we should keep heading south.” Beak put a mark on his sketch. “If that trail was here then later today we will cross another trail heading east. There are some hills near there and we might need to move away from the river.”
“If we have a choice,” Yona said, laughing.
“Our friend certainly seems to know where he is going,” Beak said, thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” Phoran asked. “I thought you said he is no more intelligent than a horse.”
“I am not so sure,” Yona said, looking over to where the calliston was walking through the grass, pulling leaves from sturdy bushes with his hands and eating them. “Something in his eyes is very different from our horses and I sometimes think he can understand me a little. Where do you think he came from?”
“I don’t know,” Beak said. “I was taught some about callistons when I was young, but I have no idea where they live.”
“Some of the others are worried,” Phoran said. “We desperately need more food. A couple said we should be resting and foraging. We can do nothing while on the calliston’s back.”
“They have a point,” Yona said. “But there is nothing much here.”
“It will be greener near those hills, and then we will cross into Epinod,” Beak said. “One more day and we will think again.”
Behind them in the distance, the storm was still raging. But though it was very windy as they headed south, they were being warmed by the sun, and as they approached the hills the Calliston suddenly slowed.
“What is it?” Yona asked the great beast, leaning forward on his neck. He rumbled deeply and stopped, and she jumped down. “What have you seen?” The calliston had moved away from the river to avoid a thick woodland and they had crossed the second of Beak’s trails. Yona shielded her eyes from the sun, trying to see what the large eyes had spotted.
“Deer!” Phoran hissed down from the beasts back. “On the edge of the woods to the right.”
“I can see them. Why has he stopped?”
“Why wouldn’t he? Callistons are not vegetarians,” Beak said, jumping down.
“Do they hunt?”
“Farm, hunt, cook. Him? I don’t know.”
“Let’s get everyone down,” Phoran said. “I can see a stream over there and we are not drinking enough.”
As Yona and Beva helped Phoran lower himself from the hides, and the others headed to the stream and the shade of a few trees, the calliston walked slowly towards the deer. Yona trotted up to the beast’s head and was surprised when he put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently aside.
“Let him go,” Beak whispered. Yona nodded and watched as the beast slowly made his way towards the deer. He was walking incredibly slowly, almost meandering, and occasionally stopped and picked something from the odd bush.
“Clever,” Phoran said. “It is like the sharks we see off the coast. Sometimes they swim gently and slowly among other fish and then suddenly attack. I bet that is what he is doing.” The calliston was now walking through the small herd of deer, towering over them. They were obviously wary of the huge visitor, but most continued to eat, their ears twitching nervously. Then the calliston moved. The freed slaves had only thought of the dummerhole as a cumbersome beast over the last few days, using him simply as if he were a ridiculously big horse. But callistons are not like horses or cattle, they are more like dragons and bears. They are supple, strong, and, as two deer found out, incredibly fast. In a flash the calliston lunged out at the two deer who were standing to the side of him, grabbing one with a large hand and another with his mouth and pinned them to the ground.
“Come on!” shouted Yona, running to help the calliston who was struggling to keep hold of both animals. Beak shot after her followed by another woman, and the two women pounced on the deer, holding them tightly while Beak grabbed up a rock and used it to beat them unconscious. “Two?” the small man said. “Why two?”
Yona stood and walked to the calliston who had stepped back a short way and put her hand on his face. The big animal blinked and rumbled quietly. “It is for us,” Yona said. “He has caught one for us.”
It was hard work. With only unhelpfully smooth, rounded stones and split branches, bleeding a
nd cleaning the deer had not been simple. But they had done it, and had roasted the smaller one in pieces over a fire while the calliston had taken the other away a short distance to eat on his own. For the first time in days, the remaining twenty-two humans had almost full bellies, as did the calliston, and they sat around by the small stream talking as the beast dozed peacefully nearby. Beva, the young girl, had been nervous of the massive animal, as they all had, but with encouragement from Yona, had put her hand on his warm, smooth face and he had rumbled in pleasure. Now she was sitting down next to him, leaning against his head, sleeping.
“Whatever we do next, Phoran, she will have to come with us.”
“We wanted a family,” he murmured as Yona leant against him.
“I am sorry, Phoran. I don’t know why I can’t get pregnant.”
“It might be me,” he said. “Definitely me at the moment! Sitting cuddling is about my limit.”
“You always find something to make me smile,” Yona said, reaching up and stroking his face. She had checked him over earlier, as she had checked the rest of them, and though some of his bruises were beginning to fade, some of them were still vivid, and a couple of the scars on his back from being whipped had started to bleed again.
“What are we doing next?” Daintine, an older woman, sat down next to them. “Do we know where we are going?”
“Not really, other than south,” Yona said, looking over to
“You know much about these lands?”
“A little. I have travelled to Tellmond for work before. They have mines up there, mostly dug by slaves. I didn’t stay long.” Beak shrugged as if it was unimportant, but Yona suspected it was anything but. “If you can work out how to stop our friend while it is still daylight, we can light fires and cut some spears from the trees somehow. Some can forage and some can fish.”
“I will try,” the woman said and leant forward along the neck and pulled at one of the beasts ears. The calliston’s head was huge, but it did not have the dramatic crests of the dragons, and she could reach the ears easily. The calliston huffed and she pulled again. She had no idea whether it would work, but perhaps if it was annoyed it would stop. The beast twitched its head in irritation and Yona, feeling guilty, stroked the smooth neck. The calliston rumbled and turned its head slightly to look back at her. The large eyes were light brown and golden, and he blinked softly and slowed down. As he reached walking pace, Yona slid off his back and trotted along by his head, putting her hand on his cheek. “We’ll stop here, friend,” she said, slowing her own pace. The calliston, sensing her change in speed slowed and stopped and then with a sigh, lay down.
“Clever!” Phoran remarked as he slid down stiffly.
“I need a hug, Phoran,” Yona complained and he wrapped her in his arms.
“I am not sure I am much good for hugs at the moment. I need to eat. We all do.” Beva wandered over to him and pushed her way under his arm.
“So does she,” Yona said, touching the girls face lightly. “I will help Beak. He is going to try to light fires and perhaps fish. I’ll check to see how everyone is doing.” Behind her the Calliston suddenly grumbled and stood up, the humans scattering quickly.
“What is he doing?” Beva asked nervously.
“I am not sure,” Phoran told the girl who was squeezing him in fear. He winced in pain. “A little care with me, Beva,” he said softly. “I am a bit broken.”
“Sorry,” she said.
The Calliston sniffed the dusty air then turned and walked to the river, plunging its head into the water. Yona chuckled.
“He has run so far and he did not drink last night. Oh, Phoran, I wish knew more about callistons. He is saving our lives and I am doing nothing for him in return.”
“Keep him moving us south, and that will help him too, my love.”
“I know. I think he knows that too. Go sit down, both of you. I will help Beak.”
Yona, Beak and five others who were the strongest split themselves into teams; three went fishing with sharpened sticks, two collected fallen wood for fires and two foraged. They had no tools so they snapped thin sticks to make fishing spears and could only burn what they could find, and eat what they could dig up with bare hands. It took them three hours, but each of the humans fell asleep with a few mouthfuls of food in their stomachs. It was not enough, but it would have to do. The poor man who had died during the day they laid to rest behind a tree. They had no tools to dig a grave and not enough strength to pick up the large stones on the river bank to cover his body. No one knew his name, but a few wept for him anyway.
“If I remember rightly, the river turns east at some point,” Beak told Phoran and Yona just after dawn, marking out a sketch on the ground.
“Do you know where we are?” Yona asked.
“I think so,” the dark-skinned man said. “We crossed a trail a little way back yesterday. There are a couple of roads through here that head towards Ponack in the Sand Hills.”
“I don’t know Ponack,” Phoran said.
“Desert people. Good people. But we should keep heading south.” Beak put a mark on his sketch. “If that trail was here then later today we will cross another trail heading east. There are some hills near there and we might need to move away from the river.”
“If we have a choice,” Yona said, laughing.
“Our friend certainly seems to know where he is going,” Beak said, thoughtfully.
“What do you mean?” Phoran asked. “I thought you said he is no more intelligent than a horse.”
“I am not so sure,” Yona said, looking over to where the calliston was walking through the grass, pulling leaves from sturdy bushes with his hands and eating them. “Something in his eyes is very different from our horses and I sometimes think he can understand me a little. Where do you think he came from?”
“I don’t know,” Beak said. “I was taught some about callistons when I was young, but I have no idea where they live.”
“Some of the others are worried,” Phoran said. “We desperately need more food. A couple said we should be resting and foraging. We can do nothing while on the calliston’s back.”
“They have a point,” Yona said. “But there is nothing much here.”
“It will be greener near those hills, and then we will cross into Epinod,” Beak said. “One more day and we will think again.”
Behind them in the distance, the storm was still raging. But though it was very windy as they headed south, they were being warmed by the sun, and as they approached the hills the Calliston suddenly slowed.
“What is it?” Yona asked the great beast, leaning forward on his neck. He rumbled deeply and stopped, and she jumped down. “What have you seen?” The calliston had moved away from the river to avoid a thick woodland and they had crossed the second of Beak’s trails. Yona shielded her eyes from the sun, trying to see what the large eyes had spotted.
“Deer!” Phoran hissed down from the beasts back. “On the edge of the woods to the right.”
“I can see them. Why has he stopped?”
“Why wouldn’t he? Callistons are not vegetarians,” Beak said, jumping down.
“Do they hunt?”
“Farm, hunt, cook. Him? I don’t know.”
“Let’s get everyone down,” Phoran said. “I can see a stream over there and we are not drinking enough.”
As Yona and Beva helped Phoran lower himself from the hides, and the others headed to the stream and the shade of a few trees, the calliston walked slowly towards the deer. Yona trotted up to the beast’s head and was surprised when he put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently aside.
“Let him go,” Beak whispered. Yona nodded and watched as the beast slowly made his way towards the deer. He was walking incredibly slowly, almost meandering, and occasionally stopped and picked something from the odd bush.
“Clever,” Phoran said. “It is like the sharks we see off the coast. Sometimes they swim gently and slowly among other fish and then suddenly attack. I bet that is what he is doing.” The calliston was now walking through the small herd of deer, towering over them. They were obviously wary of the huge visitor, but most continued to eat, their ears twitching nervously. Then the calliston moved. The freed slaves had only thought of the dummerhole as a cumbersome beast over the last few days, using him simply as if he were a ridiculously big horse. But callistons are not like horses or cattle, they are more like dragons and bears. They are supple, strong, and, as two deer found out, incredibly fast. In a flash the calliston lunged out at the two deer who were standing to the side of him, grabbing one with a large hand and another with his mouth and pinned them to the ground.
“Come on!” shouted Yona, running to help the calliston who was struggling to keep hold of both animals. Beak shot after her followed by another woman, and the two women pounced on the deer, holding them tightly while Beak grabbed up a rock and used it to beat them unconscious. “Two?” the small man said. “Why two?”
Yona stood and walked to the calliston who had stepped back a short way and put her hand on his face. The big animal blinked and rumbled quietly. “It is for us,” Yona said. “He has caught one for us.”
It was hard work. With only unhelpfully smooth, rounded stones and split branches, bleeding a
“Whatever we do next, Phoran, she will have to come with us.”
“We wanted a family,” he murmured as Yona leant against him.
“I am sorry, Phoran. I don’t know why I can’t get pregnant.”
“It might be me,” he said. “Definitely me at the moment! Sitting cuddling is about my limit.”
“You always find something to make me smile,” Yona said, reaching up and stroking his face. She had checked him over earlier, as she had checked the rest of them, and though some of his bruises were beginning to fade, some of them were still vivid, and a couple of the scars on his back from being whipped had started to bleed again.
“What are we doing next?” Daintine, an older woman, sat down next to them. “Do we know where we are going?”
“Not really, other than south,” Yona said, looking over to