Origins Revised

All persons over 18. Firstly, this is the set-up chapter. No sex is involved as yet. This is going to be a slow build up that hopefully will reward the reader that sticks it out with this story. The world and characters I aim to build is going to be extensive. I hope to cover quite a number of myth's and religions as we go along. Second chapter is in the works and should drop soon! All characters and incidents are fictitious and any resemblance to real world people, places and incidents are purely coincidental. Feedback and comments are welcomed!

Chapter 1

AJ silently cursed his luck as the hard ground crunched beneath his feet. The map he found squirreled away in an old diary in his late father's library, lead him to this dusty godforsaken locale. The landmarks were all plain to see and to follow but 'X' did not mark the spot for him. The pickaxe and shovel were starting to weigh him down and his canteen was nearly empty. The Kalahari was starting to prove every bit as inhospitable as his father's diary claimed.

Shuffling his tired body to the shade of a dense yet dry shrub, he lowered himself to sit cross-legged. Taking a sip of water from his canteen, he rinsed his dry mouth and spat the remainder out. A second sip provided a momentary relief for his parched body. He closed his eyes and duly started the breathing exercises that his Judo Master taught him as a child. The world seemed to fade away around him.

Two weeks ago, his father passed away.

AJ was stuck in Bahrain waiting for a flight when the news reached him. The trip to South Africa was a blur. Arrangements for the funeral and the subsequent reading of the last will and testament are grim memories for AJ. His dad, while not wealthy, did leave him a property as well a modest financial windfall.

On a sleepless night a few days after the funeral, wandering through the house, he rediscovered the old man's library. At one time a prolific writer he fell on harder times toward the end of his life. The prostate cancer eating away at him reducing the once formidable adventurer to little more than withered, bed bound husk. AJ hated seeing his clay-footed idol suffer. He purposefully avoided going home as much as he could. The visits were sparse and few, but he had a duty to the man.

As he looked at the titles on the shelves of the dimly lit library, a glint on the panelling behind the books caught his eye. Reaching behind the atlas that obscured his view, he felt the rough leather of the diary's cover. After a bit of manoeuvring he managed to pull the book from behind the volumes that obstructed his access. The glint that caught his eye was from the gold filigree inlay on his father's name, embossed on the cover.

Opening to the first page, AJ noticed the steady print of his father's handwriting. He flipped through the pages of the diary. It seemed the pages were filled with ideas for novels. Coming to the end of the book, he noticed the light brown paper stuck into the leather dustcover.

Pulling the folded paper out of the dustcover, he unfolded it to find the map. A big X marked in faded red on the paper. He instinctively knew the landmarks on it. His father had a big framed version hanging behind his desk, not a few feet away. He stared at that map many hours as his father typed away on the old Casio electric typewriter. Writing the next instalment of his super sleuth, game ranger novel.

The map in his hand had hastily scribbled text on the back.

"When the Mantis Holds the Sun,

Its prayer to the new life begun.

Koi and San will trade,

The gift of man remade"

At that moment, his father's housekeeper cleared her throat and AJ nearly dropped the diary. With a self-conscious smile, he refolded the map and inserted back into the back of the diary. The housekeeper ushered him to bed, but AJ kept a tight grip on the diary.

That night AJ slept fitfully. The diary under his pillow seemed to vibrating energy. Dreams of being beheaded by a mantis... A twitching headless corpse the last image seared into his vision as he awoke. Sweat drenched and dehydrated he would fall back and drift asleep again immediately. Manti terrorizing him repeatedly.

When he woke up the following morning, he knew he had to visit that marked spot. 'X' meant buried treasure to his mind and so for the following few days he put together a lightweight and durable kit with hopefully enough water to last him the few hours it would take to reach and dig up the prize. As a precaution, he added a small one-man pop up tent and insulated sleeping bag as well as some dried rations. "One never knows what can happen in nature my boy" his dad once quipped. It stuck with AJ for life.

Satisfied that everything was in order he set off the Saturday morning. Driving to the nature reserve marked on the map did eat away at the few cool morning hours he had, but he was confident that with sunscreen, water and protective clothing he would not be scorched to a crisp.

Paying the entrance fee, he drove through the massive boom gates and parked his father's Land Rover in the visitor's parking area. Putting on the lightweight rucksack, he checked that everything was in order. Locking up the vehicle AJ set off to the nearest trail. Having traversed this area with his father as a child AJ knew all the tricks to avoid the rangers and sneak into the reserve proper. By the time, anybody would notice there is lonely vehicle in the parking area he should be halfway back already.

It took AJ almost two hours to reach the marked location on the map. By sunset, the area was covered holes he had dug to find the treasure. Figuring that he would not be able to reach his vehicle and exit the reserve before closing, AJ quickly found a suitable spot and erected his pop up tent. Knowing the Kalahari can get just as freezing during night as it could get hot during the day he planned for a possible overnight.

Fire would attract the scavengers in the vicinity so AJ ate some dried rations he packed and promptly zipped up his tent and crawled into his sleeping bag. AJ's dreams were once again, littered with Manti out to get him.

The morning found AJ tired and restless. Packing up he resolved that if he did not find the treasure by midmorning he would head back to his vehicle and go home. Leaving his backpack at the camp site he set forth to dig some more holes. The scribbled note on the map roiling about his head. The meaning still unclear.

"When the Mantis Holds the Sun,

Its prayer to the new life begun.

Koi and San will trade,

The gift of man remade"

'Was that a growl he heard? '

"No it couldn't be. The rangers keep the area clear of deadly animals"

'It definitely was a growl'

Looking up from the hole he had just dug, AJ scanned the surrounds. No Lions have been in this area for more than two decades. Leopards are just as scarce. What would growl at him like that?

The streak of movement caught his eye and he just managed to bring the shovel up to chest height, when the impact on the shovel handle sent him falling backwards. Scrabbling to get to his feet, AJ saw the yellow eyes of the leopard 5 feet ahead of him. Its tail whipping back and forth. Readying its hindquarters to jump at him again.

In a moment of sheer panic, AJ swung the shovel as hard as he could when the leopard leaped at him. A resounding clang accompanied by shocks to his arms, causing him to nearly drop the shovel. Instinct took over and he ran. AJ ran and nearly fell into the massive donga that appeared before him. Carved by waters now long since gone, it pock marked the area.

His water low, the leopard between him and the main encampment, AJ studiously started plotting a circuitous route back to the encampment. It is going to take a few hours, but if luck holds...

The growl roused him from his slumber.

'How could he fall asleep like that? He was only doing some breathing exercises'

Slowly AJ opened his eyes. A leopard was in front of him. Staring.

The sun seemed to be rising. It was on his left when he sat down earlier... Now the faint glow was on his right.

A tickle on his shoulder. A mantis staring at him. Head cocked. Front feet in the praying position. Fear immobilised him. This was it.

"Relax"

The booming voice came from the leopard yet its mouth curled in a snarl.

"You are here for the treasure yes?"

"Yes" AJ's mouth was dry and the word croaked out.

"They all come for the treasure. They all leave empty handed. Their souls an offering to the underworld"

"My father... He drew this map" It was hard to get the words out.

"There was one. Many years ago. He wasted the treasure."

The Leopard stood up and started to circle AJ. Sniffing the air.

"Your blood. It smells the same as his. Yet Different. A son?"

"My father used to talk about treasure in this place. Mom said he started writing after a camping trip here. He was different after." AJ followed the leopard with his eyes as best he could.

"What would you do with the treasure? Will you hide away as he did? Would you use it? Become ruler?"

"Depending on the gift. I would use it. To better humankind. Make sure balance can be achieved between nature and destruction" the words flowed from AJ yet he did not know where they were coming from or what they meant at that moment.

Sniff. The leopard pressed its rough nose in the nape of AJ's neck. The goose bumps travelled all over AJ's body, yet he could not move. The Mantis was reaching to AJ, the red rising sun seemed to be floating between its claws.

"I smell... Honesty, I smell Fear. I smell... change..."

Sniff.

"Do you accept the treasure? Do you entwine your future with Us, Koi And San of the immortals?

"I do" AJ managed to mutter...

SNIFF

AJ felt the points of the leopard's fangs at the base of his neck. The hot breath making the little hairs stand on end.

"SO, BE IT!!!" Two voices echoed.

AJ felt the fangs penetrate his skin and sink into the base of his skull. He felt no pain. Just the sensation of fang entering flesh. Then it went dark.

TO BE CONTINUED