Chapter Three

Fourteen years on

Erik grow quickly in the following years. It seemed like only yesterday he had been a baby taking his first steps into the world and now he was fourteen years of age. He was neither the smartest nor the strongest pooka and sometimes he was too quick to anger and his father told him, more times than Erik would have liked. One of his positive points however was his kind heart and his desire to do what was right. If ever there was an unjust argument or fight started amongst the young pookas he was always the one who tried to put things right, Most of the time this ended up with Erik's nose being blooded and his father or mother cleaning him up and scolding him as they did so.

Erik didn't see his father as much as he wished for Erom was forever working, his father constantly told him that's that what comes from being brilliant, but Erik still missed him despite his father's reasoning. But today the pooka youth had reason to be joyful as Erom had been freed from the captivity of toil and meant to spend it with his only son, promising to take him kanga fighting.

"Don't stay out to late," Rimier told her son as he got ready to leave.

"I won't mum," he said, giving her a hug and kiss before joining his father outside.

"Ready son?" Erom asked.

"You bet," Erik replied and then they were off.

...

The two pookas travelled for nearly three hours to reach the grasslands where the kangas lived. Neither minded the length of the journey for the landscape they passed was stunning and father and son had a chance to talk, talk about everything and nothing.

At last, as the noonday sun rose in the clear sky, the two pookas stopped and gazed about.

"There they are son," Erom said pointing to the east, "the kangas."

Kangas were large herbivores that lived in family groups. They were about six foot and stood up-right on two powerful legs. They had small ears but made up for this with their long tails and four arms. Their faces were pointed with big bright eyes on either side of the head and their whole bodies were covered in yellow fur.

"I think you had better take on a little one," Erom murmured to his son.

Erik nodded and then made his way towards the kangas.

"Hey you," he called to a young looking one, "want to play a game?"

The kanga took a few cautious steps towards him and gave him a slight push with two of its arms.

The pooka grinned. Kangas were said to be bright and it appeared this one knew what Erik wanted.

"Okay let's go," the teen said before he tackled his opponent.

The pooka and the kanga fought back and forth trying to get the advantage of the other. On more than one occasion Erik was nearly knocked down but just managed to keep on his toes, much to the frustration of his foe.

The two could have kept the game up for hours but unfortunately for the pooka teen things went horribly wrong. One of the adult kangas took the way he was assaulting the younger of its kind the wrong way. Before Erik knew what was happening the kanga charged and gave him a hard kick in the back. The pooka when flying, landing somewhat shamefully with his bottom in the air. The youth's torment didn't end there as the same kanga came up from behind and bit down hard on his rear, going rather deep. Erik let out a howl and rolled around agonized in the grass, teas in his eyes.

The kanga satisfied that the pooka wouldn't bother its herd again turned to leave. A second later a medium sized stone hit it in the shoulder. The kanga gave a furious snort and whipped round to stand towering over the young pooka who had hurled the stone.

Despite the fact that the kanga was twice his height, Erik held his ground, he was too livid to back down.

"What's your problem?" the young pooka snapped, even if the kanga wouldn't understand his words.

The kanga snarled and probably would have attacked him but luckily Erom arrived on the scene. Erom had been wrestling with a female kanga but had stopped when he saw his son get kicked. He had then watched the scene between his son and the male kanga play out, deciding it best he now intervened.

"Leave him alone," he shouted at the kanga, "go back to your herd. Let us be."

At this point the kanga made up its mind that enough was enough and so with a final snort it returned to its herd which then moved off.

"Are you alright?" Erom asked his son.

"I think so," Erik replied then put his paw to his bottom, which was now bleeding badly.

"Good," his father said then began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Erik demanded hotly.

"Well this certainly has been a day to remember," Erom replied, laughing slightly.

"Oh has it," the other growled.

"Yes don't you see, today you stood your ground against a superior force. You showed your courage and I'm proud of you."

Erik smiled, maybe today hadn't gone so badly after all.

"Come son," his father said, "let's be off, and I think we had better see to your...wound."

...

Evening found the two pookas atop a pinnacle overlooking one of pookarier's valleys.

Since the kanga incident they had spent the day hiking about the countryside and had at last stopped upon the high pinnacle to watch the sunset, even if sitting was painful for Erik.

"Thanks for today dad," Erik said as he gazed at the setting sun.

"Anytime," the other replied before adding, "Erik I know I work a lot and that you and I don't see each other as much as you or I would like..."

"But?" Erik interrupted him.

"But I want you to know that I love you with all my heart."

"I know," Erik whispered and snuggled up to his father.

Erom smiled down at the young pooka and put his arm round the other's shoulder.

There they sat, side by side in the knowledge that each loved the other and that their life was a joyous and peaceful one. But sadly it wouldn't last. Something was coming, something terrible that would pull their lives and those of millions of others across the galaxy into war.