Fantasy Stories Volume 2 by Kevin J. Anderson

Author:Kevin J. Anderson [Anderson, Kevin J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3, mobi
Tags: Fantasy Anthologies, Short Stories, Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Fiction, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
ISBN: 9781680577112
Amazon: B0DKG463GR
Goodreads: 220632921
Publisher: WordFire Press LLC
Published: 2024-12-10T06:00:00+00:00

With Sheeta following stealthily on the ground, Tarzan flew from tree to tree, suspended by ropes as he headed for the place he had read about in the diary. He remembered the site of his first great battle, where he’d killed Tublat, the unjust mate of his foster-mother Kala.

He had always thought of the place as a natural amphitheater, a part of the landscape like the mountains and hills and the ocean itself. But if his ancestor’s diary was correct, this arena was not natural at all, but an alien construction, a landing pad for a sort of ship that could cross from one world to another. The idea should have made Tarzan’s head spin, but he had already been forced to adapt his view of the world to include seemingly impossible things: wheeled vehicles, large cities, great industries. Adapting his mind now to the idea of yet another complex civilization that came from beyond the sky did not cause him any greater consternation.

The open amphitheater was circular in shape, and its unnatural strangeness was emphasized by the fact that it remained unencumbered by entangling vines and creepers. The encroaching jungle itself seemed to avoid the place.

The dense jungle choked off access, though, as if to deny any intruders. Giants of the untouched forest grew close, with matted growth clogging the spaces between their trunks. The only opening Tarzan could find into the level arena was through the upper branches of the trees. He knew his way.

Throughout Tarzan’s childhood, the anthropoid apes had often gathered here. In the center of the amphitheater, he now saw one of the earthen drums built by the anthropoids for their strange rites, which have been heard by men across the vast unexplored jungle, but never witnessed. Tarzan was the only human who had ever seen the wild, frenzied revelry the drums inspired.

On moonlight nights, the anthropoid apes would dance in a rite that marked all important events in the life of the tribe: a victory, the capture of a prisoner, the killing of some fierce jungle denizen, the death or accession of a king. Here, prisoners were dragged to be killed and devoured. Here, Tarzan had defeated his first enemy and, later, had ascended as king of the anthropoid apes.

A long time had passed since then, and now another ruled the tribe, one who owed Tarzan fealty and who would recognize him as his lord. But before Tarzan would call on Akut and his people, he must first confirm that the strange symbols reported by his ancestor were indeed on the walls.

With his knife, Tarzan scraped at a half-buried wall of stone near the edge of the amphitheater. His wide knife revealed deep engravings in the stone: marks that represented the worlds encircling the sun, the larger rings of their orbits, and sharp triangle-shapes of the vessels that sailed between worlds.

Again he studied the ancient drawings and remembered the celestial engine at home which showed the alignments of those planets, and he had no doubt in his mind that his ancestor was correct.

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