Mystery's Short Stories.

The Kalkara

Fare thee well, Old Joe Smoke
Fare thee well I say
Fare thee well Old Joe Smoke
I'll see you on your way."

Will, started to sing another song.

"Sunshine lady,
color of sunshine in your hair
Happiness is the gown you wear
I would follow you anywhere
my sunshine lady"

People started singing along to the song,

"Spread a little light around, sunshine lady
Isn't it true
I love you la da da daa
Spread a little light around
sunshine lady
You are the one
who lights up the sun."

After a couple more songs Will started to wrap up and headed back to the inn where he had booked a room.

"I must be going now. It has been a long night."

"Of course," Arthur dismissed the Ranger posing as a jongleur.

"And there would be number two," Maddie muttered from her seat close to the king.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing," Maddie waved the question off. Then an ear-piercing screech reached the castle.

"What was that?" Nobles and servants alike asked.

From where he had not quite left the room yet Will shivered and Halt from his hiding place looked up.

"No need for panic. I will send out some knights to find out what it was," assured Arthur.

"No need," Will said without turning around.

"What do you mean?"

"I know what it is and it does not bode well for any of us. It will hunt until it gets its prey or dies trying," Will's tone was dead serious, "There are supposed to be extinct. The last two were killed years ago during my apprenticeship. A Kalkara is hunting."

"What is a Kalkara?" asked Arthur.

"A creature that can paralyze you in fear if you look in its eyes. A cross between a bear and an ape. It is an assassin that will do anything to kill its prey. It has only one weakness that we know of."

"What is the weakness?"

"Fire. Its coat is extremely flammable."

"Who are you really?" Merlin asked from his place beside the king, "You are not a simple jongleur."

Will chuckled.

"That is for me to know."

As Will passed the head table he gave Maddie a look that told her, 'You will stay here. Don't go looking for trouble.'

And though Maddie nodded. She wasn't planning on listening to him.

That night Will and Halt quietly slipped out of the city. They knew the Kalkara was on the hunt and they planned to kill it. Will had a torch that was soaked and ready to be lit on fire when they needed it. Both men carried arrows that would catch as well. They didn't know that at the same time, Merlin was slipping out of the castle unnoticed ready to protect the kingdom. Will had changed his cloak to the Ranger issued cloak and double scabbard instead of the single scabbard which sheathed his saxe and the white and dark gray jongleur cloak.

Merlin didn't know Maddie was following him. She changed from the nice dress she wore to the castle into her Ranger uniform. She slipped quietly through the night, following the King's manservant. He also didn't know that Arthur had been coerced by the Knights of the Round Table into following his manservant.

It didn't take long for four groups to run into the Kalkara. The monster was moving towards them as they were moving in the direction of it. Will and Halt hid in the shadows of a clearing waiting for the Kalkara to cross their path. Merlin waited farther back in the tree line so he wouldn't be seen. Maddie slipped in front of him in absolute silence. Maddlyn stopped at the tree line.