it. His skin was tanned from working in the sun and his head was wrapped in a beige cloth. He fit the description Master Solon had given Leon. The old man had recommended him while they were planning the journey.
“A great day,” he smiled as he neared the family. “My name is Kalukrates. But you can call me Krates. Master Solon sent me a message that his family needed my help on a journey and to meet them here.”
Leon responded. “Great day. Yes we need you to guide us please.”
“That won’t be a problem. I hope you don’t mind travelling along with a couple of others at the beginning of this trip. I’m guiding them too.”
Leon had hoped it would be just his family but he half expected other people to join anyway. That was how these things usually worked.
“I’m sorry,” the guide continued. “Master Solon mentioned that where you are going is on the way to Xenoria but he forgot to tell me where specifically you’re going.”
“Mordelan.” Leon answered crisply. He doubted that Master forgot—more like avoided telling him.
This Krates fellow did not gawk or exclaim like others had done but it showed in his eyes that he found it strange and that he was quite taken aback. Leon expected him to make a comment but he made none. Instead he cleared his throat. “Let’s go meet the others. There’s no time to waste.”
The journey began a little later. They travelled as a group of eight. Leon and his family made up more than half of the group. The rest included Krates, a middle aged man and a young man probably in his early twenties.
The journey went on smoothly and quietly until afternoon. By afternoon the children began to whimper one after the other. The sun grew hotter and they had reached the sandy brink of the Maultusian desert. Cealia had stocked their bags with skins of water. As much as possible she wanted to avoid any discomfort as they travelled. She got two of the skins of water and handed one over to her husband while she shared some with Tycho, Keren and Irene—who was now on the carriage with them.
“A serious thing must be why you brought your family along.” The middle aged traveler grinned as he watched them. Holding a smooth cylindrical wooden staff and with a long brown cloak on his back, he was strolling beside them with the other young man and a horse. He was tall and moved on his long legs at an unhurried pace.
This was the reason Leon did not want himself and his family travelling along with anyone else. He didn’t feel like answering questions about where they were going.
However, not wanting to be rude he gave the man an answer. “It is.”
“My name is Kuno. My son Bion and I are heading for Xenoria.” He stretched his hand to the young man walking beside him. It was then that Leon realized the resemblance between the two strangers. The young man was equally tall. There was something very imperial and noble about their demeanor.
“Where are you heading?” The older man questioned.
Leon was tired of all the stories he got about Mordelan when people found out they were going there. However he still answered. “Mordelan.”
The man smiled. He said nothing but he turned and studied the family again. Leon was relieved when the man left them alone and continued talking to his son. And he hoped that was how it would be for the rest of this journey.
FOUR
TWO DAYS PASSED and the desert was behind them. It was midday. The travelers were exhausted. They’d been travelling since morning. But Krates showed no sign of pausing for a break.
Leon had to speak up. “Eh—Krates. Is there any chance we will be stopping soon?”
“We can’t stop yet,” Krates explained. “The route further ahead is best taken when the day is bright. If we rest here, we risk taking that route at night.”
Cealia, who was concerned for her children and in desperate need of some rest herself, spoke up as well. “How about a little rest? Just to stretch and then we’ll be on our way.”
Krates was reluctant but reasoned that it could not do any harm to stop a little while. So he stopped his horse and the group stopped all together.
The children came down from the wagon. They stretched and helped themselves to some cake and raisins. Leon also took a drink of water and a piece of cake. Cealia spread a mat on the ground under a tree nearby. The rest of the family walked over and sat with her.
“We can’t stay here too long,” Krates reminded.
“Just a little longer,” Cealia begged.
Krates looked up to the sky. He studied the sun, attempting to decipher the time of the day. He hesitated.
“Alright.” He set about feeding water to himself and his horse.
Kuno and his son also set about doing the same. They were now at the Korman Hills. There was a route taken through the hills by travelers. It was a beautiful landscape to behold. With greens all over and splashes of pink, blue, lilac and turquoise flowers everywhere they turned.
Irene stood. “Can I get a flower, mama?”
Cealia turned to Krates. “Are they safe?”
“Yes they are.” Krates walked over and cut one lilac flower and brought it to Irene who excitedly received it.
“Thank you.” She placed it in her hair.
“I want a flower too,” Keren announced from her mother’s side.
Krates laughed and strolled back to get a second flower. He returned with a turquoise one this time and stretched it out to her.
She received it grinning. “Thank you.”
Leon was happy to see his little girls enjoying the journey. He just wished their brother would do the same. Tycho had been quiet almost all through the journey so far. Leon thought people waited to be adults before they became grouchy. But not his son. He was a born analyst. This journey made Leon realize that work needed to be done on Tycho’s heart.
Shortly, they were off again and within an hour they approached what seemed to be a ruined city. The site was a contradiction to what they left in Korman Hills. It felt cold and abandoned. A foot path had been created by previous travelers. They could see some poor unkempt people hiding haphazardly among what was left of the mud and clay houses.
“What happened here? Where is this?” Leon asked at last.
“They destroyed themselves,” Kuno replied. “This is the land of Vorl’gaxx.”
Krates interjected. “Sorry we have to pass through here to get to our destination.”
Bion added. “They say there has never been anything so devastating happen to a people as this one.”
“We haven’t heard of anything like it since the old story of Sodom and Gomorrah.” Kuno put in.
Just then a scruffy looking boy, probably thirteen or fourteen, approached Cealia and began to beg.
Krates spoke up before Cealia could bring out anything to give. “Sorry son that we can’t help you. We can only give you some bread.” Then he nodded to Cealia who cut some bread and gave it to the boy.”
The boy nodded and withdrew to where he came from.
“I wanted to give him more than that,” Cealia said, clearly confused by what just happened.
“You can’t give them too much,” Krates explained. “Vorl’gites are cunning people. Among them are bandits. If you bring out gold or expensive attire, you’ll signal them. And they will trail after you later to get more from you. I’ve seen some rich people deliberately dress poor just to pass through this place safely.”
With that Cealia kept silent. All she wanted now was to get out of there.
The sun was going down gradually and they were able to make it past Vorl’gaxx in good time. Krates’s concern had been that night would catch up with them in Vorl’gaxx. But that did not happen and he was relieved. If they could just get farther ahead, they could settle in for the night.
As they proceeded, he thought he heard something, like little stones rolling down the sides of rocks. A deer or a wild goat. He ignored it and continued. Cealia and the children were asleep in the wagon. The men were all awake. They had to be.
Krates heard anothe
r sound. Closer this time. Like shuffling. It better be a deer or goat. His heart quickened its rhythm and his breath felt short. He did not like the thought that was piercing its way into his mind. It cannot be anything else. It must not be anything else. His knowledge of fighting did not lessen his concern. The sound stopped. The goats must have run away.
Kuno had been walking behind and presently moved forward to Krates’s right side. He looked serious.
“It seems we’re being followed.” He spoke in a very low voice.
An icy, eerie feeling crept up Krates’s spine. “How do you know?”
“The sounds,” Kuno replied still in a low voice. “Didn’t you hear them?”
Krates remained silent. Kuno breathed in heavily and then out again. Although intensity was very much in his voice and eyes, his demeanor was much calmer than Krates’s.
“They should be about four in number.” Kuno finally said after a brief silence.
“How do you know that?” Krates whispered.
“I have my way?”
Krates studied him. “So what do you suggest we do?”
“I told Bion to watch the rear. We don’t want whoever they are to know we are aware. We should avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary.”
“You seem so sure of yourself,” Krates observed.
Kuno smiled. “More than you know.”
FIVE
THEY JOURNEYED QUIETLY. As much as possible, they behaved like they were not aware of anyone hiding among the rocks. They did not bother telling Leon. There was no need until it becomes absolutely necessary.
“There are some caves ahead,” Krates whispered to Kuno.
Kuno nodded. “We can put the family there along with the load and animals.”
When they came to a large enough cave, Krates lead Leon and his family into it.
“You all wait in here and as much as you can, don’t make a sound.” Krates announced.
Leon could sense the tension in his voice and manner. “What’s going on?”
Krates led him away from the rest of the family. “We suspect we are being followed.” He said with a low voice.
Leon’s eyes grew and deep concern was evident on his face. “What can I do to help?”
“Stay with your family and keep things quiet. We’ll take care of the rest.”
Leon whispered some words up to the Father and returned to sit with his family. Thankfully the children and their mother soon went back to sleep again. They were really exhausted.
Krates walked over to the entrance of the cave where Kuno and Bion stood. “Now what?”
“We wait.” Kuno replied calmly. Nothing must touch that family. It was now his duty to make sure of that.
They decided to take turns watching the area. Two hours passed and still nothing. Krates began to think that maybe Kuno was overreacting and that what they heard was actually a deer or a wild goat. By this time Leon had also fallen asleep. Kuno studied the sleeping family. That’s the way to do it. Sleep. We have this under control.
Suddenly, he heard a sound. Grabbing his staff, he stood up and moved over to the entrance where Krates stood watching.
“They’re here,” Kuno announced in a low voice. His way of speaking was so grand that Krates felt like he was standing next to a king.
“How do you know? I haven’t heard a sound since.”
“They’re here,” he repeated simply. Then he closed his eyes and whispered. Krates recognized what he was doing and could not deny they all needed it very much.
“Go and get Bion.” Kuno ordered. The guide said nothing and proceeded to carry out the order. Kuno slid the wooden cover off his staff, exposing a metal rod with elaborate designs patterned on it. He held it diagonally in front of him with both hands and moved forward. The night had fallen. The moon shone its white rays down on the rocks and sand. Its limited light could not expose everything within Kuno’s range of sight, but surely enough, he could make out a silhouette of a man in the distance. The man was moving toward the cave. Clearly, he had seen Kuno. He approached slowly but confidently. As he lessened the gap between them, Kuno could make out some of his features in the moonlight. His clothes were rough and torn and his eyes seemed to hold intense anger in them. Vorl’gite.
“I advice giving us what we want. Save yourself the aggravation.” His voice was deep and hoarse.
“You’ve come to the wrong person,” Kuno responded, calmly enough.
The man smiled; a sneering, mischievous smile. It was then that Kuno finally spotted the other three emerging from the shadows of the rocks. He had sensed others were present, he just didn’t know where.
“You are bold,” The man snarled. In seconds he brought out a slightly curved dagger and released a laugh that echoed through the night. His eyes darted from side to side and spotted two men standing closer to the cave behind Kuno. Bion and Krates stilled themselves. Kuno tightened his grip around his rod.
“I see you have friends,” the thief—who seemed to be leader of the band—spoke. His sneering smile remained. “Are they as bold as you are? That would be a foolish thing. You don’t want to do something stupid.”
Within seconds, he and his companions headed for Kuno. Kuno, with a defensive stance, was able to block their attacks with relative ease. Bion and Krates moved to help him. Kuno’s rod hit each man with the kind of exactness that was to be admired. Recognizing that Kuno was the most skilled of the three fighters, the lead thief—out of craving for self satisfaction—decided he wanted to take him on. It wasn’t long before it turned into a one on one combat between Kuno and the lead thief while Krates and Bion handled the other three.
Though Krates was busy, he did notice the way Kuno fought. With rod in hand the middle aged man danced around the thieves. He did it with grace but with great strength as well. Bion fought much the same way as his father. Only his choice of weapon differed. They were two hard, oblong contraptions with three chains hanging from each. He held one in each hand swinging it and hitting the thieves with amazing precision.
Xenorian Combat Masters—incredible. Krates had heard of them but had never actually met one let alone seen them in action. It was said that Xenoria had about the most skilled fighters in the world. Krates was humbled. He felt inadequate since his fighting style was not quite so refined but he would help them whatever way he could.
Krates reasoned that the family would be awake by now with all the ruckus. But if they could remain in the cave he felt everything would be fine.
The thieves were obviously unskilled but they possessed a great degree of strength and stamina. All the while, the lead thief had relentlessly attacked. He hurled a small knife which he pulled from his belt at Kuno who dodged it swiftly bending to his right. Kuno decided it was time for an offensive move. He altered his stance.
The thief noticed. “Don’t think changing the position of your feet scares me.”
Kuno made no reply but within seconds his rod was all over the place, hitting the thief’s belly, ribs, legs and whatever part was opened. The thief groaned loudly. Kuno gave no room. He persisted; giving his opponent a new blow every second.
The other thieves became distracted because they could hear their leader groaning. Their distracted state was good for Krates and Bion and they made the most of the opportunity.
Their leader was now on the ground groaning and rolling from one side to the other, rubbing the places that hurt. His whole body hurt.
“Get me out of here,” he was able to muster. The other thieves left their opponents and headed to him. He struggled to his feet and they were off assisting their leader as he hobbled away in the middle of them.
Kuno breathed deeply.
Krates came up to him panting. “I wonder if we should change location and move further down.”
The middle aged man shook his head as they watched the thieves leave. “That won’t be necessary. They won’t be coming back here.”
SIX
&nb
sp; KRATES’S SUPPOSITIONS WERE correct. Though the family was hidden in the inner parts of the long, spacious cave, they were very awake. Leon had left them and come to the entrance to see what was going on. That was where the three fighters met him. How much he had seen, they could not be sure. But he had seen something. His face was a picture of astonishment. He stood behind the rocky walls of the cave entrance as the three walked in.
“Are you alright?” he asked the three men as they entered.
Kuno turned with a smile. “We’re great. Everything is going to be alright.”
Leon was not too convinced. His eyes squinted with concern. “Don’t you think we should move to another location? What if they are gathering reinforcements?”
Bion interjected. “They won’t be back here. Trust me.”
Leon was still not convinced but he decided they would have a better judgment of the situation than he did since they had more experience.
All four men ambled into the inner part of the cave where the children sat quietly huddled around their mother. When little Keren saw her father walk in, she stood and scuttled to his side, hugging him tightly around his legs. Leon’s heart skipped. His family had never been through this kind of situation before. It was heartbreaking to see his little girl so frightened.
He lifted her up into his arms and holding her close; whispered to her. “It’s alright. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
She had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and continued to squeeze him until they joined the rest of the family.
It had not escaped Cealia’s notice that Kuno and Bion were not injured. They must have been really good. Krates on the other hand had a few bruises but nothing her herbs couldn’t help with. She set about boiling the herbs over a small fire they lit in the cave. It was later in the night and the children had finally calmed down enough to go back to sleep. The men were seated together. Kuno and Bion helped themselves to some hot ginger drink that Cealia had prepared.
“Thank you for fighting off those thieves.” Leon began. “I haven’t travelled much in my life and the few journeys I’ve made were certainly not through dangerous routes like this. So this is all new to me.”
“This journey is important,” Kuno smiled knowingly. “The responsibility to be the influence of light in darkness is a huge one.”
Leon’s eyes fixed on Kuno who was seated next to him on his right. How did this stranger know?
The middle aged man smiled. “It is a brave thing you are doing following the Father’s instructions like this. Not many of His children want to do this.”
“He has put the desire to go there in me. But I’m still struggling with receiving the courage to do it.”
“This is the reason He chose you,” Kuno nodded. “It is hard enough carrying out an assignment. Let alone carrying it out without the right feelings to lend encouragement. You must really love Him to do this. Your reward shall be grand. He’d never let you do this for nothing. Just keep trusting Him.”
Kuno stood up and left Leon pondering on what he just heard. Kuno had