“The Alama Masu!” Heather interrupted pointedly. “It’s a trick they use to entice the family into searching among the ruins for food; they know we subsist on a bland diet and the grey crystals are like candy to a child, but the family know they do it and sometimes the temptation becomes too strong and someone will fall for the trap. But the exquisite tasting grey crystals are sometimes laced with a tracking device–among other things–and if someone falls to the temptation, they will eventually lead the enemy straight to us... sorry, Elly, I interrupted you; go on!”
“We ate some of the grey crystals and as you said, they were very filling and palatable. But I noticed the crystals vibrating on my skin and it panicked me.”
“The tracking device!” Heather conceded with disdain.
“Dramble was concerned I was dehydrating in the dusty environment; I hadn’t had water for over two days and my body was starting to shut down. It was becoming desperate, so we searched all the next day trying to find water, but I was slowing Dramble’s pace and he was concerned I wouldn’t make it much further.”
Heather stared blankly at the cavern wall, intrigued by Elly’s story. “It’s just as well you didn’t find water in the ruins, Elly; everything out there has been poisoned by the great attack. The water would have killed you quicker than the thirst.”
Heather’s comment flabbergasted Elly, halting her commentary. “This isn’t a friendly place is it, Heather?”
Shaking her head, Heather’s lips turned up at the ends in a mock smile. “Go on, Elly.”
“Dramble eventually found an underground concrete bunker of some kind and left me there, but before he could return, a couple of black robed thugs found me and abducted me forcefully and disabled my resistance, taking me into that place. When I woke from whatever they did, I was in the harem and laying on a rug; they questioned me about the family and of course I didn’t know anything, but then some awful chanting or something erupted over loud speakers…”
“The Alama Masu being called to worship their satanic god,” Heather’s face was drawn and a fire of anger burned in her desperate stare, reciting the ritual she had seen and heard so many times.
Elly stared blankly past Heather, the memories perturbing her anxious mind, trying to short-out the unpleasant events leading up to Finn’s heroic rescue; but for Heather’s sake, she tentatively continued.
“Once the chanting started, the Alama Masu left the room and then Eliana was sent in to prepare me for that sicko, Mal... something or other!”
“Malhalem, he’s the vassal ruler.”
“Mmm, that’s him,” Elly swallowed and tried to brace herself for the worst. “Anyway, Eliana bathed me and prepared me so this Malhalem could...” Elly choked as she remembered how close both she and Eliana had come to being abused and murdered; and Finn’s timely sacrifice that ultimately led to their rescue.
Heather sensed the trauma Elly was carrying and smothered her in a hug. “It’s okay, Elly, I can guess the rest; it’s a familiar story among the family women, especially the exceptionally beautiful ones.”
Elly trembled in Heather’s arms and then finally found the courage to whisper, “If it wasn’t for Finn’s and Caleb’s bravery–right at the last minute, too–we would have been brutalised and dead by now.”
Remaining in the comfort of Heather’s embrace, both girls stared at the cavern’s rocky wall in silence while the thoughts continually traumatised Elly. She hadn’t had time to process the shock, or the full extent of Finn’s and Caleb’s bravery and what that meant for both Eliana and her.
But more importantly, what it cost Heather.
Elly had intended to comfort Heather, but found Heather’s comfort instead. “You’re such a wonderful woman, Heather, and just like how I imagined a sister would be.”
*~*~*~*
Chapter 36
It was late when Elly and Heather hauled their load of clean washing back to the chamber, but Caleb and Eliana were still holding hands, gazing adoringly and talking exclusively at the chamber door. Eliana’s gape was that of a woman deeply in love and Caleb’s expression betrayed the depth of emotion he held for the petite young woman too. Even as her two sisters struggled into view, Eliana hadn’t registered that someone else could possibly be alive on the planet until Elly, overcome with gratitude, dropped her end of the bag and hugged Caleb’s neck, prompting an envious flash from Eliana’s eyes.
“Thank you for your bravery and for what you did for both Eliana and me.”
Elly’s sudden display took Caleb by surprise and then when she kissed his cheek with a watery kiss, he was stunned even more. To make things worse for Eliana, Heather did the same thing, prompting Eliana to twist her head to one side and place her hands on her hips.
Realising this wasn’t a grab for her man, Eliana spoke up and with a jesting smile, teased the situation with humour. “I’ve been thanking him all night; haven’t I, sweetheart?!”
Caleb’s expression was troubled at the unusual and overwhelming outpouring of feminine appreciation but one more glance at the young woman who had stolen his heart and he was ready to admit to anything. His adoring smile spoke volumes, but his tongue was tied and his words had forsaken him.
“We’ll leave you two alone for now, but don’t forget to come to bed, Eliana. Kitchen duty in the morning,” Elly warned, sharing a corner of the clothes bag with Heather and wrestling the load of washing inside.
Dad suddenly appeared at the chamber door and with an amused smile, he chided the two love birds to leave some for the morning and sent Caleb home. With a final passionate kiss that would keep her on his mind all night, Eliana drifted inside while Caleb floated home along the late night passageway.
It was early morning before Elly and Heather wearily prepared for bed, although Eliana was hyped up and wanted to continuously talk about Caleb still.
“Eliana, I love you and Caleb with all my heart, but if you don’t let me get some sleep, I may turn into the pillow fight grump and you don’t want that, do you?” Elly chided, while drawing a stifled laugh from Heather.
“Okay! I get the message. Goodnight, Elly and Heather,” Eliana conceded defeat and settled her head on her pillow.
“Night, Eliana, and he’s a very fine man; you’re a lucky girl.”
“Yeah, he is and did you know...?“
“Eliana!”
Elly silenced Eliana with a good natured jibe and with a final shared giggle, the family chamber drifted into exhausted sleep.
*~*~*~*
Tender bare footsteps treaded the darkened mountain trail, sharp with stones of imagination but no jab of the fractious sole was enough to discourage playful curiosity. The shimmering sun, brilliant and powerful like a fresh cut gem, reflected its colours through the prisms of time and painted the mountain’s shadowy cloak with a rainbow of delight.
Competent and more than willing to light the sojourner’s way.
A graceful step... and then another... bared a perfect ankle, hidden so shy and deeply innocent behind the maiden’s flowing white gown. Long strands of supple blonde velvet, tussled by a teasing wind, caressed the dawning air, so heavy with the sweet scents of undisturbed perfume and tense with expectation.
Profound pools of pure piercing blue searched the tinsel-like scene, until a child’s giggle drifted across the valley floor and invited her emotions to play.
Soft kisses of sweet, warm rain drifted down from on high and upon the maiden’s superb beauty, thrilling her senses and swelling her heart.
She knew he was here somewhere and he was watching, filling his gaze with her magnificent innocence.
Bursting into a uncontrolled giggle, she spun her figure on the spot, twirling the long gown in a ballet of delight, while shimmers of the rainbow flashed like lightning and danced across her dazzling blonde velvet, tempting him with her radiance; but finally, bowing to an applause of childlike laughter drifting from across the stems of perfect lilac, yellow, red and green.
&nb
sp; “Elly...! Elly...! Pretty lady, come to me,” the whisper beckoned, tantalising her heart with tingling desire.
She turned this way and that, probing desperately, piercing blue flashes alive like the laughing flowers, searching here... there... but where was he?
Deep green trails of a desperate searchlight pulled her heart towards him. She was floating above the ground, drawn along by his powerful stare and encapsulated by his beckoning call but powerless to resist the yearning she felt.
Without warning, the green eyes held her mesmerised and she drifted on the wings of love, gasping to fill her heaving lungs and desperate to feel the heat of his passion once again.
Her heart exploded as he drew her teasingly, slowly into his embrace while gentle featherlight fingers caressed her lips, drawing her closer into his desperate kiss.
“Elly... Elly! Wake up, girl, you’re moaning and talking in your sleep.” Heather and Eliana stood over her bed, shaking her from her slumber.
“H-m-m!” An exasperated Elly was still coming to terms with her romantic dream and once again, she had missed the best part. Trying not to give too much away and concerned she may have embarrassed herself, she tried to fathom the depth of her folly. “W..what did I say?” she managed sluggishly.
Eliana glanced across to Heather, an impish smile lighting her lips. “I don’t know exactly, but it sounded very intense.”
Feeling assured she had escaped the worst, Elly tried to play it down. “Must have been a nightmare,” she offered unconvincingly, and still incoherent from her dream.
Eliana wasn’t going to let her get away with that. “Mmm! I’ve never had a nightmare where I’ve been caught murmuring... Kiss me...! Kiss me!”
Elly flushed red, while Heather and Eliana giggled and then hugged their sister.
Unexpectedly, a long trumpet blast tore through the passageways, reverberating off the walls and into every part of the subterranean world.
The chilling sound brought fear to the girls and immediately, Heather’s face fell.
“What’s happening, Heather?!” Elly demanded, frightened to her core.
“It’s the emergency trumpet, coming from the lookout. Quickly, follow me into the tunnels; we have to find shelter and hide.”
Abruptly, Caleb appeared at the door, frantic for Eliana’s and the girls’ safety. “Heather, take the girls and your father down into the winding tunnels and head deep; and don’t come out until I come for you personally. Okay!”
Heather nodded vigorously while Eliana reached for Caleb; he kissed her and then sent them on their way, desperate to get them to safety before they were attacked.
“I love you, Eliana,” his pledge struck at her heart, echoing in the dark passageway.
“I love you too, Caleb; please be careful!” the worry evident in Eliana’s voice.
It was up to Caleb and the Raiders now to defend the family and in the absence of Finn, Caleb was responsible for their protection and he would fight with everything he had to protect the people he loved.
As the trumpet continued its toll, people were panicking and screaming, abandoning their family chambers in haste while heading deeper into the dark tunnels, well beyond the Lake of Purity.
Commanding voices among the terrorised fray hurried them to their allotted shelters, then ordered the family to remain calm, silence their shouting fears and hide.
With her heart pounding in her chest, Elly glanced back to see a group of young men travelling in the opposite direction, led by Caleb’s handsome figure and disappearing into the tunnels. The first and last line of defence, supposedly going out to meet the threat and cut it down before it could find its way into the family refuge.
Elly erupted into frustrated tears, knowing fear stalked the family at every turn and danger was a constant part of the family’s struggle. The gentle people and the place she had been thrust into could never rest, and their vigilance was key to life or death.
This was a wakeup call to Elly. She had grown to love the peaceful and loving people of the family, family who were hunted at the hands of pure evil and their only crime was to love Jehovah and each other above everything else.
*~*~*~*
Chapter 37
Silent and frightened eyes glistened in the dark passageways, punctuated only by pounding hearts and laboured breaths, deliberately drawn and controlled so any sound could not be detected, closing the snare of a trap around the family members.
The family group stood scattered and invisible throughout silent tunnels; not a sound or even a whisper could be heard. But fear lurked like a heavy blanket and settled over the hunted, while the hunter thrived on its presence, sensing it like a rabid dog tracking down an injured fox.
The Raiders’ strategy to engage the enemy: silence in waiting and then as much noise as possible while the battle raged, warning the family the enemy was near and the signal to run deeper into the black tunnels.
Moments dragged by in anxious contemplation and many fearful prayers crossed quavering lips and waited, hoping for deliverance while their very lives remained at Jehovah’s will.
A muffled voice drifted from far away, concealed and muted by many metres of thick rock. Hearts raced and straining ears tried to tune into the commentary from among the dark passages, waiting anxiously for the sign to flee.
The voice abruptly changed from a quiet, challenging tone to a rowdy, boisterous dance. Confusion gripped the tunnels as more Raider voices joined the cacophony.
Was this a battle cry or was this a victory shout?
Soon, the staccato call of the trumpet bellowed out across the tunnels, adding more confusion, and debate erupted among the family members. The all clear was sounding victoriously and some of the family began to murmur and move back toward the familiar sanctuary while other members sensed a trap and preached caution, halting a mass migration.
Then Caleb’s excited voice drifted into the confusion and caused a furore. “Come out! Come and see! Finn is back and he is alive and unharmed!”
Then as the stunned words began to sink in, a body shoved against Elly and dropped to the floor, pushing her off balance.
Desperate to find the cause of the strike, Elly tried to feel around in the dark, but the body slunk down at her feet and crashed against her toes. Heather had been in the same direction the shove had come from and Elly began to worry.
Searching the figure’s features, she gasped, realising the petite Heather had been overpowered by the unexpected news and had fainted right at her feet.
*~*~*~*
As the fear began to subside, many dazed family members ambled into the dining cavern and silently began to assemble, but still suffering the effects of shock at an averted attack. The apparition of Finn standing before them was surreal and it took a while for reality to sink in.
Then the hysterical voice of Louisse broke the silence and she hugged the Raider and began to kiss his cheek, begging for forgiveness. The family abruptly recognised Finn by the tender hug and warmth directed at Louisse and his consoling words of love, respect and forgiveness.
A murmur rippled through the gathering and then grew in intensity as people recognised the Raiders’ leader and burgeoned into a full-blown celebration. The noise of excitement filled the chamber and before long, a solid wall of people gathered around Finn, hugging him and crying all at the same time.
The cacophony suddenly quieted as if a plug had been pulled and the crowd divided, while a trembling young woman stood in the doorway to the chamber and stared at the Raider leader with an uncertain gaze. Her eyes were haunted but soft and pleading, locked onto the gape of the green-eyed warrior.
In that moment, all sound stopped and Finn crossed the floor in a swift, fluid move, sweeping the woman he loved into his arms and holding her off the ground, stunning her with the fire of passion from his lips. Heather returned Finn’s passion, her small frame lost in his embrace and her heart pounding with joy.
A raucous cheer erupted throug
hout the sanctuary as the two people slowly became aware of their surrounds again and swallowed up by adoring family members. The family women were dancing with elation as their little girl’s sadness quickly turned to ecstasy; she was destined to fit the shape of Finn’s embrace and walk the path of the Altar Rose and become his wife.
A small boy with searching grey eyes stood at the back of the crowd and lapped up the obvious love these people carried for their warrior.
As Finn stood holding a glowing Heather’s hand, people began asking about his mission and how he had escaped the terrors of the Alama Masu. In the heat of the moment, a light of forgetfulness suddenly blinked on and Finn scanned the crowd, settling his gaze on the small, grey-eyed boy.
The boy watched the Raider stride towards him and before he could blink, Finn had hoisted him above his head and settled the small figure on his shoulder. “This person is the one who is responsible for my escape!”
The family fell silent, expecting an explanation, but before the crowd could process the information and ask another barrage of questions, Elly’s impassioned voice drifted from the doorway.
“DRAMBLE!”
She ran toward Finn and as he let Dramble down again, she smothered him in an emotional hug. The two friends fell together, whooping and dancing in a touching reunion.
Red faced and out of breath, Elly glanced up at the Raider with overwhelming joy and for the first time her eyes met his and in a gasp that stole her breath, her innocent, piercing blue eyes fluttered closed and she collapsed at his feet.
*~*~*~*
When Elly finally regained consciousness, she was lying on her bed attended by Eliana and a very glowing Heather. She could hear the sounds of whispered male voices at the chamber door and recognised Dramble’s boyish banter among Caleb and Finn’s company.