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Everything Begins Chapter 109
Frank walked to the ladder, expecting to have to wrestle it next to the instruction books, but to his surprise, it glided smoothly across the floor on small wheels, somehow attached to the shelving high above him. He stopped it near the books, climbed to the top, and gathered the three books to himself and carefully climbed back down the ladder. He grabbed the spellbook he had been looking at as well and left the building. The door slowly shut behind him, and when he looked at the stone, he could not see any sign that there was a door there at all. He supposed that was a good thing in case someone blundered through the illusion spell and ran into the stone. He moved to Klyar, put the books in the saddlebags, swung into the saddle, and turned the stallion back toward the road to Torkeln.Riding through the night and into the next day, Frank finally came to Sarat. The road to Torkeln ran straight through the center of the village, and there were homes lined on either side of it. Klyar w
Everything Begins Chapter 110
Mari came out a few minutes later with a covered plate and a mug, a deep frown on her face, and her fury was almost enough to make Frank uncomfortable. He ignored the heat, however, thanked her for the food and ale, and began to eat. Mari moved behind the bar and started cleaning it with incensed swipes of her cloth, glaring daggers at Frank the entire time. He tried to ignore her, but as her fury grew, so did the heat directed at him, and finally, he put down his fork and stood up. He walked to the bar and leaned on his forearms.“Listen to me, Mari,” he said disdainfully. “You may have every man in this flea-bitten village wrapped around your finger, but I am not one of them. You may as well stop being angry with me because I am never going to accept your company. I love my wife, and I would never do anything with another woman. Never! So either leave this room or curb your fury, or I will leave now and pay you nothing. I will consider the food and the stable as payment for putting
Everything Begins Chapter 111
Frank stepped forward and placed the tip of his sword on the second man’s chest. “You were going to kill me, were you not?” he asked, his eyes glowing.“Yes, sir, I was, but only because Samsaya ordered it done. As Yiramiya has said, if we do not kill you, we will die horrible deaths.”“Not if I kill that son of Sayatan first,” Frank muttered. “If I leave you here, will you interfere with me doing so?”“No, Sainika,” the first said, and Frank frowned.“How did you know what I am?”“Samsaya told all the villagers you were Sainika. I do not know exactly what that means, but he wants you dead. If we do not do it, someone else will.”“Not if I have anything to say about it.” Frank shoved the two men to the side and armed himself with every blade he had brought with him after strapping his sword belt around his waist. “Stay here unless you truly wish to die,” he told them as he moved to the door. “Where is Samsaya now?”“He stays in a cottage a league east of here in the forest, Sainika,”
Everything Begins Chapter 112
“Take care of the bodies,” he growled at the nearest man who bobbed a quick bow and then turned to gather quite a few other men to do the Anmah’s bidding. The women who had watched the spectacle moved toward the villagers Frank had managed to simply render unconscious and started dragging them out of the middle of the road. Frank watched for a while, and then he sheathed his sword, spun on his heel, and entered the inn. Trudging up the stairs, he went to his room, pulled off his boots, and lay down on the bed to wait for morning.Three days later, weary to his very bones, Frank spotted the red tiled roofs of Torkeln from a rise about five leagues north of the city. Since the incident in Sarat, the Anmah had avoided all contact with the few villages he had seen, preferring to sleep in the forest rather than be subjected to another night of fighting. He sighed in relief when he saw the city and pressed Klyar on as fast as the horse could carry him. When he finally reached the north gate
Everything Begins Chapter 113
He pushed the door to the throne room open, ignoring the two guardsmen who were standing stiffly with perfect salutes. When he walked in, the throne was empty, but King Tomas and his father were at the same table he had seen when Jarda had brought him to the king the very first time. Both men's heads snapped up when the door opened, and Jarda smiled brightly."Ga'briyel! Welcome home!" he cried out, glancing at the king. When Tomas nodded, he walked quickly to his son and embraced him tightly. "I missed you, my boy," he whispered harshly. "I am so happy you are home.""And I missed you as well, Baba." Frank pulled away from his father, took two steps toward the table and dropped to his knee."Rise, Captain Mistri," Tomas said. When Frank did so, the king gestured toward a third chair at the table. "Sit and tell me what has happened to you these past moons.""Yes, sire." Frank and Jarda sat, and the Anmah told them both about the sons of Sayatan he had slain, the village where he had k
Everything Begins Chapter 114
You are probably right about that, my son. I shall have to get you a sword and staff and bow built to your size. It will be important for you to learn them as soon as possible. You may not be able to die, but I will not see you or your mama hurt because you do not know how to protect yourselves.Will you get Mama a sword as well, Baba?Yes, Adama, and I will teach her to use it. If, Yisu forbid, I am not around to protect you, I need to know you can do so without me.The baby frowned and patted his father's cheek. Where would you go, Baba? Will you not stay with us?Of course I will, my son, but no one can see the future, and there may be a time when I am not there for you."Captain Mistri?"Ga'briyel's head snapped up from where he was studying his son. King Tomas was staring at him intently. "Yes, sire?""Are you sure you want no one else to go with you on this journey? I can gather as many guardsmen as you wish. If you wish it.""No, thank you, sire. All I need is my family." He hu
Everything Begins Chapter 115
Unknown to the kosmar, Frank was fighting her in his mind. When she stripped him and herself bare, he battled with the vision of her and forced himself not to react. Devina noticed this and growled softly. She tried everything she could to stimulate the Anmah, but he struggled through it all and kept Sophyra in the forefront of his mind. With his wife's face emblazoned on his subconsciousness, he was able to resist everything Devina did to him. She became more and more frustrated as time went on, and then Frank slowly became aware of a voice in his mind.Baba! Wake up! Fight her, Baba!At that, Frank opened his eyes, and Devina jerked away from him. When he slowly stood, she backpedaled until she was against the door of the room. "How?" she asked softly."My family," Frank said quietly. "They protect me. Even from myself sometimes." He walked toward the kosmar until his sword's tip was at her throat, and then he grinned without humor. Devina's eyes went wide, and she raised her hands
Everything Begins Chapter 116
"A fool am I?" Frank snarled. "And what is it that makes me a fool, Daitya?"The man laughed. "Anyone is a fool who tries to fight Sayatan and his sons."Ga'bryel grinned, but if a human had seen that grin, they would have screamed. "And yet I have killed three of his sons already, Daitya. Dismembered, they are rotting away as we speak, never to come together again. Soon they will be only bones." He shrugged as if it mattered not a bit to him. "I assume their souls are gone as well. That is what Telantes told me."At the name of the Debaduta, every Daitya recoiled. "That interfering spirit!" the spokesman said with a snarl. "He has been far too involved in your life, Sainika. Sayatan will deal with him in time. We may be able to banish him for a year or so, but Sayatan can destroy him as easily as you can destroy us.""Speaking of," Frank said, taking a step closer to the Daitya and readying his sword, "I am going to destroy you all right now.""You would fight unarmed men?""You are
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- Everything Begins
Chapter 123
"I am fine, Frank, but I am very hungry." She smiled up at him. "Just like you always are."He frowned and ran his hand over her hair. "Not always, Sophyra. Not after the Dirack." He took her hand and led her out of the room, shutting the door behind them to let his son sleep. They went down to the main room, and Frank eyes went wide when he saw Telantes sitting at the bar talking with Luija."Telantes, my friend. Why are you here?" Frank kept his arm around his wife but walked up to the Debaduta and clasped his forearm."I am here to tell you where you are to go next, Frank."With a skeptical look, Frank eyed his friend and tightened his grip. "Why did Yisu not just tell me Himself like before? Why are you really here?"Grinning sheepishly, Telantes released the Sainika's forearm. "That is one reason, Ga'briyel. I cannot lie; you know this. But there is a second reason. You and your family..." The spirit looked at Sophyra. "I hear congratulations are in order again, Sophyra. Another
- Everything Begins
Chapter 122
"He is dead!" he announced, and the soldiers carried him into the same room as his supposed victim and laid him on the floor. Captain Panakari followed them, shooed them out of the room, and shut the door. "You can get up now, Captain Mistri." Frank opened his eyes, took his sword belt from the other captain, and stretched with a smile before strapping it around his waist. "There is a back way out of this room, Captain, but you must make your way to your inn on your own. Try not to let anyone see you, or they will know I lied, and then I will find myself in the noose."Frank held out his hand, and the other clasped his forearm firmly. "Thank you, Captain. I appreciate everything you have done for me tonight. Please know that everything I did was for the good of your people. They may not understand that, but it was. My family and I will be gone in the morning." He followed Captain Panakari to the door in the back of the room, and after it was unlocked, slipped out into the darkness of
- Everything Begins
Chapter 121
"Benefits of being friends with a Debaduta, daemon!" Then Frank stopped talking, swung his sword, and began the deadliest dance known to man with the daemon in front of him. Dolsaya's eyes went wide, and he tried to flee, but Frank was too quick, and soon the daemon was backed up against his storefront. With a single swipe, Frank removed the daemon's head from his shoulders, and with several others, dismembered it. Then he turned to the daemon behind him and resumed the dance. It seemed as if it only took a few minutes before Kaysaya's head was rolling along the middle of the street, caught in a rut formed by hundreds of carriage wheels, but when Frank had hacked the third daemon to pieces, he realized that it was dark, his muscles ached, and he stank like rubbish that had been sitting in the summer sun for a moon. He looked around and was surprised to see several people standing on the wooden walkways watching him. Most had torches, and he walked to one, grabbed his torch, and applie
- Everything Begins
Chapter 120
Adama grinned and slid out of their bed. He went to the chest of drawers and pulled out a white linen shirt, black breeches, and a red coat. He dressed himself quickly, and then looked at his parents expectantly. "Come, Baba," he said, excitement flowing from him and covering Ga'briyel, as he held out his tiny hand to his father.With a smile, Frank stood, held out his hand to Sophyra, who took it and joined him, and then took his son's hand in his. They went to the main room where Luija already had first meal on the table. The Debaduta was standing by their table, a worried look on his face."Are you sure about this, Ga'briyel? It will be dangerous at the docks. Two of the daemons have shops there, after all.""How did you know?" Sophyra asked him. Luija just looked at her, and she nodded. "Yisu told you, yes?""Of course He did, and I do not think this is a wise move to make, Sainika. The daemons will be waiting for you to bring your family out of the inn. I have a very bad feeling
- Everything Begins
Chapter 119
“Nor should you, my child.” Frank looked at his son, forced his eyes to dim, and smiled. He sat down next to Sophyra on the bench she had chosen, pulled her close, and kissed her softly. “Later, my heart.” He groaned softly when her heat almost smothered him. “Please, Sophyra, stop. Not now.”She rested her hand on his thigh and began to trace small circles on it. “I will try, my love, but it will be difficult knowing what you have planned for later.” She smiled coyly at him as Luija entered the room with a platter full of food. He set it on the table, smiled at Ga’briyel, and spoke softly.“I would love to speak with your son later on, Sainika. I think we could speak together for several hours. You and your wife could retire early to your room, I think, if you would like that.”Grinning and letting his eyes flare once, Frank answered, “I would like that very much, Luija, thank you. I was going to ask you if you would watch him for a while.”“Watch him? There would be no watching, Ga’
- Everything Begins
Chapter 118
“It is, but they know you are here, and they will block your ability to sense them. I will do my best to help you find them, but I am at risk if I leave this building, as well. I do not wish to be banished, and so I generally stay here. They know of me, of course, but there is nothing they can do about it.” Luija came around the bar, gestured over his shoulder, and walked toward the hallway that led off to the right of the main room. “I assume you would prefer a ground-level room, Sainika?”Frank did not move. “Why would you assume that, Debaduta?”The man smiled as he turned to face his newest boarders. “Stairs can slow you down if you need to leave the inn quickly, Sainika.”“Nevertheless, I would prefer a room above ground. Stairs may slow me down a bit, but I do not want anyone to be able to reach our room while we sleep. I will not risk my family like that, Luija. They are my life, and if I lose them, I cannot be responsible for what will happen.”Luija frowned at that last state
- Everything Begins
Chapter 117
There were several villages through which they rode where Frank and Sophyra were given distasteful glares when adults saw the tiny boy riding alone on the large bay, but while Sophyra took each look to heart, Frank ignored them completely. He could not ignore Adama’s innocent question the first time it happened, however.“Baba, why is everyone so angry?”“What do you mean, my son?”“When we enter a town, people stare at me as if they are angry.”Frank smiled. “They are not used to seeing such a small boy riding alone without support. They do not understand that you are not like other boys, Adama, and they disapprove of what they do not understand.”“I could make them understand, Baba. May I try, please?”With a shrug, Frank acquiesced. “You may try, Adama, but I do not believe you will have much success.”They had stopped at the first inn they had come to, having been in the saddle and sleeping on the ground for the past four days and nights, and Frank dropped from his saddle, helped
- Everything Begins
Chapter 116
"A fool am I?" Frank snarled. "And what is it that makes me a fool, Daitya?"The man laughed. "Anyone is a fool who tries to fight Sayatan and his sons."Ga'bryel grinned, but if a human had seen that grin, they would have screamed. "And yet I have killed three of his sons already, Daitya. Dismembered, they are rotting away as we speak, never to come together again. Soon they will be only bones." He shrugged as if it mattered not a bit to him. "I assume their souls are gone as well. That is what Telantes told me."At the name of the Debaduta, every Daitya recoiled. "That interfering spirit!" the spokesman said with a snarl. "He has been far too involved in your life, Sainika. Sayatan will deal with him in time. We may be able to banish him for a year or so, but Sayatan can destroy him as easily as you can destroy us.""Speaking of," Frank said, taking a step closer to the Daitya and readying his sword, "I am going to destroy you all right now.""You would fight unarmed men?""You are
- Everything Begins
Chapter 115
Unknown to the kosmar, Frank was fighting her in his mind. When she stripped him and herself bare, he battled with the vision of her and forced himself not to react. Devina noticed this and growled softly. She tried everything she could to stimulate the Anmah, but he struggled through it all and kept Sophyra in the forefront of his mind. With his wife's face emblazoned on his subconsciousness, he was able to resist everything Devina did to him. She became more and more frustrated as time went on, and then Frank slowly became aware of a voice in his mind.Baba! Wake up! Fight her, Baba!At that, Frank opened his eyes, and Devina jerked away from him. When he slowly stood, she backpedaled until she was against the door of the room. "How?" she asked softly."My family," Frank said quietly. "They protect me. Even from myself sometimes." He walked toward the kosmar until his sword's tip was at her throat, and then he grinned without humor. Devina's eyes went wide, and she raised her hands
