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Everything Begins Chapter 60
“Stop,” he said, holding up his hand and wiping the sweat out of his eyes. All three men were shirtless, despite the chill in the early morning autumn air, and moisture gleamed on their bare torsos as it ran down to soak into their breeches. The other two captains dropped the points of their swords toward the ground and looked at him in confusion. “Something is wrong.” He sheathed his sword and walked to his heart. As he got closer, the sensations of her fear and worry were added to the others, and he hurried to cover the remaining distance between them. “Sophyra, what is the matter?”“May I talk to you, Frank ? Alone?”“Of course.” He took her arm and led her across the square. He placed himself between her and his friends and cupped her cheek in his hand. “What is it?”“I am afraid you will be angry when I tell you.”“Tell me what?” When she was silent, he sighed. “Sophyra, talk to me. I promise I will not be angry.”“I…” She stopped and took a deep breath. Then she stood up straigh
Everything Begins Chapter 61
Frank ’s eyes blazed with the thought that someone could be born into slavery, but he kept his voice calm. “And you Zahin? What is your story?”“I am a citizen, Captain Johnson . My father was one of Dahaka’s companions. My parents were both citizens, and so am I.”“Well,” the Anmah said, straightening the younger boy’s wrist as he simulated a punch, “now everyone is a citizen. How do you feel about that?”Zahin smiled brightly. “I like it, sir! Before, I would not even have been able to talk with Mathi, but now he is my friend. Right, Mathi?”The question had a touch of apprehension in it, but when the older boy answered in the affirmative, the younger one grinned widely. It occurred to Frank then that probably neither boy had ever had a friend before, and he felt a warm rush fill him at the thought that he had made their friendship possible.They spent another hour with the patterns, and then Frank saw Sophyra in the doorway of the house. She was leaning against the frame, her arm
Everything Begins Chapter 62
"This is delicious, Telara. Thank you again," he said, and she looked up at him and smiled a little."I am glad you like it, Captain." She looked like she was about to say more when there was a knock at the door. She quickly rose from the table and went to see who it was. "Captain Johnson ," she said, her smile a little bigger, "there is someone here who wants to talk to you." She moved aside, and Frank saw Sophyra in the doorway.He wiped his mouth and stood. Burning pinpricks, different from the prickling of the Azazil, began to cover his skin, and as he walked to the door, he noticed that Sophyra was practically scowling. He frowned and stepped outside, closing the door behind him."What is wrong?""I have been looking for you everywhere, Frank ," she said, and the burning intensified."Why? You told me to stay out of your way, and that is what I am doing.""I did not mean for you to do it in another woman's house!"Frank pressed his lips together in an attempt not to laugh at he
Everything Begins Chapter 63
He stood there silently, staring out into the night, wishing the impossible, getting angrier and angrier since he knew the impossible was exactly that. He heard the door open, but he did not move, and he felt Sophyra’s love envelop him before he felt her arms encircle his waist. Her hands came up to his chest, and she rested her head on his back. His right hand rose to cover both of hers, but other than that, he did not move or say anything.“What are you thinking, my love?” she asked softly.“I am thinking that I am happy, Sophyra. Happy and content.”“Then why are you so tense?”He sighed and dropped his head. “Because I know it cannot last. Someday soon we will leave Grama and there will be more people to kill, more Daitya and Azazil to vanquish, more pain, and more deaths. For me definitely, and probably for you.” His hand tightened on hers. “I do not want that, Sophyra! Why can we not just stay here and live in peace for a hundred years or two hundred? Why did Yisu not make some
Everything Begins Chapter 64
“Come on,” Telara said with a smile. “Daline needs you to make sure the dress fits.”The next several hours were spent in a flurry of activity. So much so that Sophyra almost missed it when Frank entered the square nearly three hours later. His torso was still bare, but his sword was sheathed, and the menacing look was gone from his face. He ignored everyone’s stares and disappeared into the house. Sophyra took one step in that same direction but stopped when Tero put his hand on her shoulder.“Let him go, Sophyra. Let him come to you.”“Why?”“He said he needed some time to himself. Give it to him.”Sophyra’s shoulders slumped, but she nodded and returned her attention to the preparations.Minutes before last light, everything was finished, and Sophyra was in Daline’s house with Nayna, Wamil, and Heena. The dresses that Daline had sewn were beautiful. Sophyra’s was a pale pink linen with white lace around the wrists, neckline, and hem, and it hugged her curves from her neck to her w
Everything Begins Chapter 65
“What is it?” he asked, shrugging his shoulders once again in a vain attempt to lessen the suffocating pressure of her fear. “What are you frightened of?”“You must leave Grama. Immediately,” she whispered as she drew him down onto the bench by the table.“What? Why?”She waved her hand as if shooing away a poka bug. “It is a feeling only, and my feelings are rarely wrong. You must head northeast into the Parbata Mountains.”“Into the mountains? But it is almost winter. We will freeze to death.”“No, you will not. At the base of the mountains directly east of here is a village called Mirstone. There you will find a priestess of Yisu. Her name is Manali. She will give you what you need to survive the mountains. You must leave now, Captain. You must reach your destination in the mountains within a sennight.”Frank dropped his head in his hand. “What will happen if I do not?”Q“A tremendous evil will be released, Captain.”He looked up. “How am I supposed to know where to go once we get
Everything Begins Chapter 66
Ma′ikel had spent the moons since the boy had left researching Sainika, and what he had found he had kept to himself. There was no reason to give Jarda and Elise more worry than they already had. The Anmah had read in the ancient books and scrolls about Daitya and Azazil and Mandae and Sarpa and Takosa and a dozen other types of demons that served the Evil One. He now knew that Daitya could kill Anmah, which had surprised him, and that Azazil possessed people and forced them to do unspeakably evil acts. Mandae were imps who tormented their victims with visions of whatever their worst fear was, Sarpa were giant serpents, more than five paces long, whose venom could melt stone, and Takosa drank human blood, draining their victims of life within minutes. Other evils he had found were beast and spirit, some made flesh and some not. He had not a clue how Ga′briyel was supposed to fight spirits, but Yisu knew best, and He would protect His champion and give him the necessary skills."Ma′ike
Everything Begins Chapter 67
Kavi took off his cloak and hung it on a peg by the door. "May I take your cloaks for you, Anmah?" he asked, holding out his hand.Again, the clammy sensation surrounded Ga'briyel, but he reached to his throat and released the clasp before swinging the fabric free of his sword. He handed it to Kavi who hung it up next to his own, and then Frank helped Sophyra remove hers. When he lowered her hood, Kavi hissed in a breath, and Ga'briyel's hand went to his sword without conscious thought."Another Anmah?" Kavi said quietly. "The prophecy did not speak of two. Manali must know of this immediately."Without another word to either of them, Kavi ran out the door into the cold, not even bothering to grab his cloak, and he almost ran over Mathi and Zahin in his haste. The boys staggered into the room under the weight of the four saddlebags, their eyes wide as they watched the man rush past them."What happened, Captain Mistri?" Zahin asked, staring after the rapidly disappearing man.Frank sl
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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
