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Everything Begins Chapter 84
"How do you know, Frank?""How do I know anything, Siskaska? I just do, and I have a strong feeling it will be soon." He drew his sword slowly, and Ma'ikel gasped when he saw the glowing white light of the blade. "Yisu blessed my sword, Ma'ikel. It will absorb the flames of Dirack, but will it protect me from a Sarpa's venom? I do not think so. I think I must die in excruciating pain again. I just pray that when I wake up it is gone." Then Frank moved to the door. "I want to go home, Ma'ikel. I want to be with my wife and forget about what I am for one night. I want to be normal." He froze with his hand on the handle. "What would Yisu do if I just decided not to be Sainika anymore? Would He call someone else? Would I be able to have a normal life with my wife?""I do not think so, Ga'briyel. I do not think you can just decide not to be what you are. I am sorry, my young friend." Ma'ikel's voice was thick with regret, and Frank nodded once before leaving the room. He walked down the si
Everything Begins Chapter 85
"Yes, Captain Mistri?" The man's apprehension surrounded Frank and he scowled."Fix the bag." That was all that was said before the Anmah stormed out of the room, snatching a wooden sword and staff from their holders as he left. Sophyra and Dinton followed him silently. Frank stopped in the center of the grounds, dropped the weapons, and proceeded to work his way through the weaponless patterns. These were not the beautiful, flowing moves that Sophyra was used to seeing, though, and after Dinton kissed her cheek and left, she seated herself on the platform, her feet dangling over the edge, and watched her husband. Each move was clearly designed to hurt someone or something. Frank violently fought with his imaginary opponents, kicking and punching and throwing them with as much intensity as he had shown at the bag. When he completed all the patterns he started them over. Four times he went through the set until sweat was streaming down his torso and his arms and legs ached. Even then h
Everything Begins Chapter 86
“There is a company of soldiers to the north of here, Captain Mistri, about ten leagues,” Tomas had said. “Fifty men who will be waiting for you. I sent word to them yesterday. They are yours to command.” Frank had been unsuccessful at keeping the scowl off his face, and Tomas had frowned at him. “What is the problem, Captain?”“With all due respect, sire, they are fifty men who will probably die because of me. I do not want that responsibility, sire.”King Tomas had stared at his young Captain for several minutes without speaking, seeing for the first time the turmoil on Ga’briyel’s face. “You need more help, Captain, do you not?”“Yes, Your Majesty, I do, but--” Ga’briyel’s teeth had clenched tightly at that point, but he had taken a deep breath and tried again. “I cannot let them die for me, sire. I cannot.”“They are soldiers, Captain. They know that death is always a possibility for them.”“Not the kind of death that awaits them if they accompany me, sire. No one deserves that de
Everything Begins Chapter 87
Kajal started to scoff, but he caught himself just in time. "Enemies, Captain Mistri? What enemies are we supposed to be afraid of?"With a snarl, Frank turned from the man and stood in front of his company. "Starting right now, eight men will stand watch at all times. Four on the ground with swords and four in the trees with bows. Kajal, you will give me a watch schedule by last light. Include the three of us, yourself, and the boys, but do not put us together."Even the boys, Captain? Why them, sir?""Because I said so. That's why. You do not know what threatens this world, Kajal, but I do. I have fought it, and it has killed me. Several times. I did not want the responsibility of the safety of this company, but King Tomas commanded me to take that responsibility, and I will not disobey my king. Zahin will be one in the trees, and Mathi will be on the ground. He will have his staff, though, not a sword. There will be torches staggered around the camp when we stop at night as well. T
Everything Begins Chapter 88
"Yes, sir, I would, too," Kajal said with a return grin as he reached into the pouch at his waist. He pulled out two silvers and handed them to Ga'briyel. "Your boy earned them for you, Captain.""No, he earned them for himself. Zahin, come here.""Yes, Captain Mistri?" The boy was putting his arrows back in his quiver while Ipsit was still trying to pull his from the branches.Frank handed him the silvers. "These are yours. You earned them.""No, sir," the boy said, shocked. "It was your bet, sir, not mine.""Still, they are yours. I do not need them, nor do I want them. Take them, please.""Yes, sir," Zahin said as he slowly took the money, "but it is not right, sir.""Nonsense. Do not argue with me. Kajal, choose your seven men, and I will tell them what I want from them.""Yes, sir. Right away, sir."Moments later, Zahin and seven guardsmen were standing around Ga'briyel, listening to him tell them where he wanted them stationed. When they moved to their positions, Frank walked to
Everything Begins Chapter 89
"Do not talk to me about Yisu, Sekara! He is not the loving, caring Creator everyone says He is! He is vindictive and heartless and unconcerned with what happens to us!""You do not really mean that, do you, Frank?""With every fiber of my being, Dinton," the Anmah sighed. "I no longer believe that the creator of this world cares for its people. He certainly does not care for me.""You told me that you would never turn to the Evil One, Ga'briyel, and yet I feel as if you are halfway there already. Only one whose mind is open to Sayatan's influence would say such things.""Open to his influence? As if I would voluntarily turn to the being who created the creatures who killed me, not once but four times. Soon to be five or six or twenty." Frank let out another sigh and moved to his sword. It was buried in the trunk almost to the crossguard, and he began working it free of the tree. "Do not worry about me, Dinton. I may not blindly accept the stories about Yisu anymore, but I will certai
Everything Begins Chapter 90
Hours later, after more than five leagues through the deeper water, the ground rose gradually until it was again only knee-deep water they were slogging through. Frank heaved a sigh as Kumar shook his head to rid it of the water that clung to it. The Anmah’s relief was short-lived, however. Almost instantly after reaching the shallower water, he looked in front of him and saw something move through the water. A large body, scaled in metallic blue and green, slithered across the path they had to take, and it undulated for its entire length, which looked to be more than six paces. Perhaps even seven or eight paces. At the same time, he felt as if his head would explode with the sudden, severe pressure.“Bride of a troll!” Frank muttered as he waited for both the pressure and the creature to pass. Then he picked up his speed in an attempt to get his company out of the deep water before he had to fight the thing. He knew it was a Sarpa—it could be no other possible creature based on Ma’ik
Everything Begins Chapter 91
Dinton nodded, but he did not look convinced. Then he said, “Tero, we cannot take him back like this.”“No, we cannot, but we can at least get him out of this putrid swamp. Go back and tell Kajal that we will be sleeping outside the camp tonight. We can stay on the outskirts until first light.”“Right away, Tero,” Dinton replied before running back toward the camp that was already set up.Tero looked down at his friend’s body and heaved a sigh. “I am sorry, Ga’briyel,” he said, his voice catching and tears burning his eyes. “I am so sorry you must go through this again and again. I wish I could do something for you, but I cannot.” He reached down into the water, picked up Ga’briyel’s sword, and slid it into its scabbard. Then he hoisted the body over his shoulder and carried it out of the marsh onto dry land. He stopped several paces from the line of guardsmen on watch and gently laid Frank on the ground. Then he sat beside him, his back against a tree, and waited for Dinton to return