Paths to destiny.

Chapter 10. The experts.

After Kevin, Gross and Riggs had secretly gone round the cities of Ceevah, Gilroy and Cyb in search of Gabriel to no avail. They returned to Byron in Mayca to give reports concerning their adventure. Throughout the whole of their search, it was only once that they came across him yet he escaped and that was in Gilroy.

The inhabitants of Gilroy and Cyb were still not aware that Gabriel was in the country. They were still holding on to the lies which the people of Gytle told them concerning him dying in the attack. Meanwhile, Ceevah did not cease to search for him within their territory. Even though they knew that he might have left the city, they did not see it necessary to inform their fellow contestants for the throne about the stranger from Gytle who came into their lands.

This was because they still believed the fact that the heir was dead. They only wanted to get hold of the man from Gytle and know why he was in their lands since Gytleans never traveled beyond their town.

So the only people who knew that the grandson of King Rodgers Chung was alive and in their midst were Byron, Kevin and a very few of their trusted soldiers. They made this information to be known among few people because they don't want a situation where the news would go beyond their walls until they have comprehended him.

When Byron saw Kevin, Gross and Riggs return from their quest, he was greatly delighted in his heart because he knew that the mission they had embarked on was a very risky one. To patrol the territory of your enemies was never a good mission.

He hugged the three of them one after another and they were invited to break bread with him.

When the meal was served and the servant that had brought it was gone leaving the four of them alone.

Kevin said, "My lord, we happened to see him once but he ran us out because we were being pursued by Gilroy soldiers. We did not set our eyes on him again. I'm afraid we'll have to go back to Gytle to find him. That is the only place he must have gone."

Byron noticed the worry in Kevin's tune. They all were not looking that bright because they had failed in their mission, so Byron cheered them up a little.

"Why not eat first before you go into discussing your mission."

"I'm afraid we can't take anything after failing you. We had the chance to get him but no. Instead we lost him and now we can't find him again. We don't even have an idea on where it is."

"See, You did not fail me. I'm sure you did your best..."

"But our best was not good enough..." Kevin remarked, interrupting Byron from finishing his statement.

But Byron refused to be interrupted, he continued without taking a breath. "I can tell you for sure that you did all you could do to catch him. Gabriel is a good and fast runner. He is good at outrunning his pursuers."

Kevin, Gross and Riggs were beginning to understand something strange in the words of Byron.

"Did you by any means see him too and he outran you?"

"Yes. He is good at chasing. I can say for sure that we can't get him if we stick to catching in a chase. We have to try another means."

Then their minds were relaxed because Byron understood them. So they took some portions of the bread and began to chew. They were very hungry.

Byron smiled as they began to eat. He knew his best men very well, so he allowed them to take their time.

As they were half-done eating, Kevin asked, "What other means do you suggest can be used in getting him?"

"Finish your food first and then we can talk."

After some minutes they were done.

"Okay, we are ready." Riggs said to Byron.

"Well, I can't say for sure any good means, but I know we can't catch him in a chase. Since you say he is no longer in Tadeas, then we should speak to the people in Gytle and see if we can make them tell the truth. They will be the only ones to know where he is staying. Let's make them believe that we are not after his live."

"Sorry to cut you," Kevin apologized after a moment of thought. He was deep in thoughts while Byron was talking. "You said you saw Gabriel too. Was it here in Mayca or outside Mayca?"

"He was here in Mayca. Actually, he returned to Mueller's house some days after you were gone and they told me he was back at their house and we went to get him before he zoomed off and we could catch up."

"Yes!" Gross was kind of happy, he seemed to know something others were not thinking about.

"What is it?" They all asked him together.

"He did not return to Gytle. Gabriel is still with us in Mayca. He would not go back to Gytle because he knows that we would come after him. He has stayed back because our last thought would be that he is still within the land."

"Good! You are right." Kevin agreed.

"But how do we find someone that does not want to be found?"

"Leave it to us." Kevin answered and the three of them got up, bowed to Byron and then left again.

*****

The three experts had to hover around their own city in disguise. They moved together but not together. They were all in one place at a time but did not act like they were together. As they moved about, They were looking out for anyone in a hood. Someone who by any means looked as if he was hiding his identity just like them themselves.

Gabriel used this period of wandering to survey the territory of Mayca. He has been able to locate a few secret spots where he could vanish into whenever he was being chased. He never removed that ideology from his mind. Every person he saw and came across was a suspect. And one thing he tried his best not to do was to act as though he was strange in the land. He even did not go about hiding his face that much because only a very few soldiers had seen him, and he too, was able to recognize the few faces that knew him and had pursued him in a chase.

Whenever he came across a soldier whose face seemed familiar, he would simply dodge to another direction but would not make his change of direction obvious.

While he surveyed the land, he came to the same spot where the experts were. He did not seem to recognize them as his pursuers because of the way they were scattered from one another. He just saw them as every other person in the location.

They also sighted him, and discovered that he did not recognize them. So it was like the first step to achieving their goal. Their disguise has worked perfectly.