The Serpent Kings
Page 13
It was the beginning of the fourth day since the arrival of the refugees and the attempt on Ezekiah’s life by the wraith dancer. Since their journey up the mountain and the mingling of the refugees among the inhabitants of the castle, the attack, the wraith dancer and her exploits during the battle with the death walkers days before had been spread everywhere throughout the castle.
Her body had been placed upon one of the stone tables sitting in the courtyard before the gate, and a guard had been placed to keep it day and night. Hudson had called for the body to be cremated, but Ezekiah could not issue the order. He did not know why.
Hudson had left Ezekiah’s quarters only an hour ago, pleading that the body would see corruption by the fourth day, as was commonly held, and begin to stink. Ezekiah had acquiesced to allowing the body to be burned by noon today. Still, he did not feel well about that decision. His friend had promised to make the preparations and wait for him to come and say something. Ezekiah had thanked him for that. He wanted to at least acknowledge the truth of the rumors concerning her defense of the refugees; even if her mission at Thorn Mountain had been against him personally.
Ezekiah continued in prayer as he had been since Hudson’s departure. He had not expected for any particular thing to happen; only that he might unburden his heart and be drawn to a clear course of action. Instead, while staring at the wall, Ezekiah saw it fall away completely to reveal a green meadow full of yellow and purple flowers blown by the wind.
In the distance, he saw several people running through the meadow; a picture of joy. As he drew closer in the vision, he saw a woman with two children running behind her. The vision brought him closer still. As the woman crested a low hill turning to face him, Ezekiah saw plainly that this was the woman who had three days ago tried to kill him at the base of the mountain.
Ezekiah drew a deep breath. Was Elithias now showing him the past life of this woman; a vision of how she had lived before coming to kill him? He felt sorrow for her children. Their mother would not return to them.
The woman ran past, in the vision, with her children following. A man ran after them, trying to keep up. Ezekiah strained to see him. Soon the man crested the hill, following the same path as the woman and her children.
Ezekiah supposed that this must be the husband of the woman and the father of her children. He felt that it must be so. He wondered what could have taken this young woman away from her family with the purpose of coming to kill him at Thorn Mountain.
As the vision drew him closer to the man, Ezekiah gasped. He was no longer breathing. The man who appeared in the vision—the husband of the woman and the father of her children—was him. Without any doubt Ezekiah knew that he was not looking at the past but was seeing the future.
As the vision faded, leaving him in his room again, his mind shouted of the impossibility of what he had just witnessed. But his faith in Elithias assured him that all things are possible. With sudden clarity came direction. Ezekiah had already managed to run most of the way toward the main door of the castle without realizing.
When he reached the gate, he was surprised by how many people had come to attend the funeral. Perhaps it was genuine respect for her bravery in the ruins, or perhaps it was only morbid curiosity. Either way, both the courtyard before the gate and beyond it was packed with people.
Ezekiah passed through the gate and found Donavan and Tobias standing together near the pyre. The girl’s body had been laid out there. Her body had been dressed in the robes found within her pack. Even in death, Ezekiah noticed that she was beautiful.
Hudson approached him then and nodded. “It’s time, my friend.”
Ezekiah nodded with a smile and approached the body. Dry wood had been found and placed around the body. Ezekiah could smell the lamp oil saturating the pyre. A torch had been planted in the ground for Ezekiah when he was ready to ignite the wood. However, to everyone’s surprise, the prophet bypassed the torch and climbed up onto the stone table so that he was standing over the woman’s body.
He looked into her face. But instead of a dead assassin, Ezekiah saw the joyous young woman running through the vision given unto him by Elithias. He smiled at her and then addressed the assembled crowd in a loud voice.
“Brothers and sisters, I stand here today because of the mercy of Elithias and the quick thinking of young Tobias here,” Ezekiah said, indicating the boy standing near with Donavan. “As you know already, this woman was sent by the Serpent Kings to take my life. However, we have learned more than we might have expected through the refugees whom she traveled with to get here. While under attack by a swarm of death walkers—certainly one of the signs of Elithias’ soon coming—this young woman defended the lives of those Believers. Her companion was even killed in the process as they sought to save the life of one their children.”
Ezekiah paused to let her deeds sink into the minds of those listening before he continued. “While her attempt on my life was the result of believing the lies of the Serpent Kings, her selfless bravery in that attack was another matter.”
Ezekiah looked down at the woman again as her name came to his mind without warning. He had never heard it spoken by any of the refugees. He closed his eyes, giving silent thanks to Elithias. He knew what had to be done now. Turning again to the crowd, he continued.
“I had thought that today we would all be gathered to this funeral to honor that courageous act before the body was returned to the dust. However, Elithias has shown me his will and now gives this sign unto you to signify that he will have mercy on those he will have mercy.”
Ezekiah reached down to grasp one of the cold hands clasped upon her breast. Then in a loud voice he commanded, “In the name of Elithias, Gwen, arise!”
Instantly her eyes fluttered, and then opened to gaze upon the prophet. But no one else realized what was happening until he tugged her hand. The dead woman sat up to look out upon the assembly. Terror struck the majority of the crowd almost instantly with many of the women fainting where they stood. Horrified cries resounded everywhere among the hundreds present, but Ezekiah ignored them all. He was too preoccupied, staring into the living face of the woman who had just four days earlier tried to kill him; the same woman whom the vision foretold to be the mother of his future children.
Continue the Serpent Kings Saga with Book Two:
THE WRAITH DANCER
(includes Shadow Walker)
Read The DESCENDANTS SAGA by James Somers
FALLEN
DESCENDANT
REVENANT
MILLENNIUM
Read The DESCENDANTS SAGA ORIGINS
(TBA)
Read The REALM SHIFT TRILOGY by James Somers
REALM SHIFT
ORDER OF SHADDAI
SWORD OF GIDEON