by Richard Wood
One afternoon, Jesse and his father finished a large order requested by the Elders of another village. Jesse was told to load the order into a wagon to deliver the next day. It was a very large order and the job was grueling. After he finished, he went home to rest. That night, the Lights started to give him instruction. They told him to be very watchful as they spoke with brilliance and brightness. They said that the Dark Lord Quygon has sworn an oath to kill him. The Lights told him to perform his duties with honor and show no fear. The next morning, Jesse woke up and ate breakfast with his parents. After eating, he went out to hook the horse to the wagon to deliver the load for his father. As he started off for the village of Duesburg, he turned and waved to his father, who smiled and waved back. As Jesse passed his father, Eli sticks his chest out with pride and realizes that his son is no longer a boy; he is becoming a young man. Yet Jesse is showing much more responsibility than most grown men. As Jesse leaves the village border, he begins his journey into the dry lands. Unknown to Jesse, there is a red fox that is following him since he left, trotting a distance from the wagon. Quygon and the Essence per through the animals’ eyes, locked in on every movement. Quygon chose the fox due to its ability to stalk its prey and its cat like ability to bolt out of sight. As Jesse looks out onto the dry lands, he sees a beauty that others miss. He loves the way the view waves as the heat rises from the surface; it creates an almost distorted movement in the objects behind it, mixing colors and images. He loves the vast openness and the dry land plants and animals. Blending with all of the amazing sights of the dry lands is the soft, continuous, almost velvety Songs of Elamor. Jesse has learned over the years to listen for the subtle changes in the songs, understanding each of the changes meaning. Suddenly, the sounds expand their flow, a change Jesse knows as a call for caution. Without instruction from the sounds, he knows that danger is imminent and that he is being followed. He recalls what the Lights taught him the night before and decides to show courage rather than fear. As Jesse rides over the top of a hill, he stops the wagon half way down on the other side. He locks the wheels and walks to its back end. Jesse leans up against the tailgate and waits to see what crests the hill. Seconds later, the ears and the head of the fox appear. Quygon sees Jesse leaning against the wagon and makes the fox stop dead in its tracks. Quygon’s eyes lock in on Jesses’ eyes and the beasts’ heart skips a beat. Quygon sees the face of a boy but the eyes of a warrior. Suddenly, the fox bolts into some nearby shrubs. Hiding in the shad, Quygon and the Essence listen closely. They hear Jesse get back onto the wagon and continue his journey. In all of the animals that Quygon has possessed, the best for observing prey from a distance has always been an eagle. Instantly, they know what has to be done. The fox leaves the shade of the shrubs and trots out to the dry lands. They know that out in the open, the fox is likely to be hunted by an eagle. They stroll through the dry lands for about an hour then in the distance they hear the sound of strong wings flapping in the air. Quygon goes from a trot to a stride, doing his best to put up a mock escape. The sounds of flapping increase as the fox bolts in a zigzag formation. The flapping gets even louder, then silence. Quygon now knows that the eagle is in a dive, blazing down for the kill. A sudden shadow covers the fox and the eagles’ talons pierce the red fur. The eagle grips the fox, crushing its ribs and vertebrae, and both are airborne. Quygon and the Essence leave the fox, entering the eagle through its talons. Now the fox has no use, so they drop it to the ground in a poof of dust. Quygon and the Essence rise up into an easterly wind and spot Jesse. He stretches out the eagles’ wings and glides quietly through the air, watching Jesse from a distance high above. As Jesse rides the dry lands, he reaches down for the vessel of cool water his mother left for him. He takes a full drink, and listens intently to the Songs of Elamor singing caution in his soul.
From behind, Jesse hears a galloping horse approaching. He turns to see who it is and recognizes that it’s a rider from the North. They have silver decorations on black saddles, which is how they are identified. Jesse doesn’t recognize the rider, but his apparel screams importance. As the rider approaches the wagon, he slows directly next to Jesse. Jesse looks up at the rider and says politely, “Hello sir”. “Hello”, the rider responds briskly, “I see your wagon is headed toward the village of Duesburg”. “Yes”, Jesse responds, “My father and I finished a large order for the Elders there”. Looking into the back of the wagon, the rider sees the work of a blacksmith. He looks back to Jesse and asks, “Is your father Eli from the village of Payne?” “Yes”, Jesse answers proudly. The rider exclaims, “You know your father is considered to be a man of great strength, both physically and personally”. “Yes”, Jesse replies, “My father is the man I hope to be someday”. The rider listens carefully to the boy, and sees that Jesse has a noble spirit, the ability to speak openly with a sense of authority. The rider instinctively has a deep and abiding respect for Jesse. Looking at the lad he asks, “What’s your name son?” “Jesse, sir”, he says. “Well Jesse, I met your father years ago. I’m an Emissary from the Capital”. “I see”, says Jesse. Asking respectfully, Jesse continues, “What are your duties there?” The rider replies, “I am a Royal Messenger, appointed by our former king. I was sent to your fathers’ village after it suffered an attack from the Black Horde. Your father gave us some very important information about what he saw”. “What did he see?” Jesse asks. The rider continues, “We have wondered for many years the origins of the Horde. We had some ideas, but never any solid proof”. “I don’t talk about these things openly”, the rider explains, “But I feel a sense of strength about you, maybe because I’ve met your father and respect him highly. I can’t tell you everything, but I will tell you what your father said”. “Your father watched a giant beast circling one of the village huts. The creature had six fingers and six toes. With that information and information from attacks on other villages, we believe we know where the Horde come from”. “Where do you think they come from?” Jesse asks. The rider breathes in deeply and considers if the boy can deal with the answer then proceeds, “Son, the Horde come from us!” As soon as the rider spoke those words, the Songs of Elamor sounded a confirmation. The rider continues, “We don’t know how they became, or from what area they are created. We have no idea how to stop them; we have tried everything in our power. But it’s been useless. Death doesn’t kill them and we don’t know what will”. Instinctively, Jesses’ right hand goes up to the left side of his chest. He touches the birthmark just under his shirt and quickly recalls the childhood memory of how it destroyed hundreds of Horde warriors. Jesse remembers it all, the deafening howls, the sickening odor, and creatures reduced to ashes. He puts both his hands back on the reins but tells the rider nothing. The Lights of Elamor have always told him to keep his strengths a secret until the time of revealing comes. Jesse already knew the origin of the Horde, he knows how they became the creatures they are and where they came from. As he has gotten older, the Lights of Elamor have revealed greater truths than the rider could imagine. Jesse may be a young man, but his ability to see the unseen and to know the unknown goes well past his years. The ability for him to shoulder heavy loads is well beyond the strength of many men. Many times in his short-lived life he has endured the soul piercing cries of the tortured, having unspeakable compassion for those forgotten. He knows their pain. The Lights have shown him many times. Suddenly, the Sounds of Elamor alert Jesse of danger from Quygon. He looks up at the rider and says, “Sir, you have to go now! Quygon is watching us”. The rider looks at Jesse with astonishment. “How could this young man know the name of Quygon and how could he know if Quygon can see us?” the rider thinks to himself. The rider is full of questions but takes the boys advice and rides off ahead of him. The rider knows the boys village and will make it a point to see this amazing young man again. Meanwhile, from high above, Quygon watches as the horseman rides off but keeps all of his attention on Jesse. Quygon has wanted to kill the boy ever since the forced retreat in Payne. He know
s that if he doesn’t kill the boy soon, his abilities will grow with age and Quygon will have a war on his hands.
CHAPTER 3
Besem, Ta’am, and Shama
As Jesse approaches Duesburg, he smells the familiar aroma of a village. As he breathes in deeply, he captures the fragrance of burning cypress wood. Another deep breathe and he detects someone roasting meat as others are roasting bread. As Jesse continues to inhale, raising his nose to the wind, he tries not to miss out on any of the Duesburg daily aromas. He is reminded of his own village, Payne, and can sense that the two villages are very similar. Something he will soon find, not to be the case at all.
As Jesse rides in a little further, he notices a man sitting on the ground with his clothes covered in dust. From all appearances, the man looks hungry, lonely, and possibly rejected. The man collapses backwards, exhausted from hunger and the heat. As the wagon reaches the man, Jesse sees that this man is a beggar; dirty, thin, with clothes that were torn and tattered. The bottom of his shoes exposed partially worn skin on the souls of his feet. Instantly, Jesse dismissed the wonderful aromas of Duesburg. He stops the horse, steps down from his place as the driver and locks the wheels. The beggar has strummed the chords of compassion, placed in Jesse’s heart through his father Eli. As Jesse reaches for the vessel of water his mother left for him, his eyes meet the beggars. Jesse starts toward him. The man on the ground suddenly crosses his forearms in front of his face and screams out frantically, “No, No, I’m sorry!” Eli has always taught his son to love and respect the poor, a trait he has lived out daily. It’s a compassion Eli has nursed into his son. Eli has explained to Jesse that kindness is a seed you plant that will grow into a tree; its shade will cover you when you need it most. Jesse quickly answers back to the man, “Hello sir, my name is Jesse. I came from the village of Payne”. Instinctively, the beggar lowers his arms to see this young man who speaks so kindly to him. He looks up to see a young man holding a clay pitcher. He looks at the young man for a few seconds then decides it is safe to speak. The man courageously clears his throat and speaks back to Jesse, “How come you’re not going to kick or hit me?” Jesse looks tenderly at the man with his hazel-green eyes and replies, “Sir, I don’t even know you, why would I want to hurt you?” Once again, the man musters up his courage and decides to look the kind young man in the eyes. The man finds that he naturally lowers his internal defenses and a light smile wakes his face. As the mans’ eyes once again meet with Jesses’, he can see the most compassionate soul he has ever seen in his whole life, showing a depth beyond understanding. In the young mans’ eyes, lied a confidence that seemed to be tempered with personal experience. He thought, “This boy is much more than his age shows”.
Jesse kneels down on both knees at the mans’ left side. He slides his hand under his back. The beggars’ body is so ravaged that Jesse can feel the spaces between his ribs. Jesse raises the man to a sitting position and raises the vessel to his lips. The beggar reaches up with both hands and takes the vessel from Jesse. He takes a full, satisfying gulp of the cool, fresh water. It was crisp, clear, and sulfur free. This was a new enjoyment to him. He glances over to Jesse for reassurance of another drink, Jesse smiles and says, “Drink it all sir. It’s yours”. The man drinks deeply as tears of gratitude trickle down his dirty face.
After finishing the water, he hands the vessel back to Jesse then returns his gaze back to the ground, fully expecting a lashing for finishing the entire vessel. Jesse smiles and says, “My mother left that for me. She does things like that for me all of the time”. The beggar looks humbly toward Jesse and replies politely, “Thank you”. “Oh yes sir”, Jesse says with a grin, “What’s your name?” The beggar is surprised by the question; no one cares about who he is. “My name is Palamaius, but I have always been called Pala”. Jesse slightly nods his head. “Can I call you Pala too?” “Yes”, the beggar replies with a smile. “Ok then, Pala”, Jesse says, “Can you stand?” “Yes”, Pala replies. Jesse stands to his feet, walks to the front of Pala and stretches out his right hand. Pala reaches up and grabs Jesses’ hand with both of his and Jesse pulls him upward. Pala rises with a leap, surprised by the strength of the young man. “Can I help you into my wagon, Pala?” Jesse asks. “Oh, I think I can make it”, he replies. Pala walks toward the back of the wagon, ready to crawl over the tailgate. “No”, Jesse says calmly, “Sit up front with me”. Pala looks back at Jesse, considering maybe the young man is playing a cruel joke on him, and hesitates. Jesse looks Pala in the eyes and says kindly, “Mr. Pala, you will travel with me as a companion”. Pala isn’t used to generosity, this is a new experience for him. One he will have to accept on blind faith. Pala puts his right hand on Jesses’ shoulder and simply says, “Thank you”. As Pala crawls up into the front seat of the wagon, Jesse recognizes the musky odor of the unclean man and the words from the Lights of Elamor came flooding back to his mind. “A man is not valued by what he owns, he is valued by what is in his heart”. Despite what the people of Duesburg may think, Jesse knows Pala is a man of untold value. His song will not remain unsung forever. As Pala takes his place in the front seat, Jesses’ heart is filled with a peaceful satisfaction, the hallmark of rescuing another. Jesse walks around the back of the wagon to the drivers’ side and climbs into place. He turns and smiles at Pala saying, “Welcome aboard sir”. They laugh as Jesse whips the reins.
As the wagon approaches the border of the village, Jesse sees several men sitting on a stone slab. One of them stands out among the others. He was very old. His face was pale and full of wrinkles. With several deep lines across his forehead, his eyes were sunken in and closed, like empty sockets in his face. He had long, flowing, thin, white hair; a white beard and mustache that reached down into his lap. He wore a well-pressed terracotta colored robe with new leather sandals. As the wagon moved closer to the stone slab, the old gentleman started to sniff the air. Looking straight ahead, the man began to speak. “You have the smell of metal”. Jesse stops the wagon, glances over to the old gentleman and asks, “Sir, are you talking to me?” “Are you on the wagon?” asked the old man. “Yes”, Jesse replies. The old man, still looking straightforward says, “Then yes, I am talking to you. You have the smell of metal”. “Yes”, Jesse replies, “My father is a blacksmith and I am his apprentice”. The old man nods his head and asks, “What is your name?” Jesse happily responds, “My name is Jesse sir, I come from the village of Payne”. “Then you are the son of Eli?” the old man remarked. “Yes sir, I am”, says Jesse, “If you don’t mind me asking sir, what is your name?” “Young man”, replied the Ancient man, “My name is Besem. I’ve lived in this village for many, many years. I am one of the five nobles of Duesburg”. As Jesse listens to the Ancient speak, he notices the mans’ hollow eyes never move and comes to understand that he is blind. Jesse, knowing that he needs to treat this man with kindness and great respect, says, “Hello, great Besem! It is a pleasure to meet you sir”. “Thank you blacksmith”, the Ancient replies, “Come from your wagon and shake my hand”. Jesse rises, climbs from his wagon and makes his way to Besem, whose hand is already extended. When Jesse takes his hand, Besem pulls him in and sniffs his clothes. Suddenly, the Ancient says with an arrogant voice, “You’re just a boy, I can smell it on you!” Then he raises his voice another level and blurts, “You’re not a blacksmith at all!” Jesse, still holding Besem’s hand, replies respectfully, “I’m twelve years sir, it’s my father who is the blacksmith. I’m his apprentice”. “Huh!” Besem retorts with an arrogant tone, “Just a little boy with the smell of trees! Are you a woodsman too?” Jesse politely smiles and replies, “Yes sir, my father and I cut wood for our fires. I also hunt when we need fresh meat”. Besem pushes Jesse’s hand away and releases it. Jesse responds by stepping back. As he does, he looks to the ground and sees Besem’s shadow. Moving in to the darkness of the shadow is a black mass of shapeless matter. It is so thick it appeared to be solid, although it moved effortlessly. Jesse watched, as the black
mass quickly moved under Besem’s feet then seemed to disappear. Jesse looks up to Besem’s face that suddenly takes on a sinister gaze. Besem’s eyes squint, the corners of his mouth drop, his fists clinch then his body jerks. Besem opens his mouth to speak, this time with a voice that has a deep, gravelly, and almost animal like sound. As he starts to speak, a feeling of despair looms throughout the air. “Son of Eli, Your’ time has come!”
The instant he speaks, Jesse's mind begins to fill with the life lessons the Lights of Elamor have taught him during the night. Even though Jesse knows Besem’s words were a threat and not a compliment, Jesse responds respectfully, “Thank you sir”. “I’ve found that life has many beginnings, this is just one of mine”. Besem straightens up and shouts angrily, “It wasn't a compliment little boy, it was an announcement of your end!” The men surrounding Besem all turn their heads toward him. This voice and personality is not at all familiar to them. Their shock is obvious. One of the men speaks up and asks, "Master bath and are you alright?” Besem refuses to respond. Everyone is filled with the same looming questions, “What has happened to the profound Besem, how can Besem make a statement about the murder of another?” Their gazes all turn toward Jesse, everyone wondering what the young man from Payne will say back to Besem. Looking at Besem, Jesse examines his eyes and asks, "What's your name?” Not knowing who would answer this time, Besem’s eyes opened wide, his teeth gnashed and he yelled in an animalist voice. “You know who I am boy! Today's son of Eli, I'll fill your worthless body full of the stench of death!” Jesse steps back, and looks calmly into the face of Besem. With a serious gaze he said, “Quygon, this is not the proper place for battle. This village is harmless, it doesn’t deserve to be in the middle of our war!”
