by Ralph Smith
David followed the man with Aurora and Eustus close behind him. The inside of the building was dimly lit, and they were barely able to make out where they were headed. They could see an occasional side table or wall hanging, but the details were obscured by the darkness. They did notice that this building had not been ransacked like the rest of the town. They proceeded to a large staircase and climbed up to the second floor. They turned to their right, and made their way towards the room they had seen lit from the outside.
The little man opened the door and said, “This way.” They stepped inside the room. It was hot, and the thick air had a foul stench to it. The little man followed them in and shut the door behind him.
At the opposite side of the room sat a giant of a man. In the low light, it was hard to make out exactly what was strange about him, but it was clear he was not a normal man. His bald head had scars on either side, and his face was rugged with the bones of his cheeks and chin much larger than they should have been. He stood up as they approached he was at least a foot taller than David and almost twice as broad. His meaty hands pushing him up from the desk were the size of David’s head. As the man moved around from behind the desk, Eustus let out a slight gasp as the light washed over him. His skin was stretched taught and had a burned blackened appearance without a trace of hair on his head.
“Good evening General Grog, my wife and I are emissaries from Southaven on our way to Tartaros to negotiate a treaty. We apologize for disturbing you so late in the evening, but we needed a safe place to stay for the night.” David said in a confident voice not wanting to offer any doubt about their intentions.
The General moved in front of David and looked into his eyes. David met his gaze without blinking. He could see the darkness inside. It was pitch black, far more sinister than the others he had encountered.
The General paused for a moment, his face expressionless then turned to look at Aurora’s eyes. She too met his gaze unflinchingly. The general muttered, “So you say.”
David said, “General we have been traveling for weeks in secret, and will set out from here in the morning to meet your master.”
The General looked back at David, and raised a hairless eyebrow, and said, “Will you. Do you suppose he will grant you an audience?”
David asked, “Why wouldn’t he?”
The General said, “There is only one man we are expecting to travel to Tartaros. There is only one man that my master wants to see. Are you that man?”
David realized they were on the verge of being exposed, and wanted to buy some time to come up with a plan. “I don’t know what you mean General. The land of Southaven wants a treaty with your master so that when he wins this war we can have a place of honor under his rule.”
The General asked, “Do you think my master needs you to win this war?”
David said, “I believe that your master wants the war to be over with him victorious so he can establish his rule.”
The General said, “Yes he does, but there are those of the light who would thwart his plans.”
David knew he didn’t have much time, then the General moved past David’s right to face Eustus. This was it; any second now their story was going to unravel, and he still didn’t have a plan. The General wasn’t looking at David he was looking at Eustus, who was staring at the ground trembling slightly. David took the opportunity to slip his hand inside his coat to find a knife.
“What are you getting at General?” David asked contemptuously.
The General, ignoring David, reached out to Eustus with his left hand, his right casually moving towards his knife. Then tipping Eustus’ head up, he looked into his eyes and saw the light. A small grin appeared on the General’s face then David knew it was time to act. David pushed the General hard on his right shoulder saying “Don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you.”
The shove and the indignant words surprised the General. His left arm still outstretched towards Eustus, he turned to face David with rage in his eyes. David didn’t hesitate. The General stood before him, arms outstretched, exposed, and with all his strength David drove the dagger into his heart.
David caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye as he saw Aurora moving into action, but he couldn’t afford to look at what she was doing. The General was now fully enraged and moved towards David. In an instant, David felt the air crack as the now familiar charge ran through him like a bolt of lightning. The General, in spite of being wounded, and as large as he was, moved surprisingly quickly, but David was still able to duck under his massive fist. He slipped past him to his left, and stepped up onto a chair while drawing his short sword. Then with a mighty swing spun around and cut off his head.
There was an unearthly scream that ripped through their ears like hot needles. As his bulk fell to the ground, he saw Aurora standing over the dead body of the little man. He had also pulled a knife but was too slow for her. She looked up at David, her face set with grim determination. They stood still for a moment, and then Eustus fell to his knees.
The two of them went over to him Aurora asking, “Are you alright Eustus?”
Eustus looked up at them pale as a sheet and said, “Dear Lord.”
David asked, “Are you hurt anywhere Eustus?”
Eustus started to come back to himself “I think I’m alright, I’ve never been so frightened in my life.”
David and Aurora helped him to his feet.
David asked, “Eustus are you well enough to find the artifact?”
Eustus regaining some color in his face said, “Yes, yes, I can, yes.”
David grabbed a lamp off of the desk and said to Eustus, “Ok, then lead the way.”
Eustus led them through a series of hallways downstairs through several rooms until they finally came to a small room that gave David the impression of a prayer chamber. In the corner was a niche, Eustus went over to it, and removed a small statue. Behind the statue was a small seal. He placed his finger on it, and began to pray. After a few moments, the back of the niche slid into the wall exposing a hidden cubby. Eustus reached inside and withdrew the item wrapped in cloth. He turned to them and opened it. Inside were two golden daggers. He handed them to David, and said, “May these help you in your final battle.”
David took one and handed it to Aurora then sheathed the other one. Aurora slipped hers inside her boot. Then David said, “We’d better get moving before someone shows up here.”
They quickly made their way to the main entrance, and David said, “Stay behind me.”
He walked out onto the landing, and reached out drawing on the spirit. The air cracked and sizzled around him, and then he said in a loud clear voice “I stand for Jehovah.”
As the ’vah’ sound left him, it exploded like a cannon. Even in the moonlight they could see the dust whipped up from the ground as it shot forth into the city. David knew the men waiting on the ridge would have heard it too. He turned to Aurora and Eustus, and said, “Hurry get into the carriage we have to go meet the others.”
David quickly climbed up onto the driver’s bench, and Aurora joined him. Eustus got inside, and David set out immediately. He drove back down the main street. As they passed all the buildings where the men were, they could hear them inside. This time, the sounds where not of wild indulgence, this time the sounds were of brutal slaughter. Unholy screams of pain, and suffering as the men turned on each other in a wild melee of killing.
Aurora was pressed up close to him as if seeking protection from the horrid sounds attacking them. They didn’t stop. They kept a steady pace until they reached the garrison. When they arrived their team came riding up to meet them. They all looked a little pale and at the same time alert for any surprises.
“What happened?” Jotham asked a little breathless “we heard a loud noise and felt the ground shake.”
“The Lord delivered this city into your hands as he promised. Now you must go and free the prisoners. Then tomorrow you need to find two men of faith to replace Aurora and m
e. Eustus will take charge in my place, and he will send you out in pairs to all the cities of the land. You will ride up to the main gates of the city stand tall, and proclaim ‘I stand for Jehovah’. When you do the Lord will liberate the city, and cleanse it of evil.” David said.
“We will do as you say.” Jotham said, and the others agreed.
David turned to Eustus, placed his hands on him, and said, “Eustus I appoint you in my place to lead these men, and if it pleases the Lord may he rest my blessing upon you. Bless the two men you find tomorrow, you will know them when you see them. Arrange to get the food from the city to the surrounding villages, and let them know that the Lord has provided for them.”
Eustus “I’m humbled, and will do what you say.”
“Aurora and I must leave tonight, but fear not because the Lord is with you.”
“Will I see you again?”
David gave him a small smile, and said, “I surely hope so.”
Jotham and the others headed to the garrison except for William and Nathan who walked over to the three of them.
“Aurora, please be careful we don’t want to lose you again.” William said sadly.
“No one else ever got the best of us like you did.” Nathan added with a sly grin.
Aurora placed a hand on each of their cheeks, and said, “I have missed you both too. Please give your parents my love, and stay out of trouble. If either of you get hurt, I will hunt you down and put you over my knee again.” The boys hugged her.
“Eustus we’re going to grab our things and two horses then we’ll head out.” David said.
“I will do my best while you are gone. Come on you two let’s go help the others.” Eustus said, then he turned and walked off.
David and Aurora stood for a moment watching them leave, then Aurora said, “just us again.”
David put an arm around her, and said, “That’s all I need.” She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed.
“I guess we’d better get a move on if we’re going to find a place to sleep sometime tonight.” Aurora said.
“I suppose so. Do you mind grabbing our things, and I’ll get a couple of larger quarter horses?”
“Sure, how much food do you think we’ll need?”
“3 days-worth should do it.”
Aurora looked at him a little puzzled, and said, “But it’s a 2 week journey.”
“We can hunt along the way if we need to. These people are going to need every scrap of food they can get to make it through the winter.”
Aurora still thought it wasn’t enough, but she had learned to trust him. He seemed to know things without thinking about them. His confidence was always reassuring to her. She had gotten so used to having to rely solely on her own instincts and wits, that it was a relief to share the burden of always having to decide. She was used to being in charge, and yet she found it so easy to follow him. It was like a big weight lifted from her shoulders.
She quickly gathered up their gear, food, tent, and weapons, and when David returned with the horses she was ready. He walked up with two large strong horses in tow, the moonlight illuminating the area. They could hear the sound of the men being freed from their chains coming from the garrison. The men’s rising voices filled with relief were coming even closer.
Standing there looking in the direction of the garrison David said, “Come on. We should leave before they come this way.”
Aurora quickly helped him load up their gear and mounted her horse. As soon as they headed off she asked, “Why didn’t you want the men to see us?”
David paused thoughtfully, and said to her, “Because we didn’t free them. They need to reserve their thanks for God, and just as importantly, I need to remember that too.”
“I understand. Do you know which way we’re going?”
“I saw a trail leaving from the northeast end of the city when we scouted it the other day. What do you think?”
“I saw that too. I’ve never been beyond the northern border of the city. I only know what I’ve been told by others; I’m not sure what we’ll encounter along the way.”
“Sounds like loads of fun, doesn’t it?” David said with a smirk.
“Oh I’m sure it will be.” Aurora said with a small chuckle “How long do you want to travel tonight?”
“Once we’re beyond the city we’ll look for the first large oak I guess. I don’t think we should go too far at night since the visibility isn’t good. We don’t want one of the horses to trip.”
“Or to run into anything unfriendly.”
“Yeah we’ve had a few of those already.”
As they made their way through the city, they could scarcely hear the sounds of the men they left behind. The rest of the city was as still and quiet as an empty field. There was a brisk breeze blowing that rattled an occasional shop sign or flag. The fading lights inside the buildings were unaccompanied by any sounds from within. Neither one of them spoke about what might be inside. They had heard what terrible deaths had taken place, and did not want to imagine what was left behind.
They exited the northern end of the city and made their way to the trail through the forest. It was wide enough for them to ride side by side easily, and the tree canopy left enough room for the moonlight to guide them. The woods were damp and cold, and as they travelled along they began to feel the bite of the fall night on their skin. After a couple of hours, they saw the end of the tree line ahead of them and were relieved to be escaping its chilly grip. As they emerged from the woods they entered a large meadow filled with grass, and patches of fading wild flowers. A couple of hundred feet ahead they spied a large oak with an enormous canopy.
“It looks as if we found our room for the night,” Aurora said.
“And the neighborhood looks nice and quiet”
“No pesky neighbors. That sounds good to me.” Aurora said with a smile.
As they approached the tree, they dismounted so they could easily walk under the branches. Stepping under the canopy they felt warm air wash over them. They looked at each other with a smile.
“This beats sleeping out in the cold in a tent any day.” David said.
“Look over here. There’s a pool of water bubbling up from the ground.”
They walked over to see some rocks with water springing up from between them, cascading down into the grass where a small pool of water had collected.
“God is good.” David said, “I’ll tie the horses over here so they can drink and graze, and we can fill our canteens in the morning before we head out. Where does it look most comfortable to sleep to you?”
Aurora walked around to the north side of the tree and said, “Here is a nice big mossy area that should be softer than the rest.”
“Great, I’m ready for some sleep, how about you?”
“Definitely, this has been a long day, and I’m sure we’re in for some long days to come.”
David began unsaddling the horses as Aurora unpacked the blankets, and bedroll. As soon as the horses were tied up, and their bedding was in place they took off their boots and traveling coats, and lied down. David was lying on his back with Aurora on his right side, her shoulder tucked up under his arm, and her head on his chest. The moss was indeed soft, and lying there they could see the stars off in the distance, peering at them under the branches. The canopy of the tree was thick like a thatched roof suspended in the air.
“Hmm I could lie here forever,” Aurora said.
“So could I” David said, “It would be nice someday, when all this is over, to go camping together when we won’t have anywhere to go.”
“It’s a date. I love being outdoors.”
“I know some great places we can go with beautiful lakes, spectacular sunsets, canoeing down the rapids, and hiking in the mountains. You’d love it.”
“It sounds as if we might need some rest first.”
David laughed, and said, “I guess you’re right. Perhaps we should take a vacation when we get back.”
&n
bsp; “What’s a vacation?”
“Oh, a vacation is when you go somewhere and relax, like maybe stay at a beach or something. You don’t cook, you eat out, and people come and clean your room. We could sit and do nothing all day or anything you like.” David said a little weakly not having gone on a vacation like that before.
“That sounds like a honeymoon.” Aurora said shifting a little against him.
“Yes it does, would you like that?” David asked tentatively.
Aurora squeezed him, and said, “Yes I would. I’ve never gone anywhere, and just done nothing. I would love for us to have time together with nothing to do. I want to learn everything about you.”
“I want to learn everything about you too, although I have to warn you I’m not all that interesting, so I hope you won’t be disappointed.”
"Never."
They sat there quietly for a few moments, David noticed Aurora was still, and her breathing had slowed. She had drifted off to sleep. He smiled to himself relishing the fact that this woman who was so strong and confident could find rest in his arms. It made him feel good about himself to know that she admired him as much as he admired her. He would do anything for her, and he knew that when the time came the only sacrifice he was willing to make was his own life. He would never sacrifice her life for his, no matter what she said or did. Hey just prayed that there was a way they could have a future together. He thought about them having a real wedding, and how exquisite she would look in her gown, and with that image in his mind he drifted off to sleep as well.
David awoke to Aurora stirring slightly in his arms. The sun was low in the sky, and washed in under the tree canopy signaling the start of another day. He was stiff from lying in the same position all night, but feeling Aurora still pressed up against him, he pushed the idea of moving out of his mind. He could see the horses out of the corner of his eye, and all was quiet. There was no rush to disturb her, and he enjoyed the feel of her next to him.
Lying there admiring her, breathing in her fresh outdoors scent, his thoughts finally pulled him back to the task at hand. Just as he was accepting that he would have to wake her as if on cue, she turned up to look at him.
