The New Guard (Crossroads Book 1)

by Matthew M. Johns

  Less than five minutes of walking brought the children out from the wood-lined pathway to farmland that stretched as far as the eye could see, save a large farm complex in the near distance. As the group got closer, they could make out a large three story house, two long barns and half a dozen silos. Fragrant smoke poured from a large chimney on the far side of the house.

  The fields were full of lush growth which easily came up to Dinah’s head. The field to the left of the group grew a strange plant with broad purple-green leaves. To the right, the fields yielded what could easily be identified as maize, and just beyond the farm house fields of wheat swayed with the light breeze.

  The children were now all walking on their own. Dinah, the youngest, kept poking her head into the strange purple and green leaves. Mary and Jeremiah kept running from one side of the road to the next, touching first the maize and then the broad purple-green leaves. While the rest of the children looked around in silent awe, Ruth and Hannah ran up to their father and asked about the unknown plants.

  “They are called chap. They are a root crop resembling carrots, but blue. That is the part you eat. The leaves and stalks are turned into a paste which is used to seal wounds and prevent infection.”

  With this new knowledge, the two girls ran to their siblings and talked at length about the many uses of the alien carrots. As they were explaining this to Jeremiah and Mary, who were still running from one side of the road to the next, the group reached the farm manor where David was already talking with an elderly gentleman wearing a broad straw hat.

  When the children gathered around their father they all quickly realized they could not understand what either man was saying. Just then the Beagle arrived from guarding the rear and began rubbing up against the children. One by one, as the Beagle touched them they became aware of what their father and the elderly man were saying.

  “. . . the crossing is shifting and we became separated,” their father was saying.

  The elderly man responded, not at all surprised. “Been doing that more and more lately. One end of the crossing will be stable, and then both will shift. Sometimes it will be minor; other times it’s like you experienced. She’s probably clear in another kingdom. The whole system is becoming fouled. While we’ve always had to rely on ourselves out here, we’ve not even seen an avian in over a decade. Insur is still purported to rule over the Central Kingdom, but we’ve not had official word or courier out in these parts for a couple of years. All we get are the travelers’ stories, and they are getting worse.”

  The old man stopped talking and shook his head. He clasped David on the shoulder and then smiled broadly. “However, it is great to see you back. Please, come in and introduce me to your family.”

  David motioned for the children to follow him and they all entered the farmhouse through a set of broad double doors. Upon entering, the children were astounded to see a large gathering room which nearly covered the whole distance of the house. Two opposing stairs led up to a second floor, with many rooms visible along the open hallway that wrapped around three of the four walls. Circular wooden tables with matching chairs were set up all around the main floor. However, only one of the tables was occupied. At it sat three men with russet red skin and dark hair. Behind the men sat a large hearth with two doors beside it. The hearth would have afforded a good view of the kitchen because it was double sided, but it had a roaring fire going in the half closest to the kitchen.

  The children only had a moment or two to take in these details as they were led to an alcove between the set of stairs. There, a larger table than the rest was set up, allowing them all to sit comfortably. As they were sitting, the elderly man took off his large brimmed straw hat to reveal short-curly-salt and pepper hair and ear lobes that lay completely flat against his head. Several of the children began to stare, and as they did they also noticed his eyes were different than theirs. Whereas their eyes were white with colored retinas and black pupils, his were black orbs with white retinas and light purple pupils.

  Before any of the children could begin to comment, David moved beside the older man. “Pardon my forwardness, Brother Oswald, but my children have yet to learn not to stare at every new race they encounter. I was only recently able to enlighten them that humans are not alone in the cosmos.”

  Oswald merely bowed his head and smiled broadly. David cleared his throat to call his children’s attention to him. Almost all of them, save the youngest, turned to their father. “Dinah, Mary, Jeremiah, and Ruth; stop staring and pay attention.” The girls had enough sense to be embarrassed and began to blush, but Jeremiah merely moved his shocked expression from Oswald to his father. David gave him a stern look that had little effect.

  “Brother Oswald is a gaeder. Gaeder are one of the twelve chosen races. They look a lot like humans, except they have longer fingers,” (Oswald raised his hands so they all could see), “earlobes that lay completely flat against their heads,” (Oswald then turned his head to the side to provide a better view), “and different eye configurations.” At this, Oswald opened his eyes wide and Jeremiah scooted forward for a better look.

  Oswald began to laugh at this and smiled even bigger. “Brother Koen, I like your boy there; he is a curious one.”

  David smiled and softly chuckled to himself before continuing, “Gaeder are typically farmers, but they do many different things just like humans. When their ancestors had their time in the ‘Garden,’ they fell to temptation the same as all the other chosen people. However, their ‘Adam’ took responsibility for his sin, so when God cast them out of the Garden He did not curse the ground against them. Therefore, gaeder have a way with farming that no other race can reproduce. So here in the Crossroads we all defer to them for this task. This is also why you will find them in nearly every kingdom.”

  While the rest of the children took in this new knowledge, Jeremiah asked, “Why do you both keep calling each other brother? What was that language you were speaking outside? Why did you switch to English partway through? And. . . .”

  “Jeremiah, please slow down.” Everybody turned to the new speaker. It was the Beagle who now also sat in a chair at the table. “There is much to learn and many questions to answer. However, you must take time to absorb your new knowledge; otherwise it becomes useless clutter in your mind. As for your first two questions, the gaeder are a deeply communal people and refer to everybody as brother or sister unless they are related as father, mother, aunt, uncle, a grandparent, and so on. To call them merely by first name or family name is highly insulting, as they see it as an attempt to exclude them from the community.

  “Your second question is answered thusly: your father and Brother Oswald were speaking one of the dominant gaeder tongues. They did not switch from it to English; I touched you and imparted a minor form of the gift of tongues. You will now be able to speak freely with all the peoples of these lands; however, their written languages will still be unknown unless you study them.”

  As the Beagle finished, David spoke up, “Thank you old friend. The Gift of Tongues is not unknown here or on Earth; however, it is more commonly used here. As you grow and use this gift more it will become more than just a means of understanding others and being able to speak their native languages. As we travel, we can talk more about this and the different races, languages, and how they all interact here. There are other things to discuss tonight. What is most important. . .”

  “What is most important is that you feed these children and provide proper introductions.”

  Once again everybody turned. This time the new speaker was a large woman whose black hair was pulled back into a tight bun, revealing her distinct Gaeder features. Oswald smiled at her and bobbed his head as he softly laughed.

  David bowed to her and said, “You are correct, Sister Oswald. Where would we be without you?”

  “Hungry,” she replied quickly, “and lacking manners.”

  At this Brother Oswald began to laugh louder. His wife turned to him. “You stop tha
t crowing and help get these children washed up for a meal. I’ll be back with food and ready for introductions.”

  Still wearing a wide grin, Brother Oswald opened up a panel on the wall to reveal a large wash basin. The children took turns washing up. When the water was dirty enough, Brother Oswald would pull the basin off and dump it into the hollow stone pedestal it stood on. He would then replace it and pump new water into it from a small hand pump built into the wall. Once everybody was washed up sister Oswald returned with four other gaeder, three girls and a young man, who all brought food and dishes to eat from.

  Sister Oswald directed the setting of the table. She twice sent two of the girls back to the kitchen for more food. Once the table was set, Sister Oswald instructed the young man and one of the girls to make up the adjoining guestrooms on the third floor. The two remaining girls were to make sure the kitchen was kept in order and the other guests had what they needed. Finally, before she would let anybody sit she asked for introductions.

  “Certainly! Sister Oswald, Brother Oswald, allow me to introduce you to my sons and daughters. Deborah is my oldest at seventeen years; Melchizedek trails her by fourteen months and is sixteen. He is followed by Nicodemus at fifteen, Eve at fourteen, and Silas at thirteen. We have Esther at twelve; then, after so many blessings, the children started to space out a little more. Ruth is ten, Hannah eight, Jeremiah seven, Mary six, and finally (as of now) Dinah at five.”

  Brother Oswald leaned toward his wife, “Brother David’s wife is expecting another child.”

  Sister Oswald’s eyes went large at this comment and stared at David. “There will be twelve?”

  Sadness seemed to wash over David as he nodded, “Yes, there will be twelve.”

  Sister Oswald nodded and spoke softly, “With twelve as a blessing, what a bounty can be harvested for the Lord of All.”

  Brother Oswald raised his hands to the sky, “To the Lord of All we give thanks for our blessings and ask His guidance in the harvesting of what is necessary to feed His people.”

  “Amen,” David said solemnly.

  *

  Dinner was a wondrous event for the children. They ate vigorously, having not eaten a large meal since dinner two nights previously. They were also surprised by the unique look and tastes of most of the dishes. The blue carrots were one of the first dishes tasted by all the children. The similarity was easily identified, but much conversation was made in regard to the secondary flavor. This inquiry led to the consumption of many of the blue carrots.

  In addition to the carrots, there was a dark bread that tasted slightly of cinnamon and vanilla, and a light bread that was fruity. There was a platter of small fowl that had honeycomb baked inside them, and a large roast with a gravy that seemed to have a different dominant flavor every few bites. Strange looking fruits and vegetables led to dares to taste them, followed mostly by divine taste sensations or delightful comparisons to Earth’s produce. However, there were a few puckered faces from a tart fruit, or forced swallows when the bite did not agree with the taster. After a particularly unliked food taste, the children would gulp a good amount of sweet water, a jug of which was being passed around the table constantly.

  A half hour passed in this manner, and soon those at the table were becoming comfortably full. The younger Oswalds quietly appeared and began removing dishes, so after three quarters of an hour past the start of the meal, the table was cleared, save a pitcher of sweet water and each person’s cup. Once the table was clear, both of the elder Oswalds excused themselves, citing chores left to finish before full dark. Looking to the large front windows, it was easy to see the fading sunlight painting the sparse clouds. David nodded to the Oswalds and thanked them for the meal and their hospitality.

  When they were gone, David sat back in his chair and placed the Sword of Truth in his lap. The Beagle jumped from his chair to the new empty one next to David. David closed his eyes, placing one hand on the scabbard of the sword he carried while the other absentmindedly petted the Beagle. When he finally spoke it was with a deep, reverent tone.

  “In the beginning, as His first act, God created light that banished the darkness which covered the uncreated universe. This act offered all creation a life without sin and death. However, there were those of the Heavenly Host who felt the darkness, the Void, had been dismissed prematurely. They rebelled against the creation, and tempted the first created man and woman of each species. From that point on our universe was filled with death and sin. Creation as God had designed it was broken, and even the natural became corruptible. From the point of first sin, our dying universe has been moving toward the end times, when those of faith and acts will be redeemed and those of the Void will be destroyed forever as the Spirit of God once again covers the creation with the perfect light.

  David opened his eyes and looked around the table. When no one spoke he continued. “As I’ve said, this realm is a place in-between all worlds. It is a bridge and a focal point that reflects the chaos of the worlds it connects to. It is most commonly called the Crossroads.

  “I’ve been here before,” he turned to his second oldest son, “when I was your age Nic. My parents were supposed to pick me up from football practice after school, but they never came. I figured I could get home on my own so I jogged through town and up the country lane that would lead me home. Not wishing to walk beside the road I cut through some farmland. At one point I came to a small creek and I jumped over. When I landed I was waist deep in an ocean located many miles east of here.

  “I spent over a year becoming entangled in the local battles between the forces of the Void and the allies of the Word. I was tested, tempted, and tortured until one decisive battle completely changed me forever. During the battle, my band was joined by several warrior angels. We were holding a key crossing in the Fourth Kingdom when the sun set. There would be no moon that night, so the Void’s forces were at their strongest. My band and the angels fell one by one. Soon there was only myself and one angel standing back to back in the midst of the Void’s forces. It was then that I saw the sword appear. When it did, the forces of the Void fell back. I went to reach for the sword, but the angel stopped me.

  “‘No,’ the angel said, ‘it is not meant for you. To touch that sword will forever convict you and burden you with the Way of Truth.’ At this, the angel reached out to grab the sword, but several black bolts shot out of the darkness and impaled the angel. My instincts told me more shafts would quickly follow so I reached out grabbed the sword and ran. I didn’t make it far.

  “A roar of frustration bellowed from the darkness all around me and the sword began to glow bright as the sun. I covered my eyes, but the light penetrated me, filling me with knowledge, hope, and courage. I don’t know how long I was like that, but gradually the light lessened to a radiant glow much like the moon’s distant shining. I looked around only to find I stood at the center of a large scorched circle. The sounds of battle were gone. I wandered back to camp to find my commander and report the enemy’s disappearance. That was when I crossed back over to Earth.”

  David grew quiet and the Beagle picked up the thread of the story. “That was when I met your father. I arrived shortly after he had crossed and brought him the scabbard for the Sword of Truth. Once sheathed, almost no mortal can see it. Only those who have seen it in action become aware of its presence, much as you have.

  “I was the one to inform your father that he was back on Earth and that he would one day be called back to the Crossroads. I was also the one who informed him that his parents had died in a car accident the day they did not pick him up. I helped him contact some authorities and we were brought to his aunt, his only surviving relative. It is her house you all called home.”

  David scratched the Beagle’s ears and smiled at it. “I restarted my life on Earth finishing off high school before my aunt passed away. She left me the house and a small bit of money. I worked odd jobs for the surrounding farmers and at times in town. I met your mother there. She had jus
t graduated from college and returned home. We courted, much to the ire of her parents, for she came from money and I did not. However, after many months we got married, settled into the house, and started having children a few years later.”

  This time when David fell silent the Beagle did not speak up. After only a few moments of silence, Nic spoke. “So there is a center to all creation and this is it?”

  David nodded. “Not exactly the center, though it is a close enough analogy to work.”

  Nic continued, “You’ve been here before and now we're trapped here?”

  “Yes,” David replied.

  “Mom is here, right? Just in another part?” Deborah asked a hint of longing and dread in her voice.

  “That is correct,” David said. “It would seem the crossings are becoming more and more random. For the longest time the crossing to Earth was at Bethel in Israel, but the continued wars in that area and here at the Crossroads helped create instability. The woods surrounding our house had not previously been a crossing. As we crossed through, it shifted on this end, separating us from your mother. It appears that the opening at each end can also vary in size from as small as a staircase to as large as our woods.”

  “Your father surmises correctly,” the Beagle once again spoke up. “The apertures at either end expand to allow or disallow flow of traffic. Your mother and unborn sibling were also called forth, so the doorway was widened. However, the doorway doesn’t move only because of instability. Sometimes a crossing moves out of urgent need. Our recent experience was a mixture of both. You were called forth, so the doorway moved to the woods outside your home. The decay of creation and unstable governance of both Earth and the Here Between caused the exit point to fracture, separating us from your mother.”