The Complete 8-Book Guardians Adventure Saga

by Summer Lee

  The second man lunged at her with his club raised over his head. She stepped in quickly and twisted the club out of his grip. She let out a primal grunt and plunged forward, splitting his head and wounding her hand.

  The hand wound healed as a strong golden glow shimmered around it. She clenched her fists, swinging hard. Kicking high toward a giant’s jaw, she let out her own primal scream. When the next Nephilim got close enough, she executed a perfect upper cut by leaping into the air, causing the sound of fist against bone to be heard from several yards away. The man fell backward while dropping the club.

  She caught the large club before it hit the ground. She then hit the next man in the back of the head with the weapon and watched him fall unconscious onto the dirt. The two that fell first managed to slowly regain their footing and came at her from two different sides.

  She spun around fast and created a virtual whirlwind. From within the mini-tornado, she proceeded to kick each man multiple times, making them unable to fight back. Especially as slow and lumbering as they were becoming.

  They each suddenly collapsed with Achava’s barrage. Once they dropped to the ground, she immediately turned and looked for Sam. He stood alone in the trees. “Thank you,” he said and sighed.

  “And God,” Achava added. “God gave me the strength.”

  “Yes, thank God!” Sam continued. “These giants turned against God! He empowered you to fight them.”

  “True!” Achava raised a hand toward heaven. “We are blessed. We have been given opportunities that no one ever gets to have! We are among the few that I’ve ever heard of to travel through time and see the things we’ve seen.”

  “And punch the dudes we have punched.” They laughed together.

  Now they needed to go find the ark again.

  Chapter the Seventh

  SAM WAS RIGHT BEHIND ACHAVA as they made their way through the forest.

  Achava exuded confidence, but not superiority, as she walked away with pride. Most people had mistaken that for ego. Sam knew she was proud of her heritage and her mission in life. She had no reason to hide that. A big surprise awaited them at the point where they walked out into the open.

  When they came out the other side of the forest, there sat an old man, as if he was waiting for them. He shrugged his shoulders as he looked first at Sam and then at Achava. The last thing Sam wanted to do was chase off, possibly, the only person who might be able to help them.

  The older man sat on the stump of a tree. He could barely keep his eyes open. He looked tired, as if he had been waiting for a long while. He had a long white beard and carried a wooden walking stick, with a crook on one end. His robe was old and drab, and he had some rope pieces looped around his right shoulder, holding the garment up. His face was older than any face Sam had ever seen.

  Achava looked continuously at him as she approached. He stared back at her, saying nothing at first. His gaze rested upon every inch of her being. She looked anxious as he studied her attire. “Hello.”

  A small smile appeared on his face. He spoke in Hebrew. “Come, woman. I believe you will understand me.” His voice was rough, yet calming.

  She refrained from reacting to him, as Achava slowly approached the man. She kept her head lowered, so that it was hard for him to see her face.

  “Raise your head to me,” he commanded. “I mean no harm at my age. I wish to see your face.”

  She raised her head, so that he could see her full facial features.

  His smile grew. “Your disguise has some flaws. Your face does not. Interesting.”

  Was he talking about her makeup? She thanked him in Hebrew.

  “Your skin appears smoother than any I have ever laid eyes upon,” he continued. “And I have seen many a face. Many people, in my time. You approached me, so speak. What do you seek? I doubt it is knowledge, because your golden eyes have more knowledge behind them than any I have seen. Speak and do not waste my time. I have so little left.”

  “Are you sent to answer my prayer?” She was breathing hard, as if her heart was racing out of her chest.

  “Yes!” The old man had seen through her disguise so easily. She could not try to deceive him through her speech. She hated deceiving anyone anyhow.

  “I… am here with my traveling companion.” She did her best to duplicate the language. She thought she was doing rather well.

  “I see no traveling companion,” he answered, with an air of sarcasm. “Perhaps it is the man who poses as a tree behind you.” He looked at Sam. “Come out, son!”

  Sam heard the man shout out the orders, and still stayed hidden. Of course, he had no idea what the man was saying, or if it was even meant for him. Thus, he waited.

  The old man raised his brow at Achava. “Perhaps you best call to him in your tongue.”

  Achava’s eyes widened when he did not answer. “Sam!” she cried out in English. “It is okay to come out. You don’t have to play mute right now.”

  The old man’s smile faded. “If I did not see integrity in your spirit, I would think that you are sent from the evil one. Speak, before I lose patience!”

  “Yes, sir.” Sam came out of hiding and stood next to Achava.

  The old man glared at him. “Your disguises may be enough to fool an entire village, but nothing gets past these eyes. The time for disguises is past. Tell me the truth, or I shall cry most foul to reveal your lies!”

  Sam was torn. The old man saw through their disguises, but he could not possibly tell him who they really were or why they were there.

  “Did you think your eyes of gold would get past my notice?” he said to Achava, accusingly. “If you wished to play with the children in one of their games, you should not have come to an old man! I say again, speak!”

  Achava nervously looked at Sam as she stammered. The first person that they tried to communicate with threatened to reveal them and possibly destroy everything they had tried so hard to accomplish. Her eyes pleaded with Sam to give her an answer. Any answer.

  He forced a smile and nodded. Maybe he could not understand anything the old man said, or anything she said when she talked with him, but he knew what she wanted.

  He saw that Achava didn’t know the consequences, but she had to tell the old man who they were. He watched as Achava turned back to the old man. Humbly she fought the tears in her eyes.

  She took a deep breath and spoke in his language again. “Please. We do not wish to disturb this timeline. We have no desire to rewrite… anything.” She realized that the Book of Genesis wasn’t even close to halfway complete by then, so she had to watch what she said about it. “We are not from here. We are not from anywhere around here. We are travelers from so far away. Our home is ahead of where we are now. I wonder if we will ever get back.”

  When she paused, he said, “Go on.”

  “My name is Achava. I am a descendent of Achsah, who has not been born as of yet. I believe we are here by mistake. We have need of finding our two other traveling companions and we do not know how to. We are lost, by all definition of the word. I believe in my Father in heaven, and have faith that He will guide us to where we need to be. I have supernatural genes. But my humanity has taken over and I doubt my own abilities to get us home.

  “We mean no one any harm and will do whatever we can to make sure those who come into our life stay safe. We are not the enemy, nor have we been sent by anyone evil. Of course, if you met my sister, you might think differently, but she means well. She has a different father, and chooses to look out for herself and that is where we disagree. I try to look out for all who accompany me, but sometimes I get distracted by the mission. We have been on many missions for God, collecting various artifacts and stopping people who do harm to those same artifacts.

  “I am so sorry that I am rambling, but I am extremely nervous and do not wish you to tell anyone who we are. It would be a mistake of Biblical proportions. Please also forgive Sam and me for trying to deceive you with our disguises. I am sure that we can fix
whatever wrong we did by the deception. It is really not like me. Please do not hold it against Sam either.”

  Sam was shocked. He never heard Achava talk that much in any language.

  The old man looked pretty surprised, as well. “See? It was easy for you to tell me more than I could have ever wanted to know. I hope that you do not talk like that where you come from. In fact, I hope no female talks that much where you come from.”

  She felt extremely embarrassed. She grabbed Sam’s hand. “This is my companion, Samuel.”

  The old man’s smile returned. “That is a good name for a male. His mother and father were wise.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Sam blurted out, without realizing what he had done.

  Achava turned to look at Sam. “You understood him?”

  Sam looked stunned. “I guess I did. Wow!”

  The old man pointed at their hands and smiled. “You are as one.”

  “It is because we are connected!” Achava exclaimed. She was excited that Sam could share in the conversation. “As long as we are… touching each other, you should be able to understand what is being said and perhaps even join in the conversation.” She breathed a sigh of relief.

  The old man placed both hands on the wooden staff. “Perhaps the next time you make a disguise, you may also wish to consider hiding your interesting footwear.”

  Sam looked in a panic as he looked down. “The robe’s hiding our shoes, though.”

  “Not when you walk,” he replied, laughing. He then turned serious. “I am not long for this world, but I have learned many things in my years. I know that you both are from further away than you have made clear.”

  Sam looked curiously at the old man. “I guess my sources are inaccurate, but I expected you to speak with thee and thou.”

  “Curious,” the man said. “I am who I am. I speak the way God has given me a tongue to do. I know no other way to do so, yet you seem to be unhappy with that. I make no excuses for my being called from He who created all, but I will not be something to you, just to see you smile. I will not forsake who I am for anyone. God does not ask me to do these things. Why should man?”

  Sam turned pale. He did not even try to hide his embarrassment. “I meant no disrespect. Where we’re from…”

  “Silence! I will continue talking with the woman,” he said, as he turned away from Sam. “It matters not where you came from. We all hail from parts unknown. It is the person who stands before me, that interests me most. I have seen many people in my lifetime. I like to hear their stories. It brightens my day and relieves the boredom.”

  “Why are you telling us this, sir? Is there something we need to know?” Achava asked.

  “Asking leads to knowledge,” the old man returned. “It is the question that remains unasked that burns within the soul. Why is it that you have so much trouble asking questions and finding your words? Is where you’re from filled with people who do not wish to hear what your heart has to say?”

  “I don’t know.” Achava hadn’t realized how much times had changed, until the old man said what he did. She looked at Sam, who shared her disgrace.

  His words finally put everything into perspective. He was brilliant. Sam never stopped to think about how the people around him changed, as he performed her missions with Achava. With few exceptions, Achava did not really have to deal with mortals that much.

  The old man studied both Achava’s and Sam’s expressions and showed sympathy for them. “I see. I do not think that I would like this place that you hail from. I am not so fond of the people here either, but I doubt there will be a flood to remove the evil in your home.”

  The mention of the flood brought Achava back to her senses. “Yes, the flood. You are aware then, that we know of the flood?”

  “I am aware of much,” the old man answered, as he coughed. The cough had a strong wheeze in it. “God brought you to the right person. I can tell you where you need to be.”

  Sam held Achava’s hand tightly for more than just being able to communicate with the old man. He needed security. “I apologize for what happened earlier. I meant no disrespect, but I suppose now you have a better understanding of where we come from. May I ask your name?”

  “A name is nothing more than something to call someone else,” he answered. “We may call each other what our parents named us, but I prefer to call people, friend. Can I call you both friends?”

  They nodded. “We’d be honored.”

  “Good!” he continued. “Now that we are friends, I will take you to someone who I have no doubt will help you find your way home. Know this. You cannot leave here without the Almighty Father being aware.”

  “I know.” Achava gave him a knowing smile. “You are wise. That kind of wisdom comes only from life experience.”

  He smiled. “Do you mean that where you come from, people don’t live for hundreds of years?”

  Sam refrained from saying anything else, for fear that he would say the wrong thing. He looked at Achava.

  “No,” she answered. “Maybe if they did, they would have more wisdom. I still believe in the human race. I believe that babies are not born practicing evil. They all deserve a chance to develop as they grow.”

  “God gives us a choice,” said Sam. “Just like the people here.”

  “So you know God, then,” the old man answered, as if he already knew the answer to the question. “It appears that as long as there are people that share your vision in your home, there will always be a chance for the world at large.”

  The old man looked at Sam. “Your path is not an easy one from here, son,” he said, with a serious tone in his voice. “Your road is now paved with rocks and bumps. In order for you to get back home, you must give up what you desire.”

  “A riddle?” Achava asked.

  “Riddle?” the old man answered. “Interesting word. I must remember that one.”

  Achava’s eyes widened, as she realized that she may have used a word, that hadn’t been invented yet.

  “Fear not, young one,” the old man replied, with a calming tone. “Everything that I hear and see stays with me. Are you both ready for a walk?”

  They both reluctantly nodded.

  “Good!” he exclaimed. “Then it is time for you to see the man you came here to see. I doubt he will be anything as you suspect he is. Try not to judge too harshly. He is a good man.”

  “Thank you for everything,” Achava said, gratefully. “We had felt lost here, but you have made us feel comforted.”

  He smiled as he gripped his staff and pulled himself off of the stump to a standing position. “Then thank the Lord, for He is responsible for all of this world’s comfort. There’s not a lot at the moment, but all will be made new. Now, let me walk with you to show your way out of the forest. Let me take you to find Noah.”

  As an old man would do, he walked slowly.

  Chapter the Eighth

  SAM HAD HIS IDEAS about who he and Achava were following at a snail’s pace. He kept quiet, because his Biblical knowledge was limited. His excitement was replaced by his fear of being far removed from his own time into another. So he clasped Achava’s hand again.

  He couldn’t fathom actually being led to one of the Bible’s most prominent people. He knew that he had no choice, but to believe in the Book that had eluded him all of his life.

  He had the opportunity that no one else had since Noah lived. He pictured Noah being noble and strong. A leader among men, who defied the people of that time and followed God’s instruction to build something, that was quite possibly, the largest vessel of any of its kind.

  Other than Professor Salinger, Sam never really met anyone of merit that he could be proud to have met. He felt his stomach tighten with anticipation now. He had to hold back his excitement, because he knew that Achava was trying to be careful with what she was saying and she made a mistake by mentioning riddles.

  It was almost like meeting a celebrity, but with something accomplished more than just being i
n a movie. Noah was known by almost everyone who had ever lived. He was more than a celebrity. He was an icon. Even people that didn’t believe in God knew of Noah. Down through the centuries, small children learned the story of Noah and the ark. There were movies about him in modern times as well.

  Sam kept his excitement inside. He saw Achava staring at him, as if she knew what he was thinking. She smiled, as they continued to follow the old man. She wiggled her fingers and pulled her hand free. She said she had to release his hold on her, because her palms became sweaty. He understood.

  Sam noticed that other than him being offended, the old man was extremely laid back and comfortable in his own skin. Sam hoped that someday, he could be as comfortable. There was something about the old man, that reminded Sam of Professor Salinger. It might have been the confidence in the way he talked, or the calming effect he had on people, like Achava and himself.

  Sam wished he had more time to talk with the old man, but he knew that was impossible. He also realized something about himself. He wanted a mentor again. Achava was amazing, but he wanted a man to learn from; one who was mortal. It would definitely sound bad, if he tried to explain it to her.

  He didn’t want to replace her. He wanted to add another to his close circle of friends, someone he could talk to on an intellectual level. Now it didn’t make sense to him, when he thought of it like that. All Sam knew was that being around that old man, made him miss the man who inspired him the most—the professor.

  It was getting hot. The old man stopped and took a sip of water from a rabbit skin pouch. Sam wiped the sweat from his own brow, as they walked along. At that point, Sam’s mind switched gears again. His thoughts were about meeting Noah. He was aware that his mind was more active in that timeline, than in any other place he had visited. Perhaps, it was because he needed to use his mind more while there.

  He knew his excitement would continue the longer he stayed there. He had no idea how much of an adventure awaited him.