Chosen: Deliverers Of War

PART 1THE CALM

The Dawn by David Ryan

~ 2 ~

1A Quick Break

Here he was, dressed in the usual prison garb of a black and white striped jumpsuit, Jota was sitting in his cell plotting with pure concentration, his long blonde hair was brushed to the side which to a glancing eye looked as though he had styled it every day so it was perfectly messy - messy enough to be glanced at but neat enough to look respectable. His hair seemed to accentuate his penetrating pure blue eyes and golden skin. He didnt look like a common criminal, his features were too pure. No, his muscled exterior was destined to do nothing but good. At the moment he was plotting, plotting how he was going to escape from the prison of Bovas where he was now incarcerated. To him, the place looked like it was ruled by the evil and caging the righteous. After multiple rebellions against Deltens way, Jotas family disowned him. Without society and family to aid him, he was sent to rot in the prison of Bovas until he passed on from his hellhole of a life and at last die. But he was going to escape, escape with his friend - and polar opposite - Lorix. Lorix had to flee from Bovas because his parents were killed by the Delten army for helping the Miik, and now they were after him as well. So, with Lorix, he decided to embark on a journey into the unknown. Jota began to put his plan into action, he grabbed the club lying in the corner of his dark decrepit cell. The club wasnt really a club, it was no more than a leg of a bed, removed to make him more uncomfortable in the already damp, dank, rat infested cell it was unfit for a dog to live in - , luckily for Jota he had been in the cell long enough to know the guards habits and had figured out how much time he would have to execute his plan before they executed him. In about two minutes the guard would leave for the end of shift in which time the next guard would not arrive for two minutes and twelve seconds, give or take two seconds - it ran like clockwork. His cell contained a rug to sleep on, a rusty nail driven into the wall - which could support an average weight such as a body and mould in the corners. Underneath the rug on which part of was hung to the wall , apparently by the previous resident to provide more comfort , but unknown to the guards was that the previous resident had had an ulterior motive. He or some other prisoner had built a tunnel. It seemed impossible to do, but they had done it, with only two minutes and twelve seconds to work on it each day every other moment of the day they were watched. A lot of determination and time was spent on this, and now Jota was going to take advantage of it - and its occupants. He climbed into the tunnel quickly and rushed through the dark and enclosed space until he found what he was looking for.


~ 3 ~

Then he saw it: The remains of a prisoner who tried to escape many months ago - judging by the smell - , but apparently died first. He dragged the corpse back to the cell and stuck him to the wall with the nail, covered his head with the standard issue convict cap and headed down the tunnel towards freedom, hopefully the guards wouldnt notice the decoy until Jota was well out of reach, Jota looked towards the prison and smiled. That must have been the quickest jailbreak since Sentia. Then he laughed at his own joke. Sentia had been entering the jail when the guard escorting him had let him go and told him to run as fast as he can, Sentia then ran back towards the exit of the jail, crossed the threshold to freedom, then turned and ran back towards the guards chasing him and was recaptured, when asked why he didnt keep running, he simply replied: Nobody tells me what to do, now let me get back to my incarceration. He was then sent to the execution chamber for trying to escape. This story was known by every lawbreaker in the world, although the name and prison was always different. One could not help but chuckle at the insanity of the rumour prisoner; of course during a prison break was not the best place for chuckling. Unluckily for Jota his ruse was caught almost immediately. After hearing the alarm sound out in the vast prison grounds, he suddenly felt that escape was hopeless, that he would be caught and probably killed for his arrogance, either that or be sent right back to prison, probably to a cell with higher security, but Jota soon changed his mind, he would not give up without a fight. He clung to the shadows, pretending that if he stepped out of line he would be caught. He moved quickly and quietly, until he heard the sound of approaching footsteps, this made him begin to panic like a criminal being interrogated. He lay still, so still, and then slowed his breathing to a quiet inhalation and held it as long as he could, releasing the breath quietly and deliberately. When he saw the fully armed soldiers he began sweating profusely from his brow and almost choked on his own saliva at the same time - it would have sounded like a cat coughing up a hairball to anyone in the immediate vicinity, but luckily, it was not that loud. The guards stood at their designated search spots, looking everywhere for the criminal, unaware that he was only around the corner. When they were satisfied that Jota was nowhere to be seen they moved on. The soldiers were heading towards him. Without thinking he began climbing the wall behind him, adrenaline had kicked in and he cleared the wall with ease, he was now standing on top of the wall praying that the soldiers below did not hear him. Looking around, he spotted his next move: Hanging twenty feet above the ground was a thick chain. Jota prepared himself and then made his move. He jumped towards the chain and grabbed it, the clanging of chains was doused by the prisoner alarms - the guards below him didnt notice a thing. They were too busy looking for the prisoner who was right above their nose. Jota began to climb down the chain - smiling all the while. He dropped down with a low thud and began his search for the exit. After his easy encounter with the guards earlier he became a lot more confident.


~ 4 ~

He realised that most sounds he made would be covered by the still resounding noise of the escaped prisoner alarm, which did nothing but aid his escape. Jota ran past two guards talking while hiding in the shadows. What was that guy in here for anyway? The way he acts, its not normal, its like hes possessed. He was put in there for his own protection, poor man, he thinks hes Deltens brother, Delten apparently felt sorry for him and protected him, personally I think Delten was mad to put him in here, hes probably the most dangerous inmate of em all. He is definitely a bit of a loony but I expect Delten was flattered. Yeah he probably was flattered... Dont think Delten ever found his brother... He looked and looked but eventually he had to give up... There was no sign, and no proof that he survived when the Miik took him... My opinion: He was killed and dumped somewhere by those nasty Marpleys... So uncivilised. Thats rough, so there was no way they could survive? Definitely not, they were only children at the time. Delten saw it all, since then he swore to eradicate all of the Miik, a task he has almost achieved. He went from lowly adopted scum to the ruler of the entire world, humble beginnings huh Sure are, good leader alright. Well he does have all the traits of a good leader, great speaker, insight, appeals to the people. And he gives em what they want... Anyway I gotta go patrol the exit route, see you later. After Jota heard this a million thoughts began sprouting in his head and an idea formulated. He shadowed the guard going to patrol the exit route and waited for him to drop his guard, and then he took his chance. He sneaked behind him, inched his hands around his neck and twisted swiftly until he heard the crack of broken bone. He dragged the guard towards the dark alleyway between the staff quarters and prisoner quarters. He took his weapon, jacket, overalls and I.D. That would be enough to cover him from a quick glance by an on-looking guard, he then proceeded down the exit route without any hassle.


~ 5 ~

2An Expected Arrival

Lorix was ripped from his surroundings and did not take too kindly to his parents being killed for doing what is right. At the start he wanted revenge but soon he realised that that was not the way to go, his parents would not have wanted him to be fuelled by feelings of anger and acts of vengeance and instead he went along the path of acceptance. He accepted that his parents were killed for aiding the Miik and that somehow he would follow in their footsteps even if it was in a small way. He would show his love for his parents by honouring their memory and exploring the world like they would have wanted. He had in hiding since Jota had been captured, knowing that he would be next. He departed for the meeting point that he and Jota had agreed upon months before in case something happened. He somehow knew that this would be the night, the night he would see Jota again, it was as though there was something in the air, an electricity that would inspire Jota to instigate his plan for escape. Once he had escaped they would be ready to leave for the west towards the unknown, where anything could happen, where they would be free. Lorix had been sleeping in a hole that was half covered by a giant boulder. It offered sufficient cover from the elements and concealed his position from a glancing eye. Throughout the two weeks of waiting, he was optimistic, nothing could dampen his spirits, not even the threat of immediate execution if he was found. He was calm, almost too calm, it was sometimes infuriating how calm he was, stress never affected him although he thrived off it - , unlike Jota, who was like a walking stress ball, always panicking over the smallest things. He could also create immense daydreams within his head which throughout the two weeks were helping him pass the time. Right now Lorix was wondering, wondering how such a big boulder came to be in the near centre of a field with no other rocks in sight, then he came upon the idea that there must have been a castle near it a couple of hundred years ago that at one time was attacked by a trebuchet, this lead to the boulder being in the position that it was in, which then lead him to the question: Where did the hole under it come from? Then he came to the conclusion that when the boulder landed it crushed at least four people under it, these corpses eventually decomposed into the dust leaving the small hole in the ground, just as the mound of newly-filled grave would be reduced down to its normal size. These long elaborate ideas were how Lorix had passed the time when he was not hunting for food or cooking the food he had found. Also, he had planned the route that Jota and himself would follow once they began their journey, firstly they would head towards Santhorn and explore the area and its wonderful landscape - so different to the


~ 6 ~

one they were familiar with - , whilst also keeping a low profile, making sure to avoid capture by Delten and his army of followers. After a few hours of ideas and hope, Lorix believed he heard the sound of footsteps, he rushed out to greet Jota but instead who he saw was quiet different. It was a member of the Delten army who had seemingly tracked Lorix to this secluded place. Lorix was about to run for fear of capture when he heard a familiar voice, a voice he had not heard for at least two and a half weeks. By order of the great Delten you are under arrest and to await your execution, Said the familiar voice from behind him. Jota you son of a, you escaped I see, Replied the now smiling Lorix. I wouldnt call it escaping... That would imply it was a challenge, which it wasnt... Ill tell you all about it soon enough. Said Jota with an air of smugness in his voice, smug about his escape and frightening Lorix. Lorix and Jota then began searching for anything they could use to light a fire, so they would not be telling their stories in the pitch black and damp cold. After ten minutes of preparing the fire Jota and Lorix began telling their stories. I was put in a cell with no windows or toilet with only my nightmares to comfort me, when all of a sudden the wall had been blown by some magical princess named Erau who gave me a beer to ease my fraught nerves. Outside the wall was a flying carpet which flew me to safety over the hills and far away from the land of the innocent. Said Jota with more than a hint of sarcasm. I hate to say it but I missed all the wild, fake stories you used to tell, but now that I have them back I have to say I dont like your attitude young soldier. Lorix replied in a low voice. It was an imitation of one of his old teachers. Well get used to it, we have a long trip... So what have you been up to? Oh the usual, eating, sleeping and hiding from the soldiers... Oh and waiting for you to escape... What took you so long? Asked Lorix genuinely, forgetting that escaping from prison wasnt exactly a piece of cake. Nothing, I was asleep for two weeks and when I eventually woke up I just walked out the gate... Hey no harm no foul... Absence makes the heart go stronger as they say. Just dont do it again, it was so boring just sitting around here... But somehow I knew that you were going to escape tonight So... Who cares, what I want to know is, what have you packed for our journey? Lorix then threw over a backpack so large it was almost impossible for someone to carry it on their back. Jota then opened the zip to see an array of contents consisting of: some sort of electronic gadget, spare changes of clothes, a tube thing with a string on it and a map. Once Jota saw that they were fully supplied, he and Lorix went to sleep without further ado.


~ 7 ~

3To Make a Killing

When Jota and Lorix woke up the next morning they were ready for a long day, a long day of walking through the barren countryside while avoiding the Delten army. Delten didnt like people leaving the confines of the vast city of Bovas except where expressly permitted. Jota wondered whether he was doing the right thing by leaving his entire life behind and heading on some fools errand towards the free world, against immeasurable odds, but then quickly reminded himself what he was escaping from: The persecuting and prejudiced world of Bovas. And as for his life, it was not a happy one. The only thing he actually missed was Minda. After all his parents were Delten fanatics and loved the idea of killing off other species. How could you kill creatures that have never done anything to you but are afraid may in the future? A pre-emptive strike was what Delten called his campaign, unanimously voted for in parliament by an audience that seemed to not know what they were voting for or they just didnt care. They were being paid enough to vote for anything. This was the world he would be leaving, towards a more open minded community where you didnt have to be afraid that the person you were speaking with was a Delten spy or that you were being overheard by one. There was no fear beyond the boundaries of Bovas or so they thought. There was only freedom, a freedom which leaves no air of secrecy or worry among the community. Walking through the fields Jota and Lorix tried to pass the time by exaggerating reasons to how things came to be where they are. It worked well for a while but eventually grew tiresome. Jota, why is that rock over there? Well the way I see it, that thing you call a rock is nothing more than an entryway to a secret society of miniature people that is controlling everyone through their amazing observations and helpful hints, guiding the future leaders to their rightful place whilst they sit back and bask in the power of their influence... That rock is their base and right now they are planting the idea of this in my head because they believe knowledge is power and their knowledge is supreme power... Right now our good old friend Delten is being influenced by a wayward soul who has lost the miniature men way of life, right now you are being told to ignore me and concentrate on our journey even though it was your idea to play this silly game... Your turn. Excellent, that story killed almost two minutes... I quit I wont be able to top that -- Then Jota interrupted. I think heard something. He looked around and realised that they were being watched, but from where and by whom was something he didnt know. It was just an intense feeling at the moment.


~ 8 ~

Lorix knew what Jota was thinking without him saying anything. He wanted action. Jota dropped to the ground and waited till he heard where the watcher was. He heard the sound of a broken twig to his far right. He threw a stone near where he had heard the sound, hoping to distract the watcher, somehow knowing that there was only one. He then ran as fast as he could and before the watcher could fire his gun Jota had seen him, and with a lightning fast movement that somehow went perfect he ripped the slide cleanly off the handgun before the watcher had a chance to fire. Jota then watched with triumph as his opponent tried to pull the trigger of his now useless gun, but that was when Jota realised that his opponent was just distracting him while he reached for his knife. Before he could react he had the knife jammed into his arm, he screamed out with pain and had almost lost the battle right there and then, but he had gotten lucky. Now he had to think, use the information that he learned in college. Through this he would defeat his opponent Jota learned that he was unfamiliar with guns but efficient with knives. He also learnt that he was left-handed, that was something Jota had to consider when he fought this man. From experience and training Jota knew that left-handed people were usually sloppy in their attacks and would usually just wait for the opportunity to get in a big shot, rather than attack with small bursts. Luckily for Jota, this particular left-hander had neither the strength nor the endurance to achieve the big shot, making him an easy and relatively inexperienced opponent. So, there stood Jota with a knife embedded into his upper arm. He was injured, but ready to fight. He left the knife where it was as he knew it would cause more pain if not taken out properly. His opponent made the first move with a rib crunching blow to the body and then proceeded to execute a massive flurry of kicks and punches that would have struck if not for Jotas snakelike reflexes. He grabbed his fist and issued a blow to the nose, he then proceeded to lock his arms around the fist and pushed back until he heard the crack of broken bone, then he issued a flurry of blows to the face. The opponent rose once again, staggering to his feet with blood now covering his nose; Jota slowed himself down and then issued the last blow of the fight, leaving his opponent now unconscious on the ground, destined to die if not tended to soon. After the fight Jota fell to the floor in agony, he went unconscious from the pain and was now lying still while Lorix worked on removing the knife from his arm without losing too much blood. Three hours later Jota woke up. He looked at his newly bandaged arm and side; he then looked towards the sky, but instead saw Lorix. Hi... Sleep well? Asked Lorix, right before he hit Jota with a shot to the jaw. Although Lorix seemed more of a pacifist there were times when he could not restrain his anger. Who was that guy I fought? Said Jota, slightly groggy and aching, but able to understand why Lorix had hit him. He had been stupid. He was a bounty hunter... Apparently were worth a small fortune, dead or alive... We were easy to find considering you forgot to take out your position chip... How could you make such a stupid mistake and forget to take it out when I warned you this could happen? Not much harm nor foul... Sorry... Did you get rid of it with my newly acquired knife? Yes I did... That knife is some piece of work... Its diamond sharpened, has a saw on one side of the blade, with the edge on the other and a compass built into the finger moulded handle... Enjoy


~ 9 ~

Oh I will... A compass is always a handy thing to have Reaching Santhorn would take a week from where they were now, but luckily that week passed by rather quickly with their stories, reminiscing and the job of gathering food and wood, also they arrived quicker than they should, because they were always hurrying for fear of capture in their sleep. This resulted in a lot of sleepless nights or nightmares when they did sleep, nightmares about what would happen if they were captured. When they reached Santhorn they were greeted by the most majestic countryside that either of them had ever seen, with its mountains that were green at the start and white half-way up and had flat snowy peaks and trees that have never been seen by men their age in centuries, with leaves all the colours of the rainbow and woodland creatures roaming around the vast forests to the distance, it seemed to them that even rainbows had different colours here, as if they knew that this place was untouched by war or meddling humans, not yet anyway.

~

Jota and Lorix headed towards the waterside, roaming the various caves, crevices and cliffs, all the while hoping to find one which they could sleep in for a couple of days before they left for another place. After a short while they found a cave that seemed to suit their needs: It was deep, hard to reach, relatively warm and very difficult to find. It was well suited to them, all they had to do was put down some discrete markers so that they would be able to find it again, while others wouldnt. When they were wandering the nearby area they found a deer which they later killed. Jota then skinned the deer and wrapped up the flesh, he salted it to preserve the meat and then let the skin dry out, which would be later used to sleep on. While Jota was doing this, Lorix was hunting for wild vegetables which could be eaten with the meat. Lorix was sure that somebody was watching him but he wanted to seem unaware when they decided to attack, he knew that they would not risk killing him, as he was worth nothing dead or on his own, but that was when he heard it, the faint sound of a gun being loaded. Instinctively Lorix dived to the left and barely dodged the bullet; if it connected with him it would have been fatal but instead was just an inch short of his head. Instead of getting up immediately Lorix decided to play possum to see if he could coax his shooter out of position and catch him off guard. He did. The shooter approached Lorix with his tranquiliser rifle in hand, that explained why this particular bounty hunter seemed to be aiming for a kill shot. The shooter inspected the body to see if he was really out cold and that was when Lorix struck, he grabbed the shooters legs and pulled him to the ground, then quickly grabbed the rifle from his hands and let off a shot into his chest. Lorix then tied up the bounty hunter and brought him back to the cave so he could be questioned as to how he knew where they were there without the locator chip, but that would have to wait till he woke up.


~ 10 ~

Lorix now had a newly acquired tranquiliser rifle, good for quietly taking out a target that would slow down their journey. It would neutralize without making a mess or causing other soldiers to be more wary than usual. It was perfect. Lorix dragged the hogtied bounty hunter back to their cave and propped him up against a wall further in the cave far from sunlight, this cave had many alternate routes that could be taken but there was only one way out, so even if he escaped the odds were against him in succeeding to escape the cave fully, unless he killed both of them. 3 hours later their guest woke up to the angry, glaring faces of Jota and Lorix, who while he was asleep were readying their questions. Good morning... How was your sleep?Said Jota. Fine thanks, but where am I? Said the prisoner, with more than a hint of sarcasm. He didnt show fear but he looked worried. The where does not matter, it is the why that does, so let me tell you... You are here because somehow you knew where we were, something which should be impossible after we removed our position chips, so now I want to know... How did you know where I was? If you answer this question well you will be freed and sent on your way, but... If you dont then we shall have to permanently incapacitate you... Do you get where Im coming from? Said Jota confidently, adding a sadistic smile to help make his point. The reason I was able to find you is because there is no way to fully remove your location chip without surgery, they were built so that if someone decides to try to break free from Delten they will be found and taken care of, so to speak. That shard in your arm will keep transmitting and will stay roaming through your blood stream forever... So now you should realize that resistance is futile, I am a commander of the Delten army as was the other you dispatched..... He was my friend and you killed him... Mark my words... If you release me I will not hesitate in killing you..... He was only doing his job... You didnt have to kill him..... No matter what you do they will find you.... They are tracking my position right now, and in fact they are probably already here. Said the prisoner, shaking off his worry and speaking confidently. His confidence began to worry Jota and Lorix a bit. Jota punched the commander in the jaw so hard that blood exploded from his mouth, but all the commander did was laugh. He laughed uncontrollably, as though insane. But then Jota realised why he was laughing so uncontrollably; he was making noise so the soldiers outside could hear where he was. They were being surrounded. It was then that he heard the sound of many synchronised footsteps, removing the knife from its sheath he whispered the plan he is formulating to Lorix. Jota believed that the soldiers would not split up to explore the different paths, as they could be easily picked off by a person who knew the tunnels well, he also believed that they would work from right to left as people usually pick the right first when given directions to choose from, this gave them a slight advantage as the left tunnel led directly to the exit and entrance which meant they would only have to dispatch with one guard: The one watching the entrance. While walking down the left tunnel Jota and Lorix could hear the noise of the terrified soldiers, afraid they would be ambushed at any moment and becoming slowly suspicious of the soldier directly behind them, eventually the voice of the soldiers became lower and lower as they went further and further away from Jota and Lorix, who were now gone the opposite way.


~ 11 ~

After a while they reached the exit, there they saw the most formidable looking soldier they had ever seen, with his scarred face, giant arms and legs, all stuck on a miniature torso and his disproportionate head which was the size and shape of a giant potato. Luckily he was looking the other way, instead of into the cave, otherwise Jota and Lorix would have been caught right there and then. Lorix began to take action; he removed a dart from the tranquilizer rifle and held it in his hand. In his other hand was the knife just in case things went wrong, which hopefully they wouldnt, because, that knife - no matter how sharp it was - would not leave a scratch on the walking potato. He tiptoed towards the hulking potato man, wrapped the knife around his neck ready to pull if need be and stabbed the tranquilizer dart into the side of his neck. Without any struggle he collapsed to the floor with a low thud. Jota and Lorix dragged the giant around the corner, there they rumbled through his pockets and removed his Delten I.D knowing it would be helpful for passing themselves off as plain clothes Delten soldiers while roaming the countryside - this by itself could sometimes get you free lodgings. Jota and Lorix then decided to block the entrance of the cave with a boulder they had seen nearby, they dragged the giant back into the cave and pushed the boulder until it stuck in place and then they left the area of Santhorn. What the hell are we going to do if they can find us no matter where we are?!! Said Jota, worried about his future and what would happen if they found him. None of it was good Dont worry; I had a feeling something like this would happen so its lucky I planned accordingly. Said Lorix happily. He had waited for the perfect time to show his ace in the hole. What? How could you have planned accordingly? Asked Jota, hoping that Lorixs plan would work. I built a positions jammer while I was waiting for you... Did I forget to tell you that? I was sure I told you... Well you know now Jota then punched him in the face. It was his revenge for when Lorix did it. In reality he was pleased about Lorixs plans, even if he had forgotten to tell him. It meant he was focused. I guess I deserved that. What made you think to do that? I had a theory... Me being the scientist and all; I believed that there was no way to fully remove the position chip without fragments being left to chart your whereabouts... It has a pretty ingenious design if I do say so myself... Which I do, it uses kinetic energy to charge itself and as long as we keep moving it will stay fully charged, one of us has to strap it to our arms and were set. What range has it thirty feet, twenty or what? Thats the only problem... It only has a ten foot range as it takes a lot of power to block their signal, so... Like it or not you are stuck to me like fur on a Yetis behind. Jota accepted this graciously. After all how bad could ten feet be? He decided to wear the jammer first as he was the more energetic of the two. While they were walking Jota would jog in place while Lorix was making calculations about how he could improve the range of the jammer, he rubbed over both of their footprints by tying an old blanket to his feet and shuffling from side to side to drag the dust over the footprints and leave no trace, it was another one of Lorixs ideas, his ego was now sufficiently stroked with the success of these inventions.


~ 12 ~

4Watched From Above

From the treetops surrounding lay an unknown prowler, who from the shadows was watching the two humans. Silently he plotted what their motives were, what they were trying to achieve; one of the two was acting strangely, walking as though petrified from the waist down, shuffling from side to side performing some sort of ritual and then heading into short bursts of running in place. The prowlers job was to discover these peoples agenda and to find out if they would help or hinder his objectives; so far they seemed to be on the same side after all, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. These people seemed be the perfect ones for the job, resourceful, good in combat and seemingly civilized in their goals. The prowler was comfortable among the trees, it was where he was destined to be, and this was what he was destined to do. He was destined to accomplish his goals, to bring the prophecy to life, with the help of the two on the ground, the ones who had found their way to the upper temple. These were the chosen ones, while the prowler was thinking he almost lost the two among the trees. He jumped from tree to tree quickly and gracefully, searching the nearby area for the humans. He quickly found them. After all they did stick out like a sore thumb, and for someone with his eyes they were easy prey. So far they had shown the strength of their characters. They both were able to show restraint in combat, more so the human wearing spectacles; he had shown real compassion and humanity, the other on the other hand seemed to only show restraint when in the presence of the spectacled human. He would have to be watched closely, otherwise he could become like the worst of his race. He also has much goodness in his heart. I can sense it. So far they had still been unaware of the prowlers presence. He was that good at his job. Of course they also believed that they were not being tracked anymore which let them relax just enough to let the prowler go by unnoticed, making his job an easy one. He was also going by unnoticed for the simple reason that he was above them. After all who suspects a follower is above them. That would be sheer lunacy. So far he had followed them many miles and had learned much about them, of course most of it was completely irrelevant, for some reason they were always in a close proximity to each other as though within an invisible boundary. They did not eat much food or get much sleep, so naturally either did the prowler, but he was well equipped to dealing with no food or sleep. His body was ready.


~ 13 ~

They were heading towards the Macklar Lands, where it was safer for the prowlers kind to roam, safer but not advisable. Deltens followers were everywhere and it was not a good idea to draw attention to their existence, if seen they would be killed on sight or tortured for many months and then killed, these were the only conclusions for those parading around. They would soon learn their lesson, and they would never make that - or any - mistake ever again. After four days the spectacled one seemed to be losing his patience with the other. He was annoying him. Their proximity was the cause. The prowler could not understand why they could not stay away from each other if they were getting on each others nerves, but he knew there was more to it than meets the eye. The spectacled one who he found out was called Lorix was beginning to lose his calm demeanour. His sleep was being affected, noticeable black marks were appearing under his eyes as the days went on, this was not helped by the constant fidgeting of the other known as Jota, anger was understandable in his situation - in fact the prowler felt annoyed just watching from the treetops , but that could not deter him from his goal.


~ 14 ~

5Caught Off Guard

By the next day they had made great headway on their journey to Macklar. It was ruled by Lord Runius Macklar, a noble who was held in the highest regard by Delten, and in return for some major services he was given the land, to govern it whatever way he saw fit. In Macklar everyone was welcome, but some never made it home. There, Delten soldiers were treated like royalty, but everyone -including the Delten soldiers themselves - knew they were only being humoured until they left. Jota and Lorix didnt care about the false appreciation as long they were not sent home, they would hopefully have a grand time when they got there, impersonating Delten soldiers. After all, all they needed was the I.Ds they took from the potato-headed soldier and dead prison guard. Of course there would be five or six more days of hardship until then, but the thoughts of living like kings was satisfying enough to keep them sane among the trees, trees that now seemed to be slowly closing in on them. Claustrophobia was affecting both of them. They kept getting the feeling that the trees were watching their every move, but they were probably just hallucinating. They werent insane, nowhere near it, they just had lack of sleep. Yeah, that was it. They got absolutely no sleep the last few nights and hardly any food to eat; cooking was a big no-no, because of the burn marks that would be left in the dirt. They were just as good as a giant arrow pointing their direction reading THE FUGITIVES ARE THIS WAY. At this stage their bodies were literally eating themselves, they would have to eat soon or risk dying, but no trace could be left, risks would eventually have to be taken but neither would risk cooking, in case it was seen as a sign of weakness by the other. Their journey would be slower until they ate; it would be a snails pace, with exhaustion gripping them and all. Slowing down wasnt going to be much of a problem as long as they didnt leave much trace behind them, but when one is tired one tends to become sloppy in ones operations. They had quit wiping away their footprints as that took too much energy and was pointless. The guards that were tracking them would have many decisions to make before they picked up their trail, such as which direction they went, did they make a dummy trail before they left? And the big question, why are their positions chip not transmitting? This would probably lead them to the conclusion that they are dead, but then one of the more intelligent soldiers would remind them that they are dealing with a great scientist. Once they have realized this they will restart their hunt by heading towards the place that they would most logically head to. Macklar, where their scouts would be waiting.

~


~ 15 ~

Four days had passed uneventful on their journey through the forest, which was overridden with animals and wild grass, but they had to head through it to get to Macklar, where their adventure would begin properly and unhindered. That is, once they found a surgeon who would remove the shards of the positioning chip with a black market magnetic surgery that they had heard aboutfrom others that wanted to get their chip removed, so they could cheat on their spouses without being caught. The only downside of the procedure was the excruciating rest period afterwards. The pain would be worth the freedom it gave, all Lorix could think about was throwing the jammer he had built into a river. Exhaustion was well set in to both Jota and Lorix as they both took turns wearing the jammer, constant movement was not a good choice for a jammer battery. Why oh why did I not put a solar panel on it, heck! Even a wind up battery would have been better. Their journey was beginning to take its toll on the two physically and mentally. With no space to explore his thoughts Lorix was losing his patience with Jota, whose constant movements and opinions on nonsense were eating away at his intellectual activity and planning time, Jotas fidgeting was leading him to almost taking a knife to his neck or a tranquilizer dart to his chest. Just give me another reason and Ill throttle you. But he did not give in to these thoughts, eventually he would be free with his thoughts, but for the time being these fantasies were enough to keep his mind in check. In the midst of one of those near to real fantasies Jota spoke to him. Do you think the Delten army could have caught up with us already? No... Definitely not... Why? What makes you think that? I just feel there is something watching us from the tops of the trees, or maybe even the trees themselves. I had that feeling too but I am exhausted, hallucinations are natural when you are devoid of food and sleep, just relax for the moment, theres no one following us , no one that is near anyway, it would have taken them at least two hours to find their way to the exit again, dont be so paranoid. Said Lorix reassuringly. Okay I suppose you are right, its just that I feel uneasy about our current situation, Ill have to try to be more like you when dealing with stress. Thats right you should learn to relax, its not difficult, you just block out your surroundings, focus at a fixed point directly in front of you and daydream to your hearts content, there are no trees watching you. If they were they would be sick of you by now anyway. Oh youre so funny, so funny ha ha ha... So funny, my sides are splitting. The trees would have lit themselves on fire looking at your ugly face all day; oh I just crack myself up... Now lets hurry on and get out of this monotonous forest before I burn it down myself. Right when those words came from his mouth, both his and Lorixs feet became entangled by some sort of rope and then there was only blackness. Oh how ironic, theres no one following us What an idiot you are Lorix.


~ 16 ~

6In Enemys Hands?

The Prowler was looking down upon the two from the well covered trees. Its now or never, Ive waited too long, they are becoming suspicious, now what shall I do? How will I capture them? But then it came to him. I know what to do, hear me nature, answer my call and do my will. And then his will was done. Below him the two were talking, discussing something, they were distracted, unaware, unaware of what would happen. As soon as they had finished their conversation they would be struck, struck hard and quick. The roots were set in motion, slowly but surely they were approaching with silence, wrapping around their ankles and then they began to squeeze and pull, the roots pulled them down with such force that there was no doubt that they were unconscious. They fell with a dull thud. Quickly the prowler moved from treetop to treetop, swinging by one hand and foot, gripping so tightly that his nails were now digging into the wood. Finally I can move with speed, it is so relieving, the way the air blows around my face. From one of the treetops he spotted what he was looking for, a rabbit on the ground, he was going to eat it before he brought them back. He moved at lightning speed down towards the rabbit, he jumped towards the other row of trees landing three quarters of the way up the tree, he dug his nails into the bark and slid down another quarter of the way down, he released from the tree with a kick, flipped through the air and landed on the ground in a perfectly executed roll. After that he slowly walked towards the rabbit, removed the crossbow from his back and fired. The target was hit. He grabbed the now dead rabbit and ate cleanly, careful to respect the remains of the rabbit. Now that my hunger is quenched, I will take them back to the cave. The two humans were wrapped entirely in roots, so that even if they were awake, they would be unable to move or resist. It is time, time to take them to accept their destiny, either that or to death. He grabbed the roots around them and began to carry them on his back. They were light. I will have to focus... I will be unable to move as fast as I can... But the trees will aid me. Carrying the two on his back he harnessed all his strength and jumped on to an outstretched branch. From there he climbed, climbing with great ease. That which took the humans a day and a half would only take him less than half a day. Soon he was on the top of the trees and quickly manoeuvring his way along, stopping seldom to rest. He was moving quickly, even though the awkward humans clung to his back, he avoided the outstretched branches that could hit the humans in the face but was not always successful; the trees were exceedingly easy to manoeuvre through, much quicker than walking on the ground. Momentum was the key. In fact he was already nearly halfway there, he didnt even notice the humans on his back except if he moved too quickly and they bounced off his back - but still he was making great time.


~ 17 ~

After about two hours he had arrived at his destination, all that was left to do was to show them to the others and hopefully convince them to help, and fulfil the prophecy. They would have to help otherwise they would not be allowed to leave alive.

~

Jota and Lorix had now been unconscious for twelve hours; they were now covered in small scratches and bruises. Their dreams had been very visual. This dream is very strange, jumping from the tips of the trees on the back of some supernaturally strong beast, lack of food brings on the weirdest dreams. But then Lorix realized something: Wait a minute, I dont remember going to sleep. In fact the last thing I remember, was... Me talking to Jota, but then something happened... What was it?... We were attacked, somehow... But by who and why? Jota had had the same dream as Lorix but he immediately knew that it was not just a dream. I knew it! I knew we were being watched, Ill have to remind myself to rub it in to Lorix that he was wrong... That is if we are not killed first. Neither Lorix or Jota were able to wake up just yet but were instead drifting in and out of consciousness, sometimes catching glimpses of where they were which their subconscious integrated into their dream, to keep them there just a tad longer. An hour later both Jota and Lorix regained consciousness at the same time and saw that they were now tied together while sitting on two chairs placed back to back. They were surrounded, surrounded by creatures that they had only heard off in whispers but had never seen. Surrounded by myth, by creatures only rumoured to exist. Once Delten gained control it was forbidden to talk about them. They were almost forgotten about, no one talked about them anymore for fear of execution, not openly at least. But both Jota and Lorix had heard the stories of the Raygrades; they were one of the Miik creatures, creatures whose entire existence was almost forgotten, creatures with the ability to commune with nature. Their unique appearance resembled that of a giant eagle with feet and arms instead of wings, a light covering of white feathers that covered their entire body, and on their face was a yellow beak and piercing yellow eyes. They had miniature talons on the ends of their hands and feet which made them excellent climbers. They had amazing strength, which seemed almost supernatural considering they were usually slightly smaller than humans, on average. At the moment there seemed to be at least three hundred or more surrounding them. Fear had seemed to close Lorixs mouth shut, but luckily Jota was raring to talk: Where are we? He received no answer to this question, so he repeated it but in a much more forceful way: Where are we!!!? No answer was received yet again, now he was becoming increasingly worried What are we doing here? Shouted Jota. Finally an answer was given: You are here because we brought you here, simple as that. Said a clear, deep voice from the shallow darkness.


~ 18 ~

You did not answer my question properly, what are we doing here? Why did you bring us here? What do you want with us? Replied Jota, he had rambled the questions so quickly that only the last one could be understood. What we want with you. That is an awkward question... All that we want... Is you to do what you are destined to do... We brought you here to make sure that you had no other choice but to do what we want... So simply: We want you to trust us... We already know that you are fugitives... We are not bounty hunters or members of the Delten army... In fact its quite the opposite... But that is irrelevant for the moment because all you have to do is trust us. How do we know we can trust someone who captures us against our will? You dont, but you should if you want to live. Replied the Raygrade. He seemed to be the leader of the massive group as he was the only one who spoke. He also seemed to have the respect of the entire group, a group that was now filling the space of what looked like a cavern, a cavern that gradually was becoming filled with light and movement. If Jota wasnt sure he was wide awake, he would have thought it was an amazing nightmare.

~

You have my attention, what do you need from us? Jota asked with a newfound interest. We need you to start organising forces to combat Delten and end his campaign against the Miik, the annihilation has gone on too long while we just stood back and watched, we will all have to band together to beat him and his army... We will have to unite the Raygrades, Yetis and the Marpleys to beat him and get revenge for the Egeifes. But what do you need us for? You could do all that yourself. Actually we couldnt... Raygrades are hated by the other Miik creatures for their abilities and for being allies with the humans before Delten. This was seen as betrayal and it is always best to have a negotiator that isnt Raygrade. You have brought great danger to your people by bringing us here, we are probably being tracked right now through the position chip shards. Interrupted Lorix. You neednt worry about that, our medical team magnetically removed the locator shards and gave you each a shot for the pain and replacement iron for what was removed from your body... No need to worry about charging that jammer that you had on your arm. That is a great relief to not have to be in a ten foot proximity to Jota... He was beginning to drive me insane. You are welcome, but first I must apologize for taking you against your will. I wasnt sure if you would agree if you didnt have to. I would agree that you are right... We will help regardless, let bygones be bygones, but you must do me a favour and tell the stories of your people... So that Raygrades will no longer be subjected to biased propaganda and instead be the true story, rather than a diluted and falsified one. Once they had agreed they were immediately released. Since the Raygrade leader knew that they must be starving, he prepared a feast, a feast that was just for them. Most of the food they had never seen before but they ate it nonetheless. It was all delicious, they were being treated like kings, more than kings, they were being treated like gods, gods that were meant to somehow fix all of their problems. Once they were fed and rested, Lorix was told the stories of the Raygrades. He wrote them all down in an empty journal that he was given, it was a blank hardback book with many hundreds of pages, wrapped in


~ 19 ~

red leather, in it he wrote the stories he was told about the tales and exploits of famous Raygrades throughout the years such as Demeric Lionbane who had been leader of the Raygrades hundreds of years ago. He had provided and protected them from many assaults during one of the most violent periods in history. His strength was legendary, as was his leadership. He could have beaten an entire army on his own but preferred to fight with the strength of his speeches. He had stopped a civil war with twelve simple words: Just see what I do to you if you go against me. Even though they seem autocratic he was a democrat throughout his reign and well respected. Lorix was hooked on every word that the elders were uttering, all the time he was working up the courage to ask the question that he really wanted to ask, until finally he asked: Why did your race go into hiding instead of fighting back? We went into hiding for the simple reason that we were completely outnumbered and because of the flaw that we have in our genetics. The flaw that I speak about is that Raygrades can only have one child per couple while humans can have as many as they want. This flaw is shared by all the Miik creatures. Marpleys have the ability to regenerate very rapidly... This causes their amount of soldiers to be irrelevant while Yetis can be almost invisible. The real flaw is that we care too much for our people. The power to control nature is almost no help in battle and there was no point sustaining heavy losses that could be prevented if we waited, so we went into hiding until we could settle our differences or until the prophesised saviours approached our home... Those saviours are you two, humans who understand the true meaning of freedom: there is no such thing, there is only freedom within limits and this truth grants you the ability to see through Delten lies and false promises while others more intelligent - but more ignorant - do not. But we dont know where we are, never mind the Marpleys or the Yetis. That is why we are sending with you young Prince Levmar Lionbane, my... He has yet to achieve the spiritual journey that is experienced by all Raygrades and I feel that this is as good a chance as any.... After all, it is this experience which focuses our mind and brings clarity... But now it is time for me to introduce my son, Levmar. Interrupted King Lionbane. At that moment the most ferocious looking Raygrade in the giant group began shuffling through the crowd with his head above the others. Once he got through the crowd Jota and Lorix had a look of shock upon their faces as they examined this Raygrade whose height was at least a head above any other and whose physique radiated speed and strength, something that would be worrying to any enemy who saw him. He was wearing jeans and a leather jacket filled to the brim with knives and swords, and on his back was what looked like a crossbow and quiver for the bolts. The giant Raygrade then spook in a smooth, deep voice: I am honoured to be able to go on this journey to help reunite the Miik and I hope I dont seem too old fashioned for your tastes... Its just that I dont trust any weapon that I didnt build myself. A Raygrade after my own heart, I feel we are going to get along swimmingly. Said Lorix Then both Levmar and Lorix began to laugh in hysterics although none of the others could tell why. For the rest of the night Levmar and Lorix were joking about technology and how ignorant people believed that brute force was the only way to achieve anything, while Jota and the elder Raygrade were picking out weapons and more suitable clothing for their destinations. They would need very warm clothes for the mountain of Oiram where the Yetis were hiding, while they would need very cool, brightly-coloured, breathable clothes for the tropical - but forgotten - island of Asetan across the Santanic Sea, where the Marpleys were supposed to be residing. Once he had the dress appropriate for their journey he checked the weapons hold to see if he could use anything.


~ 20 ~

From the hold he grabbed night vision goggles, which would be useful in the harsh region of Oiram where blizzards and avalanches were a regular occurrence and also in finding the highly camouflaged Yetis, who would probably be hiding deep below the mass coverings of snow. He also picked up a Raygrade built sword manufactured from the strongest steel on the entire planet and sharpened flawlessly, with hand plucked Raygrade feathers glued together for a grip that was carved to offer the maximum comfort that could be achieved. Along with the sword and goggles he picked up some throwing daggers and a revolver that fired electro bullets which could simply stun enemies, overload circuits and in the right hands, kill. Little did he know that with that particular weapon a tragedy would occur, a tragedy that would probably haunt him forever.


~ 21 ~

7A Shocking Development

The next day Levmar led the two out of the cavern of light through the applauding Raygrades and towards their destiny. As they were believed to be the chosen ones, they were showered with gifts ranging from jewellery to bread which they graciously accepted, not knowing such generosity in their entire lives. Throughout the caverns walls there were paintings and murals of the Raygrades great conquests, many of which involved Demeric Lionbane whose family had ruled the Raygrades as long as anyone could remember, many of the murals contained the stories which now for the first time had been written down and preserved forever. The murals were a glorious sight filled with hundreds of colours with the eyes of the Raygrade warriors seeming to be upon them, passing on their skills through the paintwork to the younglings and all who took the time to simply gaze. In front of the two, Levmar had lifted up a huge rock that was in the ceiling and was beginning to climb through when he stopped, pulled the rock back to its original position and went back to Jota and Lorix. There are Delten soldiers on the level above us, they seem unaware that anyone is here and appear to be waiting for someone. Im going to incapacitate them while you wait here, do not move unless I tell you. Right at that moment Levmar closed his eyes in concentration, when all of a sudden above them they could hear the thuds of at least six different bodies above them. They looked back at Levmar with amazement. He just smiled and continued to lift the rock and climb up again. When Jota and Lorix got through the gap they saw the most amazing sight ever. Every Delten soldier was now on the ground, out cold and constricted by what looked like vines, vines that appeared to have erupted from the walls, grabbed the soldiers and in one swift move pulled them to the ground with enough force to knock them out and then tightly wrapped them up so that even if they did wake up they would be immobilised, the same as Jota and Lorix. That was when Jota came to a sudden realization: I knew no one could sneak up on me... The roots did it... With the Raygrade controlling them from the top of a tree... Jota Lotan is not an easy person to hold down. Walking through the upper level of the cave Jota and Lorix found it very difficult to follow Levmar through the maze of paths and dead ends. All the while Levmar seemed to be running ahead of them as though to ditch them, but then they saw a symbol carved into the wall which only Jota could have put there. It was then that they realised that they were in the same cave that they were almost captured by the Delten soldiers in. They had been unconscious for up to two days considering the speed, strength and endurance of the Raygrades. After this realization they rushed through the left path and passed out Levmar to his astonishment and anger. After a while they reached the exit of the cave and saw the familiar view they had last seen at least a week and a half ago, but now instead of heading northwards to Macklar they would head south towards the


~ 22 ~

Grenge river where they would paddle through the rapids and down to the harbour of the Santanic sea, and there they would find transport to Asetan by either buying or most likely - stealing a boat. Going through the countryside was not fun with Levmar, his pace was staggering and caused Jota and Lorix much hardship on the journey. After a day they were aching all over but neither wanted to admit it, until Jota finally said enough is enough. Levmar, whats the rush why are we going so fast? This isnt a race... Were all going to the same place... Ease the pace will you? I cant... Someone is following us... I have been trying to lose them, but so far I have failed... Whoever it is has the speed of a demon and great endurance, not many could keep up with my pace. Could you not just wrap him in vines like the others? That would work wouldnt it? Actually its not as simple as that... Back in the cave I had memorised exactly where the soldiers were, so I was able to instruct the vines to do my will reasonably accurately, but I dont know exactly where this one is positioned and even if I did, I dont have enough strength left to do it. Is he far away?Said Jota, while trying to plan his next move. No, he is about two hundred yards behind us but where he is hiding I dont know. Drawing his sword Jota headed back and began shouting: Come out and fight me like a man. At that moment a bush rustled and from behind it appeared a figure dressed in Delten army uniform. He was somehow different from a regular grunt, they were more about brute force but this one seemed more confident, better at handling the pressure, a more reserved breathing pattern was present in this one. He was a veteran. How would you like this to go? Do you want me to kill you right here and now, knock you out and bring you back to Bovas or fight like noble warriors, talking with our blades instead of egos? Tell me, how would you like this to go, Jota? He was not surprised that the figure knew his name but was astonished that the voice seemed so familiar to him and less coarse than other soldiers. Blades seem the most fitting. Replied Jota, with a hint of worry in his voice. The figure then moved towards him, removed its balaclava and to the shock of Jota, it was his mother.

~

Lorix and Levmar stayed on the dusty red path patrolled by trees on both sides as they watched the drama unfold around them. Lorix couldnt help but feel that there was something Levmar was concealing from him, as though he knew exactly what was going to happen but could not interfere, like some all powerful force who watched on in silence as the universe tried to keep itself from ripping apart. He was letting the events unfold without interruption, even though he knew what was going to happen. In a way Jota was being extremely foolish, hopefully he would have time to learn from his idiocy, hopefully he would be able to look back and learn . . . That is, if he survived the encounter. His opponent was calm, ready to lay his/her life on the line to perform Deltens will; his opponent was willing to die for a goal, if thats what it took. Both Jota and his opponent began conversing before taking up to fight, but it was inaudible from where Levmar and Lorix were standing, but somehow Lorix had the feeling that Levmar could hear.


~ 23 ~

The opponent then removed the balaclava and from underneath it emerged long brown hair and out of shock Lorix whispered loudly to Levmar. Thats Jotas mother! What am I going to do? I have to stop this, there is no way that Jota will be able to fight his own mother, let alone kill her. No matter what she did to him, she was still his mother and he loved her, she was his mother! She raised him, badly but nevertheless.... He was raised by her, raised to love her... I have to stop this. Lorix was about to run over to Jota to try and stop what was about to happen, but he was held back by Levmar. Let them go, this is something he has to do, you cannot interfere. I cant let him kill his own mother, he wont be able You dont know how he feels towards her, he will do what he believes is right, he will end it, one way or the other. You better be right Levmar. Because otherwise we will lose him forever and I will not live with that on my conscience... Knowing that we had the power to stop it. At the moment we are powerless

~

Mother? said Jota in disbelief. Dont you think it is fitting that I remove you from this world... The world I brought you into... The world which you rejected and left because of hippie ideals... I cant believe I would birth a son who doesnt believe in the progress conquering other species can bring... It is survival of the fittest out there and this is how we prove we are the fittest... I... Your mother Angel... Will today be your angel of death. I cant do it... I cant fight her... She doesnt know what she is talking about... She loves me... She would not attack... She would not... Could not... I simply cant... That would be matricide, if I won... Which I probably wouldnt... This is foolish; she is too well trained... I dont stand a chance, what should I do? Why arent Lorix and Levmar stopping this? Lorix knows who she is... He must know that I cannot... But yet they are not stopping it... I will have to fight... While they run, this is the only way. Angel then unsheathed her sword and rubbed the edge along the top of her long fingernails as though to sharpen them. She was just distracting him. At that moment she lunged forward with the sword towards Jotas stomach. This was dodged by a hairs breadth. Jota then adopted a defensive stance, still unsure whether he could kill his mother. Angel then raised the sword over her head and swiped down on Jotas head. Jota raised his sword up to block it causing sparks to erupt from both of the blades. He felt a shock come up through his blade and into his body, a shock so strong that it almost caused him to drop the sword. She is not going to take it easy on me... I should not take it easy on her, even if I live to regret it... Kill or be killed. He stayed in a defensive stance so that she would think that he was not willing to attack. She would be unaware that his strategy had changed. Lightning fast she lunged forward at him, expecting him to block but not counterattack. She was being sloppy, and Jota was going to take advantage of it. She brought the sword to her face to see her reflection glowing on the blade and then she made her move, swiping down with snakelike speed.


~ 24 ~

Jota blocked the attack and lunged forward, piercing into her side. This caused her to roar out in pain. She fell to the ground. Jota was about to administer the killing strike and end the fight quickly so that he could catch up with Lorix and Levmar when Angels leg rose and kicked the blade to one side. Ignoring the pain she continued on with a right and left slice, which were blocked by Jota while jumping away from his attacking opponent. He then landed squarely to his feet like a pro. Looking at his surroundings he tried an educated attack; he lowered his position and kicked aiming at her knee, which she easily dodged. He then lunged upwards with the sword to where her chest should have been, but was instead about five inches to the right of where he aimed. Angel then lunged forward with the blade, Jota spun to one side locking the blade between his elbow and chest, he then spun again and ripped the sword from her hands and sent it flying to one side. Now unarmed Angel seemed even more ferocious. Jota then lashed out violently with a flurry of left and right slices which were kicked away with ease. Circling around his mother Jota was like a hunter who had injured his prey but was now moving in for the kill. What Jota should have remembered is that a cornered animal is the most dangerous animal of all. He moved in for an overhead slice but Angel had dived to the left and was now picking up her sword once again. With blood dripping from the side of her stomach she was beginning to lose the adrenaline which was killing the pain and providing the strength that she showed. She was now starting to lose it. She began to feel the pain experienced from the deep wound. It was slowing down her reactions, causing her vision to become blurry and misguiding. Angel unleashed a flurry of attacks upon Jota which were easily sent back except for the last lunge that she made, which to his surprise had went straight through him, blood ran from his mouth as he looked at the sword that was now stuck into his stomach, he pushed backwards and the sword released, It was then he realised that he had dropped his own sword when he was stabbed. He was now defenceless. Two swords in hand Angel slashed through the air and then suddenly became breathless, as though someone had stolen the breath straight from her lungs. Looking down she saw it. A knife was stuck deep into the middle of her chest, she fell to the ground, blood erupting from the newly developed wound and then lost consciousness. Jota checked the body for a pulse, retrieved his knife and sword, placed them back in their sheaths and walked back towards Lorix and Levmar who were waiting for him. They didnt leave me, they either really care or just wanted to watch it, but I will think the best of them. They must have known that I would win even though I didnt believe it myself... They put faith in me to do what needed to be done and now I am free... I have beaten my mother and I will be gone, never to see her again. But then a voice erupted from behind him: This isnt over yet, my son Sword above her head she ran towards Jota. He turned around, pulled out his revolver from the holster on his belt and shot her square in the chest without thinking, electricity coursed through her body and she fell to the floor once again. Walking back towards Lorix and Levmar, Jotas eyes filled with tears and then he dropped to his knees, killing his own mother would affect him for the rest of his life. Covering his face in his hands he could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching. He could feel the sensation of Lorixs hands wrapping around him and then the moistness of tears upon his shoulder. It brought a smile to his face, knowing that he was not the only one who would be feeling pain


~ 25 ~

this day. Although Jota knew that these were tears of sympathy for him, it made him feel better to know that he had one supportive friend. I killed her... That was not what I planned... I did only what I had to do... Or was there another way? A way so that my mother would be alive but never bother me again... No... There was no other way... It was not my fault... I had to do it... Kill or be killed... But maybe there was another way... If there was I would have done it... I loved her... Even if she didnt love me... I know that I will never forget this... But I will have to be strong. For about twenty minutes, both Jota and Lorix stayed in the middle of the dusty path wetting the ground with their tears, surrounded by trees that were releasing a calming rustling sound, which Levmar listened to. He was waiting patiently while Jota grieved over the death of his mother. Although Levmar seemed cold on the outside, he was also feeling the pain of the life lost, a tear appeared from his yellow eye and ran down onto the tip of his beak. Any life lost is a loss to the grand scheme of the universe.


~ 26 ~

8Guilty Conscience

Jota and Lorix were unable to sleep that night even though it was probably the first time in three days that they had a proper chance. Physically they were exhausted but mentally both of them were like a hornets nest: brimming full with ideas, plans and plots trying to distract themselves from the tragedy that occurred today. The rustling of the trees calmed Jota. He wondered if it was Levmars way of showing support for him, but did not want to ask. He didnt even want to talk, in case he put too much strain on the bandages around his stomach and he started bleeding. His wound was deep but reasonably superficial, like a very painful paper cut. It would not kill him, but it would not heal quickly either. An inch to the right and he would be dead. He was lucky, but he was also very foolish to take the sword out before he was properly cared for, but somehow his body clotted the blood and he didnt lose too much, but he would have to drink a lot of water. Once the fight was finished and he had grieved for a while, Lorix began tending to him then by applying pressure to it and disinfecting it. Jota was lucky to have him, he was skilled with bandages, as was Levmar, but he knew that Jota would have preferred Lorix to do it, rather than a stranger. How are you holding up? Are the bandages itchy?Lorix said, trying to make small talk. Not really... They are just a little bit irritating... They are kind of constricting. They are supposed to be... They are wrapped tight so they can apply pressure and prevent more blood loss... They will need to be changed in a couple of days and its advised that you rest up... Doctors orders. That will be noted... Do you think we can spare some time so I can rest or could we be found through the tracker in my mother? Said Jota. He suddenly went cold. No... They stop working when the blood flow of the host stops... There is no energy in still blood. I think we can spare some time... What do you think Levmar? If we must... Then I have no objections... But... We will have to apply haste afterwards. Said Levmar bluntly. Once they finished speaking, they got ready to sleep; hoping to be alert for the next morning, but Levmar and Lorix knew that Jota would not rest. He would be too preoccupied with his thoughts, unable to clear his mind. They tried to sleep nevertheless. They would need their rest, tomorrow would be a long day. Lorix slept as soon as he lay, leaving the real world for the splendour of dreams, where he forgot the day and the things he had witnessed. Hopefully he would dream his favourite dream, in a restaurant with his parents, simple yes, but it was what Lorix wanted right now, to be with his parents, wishing they could see what he was doing. If you could see me now, Im sure youd be proud; I am following in your footsteps... Helping the Miik... I am one of the chosen ones... Destined to unite them all... I hope youre proud.


~ 27 ~

Levmar slept like a soldier, in a shallow aware sleep, sleeping only to keep his energy up. He was aware of everything surrounding him but blocked it out while being aware of it at the same time. He was unable to dream, too busy thinking, and he instead used his time to think and go over his combat instructions, remembering every single detail so that if his eyes opened to combat, his head and heart would be ready.

~

Jota didnt get one wink of sleep that night, in case his mothers death haunted his sleep and the trauma of the events that unfolded yesterday overwhelmed him and he was unable to awake from his sleep. Instead Jota was compulsively cleaning his sword and knives over and over again. Must clean off the blood, its all over them, I must clean them, I can still see it, why wont it go away? Am I going insane? Why wont it go away!? I can still smell it, it smells strong, am I going insane? He was not going insane, he was just very tired and blinking slowly and deliberately, trying to beat away exhaustion. While cleaning the weapons Jota had flashes of what had happened, specifically the look of hate on his mothers face when she had removed the balaclava from her face and began battle. Jota was also very surprised that he had somehow beaten her when she was the most celebrated member of Deltens army and also very near him. This led to another question. Why would Delten send his best soldier to catch a couple of fugitives? Or was there something the Raygrades have not told us?,Was there something much bigger than all of them at play? There must be something bigger at play... Thats the only thing to explain my mothers appearance... She was sent here by him... To get rid of me and find out more about what was happening... Theres something big happening. But Jotas thoughts were being interrupted by another side: Youre being paranoid; she was here to get rid of a disobedient son thats it... Removing me from the picture herself so that it wont reflect badly on her... She was showing that she was willing to do whats needed, being her usual selfish self... Thats all... I should try to get some sort of rest; otherwise I might not make it too far tomorrow... Even if I just closed my eyes. He then closed his eyes. This is alright, I dont have to go to sleep, just rest my body, I......dont......have.......to........sleep....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. He then slept at last. Two hours later and it was daylight. Levmar and Lorix woke up to a blinding sun. Jota was already awake, waking up an hour before them, after a terrible nightmare. She came after me, in my dreams... But it was just a dream... Just a dream... But I could feel it all, it was so real, she was everywhere... I cant escape, what am I supposed to do? Accept it would be the obvious thing, but I cant just yet... But I have to sleep some time. Jota seemed as though he had a full nights sleep, he was active and ready to take on the day, at least thats how it looked to Lorix and Levmar, but they didnt seem to be convinced. No one recovers that quickly from the loss of a loved one. He was hiding something and they all knew it. Ten days later the Grenge River came into sight after three hours of walking.


~ 28 ~

They had no idea how Levmar planned to manoeuvre down it, but they trusted his judgement. He had that sort of effect on people; you couldnt help but trust him. He had a plan and there was no doubt that it was probably a good one. Jota had some ideas on how they were going to navigate the river to the mouth but wanted to know what Levmar had planned. When they got to the river, Levmar let them rest for a few hours, knowing that they would need all the strength they had to do what he wanted. He wanted them to build their own canoe. That was his great idea. Jota felt that his was better but didnt want to mention it in front of Levmar. He quickly cut down two trees with the sword to show his enthusiasm for the idea. These trunks would eventually be hollowed out and would hopefully be buoyant enough to guide them down to the ocean with the current and from there they would take a boat from the nearest port directly to the tropical island of Asetan. Both Jota and Lorix began work on their own canoes knowing the danger if it was improperly built. They would be ripped apart by the strong current and rocks along the way. With only the throwing knives to help them carve out where they would be sitting, they had to do it slowly, careful to keep the weight balanced. They first marked out the oval shape through the wood and then began adding curved points on both ends of the vast trunk with the sword until eventually they built a buoyant and reasonably comfortable canoe for each person, this of course would take many hours of hard work. Chip by chip they carved away at their canoes gaining many splinters in the process, Jotas bandages restricted his movement and caused him to be far behind Lorix. Lorix was carving away thick chunks from the inside, confident in what he was doing. Although he had never worked with wood before, he was a natural, after an hour he had already moved on to adding a curve to the front and back while Jota was busy hollowing out the inside of his. He was about three quarters of the way there, but so far his canoe looked nothing like a canoe, it was just a hollowed out tree. Lorix had to be very careful with the sword while he was carving the front and back, it cut through the wood like a hot knife through butter. He had to be careful to not take too much off it, but he had surgeons hands so he finished quickly. He admired his work briefly and then went to help the struggling Jota who had finally finished hollowing out the trunk; he helped him with the delicate part as Jota was about as delicate as a bull in a china shop. With Lorixs help they were quickly finished. Levmar had been fashioning oars for the two with the remainder of the bark; the oars he had fashioned were more like big scoops. Levmar preferred to swim rather than be dependent on an object to save him and guide him. He also believed that the pain he would endure would prepare him for a great challenge he would need to be ready for. He was important, he just didnt know it yet.


~ 29 ~

9 Up the River Without a Boat?

Once they were finished building their canoes, Jota and Lorix rested while Levmar prepared them something to eat from the gifts they had received from the Raygrades. The two were going to make sure that their sacrifice of food was not being given to a hopeless journey. While Levmar was cooking both Jota and Lorix couldnt help but admire their handiwork, they couldnt believe how grateful they were that they did not have to do everything by hand themselves. They didnt know how people in the past could cope doing everything by hand, their days would have been full yes, but filled with meaningless tasks. After eating the three rested, taking the time so that their bodies could digest the food properly so they would avoid getting a stitch in their side. They suddenly became drawn to the glow of the moonlight upon the rushing water. It was beautiful and mystifying at the same. This was the kind of place where poets could not help but be inspired. The view was that spectacular. It was spectacular enough to make Jota write a little poem:

Though the wind doth blow And the moon doth glow

While the blue water flows The world doth know That danger looms

Jotas attempt at poetry stimulated Levmar to speak an old Raygrade poem which he thought the others would enjoy hearing, just as he did when he was first told it:

Twas on the day of no tomorrow That caused those many hearts such sorrow Cos through the air though none could tell There came the sound of a Raygrade Yell Caused such a stir, from where o where

Those frightened beings did naught but stare All round and round and yet nowhere

Caused such a stir but from where o where? Though many said it was a village far The wisest knew it reached the stars

All round and round and yet nowhere Caused such a stir but from where o where?

Those townsfolk felt encroaching fear Holding all their loved ones dear

Case it was the soul of some tortured being Everywhere, all knowing, all seeing

All round and round and yet nowhere Here lie the townsfolk of Lan Soleir


~ 30 ~

Levmar spoke the poem with great confidence. It sounded amazing in his clear, deep, annunciating voice. It shook the trees around him and sent a shiver down both Jota and Lorixs spine. Tell me Levmar, what exactly happened in that poem? Asked Lorix curiously. Well when I was first told this, it was said that Lan Soleir was a great town that seemed to vanish overnight. It was built on the bodies of Raygrades who were defeated in battle by the town ruler, the battles were like a trial to become leader. If you could kill the previous leader in a fair fight then you would become leader... But apparently the town ruler wasnt always very fair in battle, sometimes he would hide weapons in his cloak even though the rules stated that ruler battles were hand to hand only. This caused a lot of anger among the community as they did not want a leader who was unable to win without cheating, but this was also ignored by many others, those who were friends with him and who were being well kept by him. It was angrily accepted for many years until a young and honourable Raygrade stumbled into the town and wanted to rebel against the leader... Knowing that he was a cheat he decided to challenge the leader and inspire the others to remove him and show them the honour in honesty by beating him fair and square. The day soon came when the ruler would fight the noble warrior, he was so confident that he would beat him, that he only carried one vicious and blood soaked knife to the battle and that is what he would kill the Raygrade with..... The battle was eagerly anticipated by every person in the town. No battle to the death had been fought in many years and all the townsfolk were eager to see one, hoping it would be vicious and terrible. When the honourable Raygrade saw the look of bloodlust upon the audiences faces it horrified him to the very core. At that moment he became infuriated with them and decided to give them just what they wanted, instead of winning the battle, he was horribly killed, the knife the ruler held was put straight through him, the crowd were disappointed by the quick end and were still eager for more, but the scream that the honourable Raygrade released on his moment of death was so loud and horrifying that it was said that none of the townsfolk that witnessed the battle were able to sleep ever again, all night long they heard the scream in their head and they died, died because of their leaders dishonesty and their bloodlust... And so the town of Lan Soleir was no more. That story was terrible... Imagine, an entire village would not stand up against one leader... They were as bad as the leader. Said Lorix with slight disgust. I wouldnt say that... It takes a lot of courage to stand up against a leader, courage that most people dont have, the courage to stand up for what is right, unsure of whether you will be backed up by your friends and family, afraid they will abandon you for what you believe. Not many people would stand up against oppression. Of course they should, both of you are living examples that there are people who have the courage to fight against oppression. You Lorix, who left everything behind to stand up against your leader and you, Jota who did an incredibly difficult task, not only did you leave your comfort zone but you defied your parents and followed your own path, fully aware of what would happen to you... And you stood up to your mother, not only did you hold your own but you fought and won. You should not feel regret for what you have done, you only did what you needed to do, to follow your dreams instead of her dreams for you. You may not accept that just yet but you will have to if you ever want to sleep soundly. Jota knew that Levmar was right. I had to do it... There was no other way. I have to follow my own dreams not hers... She was hindering me. Levmar suddenly seemed wiser than his years; he knew things about the world and understood human nature. He knew things that Jota would never know even if he lived to be a thousand. I sincerely thank you Levmar... You have made it clear, when your time comes you will make an amazing leader... Im sure of it... You have already helped one person, with your words alone... You have brought me clarity and I thank you. Said Jota


~ 31 ~

I do only what needs to be done. Replied Levmar simply. After the hours rest Lorix and Jota hopped into their canoes and slid them into the water. They cruised down the river closely followed by Levmar, who was in the water. Even though they had just started Levmar was already being ripped apart by the rocks, rocks that Jota and Lorix were desperately trying to avoid. The current was simply too fast for them. They were being battered against the rocks and all the while praying that their canoe would hold long enough to get them to the mouth of the river, but at the moment it seemed unlikely, unless they both got suddenly better or the water calmed, but neither of these things happened, instead they were now coming upon a waterfall that if not approached correctly would surely rip them apart and leave them to the mercy of the water, where they would either drown or freeze to death. Both of them, as though through some sudden realisation approached the waterfall perfectly and came through in one piece, paddling as fast as they could, they daggered through the water like experts on a regular stream and reached the mouth of the river with extreme ease, landing up on the side they waited for Levmar: After a while Levmar was still nowhere to be seen and this worried them. They had never bothered to look back once when they were going down the river and now they were regretting it. They began contemplating what could have happened to him but then they saw a figure lying face down in the water approaching them. Jota quickly jumped on to a branch hanging over the river and proceeded to pull Levmar out of the water with one hand held on the back of his jacket. Levmar was bleeding profusely from the many scrapes and scratches on his body. He coughed out water and inhaled very quickly, almost sucking up the water he just coughed out. Once they saw that he was alive; Lorix began trying to disinfect the wounds all over Levmar. He started screaming in pain as each drop of iodine went into the cuts. Once they knew Levmar was going to be okay, they proceeded to lecture him about the stupidity of trying to swim through the current. What the hell were you thinking?!! Shouted Lorix. When I can explain it I will, but for now I shall say that pain will help me endure. Levmar replied. That makes absolutely no sense to me, but... As long as you believe that it will help you, I will not object... If I didnt you wouldnt care and you would probably hurt me for my troubl

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Chosen: Deliverers Of War