Thank you all,
Rexpennae
Chapter 5
With Krethos at the head of the column the party of fifty set out across the open plains North of the town. Silent and somber did Krethos' disciples leave their homes and families, but they left for the best reason in all of creation, they were following after their savior.
A fire had swept through the area recently, smoldering grass mounds dotted the blackened landscape, and the smell of fire was prominent in the air. Some considered turning back, as if this was a bad omen of what was to come, some did turn back, as quickly as they had joined up. However, Krethos pressed on, Esmerelda at his side all the time.
As night fell the first of Krethos' problems arose, none of these people had brought much food, and none of them had bothered to bring shelters. Krethos watched as more turned back in dismay, and most who stayed were angered at him. Esmerelda stepped forward, "The sky is clear, the air is warm, the ground is flat, we need not shelters, and while we should be dismayed for the lack of animals to eat, we should be glad there are no animals to prey upon us. You will all live without food for the night, tomorrow we will make a point of hunting some down."
This satisfied some, but not all, but all laid down to sleep, Krethos built himself a small fire and tended to some wounds on his arm that had not begun to heal. Meir walked quietly up behind him, "So, you are the Keyschnect?" he asked in a sort of declarative way.
"It is so." Krethos answered.
"We lost a lot today." Said Meir
"It is better that way, they were not strong enough, some will fall away, and those that are left will be the strongest." Krethos said without looking at his visitor, taking a slightly pensive tone and mood.
"More will leave tomorrow."
"The weak."
"I don't get you, why did you start on this quest?"
"My family was killed, my friends laid down their lives for me, I cannot live in a world without them, I wanted the keys to bring them back to life."
"So when did you find out you were the Keyschnect?"
"I came to the chamber of King Ahk-hatta, it was said in my land that he had the keys, he told me that Von Bondahar had them, and that I was the Keyschnect."
"Why do you want the keys now, you wanted them to ease your suffering, but what is your motive now?"
"It is my destiny, I don't question it, I need them to end your suffering, to end the suffering of the world."
"Is that so, Is it really true?"
Krethos was taken aback by the question, he thought for a moment before he answered, "Yes, it is true, I have no doubt."
Meir nodded, before he stood up and walked away to sleep, Krethos sat by the fire until the sun began to creep into the sky, and his followers began to wake. They departed before long, walking north to the docks, they came to the end of the burn, waist high grasses swayed with the wind, and the odd tree rose from the sea like a pillar. The group trudged on silent, some turned back, most continued, they were a quarter day's march from the docks at the time that the sun neared the mountain peaks. Krethos sent out hunters to secure food for the 20 followers he had left, the rest set up fires to cook on, the sky was clear still so there was no need for shelters.
The hunters returned with a wolf and several rabbits, they were cooked and eaten quite readily, Krethos was surprised to find that the Wolf was not bad, Esmerelda remarked aloud, albeit softly, "They aren't so bad after all.
The next morning they all departed for the docks, no one left today, they all walked on steady and true. Around noon they came into sight of the masts of the docks, Krethos was pleased, he would find his prey. The group entered the yards, "Have you seen an assassin by the name of Jack Von Bondahar?" Krethos asked a harbor master.
"Why, yes, yes I have…" the man said as he turned around smiling.
A fire had swept through the area recently, smoldering grass mounds dotted the blackened landscape, and the smell of fire was prominent in the air. Some considered turning back, as if this was a bad omen of what was to come, some did turn back, as quickly as they had joined up. However, Krethos pressed on, Esmerelda at his side all the time.
As night fell the first of Krethos' problems arose, none of these people had brought much food, and none of them had bothered to bring shelters. Krethos watched as more turned back in dismay, and most who stayed were angered at him. Esmerelda stepped forward, "The sky is clear, the air is warm, the ground is flat, we need not shelters, and while we should be dismayed for the lack of animals to eat, we should be glad there are no animals to prey upon us. You will all live without food for the night, tomorrow we will make a point of hunting some down."
This satisfied some, but not all, but all laid down to sleep, Krethos built himself a small fire and tended to some wounds on his arm that had not begun to heal. Meir walked quietly up behind him, "So, you are the Keyschnect?" he asked in a sort of declarative way.
"It is so." Krethos answered.
"We lost a lot today." Said Meir
"It is better that way, they were not strong enough, some will fall away, and those that are left will be the strongest." Krethos said without looking at his visitor, taking a slightly pensive tone and mood.
"More will leave tomorrow."
"The weak."
"I don't get you, why did you start on this quest?"
"My family was killed, my friends laid down their lives for me, I cannot live in a world without them, I wanted the keys to bring them back to life."
"So when did you find out you were the Keyschnect?"
"I came to the chamber of King Ahk-hatta, it was said in my land that he had the keys, he told me that Von Bondahar had them, and that I was the Keyschnect."
"Why do you want the keys now, you wanted them to ease your suffering, but what is your motive now?"
"It is my destiny, I don't question it, I need them to end your suffering, to end the suffering of the world."
"Is that so, Is it really true?"
Krethos was taken aback by the question, he thought for a moment before he answered, "Yes, it is true, I have no doubt."
Meir nodded, before he stood up and walked away to sleep, Krethos sat by the fire until the sun began to creep into the sky, and his followers began to wake. They departed before long, walking north to the docks, they came to the end of the burn, waist high grasses swayed with the wind, and the odd tree rose from the sea like a pillar. The group trudged on silent, some turned back, most continued, they were a quarter day's march from the docks at the time that the sun neared the mountain peaks. Krethos sent out hunters to secure food for the 20 followers he had left, the rest set up fires to cook on, the sky was clear still so there was no need for shelters.
The hunters returned with a wolf and several rabbits, they were cooked and eaten quite readily, Krethos was surprised to find that the Wolf was not bad, Esmerelda remarked aloud, albeit softly, "They aren't so bad after all.
The next morning they all departed for the docks, no one left today, they all walked on steady and true. Around noon they came into sight of the masts of the docks, Krethos was pleased, he would find his prey. The group entered the yards, "Have you seen an assassin by the name of Jack Von Bondahar?" Krethos asked a harbor master.
"Why, yes, yes I have…" the man said as he turned around smiling.
Copyright © 2008-2009 Robert W. A. Nance
All rights reserved
2 comments:
I like the line, "Silent and somber did Krethos' disciples leave their homes and families."
The change in word order is great!
Natalie
Good chapter. I like how you always keep us wanting more with the ending.
-Mike
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