CHAPTER 5: Truth lies At the End of the Tunnel
The sand threw itself angrily at the sky as the Dark Riders rode on into the innocent night. The horses' hooves pounded madly and the Rider's eyes glowed incandescently into the mystical oblivion before them. They burned a hole of hatred straight through Ardeth's heart. He continued to note their progress, features grim, taking only a little pleasure knowing they had not yet discovered him watching.
~*~
The rain had finally stopped, and all that could be heard was the incessant drone of a crackling fire which the rain, in all its fury, had not managed to put out. The flickering lights blazed up to the sky only to be reflected down again in a fainter beam. The O'Connell's, plus Jonathan and Izzy, were all huddled together forming a clump around Alex, trying to keep as much of the weather off of him as they could. No one was concerned with the amount of light the wreckage was giving off, because as far as they knew, they were safe.
While the downpour had refrained, the relentless wind had not ceased, and the cold night air that blew over wet skin was causing uncanny chills. The need to get under some sort of shelter was calling. But, their only protection had been crushed by the very force which was tormenting them now.
"Rick, we need to find shelter from this storm before it tears us all to pieces!" Evelyn pleaded with her husband.
"And where do you think we're going to find shelter around here? WE ARE IN THE BLOODY DESERT FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! There isn't a shrub or blade of grass within 65 kilometers of here! " Izzy was not the type of person who was good at being calm. All his remark did was to heighten the tension already present from the current situation.
"If you think about it, the man is right to a certain degree O'Connell. We are surrounded by sand with no rescuer. We will be forced to sit here while we rot and mold in this foul storm for all of eternity!" Jonathan's voice became sing-songish and more heatedly passionate the longer he spoke.
"Since when have all the decisions have to be made by me, huh? Did I have any say in coming here the first place? No, it was all her!" Rick pointed an accusing finger at his wife. Evelyn's hands immediately folded across her chest as she glared at Rick, offended.
"Why, in all my years with you I have never heard you say a more distasteful-"
"Can't we ever get along? You are acting like a bunch of little kids." The logic of Alex's words knocked all four of the adults back to the present, their frivolous whims forgotten for the time being.
"Well, I suppose we were being a bit childish... to a sort." Evelyn replied to her son's inquiry, blushing. The rest of them had their eyes downcast not willing to face Alex's knowing glare.
~*~
-Honor.
-Strength.
-Compassion.
A Med-Jai knows all these things.
-He who is in control of himself is supreme.
-He who loves only the desert he protects will prevail.
-A Med-Jai knows not of Hatred, Mutiny, or Love he shall know only of Compassion towards his duty.
The Med-Jai code must never be broken.
The time when Selim had worshipped these ideals had come and gone. Now, all that remained was his physical strength. The compassion and honor that he had once encompassed had been replaced by hatred and cowardice. Feeling low he shoved his heels into his horse, forcing the beast to gallop faster against the cold harsh wind and ignoring the shriek of protest from his ride. His black cloak flowing behind him he raced faster and faster into the unknowing desert, not aware of what was in store for him.
~*~
Ardeth turned his back on the galloping men. An uncanny feeling creeping upon him caused him to turn back though, and in an instant he thought he saw someone he recognized among the dark shapes. It was something about the stance of the man that unnerved him. The slope of the shoulders which were taught with frustration or maybe it was even the angle the head was held. But, something did indeed make him uncomfortable. He turned his back once more kicking his heels into his horses flanks as he made low guttural noises urging his black stallion at a fast pace off into the darkening night, his hair flew behind.