Chapter 4

Dega wasn't sure what he should do. He knew that at least two of the three men hated him, and would probably never trust him. He figured that the old guy would at least hold the other two off. He also thought it interesting that none of them had decided to bind his hands.

Dega thought for a little while longer, while the group got farther ahead. Many thoughts and possibilities ran quickly through his mind. He wanted more time to think, but the group was too far ahead to stand there any longer. He gave up his thoughts, and jogged forward to Xershies' side.

"I'm sorry for stealing from you. I was taught the art of infiltration and silence, but not petty theft. I feel that I am in debt for your mercy, and I will follow. I also think that you have much to teach me, and, believe me, I have room to learn. I'm not as underhanded as I may seem, and I don't lie unless its absolutely necessary."

Xershies chuckled quietly, and pat Dega on the back.

"No need to worry, James Dega, I trust you. And besides, if you did try anything, you'd be bound up again before you knew it. Just try not to cross their paths too much," he motioned toward Tigo and Caleb, " and I think that everything will be ok."

He glanced toward Dega, and then behind him to Tigo and Caleb. A smile crosses Xershies' hidden face. For the first time in two thousand years, it looks as if they might actually accomplish the mission he had been given to long before… before…

Before…

"Before it comes back."

"Before what comes back, Xershies?" Caleb had run up beside him.

"Sorry, Caleb. Thinking out loud."

"Oh come on! We all want to know! Will you give us even a slight hint as to what always goes on in that mind of yours?"

Xershies took a long glance at his interrogator, then at the others. He wondered what he could tell them to keep their questioning at bay. He kept walking at his quick pace, which was hard for the others to keep up, hoping that it would keep them from asking too many questions.

"Well. We are going to be fighting a deadly force. Something horrible. Something that hasn't come across this planet in nearly two thousand years. I promise you that I will explain more once we reach Midry. In order to adequately explain, I need and item that can only be found in that town. The mining village of Midry rests at the base of the Duvey Mountains. There they mine metals, and ores. One special ore I require to show you."

Tigo and Caleb looked at each other wondering what to think. The look on Xershies' face told them the subject was closed to further discussion. Without saying another word, the three men turned and continued walking into the rising sun.

The group was still two full days from Midry. They continued on in the typical boring fashion. Nothing interesting happened to them, and that fact wore on them heavily. They wanted some action. Three adult males with raging testosterone promised battle and glory, but receiving none. They were bored out of their wits. Only Xershies didn't seem to mind the boredom. They began to think of ways to best each other. Periodically Caleb would fire am arrow into the forest, or ahead of them, and they would give him points based on where he hit the animal.

At some points, Caleb let Tigo borrow his bow. Much to Caleb's surprise, Tigo was as skilled with a bow as he was. Upon returning the bow, Caleb told Tigo to run ahead and find some thin branches. Tigo wasn't sure why, but did it anyway.

When Tigo returned, he had an armful of thin and elastic branches.

"Great Tigo, hold them for me," Caleb said, pulling out one of his knives.

With great skill, and speed, Caleb whittled a long branch into the framework of a bow. Next, he cut the other branches bark very finely, and twined them together. He had just made Tigo a bow. Caleb used what was left of the branches to craft a few basic arrows.

"Try that, Tigo."

Caleb handed Tigo the bow, and arrows. Tigo pulled the bow a few times, getting a feel for it. It was well made, for being made while walking. He had nine arrows, and used one to shoot ahead. While not as good as Caleb's bow, it shot a considerable distance. It took a good ten minutes for them to walk ahead and find the arrow jutting for the sod.

"Thank you Caleb! I was in need of a bow!"

"You're quite welcome, just trying to help the group. You're pretty good! I was surprised."

"People say that about a lot of my skills. I'm just a short fat guy, but I can run fast and fight well. Sounds like a good trade off to me!"

Tigo and Caleb laughed out loud at Tigo's joke. Dega looked at them, and then joined in the laughing.

After a while, the group became rather spaced apart, standing a couple of feet away from each other. They didn't see many creatures or any other humans for the morning. Near mid afternoon, the group stopped for a rest.
"Ugh, I hate hot days," said Tigo," Oh well, only one thing can fix this."

He lifted up the left side of his oversized tunic, and pulled the small leather flask out of his belt. He took a long swig from its contents.

"Any of you want some?" He asked.
"Sure I'll have a go," said Dega, needed something to drink.

"Don't steal it…" Tigo eyed Dega, before handing him the flask.
Dega slowly lifted the flask and, doubtfully, took a drink. He immediately started coughing and sputtering. He spat his mouthful out.
"What kind of drink is this?" He yelled at Tigo.
"Not too sure about that one. Bought it in a small village on the way to Reynard." Tigo took another drink, and put it away. I guess it's an acquired taste.

The four continued moving through the day. Xershies kept up the lead, and the other three fell behind just enough to be out of earshot of Xershies. Caleb was the first to speak.
"What do you think he means when he says we're some of the nine? I don't quite get it."
Dega was also still skeptical," I'm not sure what he means either. It's like he's somewhere between a crazy old man and a prophet."

"I don't know," said Tigo," But I'm going to take a guess and say there will be nine people to do something special. Seems fairly simple. You don't just meet up with a guy like Xershies everyday, you know. I'm sure it will all make sense when we get the Midry." The others looked at Tigo, and nodded.
"Yea, and I think someone crazy wouldn't be able to make us have this need to follow him. He knows what he's talking about, I'm sure," Caleb commented, before jogging up toward Xershies, and talking with him for a while.
The other two were left a little bit behind. Dega grabbed his water bottle, and took a long drink; spitting it out on the ground. He took another swig, this time drinking it.
"I don't know what that stuff is, Tigo, but I'll stick to water for the time being."

The four continued on their way to Midry, very little talking going on between them. Caleb and Xershies kept to themselves, but there was some conversation between Tigo and Dega. The two of them were beginning to identify with each other. They had both been trained at the Academy, and were only separated by two years. They probably saw each other there. However small, and vague, a friendship was beginning to form between Tigo and Dega.

They made their camp at sundown, with Caleb bringing in rabbit for everyone. He was complaining that he wasn't able to get a deer. They turned in early after a hard day of traveling, and Xershies told them he would keep the customary night watch.

During the night, the memories came out. They showed Xershies his usual set of memories, and then some others. That one kept coming back. The rookie. The Glyphs, and the darkness.

The moment passed when he heard a hawk cry. He looked up toward the sky, and spotted Amoria. He was puzzled at why the bird hadn't warned them about Dega. He decided not to worry about it, because good had come. The hawk flew away, into the east toward Midry. The rest of the night was uneventful.

(crest)

The group rose early in the morning, eating what little rabbit, and venison they had left. Caleb also went into Rankin woods and came back carrying grasses and roots. He prepared a small bowl of soup for everyone. Even though it was meager, they felt full. They found it surprisingly tasty, and wanted him to make more.

"No, I can't make any more. You would bust! My father taught me how to make this soup as a child. We won't need to eat again until sundown. It's an energy tonic," Caleb explained.

This tonic gave the men a great energy. They continued their journey at a jog. Tigo wasn't sure how he was able to keep jogging as long as he did, but he did it.

The sun reared its bright and hot head over the Duvey Mountains, creating a very hot and humid day. The group stopped for water frequently, and kept up their hurried pace. They hoped to get into Midry by the end of the night. Conversation was still very limited within the almost completely estranged group.

Near midday, they came across a farm house in the distance.

They could see a hustle and bustle going on. The signs of a family working a farm. These farms were very scarce in this region of the continent. It took a special kind of fertilizer that was expensive to grow anything up here. The land was not fertile at all.

As they neared the farm house, the working bodies looked less and less like working bodies, and more and more like screaming panicking bodies. Xershies dismissed this notion, and kept going at his current pace.

The group eventually neared the farm house enough to hear the screams that confirmed Xershies earlier notion of panic.
"Ahhh, get away from us, you monster!"

The four ran toward the house to see what was going on. Once they neared the barn, they saw an old farmer holding a pitchfork, pointing in the direction at an odd looking creature.
It seemed to be a human, but had scales, like a snake or dragon. Across it's back was a small set of wings, hardly capable of flight. Xershies thought they were used for a different reason. It was a tall creature, only slightly shorter then Xershies. It was bluish green, and had a long tail. The tail was swinging back and forth menacingly. It held a long staff, like a monk would carry, and didn't seem to be harming anything. It seemed like a nice creature that was just on its way to another town.

Caleb quickly drew his bow, and put an arrow at the feet of the farmer.

"Careful there, sir. This creature means you no harm, go back inside," Xershies called to the farmer.

The farmer, seeing Caleb with another arrow in his bow, and the three others armed next to him, quickly listened and ran inside, locking the door and closing the windows behind him.
"Why didn't you shoot the creature? It's a monster," said Tigo. Before Caleb can answer, Xershies stepped in.

"It is more than a monster; it is a Tleilax, a race of dragon and human crossbreed. I'm not so sure about him though." Xershies gestured for the creature to come nearer to them.
The Tleilax walked over to the group, but stood a few feet away, as if testing the situation.
"What is your name, friend?" Xershies was attempting to befriend it.

The Tleilax stared blankly at him. He surveyed the situation, still unsure.

"Listen, its ok. We aren't going to hurt you," Caleb tried to reason.

The Tleilax looked from person to person in the group. It was obvious he didn't know what to do, and didn't understand them one bit. The creature saw the weapons that were brandished by the four men, and decided he could do nothing, except protect himself. He charged, and made an attempt at making an upward thrust at Caleb, but Xershies had him petrified before he could.

The creature was frozen in an attack stance, with a regretful look on its face.
"Let's go," said Xershies in a very low, and dark tone.
The others followed him off. The farmer looked out at the new lawn gnome he now had in his front yard...

(crest)

A couple of days later, the men arrived in Midry. Along the way, several thieves, and beasts tried to wreak havoc on the group, but the group prevailed. Finally, on day four, they arrived. It was raining rather hard. The scene was very calming to Xershies, who had a lot on his mind. They continued walking through Midry, and spoke to various town patrons along the way. Xershies broke off from the group for a little bit. The group spent a little bit of time getting to know each other, before finally meeting up with Xershies again. They headed off toward the inn, and finally arrive.
"Hello, good gentlemen. What may I assist you with?" Asked the plump, and short inn keeper.
"We need a room," Xershies calmly replied.
"For four men?"
"Actually, do you have anything more... private? This will be a somewhat loud occasion. Nothing destructive though." Xershies was now glancing around the room, and looking over the residents of the inn.
"Sure we do, there's a little cottage outside in the back, not really big enough for 4 men to sleep, but if you want it, here is the key." He stuck the key out toward Xershies, who took it.

"We'll take it."
The group followed Xershies out into the small cottage. It is dank, and looks unlived in. It is, however, quiet and out of the way.
"Perfect." muttered Xershies under his breath," Ok guys. What I am about to show you won't tell you exactly what you may need to know, but I assure you it will make you want to come along. This is a vision I had a few months ago. It is how I knew I was getting closer to my objective. I will explain it to you in detail afterward. Everyone, I want for you to close off your minds to the outside world, and to anything outside of this room. Anything outside of this quest."
The men looked at each other, a little frightened, but all of them glanced back to Xershies, who was setting a small orb onto a table in the middle of the room.
"This is the item I needed to pick up at the local general store. I got it earlier this morning as we arrived. Anyway, if you would all touch a finger onto the orb, the vision will begin. Now remember, this vision started about three months ago. The parts about the 'Rookie' are three months old, but the bits containing the warrior are much older. About two thousand years old, in fact. It is very important. You might be bewildered, but I shall explain it to you afterward. Get ready for impossible..."

"Rookie?" Tigo spoke up.

"You shall see…"
His voice trailed off, as he touched his finger to the orb. The others followed suite, and when nothing happened, they peak out the side of their eyes at Xershies. He looked as if in a trance.
"Men, shut your eyes. It begins now."
They shut their eyes, and instantly, a white mist flashed through their consciousness. They felt like in a dream, and are lifted into the period of time that was uncertain…