Here is a new chapter, enjoy. And as always, please review, I 'd really like to hear what you think of the characters, plot, setting, or whatever else you wish to describe. Thank you very much, I really hope you like it and review.
Chapter III
Malachi retrieved a set of clothing from his own bags that were attached to his saddle, while Martha, after laying Sapphira down on the ground, did the same. I graciously accepted the clothing, which were the same as Malachi's, except the jacket was a royal blue. On the other hand, Mara just looked at her new clothes in disgust. They were similar to mine, except more suited to her frame and the jacket was a subtle red.
"This is great and all, but where am I supposed to change?" Mara complained.
"Can't you just be grateful?" I snapped. I didn't want to make Malachi and his people change their mind about not helping us anymore.
"No, no. She's right. But, could you hold that thought for a second?" Malachi agreed. He fished around in his bags some more until he finally brought out a black cube. It was incredibly small, no bigger than thumb. Various designs were etched into its surface. Around the camp, several other Evangelics were pulling similar devices from their own bags. With a wink at me, Malachi threw the cube into the ground a few feet away. The rest of the group followed suit.
"A lot of good that did," Mara sneered after a few minutes of nothing happening.
"Just wait for it," Malachi advised with an eager, child-like grin. Just after he said that, the ground began to rumble. Bursting forth, large tentacle like objects came from the earth. They were black and purple, and writhed around like snakes. Beginning to organize themselves, the tentacles wove themselves together to form vague skeletal structures resembling domes. Once done, the tentacles began to melt, filling in the holes in the domes. After about ten minutes all the domes were whole and complete, and organized into a circles surrounding a single open area.
"I believe you can change in our home," Martha offered, and began to lead Mara to a certain dome that was bigger than the rest. Martha followed while grumbling under her breath. I stayed back, still overwhelmed by what had just happened.
"Pretty impressive, am I right?" Malachi asked me.
"Impressive is an understatement," I said. Malachi then proceeded to slap me on the back.
"Well, you can't stand there gawking all afternoon. Mind helping me unload this wood?" Malachi requested. I gave a quick nod and forcibly tore my eyes away from the dwellings. Two bundles of large sticks were hitched onto a horse a little further back in the group. Malachi unloaded one onto me as soon as I had set my clothes down, and then took the other one for himself.
"What are these for?" I asked as we hauled them over to the central area. Even though it had only been a short walk, I was sweaty by the time we had reached our destination. I dropped the wood that I was carrying and then collapsed on top of it.
"Why it's for tonight's bonfire," Malachi announced.
"Bonfire?" I muttered, confused.
"Yeah, we have one every time we set up camp. Then we worship and eat our dinner," Malachi explained.
"Sound's like fun," I said.
"Well then, if I was you, I'd get off the firewood and go get changed," Malachi suggested before helping me to my feet. I retrieved my clothes and headed for the dome that Mara and Martha had gone into. For a brief minute, I considered retrieving Sapphira, but then I figured she'd be okay. The dome was about as tall as I was, but upon ducking inside the entrance, I realized there was more than enough room to stand inside. Different sections of the single room were marked off by curtains that drew across on rails. Behind each I could see a cushioned mat laid out for sleeping. In the center was a small table, perfect for leaving random objects. It was then that I realized the dome should be pitch dark, but upon examining the walls, I found they were studded with small crystals that gave a small but steady glow. The entire dome seemed to reflect the night sky, with the crystals as stars. A closed curtain opened swiftly with a swish. Martha and Mara, who had donned the new clothes, came out.
"You look good," I tried to compliment Mara, but she just ignored me.
"Did you per chance bring Sapphira in?" Martha asked.
"No, sorry," I apologized.
"No, it's fine. I'll go retrieve her myself," Martha sighed before leaving the dome. Mara looked mad, and from what I could tell, she had met these people, or at least Malachi, before.
"What do you have against the Evangelics?" I asked. Mara gave me a fierce stare, something that made my very soul shutter.
"It's none of your business," she said coldly. I held up my hands in surrender.
"Fair enough. Still, you should go help Martha," I suggested. Mara continued her death glare, but finally gave an exasperated sigh.
"Fine," she whined, and left the dome. I let myself into the curtained rooms that seemed unoccupied, and changed into the new clothes. They felt a bit scratchy, but comfortable enough. I didn't know what to do with my old clothes, so I left them on the floor. Just as I had finished changing and exited the little room Mara and Martha came in, with Martha carrying Sapphira on her back. Mara was struggling to keep Sapphira from falling.
"How long is she going to sleep?" I asked as Martha and Mara laid Sapphira down on one of the matts.
"She should be up before worship," Martha guessed, drawing the curtain shut. She then headed out, with Mara and myself trailing behind. Outside, Malachi had already started the bonfire, which burned and reaching up several feet toward the dimming sky. However, it wasn't orange like a normal fire. Instead, each flame flickered with a multitude of colors, ranging from everything in the rainbow to even black and white. It had a disorienting effect on my eyes, but was still the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Around the bonfire, smaller tentacles were weaving into comfortable looking benches. Several of the Evangelic women were cooking a stew in a large brass cauldron, which sat just inside the fire. The stew smelled wonderful, and despite eating not that long ago, I found my mouth watering in anticipation for the meal. Mara just shrugged uncaringly. I took a seat, and soon the rest of the Evangelics joined me. I found myself sitting next to Malachi. Soon, ceramic bowls full of stew were passed around. One taste and I knew instantly it was the best thing I had ever tasted. I quickly drank the rest of the stew down. It had celery, carrots, and several other vegetables I had never tasted or seen in it. I glanced across the fire to see Mara staring suspiciously at her soup. She tasted it gingerly, like it was toxic.
"What's her problem?" I asked Malachi, jabbing my spoon to point at Mara.
"Well, it's a long story," Malachi said, finishing his own soup.
"We have time," I encouraged. Part of me wanted to find out more about Mara: who she was, her history, etc.
"I was at one point hired by her father to train her. See, I have the Gift of Leadership, and so does her father, so naturally it was thought she had the same gift. Anyway, the more I worked with her, the more obvious it became that she was hiding her true gift," Malachi narrated.
"Hiding it? Like keeping it a secret?" I asked.
"Patience. At least let me finish the story. But yes, she was keeping it a secret. Anyway, I had figured it out. She begged me not to tell her father, and based on the gift, I agreed. Unfortunately, my discovery of her secret made her bitter toward me, and Evangelics in general," Malachi finished.
"That explains why she was unwilling to stay here. Yet, who is her father? What her secret gift?" I questioned. Malachi put his hand on my shoulder on my shoulder and stared me straight in the eyes. The dancing fire reflected in his eyes, giving me an unnerving feeling.
"I'm sure she'll tell you when she's ready," Malachi said seriously. After that, we didn't talk anymore. I was glad that I had learned a bit about Mara, but that had opened even more questions. In addition, Malachi's final comment had deeply disturbed me, with the sheer seriousness he had said it with. I got a second bowl of the delicious stew and quickly downed it in a few seconds. I mingled with other Evangelics until the sky had faded black. Suddenly, a drum beat began to echo around the bonfire. It was soon joined by a lyre and a flute. A small choir of women stood up and began creating a wavering hum that sounded eerie and ominous at first.
"What's happening?" I wondered aloud.
"Why, we are about to begin worship," Malachi announced. Suddenly, the bonfire flared brighter and higher, and the music broke in to a more rapid beat. The choir began to sing in a language foreign to me, but the words washed over me, and energy burned in my limbs. I felt the incredible need to dance. From the darkness, a group of dancers burst forth. I recognized Sapphira among them, looking well rested. The girls were wearing long skirts and short sleeved shirts tucked into these skirts. The sleeves were puffy, and a piece of seemingly gold rope worked as belt. The guys wore puffy pants and had shirts with a collar that extended to about midway down their chests. They also wore golden rope belts. All the dancers were barefoot and had silver translucent scarves. The actual clothes varied in hue and shade. The dancers took their positions around the bonfire. The flute hit an especially high note, and all the other Evangelics began to clap in beat to the drum. The dancers broke into a wild frenzy of stomping and spinning. The girl's skirts billowed as they spun. All the dancers began then to swirl around one another, grasping one another's hands. The crowd kept the beat, and I found myself clapping along. Then the song ended. I stood up thinking we were done, but apparently not.
"May we worship the Lord our God with all our might!" Sapphira exclaimed toward the sky. She then grabbed my hand, dragging me into the dancing circle. The other dancers pulled other Evangelics from the audience. Another song began, this one even more festive and energetic than the first. Sapphira began a simple dance, and the other dancers followed. I stood there like a fool, feeling awkward, until Sapphira motioned for me to dance. I did my best, and since it was my first time actually dancing, I thought I did fairly well. The dance consisted of stomping your right foot, then your left, and then clapping before spinning around in a circle. Once all the "volunteers" had caught on, the true dancers began to dance more graceful and complicated moves. Soon, the rest of the Evangelic community had joined in the circle and dancing. The song continued for a while, but I caught sight of Mara sitting back so far from the fire, that the darkness mostly covered her, though her white hair stood out. She looked uncomfortable, so I excused myself and walked over to her. I took a look at her heart, but it was unchanged from when I had first met her.
"Why aren't you joining in?" I inquired. Mara just glared at me.
"Why would I join in such childish activities?" she countered.
"It's not that bad. Even Malachi is doing it," I said, pointing out Malachi. He waved to me and tried to signal us over but was lost in the moving mob of dancing Evangelics.
"Exactly. He is nothing more than a child," she muttered bitterly. I shrugged, unsure why she didn't want to join, though I suspected it was because she detested the Evangelics more than that it was childish. I drifted back into the dancing. Eventually, that song ended and a final and more gentle song began. All the Evangelics, including the dancers, took a seat, and began to hum along to the choir. As the song persisted, people began dissipate and head toward their domes. When a yawn escaped my lips, I too went to Malachi's dome.
"Father God, please continue to protect me," was all I could manage to pray before falling asleep on top of the mat.
The next morning, I was blasted awake by the blare of trumpets. I jumped to my feet, flailing my arms like I was being attacked.
"What time is it?" Mara yawned as she crawled out from behind her curtain.
"I don't know, but it's before sunrise," Malachi grinned.
"What?" Mara nearly screamed.
"Yeah, we always start out this early. In fact, you two were the last ones sleeping," Malachi explained.
"Seriously?" I asked. Malachi confirmed it with a nod. We followed him out of the dome. Outside all the other Evangelics were loading their bags onto horses or doing morning stretches. I was tempted to join those doing stretches, but I figured that it would be better to wait and see if Malachi needed any help.
"You may want to step back," Malachi warned. He placed both his hands flat on his dome, and breathed a single inaudible syllable. Mara and I retreated a few steps as the dome began to collapse in on itself. It grew ever smaller until it was reduced into the same small cube that had originally been present, now resting in the palm of Malachi's hand.
"Wow," I breathed. Around the camp, other Evangelics were repeating what Malachi had just done. Once all the domes had been packed up and everyone was gathered around the horse, Malachi spoke.
"I assume everyone is ready to depart, so with that, let us go!" Malachi announced. Everyone began to mount their horses, except Mara and I, who stood there awkwardly.
"What are we supposed to do?" I asked. Malachi considered the question for a minute.
"Okay, so Amos, you ride with me. Mara, you can ride one of the extra horses. I assume you can ride based on your upbringing," Malachi decided. Mara simply nodded without an argument and went over to mount one of the horses which had no rider. Once everyone was situated, we rode off. I might have dozed off once or twice, but once I was able to stay conscious the terrain had become more hilly. We eventually stopped for a break and lunch. Several Evangelics didn't even dismount, instead they ate raw fruits while still sitting on their horses. Malachi, however, dismounted.
"What are we going to eat?" I asked. He handed me an apple to munch on while he went over to Sapphira to speak to her about something. She nodded, then dismounted as well before pulling two wooden swords from her bags. Malachi came back over to me.
"Can you come with me?" he requested.
"Yeah, but can we just leave the group?" I asked.
"They'll be fine. We'll break here for a good hour or so," Malachi said. Without any other words, he started to walk away. Sapphira gave me a pity smile, then ran to catch up with her father. Suspicious, I dismounted and followed. When we were out of earshot, I confronted Malachi.
"What's this about?" I interrogated.
"The burn on your hand," Malachi answered, motioning toward my right hand. I opened my hand up to reveal the cross shaped burn.
"What of it?" I retorted nervously.
"It didn't heal when Sapphira here healed you yesterday. Where did it come from?" he asked.
"Should I tell him?" I mumbled so only I could hear it.
Yes, trust him. The Voice spoke. It's not that I didn't want to trust him, but considering what happened in the past day.
"Just watch this," I suggested. I took my necklace off to hold it, and repeated Hebrews 4:12 aloud. Just as it had back in the cell, the necklace began to get uncomfortably hot, though not as bad as it had been the first time. However, it was still painful. The flash soon followed, and Malachi, Sapphira, and I had turned away. I felt a familiar weight in my hand, and when the light died, my hand gripped the sword. Malachi began to laugh, the tension of the situation evaporating.
"God does indeed have a fun way of working in our lives," Malachi chuckled.
"What do you mean?" I asked confused.
"Amos, I do believe the Father wants me to teach you sword fighting," Malachi concluded.
"Really?" I exclaimed, suddenly excited.
"But you can't use that sword. It's far too dangerous, we'll use these practice swords," Malachi explained. With that, Sapphira tossed me a wooden sword, forcing me to drop my real sword.
"Don't worry, I'll heal any wounds you get," Sapphira offered.
"Now come at me with all you've got," Malachi challenged, holding out his own wooden sword. I jabbed experimentally, but Malachi parried the strike away, then launched a swipe at my ribs.
"Ouch," I complained when he made contact.
"You're too open," Malachi criticized. I tried again, instead aiming for the opposite side. However, he again parried the strike away. When he tried to go for my ribs, I tucked my arms in, and moved my practice sword to block his swipe. He gave me a nod of encouragement, and we began to exchange strikes and blows. The more we fought, the more it reminded me of something from my childhood.
"You're doing well," my mother's voice encouraged me. I was much younger, barely five. I had been swinging a stick around, pretending it was sword. When I had heard my mother, I tried to turn around to try to see her. However, it was in vain, because I couldn't find her anywhere.
"I know. I'm going to be the best sword fighter in the world," I declared, proceeding then to swing my stick at a nearby tree.
We continued our little fight for almost a half hour before we ended. Every so often Malachi would give me tips and I tried my best to follow them. However, by the time the lesson had ended, I was drenched in sweat and aching with bruises. I had managed to hit Malachi a grand total of zero times, while he had hit me with a series of jabs, slashes, and mocking pokes. Malachi tossed me a flask filled with water, which I guzzled eagerly.
"You didn't do all that bad, even for someone with no training," Malachi complimented me.
"Thanks," I managed through wheezy breaths. I went to retrieve my real sword, only to see it had changed back into a necklace. I slipped it back on around my neck.
"I see it's turned back into a necklace," Malachi observed, picking up the wooden sword I had abandoned.
"Yeah. Too bad I don't know how it does it," I sighed. Malachi patted me on the back.
"You'll figure it out," he encouraged before starting to head back to the rest of the Evangelics.
"Mind giving me a refresher?" I requested of Sapphira. She treated me to a laugh, which seemed to echo a bit like a bell.
"Sure, but how about we wait until we are back at the horses," she suggested. I nodded, and we made our way back. Sapphira then healed me, the burn mark again not disappearing. She passed out, but Malachi caught his daughter and put her back on her horse. More of the Evangelics had dismounted by this point, lounging around and taking naps. Mara decided to approach me.
"What was that little outing about?" Mara asked.
"Oh, Malachi was teaching me how to use a sword," I explained.
"Why would you need to use a sword?" Mara sneered. I considered telling her about my seemingly magic necklace, but something inside my heart told me to decide against it.
"Well, to fight with of course," I summarized.
"That doesn't make sense. Everybody uses explosive, or projectiles, or both to fight. Swords are several centuries old," Mara complained.
"Thanks for the school lesson," I said sarcastically. Mara glared at me then went back over to her horse.
"Okay, let's head out," Malachi announced. In no time flat, we were off riding once again.