A new chapter, right on schedule. As always, enjoy the story and be sure to comment/review.
Chapter VIII
Mara and I helped David into a room just inside the mansion, where he fell asleep. We then left him and rushed along the path toward the village.
"How could this have happened?" Mara kept muttering to herself. I couldn't help but think about the last thing Elder Bathsheba had said to me.
"So that's what she meant," I murmured under my breath. I thought Mara might not of heard me, but she stopped dead in her tracks.
"You knew this was going to happen?" Mara accused, tackling me. We tumbled down the side of the hill a little ways until she ended up on top of me. The anger on her face and in her heart was as clear as day.
"I didn't realize it then, but what she said makes sense now," I stammered, trying to maneuver myself out from underneath her. I quickly explained what Elder Bathsheba had said to me. Mara breathed out a frustrated sigh.
"It figures she would tell you, the only one too clueless to understand what she meant," Mara grumbled. We resumed our journey down to the village. When we got there, it seemed almost barren. All the houses had their doors flung open, and there was nobody lingering in doorways or wandering around.
"Where is everyone?" I wondered aloud. We finally found everybody gathered around Bathsheba's house. Mara began pushing everyone out of the way, despite their protests. I followed, apologizing for her rudeness.
"Where is she? Where is Elder Bathsheba," Mara demanded once we made it inside. Bathsheba was laying on her bed, looking like she was asleep instead of dead, and a flood of guilt washed over me. The Elder's eyes were closed and a seemingly mischievous smile was engrained across her lips. Mara ignored the other two Elders who flanked Bathsheba, both with stony expressions upon their faces, and knelt by Bathsheba. Suddenly, Mara just burst into tears. I was fairly sure Mara had never looked as vulnerable as she did now. Habel locked eyes with me and pointed with a crooked finger.
"You. This is your fault," he snapped. The fellow Elder, Josias, just looked at his companion with an annoyed glance.
"It is not," I retorted. First Mara had accused me, now this crazy person of an Elder.
"The boy is most certainly not at fault here," Josias sighed.
"He was the last one sighted with her," Habel argued.
"We saw Elder Bathsheba alive and well even after this young man had left. He is not the guilty party," Josias said.
"But..." Habel began to protest, but Josias raised his hand to silence him. Habel bit is lip and quit talking. Mara finally looked up, her eyes red and raw and her nose running.
"When will she be buried?" Mara asked. Josias considered her question for a few moments.
"Tomorrow, at the crack of dawn," he finally decided. Habel didn't look too pleased at the decision, but nodded in agreement none the less.
"Very well," Mara said, giving Bathsheba one more sad look. Suddenly, the air was filled with the bellowing of alarms. They echoed everywhere making it impossible to tell where they were coming from.
"What's happening?" Josias shouted, doing his best to be heard over all the noise. I don't believe anyone heard him, except me because I was standing nearby. We all ran outside to see the villagers all running around in a panic, trying to get into their homes. It had become dark, but the village was being overwhelmed by multiple spotlights that shone with the same intensity as the sun.
"Up there," Mara yelled, pointing upwards. Military-style levias floated over the village, and for a moment I got scared it was Commander Joel. Then I realized these weren't built in the same way. They were much sleeker, albeit much wider. Men began dropping down on ropes. Several of them ran about, securing perimeters with large metal rods. Once all the rods had been placed in the ground, a blue ribbon of light shot out from each side, connecting all the rods. A man approached, and although he wore no symbol that marked him, his aura of power showed he was clearly the leader.
"My name is Yalown, Supreme General of the Catholic Empire. Apologies about the forcefield. Standard procedure," the man said. Yalown was very tall, and muscular, and appeared to be significantly younger than Commander Joel. He had red hair carved into a crew cut. He wore what I assumed was standard Catholic military uniform. It consisted of a thick -soled black boots, baggy green pants, and a similarly baggy green jacket. Both the pants and jacket were no doubt able to change color to match whatever the terrain the army was fighting in. They had bracelets like the ones soldier in New Canaan had, only much bulkier. Additionally, they had two leather straps that ran from their shoulders, crossed over, went behind their back, and crossed again. Mounted on their shoulders were two cannon shaped objects, designed to shoot purple lasers capable of cutting through steel.
"What gives you hot-headed conquerors the right to invade our island anyway?" Habel growled at Yalown. Josias raised his hand once again to silence his comrade.
"Peace Habel. You are well aware as I am how capable the Catholic Empire is at destroying us," Josias said.
"Thank you Elder Josias. Now, I wish to inquire where Elder Bathsheba is," Yalown said.
"I'm sorry, but she very recently passed away," Josias murmured. A shadow seemed to fall across Yalown's eyes, which should've been impossible with the spotlight directly over us. I took the opportunity to peer into Yalown's heart. It was filled with pride, so much so that it had reached the point of arrogance. I also found hints of jealousy.
"I'm sorry for your loss," Yalown commented.
"Death to the physical body is inevitable. Now, what is your purpose in coming here? If I am not mistaken, Galilee has a treaty with the Catholic Empire," Josias asked.
"You are correct in your statement, and we stand by that treaty. However, while we are not here to invade, we have come here to claim something," Yalown explained.
"You won't take me alive!" Habel screamed before running off like a lunatic. Josias sighed and lowered his forehead into his palm. Then he remembered his company and regained his composure. "What is it you would like to acquire?" Josias asked.
"According to the information the army received, apparently the bane of New Canaan is here," Yalown said.
"What do you mean bane?" I asked, though I kind of figured Yalown was referring to me.
"The person of that prophecy, the one with the Gift of Mercy. You'd think you'd have heard of that," Yalown detailed.
"Of course I've heard it, because I am that person," I announced. Instead of some kind of grand reaction, Yalown just stared in dismay.
"Are you joking?" he asked, looking at Josias for an explanation.
"He's not lying," Josias reassured the Supreme General. A surprised look quickly disappeared from his eyes as he began to scrutinize me, like a critic would a painting. He did a double take at Mara, whom he seemed to recognize. Eventually, he stood up straight into his proper military posture.
"So be it. Come along you two," Yalown ordered. Mara gave Josias a hug, as it appeared we were leaving. Reluctantly, we followed Yalown over to one of the many ropes hanging down from the levias. At the bottom was a cast iron handle, which Yalown offered to me. I took a hold of it as Yalown led Mara over to another. Suddenly, I was flying up in the air, being hoisted up to the levia above. The deck of the levia was mostly flat with a single bubble toward the front for a few passengers and the driver to sit. The sides of the levia deck had railings running along them, so soldiers could harness themselves and move about freely during full speed flight. Wind whipped around us as two Catholic soldiers helped Mara and I aboard.
"Welcome," the one greeted. The other looked down, and seemed to be looking for some kind of signal.
"Thanks," I grumbled, starting to feel cranky from tiredness. Mara had been silent the whole time, clearly still sad from Bathsheba's death. I was going to try to comfort her, when the second soldier turned to his partner.
"The General gave the signal. It's time to pack up and go," he ordered. The first soldier gave a brief nod and herded Mara and I toward the cockpit. There were two rows of seats and the floor was see- through, so I was able to peer down on the island. The soldiers sat in the front to drive. The seats were relatively comfortable, and Mara and I were provided with blankets. One by one, the spotlights disappeared and the force field was pulled down. Men retreated to their levias and took off over the horizon. Slowly, the entire island of Galilee sunk into darkness as our levia too left it behind. I quickly slipped into sleep hoping to free myself of the anxiety that was creeping up on me. Also, fortunately, another memory found me.
I was very young again, walking alongside my mother and Ruth on the street side. She held my hand, just to be sure I wouldn't try to escape and go off on my own adventure. I had once had a habit of desiring such things. My sister was bound by her other hand. The only person missing was my father, but he was probably working as a professor at a school for prophets.
"Do you know where I want to travel to?" I said randomly, my young mind excited to see what my mother would guess.
"I bet I can guess," Ruth chirped, peeking around my mother's legs.
"No! I want Mommy to guess!" I cried out. My mother chuckled a bit.
"Calm down you two. Okay, let's see. Is it warm or cold there?" my mother asked.
"Cold," I replied cheerfully, eager to play her game. My mother asked several more questions, with Ruth chiming in occasionally.
"Okay, I guess you want to visit the beach," my mother guessed.
"Silly Mommy. I want to visit the Catholic Empire," I announced. I had learned of it in school and had been fascinated by the kind of weather they had there.
"Oh I wouldn't want to visit there. Your Daddy thinks that the Empire is going to overrun New Canaan. Now whether that is prophecy or an opinion, I don't have the slightest clue.
I was suddenly jolted awake by the intense shudder of the entire levia. I sat up, realizing Mara was using my shoulder as pillow. I shook her awake. Streaks of dawn were just starting to appear.
"What happened?" I asked. Both the soldiers had a panic look, but they did their best to remain calm.
"Oh nothing that's a big deal," the driving soldier answered. The levia shuddered again and let loose a groaning sound.
"It's obviously something," I countered.
"Okay, fine. We are being shot at by another levia," the other soldier explained. I glanced out the top of the cockpit to confirm his story. Sure enough, I saw with my own eyes, a much bulkier levia that was clearly from New Canaan's army. The cannons were shooting a barrage of energy bombs onto the deck of our levia. Where ever the bombs hit, they left smoking craters. Something inside me guessed that Commander Joel had either ordered this, or was personally driving. My suspicions were confirmed when a voice layered with static came bursting out of our levia's radio.
"Hand over the imp, or we shall destroy the ship," Commander Joel's very distinct voice screeched.
"The imp?" the soldier not driving asked.
"He's referring to me," I explained.
"That makes sense. I'll take care of this," the same soldier decided, and reached under the seat to pull out a nylon harness. I reached out and grabbed ahold of it.
"No, I've got this," I said confidently. I was sick of Commander Joel's antics. Energy flowed through my veins, and part of me wanted to say it was just me, but I knew it was God lending me a hand.
"Are you sure? You don't seem to have any weapons," the soldier argued. I gripped my necklace with my free hand.
"Trust me, I'll be fine," I reassured. The soldier nodded and let me have the harness. The cockpit slid open and I climbed out. Immediately I hooked the harness and began my wobbly walk across the deck.
"Good luck," the soldier shouted to me, though his words were mostly lost in the roaring wind, before closing the cockpit. I maneuvered myself to where I was clearly visible and summoned my sword. The searing pain shot up my arm, though not as bad as any other time I had summoned it.
"Commander Joel! Can you see me? You'll never be rid of me!" I taunted, even if the evil man couldn't see me. The cannons trained on me, but I knew I was too small of a target to hit accurately. I slid out of the way as a cannon shot hit where I had once been standing, sending metal chunks flying. After three or four more failed shots, Commander Joel gave up trying to shoot me and instead turned to ramming his levia into ours. It was the opportunity I had been waiting for. I leapt at the enemy levia and stabbed my sword straight into it. I slid down the side, carving a huge gash in it. Sparks flew from the gash, and the entire levia trembled violently. It then began to turn and twist erratically until it spun into a nosedive. I now hung by only my harness, with barely a grip on my sword, in midair. Commander Joel's levia disappeared behind us, and soon one of the soldiers came out on another harness and assisted me up.
"Good job," he congratulated me, helping me back into the cockpit. Once I was back inside the adrenaline ran out and I was smacked by extreme drowsiness. I drifted to sleep, sword still in hand. When I awoke, my sword had transformed back into my necklace. I slipped it back around my neck. It was fully daylight now.
"Are we almost there?" I asked, checking the floor window to make sure the scenery hadn't already answered my question. The ground as well as the leafless trees were coated in a fine layer of snow.
"Just wait ten minutes," the driving soldier suggested. The city suddenly came into view. The buildings were all different from Tyre or Galilee. They were all works of art, built of white marble. Each one was box shaped, supported by columns of varying sizes and styles. Some buildings had domes as roofs, while others had different shapes or didn't even have a roof. The buildings were designed to be more wide than tall.
"What's the name of the city?" I asked.
"This is Vatican State, the capitol of the Catholic Empire," Mara narrated. It was the first time I had heard her speak in a while, and it was nice to hear. Our levia landed down by another levia in an open field, with a huge estate at the one end, while the rest continued over the city.
"I appreciate the ride," I thanked the soldiers as Mara and I descended off the levia using ropes. We waved good bye as the levia resumed flight and disappeared behind buildings. Yalown walked over to greet us, having just gotten down from his own levia.
"Welcome to Vatican State. Now, let's get you inside to see His Holiness," Yalown instructed. He led us inside. The inside had its walls and floors decorated with mosaics that depicted various scenery. The ceiling had been painted in many bright colors, but seemed to follow no discernible pattern. Eventually we reached a room and Yalown led us inside. The room looked like an ordinary conference room, except for a huge window that showed a large expanse of the city. The table was made of some kind of black wood, most likely ebony. An elderly man sat at the head of the table. He wore a white cloak over top a business suit, and had a hat that was white with a gold cross embroidered on it. It was vaguely cylinder- shaped but came to a point. The man also wore a gold ring with a large ruby on his left hand. Mara and Yalown immediately knelt, and I followed suit. I'd be a fool not to recognize Pope John the 19th.
"Please rise," the Pope requested. I followed what he asked. He had a voice that was inviting, the kind that would make little kids want to crawl on his lap and hear a story.
"I believe there is someone here you know," Yalown said, pointing to a figure I hadn't noticed in the corner. Tobias stood there, with a grumpy expression. I was caught off guard to see him. He wore crooked black glasses, and his hair was even longer and more unkempt then the last time I had seen him.
"Take a seat," the Pope invited. We all did, including Yalown. Tobias sat to my left, and Mara to my right.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him. He gave me an irritated look, which I took as an invitation to look into his heart. It was full of much rage, so much so it frightened me. I wasn't sure, but it felt directed at me. Jealousy and confusion were also present, but still relatively minor compared to all the anger.
"Why do you think?" Tobias snapped.
"Please, Tobias. Your friend does not know how you have come to be here. Would you care to explain?" the Pope asked calmly. Tobias relented.
"Fine. After you abandoned the town and we were all imprisoned, I managed to escape. I stole one of the soldier's bracelets and managed to bust open my cell. Unfortunately, I couldn't free anyone else, including Lydia," Tobias grumbled, clenching his fist tightly.
"Is everyone alright?" I asked in a panic. I prayed that everyone was still safe and in good health. I cared especially for Ruth and Uncle Saul.
"They're all fine. However, in week or so they are going to be sold in the slave trade market. That's why I'm here. I'm going to save them all. I hope that's why you're here too," Tobias snapped, giving me a death glare like it was my fault. The glare itself was not as scary as Mara's, but was up there in rank.
"Peace people. However, that is the point for being here. Supreme General Yalown, would you care to explain?" the Pope cut in. Yalown tapped on the desk and a scale model hologram of Jericho flickered to life on top of the table, complete with its huge walls.
"My pleasure. The Catholic Empire has long been trying to conquer New Canaan but fails every time at taking the capitol city of Jericho," Yalown said.
"Makes sense. Those walls are so high that a levia can barely get over them," Mara snorted, leaning back in her chair. Yalown didn't look particularly pleased with her statement.
"Yes, as she said, the walls have been our main problems. However, we have developed a solution to this issue," Yalown commented. He gave a whistle and a soldier came rushing in, deposited something on the table, then left.
"What is that?" Tobias asked before I could say the same thing. It was shaped like an animal horn, but had been modified to operate as a trumpet. Yalown gingerly picked it up.
"This is our newest weapon, the Sonic Blaster. After it is charged for seven days, it is capable of unleashing a sound wave so powerful that it can destroy a levia over ten miles away. It should be more than powerful enough to destroy the Jericho walls," Yalown explained. I had to catch my breath for a moment. That weapon was incredibly powerful, beyond imagination.
"Amazing," Mara breathed.
"How many of these do you have?" Tobias asked.
"I'd say around eight or nine. Just in case one blast wouldn't be enough," Yalown guessed.
"So why do you need me?" I asked. They were completely capable of breaking down the walls without me, and they had more than enough soldiers to fight in the oncoming war.
"Due to your prophesied future, you'll be the one who dissuades the New Canaan army from fighting," Yalown said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, though I pretty much knew what the answer would be.
"You kill their leader, the King, they won't want to fight," Yalown confirmed the plan. It made terrible sense, and I didn't want to do it. However, I did have to save my family and friends.
"It is your choice as to whether you want to do it or not," the Pope offered. I glanced at Mara. We had dragged each other along the whole time, and I hoped she'd come along with me.
"It doesn't matter to me. I'll be accompanying of course," Mara shrugged, giving me the answer I had wanted.
"You have yourself a deal," I agreed.
"Excellent," Yalown cheered.
"Very good indeed. Now, the invasion is tomorrow, but enough of this war talk for tonight. How about you go enjoy yourselves at the festival that is going on tonight," the Pope suggested.
"Festival?" Mara's eyes lit up.