Men of the Cave (Symbol of Hope Series)

by Burgess, Marisette

  “Good evening brothers,” he said in a hollow tone. His body nowhere in sight.

  “Sam,” Max replied.

  “What shall it be Max, have you chosen to do the right thing and end this pathetic eternal suffrage?”

  Max tensed and replied. “Sam, we told you once, nothing has changed. We have no plan to leave this world, not tonight.”

  “I see, seems like you boys were anticipating somewhat of a brawl.” Sam pointed to the swords in our hands.

  “We hope that this can be resolved amicably. What is this to you, why is it important?” Max negotiated.

  “Nothing amicable about the sword in your hand brother,” Sam snapped. “You always did feel like you knew what was best for the family. Well tonight, I am going to bring salvation to this family, and you will thank me Max when your spirit is once again with Cyra’s. Let us say I am paying for an overdue debt.”

  Max and I leaned forward ready to charge. In unison we ran as Sam’s ghost materialized a sword into his hand. Before his spirit-self approached us, it split into two identical selves. The fact that he could portray more than one spirit ghost at a time, was a new revelation. The metals of our swords silently struck each other with mighty force and the battle began.

  I focused on the spirit to the left as Max battled the one on the right. Ahead of his every move, I moved from place to place ensuring that he did not land a swing. Our swords touched only when I commanded it, to change his direction or slow him down. From what I could tell, Max struggled with Sam’s powerful swings. It almost seemed as if Sam focused his energy on Max.

  They danced around with grace and brutal force as every swing swooshed through the quiet night air. The grunts from both men masked a thousand years of anger. Attempting to move Sam’s spirit down toward the forest path, I lead him away from his other ghost half. Achieving my goal, I peered around at my surroundings to get accurate locations on everyone.

  John and Martin yelled, “Antony he is on the roof.”

  I knew the Twins worked on getting a vision as to where Sam placed his dormant body. Antony and Layna headed for the roof.

  James stopped them with his mind. “Are you searching for his body? I will bring him down.”

  From the corner of my eye, a shadowy physique lifted from the roof floating onto a lounge chair. Antony and Layna sneaked their way closer near Sam’s body. Layna carried the special sword in her mouth. I knew my part was to keep Sam distracted long enough for Antony to stab Sam’s lifeless frame with the sword. In the meantime, Sam the spirit guided Max closer to his dormant body. Antony pulled the sword with the chain straight towards Sam’s body.

  James yelled, “Noooo…that is not a fair fight.”

  James lifted Antony through the air and tossed him with force into the tall trees. Layna angered by James’ action charged and attacked him with great brutality. She latched herself to his arm and knocked him down. He pulled her off throwing her into the pool. Sam’s ghost not missing a beat continued to spar with diligence. The rapid clinging and clanking of swords striking resonated in the night. John and Martin moved on James. All of a sudden, the spirit I battled vanished in a puff of mist. My powerful swing sliced through the air at nothing. I turned my gaze to Max. In a fraction of a second, Sam’s ghost vanished into his body and Sam arose. He placed his hand into his jacket and took out a blade. With exact precision, he inserted the metal into Max.

  Sam held the handle and whispered, “I love you brother,” then in Greek, he chanted.

  “And let it be upon this immortal,

  That was sentence by mighty wraths,

  To lay eternally in the heavens,

  By the steel of his kindred’s blade,

  And to thy blades owner,

  May the Grace’s gifts be now bestowed.”

  “NOOOOOOO,” I screamed. Max fell over onto his side. Her high pitch cry echoed. Kasey appeared from the shadows of the house mortified.

  “Antony!” I screamed as Sam picked up Max’s sword and charged me. I moved fast down the path, my objective to get him away from the others. I did not stop to go down the stairs, I ran off the cliff. Soaring through the air, I managed to land on my feet. The roar of the rough sea hitting our rocky shore gave me the atmosphere I needed for my revenge.

  Sam attempted to do the same but failed to land properly and fell on his side. It only took him an instant before he popped up, “Dion, think about what I am offering you. Do not pass this up because of a human.”

  “I have no idea who you are anymore Sam, clearly not a brother of ours.”

  My fingers tightened around the handle.

  “I did not push her Dion. I tried to save her,” he yelled.

  “Save her! I saw her back Sam, what animal would do such a thing to save her. You cannot be trusted your words are lies!” I bent low and charged him. Overcome with an exuberant amount of rage I challenged him, “Man on man, no abilities.”

  “We fight raw then,” he agreed.

  With all the natural strength God gave me, I swung on him. We circled each other with mighty blows. As we got close to the shoreline, the chilly water splashed around creating droplets of water flying through the air. Then a hand full of Elenora’s falcons flocked onto Sam and pecked at him. One of the birds flew at me with the special sword. Anthony created a sword with a chain and lock welded to its handle. Ignoring the falcons, I entered their black feathered cloud and plunged the blade into Sam’s chest. With the chain in hand, I reached behind him and wrapped it around his back and chest. Then locked it to the handle, the sword then became a permanent fixture in Sam’s body. He fell lifeless, onto the sand and ocean water. The birds flew away.

  “Noooo! What are you doing to him?” James barreled through the night. He stood at the bottom of the staircase, along with Martin and Kasey. Antony stationed himself at the top of the cliff. I imagined John was with our beloved Max. James ran half way toward us and stopped.

  “He is not dead James, simply contained,” I barked.

  “So, our creation worked.” Max’s loud voice came screaming from the top of the cliff. He and John appeared through the dark forest. His sweater slashed from where Sam’s blade pierced through.

  “The curse, it did not work?” James screamed up to Max.

  “It must have been a fake, a ploy. James, it is over.” Max smirked.

  “You cannot keep Sam like that Dion, release him it is not right. He is our brother,” James growled.

  “Why not? Now he cannot hurt anyone else.” I had no patience left for my little brother.

  “He never intended to hurt anyone, let him go!” James commanded. Then he looked around, quicker than anyone could even see, he lifted two pieces of rope debris from the rocks and wrapped them tightly around Kasey’s wrist and ankles.

  “What are you doing?” she panicked.

  I sprinted to her, but James’ can move objects with his mind as fast as I can with my body. With a powerful force, he threw my body into the rocks. A moment of pain impaled my back. Within seconds, I was back on my feet in time to see Kasey’s body lifted through the air. Martin lunged for her but missed. With a violent thrust, James tossed Martin back into the stairs. He dangled her body upside down over the turbulent waters. Her screams shrilled as she swayed.

  “No one move or she falls,” James ordered. I froze as well did everyone else.

  “Let go of her James.” It took everything within my power to remain calm.

  “Un-do the sword in Sam’s chest, now!” He screamed. “I do not want to hurt her, but you cannot do this to Sam.”

  “Dion, do as he says,” Max yelled.

  Antony took the key to the lock off his neck and handed it to Layna. She came down the steps missing two or three at a time. I bent over Sam’s lifeless body. Layna strutted to me with the chain in her mouth that held the key. She placed it in my hand. I unlocked the chain, then drew the sword from Sam’s chest. His spirit form rose in a cloud of grey smoke. He smelled like death. Angry, he swun
g at me. I threw the sword with the chain into the rocky beach and with my Pugio Dagger began to spar with Sam once more.

  Martin pointed his sword onto James and moved on him. He turned to strike Martin. Her shriek caused everyone to freeze. We watched as her body hit the cold water. Kasey disappeared into the dark her body did not resurface. Martin shoved James aside and ran to the shoreline. He removed his shirt and shoes and dove in. Sam not allowing Kasey to be a distraction for me continued to exchange blows.

  John scream, “James what have you done!”

  My brothers ran down the wooden staircase toward the beach.

  As Sam and I got away from the shoreline, his lifeless body began to lift through the air. It spun round and round gliding away from me. He flew spiraling through the sky down the beach.

  Sam’s spirit ghost yelled, “Nooo, James!” But James ran with Sam’s body out of the scene. The minute the two were out of sight Sam’s spirit vanished into the air.

  I stepped out into the shallow waters of the ocean and exhaled a deep breath of cold air when Martin surfaced with his arms around Kasey both swimming to shore. I ran and met them a few feet from the shore’s edge. She coughed, but otherwise all right. I placed my arm around her waist and helped her to shore. She collapsed onto her back on the sand attempting to catch her breath.

  “Are you alright?” I asked leaning over her.

  Gasping and with a quivering bottom lip she replied, “CCCold.”

  I helped her up and we headed toward the top of the cliff. I put an arm under her shoulders, her coat felt like it was a sponge of cold water. She stunk like burnt wood.

  “Should we go after him?” I asked Max when we reached the top.

  “I think it is over. He will not be back. Take her inside and get her warm,” Max ordered.

  I headed for the house. Her lips trembled and she shivered. Once inside I grabbed her cold hand and led her to my room and into the bathroom. I turned the faucet to the tub and began filling it with warm water. Overwhelmed with an aggressive adrenaline from the fight, I could not believe she disregarded my orders. Harsh, I unbuttoned her coat and pulled it off.

  She managed to stutter, “DDiion!”

  “Kasey, you have to get out of these cloths. It is too cold, look at you. You need to get in the warm bath. I do not want you sick,” I said annoyed with her disobedience tonight.

  She nodded, and began to remove her gloves, shoes, and socks. The cold droplets of water ran down from the tips of her hair. With shaking hands, she unbuttoned her jeans and began to pull them down.

  Did she want me to leave? Should I stay? I lowered my eyes away as soon as I caught a glimpse of her orange and red string underwear. She had not made it past her lower hips when we heard a knock on the bedroom door.

  She stopped, her eyes bulged out.

  “Relax, I shall see who it is,” I said.

  I took a deep breath and opened the door.

  “How is she? Is she alright?” Max asked concerned.

  “Yes, she is getting into warm water as we speak.” All the muscles in my face were tense from the night’s activities.

  Max noticed my demeanor. “Good. That is good for her. Dion we did well tonight.” He shook his head.

  I let out a heavy breath.

  “Dion relax. They are gone and I do not think they will be coming back, not any time soon.” He stepped closer forcing eye contact. “I know… I know you are disappointed with how your brothers have acted. Perhaps one day we seven can stand side by side on good terms, but for now focus on taking care of her. I brought both of you some Volteo from the Rioja region. It will warm her.” He handed me two glasses filled with the red wine. I gave him a brotherly hug.

  I returned to the bathroom door and knocked.

  “Come in,” she said. I inched the door open a crack not peering in.

  “Are you sure?” I asked uncertain if I should see her naked.

  “Yes, it’s fine.”

  I opened the door, walked in, and closed it behind me to keep the steam in. Her silhouette figure sat behind the curtain in the tub. Her bright smiling head peeked out from behind the curtain. She had stopped shaking and looked more relaxed. Her lower lip would quiver from time to time.

  “Who was that,” she asked.

  “Max, he brought you some medicine.” I handed her the glass of wine.

  “Oh, he’s such a good Doctor.” She held the curtain in place with one hand as she reached out and took the glass with the other. She took a small sip. I rubbed my eyes together, sat on the toilet lid, and took a big sip.

  “Are you okay Dion?” she worried.

  “It has been a long night,” I looked away.

  “Yes, it has,” she replied somber. “Do you think they will be back?”

  “We do not think so, but with those two who knows.” I continued my discontent attitude toward her.

  “Are you angry with me?” she asked sweet.

  I looked right at her. “I am absolutely furious with you.”

  Her mouth dropped and her eyes grew big. I closed my eyes and took a slow sip of wine.

  My words were too harsh. “I am sorry I do not mean to be so unkind.” I drank more wine.

  Kasey gave me an attempt at a smile then looked down at her body. “Why is it that I always end up naked when I’m around you?” she asked in a tease attempting to soften me up.

  “That is because you cannot follow directions,” I said stern.

  “I’m sorry Dion, Catalina told me that James planned to go away and I thought he was betraying you guys. So I came to warn you.” She avoided eye contact.

  “Kasey, do you not realize that something could have happened to you tonight. What would I have done if I had lost you out there?” I knelt down beside the tub. “You have no idea how delicate you are.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said looking like a sweet soaked seal. “I might not be unstoppable or have super powers, but I’m not fragile just cause I’m human. You treat me like I could break to pieces at any minute.”

  “You can your human. Look at what happened out there, you could have drowned. You would be dead if Max did not put your spine back together. How can you be so reckless with your life?”

  “It is my life. I’m being human. I’m part of your immortal world now, whether you like it or not and you can’t keep me in a safe bubble.”

  “Kase, I cannot lose you yet, I just got you. I know that day will come, you have a right to die, but I would not be able to handle it if it happens now.”

  She swallowed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  I leaned in and kissed her.

  “Oh, my love, your lips are still so cold.” I backed off.

  I sat on the toilet lid, and took a few more sips of wine so did she. I relaxed my shoulders.

  “By the way, you know who we heard from today? Professor Darius Mubarak.”

  She swallowed hard. “I know, I’m related to Pandora.”

  Taken by surprise I asked, “How…?”

  “I spoke to Helen at the hogueras, she too mentioned my lineage to Pandora. What did the Professor say?”

  “He said it is scary how similar your DNA is to Pandora’s. She must be no more than three generations from you.”

  “How is that possible? I thought immortals could not breed anymore,” she asked.

  “We cannot. I do not know, perhaps we need to look into your lineage and see how many of Pandora’s descendants there are.”

  “Yeah, something.” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. She pulled the curtain back her silhouette lean down and dipped into the water. Overheated, I tugged at my thin knitted sweater. I took another sip of wine. She ran her hands through her hair and I swallowed nervous. I wanted her. I wanted to see the natural beauty that lay behind that curtain. She popped her head back out.

  “Are you all right?” she asked bewildered.

  “I think I am going to have to remove myself from the bathroom soon.”

/>   It took her a second to grasp my subtleness. With a grin, she looked down at her naked body.

  “Ah, I understand,” she said. If her cheeks were not already rosy pink, she would be blushing. I let out a long low breath, knelt down in front of the tub, and leaned in to kiss her. Her lips warmed up. The wetness from her soft skin left my own damp. As we kissed, I opened my eyes briefly. Her bare back, hip, thigh, and bent leg twisted forward in the water. Abruptly, I backed away.

  I scooped up her dripping, burnt smelling, clothes from the bathroom floor.

  “What are you doing,” she asked with some worry.

  “I am taking them to the dryer. I most certainly am not sending you home to the Castillo’s in my clothes again,” I smiled at her and made a quick exit from the bathroom.

  18. Kasey’s Spanish Christmas

  December 24th the busiest I have ever been in Deia. The preparations for the night’s festivities took days. I spent the entire day helping in the kitchen. The feast that was prepared for after the midnight mass was enormous in quantity. These new experiences were something I relished. I even looked forward to the Mass until one in the morning and then the party until the early morning hours. What a way to enter Christmas day partying all night.

  The wine drinking started early afternoon on Christmas Eve and went well until sundown Christmas day. I was to meet Dion at his house before the mass then we would ride together to church. The Castillo’s had to be there earlier because Garcia and Rodrigo sang in the all boys choir. The temperature was pleasant, warmer than the night of the winter solstice. I put on a fuzzy, vibrant, green, and silver thin turtleneck sweater with a long flowing white skirt and my white boots. I styled my hair half way up.

  The Kleon house bustled with five men trying to get ready, tying ties, finding shoes, and a very potent smell of different kinds of after shaves. The mood at the house for the past few days had been a somber one. Even though they were coming out and celebrating tonight the truth was that, they were still hurt and bothered by the actions of Sam and James. Yet with everything that happened, they yearn for the family to be complete again.