by D. W. Rigsby
Under the blanket she kicked at him and then smiled.
“I know you, woman. I know how you are. One day you are all loving, the next stubborn, and the next in your own world; shall I go on?” His face boasted a large grin, and he touched her hand.
“No, my king.” She climbed on top of him and kissed him. She sighed again.
“Ah, you’re tortuous, too? Maybe we should have you in charge of the guard. It might do well for us and be unfortunate for our enemies,” he said. Then he slid off the bed and got up. He continued to undress. “Petro will do fine; you’ll see. You have a mother’s love for him, I know. I, too, want him to do well—as a father would for his son. Did you see him today? Standing up for me? It made me very proud of him,” he said.
The light in the room dimmed as she moved the control on her linkup. “I was proud, too. I know he’ll do well. I just worry about him. He’s fragile. I can feel it. He’s missing something in his life, and I think I know what it is.”
“His mother and father,” he said. “I would want to know them, even if they didn’t want to know me.”
“Yes. Here at least he didn’t feel the need so much, but out there his need will grow. And what if he finds his parents?” she said.
“The Numas said they were dead, didn’t they?” King Amerstall said. Naked, he walked over to a bronze bowl filled with water. He washed his hands, wiped his face, and used a white cloth to dry himself.
“They did, but the Numas tell the truth when necessary. They hid the truth from us about the prophecy. I think they might have hidden the parents’ identities from us, too, and for reasons I do not know or understand,” she said, opening up the blankets as he slid under them with her. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on her belly.
“If they are or aren’t dead, and no one knows their names, what does he have to go on?” They both fell silent, each in their own thoughts. The castle did feel different, that difference being that Petro was gone. King Amerstall stretched and yawned. “Maybe it is better that way. No need to read into things or question the Numas’ motives. He was a young lad when he came to us, and we are all he knows and should know. There’s no one out there for him; if they were, he’d be with them now. And pay no mind to the prophecy. It will fill Petro’s head for a while, but he’ll soon realize it means nothing.”
She pushed herself up on her elbow and faced her king. “I know you don’t subscribe to my ways, the ways of the Numas, but prophecy is something not to be taken lightly.”
“I mean no disrespect, my love. You know my mind. In time Petro will come to his own reasoning, whether or not this prophecy is something that holds meaning for him or it if holds nothing for him. I believe—and I say this with a true mind—this prophecy is nothing more than a way for men to believe in something greater than themselves,” King Amerstall said. He placed his arm behind his head.
I don’t agree with you, my king, but time will tell, and you’ll see for yourself. She lowered herself and turned away from him. There was an excitement in her for Petro, of the prophecy, and what this may mean.
“We are all he truly has, and that is good and not good. We are not an ordinary family with our formalities, and since he was our ward, it put him in a strange place. I don’t think he felt he was a part of us, even if he knew we loved him,” she said, turning back over and proceeding to rub his scalp.
“That Numa…” he began.
She pinched him.
He cleared his throat. “Vetus Sepher told me something interesting. He said King Offing was a Keeper of sacred information for the Numas. I don’t know what this information holds, but it seems of some importance—so much so that he said Keepers are to destroy the information if an enemy overruns them. King Offing apparently tried to barter with it,” he said.
“I wonder if there is more there we should know?” She needed to find out what the Numas knew about this prophecy and what it meant for Petro.
His eyes leveled onto her, and he came closer. “Are you a Keeper?”
Her eyes sparkled. “A Keeper?” she said and then thought about it. What was it that Vetus Sepher had said to her? “I recall Vetus Sepher saying that Petro was brought to us because of my unwavering faith.”
King Amerstall nodded; the look in his eyes told her he understood.
“I never thought of it like that,” she mused out loud.
“What else did that Numa…I mean Vetus Sepher say to you?” The light caught his eyes, dancing in his dark pupils, which made them seem playful, but that warred with the serious watchfulness that was almost ever-present. “Think, now; try and remember.”
She thought back to what he had said when they first met in the garden so many seasons ago. “Nothing is coming.” She closed her eyes to picture the scene in her mind. She could see him moving toward her with Petro, just a babe, in his arms.
“He said we could raise Petro until he was of his own. I remember that. Does it mean anything?” The nail of her thumb was placed between her teeth. “No, I don’t think so. Wait…his name. Petro means stone, rock, or foundation—one of strength to build upon—but he said I could change his name if I wanted. Do you think his name means anything?” She wondered further, searching for any insight she had while waiting on her king to respond.
He shrugged as he did often, and the red in his hair shimmered from the dimmed orange light in the room. “I do not know. Maybe, maybe not. A name is only a name—it depends on the one who bears the name to live up to it. This prophecy holds nothing, though I do know strange things happen, and Petro is peculiar at times—but a supernatural being? I doubt it.”
“I think I have it. It does have to do with his name. Let me explain what I mean.” There it was in front of her—Live up to it. “His name means a stone to be thrown, as in the masculine sense of his name derived from Petros. The Numas mean to use him as a weapon, the tip of a spear of flint rock, Petro being that rock.” It was as if all she’d known about Petro and why he was here came crashing down on her. “They left him here for us to train him, to teach him honor and integrity, to know what it means to be something more than just an ordinary child. They could have sent him anywhere, but they chose here. He was meant for something greater—can’t you see it now?”
Those watchful eyes of his, the thinking behind them, the quiet self-reflection. He spoke at last. “I believe you are a Keeper. I also know there is more to Petro than both of us ever understood about him. He is in danger, that is true, and that is why the Numas came for him. Vetus Sepher spoke of Petro having special abilities. Of course it held no value for me. I am interested in Petro’s growth. Why do the Numas need him as a weapon?” He lowered his head, looking in thought toward the bed.
“I don’t know,” she said, running her hand through his hair. “I don’t like it, not at all.” She dug her nails into his scalp.
He reached up and grabbed her wrist. “Easy there; it’s my head you’re touching. The last I checked, I was not your enemy.” He pulled her close. “What should we do, my queen?”
Tokus Numas was here at the beginning, and the good works of God were passed onto the Numas after the formation of Spearca. They keep the ways of their Lord and aid those in need. Even if one should fall, two will rise, and the ways of the Lord will forever be.
—From Tokus Numas, Book I, “The Beginning,” by the Numas
Petro climbed into a wagon with Vetus Sepher; the other recruits had piled into the back. The old Numa who’d brought the other wagon was just behind them, pulling along the pool, which emptied out from underneath, sending a steady stream of water onto the dirt road as they moved along. Vetus Sepher held the leather reins in his hands. The main body of the Numas was to escort them on the road to Tokus Numas. The journey set off while it was still daylight, but soon they fell into the night; they made a quick stop, and the Numas on horseback lit lanterns to cut through the dark veil.
“Why are we traveling at night?” Petro asked Vetus Sepher.
&
nbsp; Vetus Sepher held the reins in his hands, nicking at the horses lightly with the leather straps to keep pace. “Because it’s better to travel at night than in the day. Less danger on the road.”
Petro nodded. “I see. Will we stop when morning comes?”
Vetus Sepher canted his head to one side. “Maybe.”
Petro’s brow furrowed. “I thought you said it was less dangerous to travel at night.”
“It is, but it’s easier to travel by daylight,” Vetus Sepher said and kept his gaze out front, his body relaxed.
“How long is our trip?” Petro said. He gazed up at the stars.
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“I just want to know.”
“It depends on how often we need to stop. I suggest if you need to pee, just pee over the side,” Vetus Sepher said as he glanced at Petro.
Petro chuckled quietly. Adar grunted. Sha said nothing.
“Come to think of it, here, take these.” Vetus Sepher handed the reins over to Petro. Petro’s eyebrows rose up.
“You’re serious?” Petro took the reins.
“Just hold it steady,” Vetus Sepher said.
Adar spoke up. “Not in the wind, please.”
Vetus Sepher laughed. “There’s no wind, so don’t worry. And if a little gets on you, well, just wipe it off.”
Adar moved away as far as he could, and Sha did the same.
Petro kept his face forward, but he could hear a steady stream of urine hitting the ground.
Vetus Sepher buttoned back and sat down. Petro handed him the reins as quickly as possible, never actually looking at him.
“The trip will take too long with our horses. We’ll get caught in the snowstorms coming this way. We’ll rendezvous at the gates just past the borders of Dugual in the open desert.” Vetus Sepher looked up into the sky and pointed. “You see that cluster of stars?” There were three white dots radiating outward, close to one another, almost forming a triangle. “We are headed in that direction. Always remember, if you follow the Trinitas, you will find Tokus Numas.”
“What’s at the gates?” Petro said, tapping his chin with his forefinger.
“Train. We’ll load up our cargo, horses, and men, and we’ll travel across Spearca, unload at the other gate, and head into the mountains.” Vetus Sepher shifted to get more comfortable.
Petro blinked several times. “I didn’t realize it would take so long to get there.”
“It’s not so bad by train. You get to rest your eyes a little more, and it’s easier on the horses, not to mention your backside.” Vetus Sepher tilted to his left, lifting his right cheek off the hard seat.
Petro felt it, too, the hard surface of the seat wearing on him.
“Is it true, about King Offing? Is he dead?” Petro said.
“Where’d you get that idea?”
“It was what the Father said, the way he said it, like a threat to King Amerstall, and he was no longer attacking King Offing’s castle; instead, he was in Dugual.”
Vetus Sepher gave him a sideways glance. “Well, you have good deductive reasoning. Yes, it’s true. King Offing is dead; his family, too.”
“I thought so,” Petro said under his breath. He lingered on that moment on the field, seeing the Father, how he showed himself at the ceremony after taking the life of King Offing. It was there, plain for all to see—the Father wanted to bring harm to Dugual, but how, and when? Petro hoped the Numas would help him answer that question.
“What’s that?” asked Vetus Sepher.
“Nothing.” But it wasn’t nothing. What the Father did was wrong, and Petro knew it. King Amerstall knew it, had to know it. The Numas knew it, but everyone just stood to the side and did nothing about it. Petro stewed awhile, working his way through several scenarios where he could have done something to the Father, even if only to embarrass him.
After some time on the road had passed, Adar and Sha had closed their eyes and went to sleep. Petro tried to keep his eyes open, but he found he was exhausted; still, he couldn’t stop thinking about what the Father had said to him. He was a part of some prophecy. Why? He wanted to know more, and now was a good time to ask while the others slept.
“Why did the Father say what he said, and how did he know?” Petro wanted it to come out better, but it was what it was.
“Are you going to give me any rest from these incessant questions?”
Petro looked at him blankly.
“I guess not.” Vetus Sepher took in a deep breath. “I don’t know why he told you about you being part of a prophecy. It’s too much, too soon. There is a prophecy, and it’s true that you may have some part in it, but I don’t know all the details. Before you ask me, because I know you are going to ask: Yes, we’ve known for some time; and yes, we didn’t tell you about it because it’s a lot for one of your age to consider. We wanted to wait for the right time,” Vetus Sepher said. “And the answer to the second part he just found out.”
Petro took in the words and tried to make sense of it himself. He could see why they might keep it from him, but it still didn’t answer a lot of questions that seemed to form each time he thought or asked a question. “Is that why I was chosen to join the Numas?” Petro said, looking over at Adar and Sha to make sure they were still asleep.
Vetus Sepher was quiet, and Petro waited until he was ready to answer.
“I would say it did have something to do with it. You know we brought you from Tokus Numas, don’t you?” Vetus Sepher glanced over at Petro.
“Yes, I know. I was told when I was younger. Though my…I mean, the queen and king don’t know anything about my real parents. They said the Numas didn’t know, either,” Petro said.
“It’s true, Petro. I was the one who brought you, and I don’t know any more about your parents. You were orphaned at a young age; your parents, I’m told, passed on shortly after your birth.”
Petro had not known that Vetus Sepher had brought him to Dugual, and he wasn’t sure how to respond to it. He turned to his inner thoughts, thinking of what he had learned and heard from Vetus Sepher. It wasn’t much more than he already knew. There were still more questions he had, but he felt it would be better to hold off until another time. His eyelids grew heavy, but he still managed to keep them open, though he was more or less in a comatose state while Vetus Sepher seemed wide awake, driving the wagon in the midst of night, surrounded by the Honor Guard lighting their way.
***
The night turned into day, and the dim light shone down on what looked to be a large opening in the ground, an entrance to a cavern. Petro rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and blinked several times. “Are we going in there?”
Vetus Sepher stretched one arm out and up and groaned. “Aye, we’re going in there.”
Adar and Sha stirred.
“Does the train travel underground?” Petro said. The Numas on horseback rode into the opening, and he looked up to see the arch of the cave high above as they passed through.
“Aye, it does. It travels underground for about two hundred kilometers and then resurfaces just before a lake, where it goes around and then back down into the ground. We don’t stay under the entire time, only for about half the distance; and the rest of the way is above ground,” he said, pulling back on the leather reins slightly. The horses slowed their speed down the slope into the cave.
Vetus Sepher pulled the wagon to a stop and got out. He handed the reins over to a man dressed in dark-blue overalls, who readily took them and led the horses away. Petro, Adar, and Sha hovered near Vetus Sepher as they entered through a door and went down the aisle headed to the back. The train’s seats were brown, the floor was covered with a rubber mat, and the overhead compartments had scattered luggage all about. There were people on the train, but not recruits or even Numas, as far as Petro could tell. They looked like regular folks, going on a journey of their own, their belongings just above their heads and sitting in their laps. The scent of spiced foods permeated the senses as he continued
down the center. He’d seen one man with a dried fish, salting it, taking pieces of its white flesh off, and then eating it. Another woman had flour shells and highly seasoned fried beef with red and black pepper. A girl with blond hair reached out and touched the heavy robe Petro wore now, and spoke a few words under her breath.
Petro saw Vetus Sepher glance back over his should just before he went through a door and into a new compartment. They stopped, and Vetus Sepher pointed to a room. “Two of you will sleep in here.” He waltzed into the room and put his hand on a bed. “This is your berth to sleep on, and up here is a bunk, which pulls down by that rope.” He paused. “So, which of the two want this room?”
Adar raised his hand. Petro waited to see if Sha would raise his, but he didn’t, so Petro raised his hand.
“All right then, Sha, you get the next room all to yourself.” Vetus Sepher pointed to the next door down.
“Where will you stay?” Adar spoke up.
“I’ll be in the coach section, in the seats near the door to this sleeper car,” he said.
Petro’s stomach rumbled, and he didn’t want to seem impolite, but they hadn’t had anything all night while on the road. “Excuse me, Vetus Sepher, but is there anything to eat?”
Vetus Sepher nodded. “There is—but we don’t carry much with us. Go into the next car, the dining car—you can’t miss it. There are baskets prepared; take one and only one.”
It was strange to Petro—how they went about things. The trip alone would have taken a month by wagon to get to Tokus Numas. Why even consider it? And before he could ask, he discovered Adar must have been thinking the same thing.
“Why travel by wagon all the way to Tokus Numas when you can take a train anytime?” Adar said.
Sha backed up, creating distance between him and everyone else.
Vetus Sepher scratched his chin. “It’s a way to get to know you more, before we get to Tokus Numas. The road tells a lot about a man. Not to worry; we’ll still find out what we need to know.”