Where Dragons Haunt (The Diaspora Book 1)

by Scott Meaders

Chapter 33

  Though you forget the way to the Temple,

  There is one who remembers the way to your door:

  Life you may evade, but Death you shall not

  You shall not deny the Stranger.

  ~T.S. Eliot~

  When Zoe awoke he found that he was alone in the room. He felt the revelations of the previous night to have settled somewhat. He still felt insignificant and just a boy, but somehow he now expected things. Before he was just a boy, now he was a boy that had a mother of importance. He recalled the astonishment on the faces and knew that there must be more to what he was thinking.

  Zoe left the room and met the others out in the main room where Mikael was awaiting him. He felt a little strange being in the midst of them with this knew found royalty in his blood. He didn’t like the way that they looked at him, both with a leery eye and a hopeful gaze, distrustful that he was the son of the former queen and hopeful that it might be true.

  “Good, I see the morning has awaken you with your mind and spirit intact,” Mikael said as he saw Zoe approaching. The men in turn rose to their feet as to prepare for their journey.

  They all traveled to the cities gate and upon reaching the unprotected land of the wilderness, Mikael bid the group farewell. He took Zoe aside to speak with him of the things ahead, “I know that things have been fast for you. But you must understand Zoe that the gods care for you is like none other that I have seen before. Take heart, all will go as they desire for you.” Zoe wondered if his death was in the plan of the gods. The wizard continued, “You must face the place of the dragons. You must!”

  Zoe responded bravely, as a true son of a queen, “I will be honorable to my mother and do as the gods have requested of me.”

  “Indeed, you are of noble blood!”

  The newly formed group traveled on for the duration of the day finding at the setting of the suns a spring that was both alive with beautiful wildflowers and refreshing with cold mountain water. The men all talked and seemed to agree that they should set camp. Gabriel turned to Zoe, “As you are our financier we look to you. Is this a suitable place to stay?”

  Phoneus seemed most anxious about allowing the boy to override their choice, “Why even ask the boy? He doesn’t know best.”

  Gabriel gave him an icy look of distain, “Zoe will decide.”

  Zoe looked around, “It looks fine for the night to me, but I feel something bad in the air about this place.”

  “See the boy feels, he is moved like a woman’s emotions to make choices.”

  “I said it was fine.”

  They made camp and settled for the night. Zoe was off to himself as he felt distant to the rest of the men. While he lay upon his bedding, he could hear the noises of the night. They were not comforting to him as every little thing brought fear to him. He looked directly into the darkness thinking he heard something. He looked intently into the darkness. He heard a cracking noise again and again. The noise became numerous as he focused into the darkness. He saw moving figures. He knew what was about instantly, an attack.

  He quickly yelled out as he rolled over turning toward the group, “Men are coming in the darkness. He scampered toward the group and made it to them when the ambush took its course. There were seven that came from out of the darkness. The first sign that it was an ambush came when Phoneus took out his knife and pressing it deep into the back of Agathos ending his life.

  Gabriel saw this and took his sword and swiftly made an end of the traitor knowing his motives. The remaining four men fought valiantly protecting the young boy. Zoe had grabbed the fallen knife of Phoneus and used it for his own protection. As the fighting went on, the assailants fell one by one until only two were left. They fled into the darkness. Never to be seen again as Gabriel pursued them. He made a quick end of them returning shortly after he had left.

  The men were nursing their wounds when Gabriel returned. Zoe had a large gash in his right upper arm. Nomisma had already sown the wound shut. Gabriel was unharmed in the endeavor. They had swords readied when he returned. When they saw his face, they lowered their arms. “Good thing we have a memory for faces or your head would be on the forest floor,” Kruptos spoke with a tired look on his face.

  “As all things played out, I think we are fortunate not to have lost the whole of the skirmish,” Nomisma said to liven up conversation. “Who would have guessed that Phoneus would have acted such?”

  Zoe walked over to the fallen member of their band. He spoke to the group, “We must give Agathos a proper burial.”

  They looked at him as if he were a fool. “Do you want to squander your strength on a man killed with the first blow? I for one will not,” Kruptos blurted out.

  As none offered to help, not even Gabriel, Zoe sought to do the work himself. Through the night Zoe used much of his strength and energy digging a place of burial for the man. When he was finished, Gabriel drug the body to the hole for the boy and lowered the corpse into the ground. Zoe then spent many hours covering the body with large rocks that he could find near the camp. All the men slept restlessly while Zoe was about his work, none willing to help. He finished the burial when the seventh moon had appeared indicating it was almost time for the first sun to arise. Zoe stood up over the grave and spoke a word of farewell, “Agathos, though you have forgotten the way to the temples of the gods, there was one who remembered their way to your door. You in life avoided death, but he found you and took you to the grave, the place of the dead. My friend, be at peace, for you were a good man.”

  Zoe went and found a spot on the ground to sleep through what was left of the night. When Zoe was upon the ground, Gabriel turned and spoke to him, “That was a kind thing you have done for a man you did not know.”

  Zoe responded, “He was a kind man; he would have done the same for me, that I know.” Rolling over Zoe found sleep to come easily.

  Chapter 34

  The difference between humans

  and wild animals

  is that humans pray

  before they commit murder.

  ~Friedrick Dürrenmatt~

  Thanatos was at the shrine of the gods bending down in a prayerful state. His eyes were closed while on his knees bending forward with his forehead pressed to the ground. He had placed precious rocks, symbolic to the god, around him in a circular fashion. The rocks glistened in the light of the suns giving a semblance of divine presence around the youth. Thanatos breathed in deep breaths slowly while exhaling in similar fashion. Slowly taking in breaths and slowly releasing them all to calm his soul before the shire of the god Chokmah.

  The top of the shrine was a marble statue of a tree representing the Tree of Life. Only the words of Wisdom were written upon the shrine. The shrine itself was made over four hundred years previous. No one in the village had any idea as to the craftsman that built the shrine. Most of the villagers had forgotten the shrine as they in their hearts denied the gods. Not Thanatos. He brought his body up while remaining in a kneeling position with great concentration. He was deeply devoted to his time of prayer.

  Xurao came upon the tranquil scene of the devoted believer and didn’t believe any of it. Out of all the kids in the village, Xurao was the boldest and bravest. He came up and stood right next to Thanatos and waited for the boy to end his charade of piety. Yet nothing occurred. Thanatos continued in his state of concentration even though Xurao was confident that Thanatos knew he was there.

  Xurao ended the silence, “Look, you can do all you want to show that you are a religious zealot, and your dear Master Raziel may believe you, but I don’t. Let’s get on with it; get up off your knees and face me.” No response except continued breathing from the worshiper. Xurao was not one to give up though because he was convinced that his friends’ disappearance was somehow connected to the boy in prayer.

  Xurao came closer and gave Thanatos a forceful shove. This sent him sprawling to the ground. He put out his hands in automatic response which stopped him from smacking his head against
a rather large rock. With his eyes closed, Thanatos resumed his prayerful position and prayed openly, “Oh gods of our land. To Chokmah I seek your face to know your will and your desires. I have asked countless times for the safe return of the missing boys, but no answer from your hand. I will never cease praying as I will continually look to your hands until you respond, until you give of your favor for the missing boys.”

  Xurao shot out in disgust, “You are pathetic. Do you know that?”

  Thanatos continued, “Oh Chokmah only you know my devotion to you. I have devoted my life in service to you, to your ideals and your way of life. I beg for you to consider my prayer. Hear me o’ god of wisdom. What can I do to convince you to bring the boys back to us?”

  The boy towered over him, having enough mockery; he again gave Thanatos another shove. This time Thanatos’ face hit the hard rock. His face bounced off of it and sustained a huge gash just above the eyebrow. As with any head injury, a lot of blood started to poor out of the boy’s face. Again Thanatos kept his eyes of devotion closed and resumed posture of prayer. While blood poured down his face, he prayed with a devilish smile, “Oh Chokmah, I now hear your will; upon my ears, a voice whispers. Something in the brush you say. Something, but what, I do not understand.”

  Xurao looked up as he heard a noise from the brush that was behind the alter. He stepped to the side of the alter to get a better view, but the rustling in the weeds stopped at that moment. He looked again at Thanatos, “What trick are you pulling?”

  “Chokmah you say words for the voice behind me? To speak to him? But what words! Oh, those are the most terrible words of all. I will not speak them to him.”

  Xurao was losing patience but was also a little curious, “Are you so foolish to believe that the gods are with you? What words would they have you speak to me?”

  Thanatos bent low to the ground and then shot back up upon his knees repeating this several times as if in deep prayer. He then spoke, “Chokmah, I speak the words for your sake, ATTACK NOW!” Suddenly a beast with elongated body and four legs leapt out of the brush. The beast was on all fours with a whipping tail. The creature hissed as it looked at his prey. Xurao fell over backwards sensing extreme danger. He started to crawl backwards quickly. Getting to his feet, he turned to run, but the beast was upon him quickly. The creature put its mouth over the head and shoulders of the boy and started to work Xurao’s whole body down. Within an instance the entirety of the boy was in the belly of the monster.

  Thanatos finished his prayers and stood up looking around. “Oh my, a Katesthio. I have heard of you before. You as the people say cannot be tamed, nor told what to do. You also devour your victims whole. You must have found something to eat, or you would have come to devour me. Good thing for me. I wonder though, what you might have found to eat here in our village?”

  The beast slither away with a full stomach as Thanatos walked back to his master's abode being full of cheer. When he came in sight of the dwelling, he saw Raziel out front doing some menial chore.

  “Fair weather we are having this day,” Thanatos spoke cheerfully while the blood was becoming crusted on his face.

  Raziel replied at first without looking, “Yes is it a good day for…Oh my what happened to your head?”

  “I was praying and had fits of falling while before the god Chokmah. I hit a rock with my head, but I believe the gods have answered my prayers as all of my enemies are no more.”

  Raziel further questioned him, “Which enemies?”

  “Oh the boys that hurt me.”

  “You murdered them?”

  Thanatos looked offended, “How could you say such a thing, “One was swallowed up by the ground, and you know the other ate a poisonous leaf. And while I was praying to your god, the last one was devoured by a Katesthio. Now you know as well as I do that they are not trainable. So how could I have anything to do with his death?” He said this while fidgeting with his bracelet.

  Chapter 35

  Alone he rides, alone,

  The fair and fatal king:

  Dark night is all his own,

  That strange and solemn thing.

  ~Lionel Pigot Johnson~

  “Gentlemen, I do believe that things are not so bad. I have found in my many travels that it is a difficult thing to find a group of people that are able to get along with such circumstances. We have little food left; we are destined to be dead or rich. We have our guide buried by the effort of our young leader. Now as I see it we are doing quite well!”

  “So, Nomisma of Asphaleia,” Nomisma became nervious once Tapeinosis spoke, “did you say with your many travels?”

  “Why yes…um I did.”

  Tapeinosis wanted to expose him for a fool, “Really and where have you gone? To the Twin Cities?”

  “Oh, much farther than that!”

  “So you have been to the Twin Cities?”

  “Yes,” Nomisma responded being very unsure of himself.

  “What reads upon the tablets of gold?”

  He looked from face to face only to see laughing mockery, “Well, it has been a long time since I have been to the Twin Cities, so long. I don’t think the tablet was there when…”

  Laughter erupted until Zoe spoke, “Is this not a Fife used for military battle?” They quieted to hear him. “The twins divided shall fall

  Their life’s end will be at the tune of the fife. Do you need to hear more?” Zoe glared at Tapeinosis, “Do you need to make a mockery of everyone.”

  “Oh master Zoe, it is in jest, no harm done?”

  “The harm is eternal as every word from a man’s mouth shall be heard by the gods. As the gods are eternal, they shall never forget your words. Nor do those you harm with your mockery.” All were dismayed at the words of the young boy, Zoe being surprised at his own boldness as well.

  Gabriel smiled, “Well said Zoe, but we now have a dilemma before us. There are two passageways before us. We have directly north, through the cold wastelands of Adokimos the place for the reprobate, or we could simply go around. What is your biding?” The others looked at Gabriel wondering why he continually looked to the boy as their guide.

  “Before the boy answers, I must say that the wastelands are from what I’ve heard a place barren of all that is good. You bring us through a place of bitter cold, with our supplies, we are all bound to die. My vote is to go around,” Nomisma spoke up quickly as he feared all reports of the place.

  Kruptos gave his mind as well, “Given Nomisma is a person of local origin, my vote is as his is.”

  “I have no vote. I can go through anything!” Tapeinosis proclaimed with a stern face.

  “And what is your word Zoe?”

  “How long would it take to go through the wasteland as compared to around?” Zoe asked of Gabriel.

  Nomisma jumped in, “Doesn’t matter to me. Any time to go around is well spent time!”

  Zoe asked again, “Gabriel?”

  “I think it would be an extra week to go around. The way though is not long, but it is severe. I believe it stretches out more to make the journey around longer.”

  “Then we shall go through!”

  “What?” Nomisma objected. “You are just a boy. Do we need to listen to him? Why not just go around?”

  Gabriel interjected, “We must do as Zoe pleases, as he is the one that has commissioned our group. If you wish to turn back, you are more than welcome.”

  “I’m just saying that it makes so much more sense to go around. The boy will get us all killed!”

  “Was that not a possibility at the start? We all might die, you knew this from the beginning.”

  As the group saw the determination of Zoe to go through the cold wastelands of Adokimos, they gave up and started through the region. At first the bitter cold only slowed the men down. They were not prepared for the cold weather of freezing ice and windy snowstorms. Visibility through the snowstorms was very difficult. At one point they had to tie a rope to each other’s arms as not to lose one an
other. With all the difficulties they still made it with relative ease to the heart of Adokimos the most dangerous point of all.

  The eye of Adokimos, a frozen wasteland of relative calm compared to the outer shell of the land’s storm. The men came upon the area of the frozen hell, half alive with icicles formed on every portion of their faces. The men came out and could not talk at first being so cold and disoriented.

  Nomisma broke the silence with frozen, batted breath, “I…I..I cccanttt beeeellieve…I cant believe it. Weee ma..ma made…it” He breathed excessively using up valuable energy.

  “N..N…No. On..only th..th..the eye.”

  Nomisma looked around and saw the storms other side only about fifty yards away. Deep depression overshadowed his flesh as he realized they were only half way. His thoughts were slow, but centered on disbelief and wondering how they could possibly survive.

  The men stood silently for a moment wanting to rest upon the ground, even Gabriel in his flesh wanted to rest knowing it would spell their doom. Zoe finally spoke, “We mu..must go on. We must!”

  “No…I wa..want to re..rest,” Nomisma shot back.

  “I will go with..without you.” Zoe didn’t wait for a reply. He started off toward the other side. The men stood for a moment all wanting to stay.

  Finally, Gabriel came to his senses and started walking, calling over his shoulder, “We will d..die if we d..don’t move now.” Each one in turn followed knowing that his words were true.

  With each step, the men’s determination was weakened, none more so than Nomisma. He wanted to find a resting spot to alleviate his weary body. He was searching for such a spot while the others traveled onward. He had deviated from the main coarse without knowing so and started to wander off towards the east, his weary eyes ever looking for his place of rest.

  Those eyes finally honed in on something that he had not seen before. It looked to him as if there were a giant gem within an inch of the surface, buried beneath a sheet of ice. He looked more closely and saw that a man was holding a gem frozen to death. Nomisma looked around seeing the others just in the distance. His heart started to pump with greed. He spoke in his mind, if I can only get to the gem. I will make it back to the others.