Where Dragons Haunt (The Diaspora Book 1)

by Scott Meaders

  The greed of the man took over where reason had left off. He was within a quarter inch of the gem when the others had noticed that he was not following. Gabriel looked intently at him to see what he was about. Upon realizing the man’s intentions Gabriel yelled out, “Nooooo!”

  But it was too late as Nomisma had broken though the ice to the precious stone. He reached out his hand to dislodge the diamond finding the stone smooth to the touch. His mind was desirous, but empty of understanding. Fear filled his heart. He found that when he tried to pull the stone loose that his hand had become attached to the object of his desire. He pulled with great strength, but found no way to dislodge the object.

  When he was just about to give up and lay down with his hand attached, he looked into the eyes of the frozen man beneath the ice. A pearly white pupil stared up at him as the creature’s eyes were now fully opened being fixed on Nomisma. He looked at the man from the dead and fought to get free but only found the more he struggled the more he was bound.

  Without warning as Nomisma struggled, the man beneath the ice broke though and grasped onto Nomisma in a sea of water and ice. The arms of death wrapped around Nomisma and drug him under. He fought with death but found himself sinking under and lost strength, finally resolving to die a bitterly cold watery death.

  Gabriel had other intentions as he had come close and stuck his sword down into the chilled sea of ice. The sword glowed with a flame of fire and warmed all within its region. Nomisma in a last ditch desperation grabbed onto the object that he saw beneath the surface of water. He felt no cuts from the blade of the sword, nor did he feel any pain from the flames emitting from the blade. Somehow being stuck to the sword, Gabriel pulled Nomisma to the surface with ease.

  The undead reached up at Gabriel desperate for the taste of death. Gabriel drove his sword deep within the creature. An unearthly sound shrieked as the creature in pain slipped slowly down into the icy abyss.

  All the men were surrounding Nomisma in shaken bewilderment. He was dry and had no ill effects of the waters bitter cold. He seemed even to be revitalized and warm. Gabriel looked at the men and knew that they wondered at the strange event. “Now men, if you don’t mind, I would like to be done with this place without further incident as the gods may not be as kind to us in the future.”

  The group made their way thought the wasteland of Adokimos with relative speed after the deadly eye. Once the men came through to the other side, they fell to the warm dry ground and gasped for air soaked in the warmth. The sat in silence for a moment as they thawed, in mind and body.

  Once things were back to normal or as normal as they could be, Nomisma led the verbal assault, “So Zoe, in all of your wisdom do you think risking our lives was such a wise endeavor?” Zoe sat silently as he had no words for his choices. He realized that the journey was more dangerous than he had originally thought.

  Kruptos looked at Zoe with rage, “Now what, boy?”

  “How was I to know?” Zoe tried to defend himself.

  “Yes, a boy, how would you know, maybe you should consider doing as we say,” Tapeinosis said sharply.

  Zoe wandered off by himself as the others started a fire to keep warm with the approaching night. Zoe wanted nothing of their company, nor their fire. Gabriel spoke under his breath, “Ah, he is alone, a fair boy fated to be king, the dark night shall be his bedfellow, his comfort and rest, it is a strange thing, a truly grave thing for a mighty king to be on his own.” Darkness fell on the land as the men closed their eyes and found rest.

  Chapter 36

  What doth the Lord require of thee,

  but to do justly,

  and to love mercy,

  and to walk humbly with thy God?

  ~Micah 6:8~

  Upon the morning light the men were thawed from the bitter cold of Adokimos. The first to wake was the loudest; Nomisma moaned, “Ahh, why such a foolish boy did we follow? Ahhh. I still feel the pain.”

  “Shut your foolish mouth lest I come and show you real pain.” Tapeinosis shot back being irritated at the sound of all the voices. He slowly rolled over on his side only to realize how much worse he felt than he had originally thought, so he added to his threat, “By the way, if you think I play jest, I will disembowel you slowly just so you know that I mean what I say!” Nomisma cringed at the man’s words and clinched his lips tightly lest something foolish were to escape.

  Kruptos awoke at the men’s banter. His crusted eyes split allowing the light of day to reach his pupil which caused the large dark center to quickly retract into a small core. The man’s eyes were bloodshot with agony feeling the pain of the journey. He blinked rapidly trying to fight off the light, but upon having no success he held his eyelids firmly open to embrace the pain. Around each eye, a crusty goop had formed which became stringy when he opened his eyes. The substance was blocking some of his view. He at first looked passed the goop into the bright surrounding, but found that he was irritated by the substance. He lifted his right arm and whipped it off onto his clothing. After doing so he let his right arm fall back to the ground and waited for something to stir him to action.

  The boy had been asleep through the conversation of the two. It wasn’t until Tapeinosis bellowed out his angry disposition about not having food that Zoe was stirred from his slumber. Zoe opened his eyes suddenly as if from a horrid nightmare. When his eyes shot open, he could see the light coming in from the canopy of trees that surrounded the men. He was not at first aware of his surroundings and situation as he had been dreaming of his brother and sisters. They were playing a game of hide the stone. A pretty red sapphire stone was used to hide, and the others would find it. His dream was abrupt and chaotic as it came and went with the morning noise.

  Zoe sat up and looked at the two men before him that had been talking. The looks that were shot his way were filled with hate and distain. Zoe said nothing to their vile looks. Rather he searched the environment for some sign of the morning’s doings. He saw Kruptos wide awake lying on his back saying nothing, possibly in deep thought about the problems Zoe had caused. Zoe felt shame pass over him as a heavy weight was felt upon his heart. He felt that he had been hasty and had made a mistake. Why had he chosen to risk their lives, why did he foolishly go where the others did not want to go?

  As the weight of the passing trial weighed on his mind, he noticed that Gabriel was missing. “Has anyone seen Gabriel?” Zoe ventured to ask letting his words float out on the thick morning air.

  “Maybe he sees through you!” Nomisma shot back quickly.

  “Now, now, Nomisma! Is that any way to talk to your benefactor?” Tapeinosis voiced. Kruptos sat up to listen to their conversations. “I mean, the boy did not mean to cause us trouble, he was only considering our well being.” A smile spread on his face.

  Zoe had never noticed him to have smiled before. His smile took up his whole face reaching from ear to ear showing a mouth full of rotten teeth. The smile did not bring the least bit of comfort to the thirteen-year-old boy. He reiterated his question as chills went up his spine from the unnatural feelings the man’s smile gave him, “Has anyone seen Gabriel?”

  Sharply Nomisma responded, “No, and I wouldn’t be shocked to know that he has abandoned our escapade. I myself am considering doing in like manner!”

  “Really, and how do you suppose to find your way home, world traveler?” Tapeinosis interjected with the last two words filled with scorn.

  “I…I know my way around. Anyway, I am here and want my share, so don’t think that I would leave without my share!” Nomisma turned away from the group realizing that he had lost any possible respect from the group that might have been gained and was in fear for his own safety.

  “Did anyone see Gabriel?”

  “No, Zoe we have not. We have only seen what you see before you now.” Kruptos paused before continuing, “A group of hungry men following a foolish young boy!”

  No sooner had his words come out than Gabriel appeared. The man came to the cen
ter of the group looking about them knowing their thoughts and intentions. Gabriel understood that the men only treated Zoe kindly because of his presence and that when he was no longer around, things would change. He spoke as if all were as fair as a mid summer’s day, “What a beautiful place this is!”

  They all looked at him strangely not understanding how he could be so cheerful. Eyes darted around looking at the surroundings, wondering if they had missed something. Dead trees lay about, rotting from the years. Dark places seemed to be hiding behind every tree and in every nook. The men were only thankful for the little sunshine that came in upon them. They were bewildered by his words and his demeanor. Gabriel seemed genuinely joyful.

  Nomisma spoke up as was his custom, “Are you mad? Do you not see your surroundings? Did the boy not almost kill us all?”

  Gabriel looked from face to face reading bewilderment on each and properly responded to each question in turn, “No, I am not mad as you would have me be. Madness is when one sees not the reality of the situation. I might very well call all of you mad! And as for the surrounding, I see the same dark grizzly things you see, but I see beyond the darkness to the light of day as you too shall soon see.” He paused for this last part, “Now you blame the boy?”

  “Don’t you? He clearly had led us though Adokimos which almost claimed our lives!”

  Gabriel looked deep within the man’s heart and struck between the protective covering of his heart, “The boy is the only one that saved us as you have rightly spoken.”

  “Back to madness, what foolishness do you speak!” Nomisma was angered by Gabriel’s speech.

  “Madness? No, was is not you that dug within the heart of Adokimos the wasteland of the heart? It is the emptiness of the heart that drives a man to such madness. It was you that almost got us all lost. You who wanted to rest upon the ground. You, who wanted the foolish treasures of the land. You who wandered from our course in search of a soft bed! Yes, the boy was leading us out as with the lamb and the lion, but you would have none of his wisdom.”

  Nomisma was hot, not at Gabriel as one might suppose, but at Zoe for the truth of the situation. He loathed the boy as he knew that Zoe had walked humbly with the gods in the dew of the morning while his own heart was dark with snakes and vipers leading him to his death in Adokimos. If all were gone save him and Zoe, he would have leapt upon him and torn him to pieces for the vile wickedness that was within. But as it was, they were not alone.

  Gabriel seeing the darkness passed over it, “Let us forget this; in its time we may come to it again. But of my happiness I want to share. Come with me to the running waters that have given me such joy.”

  They looked at him with surprise. “What do you speak of?” Zoe questioned the man’s words.

  “I speak of the streams of life. Did you not know,” He looked kindly into the eyes of Zoe, “that from the depths of the Dragons’ abode from the place the owls call home, the water’s of the gods flow. Zoe, from death flows life and from life flows death. The stream starts out small and grows to a magnitude that could fill the land if only the inhabitants of the land were willing.” He looked around at the men’s faces, “Enough talk, let us refresh ourselves.”

  They all got up with the little supplies that remained and followed Gabriel to the place of flowing waters. The journey to the described place was a little difficult as many overhanging limbs reached down to block the passageway, and the thorns and thistle bushes crept inward to seal off the path. Nevertheless the men made their way down the short path to a gently flowing stream. The stream looked to be about ten feet wide and two or three feet deep. There were many stones that were breaking the surface of the water that could be used for stepping-stones. The place breathed of gentleness, if ever there were an opposite to Adokimos, they had found it.

  The men, being very thirsty, bent down, putting their faces to the water and drank heartily. Gabriel took handfuls of water as he sat by the shore watching the men drink like wild animals. Zoe stood back and watched them not trusting his surroundings. The men seemed revitalized filled with life and vigor. Nomisma turned on his back and laughed as the ends of his long grisly hair met with the water. He laughed aloud, “Yes, I feel the life flowing though me! Oh, to live a thousand lives and not to taste of this joy is to have never lived at all.” He burst out in laughter again. The others got up from their animalistic postures and laughed with him. Even Gabriel was smiling and laughing with the men that he hand once seen as dark instruments of evil.

  Strangely Zoe did not partake of their delights as he looked about feeling now the eyes of the men concentrating on him. “Why Zoe do you not drink with us?” Kruptos asked in kindness. His only desire at the moment was that Zoe would be with them as they were. Zoe did not respond.

  Tapeinosis became worrisome, “Are you well my friend?” They were the first kind words Tapeinosis had generously spoken to the child. “Come to the water and drink freely and enter into the joy with us!”

  A small portion of Zoe wanted to, as he had been an outsider the whole time. The feeling of inadequacies and failures spoke loudly to him, beckoning him to join the group of men, but Zoe felt something was not good about the water. He voiced his thoughts among the merry men, “I don’t feel right.”

  “Join us and all your worries will leave!” They all spoke wishing for his best.

  “No!” Zoe shouted.

  The men were confused; they could not comprehend why the boy would not want to be a part of something so wonderful. Tapeinosis looked at him questioning, “What do you see that is so wrong? We are hurting no one; we only have been drinking to our own pleasure. Why do you not want to be with us?”

  “Don’t you see,” Zoe found voice to his concerns and words of wisdom for his reasoning, “this is the same as Adokimos!”

  Laughter erupted. Nomisma turned around and took a big drink of the flowing waters. He again spun over on his back, “My friend Zoe, now I know you are a child, weak and foolish. I know the cold waters of Adokimos!” He laughed heartily, “These waters only bring pleasure not harm. You are afraid of nothing, come and join us!”

  Gabriel spoke, “Why do you not want to drink?”

  “Because Adokimos would have had us die in the coldness of covetousness. Nomisma was willing to lay down in weakness, desiring solace for his soul. When he saw the wealth of the icy land, he was willing to give up his life for it. All of you are now willing to give up your lives for the pleasure of the flowing waters.”

  “But this is not bad!” Kruptos protested.

  “No, are you so sure?” Zoe responded. “Are you sure that you will not also lay here and waste away in your pleasure drinking and forgetting what life is? I will not delay; I will go on to the dragons and owls. The gods have thrust me forth to a place that I dread and now the pleasures that you partake of I choose not. I will not have of your drink!”

  Zoe turned and started to walk towards the north. The men looked in bewilderment. Frozen there as by the pleasures of the water. Kruptos spoke first, “How can he say such things without having tasted of the pleasures as we have?”

  “I know!” Gabriel spoke.

  “How?”

  “Because he speaks the truth. We would stay here. I was only allowed to leave by the mere mercy of the gods. What did I do? I came to drag you into the same pleasures that I had before. I would have had you waste your life here in pleasure drinking and never being satisfied.”

  “What do you speak of? Never being satisfied?”

  “Think, are you satisfied with just one drink? No, you must continue to drink or the pleasure leave you, and you must stay by the waters or you will not be able to drink. Even when I left the waters to talk to you, I yearned to return because of my frailty. Only those who have not taken of the water could resist the pull of happiness. I must leave now or waste away with the living waters.” Gabriel took his leave and followed Zoe as quickly as possible without looking back.

  The three men couldn’t believe what
they had just heard. “What fools! The man is taken in by the boy!”

  “I make no plans to leave here ever!”

  “I am by your side my friend!”

  The three became sworn friends willing to die together for any cause. They blasphemed, they cursed and they drank their fill until they could drink no more. As one turned over on his back, he was delighted with delirious joy. He thought to himself, I could go after Zoe and then get the treasures and return to this place. Another thought along those lines as well, as well did the third. Truth be told the men found that the pleasure of the living waters were leaving them, and they found bitter tastes in their mouths. They would not admit to themselves that Zoe and Gabriel were right; they would have wasted away here trying to get the joy they so desperately wanted.

  Kruptos rose slowly and reluctantly, “Let us go as we all must realize that our future lies with the boy.” In turn they all got up and followed the same path that Zoe and Gabriel had taken only moments ago. Each in turn longingly looked back at the waters wishing that someday they would find their way back.

  The men quickly caught up to the two and found them looking over a green meadow with a house at the bottom of the valley. Not only was the meadow an out of the ordinary sight, but the house itself standing by itself seemed out of place. It was a strange sight, as they had not expected to see anyone living out in the midst of this land. Then the misery returned to all the travelers as they saw the lone stream of smoke rising in the air. Their realization of hunger and emptiness had returned as the waters had only given the appearance of satisfaction.

  Even Zoe felt shame at the thoughts that started to enter his mind. I could just steal a little bread to satisfy my hunger. It is not that bad, they must have lots to eat, they won’t mind. The others did not fair well with their thoughts as well, and again Zoe had to be the leader of the group. He knew that if his thoughts were bad, the others must be diabolical. He spoke such as well, “I know that you think we can find food down there, but I do not believe that we should go…”