Zoe felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. He went to raise his hand to feel his scalp as the source of the pain with consciousness returning to him, but found that his arms would not respond to his mind’s request. At first confusion swirled about him. He opened his eyes and found the left side of his face scrunched down into the mud. He blinked his right eye trying to focus on his surroundings. He moved his body and found that he was tied up with rope and could not move his body easily.
At first Zoe’s good nature tried to solve the situation. His mind had imagined a group attacking them and overtaking the group taking them all captive. Then his mind was brought back to what had happened moments before darkness fell on his mind, and the unsettling dull pain in his head started to pulsate. Zoe realized his betrayal and wondered what was to be done.
Zoe groaned out in pain, though he tried to keep quiet. The two men immediately brought their attention to him. Towering over the child, Kruptos used his foot and rolled Zoe over on his back. The throbbing pain increased as he rested upon a prickly shrub. The thorns dug into the scalp increasing the pain.
“Well, look here Tapeinosis. I believe we have our first opportunity at coming to terms with our benefactor.” He chuckled to himself, pleased with the sound of his own words.
“Zoe, I believe Kruptos is right. We need to have a little understanding if you know what I mean.” Zoe didn’t respond. He stayed motionless in fear looking at the two men wondering what their intentions were. “Don’t you have anything to say?” He didn’t move.
Kruptos grabbed Zoe by the hair and pulled him up toward his face, “You know what’s best, you will do as we say!” He then gave the boy’s head a shove down toward the thorn filled bush. Zoe’s head ricocheted off the ground and bounded producing excruciating pain as the thorns cut deeper into his scalp. His fear increased as he realized the desperation of his situation.
“Now, what we want are the riches, and you are going to get them for us! Do you understand?”
Kruptos added to his subversive companion, “We have been talking about your expedition, and as you are the finance of our group, you must have money beyond what we have seen.”
Zoe didn’t know what they were talking about, but he felt he had better explain the reality of the situation before their imaginations got the best of them. What he didn’t know was that their imaginations had already carried them to the limits of their wildest dreams. “I don’t know what you are getting at, but I assure you that I can give you nothing as I have nothing to give!” Zoe struggled with the ropes as he spoke.
“That is not as I see it. Remember way back when we met in the crowded little room?”
“Yeah,” Kruptos added, “The room where Mikael was so kind to introduce us all?”
Zoe didn’t grasp their hints, “What are you getting at. I have nothing, but what Mikael has.” He continued to squirm.
“Yes, what is Mikael’s is yours! We saw the jewels, and we know that you have access to them! You see our hearts are filled with lust for riches, and it was only a matter of time before you would know our true intentions as one can only hide them for so long. You see our passions and desires have led us to this path.” Tapeinosis put his foot on Zoe’s chest. “Alls we need to do is apply a little physical pressure to you,” he pressed down on his chest with the power and weight of his body, “and we suspect that you will tell us where Mikael keeps his treasure!” A greedy smile spread on his face.
Zoe squirmed under the pressure and spoke out in his distress grunting under the weight of the man’s foot, “I…I don’t know what you mean.” His voice was heavy as he got little air into his lungs. He felt his ribs might crack under the weight.
He removed his foot and spoke as he got close to his face, “No problem, we will wait. We have all the time in the world!” The two men laughed and walked a short distance away from Zoe. They were by a fire that was illuminating their profiles in the night. Zoe remained motionless as he thought about what he could do. But nothing came to mind.
Day after day, and night upon night passed, until he had been in the same state for three long days and nights with no change in his condition. Zoe became weaker as his body lacked the proper nourishment. The men became more brutal in their attempts to persuade him to give up his wealth for his freedom. Neither party relented as Zoe had not wealth and the men would not believe him.
While Zoe rested with parched lips and a dry throat, he dreamed of water. His desire for food had left him as his overwhelming desire to quench his thirst had consumed him. He lay upon the muddy forest floor as rain had saturated the ground four days previous only to leave an empty sky.
His discomfort overwhelmed him as his eyes imagined tiny bugs crawling on his flesh making their way over his body. He at first watched the tiny creatures in fear, but then found comfort as he tried to talk to them. But no voice was found upon his lips. He had hoped that one would wander near his mouth that he might capture a bug with his tongue and crunch its exoskeleton releasing the fluids of life into this mouth. His mind was so delirious with the images of the bugs that he had not noticed the ropes loosened as the claw like pinchers of the bugs chewed through the ropes.
When he was free he rolled over and tried to stand but his body would not let him. He lifted his eyes as he lay upon his stomach. Within three feet of him, he could see a giant hole in the ground. He hadn’t noticed it before and wondered if his captors had even seen it. A recollection of some thought was trying to be found. The hole, something about the hole, Zoe thought but couldn’t remember from where he had heard about it.
A distant voice that he remembered echoed in his mind. He knew the voice to be Gabriel’s. At first the voice was too distant to hear, but the wind carried the voice closer until the speech was made clear, “when the ground opens, go in as it will be your safety!” Zoe remembered the note, he remembered the men, he remembered the danger and crawled with what little strength he had. Inch by inch the boy crawled exhausting all of his resources. He stopped on many occasions to rest but knew that he needed to make it to the safety of the opening in the ground.
When at last he reached the opening a seed of doubt entered his mind, What danger lies in the darkness? It was only momentary as Zoe quickly fought the doubt off by his own, what danger lies behind with the men? His old body lay in the midst of the darkness, and he waited hearing the frantic voices shouting in anger while the search was begun.
Chapter 44
Suffer not yourselves
to be betrayed with a kiss.
~Patrick Henry~
Zoe rested in the darkness—in the shadows of obscurity. He received nourishment by a means that he at one point in his life would have thought to have been disgusting, but now he cared not how the nourishment came. While he rested, the same pincher bugs that had freed him from his captivity crawled close to his mouth. Zoe couldn’t see the bugs, but he felt them crawling on his face, his eyelids and his lips. He opened his mouth in hopes that one might enter. As he lay with his mouth ajar like a trap, the bugs entered his mouth one by one. The first one toyed with him entering halfway and then exiting quickly. Then reentering fully until his jaw came quickly down upon the helpless bug.
A crunching sound was heard each time Zoe brought his teeth together—crunch, crunch. His teeth severed the body allowing for the thick yellow and blue fluids to saturate his mouth bringing the desired relief. The sight might have made him sick, but the darkness covered the display of anything that might have otherwise made him nauseous. He continued chewing on the creature until he found that the bug was a chewed pulp that he could easily swallow.
Once the first bug was down, Zoe again opened his mouth to trap a second, third and fourth. Many more of the pincher bugs were devoured by Zoe as he continued his quest for food and fluids until his jaw became so painfully aware of its work that he had to rest.
Zoe continued this pattern of trapping, devouring and resting for a long time. He didn’t know exactly how long it had
been as the darkness enveloped him and obscured any possibilities of time indicators such as a sun, moon or star. When he felt his body had been refreshed while anxiety of waiting crept in on him, he realized that the time had come. But what was he to do.
He didn’t seem to have any access forward as the hole was too narrow, and backing out meant the possibility of getting caught. Zoe was left with one option in his mind, “Hagious, I call to you, god of gods. I ask for your protection as I have but one means of escape. I must crawl out of this hole the way I came in. I know they might still be there, but I have no options. I ask for your protection from the vile men that wish me harm, the men that wish to keep me from the journey that you have sent me on.”
Zoe believed in his heart that Hagious must keep him from the men as he was delivered so many times previous that he didn’t fear. He started to back out. It was a strange feeling for him to trust and believe in the gods, but he was forced to do what he naturally couldn’t, and that was have faith in what he couldn’t see.
He inched his way out backwards ever so slowly because of the tightness of the surroundings. At first he would stop after his slight movements in hopes of determining if he were in danger. Once he saw light, he decided that he had better go as quickly as possible. Once free from the constrictions of the hole he stood up to a shock that he was not prepared for. He was standing right in between the two men.
Fear quickly spread through his body as he thought to dart one way and then to the next, but his fears were quickly transformed into bewilderment. Kruptos spoke out to Tapeinosis, “By the gods, he was just here. How could he have escaped?”
“I don’t see any sign of the boy. He couldn’t go anywhere; its like he crawled into a hole and disappeared!”
Kruptos was looking through Zoe at Tapeinosis, “This isn’t right, he must be near by. Let’s look over here.” He pointed in a direction that was on the other side of Zoe.
Kruptos walked straight at Zoe which increased his fear. Zoe raised his hands to embrace for the impact and was ready to yell out. Zoe felt the life of Kruptos pass though him allowing him to see into his inner heart. A vile darkness dwelt there which no light penetrated. Zoe turned to watch them go. He saw Kruptos turn and look around in a dazed confusion as if he knew something had happened but was unsure as to what.
I must be lacking in substance for them not to see me, and for Kruptos to pass through me. Zoe looked at his own hand in wonder and was amazed at the situation. He realized that Hagious had delivered him from his enemies. Zoe waited for a moment until he heard the voices returning. The gods might not be as favorable if he allowed himself to be caught. He took off quickly in the northern direction leading directly toward the dragons and owls. He decided not to take his shoulder bag as it might not be invisible, and the men might be suspicious seeing it float through the air.
He ran on quickly forgetting about his surroundings. He only slowed down when he was by himself. He had emerged from the forest to enter a rocky terrain that was unstable for normal walking. He turned around to face the forest and looked to the left and could see a line of trees that had stopped at the rocks edge. He then looked to the right and looked on miles into the distance as far as he could see and noticed that the same line existed separating the trees from the rocky landscape.
Zoe would have looked on for a moment longer but a voice was heard from the forest, “He went this way, quickly.”
Zoe knew that his pursuers were upon him. He turned and quickly made his way down a steep sloping ravine, as quickly and silently as possible; but with all the loose rocks, he could be heard for miles.
When he had reached nearly to the bottom, he stopped to listen, silence for a moment. He turned to look at the top and saw nothing but rocks and wasteland. He waited for a moment and then saw two figures emerge. They saw him as well and were quickly in pursuit.
Zoe changed his direction and went across a fallen tree that bridged a large space. He was slow at getting across, but also trusted that the men would be just as slow. When he was to the other side, he was within recognizable sight of the men. He could see the sweat pouring down the angered faces as they quickly came to the tree. No words came from them, just looks of anger.
Making his way up a winding path, Zoe turned to see what he could have only hoped for. Tapeinosis had fallen off the tree onto the rocks below. He saw that Kruptos had stopped to help, but was waved on. Zoe turned to go, but found that he was at a dead end. He was overwhelmed with fear as a memory came rushing back to him from the well. He knew that there would be no escaping death this time as he had from the well. Instead of looking for a weapon he scaled the side of the cliff in hopes of being able to escape. The climbing was difficult but not impossible as he had first thought.
He came to a giant boulder that was just to the side of his reach when he heard a voice from below. “Zoe,” Kruptos called out as he kissed his hand and motioned it slowly toward the boy. “I give you a kiss of peace. I have realized my error. Please come to me and we will find our way home.”
Zoe called back to him, “I will not be betrayed by a kiss!” He went to reach for a spot to boost himself up but dislodged the boulder that had been placed by the gods. The boulder came crashing down upon Kruptos. He cried out in terror as it fell from the sky. It landed squarely on the man crushing his bones to the ground and ending his life. The bones cracked and snapped under the weight of the enormous rock.
Zoe let out a sigh of relief as his captors were gone. This was only momentary as a figure came to the base of the cliff. Tapeinosis would have been killed by the boulder as well if he had not slipped off the fallen tree in pursuit. He had caught up to the crushed man and wrinkled his face in hatred and set his heart against Zoe as he climbed in pursuit.
Chapter 45
Jealousy, that dragon which slays love
under the pretence of keeping it alive.
~Havelock Ellis~
He kept one eye open all through the night while the other eye was shut. He had hoped that if the boy moved, he would be awakened by the movement. This was to no effect as the boy’s movements were as the demons of the wind moving about unnoticed. Ratziel sat up realizing that Thanatos had left the tent without his knowledge. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling of the tent as if to look into the heavens and spoke to the gods, “Why have you put a curse upon me? Why do I have to look after the dark one?”
A reply came, “Because you were a naughty wizard. What evil things have you done in the dark master Ratziel? What darkness lies within your soul?” A quiet laughter could be heard as Ratziel imagined a wicked smile having spread upon Thanatos’ face. He stood up and grabbed his staff having exited the tent.
Thanatos was looking into his image in the stream as he waited for the wizard to speak. “What are you doing? And why do you always sneak around?” The wizard approached Thanatos to see what he was looking at while his words flowed from his mouth as freely as the water made its way down stream. He peered over the boy and saw the image, “What is it you look at?”
“Many questions,” Thanatos replied as he continued to gaze at himself.
The wizard strolled around while looking at him and replied, “Yes, but as you may know things are different for you. You do know this?”
Thanatos turned to Raziel, “When I look at my refection I see a boy.”
“Did you expect to see otherwise?”
A huge smile spread on Thanatos’ face, “Oh yes! Much more.”
“And why do you suppose to see more than just a boy?”
Thanatos spun back around and peered at his face, “When I kill…Ha, ha, when I looked at the children of our village, the ones that had unfortunate mishaps, I saw a child.”
“And they also looked at you and saw a child.”
“Yes, they saw the outward appearance, but I saw the inward. And when I looked at them I still saw a child. I can see my inward appearance, and there is no child that I know of.”
Raziel knew this a
s well, the boy did not act like a child except with regards to ignorance and at times his knowledge surpassed his own. The child acted more like an evil man bent on some wicked plot. But Raziel could never understand what he was about. “We all go through phases where we grow and think of ourselves more mature than others.”
“You betray yourself Raziel,” Thanatos spoke dropping the title of respect. “We are not of the same breed as you know your bidding by the gods, and I know very well mine.”
“Yes, and you would do well to heed that bidding as you are to serve your brother, in life and death!”
“Oh, I plan to serve him in life and death,” Thanatos replied with an emphasis on death. “Do you know that I have dreams Raziel.”
“What kind of dreams?”
“Not the dreams you or I talk of when we say I had a dream last night, but dreams of the future.”
Raziel was still unsure what the boy was meaning by his words, “Do you perceive future events?”
“No, no, I leave that to the wizards to know of things to come,” Thanatos shook his head in rejection of Raziel’s interpretation. “I mean dreams like wishes that things could be a certain way.”
“And what of your dreams?”
“There are two of them, one is that I am very powerful a king among kings. Ruling the most magnificent kingdom of our age.”
“Our age?”
“Oh, yes Raziel, even the butterflies speak of the Re'shiyth, the time of the beginning.” He paused, “I know I will rule, but I shall be ruled over as well, that is not my dream.” He shook his head.
“But of the other dream?”
“Yes, a foolish dream. This is when I believe that I am more like a child. I have a dream that I am a normal child…”
Raziel interjected, “But you are.”
Thanatos glared at Raziel showing the wizard’s misstep, “Do not play me for a child; I grow in strength each day. You know I shall come to rule and have a power that will be beyond your own comprehension. Do not play me!”
Where Dragons Haunt (The Diaspora Book 1) Page 22