In
God’s
Shadow
Frank F. Atanacio
In God’s Shadow
Dedicated to: Evelia Veronica Atanacio, Laura Kimber Atanacio
and Frank Roque Atanacio
1
Feeling the blades of the wet grass against her body, she was cold. Her life hung in the balance as the beasts walked in her shadow.
They looked like wolves, but they walked upright like humans. They snarled as they sniffed the green grass for the infant. She was trying not to move, but the cold made it a challenge. She moved, they heard.
Abruptly, their snarls became growls as they pitched toward her. She was much too young to be paranoid. Afraid to move again, she strained to see the beasts through the blades of the green grass. She knew they were standing over her, but she didn’t know if they were able to see her.
The beasts were disciplined as they stood looking down at the infant. There was so much intensity being shared amongst them. Their whispers sounded like demons praying to the darkness. Demons praying and the darkness offering them evil. Desperately in need of a moral victory.
The images of the beasts were clear to the infant as they brushed the grass away from her. She was on her back smiling. Perhaps nervously, but a smile nevertheless. One of the beasts tried to claw her, but was stopped by what appeared to be the leader.
The leader shoved his claws into the neck of the attacking beast and tossed it to the ground. The leader had dark, haunting eyes. Eyes that were capable of frightening even the dead.
The infant sensed that there would be impending violence. She knew death awaited her, and that there was no escaping it. She heard music whispering through the air, and she also heard an angelic voice calling her name. Her tiny body throbbed with tension as she awaited the first blow.
The leader moved closer to her, almost touching her face with his snout. The infant was drenched in sweat even though she was cold. She wanted to continue to hear the angelic voice while she suffered the nightmares of her own death.
Her consciousness narrowed to the beast she couldn’t see. Her mind was cloudy as she tried to forget the act that hadn’t happened yet. She sensed an awful rage coming from the snout of the canine. The beast’s skin smelled like death, and the his breath was stale.
The infant expected the abuse to be expressed loudly. She expected the beasts to savor in an empty victory. A victory promised by the demons of Hell, and fulfilled by the beasts.
Death was soon to come.
A single tear made its way down her cheek. She knew there were no discussions about her death. This made her think bitterly.
Another beast tried to bite at the infant, but the leader stopped him in time. The leader’s claw ripped into the backside of the hungry beast. He pulled the attacking beast away and pulled the skin from his neck. The leader then bit into the neck killing the attacking beast instantly.
When! Was the only word invading the infant’s thoughts. When!
The sky grew dark, and the winds came. It was almost too haunting to believe, but a fact nevertheless. The leader gripped the infant with his bloodied claw. Her tiny face was pale, cold. To the leader, the infant had warm blood running through the veins. The pale face and the cold torso were simply inconveniences. That would surely pass quickly when the violence enters, he thought.
The infant struggled as she tried to keep the horror from penetrating her thin skin. She really didn’t want to die yet, but she had no choice. She hadn’t experienced life yet, but she knew death was worse.
It started. The beast inserted his claw into her tiny body. He separated her ribs as she heard them snap inside. The other beasts tried to staunch the bleeding as they lapped at it like cats lapping at a saucer of milk.
The leader found her heart. Carefully, he removed it from her tiny body. He looked down at the infant and realized she wasn’t moving. The canine leader was tight-lipped with enthusiasm. He felt the joy of success washing over him. He knew the demons of the dark were watching. He knew they were showering him with praises from behind the dark sky.
In the fields, the infant’s eyes closed, as if in defeat. There was no more life in the child as the beasts started ripping her flesh apart. Consuming the spoils, as they angered the angels above.
The leader held the tiny heart in his paws. He howled at the dark sky, and made an offering gesture.
Suddenly, the darkness was lit up by the lightning across the sky. The leader watched a series of lights penetrate the darkness. He was quiet, as confusion was the only expression registered on his face. He shifted toward the other beasts, but kept his eyes intently on the sky.
Then it happened.
A bolt of lightening came toward one of the beasts and struck him dead. His torso exploded as the lightning ripped him apart. The leader slowly moved away from the pack. He suddenly realized what was happening.
Revenge.
Another bolt of lightning came toward them and it struck a beast squarely on the back. The canine howled, but was instantly silenced when the torso exploded. There was obviously only a brief moment of pain.
The leader was hoping that he’d receive some type of special treatment. He was the leader of the pack, and he only carried out the wishes of the dark demon.
He watched his pack being struck down one by one. Their agony kept him taut and still. Their cries filled the night as he was left powerless.
He was the last beast standing. The leader knew that there was one more lightning bolt coming. He knew it was designed for him. He looked toward the ground looking for pieces of the infant. He saw none. He just spotted a small patch of grass stained with human blood. It was at that moment when the beast realized that he participated in the killing of an infant.
Was it too late to feel remorse? He thought.
2
Yeni Zavala watched as the big yellow sun rose above the mountains. She stood in the entrance of a cave overlooking the valley. She rubbed her belly with gentle strokes. She was trying to comfort the unborn child kicking softly in her womb. There had been too little happiness in her young life. First being raped by demons, and then widowed when her husband was killed.
Being able to watch the sun was a rarity for her. She had just finished preparing a meal for the four boys that God hand picked to protect her. She was carrying the child of an angel, and she had to place it in God’s shadow. If not, chaos would rule the world.
One of the boys watched her as she stood in the sunlight. He watched as the sun’s rays touched her olive complexion. She closed her big , brown eyes as she absorbed the rays. Her long, thick brown hair gently danced as the morning breeze teased it. She was proud to be carrying the child of an angel. That made her glow all the more.
The boy watching her was darker than the others. He had short cropped hair, and dark piercing eyes. He cared for Yeni, and wanted nothing to happen to her. He did not want to disappoint God at all.
The young boy stared at the woman in front of her, and he knew she felt his presence. He looked at her, his mouth compressed into a thin line. His thoughts rushing through his tiny body like wildfires.
“ Beautiful sun,” he whispered.
Yeni smiled.
“ Good day to move on,” he added.
“ I was just thinking that.” she replied.
“ Good,” he said. “ I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
She smiled.
He stared.
“ Pervis,” she called softly. “ Why don’t you eat with the others. I know you don’t want me out of your sight, but you should eat something.”
He smiled.
“ Besides,” she commented. “ The other boys look mighty hungry. They may not leave you much to eat.”
“ I’ll manage,” he said. “ My job is to make sure you’re okay.”
“ I am just fine,” she smiled.
“ Then I am too.”
“ Yes,” she nodded. “ I think you are, now go eat something.”
He smiled.
The three other boys came quickly to her. They were done eating, and they wanted to be right by her side. The three boys looked very much alike, but they were not related. They were unique in their own way. They had dark brown hair, and lightly tanned skin.
Yeni moved away from the entrance toward Pervis. While reaching for him, she paused to steady herself, drawing one deep breath and holding her belly.
“ Are you okay?” asked Pervis.
“ Of course I am,” she replied. “ Don’t be silly.”
He smiled.
“ A good day to move?” she asked him.
Pervis nodded.
“ We shall see,” she said. “ We shall see.”
When Yeni slightly stumbled, Larri raced over to her. She looked at him and smiled. “ So many caring for me. I just feel so lucky.”
“ Of course,” Larri replied in a whisper. “ That’s what we were brought here for. To make sure nothing happens to you.”
Larri was the youngest of all the boys. He had very thin legs, but was the fastest. God once said that he out ran a stallion. There were two cases to support that fact, but it never came from Larri. He was modest in a strange sense. He never talked about his abilities. His gift was speed.
Jayson was the smartest of all the boys. He had the ability to out think any man. He was given the gift of reason. It came in handy several times, and it led the group to the blind old man that lived in a near by cave. Jayson nodded once toward Yeni and she smiled. His eyebrows rose at that, and she grabbed his hand for a moment and release it.
Bryan was different than most boys. He wasn’t too bright, and he couldn’t reason to save his own life. However, he had the gift of strength. It was for that reason God selected him. It was written that he single handily defeated a lion. Of course there were many scratches on him, but he was victorious. He knew his strength was a gift and he treasured it. He looked at Yeni and took a deep breath. He let it out slowly, keeping his face without expression. He didn’t want to have that dumb look on his face, he tried to keep it clear.
Pervis was almost like the father of the group. He cared deeply for everyone around him. He had the gift of compassion. He was the type that would easily give his own life to save another. That was the main reason why he was selected. Keeping the group alive and intact had given him something to worry about. He had heard of the beasts seeking infants. He knew that the journey ahead was going to be filled with challenges. His job was to make sure they were up for it.
“ Jayson,” Yeni called. “ Go to the old man and ask him if it is okay to move on.”
“ Yeni,” he replied. “ I think we should stay another day. For some strange reason I sense death in the air.”
“ Please Jayson, don’t speak of death,” she said. “ And please do what I ask.”
Jayson smiled faintly. “ Of course I will.”
She smiled.
“ Why don’t we just listen to him?” Larri interjected in a cautious tone. “ I mean he has kept us out of harm’s way. I think we owe it to him to just sit for another day. I don’t feel we should go against his wishes.”
“ They’re not my wishes,” Jayson said. “ It’s just what I sense. I could be wrong, but I do not like taking chances.”
“ The old man,” she said as she pointed to the exit of the cave. “ All I want you to do is ask him if it’s safe to move on. Nothing else.”
Jayson nodded.
“ Why does this always have to be a public debate?” she continued. “ One simple task and I get a debate.”
Jayson smiled.
The seemingly straightforward comment, Yeni knew, was only Larri’s way of expressing his concerns. She knew that he was not worried about his own safety, but the safety of everyone in the cave.
3
The blind old man lived in a cave over looking the valley. The cave was dirty, but very warm. The old man sat in front of the fire with his eyes closed. Jayson didn’t understand why the old man closed his eyes, when he couldn’t see anything anyhow. Though the cave was modest in size, the old man just used a portion of it. It appeared that he didn’t use up much space. He just liked the fire, and a small piece of material on the ground he used for a bed.
Jayson took a deep breath, let it out slowly as he walked in.
“ Excuse me,” he said.
“ Is everything okay?” asked the old man.
“ Fine,” he replied quickly.
“ Oh, Jayson.” The name issued from the old man’s throat was raspy, and in a very low tone. “ You sneak up on me all the time.”
“ I’m sorry.”
“ Don’t be sorry,” he said as he turned slightly toward the boy. “ It’s really nothing.”
Jayson frowned. “ I’m here because Yeni sent me.”
“ What does she seek?”
Jayson did not answer. Then, at length, he reached for the old man’s shoulder. For a moment, he thought the old man was able to witness his movement, but that wasn’t so. The old man just felt the heat of his touch approaching.
“ You want to touch me, Jayson,” said the old man. “ But you do not answer.”
“ I’m sorry.”
“ Don’t be,” he said. “ Just sit by the fire for a moment.”
“ Thank you,” Jayson replied. “ I won’t take much of your time.”
“ Don’t be silly, Jayson,” said the old man. “ What I have a lot of , is time.”
It was a bright, beautiful morning, the sun giving off the best blaze it can and the old man sat in his cave with the fire roaring. His hands clasped behind him, as he absorbed the extra heat from the fire.
“ Blindness looks painful,” Jayson said.
“ I’m not entirely sure what you mean by that,” replied the old man smiling. “ But my blindness is fine. The only pain I have is not being able to see you wonderful God chosen children fulfilling a task.”
Jayson allowed himself to smile, but he knew the old man wouldn’t have been able to see it.
“ So what does Yeni want?” asked the old man.
“ Yeni wants to know if today is a good day for traveling,” Jayson said. “ She wants to leave the cave.”
The old man was silent.
“ I want her to stay,” he added. “ I sense death in the air.”
The old man looked down at the popping wood in the fire. He had heard about the infant’s death in the open field, and he knew that death was coming for Yeni Zavala’s unborn child.
“ The ministers of darkness had been talking into the night. They had talked endlessly of death and war, and good and evil. They know that Yeni Zavala is carrying one of the six infants that can save humanity if it is brought into the shadow of God. There is a surprising amount of information stored in the darkness. Information that is important to you and the others.”
“ They know we are here then?”
“ Not really,” he replied. “ But they will send in the wolf beasts to find you. They can sniff out the babies.”
“ But Yeni carries an unborn child,” Jayson said.
“ It can be sniffed out,”said the old man. “ It’s what they do. It’s why they were chosen by evil.”
“ Have any of the six infants been killed yet?” he asked.
“ A death happened in an open field,” replied the old man. “ An infant was ripped to pieces by a pack of wolf beasts.”
“ Will that happen to Yeni?” Asked Jayson after a long sigh.
“ We must not allow it,” said the old man. “ I wish I could say that it wouldn’t happen, but that will not be the truth. You must understand and fully appreciate what you boys were chosen for. Protecting an infant, and its mother. If she is captured, she will be killed instantly.”
Jayson frowned as he was nerved by the old man’s comments. He felt a chill rushing through his body, and there was no warmth behind it. He just looked at the old man and felt his frown deepening.
“ Protect her well,” said the old man. “ Don’t let her down.”
“ We need to get to the mountain,” said Jayson. “ There, we can place the child in God’s shadow.”
“ Easily said then done, Jayson,” said the old man. “ But it must be done. At all costs!”
Jayson nodded.
“ The demons of the dark are very strong,” said the old man. “ They are also very determined. For those reasons alone, we must not fail.”
Jayson tried to read the expression on the old man’s face. He was studying every line. He knew that the clothes were the same, and that the old man never bathed. He also knew that the old man had never slept. It was a complete oddity, but all were swept away because the old man was very valuable to them. He served their purpose, and he wasn’t going to pass judgment.
“ I am glad we met you,” said Jayson. “ You’ve helped us in so many ways.”
“ It is easier to help,” said the old man. “ Then it is to do the actual task. I believe that God has chosen wisely. He has chosen boys over men because men can fall weak to many things. Men can fall weak to gold, silver and flesh. Boys do not.”
“ But we are not as strong as men,” said Jayson.
“ You each have a very special skill,” said the old man. “ God has made sure of it. He wasn’t going to let you protect an infant without such skills.”
“ There are four other infants that can be placed,” said Jayson. “ If we fail, we still have a chance.”
“ No one should count on the other infants,” said the old man.
Jayson looked quizzically at the old man.
“ You boys must treat Yeni Zavala’s unborn child like it is the last one. Consider her the last chance, and you must succeed.”
The cave was quiet, as it usually was before they met the old man. Jayson didn’t know what to think of the situation. He just knew that the unborn child had to make it into God’s shadow.
“ Why are you blind?” Jayson asked.
The absurdity of his question made him blush. However, he really wanted to know so he offered no withdraw.
“ Maybe to you, I am blind,” started the old man. “ But I have sight. I can see everything within my mind.”
Jayson looked confused.
“ I may not be able to see people, but I can sense them,” he explained. “ I can sense their feelings, and their emotions. I can also tell what they’re going to do.”
“ Amazing,” Jayson offered.
“ Perhaps.”
“ How old are you?” Jayson asked.
“ I am as old as the flame in front of me,” he answered.
“ How old is the flame?” asked Jayson as he stared briefly at the flickering fire as it danced above the red coal.
“ The flame is as old as time,” replied the old man. “ The flame is my life.”
“ I don’t understand,” said Jayson.
“ When the flame goes out,” he paused. “ I expire.”
Jayson grimaced as though he was in pain.
“ When will the flame go out?”
There was a momentary silence. “ I can’t say for sure,” he answered. “ But I know that when the flame does go out, my life would be over. I wasn’t given any guarantees. I live each day like it is my last. God has been good to me. The flame has never gone low. It has always burned brightly.”
“ Will you suffer?” Jayson asked.
“ I don’t think so,” he answered. “ When I die, it will be because God wanted it. If he wants death to come to me, there will be no suffrage.”
“ I hope not.”
The old man smiled.
“ So you think we should stay put for one more day?”
“ Leave in the morning,” said the old man. “ That time will suit your group.”
“ I will tell Yeni,” he said.
“ Very good, Jayson.”
“ I thank you for your time.”
“ I’m here for your group,” he said. “ There is no need to thank me.”
Jayson smiled.
“ I ask you Jayson,” said the old man. “Try to keep Yeni and the infant alive. We need to keep humanity free of evil. Know that if everyone fails, Hell will be our homes for all eternity.”
Jayson gulped.
“ Dark demons would rule the world,” he continued. “ The wolf beasts would eat human flesh until humans exist no more.”
“ We’ll do our best,” said Jayson.
“ It better be more than that,” said the old man. “ Try to succeed!”
Jayson started for the exit. “ Thank you,” he said. “ Yeni will be grateful for the information.”
“ The world would be grateful if you succeed,” said the old man.
Jayson bowed his head and walked out of the cave.
“ No good can ever come from the dark demons. No good can ever come to humans when the wolf beasts roam!” shouted the old man. “ Remember that Jayson. Remember that!”
4
The next morning came rather quickly. The old man was standing next to his eternal fire. He sensed fear washing over him. He sensed violence, but he knew it wasn’t going to be Yeni Zavala. He turned away from the fire, trying to collect his own thoughts. Something was eating away at him. He knew it was death, but he did not want to think of it.
“ One of the boys!” he shouted. “ One of the boys.”
The four boys walked into his cave with Yeni in the middle. They wanted to say their good-byes to the old man. They wanted to thank him for all his help. There was a little silence after they walked into the cave.
A pause.
“ Hello,” Yeni said. “ How are you this fine morning?”
Silent, the old man nodded.
“ We come here to thank you for everything you did for us,” said Jayson. “ You’ve really helped guide us.”
“ That’s fine,” the old man uttered. “ That’s fine.”
Jayson, Larri thought with irritation, was positioning himself as the leader of the group, knowing too well that Yeni was the leader. “ Why don’t you let Yeni say our good-byes?”
Jayson glared.
“ That’s okay Larri,” said Yeni. “ I think Jayson is doing a wonderful job.”
“ Thank you, Yeni,” replied Jayson.
“ You boys must not turn on each other,” warned the old man. “ There must not be anger amongst you.”
“ Don’t worry sir,” said Bryan. “ If they so much as get out of line I’ll squeeze their necks.”
The old man smiled.
“ You fear something,” Jayson said.
Yeni looked at Jayson as he shrugged his shoulders.
“ Is he right?” she asked.
The old man did not answer.
“ Fear,” Jayson said. “ Fear of something happening to one of us, or something happening to you?”
The old man shifted slightly, but did not answer.
“ Is he right?” asked Yeni again. “ Answer me.”
The old man did not reply.
“ Is he right?” she repeated. “ I need to know! Is he right?”
“ I’ve lived a very long time Yeni Zavala,” he started. “ I’ve sensed a very many things, but I am not sensing anything now. I am confident that you will move on and be safe. Is that what you want to hear?”
She nodded.
Jayson knew he was not telling the truth. Their was an uncertainty in the old man’s voice, but Jayson decided to ignore it. If the old man wanted to hide something, it was certainly his choice. Jayson also knew that if the danger was going to involve the group, he was sure that the old man would have warned them accordingly.
“ Yeni,” the old man continued. “ Today, you’re going to be safe. I feel it.”
“ That is all we wanted to hear,” said Yeni.
How about us? Jayson thought.
“ Please be safe my children,” said the old man. “ I am sure God will be with you at all times.”
“ And with you,” said Bryan.
The old man nodded.
“ You have made a choice to stay no matter what happens. They could come and find you. They could make you tell them where we went by violent persuasion. They could free some answers from your body by inflicting pain,” Yeni’s voice softened as she moved closer to the old man. “ The protection you offer us will be repaid when God invites you into his home. I thank you for everything you did for us, and everything you plan to do for us.”
The old man nodded again.
“ Be well,” she whispered in his ear as she kissed his cheek.
The old man felt her honesty. He knew God has chosen wisely. He just prayed everything would be as God intended.
“ Take care!” the boys shouted as they escorted Yeni out of the cave.
The old man had stood in the same spot all day. He had talked to himself endlessly of peace and violence. He had argued with his conscious until his mind ached. The cave was colder, and the fire was smaller.
He looked down and counted how many times he heard the wood pop. They were popping less and less. He knew that was not a good sign. He knew something was going to happen. He knew death was near.
But for whom?
The old man knew the answer, but kept asking it anyhow. He was the only man in the cave, and death entered.
The cave grew darker and the old man sensed it. He also sensed evil standing all around him. He knew what that meant. He gazed at the small fire as if he could actually see it. He knew he wasn’t alone. Closing his eyes, he reached far back into his memory. Trying to remember the times when miracles saved the world. The old man bowed his head and prayed to God for a miracle. He prayed that God would give him enough strength to absorb the pain that was coming. Absorb enough of it so that he wouldn’t tell them where Yeni and the boys were headed off to. He prayed, and prayed.
“ You knew we stand around,” said the voice of evil.
The old man nodded.
The evil that spoke was one of the wolf beasts. He looked hideous as his snout clearly touched the old man’s cheek. “ The unborn child?”
There was an awkward murmur of acknowledgment, almost as if fear was introducing itself to the old man.
“ I have not seen any such child.”
“ Of course you haven’t,” growled the beast. “ You are without sight!”
The old man nervously smiled.
“ You guided them,” the beast said. “ I need to know where.”
The old man was shaking his head, already deep within the parameters of fear, but he looked up as if God gave him the strength. “ I do not guide anyone, but myself.”
The other beasts in the cave wanted to rip the old man apart. They had hunger in their evil eyes, and there was a meal in front of them. They had to be disciplined, because they were not on a feeding frenzy. They were on a mission to find the unborn child. A mission that they did not want to fail, no matter how much their stomachs ached.
“ Where did they go?” asked the beast. “ I demand you tell me!”
“ I have no knowledge of that,” replied the old man.” I’m just a simple old man living in these caves. I have no knowledge to share with you.”
“ I think you do,” growled the beast.” I think you have a great deal to share with us. If you do not share it, you will no longer live in these caves
“ I do not have anything to share,” the old man replied as fear continued the assault against him.
“ We will spare your life,” said the beast. The other wolves did not like that remark so they all growled in protest. The cave instantly filled with snarls that were so eerie. It almost frightened the old man to death.
Spare my life? Was what the old man was thinking. He thought about it because he had never come close to death before. He was so use to life. He couldn’t picture the cave without him. He couldn’t picture the eternal flame flickering without him being there to enjoy the warmth.
“ Or we will not,” added the beast. “ It is your decision. You can choose life or death.”
" Death?" Whispered the old man. " I guess it has come for me. I really didn't expect to die this way, but death is death. I'll take it anyway I can."
" That's just it," snarled the beast. " You don't have to take it. A little information will let you live on in this dreary cave like a bat forever. Isn't that what you want?"
" Forever...forever," The old man repeated that word as if it were one of God's Biblical terms. " Do not lead me astray with false hopes of living forever. I am old, and I have seen life come and go. I have sensed death, and now I must take my place in it."
“ You can go on living in front of this flame,” added the beast. “ We would walk out of this cave. That I vow to you.”
“ You vow with empty promises,” said the old man. “ Evil cannot fulfill vows, I know this, and so do you.”
The beast snarled even louder.
“ Do what you came to do,” whispered the old man. “ I fear death, but I am ready for it. God has given me the strength to accept it.”
“ I cannot believe you’re choosing death over life,” said the beast. “ Humans confuse me, better off as food.”
Standing there, looking at the flames, his reaction was almost mechanical. He stopped himself before he was going to say yes. There was a silver-red light radiating from the flickering flames. It was that light that made him realize that death was inevitable. Death was surely to come. After the light bounced off the cave walls something happened. Something that the old man expected.
The fire went out.
Death Came Violently.
5
Jayson leaned into a stone wall as he felt sorrow rushing through him. He felt the sorrow torturing his soul. He knew that the blind old man had been murdered, but he didn’t say a word. He had to keep it to himself, and he did not want to worry the others. It was his job, and he did it well.
Yeni Zavala turned to face the young boy as his lips curved up into a false smile.
“ Are you okay?” asked Pervis.
“ Sure,” he lied. “ Why do you ask?”
“ Looks like something is bothering you,” said Pervis. “ Just wanted to express my concern.”
“ That is so sweet,” Yeni said, grinning. “ You boys are sweet.”
Yes, he thought wearily. Your concerns were right on, but I must keep this mental image of death in my mind only, my friend.
“ Thanks,” he replied. “ But there is nothing the matter. I’m just going to simply miss that old man. He was a great help to us.”
“ Leaving him behind bothers you?” Pervis asked.
“ I guess you can say that.”
“ He’ll be fine,” said Pervis.
Jayson nodded slowly.
“ Trust me,” said Pervis. “ Now that we’re away from him, I’m sure no harm would come to him.”
Jayson continued nodding.
“ So perk up!”
Yeni decided to take a rest. She was walking for two, and her legs tired easily. She made a stopping gesture as she sat on a colorful stone. It was silver with streaks of blue and purple. It had a flat surface, and looked inviting.
“ Larri,” Jayson called. “ Sit here with Yeni. The others and I will take a look further.”
“ I’ll be okay,” said Yeni.
“ There’s no one here to protect you, I can’t have that,” Jayson reminded her. “ At least Larri could come to us quickly if something happens.”
She nodded.
Larri hopped onto the stone with Yeni and smiled. He liked being next to her because she was so much like a mother to him. In fact, she was like a mother to them all.
“ Maybe I should stay,” said Pervis.
“ You’re coming with us,” said Bryan. “ That’s all there is to it.”
Jayson agreed.
“ Don’t worry Pervis,” said Larri. “ I’ll protect her.”
Pervis nodded nervously, but he had no other choice. The decision was made and he had to abide by it.
Pervis walked with Bryan and Jayson as he kept looking back toward Larri and Yeni. He wanted to be the one protecting her, and it kept eating him up inside.
“ Don’t worry Pervis,” said Bryan. “ Larri will take good care of her. We need to concentrate on finding a place to stay for the night. Keep your head and mind on that and that alone.”
Pervis nodded.
As the boys continued walking, and searching, they came across a dark stranger. The dark stranger lived in a nearby valley. He had a small body, but it was firm and tight. It appeared that the dark stranger kept himself in excellent condition. He had almost no body fat on his tiny frame, yet his muscles were clear indications that he wasn’t scrawny.
The dark stranger wore a sleeveless, dark hooded robe. His facial features were almost kept hidden, but at some angles it would reveal itself. Jayson caught several glimpses of the dark stranger’s features. He was confident that the dark stranger was human.
" Who are you?" asked the dark stranger. " And what brings you to my village?"
“ We are looking for shelter for the evening,” Pervis spoke. " We are on a mission that cannot fail."
" That did not answer my question!"
" Your question is not important to us," Pervis shot back. " We need your help in finding shelter for a pregnant woman."
" Why come to me?" He asked. " I hide behind this hood."
" Well," said Pervis. " You haven't attacked us, and you seem harmless.”
Jayson took a deep breath, and started down the small path just slightly ahead of the others, just in case he needed to run back to Yeni Zavala.
" So you think I’m harmless?”
Pervis nodded.
The dark stranger smiled thinly, then said. “ It sounds like you boys trust me. I wouldn’t be too sure about that.”
“ Do you have something to hide?” asked Bryan. “ Our concerns run deep. And we really trust no one.”
“ Not at all,” he replied. “ And I know what you boys are doing. Talk has come to this valley.”
“ It’s not trust,” said Pervis. “ Don’t think we trust you.”
“ Then what is it?” asked the dark stranger.
“ We’re simply not afraid of you,” he replied.
The dark stranger released a thunderous laugh as his deep voice penetrated the mountainside.
“ Something you find amusing?” asked Bryan.
“ Very much so,” replied the dark stranger.
“ I don’t think so,” said Bryan.
“ Relax boys,” said the dark stranger. “ I won’t harm you.”
“ You should relax,” said Bryan. “ Because it is we that won’t do the harming.”
The dark stranger nodded.
“ Good,” added Bryan. “ I’m so glad we understand one another.”
“ You live here in the valley,” Pervis said. “ And it really isn’t trust, so I don't want you to miss understand out intentions. Like I said before, we have a woman expecting to give birth with us and we need to make her very comfortable. It is very important to us, and this world, that this woman lives.”
It was obvious that the dark stranger was oblivious to Pervis’s and the rest of the world’s problems. He knew that he was safe in his own little world, and in his own valley. He expected no harm to come his way.
“ You’re on a mission,” said the dark stranger. “ It doesn’t involve me, but I can give you shelter.”
“ Thank you,” Pervis said.
The dark stranger pointed to a small cave. He felt the lack of patience emanating from Pervis’s tiny torso. He knew that to continue making small talk with the boys was out of the question. They presented a false toughness, but he knew they were honorable boys. He felt it deep inside.
“ Is that cave safe?” asked Bryan.
The dark stranger seemed not to have heard the boy's question. He looked up at the sky and noticed the sun was about to leave. He knew that the dwindling light meant difficulties for the boys and their pregnant friend. He sensed something about this little group that completely blocked everything out of his head.
" Is the cave safe!" Bryan repeated louder.
“ It is,” replied the dark stranger. " The cave is safe. I must insist you hurry before you lose the light."
Bryan paused for a moment.
“ Is there anything else?” asked the dark stranger.
“ Why are you hiding your identity?”
The dark stranger chuckled. “ I guess I like to keep to myself. I live in my own little world.”
“ That small world will be compromised if we don’t get Yeni Zavala to safety,” Bryan offered. “ So we really do appreciate your help.”
The dark stranger smiled.
“ Bryan,” Pervis called. “ Why don’t you go back and get Larri and Yeni.”
Bryan looked over at Jayson for approval. Jayson nodded.
“ So you boys have everything under control?” asked the dark stranger.
“ We do,” replied Jayson.
“ Good,” he said. “ Now I’ll finish taking my walk and let you guys do what you guys do best.”
Jayson sensed a hint of sarcasm, but ignored it. His main concern was the safety for Yeni Zavala. Nothing else.
6
An old man dressed in a colorful robe stormed into a young woman’s sleeping room. The room was covered in paintings. They were hanging from everywhere. The paintings were soft and gentle to the eyes. It made the young woman sleep well during the day, when it was time for afternoon naps.
“ Zoraida!” he shouted. “ The kingdom is in terrible disarray!”
“ Call in extra guards!” she shouted as her voice was filled with anger. " I was never wrong, never. When I said that my child would not die. It still won't! We must fight to prevent this death. I am never wrong! Do you understand me?"
The old man stopped at the foot of the bed, but did not speak.
“ What is it?” she was annoyed.
“ There was a revolt,” said the old man. “ The guards are helping the creatures!”
She stood.
“ They are coming for you,” he almost whispered.
“ For me?”
He nodded gravely.
“ But I am the king’s daughter,” she said mostly to herself. “ I am carrying the child of an angel. This village gave me their word that they would protect this child. It has to be protected at all costs. I told them that I would die for them, and they know I can never be proven wrong.”
“ The child is whom they seek.”
She did not reply to that comment.
“ Hurry,” he added. “ We must hide.”
" Like cowards?
" No, for protection."
" Why don't they fight for me?"
" They fear the beasts."
" So I am to hide like a common person?"
He nodded.
“ How can this be?” she continued. “ How can I be treated like a common person?”
“ Zoraida,” the old man started. “ King Saez is dead. He was killed at the gate. He sent me here to help you get out of the village. We must hurry if you want to live.”
“ My father?”
He nodded.
“ Dead?”
The nodding continued.
“ How did the rebellion occur?” she asked.
“ They over powered your guards,” he replied. “ Those beasts were eating their flesh. Ripping it apart like wild animals do.”
Her eyes were wide.
“ We must go,” he added.
Zoraida Saez was a tall thin woman with a light olive complexion. She had long brown hair that was perfectly straight. Her eyes were big and beautiful, and she truly looked like a king’s daughter.
“ A revolt?” she whispered.
The old man nodded.
“ The king’s men joined forces with the creatures?” she continued whispering.
“ Yes to all that,” hurried the old man. “ We do not have much time to spare. We must go now Zoraida.”
Zoraida Saez stood by her bed thinking of the horror that was unleashed on her people. She knew the beasts were after her, but she thought each man and woman would go down fighting to protect the child of an angel. She thought the needless slaughter would have meaning when the child reached God’s shadow. She thought she was protected because she was the daughter of a king, and mother to and angel’s child. She thought...
“ Run!” someone shouted as he entered Zoraida’s sleeping room.
The old man removed a sword from beneath his colorful robe and started battling the wolf-like creatures that stormed the sleeping room. He wielded that sword like a powerful young man. His first blow completely severed the head off of the first beast that approached him. He continued slaughtering the beasts as they continued their assault.
“ I’ll hold them off for as long as I could,” shouted the old man. “ Make your escape!”
She hesitated.
“ Do it!” he shouted as a beast grabbed his head and pulled it completely off his body. There was no suffering as he dropped to the floor like a stone.
The beasts were in.
“ I am Zoraida Saez,” she nervously said as they approached her. “ I am a king’s daughter.”
They grunted.
“ I carry the child of an angel,” she continued. “ You will pay dearly for killing the child inside my body. You will pay with your lives.”
The beasts stood directly in front of her as if waiting for a signal to destroy.
“ I am a king’s daughter,” she spoke softly.
Those words caused no response. No reaction. Nobody cared. It was like she meant nothing to them at all. She was just a meal, and they wanted it. They looked at her wondering when they could snap her up. They were calm, but preparing. She was nervous, and waiting for her end.
The old man stood up without a head on his body. He wielded the sword swiftly catching a beast in the lower back. He pushed the sword in as the beast fell to the floor. It was all the strength the old man could muster. However, it was enough to kill one more beast.
God helped. Zoraida Saez thought as she witnessed that small miracle, but it wasn’t enough. The beasts surrounded the princess and completely shredded her to pieces. There was blood everywhere. Most of it stained the soft paintings in her sleeping room.
7
Yeni Zavala stood near the entrance of the cave. She was watching the dark stranger as he trapped an animal for food. He was quick to kill one of God’s creatures, but she understood that he had to feed himself. She just didn’t like the fact that he was too quick, and perhaps too cold.
“ Do you trust him?” she asked Pervis. “ I mean really trust him?”
“ I trust no man,” Pervis replied. " We just need his help.
“ I do,” said Larri. " I can't tell you why, but something about him has me believing in his good heart."
Pervis glared.
“ I do,” he insisted. “ He allowed us to stay here, and he has fed us. Why would anyone do that?”
“ Lets not give trust to anyone that quickly,” said Pervis.
“ I agree,” added Yeni. “ There’s just something about him that I don’t like.”
“ You guys trusted the blind man right away,” said Larri.
“ He was a gift from God,” said Pervis.
“ Maybe he is too,” added Bryan. “ Maybe we must learn to recognize gifts and not quickly distrust everyone we meet. I can’t believe I just said that.”
“ We have a child here,” said Jayson as he walked over to them. “ The child has to be placed in God’s shadow. If we fail, we lose. Watching our backs, and not trusting right away is what I strongly recommend.”
“ You know Jayson,” said Larri. “ This isn’t the only child that can be placed. There are five other infants.”
“ We have to treat that child like it’s the last one,” said Jayson. “ It might just well be!”
“ Enough,” shouted Yeni as she walked back into the cave. “ I don’t want to hear anymore talk about my baby being the last one or the first one. To be perfectly honest with you boys, I want my baby to live because it’s my baby. I don’t care if it was fathered by an angel, or God! I just want this baby to have a life.”
“ She’s right,” Pervis offered. “ Lets just try to keep the baby alive, period!”
“ Agreed,” said the others.
The dark stranger entered the cave holding four dead rabbits in his hands. The boys looked at him hoping to get a clear glimpse of his face, but he did not remove the hood.
“ I hope you guys are hungry,” he said.
“ I’m starved,” said Larri as he walked over to him. “ Do you need help skinning them?”
“ If you want,” he replied.
“ Sure,” said Larri. “ I use to skin rabbits for my dad when I was five years old.”
“ Oh,” said the dark stranger. “ That’s good.”
“ But he died,” Larri added sadly.
“ I’m sorry.”
“ He died for the king,” Larri continued.
“ Don't feel to bad my boy, many men did,” said the stranger in an attempt to clear things up. “ Men died for their village. Now they’re risking their lives for six infants.”
Larri nodded.
Bryan wondered, as he walked up to the dark stranger, why he wore that hood that almost completely covered his face. It was the oddest thing he had ever seen. The dark stranger wasn’t hiding anything. He would answer any questions you have, but he wouldn’t remove the hood.
Staring ahead, his eyes fastened on the hood that slipped back and forth, but didn’t fall off. He was just wondering what was underneath the hood.
“ Do you think any of the infants died already?” asked Jayson as he sat next to Pervis.
Pervis looked at him, but didn’t answer.
“ I’m serious Pervis,” said Jayson.
“ I believe so,” he reluctantly replied.
“ The beasts?” Jayson added.
“ Yes,” Pervis said while nodding. “ I was told by a stranger once that the beasts were capable of shredding you to smithereens.”
Sighing to herself, Yeni Zavala crossed over to the other side of the cave so not to hear anymore talk of the infants that were killed. She was positive that her child would be safe, but the talk about the beasts eroded the positive attitude.
“ Hungry?” the dark stranger asked her.
She looked at the rabbits and nodded slowly.
“ I’ll give you a little more than the rest of us,” said the dark stranger. “ You are eating for two.”
She smiled.
“ But I bet those boys could eat more than their fair share,” he added. “ They look very hungry.”
“ I wouldn’t put it pass them,” she replied. “ They are growing boys.”
“ That they are,” he agreed. “ That they are.”
“ Why do you wear that hood?” she nervously asked.
He did not respond.
“ And why don’t you have a name?”
The dark stranger glanced at her, already realizing that she was a friend. He knew she had questions, and she expected answers. There was nothing more that would have made him happier then telling her all she wanted to know about him. He wanted to ease her mind, and relax the boys too, but it simply wasn’t the time.
" I can't say."
“ You will tell me someday?” she asked.
“ You will know,” he replied warmly. “ Someday.”
“ I feel safer around you,” she almost mumbled. " Perhaps you too are a gift from God."
“ I hardly think I'm a gift,” he replied. " But I am glad you feel safe."
“ Why is that?” she asked. " You gave us a place to stay for the night. And you're feeding us. It seems like a gift to me."
“ I can’t answer that,” he replied. " But consider me what you want. Feel safe if it makes you happy."
“ Am I right to feel safe?” she asked.
“ I expect you to feel safe,” he replied. “ I want you to feel safe.”
She smiled.
Pervis looked toward Yeni and the dark stranger. He wasn’t sure if it was okay to permit the stranger to come very close to her. If he was sent by evil, and stood that close to her, there would be no time to react. He walked across the gravel floor and stood next to her. She cupped her hand over his ears.
“ We were talking about you,” she whispered.
He didn’t hear her, but he read her lips.
“ Good things,” he replied.
She smiled.
8
Yeni Zavala was the last one to fall asleep. She remembered standing at her mother’s grave, a single long-stemmed pink flower in her hand. She tossed it into the hole and she wept silently. There was a cold mist of rain soaking her face, but she could not feel the cold because her tears were keeping her cheeks warm. She remembered feeling dead too that day. She was completely dead inside, just like her mother. It was tragedy after tragedy from that day forward. God was cruel she thought.
Wake the boys!
She looked around the cave and saw no one.
Wake the boys!
“ Is anyone there?” she called.
Zoraida Saez was standing over her. She was covered in blood.
Yeni did not scream.
“ You must wake the boys,” she repeated.
“ Who are you?”
“ I was a mother to an angel,” she replied. “ Just as you are.”
" A shadow baby was in you?"
Without warning Zoraida seized Yeni's hands in an iron grip, pulling her up so that their eyes met. " A carried a child and it has died!"
“ They caught you?”
She nodded.
“ Are you a spirit?”
She nodded again.
“ And you want me to wake the boys?”
“ There are three beasts in the area,” she warned. “ They have lost their pack, and now they hunt alone.”
“ Wolf-beasts?”
“ Three.”
“ Do they know my child is here?”
“ They smell the boys,” she said. “ Their scent is covering up your baby’s scent.”
“ So they will leave?”
“ They’re beasts,” replied Zoraida. “ They will want to feed.”
“ The boys?”
Zoraida nodded as she faded away.
“ Wake the boys,” whispered Yeni. “ Wake the boys.”
She didn’t want their deaths on her conscious, even though God has picked them to protect her. She had one simple task, and that was simply to wake the boys.
“ Pervis! Jayson, Larri!” she shouted. “ Bryan! Get up.”
The boys quickly jumped to their feet and rushed toward Yeni.
“ What’s the matter?” shouted Pervis.
“ Beasts,” she replied. “ Three of them.”
“ How do you know?” asked Bryan.
“ I was told,’ she replied.
“ Spirit?” asked the dark stranger as he walked over to them.
She nodded.
“ So we must kill the three beasts before they can call to their pack I know they do not travel without their leader. They must be lost. And if they get hungry, they will feed.” the dark stranger half shouted. “ Is that what the spirit told you?”
“ Yes,” she replied.
“ Then lets do it.”
“ How?” asked Larri.
“ We trap them,” replied the dark stranger. “ And since you are the fastest, we will use you as bait.”
Larri did not disagree. He knew that he was chosen to help Yeni Zavala. If that meant becoming bait, he had no say in the matter. He simply had to become the needed bait.
“ What’s the plan?” asked Pervis.
“ First,” said the dark stranger as he slowly walked to the corner of the cave. “ I must give you these weapons.”
“ Weapons?” Bryan mumbled.
“ Gifts,” added the dark stranger.
“ From God?” asked Yeni. " I knew you were sent to help protect me. I knew it."
The dark stranger did not reply. He simply brought over four blue swords. They were rich in color, but looked very dangerous.
“ I hope you don’t think I’m going to part with my sword,” said Bryan. “ Even though your swords have blue blades, I trust my sword. My sword is going to save Yeni’s life.”
“ These swords belong to you guys,” said the dark stranger. “ We started off with six of them.”
“ Each represents a child?” asked Yeni.
He nodded.
“ Two infants are dead?” she continued.
“ There are only four more infants left,” the dark stranger said gravely. “ If a sword vanishes, then there is another dead child.”
Bryan sighed.
“ Each boy will take a sword,” said the dark stranger.
Yeni Zavala caught Pervis’s eye and nodded. She knew he wasn’t feeling too comfortable holding a blue sword. He simply didn’t like what it represented. However, he had to do what was asked of him.
“ Larri,” the dark stranger started. “ I need you to go toward the beasts. I want you to make them chase you toward the small bushes. We will be hiding there with our swords. We will cut them down to size.”
Yeni wasn’t comfortable with the dark stranger’s eagerness to destroy. She wanted to see the look in his eyes, but she couldn’t. He had his hood in place, and his identity was masked.
“ Can I carry my blue sword?” Larri asked.
The dark stranger nodded.
“ Thanks!” he replied excitedly.
The boys walked out of the cave leaving the dark stranger behind with Yeni. He turned toward her and took several steps, but stopped short. “ You stay here and don’t make a sound. The beasts will try to feed on Larri. They may not come in here to look for you.”
She nodded.
“ But I could be wrong. I will not let the boys fight those creatures without my help." he said. " You must stay here and hope that I am right.”
She grimaced.
The dark stranger hurried to catch up with the boys. He didn’t want his plan to get out of control. “ Where’s Larri?”
“ He went to get the beasts,” Jayson replied.
“ Damn,” the dark stranger mumbled. “ Lets get back to the bushes. We must be ready!”
“ To cut them down to size,” whispered Jayson. " I like that concept."
The dark stranger nodded.
The boys were hiding behind the small bushes waiting for the beasts to come. They weren’t nervous about the killing, they were just nervous about the beasts catching Larri. They knew he was fast, but they were wondering if the beasts were faster.
Jayson stared at his blue sword. He was curious about it, and he wondered if his would vanish before the others. If it did then an infant’s life would have expired. It was too much for anyone to take. He wanted to drop the sword and run. He paused, panting for breath as the symbol behind the swords ate at him.
The dark stranger waved his hand. The boys knew that was an indication of something to come. They heard rumbling of footsteps as they prepared to cut the beasts down to size.
Jayson kept his eyes on his blue sword. He did not know how many blows he would get from it, so he had to make every one count.
“ Get ready boys,” whispered the dark stranger. “ They’re coming.”
The boys nodded and returned their attention back to the thundering footsteps.