Akhill

Chapter one: Nightmare

"Hush Hush, my little one don't cry, my little one" The voice of a woman with teary eyes, comforts the baby that laid beside her under the dark cast of a cave. "Be calm, my child, mother is here" the voice, strub gently the coil hair of the unending crying discomforted baby.

The voice caressed and the calms, her voice struggling with tears and side bruised, covered under a tattered white turned black cloth. In a dark black cave, echoing with the squirreling around of bats under a high lit crescent moon.

"Please, Little one," The woman held the child in her arm for a cuddle but the child cried still. The woman was not sure what to do, as she walked with the child deeper into the cave with the bats flapping and communicating through the echo.

"Oh that thou wouldest listen, my child" She said with voice sobbing and eyes emptying. "Oh that thou wouldest listen, for in an hour, less, we may be discovered through the echoes of your voice."

"Please child, mother is scared."

As they journeyed deeper with the ember touch in her hands, a school of bats rushed towards their direction, flapping wings, flying hysterically. The woman who was standing on a thin line of control dropped the touch in fear for the child, squatted and held on tightly to the child that refused to stop crying. Though the woman plead the more to it.

"You, you, you must live, my child, you must." She stuttered while covering the child from any accidental collision with the hysteric bats.

"no, no Child, easy now, mama is going nowhere with out you." The woman humming an ancient song of a hero's past again and again while still squatted swallowed in darkness, rocking back and forth gently till all that the night could carry was the snoring mother and child

***

"She came through this part." A man, squatting down observing the soil.

"Are you sure?" Another said his sword removed from its scabbard. "Lord wants the child dead."

"I am not called the uncloaked tracker, for not being sure boy." The man squatting looked up the direction of the man with the unsheathed sword.

"She went straight due north," He took in the air the made a sharp turn. "But didn't continue north." He crawled towards the stream, dipping his hands in it and dropped a few on his tongue.

"No she didn't, why I'm not sure but no, no she didn't." He looked around a bit, with his eyes squirted as one accessing the landscape, seeking for a pin.

"My eye attest he is the renown mad tracker. Literally '' A woman's voice whispered to her hunter mate, with her hand pointing to her head and index finger spinning.

"Yea, selene, Mad indeed" Her mate replied.

"Oh, oh, oh No you didn't!" The mad tracker chuckled and crawled backwards a while then jumped up. "Marshal! This woman is a genius!"

"I know," The Marshal a bit irritated. "Why do you think my Lord fell in love with her?" The Marshal said bluntly as one stating the obvious. "So have you found out her direction?"

"Of course, I have but I will tell you after I tell you this." The mad tracker pointed a stick at the Marshal, undeterred by his impatience.

"What! I don't have time for this shenanigans. Tell me or I'll kill you!" The marshal with veins popping out of his forehead, making his scar more pronounced while pointing his sword at the tracker.

"Oh, but you can't kill me. So you will listen or I wont tell." The mad tracker placed the stick in his long strand, white tinted hair as he observed the beauty of the bright crescent moon.

"You old—"

"Easy Marshal. He is no good dead" Selene and two other hunter mate held the red eyed, angered Marshal.

"Oi, old crazy. What do you have to say? Speak up." Selene said, still calming the Marshal.

"Do you know, She got here then tipped toes back and jumped into the stream northeast then followed the stream westward. Marvellous isn't it." The mad tracker demonstrated in awe of the woman.

"So she went Westward." The marshal cut in as he stood up signalling his team of hunters.

"Yea, but that is not the point. This woman is a genius." The mad tracker clapped his hands.

"Listen you, the only reason I don't have your head is because my Lord needs that woman's child dead." The marshal looked at and signalled his team to move out. "And I have one job. To fulfill his desires, no matter how gruesome it sounds." He walked closer to the Tracker with a heart ripping glare. "You are alive old man, just for my Lord's sake. Take note."

"Yea, my Dear Marshal." The Mad Tracker bowed unfazed by the Marshal's threat. "She went westward from here but with her skill, she would split directions again." He ran ahead of the hunter team. "don't drag me back, you bunch of slow cubs." The Marshal held himself back, for the last human that called him a cub was his master who rested six foot under, after he beheaded him.

"The uncloaked tracker they call him but he look more like a mad drunkard." Another of the hunter mates chuckled as he whispered to Selene. "Exactly mate. He just called the Marshal a cub. he is either mad or has a death wish." But to there surprise the Marshal stayed himself even when his aura says otherwise.

°°°They call me the Uncloaked, for I am unmatched, the throne honor my presence, for my real —°°°

"Silence, you old fool, you will expose our location and force her to run even further!" The marshal shouted at the self-absorbed, self-praising tracker as he looked at the sky noting the strenght of the moon was give way.

***

"It almost dawn my child, live please one day." The woman, speaking in her snore, was conscious of the time they hadn't eaten anything because of their chasers.

The hollow of the night wind came walking through the cave and collided with the woman who was squatting with her child coiled in her embrace as the tension on her skin grew strong and the moisture on her face poured. She was in a dream, no, a nightmare so horrific she kept shielding the child from an unseen force, her mare so choking the only word that snapped out of her grievous breath was. "live."

"Oh, my Child." She looked down at the child who wouldn't let go of her clothes. "Sleep well, Mother is not leaving you." She stood up, with struggle, then kept walking down into the cave limping. The thought of her pursuers flashed brightly in her mind as she kept move, one image stood out above all, it was the image of a man who she once saw love through his eye like rainbow finding its rest in the sky, one who her heart leaped out of control over but what changed? what caused the choice? was the question she ask the image for it stood, not leaving. "Why?"

She kept asking, "why?" She stopped for a while and looked back as she thought "Why am I doing this?" A gentle sob escaped the child.

"Yes, my child , you are worth it." She continued are journey down the cave, not slowing down or tired.

***

"Marshal, my stomach is tired, my head ringing and my legs have become squiggle." A man with his head cover in sprinkles white said as he walked towards the nearest rock to sit.

"What! I swear by the gods. I will kill this mad old fool." The Marshal who seems fed up with the mad tracker constant nagging.

"Ease down, Marshal, We have been moving non stop all day." Selene tapped the Marshal. "Let the Madman rest lest he collapse."

"Collapse! We have only been walking at the morning c**k crow, it's not that long Selene." The marshal protested.

"You have well spoken Marshal but the man is a glorified trophy he has lost the joy of the hunt." Selene pleaded for the man that cared less what the Marshal had to say and was already dressing his bed.

The Marshal approached the mad tracker and threatens "If we miss her, I will have your behind."

"No, No, Marshal, you are too late, my behind has already been taken by king barak of the South County. But the lady is somewhere within the caves."

"You scoundrel! why are you sleeping now, when she is at arm reach?"

"Because my dear Marshal, I am tired." The mad tracker turned where he laid to find a comfort position to sleep.

"Forget it, which of the cave?" The Marshal inquired with haste in his heart but felt like beheading something when heard the tracker humming.

°°°They call me the Uncloaked, for I am unmatched, the throne honours my presence, for my real —°°° The mad tracker humming as he chose to ignore the Marshal and journeyed to the city of dreams.

"Which cave, Old fool, tell me." The Marshal grabs the tracker.

"I don't know, you go find out." The mad tracker sang his reply while still in the Marshal firm grasp.

The Marshal, once more suppressed his animal urge to rip the tracker apart, tossed him as he watched him redress his bed and laid on humming his self-appraisal.

"Selene, Marcus, Katherina, William, You towards that." He pointed. "And the rest come with me. Let meet at Styx."

The Hunters dispatched at the Marshal's signal with a drool desires like a predator who has cornered its prey.

***

"Just a little while. My child." The limping woman said. "Dawn is upon us.'' Though she could see little to nothing, she kept moving forward like one with mastery of the terrain. The deeper she got into the cave, the move a navigation need not sight. She stepped on something that gave the "crick" sound, which brought her out of her reverie into consciousness of the echoes of the bats hits the spiky dripping water wall and flowed towards ground roughly laid with bones of different creatures and skull scattered leftwards. The stench of death corroded the humid air which didn't seem to bother her, for her constant song was. "Live, My Child." She continued still, staggering, in pain, in tears but one thing was obvious she was not letting go of the child. She made a turn to the left in this strangely deep cave, bent to pick up a phylacteries."Umph." She limped forward towards the wall which gave her a sharp cut while she tried to sit.

The phylacteries was pulled closer and she opened it as though to confirm if what she had kept still remained.

"The parchment as well also." She muttered and put away the phylacteries. She looked at the child again who was breathing highs, lows and staggering, for the air in the cave hindered breathing with ease.

"Live," She said as she aided the child's breathing. "We will soon get through the cave. At the waking of the crow's sound." She said her words from low into silence for she had surrendered to nature and now spirited away by sleep.

***

"Selene, we have searched the scape. This cave is the only one left." A man said, pointing at the entry into the mountain."Should we wait or go in."

"Marshal is really unhappy about this hunt, Marcus." Selene said, pondering being the most reasonable amongst the Hunters. "If we wait, he might as well kill us. Let's go in." She pulled her axe out from the hold on her back. "Except you are afraid of the dark, gloomy cave." She always seems to find a reason to smile in the worst of situations.

"Ha Ha, Selene. My heart is racing not from fear but ecstasy." Marcus pulled out his specially made one handed long dagger. "What about you two; Katherina, William."

"I will stay behind to keep watch." Marcus and Katherina looked at him and jested. "Scaredy little willy wishy to stay behind." The three laughed at William who had his bow on his right hand.

"I am not scared, I just want to watch you back." William defended himself but Katherina poked him.

"Okay, then let Katherina stay back instead." Marcus pulls William's leg, for he knows Katherina would rather die than miss a glorious fight to the death, 'She crazy like that'.

"No way Marcky, I would rather die." Katherina protested and William breathed in relief.

"Leave William be," Selene defended. "His intentions are good."

"Let's get going. William, If a fly comes near the cave, shoot it down."

Selene, Marcus and Katherina ran towards the mountain and climbed upwards to reach the location of the cave's entrance.

***

"Marshal, I found something!" One of the Hunter with the Marshal shouted with something held up.

"What is that?" The Marshal asked, accessing the substance from far through the night light.

"It is umm, it is her hand jewel." The hunter, an honoured stammerer, came running. "Does-Does that-tha-that means she-sh-shee went through there."

"No Agnes, The uncloaked said she is tricky. Look for something that isn't so obvious." The marshal sternly commanded.

"Aye sir."

"What part would she have chosen? Argh!" The marshal looked back, swinging his sword. "What i would do to get even with that madman, He is driving my nutso, I just wan—"

Like one with a sudden jolt of epiphany. "Drive, nutso, craze, misdirection, unpredictable." The Marshal muttering.

"Agnes, the marshal done go craze." Another of the hunter that followed the Marshal side.

"Ye-yea, who-ho wou-wou would not be-be-be cra-cra-zy at this point."

"My sanity is hanging on a thread, Bolbar." Another added.

"Tru-true Ma-Ma-Mathais. We—"

"The most obvious cave!" The marshal shouted. " You all move to that cave due east. The most 'don't enter cave'.''Thats where she is."

"Forget, that mad man. who says I cant track!" The Marshal laughed maniacally. "Old fool, your pride would be destroyed by me."

***

"What—" The Mad tracker muttered in his sleep. The wind carried the sounds of whisper and delivered it before the renowned tracker. "Hmm, so they missed her. What a woman." He said as he awoke before zooming off into the land of snores. "What a woman."

***

"Why?" The woman jolted from her sleep again by a rat seeking refuge. She breathed gracefully and looked at the child who was asleep, almost adapting to the strict air of the dreadful cave.

"Ashoo!" The child sneezed.

"Bless thee, my Child. Live also tomorrow and after." The woman sat still for a while then stood up and continued her journey towards the deepest uncharted part of the Cave with the phylacteries tied on her waist draping along as she walked.

Down the path undeterred she walked. A woman with a purpose. To the behind her closing in by assumption a park of wolf with an alpha intending to devour her on sight. How long would it take for silent night to end. For pain on her side pain and the struggle with her leg made it a battle of the defeated but this woman held on, unfazed by the howl of the wolf. She came close to death gate yet danced unhindered with an escape. She rode the clouds of death-stroked light, yet her dry smooth Britainia skin jolly through undented. Some thought her blessed by the gods, others imagined her a god but one thing stood real she would kill to see her child live.

"My Child, rest still awhile." She spoke to the child who was drawing close to awake. "Sleep, but awhile longer, my child." The walk a bit then lifted her head and noticed the arrayed moon light glowing with the cave. She turns to the left and bent beside a stream flowing through the rocks of the cave.

"A wonder right." She dropped the child beside her then dipped her hands into the stream of cold water and washed herself and drank from it.

"Refreshing it is, my Child." She lifted the child again, gently strub is back to wake the child up for a bath.

"Mother once lived here, a long time ago." She spoke as she gracefully bathed the child.

"Mother lost her townsmen and women and ran for safety in this very cave by shear stroke of luck." She turned the child and watched it's back. "I ran for life, assured that I am going to die. You see." She lifted the child up and a line part her face with a red line journeying around her eye.

"Mother ran and ran like one chased by leviathan but the cave opened its embrace and Mother found safety." She stood up and walked towards the wall of the cave close to the moon lighted area then sat.

"This cave has saved me again." She gave suck to the child then came a gentle breeze that made the child return again to sleep.

She dropped the child by her side, stayed a while sing her native lullaby to the child after which, assure the cave in Styx would be a save for the child, stood up, moved towards a dark corner and brought out a bow and a quiver filled with arrows.

"Its still good." She pulled the string of the bow. She moved again towards another side and brought out a garment. "Oh it has been awhile, my friend." She spoke to the cloth which was like a gown but very free from the waist down and an arm pocket. With the cloth came a leathercraft skin fitted trouser specially made for warriors in her hometown.

She made haste to put them on, the arrow on her back and bow in left hand.

"Sleep gently my Child, Mother would destroy your demons." She walked gradually, limping, rightwards from the lake towards the direction of the moonlight cast of the darkness engulfed the cave.

***

"Katherina, watch out!"