Akhill

Chapter two: Farcry II

A voice carried by the wind bearing a sword called the attention of Chiron who sat before a dying campfire in front of a tent dissolved into the night.

Chiron, a former knight turned rogue, pulled out his short pocket knife, dived forward and stopped the blade aimed at his throat. He made a quick look towards his daughter's direction then looked towards the marked attacker.

"What do you want from me." He shook his head to rephrase the question. "No firstly why would you call my attention to an attack you aimed at me." He pushed the sword with his pocket knife upwards turned it sideways and kicked the one with the sword. " isn't that just wrong."

The one Chiron kicked jumped backwards and readjusted his stance to attack again.

"Wrong, you say, I wont kill a man who can not defend."

Chiron wondered at the word thought.

"If you won't, why aim from my throat when my guards were down."

The masked enemy plunged at Chiron again as the clang of the steel became the echoes of the night and the Collisive sparkles of the metal birth amber again and again.

Chiron bent forward to evade the sword, rushe forward to close the gap but the marked enemy, reading the intention of Chiron, gave him a back kick to face that turned of course into the bushes.

Chiron stood up with somewhat a dislocated jaw, fitted the jaw and spat to keep his emotions from running wide. He looked at his daughter and felt she needed to rest to recover from the length they had to cover by foot earlier.

"What is mine business with you, you." Chiron paused to remember something that was on the tip of his tongue but words failed him. " Sorry, what is your name?"

"Insignificant, your head has been required." The voice said taking his stance again.

"Alright, Mr Insignificant. Who sent to." Chiron dashed at the masked figure with a fierce speed that he had little time to evade and dive into the marked figure, changing their location from where the Child sleeps

"She is safe now." Chiron muttered while receiving blows on his back from the masked figure.

The figure held him by the arm, spinned awhile, lifting Chiron off the ground then throwing him when his grip loosen a distance from him.

Chiron flipped back up, took a stance with the pocket knife in his right hands.The marked figure giggled "what a good way and day to die." The marks lounged at Chiron with the sword with the intention to kill but was kicked and flew out of his hands.

Unarmed with a sword the marked figure took a boxer's pose, rushed towards Chiron who had a knife.

Chiron waved the knife leftwarda then Leftward the Rightward. Every attempt for the sword to make contact met with a mastery evasion the a heartfelt punch landed of the face of Chiron that he staggered backs a bit, as the Marked figure punched his hands to disarm him then gave a successions of high hooks then another back kick that pushed Chiron near the tip of the hill that they stood .

Chiron struggled for a while then caught himself in a balanced position. He looked at the marked figure who looked a little afrighted by Chiron's struggle with the peak. The wind stayed still as one intended to aid the magnificent return of Chiron who lounged towards the marked figure using his shoulder to make contact with the figure's waist as he pushed back and they both rolled and hit the tree as the mark figure caught a branch and Chiron rolled far downwards out of sight.

"A reckless man." The voice said as he pulled back to his feet and went to pick up his sword then dropped a letter beside the Chiron's child, strub the child's hair before running out into the night.

The night bears in it the story of warriors gone without a trace and villains swimming undisturbed but today Chiron refused to disappear but returned with a number of broken ribs and a bleeding nose.

Chiron sliding downward with no hold suddenly took hold of the grasses to slow himself down but to avail then pulled out a rope with a hook at his tip. He threw it towards the nearest tree and grabbed onto the other end. At every struggle point a single thought ran through his mind continuously 'Eli please be fine.'

Eli turned, changing her direction on sleep, as Chiron came through the rustling of the brush holding his side, his breathing a little forced.

"Arrgh," He kneeled down before his Child. "You are unharm—" He fell conscious beside her with a gentle smile on his face.

"Hey Watchout!" The voice shouted again, snapping Thetis out of her reverie and noticing the horse carriage approaching her in full force. "Woman, the horse done gone mad!"

Thetis at the peak of reaction time, allowable by her current situation evaded the collision of the cart with a scratch cause by friction with the rough ground.

"My apologies eh! The horses done gone cuckoo!"

The navigator screamed as the horses kept running as one who had seen the grim reaper. He tried his best to direct their speed but to no avail as the horses ran into a barn, losing the carriage of goods and kept running dragging the man who had fallen after the horse plunged into the barn.

"Hiz gone be dead, anybody stop them crazy horses!" Thetis forgetting her kept shouting and running towards the horses direction leaping over barrels, sliding under broken gates, stomping upon tomatoes and swaying left and right like a ninja in action.

"Stop them, da man may di—"

She slid to a stop as she noticed the once rowdy street of possible rescue teams became withdrawn in silence and the number faded gradually into sweaty pore and fearful heart but her imagination of the cause was accurate as she heard a voice.

"Easy girls." The horses neighed and became calm.

"Rick, Where are my goods?" The one who owns the voices strubed the mane of the horses as he approached the man laying skin bruised and covered in his own blood.

"Rick where are they?" The man well built in stature bent beside Rick as the people stood fear struck in their position.

"Rick, answer me, where are they!" The man punched Rick's face and a groan escaped his mouth for the cry of help was useless and he was sure the rewards that awaited him lingered upon the gates of Hades' abode.

"Rick, the people are watching," The man strubbed rick hair. "They would think I am evil. Please Rick where are they?" He placed his head close to Rick's mouth to hear what he had to say.

"I, I a-a-am sorr—" The man rose in anger and hit the horses behind to course them to keep running while Rick was still yoked to them. "He was fault right?" He asked one of the people who stood watching.

"Answer me!"

"Yes, Agamemnon, I was." The man fell ti the ground before Agamemnon, scared for his life.

"Thank you, what is your na, wa, forget it. I will call you stool." Agamemnon walked past Stool before the crowd and sighted a woman gasping in exhaustion.

"You heard Stool, Rick was the evil one." He paused awhile to observe there faces and signal one of his men to get his horse ready.

"What a bunch of pests."

The very presence of Agamemnon was like unto the pools of Tartarus where only the dead speak and except death was a man's desire, silence is of great advantage to all but one.

"Agamemnon, ya broken case of a distorted lowlife unworthy of honor only horror, you —"Many unpleasant insults later.

"Why would you do that to that man and you there call another a stool. What do ya think ya are?" The people silently shushing this pregnant woman with a death wish.

"Eh, what is wrong with you and your family?" Agamemnon looked back at this woman whom he knows too well ignored her and rode his horses away.

"You coward, I challenge you!" Thetis shouted as one of the horsemen of Agamemnon walked towards her with a sword drawn but end up faced up from a knockout.

"I told you not take her lightly." Another said. "Just ignore her as the master did. Her noise is not as effective as a fist." Thetis looked into the eyes of the people that although they saw what she could do were still fear stricken.

True was the word of this man, for the echoes of battle rung daily by Thetis was, ever fruitless and worse the people she fought for to save, fought against her to destroy.

"How long." she whispered as the horsemen rode off and the people at home with their cowardice, resumed their jestings and rejoiced that Agamemnon didn't take any life from them.

"How long." Thetis, more disappointed than she had ever been, looked up towards the moon that seemed to always held up a radiant smile as tears flowed down her cheek.

"Pa, Pa" A gentle voice and small hands woke the man who had been rendered unconscious by the attack of an unknown enemy.

"Pa, your cloth." Chiron opened his eye as his daughter's face blurred out to clearness. "Pa, can you hear me."

"Eli, easy with the shaking I can hear you."

"What happened Pa."

"Oh, nothing Sweet, I tripped."

"Pa, I am not a child, that is bloo—" Elizabeth jolted up, ran unto her father's extra bag and brought a portion for him to drink.

She forced it into Chiron's mouth who was resistant to drink, for the portion tasted bad.

"Drink Pa, it will make the healing faster."

"Don't believe every jargon told. Your is a strong,—" Chiron jumped up to attempt a power pose only to return as fast because of the pain.

"See,"

"It weather is to blame." Elizabeth looked more confused at how obvious her father's lies were, for does the inflect a harm that caused one to bleed.

"What is that, where you lay?"

Elizabeth placed her hand in a way the pointed individually towards west and east while shaking her head. "Ah own know, I don't know." She approached to pick and bring to her father.

"Its a letter, Pa"

*Letter, to whom." Chiron signalled his daughter to bring it.

"Oh, its your Ma's mark."

"What mama was here. Was mama here?" Elizabeth inquired of her father who was lip sealed remembering the tactic the enemy he fought used.

"Why can't she just make deliveries to her husband like normal people. I thought it was man."

"Pa, was mama here?"

"No Sweet, Mama wasn't here someone came to drop it while we were asleep."

"Pa I thought you were awake."

"Yes I was, Maybe when I ran into a pointy tree branch."

"Pa! You said tripping."

"Oh no my stomach." Chiron pretended to feel pain to escape the hole he had dug himself into.

"Easy Pa, lay awhile." He lay down as he read through the letter with disbelief in his eyes. "Why is my job so hard." He muttered

"Eli, time to go."

"But you—"

"Easy, sweet, we will get to mama soon. So i cab be treated."

"But can you—"

"Yez, thank ya, friend. I am fine." Thetis thanked the little girl who brought her out of her reverie.

"Your hand is dirty, I will get you water."

"Oh thank ya." Thetis walked behind the little girl and watched as she passionately drew water for her. "My Dream, Ma Future." She thought as she cleansed herself and said her goodbye to the little one whose mother called her indoor with a voice almost in tears.

Thetis resumed her journey in the direction she afore went before the turmoil. Fear was an illusion, but death was as real as the crumbling sound of a destroyed building. Fear came and stole every ounce of courage that once rejoiced within this district with a history of many seasoned warriors.

What happened to the strength of the folks, when was it lost? That is a journey back in time for a day yet to come.

"Children, time to sleep."

"But we—"

"No but Sleep is needful." Lucille ushered the Children in, telling stories of the Knight that conquered the Dragon and the princess stolen by sleep and awoken by true love's first kiss.

"When is Thetis coming back." One of the Children asked under a sleepy yawn as wide as his mouth could permit.

"Soon, I believe, she should be on her way back already." Thetis answered, covering the child.

"Al, al, alright —" as gentle as the wind going through its course, The Child was spirited away into the land where snores are born.

Lucille stepped out, her eyes also heavy.

"Luke, the morrow is upon us, you need sleep also." She scrubbed her face.

"I will go look for her."

"Where Luke, it's late."

"She goes to the town's Church wherever she wants to be alone." Luke hugged his wife. "You know her days are upon her for birth."

"True, be care, careful." She yawns, covering her mouth with her hand.

He went out towards the church passing through the now close to emptied street of the district into the hue of the night as Lucille watched him.

"Please return to me safe Luke."

The morrow drew closer as a pregnant figure walked into the district church, gates open and the hue of amber went on through the course of the interior. The walls, a testament of survival through the many turmoils of the district.

The doors a design crafted from the mind of a royal, the texture a feel of well favored tree, it hold to the wall a failed almost to surrender because of the attack on it long ago.

To the left piles of discarded shields, spears and swords resting beside the wall covered in blackness from fire and to the right to piles of discarded raiment of the hero that once force that great a battle.

The neatness of the sanctuary's fall and the rows of paintings of the innumerable warriors of the land left and right, top to bottom.

The benches left and right, giving way for all who walk to match through unhindered.

Before stood the altar, it was—

"Why, How long." Thetis sitting at the rear end. "Da folks know I am right but why are they not listening?" Thetis breathe out.

"Why con they, just give off fear and head towards victory." She looked towards her right and noticed the touch was almost out of flame, she stood up to change it before returning to her seat.

"The more I say, the less they hear, Agame—" The wind shakes the giant size cathedral's door dropping off a chilly air that forces Thetus to move forward close to one of the touches.

"Agamemnon, that coward, how can he so heartless a man, when he knows what we also went through." She paused a while looking upwards as one with a see through eyes, for see not the masterful craftsmanship of the cathedral roof nor the inscription layered in their thousands about the names of the heroes lost in the one gruesome war.

"I know they fear, I too am, Agamemnon before the eye of all slayed many Lords and well vast warriors. Who Am I not yo be scared." She returned her gaze and flickers of her past with Agamemnon came.

"But How shall watch ma child live like—" One of cathedral's shook as the brief snore escaped.

"Someone is there." Thetis rose, now feeling the pain accumulated throughout the day, walk to see out of curiosity and saw a child laid and his left hand bear the marking she saw at noon.

"What is your na—"

"Thetis, why are you still—"

"Luke you are—"

The cathedral spinned before her and she went slowly like a draped cloth downwards. Before impart Luke caught her.

"Easy now."

"The chi, the Chi—" The strength in her voice, surrendered to weakness in her body as all that was left was the whisper and muttering of the night.