The Gospel
899 Words
The next morning Loric woke up to see Kafui’s empty bed. He went to feed the Griffin but it was not tied up where he left it the night before.
Loric went back to their tent, where Laud was still asleep.
“Where is the Giffin?” Loric asked but there was no answer. He then asked again. Much louder the second time.
“ Kafui left with it,” Laud said and stretched.
“Did he say where he was going?” Loric asked as he peeked out of the tent. A crowd had formed at the center.
“No, he did not say. Lord, can I ask you a question?” Laud said and thought of what Kafui told him.
“Stay here, I will be right back,” Loric said and walked out of the tent.
A crowd had gathered and Loric wondered what was going on. He followed the noise to the crowd.
“Did someone else get killed?” Loric asked a man the moment he got there.
“No, dragon worshipers just arrived. We will be making the journey with them now. How fortunate is that?” the man smiled as he joined the crowd as they followed them.
He had thought maybe the mystery murderer got to Kafui this time.
“Maybe, it's true he left. The Griffin is gone, I don't need to imagine the worst,” Loric thought and watched as four men were escorted into a tent. Loric turned around to see Laud behind him.
“Who are they?” Laud asked as he watched the crowd move.
“Dragon worshipers,” Loric said then walked past Laud. Laud went back to see Loric counting money.
“I think Kafui took the Griffin and ran. I don't think he would be coming back,” Loric said to Laud.
“Should I tell him, should I ask him? What is the use? Kafu…Nox left, there is no need,” Laud thought as he watched Loric count coins.
That evening they all gathered around a campfire.
“These people serve the dragons. They are who we call dragon worshipers and have agreed to lead us to the home of the dragons. I will let them say a few words.”
The leader of the cloud chasers took his seat and four men stepped forward.
“I am Ishu, they are Gonta, Munic, and Mew,” a man with dark skin and salt and pepper hair said. As he introduced himself and his compatriots.
Gonta was a thin tall guy with long hair and caramel skin. Munic was a pale white man with dark hair. He had a gray spot that looked like a paintbrush dipped in ash. Despite the gray in his hair, he was a young man. Mew was a demihuman, a cat-human hybrid.
“We would want to share the gospel with you if that is okay,” Ishu asked, and the crowd murmured in agreement.
“I have with me the gospel of Ragabat according to Ishel. In chapter 62, Ishel wrote; Ragabat is a merciless and cruel god,” Ishu said and looked around at the crowd.
“After hearing this do you still want to go to a world where Ragabat rules?” Ishu asked but no one answered.
“Because most of you will agree with Ishel. The reason why I respect the book of Ishel is that. After everything horrible thing it says about Ragabat. He says he would never worship another. If you cannot see past pain and suffering, you don't belong there.”
Ishu looked into the crowd.
“Tomorrow we would be leaving to embrace the pain and suffering. Anyone who cannot endure the path would be left behind,”
He said, and the crowd cheered. They chanted Ragabat’s name. Others just nodded quietly. Laud and Loric did neither, they sat as they watched the fire.
The next day they started their journey. Most of the elderly stayed behind. They walked for hours on end. There were no breaks, anyone that stopped to rest was left behind.
After three hours, half of the people who started had fallen back. They walked two more hours to the Boikon docks.
There they took a ship. Ishu whispered into the captain's ear. The captain immediately asked his crew to disembark the ship.
“You are crazy for going there. You all are”
The captain watched as his ship drifted away. By then there were only 27 of them left.
“How did I notice them before?” Loric thought and looked at Laud.
“Maitre, I thought that was you.”
A man in shorts and a tank top walked over to an older man.
“Subject 35,” Maitre nodded in acknowledgment.
“ It’s dissident 35 to you,” the man said with both hands in his pocket. Laud and Loric just stood there and watched.
“I am guessing you murdered my fain,”
Maitre said and 35 shook his head.
“I had nothing to do with that.”
As they talked a woman walked toward them.
“I guess everyone is here, Black and White Monoliths and even the Blomen. “
“Dragons are powerful, of course, everyone wants one,” Maitre said and they all smiled.
“May the best woman win,” the woman said and walked away.
- Writer
