Standing in the middle of the small room that served as his studio, Ariel wished he could shut his ears and block his son’s words out. He had hoped against hope that somehow Nathaniel had grown angry and resentful against his son and had made everything up just to hurt him. But as he stood before Azariel, confronting him about the accusations, his worst fears came true all at once. In one single evening his whole world had come crumbling down and he realized he had no one to blame but himself. He had been too careless with Azariel, dotting on him more than he should have, spoiling him too much. And this was the result of all his love and affection.
Azariel knelt before him, pleading with his eyes and words.
‘Don’t you see, father? I did this for you. You can finally have your rightful place in the kingdom; enjoy the love and respect of all wingmen as their true king. You deserve it.’
Ariel pushed his son away from him, struggling not to be overcome by disgust.
‘Stop saying that,’ he screamed at Azariel. ‘I already have all that I want; I have never asked for more.’
‘Yes, because you are too humble and noble...’
‘Because I know my place, and I’m happy with it. But you clearly don’t. No, you are not doing this for me, Azariel; you’re doing this for yourself. Pride has found its way inside your heart and it’s eating you up, poisoning your mind. Whoever planted that seed, son, knew very well what they were doing.’
‘No, father, I swear, I only did it for you.’
‘Enough, I cannot hear you say that anymore. Did you really think I would be alright with thousands of innocent people, our people dying in war; our villages and cities destroyed, our lives changed forever just so I can have a throne? What kind of a person do you think I am, to be able to live with that kind of responsibility and burden in my conscience? At what point did you take complete leave of your senses, son? When did you become so cruel and heartless, to allow for a genocide to take place, just so you can get what you want? Or are you blind and foolish not to see that that’s exactly what you’ve brought upon us? Don’t you realize what you’ve done? You have single-handedly destroyed our whole world and are laying it all in front of my feet. But I will not let you, no.’
He grabbed his son by his left arm and lifted him off the floor, making for the door.
‘You are coming with me to the queen and we will tell her everything. It is not too late to change things; we can still stop the worse from happening.’
Completely disappointed and angry at the reaction and treatment he was getting from his father; Azariel shook him off and stayed where he was.
‘I’m not going anywhere.’
Ariel saw the look in his son’s eyes and understood. He wanted to beg and plead with him to come to his senses, to be the good boy that he knew he was and do the right thing. But he was too angry and too in a hurry to undo his son’s mistake that he decided he did not need Azariel to talk to the queen.
‘Fine, you stay here; the queen will listen to me, she always has. I will not have the kingdom torn apart and my name written in blood on the account of a fool.’
He turned and headed for the door with a broken heart. His only son, his pride and joy had brought him such pain and shame and now he would have to let all of Endërland know that he had failed as a father. He felt completely destroyed and weak, as if all his strength had suddenly left him.
As he reached for the door, he heard a faint sound behind him, followed by a sharp pinch on his back. He stopped and searched with his left hand to find the source of the pain. To his shock, his hand met with a hard object sticking out of his back, piercing through his wings and lodged just between his shoulders. A crazy heat began surging through his whole body and he became aware of a stronger pain inside his chest. Hot sweat began pouring uncontrollably out of every pore of his skin.
He looked behind his back and finally saw the arrow sticking out of his flesh. Stunned beyond words, he raised his eyes towards his son, only to see a crossbow in his hands and anger in his face. Burning tears began rolling down as he realized what had just happened. He tried to take one step towards Azariel, but found that his legs no longer obeyed his command. With his arms stretched in the direction of his son and his wings completely limp, he fell face forward, feeling darkness overtake him.
Azariel dropped the crossbow at his feet, terrified at the realization of what he had just done. He ran to his father and turning him face up, tried to shake him awake, but to no avail. Ariel would not respond. There was no sign of movement or breathing in him; the only thing that seemed to be happening, was the tears that somehow kept flowing from his now closed eyes. Azariel kept calling him, begging for his forgiveness and hugging him, but he was gone.
Anger, hurt and guilt came over him all at once in such a magnitude that he felt he was going to explode. Around his chest he felt a strong invisible grip that threatened to crush his bones inwards, while at the same time his heart beat like it wanted to burst out and run away from him.
His mind was frantically looking for a reason to justify what had just happened and make this a bit more bearable for him. Soon it found one. Nathaniel’s face came to his mind, the one who had betrayed him to his father, and that’s when hate joined the cocktail of emotions inside him. With a voice that would drown out the loudest thunders, he held his father’s lifeless body in his arms and screamed as loud as he could.
‘Nathaniel....’
Under the bright light of the moon, the four boys and the oracle left the house on foot, heading towards the nearby forest, down the east side of the hill; the same way they had first come from. Tálas lay behind them below the cliff, hidden under the cloak of darkness.
They continued to climb downhill onto a vast bare field, making for the forest in front of them, following Hëna’s instructions. They’d only managed to get a few hours of sleep that night, until she woke Heli up, telling him that Lightning was close. They’d all decided to come out and intercept him. According to Hëna they should be able to see him very soon.
The boys walked in silence, apart for the occasional noises that came from Nemo’s stomach. The red-haired boy had eaten so much the previous evening, that he was having trouble walking properly, and would stop every few minutes to burp, something he had never in his life done before. Daniel smiled at his embarrassed face, while the others kept laughing every time, all except for Séraphin, of course.
‘How do we catch him?’ he asked after some time.
‘Leave that to me,’ Heli answered in his usual confident manner. ‘I’ve had my good share of horse taming; I know a thing or two.’
‘Horse taming?’ Daniel asked again. ‘I thought all animals were friendly here.’
‘Well, they are. But you see, there is a special breed of horses, to which I’m guessing our Lightning belongs, that simply refuse to be mounted by anyone. I’ve had the opportunity of taming a couple of them and I don’t think Lightning would be much more trouble than they were.’
‘I wouldn’t be so sure,’ the oracle intervened. ‘The breed you are talking about is not just his race; it’s his family, his sons and daughters. Lightning is their father and king, and if you think that he is gonna make it as easy for you as some of them have, you better think again. I think you’re about to meet your match, son of Autumn.’
‘Yeah, son of Autumn,’ Daniel added, making fun of the title. Heli laughed with him, not bothered by it, and then replied.
‘We shall see about that.’
He refused to believe that there was anything he could fail at. Daniel liked that about him, the confidence; he wished he had a bit more of it himself. Right now he could really use some, not knowing what each next step would bring and if he would succeed. Even though he would never admit this to the others, he did not fear just running out of time; he was also afraid of what or who he might have to face before this was all over. And that he might not be strong enough. After all, he wasn’t some hero from a story, even though he certainly found hi
mself inside one; he was just a city boy, who had never done anything remarkable in his entire life. I mean, my dad still won’t let me go to the beach on my own, he told himself as if trying to win the argument.
‘I see him,’ Séraphin interrupted Daniel’s inner monologue.
‘Where?’ Heli jumped, trying to see in the direction Séraphin was pointing. After a short while though he gave up, unsuccessfully. ‘I don’t see him.’
‘You will in a minute,’ Séraphin said, feeling all smug.
They were all staring intently ahead towards the edge of the forest where Séraphin had pointed, but they couldn’t see anything. The moon illuminated the whole field in front of them with a beautiful white glow, yet they could see no sign of movement. Then, just as if appearing from nowhere, they noticed first a white mark in the shape of a lightning bolt not twenty feet ahead, followed by a shiny pair of big eyes that seemed to be observing them. They all halted where they were, amazed at how stealthily the large stallion had approached. Even now that he stood before them and they were beginning to make out his silhouette, they could barely hear him breathe or move.
Gasping with their mouths wide open, the four boys could not believe their eyes. The stallion standing before them was enormous, almost twice the size of a normal horse. His legs were long and thin, but clearly firm and strong. His body was all muscle and no fat, his pitch-black skin firm and shiny, as if he was still in his prime. His long black hair fell to the right of his face and his eyes were deep and full of life. It was eerie how human they appeared to be.
As Lightning stood there, observing each one of them and deciding if they were friends or foes, Heli motioned to the others to be quiet and not move, while he slowly put one foot in front of the other towards him.
‘Heli, don’t,’ the oracle whispered, but Heli ignored him and kept moving.
He was getting closer and closer, approaching with a slow and steady step, all the while talking to the stallion with a soothing voice, assuring him that he meant him no harm. Eventually he got close enough to touch him on the shiny forehead, while Lightning still made no movement. Thinking that the stallion had granted permission to be touched, Heli raised his hand. That’s when Lightning decided to react. As if someone had suddenly pinched him hard, he let out a high-pitched cry and rose on his hind legs, threatening to crush Heli with his front two.
Trying to avoid being kicked, Heli quickly drew backwards, stumbling as he did and breaking the fall with his hands. Séraphin moved fast behind him and pulled him away from the stallion’s reach.
Half scared out of his wits, Heli laughed nervously.
‘Ha-ha, you weren’t kidding, Alfie; he’s a feisty one, and cunning too.’ He stood up again, shaking the grass off his clothes. ‘I might need a bit more time here.’
‘Wait, don’t try anything else for now,’ said the oracle. ‘Let us see what he’s going to do first.’
As if taking a cue from the oracle, Lightning calmed down again and began trotting towards them. He eyed them all one by one, skipping Heli, and finally, after a moment’s hesitation decided to approach the oracle, nudging him on the face with his large nose. Pleased, the oracle raised his hands and began stroking him gently.
‘Hello, old friend, I’m so glad you remember me. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?’
The others watched with wonder as the two greeted each other like friends that haven’t met in a very long time. There was such joy in the oracle’s eyes and a huge smile on his face, replacing the worry of the previous evening, as if wiped completely from memory.
‘That’s right,’ he said, looking toward the boys, ‘we’ve met before, in another time and another life. He even let me ride him once; you cannot imagine the thrill of flying against the wind faster than the wingmen themselves.’
As if recalling the same memories, Lightning aligned himself into position, motioning with his head for the oracle to mount him. Heli watched from a distance, not without jealousy. The oracle smiled again and stroked his long muscular neck.
‘You don’t know how much I would like that,’ he spoke to the stallion, as if he could understand him perfectly, ‘but not today, my friend. Right now, there is someone I would like you to meet.’
Keeping his hand on the stallion’s neck, the oracle walked towards Daniel, with Lightning trotting along. He let out a faint snort when they passed by Heli, otherwise completely ignoring Nemo and Séraphin. They finally stopped in front of Daniel, who was feeling as intimidated as he was amazed by this creature. He had been around horses often enough and even though he enjoyed riding them, he wouldn’t exactly call himself an aficionado. Nor were they his favorite animals; he much preferred the safer company of cats, usually. Yet, finding himself in front of this larger than life creature, it made him feel once again just as he did when he first met Eleanor by the sea, reverence and awe being the dominating feelings among many others.
‘This is Daniel,’ the oracle introduced him to the stallion. ‘I think you know why he is here.’
Lightning shook his head once in response, blowing air through his nostrils. He then stretched his long neck to sniff at Daniel, who had to keep himself from stepping back and away from him.
‘This is your moment, Daniel,’ the oracle said. ‘I have a feeling that him showing up here is not a coincidence. The Great Lord may have sent him, or maybe he has felt that we need his help to find his master. If he likes you, he might lead you to him, but you have to show that you are not afraid.’
Daniel understood. He wasn’t really afraid, just a bit unsure about the whole thing. Yet, his gut told him to just go with it. With confidence he raised both his hands towards Lightning and touched his smooth black skin. The stallion seemed hesitant and doubtful at first, but then he decided to let him stroke him, appearing to enjoy the contact.
A few moments passed, and as Daniel grew more confident in his contact with Lightning, the others remained silent, bearing witness to this little miracle. Daniel could almost feel Hëna smiling down on him, and this caused him to smile in return.
Then, the unexpected happened; Lightning turned his huge body around, prompting Séraphin and Nemo to move out of the way in the process, and aligned himself next to Daniel, nudging him lightly on the head.
‘This is unbelievable,’ the oracle said. ‘He’s inviting you to ride him. I never thought I would live to see the day. Well, what are you waiting for? Mount him.’
Daniel looked at him, half surprised and half scared.
‘But he has no saddle.’
‘You won’t need it; he won’t let you fall. Come, lift you right foot.’
Daniel climbed on top of Lightning with the help of the oracle and barely managed to place his hands around his neck, when the stallion sprinted off in the direction of the forest, from which he had just come. Unable to hold on anywhere else, Daniel was forced to grab Lightning’s long hair right in front of him, trying not to pull too hard. The stallion did not seem to mind that, so he held on for the rest of the ride.
And what a ride it was. The oracle was right; this was like nothing else he had ever experienced, and that included scuba diving, which was his favorite thing. The ground moved underneath them as if they were flying over it; the trees just seemed to blend with the invisible air, and even the stars seemed like they were struggling to catch up. They reached the forest in a minute, but Lightning did not go in; instead he turned right and continued running around the edge of the field, savoring the pleasure of riding with Daniel as much as Daniel himself was.
The oracle and the boys decided to let them enjoy themselves and returned to the house, still barely believing what they had just witnessed. The mission that had seemed doomed until then, had suddenly gotten a new seed of hope, making them feel a bit more optimistic now. The fact that Lightning had appeared and seemed willing to help, made at least one legend true. This, in turn, made it a bit easier to believe that what they were looking for was just as real and possible.
&nbs
p; In Sky-City word spread of yet another crime committed by the mermaids against the wingmen, and this time the victim was none other than one of the queen’s chief advisers. An emergency meeting was called by the queen to discuss how they would respond to this new incident, while the Lords from Arba urged the wingmen community to remain calm and allow them to deal with the situation in the proper way. Sky-City buzzed with angry wingmen that spoke of revenge and justice.
Inside Nathaniel's nest, his mother was preparing for him a small rucksack with few things for him to take away, while his father kept watch by the window. Nathaniel sat on a chair with a lost look on his face.
‘I still don’t believe Azariel would hurt his own father; something else must have happened.’
‘Maybe it wasn’t him,’ his father replied. ‘Maybe it was Butler, or another one of the White Lord’s men. All I know is that mermaids have nothing to do with this; they killed him because you told him the truth, and soon they will come for you.’
‘I don’t want to go, dad; I don’t wanna leave you,’ Nathaniel said. His father moved away from the window and came to seat beside him.
‘You have to, son; you have no choice. The queen will most certainly give Azariel his father’s position and when the ceremony is over, he will come for you. You have to be far away from here.’
‘But where do I go?’
‘You need to find Prince Séraphin and make him listen to you; he’s our only hope at this point. He is the only one who can get to the queen with the truth, so you fly towards Tálas and find the oracle; maybe they’re still there. If not, you will have to track them down and follow them until you find them. The future of the kingdom rests in your hands son, and that’s more important than you or us right now.’
Nathaniel hated being reminded of that all the time, but his father was right. He had to accept responsibility for his own actions and do his part to make things right again; he could not afford to be afraid anymore.
He stood up slowly and faced his parents.
‘I will not fail this time, father; I will make you proud. Just promise me that you will look after yourselves; I don’t want anything to happen to you.’
‘Don’t worry about us, sweetheart,’ his mother said, passing him the rucksack, ‘we’ll be alright.’
‘We will be right here waiting for your return with good news,’ his father said. ‘Now fly hard and don’t look back. Keep the Northern Mountains to your right at all times and never sleep close to the ground. If you fly fast enough and take as fewer breaks as you can, you should be able to reach Tálas in less than three days.’
They hugged each other one last time and then his father opened the overhead doors for Nathaniel to fly away in the evening sky.
‘May the Great Lord watch over you, my son. Remember, we love you!’
Nathaniel jumped up in the air with a powerful flap of his wings, and after hovering above them for a few seconds and saying goodbye one last time, flew away in the dark.
Having said their thanks and goodbyes to the oracle and Veronica, the party of four set off early morning from the house on top of the cliff, as soon as Heli took his place in the clear morning sky. Leading the way on the ground this time was Daniel, now riding Lightning, instead of the grey steed that had carried him all the way from Arba. The Great Lord’s stallion had initially refused to be saddled, but the oracle had helped calm him down and they eventually managed to adapt for him the saddle from the other horse. This would make riding him much more comfortable for Daniel.
‘I will only give you one advice,’ the oracle had told him before they’d left. ‘Few today remember what the Great Lord looks like, and the younger ones,’ he motioned towards Séraphin and Nemo, ‘have never seen him. It may be that you will see him, but not recognize him. So I suggest that you look for the signs, and when the time is right, you will know. Good luck Daniel!’
As soon as they’d all mounted their horses, ready to resume their journey, Lightning had begun trotting without waiting for a command or a direction. The reins only served for Daniel to hold on during the ride, as he had no idea which way they should go, nor would Lightning be led one direction or another. They’d climbed down the north side of the hill, and were now following the coastline towards the western part of the Northern Mountains, which were about ten days ahead of them, depending on how fast they rode.
There was not much on the way between them and the Mountains, except for a few small villages and then just endless fields, hills and woods that few had ever visited. This part of the kingdom was little known even to Heli and Hëna who had never been so far north from home. What little they knew of it, came from watching and observing from high up in the sky.
Daniel often wondered what it was like for Heli and Hëna, when they were up there doing what they did, but so far he hadn’t gotten a chance to talk to either of them about it. At night they usually slept and rested from the day’s activities, while Heli sat by the fire and kept guard, though they did not really anticipate any trouble. As for Hëna, she didn’t really like to talk much and she still kept a bit of a distance from him.
The only thing that Heli told him one night, after Daniel had asked him why he never slept, was that he sort of did. He’d explained that whenever they were up in the sky, both he and Hëna were in a sleep like state; their bodies were at rest from any physical activity, but they were still completely alert and conscious to everything that happened around or below them. So they never really needed any sleep once back down. Daniel, more than anyone else, could understand that part.
That was pretty much all the information he had gotten from Heli, ever since their true identities were revealed to him, but there was still so much he wanted to know.
He got that chance sooner than he actually expected.
One morning, as Lightning trotted with a rhythmic pace, seemingly pretty sure of where he was going, Hëna caught up to him, leaving Nemo to ride behind them, lost in his own thoughts. She was riding Starlight, the white stallion she shared with Heli, while Séraphin, who disliked horses, continued to fly ahead above them, never going too far.
‘So,’ Hëna began, much to his surprise, ‘the Great Lord’s stallion huh? Wow, who would have ever thought that he would ever let someone else ride him? I remember stories about him; how in the beginning the Great Lord could be seen riding him around the kingdom and how even long after the Great Lord disappeared, he would still be seen running here and there, as if keeping an eye on us. And now, all of a sudden, here he is, allowing you to ride him. There must be a reason why he likes you.’
To Daniel it sounded as if she was questioning Lightning’s choice and that she had some reservations about him.
‘You disapprove?’ he asked her without meaning to. Hëna realized she must have given him the wrong impression and hurried to explain herself.
‘Oh no, I’m sorry; that’s not what I meant. I want you to know that I believe in you and Nemo completely and that my brother and I will go with you all the way. What I was trying to say is, there must be a reason why Lightning decided to let someone ride him after all this time. So many men in the past have tried to catch him without success, until he went into hiding and became no more than a legend himself.’
Hearing her speak of the past, Daniel was dying to find out just how old she was, but didn’t know how to ask without sounding rude, or giving away the fact that his interest extended beyond mere curiosity.
‘How ..., I mean when were you..., how long have you been around?’ he finally settled on asking, feeling his face blush all over.
Hëna saw how nervous he became all of a sudden and smiled.
‘I don’t know,’ she answered looking straight at him, something she seldom did. Her beautiful black eyes were impossible to avoid; they captivated him and he hurried to look away, afraid she would realize just how much he really desired to get lost inside them.
‘Growing up as a child, I used to count autumns; all the times my father
would take his place on the Silver Throne. But after some time I just stopped counting and forgot all about it. It seemed pointless, since it meant nothing to anyone.
‘And you; how old are you?’
Daniel blushed even more, realizing he hadn’t been all that subtle, and that now she would most probably think of him way too young compared to her. He considered increasing his true age by a year or two at least, but even if he did that, he still could not match hers. Not to mention that if he got caught lying, it wouldn’t help his chances, not that he believed he actually had any.
‘I had my nineteenth birthday only recently,’ he answered, half expecting her to laugh at him. But Hëna did not laugh. She continued to ride alongside him, not speaking for a while. Daniel thought this the perfect time to ask her a question or two.
‘Can I ask you something?’
‘Sure,’ replied Hëna, appearing curiously open to it.
‘What’s it like when you’re up there?’ Daniel went ahead with the first one. Hëna fixated her bright eyes on him for another magic moment and then cast her gaze away in the horizon.
‘I don’t really know how to explain it. It’s all so unbelievably beautiful and magical, with not much to do, but watch whatever happens down here. I make the same journey every night; I start up north over the Mountains, travelling all over Endërland through the night, and finish down south over the sea. My job is to make sure that the kingdom is always well lit, even at night while people sleep, and that’s what I do.’
‘But if you’re up there during the night and Heli is up there during the day, does that mean that you never get to see each other?’
As soon as the last words left his mouth, he regretted them. Hëna’s face grew somber, and she suddenly looked sad.
‘For one split second every time we trade places, we get to see each other again. We smile and wave to each other from a distance, but that’s it. We were only children when we first started doing this; we used to be inseparable before that, like twins usually are. We did everything together and wouldn’t bear to be apart even for a few minutes. But then we agreed to take over for those who were doing this before us, and promised each other that we would be together again when the new sun and moon were chosen. But it’s been so long, and I don’t know if that day will ever come. You see, I have my own reasons for wanting to find the Great Lord. We both love doing what we do, but now it’s time for someone else to take over. I want to see my little brother again, I wanna be able to touch him and hold him in my arms, and spend time with him like we used to do.’
She looked up towards the sun and Daniel could see the tears already drowning her eyes. He rebuked himself for being the reason for that, and hurried to change the subject and make her talk about other things.
‘Is it lonely when you’re up there all by yourself?’
She took a little time to linger in her own thoughts, but eventually looked at him again, a smile returning on her radiant face.
‘Have you ever seen me all by myself up there? I tell you; sometimes it feels that the sky is even more crowded than the earth. All those stars that have nothing better to do at night, but gossip about the people down here. And when they got nothing to talk about, they just sing, all night long until daylight. I know the mermaids can sing beautifully, but I’m telling you, Daniel, you haven’t heard singing until you’ve heard the stars.’
For the first time ever, Daniel heard her say his name and a shudder went through his entire body. He listened to her as she went on and on about the stars and their singing, and their jokes and games, and he wished she would never stop. If it wasn’t too much to hope, he wished that one day he would be the one she would speak that way of. The passion in her voice, the light in her eyes, everything about her enchanted him; he was falling more and more under her spell and he knew it.
It seemed to him that things changed a lot after that day, at least as far as he was concerned. Hëna no longer rode in front of them, keeping a distance from him; she now rode between him and Nemo, actively taking part in any and all conversations, many of which she initiated herself. They spoke of many things in the days that followed and Daniel got many of the answers he was looking for, as well as giving some of his own to both her and Nemo.
The weather began to turn colder as the days went by, and the sky replaced its clear blue with the grey of the clouds, which were now almost always present. Rain began to fall frequently, causing them to take cover whenever and wherever they could. The sea also grew noisier and more agitated, while on dry land all trees were now almost bare of any leaves, green or yellow.
What did not change at all, was Séraphin’s mood. If anything, he became even more withdrawn and distant with each day. He lay in his hammock in the evenings, while the boys sat by the fire eating and talking to each other. A few times Daniel thought of approaching him and attempt to make some sort of connection, but then he recalled the wingman’s reaction the first time he had tried that and decided against it. He was uncomfortable with the situation however, and wished there was something he could do about it. He had never had any enemies before, even though ‘enemy’ probably wasn’t the right word here. As far as he was concerned, they were all on the same side.
Nemo on the other hand tried as much as he could to stay away from Séraphin, not daring to even look his way whenever they were all together in the camp. Daniel felt bad that the boy was so afraid, and without being too obvious about it, he made sure that the two of them were never alone. He doubted that Séraphin would try anything else; the wingman may have been angry and full of hate, but he was one who craved respect and honor above all else and would do nothing that could jeopardize that. Still, Daniel did not wish Nemo to feel intimidated or uncomfortable at any time because of Séraphin.
Lightning continued to lead them towards the Northern Mountains, without ever showing signs of changing course as the days chased one-another into history. They abandoned the shore for a while, as it continued far to the left of the path they were on, and rode amidst endless valleys and small woods that appeared to be increasingly void of any life. They were now entering the far north part of the kingdom, and Daniel thought of all the things his mother had told him and Nemo a while back. They could still see most of the smaller animals roaming about them as they rode through the woods, but there was no sign of any larger ones.
At the end of the fifth day, as the moon rose above them for the first time ever looking blood red, the boys went to bed to rest and regain some energy for the following morning. Riding was becoming quite uncomfortable and tiresome to Daniel and Nemo, who were not accustomed to it and spent more time on the horses than Heli and Hëna did. Every evening they were glad for the opportunity to stretch their legs and rest, yet morning came again and they reluctantly mounted the horses, getting back at it.
That evening, despite feeling quite tired, Daniel somehow struggled to fall asleep. His mind was overloaded with a thousand different thoughts, each one pertaining to a problem that demanded a solution. The Great Lord, the bracelet, Winter, his mom, his dad, Damien, Sam and Freddie, Sam and Hëna; the list went on and on, and he had no clue what to do about any of it. He knew that worrying would do him no good and solve nothing; still he could not help it.
Séraphin was already fast asleep in his bed, as was Nemo next to him, judging by his light snoring. Heli sat by the fire, as always, working on a little wooden figurine.
The first time Daniel had seen him carving on the piece of wood with his small knife, he had been surprised. Somehow he had never taken Heli for an artist. Heli would not tell him what he was working on however, and Daniel did not push. He figured he’d find out when the time was right.
He tossed and turned for a good while longer, until he finally wandered off into his dreamless sleep. He must not have slept for more than a few hours however, because when next Heli tried to wake him up, he grunted without opening his eyes and shove him off, turning on the other side. But Heli apparently had no int
ention of letting him sleep. With his powerful hands, he grabbed Daniel as he lay under his blanket and lifted him off the ground, placing him on a standing position with eyes wide open.
Confused and still barely awake, Daniel frowned as he noticed that it was still quite dark all around him.
‘What’s going on?’ he asked, unable to control his yawning. ‘Why did you wake me?’
‘We have visitors,’ Heli replied in a low voice, hurrying to wake Nemo up. ‘Hëna saw a group of large animals coming down the mountains and heading towards us in a great hurry. She says she’s never seen anything like them before and does not know what they are, but they don’t look friendly. We best be prepared.’
He moved on to wake Séraphin up, while Nemo joined Daniel, who repeated quickly what Heli had just said. They hurried to gather their things and load them back unto their horses, while Séraphin began to argue that this was nonsense and that Hëna must not have seen what she thought she did.
‘I’m not gonna argue with you, Séraphin,’ Heli told him sharply. ‘We’re gonna gather our belongings and leave the camp right away. If, whatever’s coming means us harm, maybe on horses we’ll be able to outrun it. You can stay here if you like and do as you see fit.’
He ran over to his things and made them into a quick bundle, loading it unto Starlight, who along with Nemo’s brown mare began to whine and stump his feet nervously. Lightning made no sound and did not seem to be disturbed like the other two horses. However, as soon as Daniel had loaded everything, he whinnied with a sense of urgency and shook his head, motioning for him to climb on.
‘I think we need to hurry,’ Daniel said to the others. ‘Lightning wants us to leave right away.’
‘Climb on and ride hard,’ Heli told him. ‘We’ll be right behind you.’
Daniel did as he was told, just as Nemo climbed onto Alma. Lightning did not wait, but sprinted westward as soon as his rider got hold of the reins. He was riding so fast, that Daniel could not tell if the others were following or not; he just hoped they were.
The forest flew past him, with trees and their branches only a blur on Daniel’s peripheral vision. He must have been riding pretty fast, because in the space of a couple of minutes, he lost sight of the guys and everything around him was dead quiet. Too quiet in fact, not even the usual sounds of the night could be heard.
Not without struggling, he managed to convince Lightning to stop and wait for the others. For a moment there was no sign of them, and then through the trees, he noticed first the white stallion that Heli was riding, and sitting behind him Nemo, who was clutching on to Heli for dear life, all the while looking back at something. No sign of Alma or Séraphin.
‘Keep riding,’ Heli screamed at him as they approached. ‘They’re too fast and too many.’
Only then Daniel heard something like distant howls growing closer and louder by the second. They sounded like wolves, only bigger and less natural. As they drew closer, he heard other noises, which he assumed were caused by their feet as they ran through the forest. To his terror, they were spreading all around them, and he feared they would soon be surrounded.
Lightning resumed his sprint just as Heli and Nemo flew past them, heading west. He caught up in no time and they were now riding side to side.
‘What are they?’ Daniel asked, shouting to be heard.
‘I don’t know,’ Heli replied in the same manner. ‘I’ve never seen them before. There are about a dozen of them, but four stayed behind and fell on Alma. Poor thing was terrified and wouldn’t move.’
Daniel looked at Nemo, who was pale and would not speak. The howls kept closing in on them. He could ride faster if he wanted, but there was no way he would leave Heli and Nemo behind to save his neck.
‘Where are we headed?’ he asked again, looking back and noticing several dark shapes appearing between the trees.
‘Not far from here is the village of New Sotira. If we get there, we should be safe.’
‘That’s where my great-grandfather lives,’ Daniel remembered out loud, then he glanced back again. The shapes were growing bigger and closer. He could make out about four of them now. In this speed, they would reach them within a minute or two.
‘Can’t he ride any faster?’ he asked Heli again, motioning at Starlight.
‘He’s carrying two of us; he’s doing the best he can.’
‘What if we carry Nemo?’
Heli turned his head and looked back at the approaching threat.
‘No time; they’re too fast,’ he said. ‘We’re gonna have to stop and defend ourselves.’ He pulled on the reins of his horse and stopped at a small opening between the trees. He climbed down from Starlight and going into the extra bag that Daniel had noticed the first day, took out what appeared to be a sword in its scabbard. He unsheathed it wasting no time, speaking to Daniel as he did.
‘Now it’s the time to use that bow of yours my friend. Hope your aim is as good as they say.’
He gave a meaningful smile as he said this and then turned to Nemo.
‘Nemo, do you have anything you can fight with?’
Petrified, Nemo shook his head, still sitting on the horse. Heli seemed to think for a minute. In the meantime, Daniel got off Lightning and came next to them, holding his bow already loaded. The Great Lord’s stallion followed him.
‘If Lightning carries Nemo away, he might have a chance of escaping,’ Heli suggested.
‘It’s worth a try,’ Daniel replied and stepped around the enormous stallion to stand by his head. He put both his hands on either side of the horses face, looking at his left eye.
‘We really need your help now; will you carry Nemo away from here please? For me?’
He had no idea if the horse even understood him at all, but he had no time to second-guess himself; he had to try. To their relief, Lightning shook his head once, as if agreeing, and then took a few steps aligning himself next to Starlight. Heli grabbed Nemo and easily moved him from one horse to the other, as if he was no more than a child. The moment Nemo’s hands grabbed the reins; Lightning sprinted off, without waiting to be told. Heli hit Starlight once on the back with his hand and the white steed followed Lightning, trying to keep up.
The rest happened all so quickly. As the two of them were left alone, they stood shoulder to shoulder, turning to face the danger, and not a moment too soon.
They could now see clearly what was after them.
Coming out of the trees ahead, Daniel saw what looked like four big animals walking on their two hind legs. They were completely covered in fur, their heads wolfish looking and their mouths as large as he could have imagined in his worst nightmare. Their huge torsos stood tall on their strong beefy legs, while their arms finished in something similar to human hands, only longer and armed with deadly claws. Yet for all their monstrous appearance, there was something disturbingly human about them. The way they walked, the way they moved their head and arms, the way they appeared to be sensing things; it was all too unsettling.
Daniel immediately had an inkling as to what they were; he just couldn’t bring himself to believe it.
As the first four came out of the trees, stopping not ten feet away from them, they noticed another two coming from their left. Three more appeared on their right closing in on them. Then, as they smelled something in the air and looked in the direction Nemo rode off, they ignored Daniel and Heli and set off after the horses.
There was nothing the two boys could do for Nemo and the horses now, so they concentrated on the threat before them, hoping Lightning’s speed would be enough to see Nemo to safety.
‘You’ve really never seen them before?’ Daniel asked Heli, pointing his weapon at one of the two beasts to their left. He didn’t know how useful it would be, however; he’d never used the bow before.
‘First time,’ Heli replied, raising his sword in the direction of the biggest one in front of them. His big red eyes gleamed under the reflection of the moonlight bouncing off the sword. There
was a short moment of hesitation and then, out of nowhere, Séraphin appeared dropping down on the last creature from the main group, slashing quickly with his two knives on either side of his neck, until his head hung backwards, blood running down like a river.
This distracted the pack for a split second, and before they could react, Séraphin rose back into the air and vanished from sight.
The two on the left began to advance faster now and Daniel did not wait, but released the first arrow at the closest one. The creature must not have been very smart, or seen many arrows before, because he kept going straight without ducking, and the arrow ended up latching itself in the middle of his neck, right under his enormous jaw. It fell back, clutching its throat and remained in that position, wrestling with death as it claimed it.
Howling wildly, the second one moved forward stepping over its companion and continued with even more speed towards the two boys. So did the other three, though they now seemed to be more cautious after losing two of their friends.
Daniel reached for another arrow behind his back, but by the time it took him to take it out of the quiver and get it ready to fire, the werewolf was right next to him, lifting its right paw to strike, while at the same time opening its enormous mouth. Simultaneously, the biggest of the other three was almost next to Heli, when from behind them, the boys heard the unmistakable cry of the Great Lord’s stallion, who rushed in, attacking the beast closer to Daniel. Raising himself up in the air, he kept kicking the werewolf ferociously hard and fast with his front two hooves, until there was nothing left of him but a pool of blood.
Behind him, Heli’s white steed also emerged, putting himself between the pack leader and his master, fighting much the same way Lightning did. The big werewolf however was not caught by surprise and managed to avoid the horse’s kicks by stepping back and then swiftly moving to the left. It then released a powerful blow with its right hand, catching the steed on its jaw and breaking it. Just as quickly, it sank its big sharp teeth on Starlight’s neck and did not let go, until the poor horse fell to the ground and stopped kicking.
Heli screamed along with his horse, and furious at the sight of slaughter, charged ahead, sword in hand. The pack leader’s teeth were still attached to Starlight’s flesh, when Heli’s sword came down hard on his neck and ran through it like a hot knife through butter.
As before, Séraphin dropped down from the sky behind another one of the creatures and with a single movement sliced its throat with his two knives, leaving only one of them to deal with. The last creature turned to charge him, but Daniel fired the second arrow in its direction, hitting the right shoulder this time. The werewolf shrieked from pain and howled loudly, turning again to charge at Daniel. With a swift movement, Heli intercepted it and swung his sword, slashing the creature in the middle of its chest, and creating a large open wound that began to bleed dark red blood. Once more Séraphin put his knives to use, this time stabbing the werewolf in the back of its neck, sliding them downward, cutting its flesh and weakening it, until it too fell down on the ground and stopped moving.
The forest grew quiet once again. They took a moment to catch their breath, while Heli knelt down next to Starlight, stroking the lifeless animal.
‘Where is Nemo?’ Daniel asked alarmed.
‘Nemo,’ Heli exclaimed and got up at once. ‘Séraphin, can you please fly up and see if you can spot him? Daniel and I will take Lightning and go after him, but we need to know his exact location.’
Séraphin looked as if he didn’t want to do this, but did not protest. He flew up and disappeared above the trees again.
Heli looked back down at Starlight, his eyes heavy with pain. Daniel went next to him and put his hand on his shoulder.
‘I’m so sorry, Hel; he was a brave animal.’
‘They came back for us,’ said Heli. ‘They must have known they were no match for these things, yet they still came back for us.’ Then, sitting down once again by the fallen horse, he laid his hand on its broken body and said. ‘I will come back for you my friend. I will make sure you are laid to rest properly; I promise.’
He got up and they both made for Lightning, when Daniel noticed something happening on the ground around them, which confirmed his theory regarding the creatures. Where the lifeless bodies of the six beasts had fallen, now lay six naked men, covered in wounds and cuts, that still bled warm blood. They were ordinary people, villagers gone missing Daniel assumed, that had somehow turned into werewolves and joined this pack. And now they had found death at their hands. Daniel felt he was about to throw up.
Heli noticed too and froze where he was, shocked at the sight of the dead men.
‘What’s going on? What is this?’ he asked disturbed and frightened. ‘Daniel, did we do this?’
‘We had no choice,’ Daniel said in a low and surrendered voice, ‘they were going to kill us.’
‘But these are men; how could they be men? We fought large ugly beasts; why are we seeing dead men instead of them?’
‘Because they were the beasts. Where I come from, people make up stories about this kind of creatures, but they don’t really exist. I have no idea why they would exist here in Endërland.’
‘So you knew what they were?’
‘I had my suspicions; I just couldn’t believe it was true; not until now.’ Daniel realized what Heli was thinking and repeated. ‘We had no choice, Hel, they attacked first. If we wouldn’t defend ourselves, we would have ended up dead, or worse, we would have become like them.’
‘How?’
‘I don’t know how, or even if it would happen for sure; but that’s what happens in the stories to anyone who’s been bitten by a werewolf.’
‘That’s what they’re called?’ Heli asked. Daniel did not have time to answer, because at that very moment Séraphin appeared among the trees above them, seemingly in a hurry.
‘The fish-boy is only a couple minutes ride from you. He’s climbed on top of the tallest tree, but the beasts are trying to bring it down. And they will succeed soon enough, if you don’t hurry up.’
Daniel noticed that he said ‘you’ instead of ‘we’ and a feeling of disgust came over him. They locked eyes for a moment, but if the wingman felt any shame, he did not show it.
‘But that’s not all you need to worry about,’ Séraphin continued. ‘The four beasts that slew Alma are headed this way and will soon reach you. I’d move soon if I were you; we may not be so lucky the second time around.’
At this point he noticed the bodies of the men and his expression changed.
‘What is this? What’s going on here?’
‘No time to explain,’ Heli answered, heading for Lightning. ‘I need you to go back to Nemo and keep an eye on him until we get there. If you see that the tree is about to fall down, grab him and fly him away from there.’
Séraphin gave him a cold defiant look through his clear blue eyes and spoke only one word.
‘No.’
‘Séraphin please, this is no time for holding grudges. Nemo could die if we don’t help him.’
‘Then he will have received his judgment. He will get no help from me either way.’
Having said his piece, Séraphin unfolded his wings and flew up once again, disappearing from view.
Heli looked at Daniel, feeling embarrassed, but did not linger to talk about it. He walked towards Lightning, but when he got near him, the stallion stepped back from him and raised himself high on his hind legs, as if to attack him. Daniel rushed to grab Heli and pull him away so he wouldn’t get hurt.
‘We cannot delay, Daniel; we need to get to Nemo right away. Help me please.’
Daniel could sense the desperation in his voice and see it on his face, and his respect and admiration for this wonderful man reached new highs.
‘There’s another way, Hel; in fact, it may be the only way to save Nemo, ourselves and make sure that nobody else gets hurt today. But I need to ask you something first.’
‘What is it?’
Heli asked, holding his breath. Daniel went on for the next minute or so, explaining to him the plan he’d come up with. Heli listened intently, but did not seem too hopeful and convinced that Daniel’s idea would work.
‘How can we be sure it will work?’ He asked when Daniel finished speaking. ‘What if you’re wrong?’
‘Then we’ll be in the same situation we are now and we can try to fight our way out of this again. But we have to give this a try, Hel; my gut tells me it will work.’
Heli thought about it for another moment, during which they could hear the four werewolves approaching them, and then he finally decided.
‘Alright, we’ll do this your way; but you better be right about this. Now take Lightning and go; you shouldn’t be here when it happens.’
He helped Daniel jump on the Great Lord’s stallion and wished him good luck; while he turned now to face the fast approaching werewolves.
Daniel rode hastily in the direction that Nemo had gone earlier. A minute passed, two, three and even though Lightning was racing at his top speed, he could hear the footsteps of the beasts trailing behind him.
A very loud cracking noise, followed by the sound of trees smashing against each other, caused his heart to falter, and he bade the black stallion to hasten. In less than a minute, he arrived at the scene of the commotion and his worse fears came true.
Before him, he saw the huge oak tree that had crushed down, breaking other trees in the process and leaving behind a spiky trunk, less than a foot from the ground. The three werewolves were rummaging between the branches, obviously looking for Nemo, and nobody noticed Daniel and Lightning at first. But as their frustration grew, one of them lifted its head and sensed them standing not too far from the scene. It let out a howl to alert its friends and once it got their attention, they all forgot about Nemo and began running awkwardly towards Daniel, using both arms and legs.
Daniel did not wait, but gave Lightning a nudge with his heel and turned around to draw them away from the place. And it worked. The werewolves set off in pursuit, determined to get at least someone to sink their teeth into.
Were he riding any other horse that night, Daniel would have become the werewolves’ meal and no doubt, but no creature was yet born in Endërland to match Lightning for speed. Unfortunately for Daniel, he soon found himself between the three that were following him and the other four that had previously been feasting on poor Alma.
He tried to turn to his left and leave them all behind, but they spread out before him and blocked all exits, closing in on a circle around him. It was him and Lightning against seven werewolves and it did not look very promising. He stopped and prepared his bow, ready to shoot if necessary, and hoping that Heli would come through with their plan.
The werewolves now kept closing in on him and were about to charge when something made them stop. All of a sudden, the moon and stars hid from the view, and the dark around them began to swiftly grow lighter and brighter, until night became dawn. From the eastern horizon, the sun could be seen emerging hastily, illuminating everything around them.
The werewolves stopped where they were and started to shake and howl as if they were in terrible pain and fear. Before his very eyes, they began shedding their fur and extra skin, their bones contorting and twisting into place, all the while shrinking in size, until they were no more than mere men, no bigger than Daniel.
When their transformation was finally complete, he found himself surrounded by seven men, all cowering and trying to shield themselves from the morning cold, naked as they were. When they were lucid enough to see Daniel and especially the horse he was riding on, an understanding came over them and their faces dropped with guilt and shame. The one who was closer to Daniel, went down on his knees and bowed his head.
‘Forgive us, my lord; we are cursed men and cannot control the beast that takes over when the moon is high.’
One by one they all went down on their knees with their heads bowed towards Daniel, and remained like that until he spoke. He wanted to tell them that he wasn’t the Great Lord like they thought, but all he could think about was Nemo.
‘We will speak of this later; right now I need to find my friend. Will you come and help me?’
The men took heart that he would ask for their help, and appearing eager, ran after him back to where the big tree had fallen.
Desperately Daniel began searching for Nemo, remembering Séraphin saying that he had climbed at the very top. Sure enough, he found Nemo under a few thin branches, unconscious at the far end of the fallen tree. What he saw, almost made his heart stop.
Blood was dripping from Nemo’s mouth, while his right arm was caught under him with the shoulder seemingly dislocated. His right leg was also twisted outward in a very painful position, but that wasn’t the worst. Halfway down the lower part, the bone was broken and had cut through flesh, skin and the fabric of his trousers, sticking out covered in blood. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, a small tree branch had lodged itself into the left side of his chest, probably missing Nemo’s heart by an inch.
Daniel’s heart faltered, as he feared the worst. The boy seemed lifeless at first look, but as he got down and put a hand on him, Daniel noticed his chest rise and fall slightly, and felt a very faint heartbeat under his palm. A ray of hope surged through him, as he called upon the men to help remove the tree from on top of Nemo and clear the place around him.
He then very carefully cut the tree branch that was still attached to Nemo’s body, but dared not remove it, lest the boy bleed to death.
As he was doing all this, Hëna arrived at the place, running and holding her brother’s sword in her right hand. She ignored the seven men and went straight to Daniel and Nemo.
‘Is he hurt?’
‘Very badly,’ Daniel answered, his voice weak and trembling. ‘I don’t know how to help him, Hëna.’
She heard the desperation in his voice and knelt down next to him.
‘Don’t worry, help is on the way. Séraphin flew to New Sotira and a group of villagers are riding towards us as we speak. They will be here in no time and then we can take him to their village. I’m sure they will have Summer water with them.’
The thought comforted Daniel and gave him hope. He just prayed that they would get there on time.
‘He is the first friend I made here, you know? This is how we met, actually; he was almost dying tied to that pine tree, one minute later and it would have been too late. I don’t know how he manages to get himself into this situations every time,’ Daniel chuckled, not really laughing. ‘It’s almost like he has a knack for it. I’m just scared that one day I will fail him and won’t be able to get him out. He’s my best friend; I don’t know what I would do if I lost him. He’s been there for me from day one and has never left my side. If he doesn’t make it, I don’t know if I could stay one more day in this place. It just wouldn’t be the same.’
Hëna looked at him and suddenly wished she had the power to make things better, just so she could erase the pain from his face. But she didn’t and she couldn’t. Some useless words of comfort were all she could offer him.
‘He will be fine, Daniel; I promise.’
Her hand rested on his shoulder and remained there for a short precious moment. She watched as Daniel tended to his friend, fixing his red hair, checking his pulse again, cleaning the blood off his face and around his wound, and something tugged inside her own chest. How could anyone believe this person would do the horrible things that they accused him of? They clearly did not see what she saw in him, or they would know how wrong they were about him, about both of them. She had not really believed the accusations against the boys back in Arba, but she had not really ruled them out either. She didn’t really know them after all, Daniel especially, so she could not afford to be close-minded about the possibility. But now, she knew the truth and she would give everything to make sure that they were vindicated in the eyes of everyone.
She sat next to Daniel with one hand p
laced on Nemo’s forehead, and did not get up until a few minutes later, when the villagers arrived.
The group of men coming to their aid comprised of seven of them riding on horses, all clad in similar armor and battle gear. Séraphin flew before them, leading the way. It was an unusual sight in Endërland, but one that Daniel guessed the people of this once peaceful kingdom might get to see more than they cared to.
Leading the group was a handsome looking man, seemingly in his early forties, with short grey hair and a neatly trimmed beard, that gave his face a square shape. It reminded Daniel of heroes in old movies about gladiators or Greek warriors. The man had an aura of authority about him, which suited him just fine.
As they arrived at the spot where Nemo had fallen, they dismounted their horses. Séraphin dropped beside them, saying nothing, nor looking at anyone. Daniel stared at him for a moment, then, unwilling to think about him and his actions right then and there, he let him be and shifted his gaze to the men’s leader, who began walking towards Daniel, looking at him straight in his eyes.
‘Daniel Adams?’ he asked in a deep strong voice. It was the second time someone had called him by his full name in this world.
Daniel stood up and faced him, his head barely reaching up to the man’s shoulders. When they were standing face-to-face, close enough for a handshake, the man smiled and spoke again.
‘You have your mother’s eyes. I am your great-grandfather, Ari.’
Daniel was in a state of overcoming sensation, as he realized that the man standing before him was a piece of his history and past, perfectly preserved in this wonderful world. He tried to open his mouth, but found that he didn’t know what to say. So, instead he looked down at Nemo and asked.
‘Can you help him? Please?’
Ari looked at him for another moment, his smile still lingering on his face, and then knelt down next to Nemo to assess the boy’s condition.
‘Master,’ Daniel heard Hëna greet Ari as she stepped back to let him examine Nemo. He wondered about the title, but was too worried about his friend to linger on it at that very moment. Ari studied the Sea-Prince for a moment, checking all of his wounds. He then took out from his chest a small flask containing a liquid, that Daniel assumed was Summer water.
‘Hold him,’ he said to Hëna and then grabbed the broken branch sticking out of Nemo’s flesh with one hand, pulling it out slowly while pouring water on the open wound with the other. Blood began to come out along with the stick, while at the same time the wound began to grow smaller and close ever so slowly, until there was nothing left but white skin.
Nemo did not open his eyes and Daniel still wouldn’t allow himself to breathe.
Next, Ari moved on to Nemo’s leg, setting it back into position, causing Nemo to stir and wince from the pain. The broken bones could be seen coming out of the torn bloody trousers, causing Daniel to cringe at the sight. Ari put them back together and poured some more water over it, watching as the flesh and skin grew again, slowly closing the wound.
And still Nemo did not wake up.
Lastly, Ari grabbed his arm in both his hands and examined it gently.
‘We’re lucky,’ he said. ‘It’s not broken like his leg, but it is dislocated and it’s gonna hurt like hell when I put it back into place. Hold him down tight, girl.’
Hëna nodded and did as she was told. Then with one quick move, Ari twisted Nemo’s arm and forced the shoulder back into place, causing Nemo to open his eyes and scream out loud from the pain. Once in place though, the shoulder did not hurt anymore and Nemo stopped screaming. He looked at all the people watching over him and asked.
‘What happened? Where am...?’ He did not finish the sentence, however. The memories rushed back to him and he remembered everything, getting the answer to his question in the process. He tried to move, but winced as his broken leg pained him.
Ari held him down and spoke with a soft voice.
‘Welcome back, little one; you need to stay down, you’re still hurt. Here, drink this.’
He gave him the flask and Nemo began to drink from it like he hadn’t drunk in weeks.
‘This will help you get better quickly,’ Ari said as he took back the flask, ‘but you still need to lay down for a while.’ He then turned to Daniel. ‘The bones will take several days to heal properly; until then we need to keep his leg immobilized. I suggest you come and stay with us in the village during this time; he won’t be able to ride in the condition he is. Plus, we have much to talk about.’
Daniel nodded with his head and simply said, ‘Thank you,’ his voice weak from worry. Seeing Nemo awake again, he finally allowed himself to relax. All of the built up tension was now being released from his body and it almost made him explode into tears. Had he been alone, he would have surely cried; even tough men need a good cry sometimes, don’t they? But seeing as he was around other people, he tried really hard not to embarrass himself. His friend was gonna be okay, and that was a cause for celebration, after all.
Ari proceeded to tie Nemo’s leg with two pieces of wood, so that it wouldn’t move during the ride, and then mounted him unto a slate that they improvised on the spot to carry him all the way to the village.
As they set out to ride to New Sotira, Daniel looked at the seven men, who were now covering themselves with bits of clothing given to them by the villagers.
‘What about them?’ he asked.
‘They are coming with us,’ answered his great-grandfather. ‘They have their own story to tell, and I for one, would listen to it.’
And so the men followed the villagers to New Sotira, where they would be properly looked after.