Scrolls of the Prophet
Book I
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Toe to Heel
"CAMELS without humps...!" I cried out in defiance as I stirred up from the rush of light-headedness that was currently holding me captive. My head throbbed, and all of my thoughts were swirling in disarray. There was no fight left in me to ward off the new feel of a fairly meaty palm that now applied pressure on the lump on my forehead. The blind force of its call drew my body back down to the soft padding that supported my febled attempt at a rise.
"Take it easy there, young master, not so fast if you please..!" a heavy, rough voice spoke out quite sincerely. The tone was offered over seemingly all alone and it offered me a return to a sense of serenity while I faltered within a newly found peace and calmness. It only took me a cool moment before I reached a clearer coherency and began to reclaim my thoughts as I passed from the unconsciousness to embrace the more stark reality of my current situation.
"Where am I..? How did I get here..? Am I still in one piece..?" I thought hard and wondered. The pungent smell of burning oak slowly filled my nostrils while it mixed in turn with an offset inhalation of the cool, arid air. The flicker from a nearby fire prodded at my eyes through the soft spun fabric of a tightly wrapped head-dress. I tried to perceive where I was and attempted to recall the three more than dangerous trees that had reveled me before.
"No, not trees—men, highwaymen, thieves, and cutthroat robbers of the open trail...Heartless mercenary killers at the least, and men dead-set in their ways to rape, rob, and pillage..." These were the mercenary types who hungered and lusted for new unearned portions of ill-gained silver and gold. "How had I survived their bloodthirsty rampage..?" I thought to myself in wonder, while my head felt trapped in the encasement of its steady pulsed throbs.
From the pressure I felt, it was obvious that the wounds I had incurred were of a serious nature, and the swelling on my face was quite great. I raised an unsure palm to investigate my surroundings butI only found emptiness, this until my fingertips came in touch with the smooth coil of cloth that entombed my head in an oversized turban.
"One's gold—where is my gold..?" I bellowed forth without thinking. My eyes strained in their focus to take in the owner of the palm that now tendedmy needs. Only a moment later, and with the haziness of my mind clearing, did I then begin to make out the very large figure who was seated close at hand. He looked quite comfortable as he sat on the section of thick rug that had been laid out right next to me.
The broad figure leaned in and smiled a stern, caring face with many white teeth, his likeness resembled that of a kind guardian who was attending to a birth-child that showed caught up in a sickness. His newly outstretched hand then repeatedly dabbed a moist cloth about my face. And with his eyes gazing kindly, he placed his other hand to his chest and with his thick, rounded pointer-finger, casually tapped out in authoritative motions, this had suggested that I do the same.
Instinctively, as though caught almost in a hypnotic trance, I put my palm to its rise in an exact duplication, and palmed at the medium-sized lump that sat over my heart. Instantly upon a slight bit of probing, my fingers recognized the texture of the firm links of chainmail. I followed their lead as they traced up to encircle the skin of about my neck. Then, while comprehending the gold-covered gem, I found satisfaction in the fact that the pendant lay quietly rested in safety upon the midpoint of my chest.
"But how..?" I whispered out aloud while I struggled for the words. My blue-eyes enlarged and engaged in processing an inquisitive look at the large figure of a man who leaned over me cautiously as he tended my wounds.
"Easy there, young master, you are safe in my keep. There is no cause to have worry; I will do you no harm..," his tall structure spoke out to me in a relaxed, welcoming tone and I was eased by the depth of his voice as it sounded and the open expression of his very kind demeanor. The words he put forth were both solid and sincere, and they came delivered in a heavy accent that I was surely unfamiliar with. From the light color of his skin and the yellowish-hue of his hair, plus the added fit and form of his strange un-tunic like coverings, I pegged him to be some type of faraway traveler, one who had come from the lands that rest beyond the great sea.
He shifted slightly to one side, his broad chest rising and falling in a steady plotted rhythm. "You are fortunate to be alive, young master..," he continued, his voice low and measured. "The men who had sought you—they were not kind indeed. I have seen many like them, but you—" he paused, as if considering his words carefully. "You seem the lesser..."
I didn't understand what he meant by that, but I could feel a strange weight in the air, an unspoken truth hanging between us. The pendant, it was still rested against my chest and seemed to pulse with new life, or perhaps it was just my heart at that moment beating against it, the pair urging me onward to understand something deeper.
"Your gold, your treasure..," he said softly, his eyes afixed to the pendant for a brief moment. "It holds power, yes...But there are things you must learn, things you cannot yet comprehend..." His words hung in the air, but before I could ask more, he raised his hand rather gruffly which quieted my thoughts. "Do not worry about the gold...It is safe with you now, but the journey that lies ahead...healing...it will require more than mere treasure. You must find the strength to rise up and carry on..."
I nodded weakly, subtlely, I was overwhelmed from the swirl of thoughts that were racing through my mind. The pendant, the highwaymen, the strange figure before me—it was all overwhelming, too much incoming information to process at once.
"You will rest now..," he said, his voice a soothing balm to my fevered situation. "The time to move will come soon enough. But for now, you need to rest..."
With that, he carefully adjusted the cloth which was wrapped around my head and placed a cool, damp cloth back onto my forehead. I closed my eyes, my body finally succumbed to the exhaustion that had been building for days. The fire crackled softly in the background of the room, and the man's presence remained consistant at my side, it was a comforting constant in the midst of my confusion.
As I drifted off to sleep, the last thing that I heard was his voice in return, low and steady: "Rest, young master. The journey up ahead will demand much more from you. And you will need everything you have to survive it to its end..."
The next night, when I awoke, he had remained at my side. His figure in the form of a big and burly sort, his years in life easily being three-times that of mine. It could not be mistaken that he sported a stout body, his upper arms much larger than even that of my thighs, and he posessed strong, broad legs which stood sturdy like those of small trees. What was exposed of his body was covered in a thin mat of light-colored hair, each individual strand almost clearly apparent from its own slightly visible reflection within my stark view from moon-light. His wrists were adorned with wide brass bracelets which held the resemblance to war plating. Their widths nearly reached a full palm, and their centers were adorned with large lumps of polished green-turquoise, their veins thick and prominent as they caught the glows from the firelight.
"What is your name, young master..?" he spoke to me in a voice that was clearly Shi'ite Muslim, though oddly practiced in a tongue which was foreign to him. His accent unmistakable, a heavy cadence that hinted at a lineage which remained far from my own. And from the lightness of his skin, it was clear that he was not from a ny type of Fatimid heritage.
"I am Octavious, but my friends call me Tav..," I replied softly, my voice still weaked from my ordeal. "And you, saving master, what is your call..?"
"Well, young master Tav, my name is Sir Godfrey Boullion Tancred..," he said with a broad smile. "I am a Christian Knight of the Realm, a Prince of Cordoba, from the jewel of the world in my homeland of Spain. My men and I are here to provide security and safe passage to the multitude of travelers who are on pilgrimage and journey between Jerusalem, Mecca, and Medina, along the king's highway. We are happy to be of service to you, young master, for it has been a long journey from Spain and France, through Byzantium, Turkey, and Armenia, to finally arrive here. It seems the great god of my fathers has watched over both of our travels, and by his grace, he has brought us upon you, seemingly in time, and just at your hour of need..."
"Those highwaymen, they had beaten you quite severely about your head and your shoulders, and by the time I got arrived...well you had looked pretty sullen. It appeared that even in death, young master, you would not unhand that precious pendant and chain. The pair must be very special to cause you to risk your life in keeping them safe..," he finished with a twinkle of curiosity in his eyes, his face more at ease as it lit up with concern.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Great Master, some are blessed with only a little, but to some...just a little is a very great amount..!" I replied, the confidence rising within me as I became more familiar with my new, sizable overseer.
"So true, so true, young master. Tav, you are clearly very wise for someone of your years..," Sir Tancred chuckled warmly. "Now lie back, close your eyes, and get some good rest while we wait for your wounds to heal. There will be plenty of time for more exchange of words when you're feeling better on the morrow..."
His voice was firm, yet kind—a tone of someone who had seen much of the world and had come to understand the value of patience. I had not yet experienced such authority, but in his presence, I felt a calmness, one that seemed to sooth my persistant restless spirit.
As I settled back into the cushions of the cot-mat, I realized that even the outer surfaces of my eyelids hurt as they touched each other repeatedly in my bid for coming sleep. The security of having someone like Sir Tancred watching over me—this great master who apparently cared for my welfare—it granted a strange peace within. Once enveloped in this more relaxed feeling, one's sleep came to him swiftly.
I let the memories of my discovery of the beautiful golden pendant dissolve from my mind while I gingerly finger-tapped the rare find where it lay safely over my heart. I could feel out its call by just touching the crispness of each finely etched letter as I passed a single fingertip along its precisely scribed texts. The whispers of its mysteries filled up all my senses, the troubles of the day then fell to a quick fade.
When I awoke the next morning, I found that my fingers were still pressed against the smooth golden surfaces of my new favorite treasure. I raised my other palm and used it as a blocker to shield my eyes from the sunlight that now entered the room. The memory then flashed and brought me back to reality...
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Returned from my memories with a fresh set of angularities, I then turned my gaze toward the ever-present town of Madaba, its low stone walls arriving in view as they stretched out and surrounded it. With the third gate now plainly in sight, I meandered closer while considering it as my next likely acquisition. The sun overhead caused me to lower my hand from my eyes slightly, my pace only quickening with each given step, my mood gitty almost and filled with anticipation...
After a short while, I passed through the gate-less entrance and entered the town. The bustling marketplace beckoned to life, and I immediately began to search for my alloted location to set up for trade. There was work to be done. But now, there was also something else, something which guided my every move—the call of the pendant, the weight of the treasure, and the strange, unknowable path which they had set upon me.
Once situated, I lowered my knap to the ground and retrieved a hearty fist-full of roasted nuts from the inside of a side pocket. Eager to pass the time while waiting for any sign of interest from the pass of a customer, I began tossing the morsels high in the air and catching them with my mouth. And upon each acceptance, I savored the dark, roasted flavors which came with their offering. I stood in my vacancy and then began unpacking the large clay tablets from the body of my satchule, unwrapping them carefully from their lapse of protective layers.
With the stone plates now unsheathed, I strapped my lambskin water-bag in the back corner of my space and set the knap-bundle just beside the tablets, and then arranged them just so. The display was now coming together rather nicely. I adjusted the angle of the tablets so that they they caught the light of the day appropriately along with the quick eye of any curious passerby.
"That should keep you cool..," I murmured, speaking to the bundle as I used it from behind to prop up the clay tablets into more suitable position. I leaned up, stretched my heels, and surveyed my new kingdom, this small patch of marked ground my new gameboard for the day.
The entry gate beyond began to bustle with activity. My vendor location came squeezed between a very large woman who dealt in brightly colored silks, and an elderly man who was selling fine pottery.
The woman was sitting on a wooden stool, her round body swathed in cobalt-blue linnens with red-amber sashes, and warren green clogs. Her coal-black vail had shrouded her face but her eyes showed through crisply, they were bright and clear with a glint of held interest as she watched the arrival of new browsing customers.
On the ground before her lay several cloth blankets, each dyed a deep blue and covered in an array of jewelry, necklaces and rings, additionally the area came bordered by thick hardened arm bracelets which were made from shiny metals, white bone, and of thinly cut stone. The jewelry had been intricately crafted, with designs that hinted of exotic made fashions.
A couple of young children, dark-haired and tan-skinned, they played and giggled on her knees, their joy filling the air as she bounced them from heel to toe. She then reversed the rotation, returning their motion to be toe to heel...
...Select Next Scroll...
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Thank you valued Rider's Vault Members..!
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CURRENT VOLUME List:
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Scrolls of the Prophet...historical/biblical/adventure/coming of age
- Awakening
- Gathering
- Binding
- Bloodline
- Prophecy
- Phoenicia
- Future Dig
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Scrolls of the Past...historical/adventure/coming of age
- Amen Rey (Egyptian)
- House of the Fawn - (Greek)
- Spice Road - (Persian)
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Dominatrix...sci-fi/thriller/action/space adventure/coming of age/assassin
- Domina
- Bisal
- Alaran
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Terraformation..sci-fi/action/adventure/alien love story/space travel
- Terra-Form
- Terra-Rise
- Terra-Site
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Quest of the Seeker..thriller/murder mystery/afterlife/coming of age
- The Key
- The Clown
- The Seeker
**Hint: The Seeker is the Grim Reeper's brother...:)
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The Cleaner..action/thriller/coming of age/assassin
- The Child
- The Woman
- The Teacher
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Ready The Yeti..children's series/adventure/life lessons
- I Am Ready
- I Am Sassy
- I am Abominable
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