Crusaders Part 16

Present

Micheal placed the long staff he borrowed from a nearby passerby. Its near to the height of required by the scroll so he broke a part of it. The owner was upset but he was soon relieved with the payment he got for it. Micheal then placed the ruby on top of the staff. We all wait the sun to set at the correct the correct angle before we can see the reflection on the tree. It showed us an image of a stone entrance to a city.

"The lost city of Mapu. Its rumored to be in the forest where the great rivers flows. But no one actually know its location." The priest was telling us of his knowledge of the local fables. "But there is one who may know. He is Zico; the man who is the leader of the local folks against the Spaniards. Some claims he financed the war with the gold from from the city. But how do we find the famed leader?"

"Why through the man's faith? The Church tells us Zico is a devout follower of the faith and tomorrow is Sunday. He would be in the church."

Sunday mass is a packed house as we spread the word that we have an important message to speak on. More so, we offered them some food to be collected on the end of mass. Its the charitable spirit of the Christian way. But the speech I was to offered made my point clear across to the invited guests.

"Darkness had been around us for eons as you can see in the emerging signs of ignorance, misery, and sin among us mortal. We allowed it to rule over us and soon it would need not our approval as its would rule with or without our approval. The darkness of this world would be the total works of these malignant spirits just as they would dominate us and the world we lived in. Be known that by then the world you know would be a dark world, wretched and sinful. Its their desire to create it in that manner so they can degrade our life and we would soon resort to worshiping them as pagans. It has been consolidated by ages and more so it was sustained by all the authority of man; by all the omnipotence of the perverted religious principle; by all the reverence for antiquity; by all the power of selfish, corrupt, and base passions.

No empire however large cannot be destroyed if we know how. No darkness is without its nemesis in the world of light. We are the messenger of those light world. We are here to dispel the darkness influence and bring back the true balance of light in this dark realm. There is no total dominion of the world as the dark has portrayed to you, but we of the light seek to balance the scale on the world. We want to give the realm a choice of freedom to choose to which the side they may want to support. We do not dominate nor do we influence but we educate and protect the balance so the choice of yours is always free to choose.

Our battle has come here as we viewed there is an imbalance here. We want to correct that imbalance so you can choose your choice. Light or dark; its your to decide, but allow us the opportunity to correct the balance. Today, all of you have come here for a choice but we hope you would choose to return for more of the choices we offered. We pledged to guide you to be a better person. If you allowed us that into your life, we do not promise luxury but we promised you satisfaction of knowing you made the right choice."

The mass went without any incidents and the presence of the Spaniards conquistador did not help but we got our choice of answer soon enough.

"Senor, this is for you." I took the piece of paper handed to me. Its written in english; 'cedar tree tonight after supper'.

We made contact.

The cedar tree at night is a nice place considering that you are standing in the dark and all around you are more trees. The four of us sat there and took the opportunity to start a fireplace.

"Do you think the man would show?" Helmut is not of a man of patience and he prefer to let his sword does most of the introduction. I stoke the fire to make the flame soared higher. Just then we heard the crack of the twig and the figure of a man appeared from the shadow.

"Alcade, welcome to our fire. I trust you are cold after waiting for the last hour" The Alcade took his place with us and we all stoke the fire to get the flame bigger. "You created Zico so that you do not leave. But why? You stock no gold in your hut nor you shipped any out of the place."

"Sir Black, the Spanish Inquisition should learned from you. Yes, I am Zico and the Alcade as well. I created the character so that Lisbon would not take me away as yet. I am doing this to help the local natives who need to safeguard their treasure." The Alcade stretched his leg so that he would not be cramped in its position.

"Native treasure? You mean you found the city of Mapu." The Alcade nodded his head.

"I found it by mistake in one of my rides when the horse bolted. I was rescued by the natives who attended to me. Soon I befriend the Chief and he told me of the treasure in the city. He was worried that the iron heads would take it from them so he asked me to help him to hide it. He need my help to divert the conquistador from the route they would take. I asked him to show me the city as that what intrigue me more than the gold it holds. He did and I was awed by the ruins in terms of the history and it writings on the wall. I saw the treasure and its immense but I care not for it. So I created the man named Zico. I used that ruse to drive the conquistador to chase a ghost while the natives moved their treasure. I told the chief I do not want to know of the new hideaway. He smiled at me and said he was right to tell me of it."

"So the treasure is gone, but what of the city?"

"Its there in the jungle. But why do you seek it?"He is asking as I expected.

"As in my sermon, its to restore the balance." The Alcade stood up and he replied to me.

"I would take you there tomorrow." The Alcade left us with a fireplace which is getting smaller.

"How did you know he is Zico?" Micheal was asking this time.

"He confess in the Church and the priest told me in breach of that trust. I listened to his confession and I forgive him. I am a priest doing the works of God. Sir Black is only my official designation by the Archbishop." I got up and walked to the horse. I mounted my horse and rode back to the Church. Nobody could read my mind but I felt my lie to Micheal was uncalled for. It was Gabriel who told me of the Alcade in the dream but I felt Micheal needed another tale to be told to him. With my new identity, Micheal would looked at me with a different light. Its my first lie and I hoped it would be my last. But why did I lie baffles me as its not myself to lie to them. This is my first and I am worried if I am losing my faith on the light and leaning to the darkness.

I shall confess my sins to God tonight and hope for his mercy on my soul.

That night I had a dream of Glenwich and the whole incident again . I woke up in sweat and a heavier conscience. I did know of the children involved and I knew that they may die but how I was not know until then. The Council did warn me of the decision which I have to take. It was the only one to take then but nothing can cleared me of my conscience of removing a child from living a life. I told myself its the best decision than to be exiled but was I right?