10.
Senior.
Abraham stood next to the Master of the Arts while he
stared into the horizon where only the dunes and the faraway stretches of sands
lies ahead. He looked to the rear of him and saw Hasnah with the three
remaining guards stood with their weapons and to each of them was the skin bag
of water. They have released the horses to return back to its stables if it
survived the journey.
“Master Osis, why have you released the horses? How
are we to return?”
“The path ahead is here and the horses served us no
use. Even if we used the horses on the next path, it will only die in the
brutal way. And if we failed, there won’t be a need to ride back. If we succeed
then will I think of the way home.” Master Osis smiled. “Its not complicated.
We are at the City now.”
“I see no structure here. What ….”
“Hush my guest. Behold the Hidden City. It appears
only for a glimpse and then nothing. We best hurry before it disappeared once
more.” Abraham was puzzled but later he saw the glimpse of the city with its
towers and home structures. It appeared then in a misty scene as if it was a
mirage in the desert but the Master had reached out with his right hand and
then stepped forward.
“Hold hands and follow.”
Abraham held the Master’s left hand and felt his own
was held by other. He smiled before he turned to look and saw it was one of the
guards. His smile dropped weakly and saw the lady had taken her father’s other
hand. He looked to the guard holding his hand then was also held by the other
two forming a long line. They have all avoided holding the lady’s hand.
Abraham smiled at them and then felt himself pulled
forth. He was not walking but floating on the air towards the city. During the
so named flight of steps, he saw scenes which made him quivered in fright. It
was the images of the undead wandering the streets below and there were demons
among them. All of them looked from above held their arms out towards him as if
they were waiting for him to fall. He held on tightly to the hand that led him
and looked ahead. The scene before was of the rooftops and the towers where
they go past it like the flowing water that circumvented the barrier. Their
steps were light and floated on till they reached the open town square. There the group landed on the solid ground
with their hands held.
“What you had just undergo was the journey past the
boundaries? If not for those of us who knows of it, you will need to fight them
to get here.” Master Osis explained. “You may win but the casualties to your
men will be heavy.”
“Why do you speak in that manner?” Abraham asked.
“Those you saw are the ones that did not make it past
the boundary. They remained undead and served as the guardians here. Once we
reached here, they will not harm us for we are at the doorway to the Inner
City. Behold the lair of the Unspeakable One.”
Abraham found himself looking at a high tower that
reached the sky and its walls were without any handholds and polished to the
gleaming finishes. He did not recall seeing this tower before they proceeded
the journey there.
“Its hidden from the outside world by the demons, but
once you are here, the Inner City is revealed.” Master Osis told Abraham.
“It does not look like any city to me but a …. high
tower.” Abraham stared for the height of the tower.
“The looks cane be disbelieving. Follow me and we will
step into the Inner City.” Master Osis pulled them towards the tower and within
the wall, a doorway appeared. They stepped in and was transform towards the
scene of a huge courtyard with mini ponds and flower beds that lined the place.
It looked like a heavenly place.
“An …oasis.” Abraham muttered out in amazement.
“Truly one if the sight does not deceive you.” Master
Osis took to the trail in between the flower beds and the mini ponds, which
each step he took his hands was still holding Abraham and Hasnah. It was
Abraham who felt the hand holding released its grip. He looked back and saw the
guard that was trailing him used the hand to rub his face. He was to tell the
other to join back when he saw the guard there leading the other two stepped
into the flower bed there. The three of them seems to had taken one a different
route and when they were all inside the flower bed, the flowers there released
the pollens that took to stick onto the guards like powder materials. The
pollen formed a coating on the guards and then the unimaginable happened. The
guards were dissipated into pollens and fell back onto the ground.
“May their souls rest in eternity.” Master Osis had
spoken the prayer for the three guards. He then pulled at the two hands he was
holding. “They broke the link and was devoured by the flowers.”
“Master Osis, is there no …” Abraham was cut off by
the Master.
“You are in the version of Hell as you have spoken to
me of before. The only difference is this version is real to you now. We are in
the realm of the Unspeakable and what seen here are unspeakable at all. Its
madness and murderous. Stay your hand on mine and do not go astray for I can’t
guide you then.”
“Pray tell me that our journey will soon come to an
end.” Abraham himself a seasoned demon hunter had never seen such brutality in
the works of the demon.
“Your prayer will be answered. We have reached the
other doorway. Once we passed it, we are safe and may rest.” Master Osis pulled
them on and they came upon what appeared to a ring of flowers arranged in full
bloom over the railings of the bridge that crossed the small stream. They
walked over and then came into the sandy sands once more and having to face a
small temple that was shaped like the pyramid.
“The abode of the demon we have not dare to utter the
name and had it called as the Unspeakable One, but I fear not the demon. I am
here, Itep.”
A doorway appeared on the pyramid high above the
ground and a set of stone steps appeared from it to the ground. A figure
emerged and took the steps in slow stride. The figure was naked with the tanned
shade except for the loin cloth that was wrapped on the lower body.
“Father, he looked like ….” Hasnah called out.
“He is me, my child. He is my twins. The evil one.”
Master Osis replied. “He is me and as I am him but we are two opposing sides.
He is evil and I am the good one.”
“A perception of the mind or a twisted fantasy of
yours, my brother Osis. And am I Osis and you Itep?” The tanned figure spoke
out. “What is the opposite and which is the real?”
“My father is real and he is good. He is ….” Hasnah
cursed out. “The Unspeakable.”
“If you believed so. Then he is and I am not. But heed
my words, child of …. Osis, take not the sight of the flesh and looked into the
heart. I may be the real good one.”
“Do not confuse my child, Itep. I am here to battle
you to the end. Or war ends today.” Master Osis snapped back.
“You are truly evil to kill me before your child. You
have done a vile deed to bring her here to witness my demise. You are truly the
evil one.” Itep smiled. “I shall oblige you soon but let me speak to the child
first.”
“I am your father. The real one. Master Osis as you
know as your father is not your father.” Itep looked at Hasnah. “He is ….”
The brash one with the metal hooks have released his
weapon from the right hand at the tanned figure. The hook had snapped onto the
figure’s left shoulder and then Abraham pulled at the hook. The one named Itep
felt the flesh on the shoulder tore off but not a sound was heard from his
lips. He looked at the brash action of the foreigner.
“You are a fool, stranger. I will have you …devoured.”
Itep raised his arms with the left shoulder bleeding. “Let the blood of mine be
your soul eater.”
The blood that spurted out from the wound at the
shoulder formed a fleeting figure in the shade of the blood and rushed at Abraham.
The later retracted the hook while retreating. It was Master Osis who
intervened with the scimitar and averted death on Abraham. He then turned on
the attack with the scimitar at the demon but thrust went wide and Itep had
retreated. Just before that, Master Osis had landed a hit on the demon on the
chest.
“Osis, you are still the nemesis I have to contend
with.” Itep replied. “I am afraid our fight will need to be deferred. I am
called on urgent matters.”
With that, Itep dissipated into the sands leaving
Master Osis irritated at the action. Hasnah approached him and asked.
“Do we pursue, Father?”
“No, Itep is a coward. He has hidden in the secret
passages. We are weakened and lack of numbers to fight him there.” Master Osis
looked at Abraham. “Your attack had him on the retreat. I am impressed, demon
hunter.”
“We return now, daughter.” Master Osis then staggered
on his feet while clutching his chest. The Master was hurt.
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