2.3 The
journey south
The journey down the continent was without any
incident as we encountered only wastelands devoid of trees and vegetations.
There the ruins of previous settlements which had withstood the bombing and
then the corrosive elements of the weather but there were no living creatures
to be seen. Not even the hounds would survive here as there are no preys for
them to hunt. Soon we were to reach the place that was once known as Pskov;
where a monastery had survived the war. The place had started off as a
monastery and then grew to become a town but the unique feature of the place
was not so much its monastery but the place was a bastion for the locals since
the sixteenth century. A wall surrounds the monastery and town giving its
inhabitants protection. Where it once withstood great army, today it withstood
the predators of the wasteland.
They drove there to seek the abbots there with our
meals and shelter.
"The caves at Pechersky were used by monks looking for solitude long before St. Jonah built the
Faith of the Dormition of the Theotokos into the hillside near the caves in the
late fifteenth century." She trusted Sergei to give her updates while they
were having their meal there with the abbots.
"The monastery was constantly under attacks or
sieges as it was an important outpost of the Russian nation then. It defended
against many from the west to invade over the land but it was during the middle
of the sixteenth century Pskov-Caves monastery rose to its greatest level of
prominence under the leadership of St. Cornelius,
abbot of the Pskov Caves."
"St, Cornelius enlarged the monastery caves,
moved older Faiths’, built the Faith of the Annunciation of the Most Holy
Theotokos in 1541, and the Faith of the Protection of the Most Holy Theotokos
in 1559. Between 1558 and 1565, St Cornelius had the stone wall built around
the monastery including a stone Faith dedicated to St. Nicholas over the gates
of the monastery. He also encourages the preaching of Christianity to the
pagans in the occupied cities of the area during the Livonian wars. During his
tenure as abbot the monastic population of the monastery increased from 15 to
200, a number that has not been surpassed since." Sergei paused in his
tale to offers thanks to the Saint whose abode he then had seek shelter.
Abbot Adrian, the current leader here then took on
his partake into the latest that happened there.
"We survived the war with barely our lives and
most of the monastery in ruins but we persevered and built it back. The later
was the walls as we found refugees seek our shelter for protection against the
heinous creatures that roamed the wasteland. Like lambs to the lions, we were
at a loss then until our numbers grew for us to hold the defense." Abbot
Adrian looked to his fellow abbots and sighed. "There was a man who came
to helped us. He brought us food which he had hunted and protected the walls.
But he would not admit himself inside the walls. We did not ask why then but
soon we did. Or I did as I was ever curious to know more on the man."
"I had him followed; smeared my body with the
remains of the lands, and tracked him down. Or it was he who tracked me down. I
was set on my two hounds when he came to my rescue; killing both with his bare
limbs."
"I saw the man whom had given us protection. He
who was not a man and yet he respected or feared as he was one. He was a
descendant of heroes that once roamed the lands when there were forests and
rivers. His descendants were feared and yet their whereabouts never known. Fame
and mystery travelled with their kind. Even the books spoke of such creatures that
assisted the Crusaders."
It was then whom Sergei exclaimed out in surprise.
"It can't be that you have found the squire of
Sir Gerald Black." Sergei asked the abbot. "He who was recorded as
part man and creature; an abomination but shown the nature to serve God and to
protect his master and the descendants."
"Please forgive me, my brother in faith."
Abbot Adrian made the sign of prayers and held onto his hands before his face.
"We were given the sign that the Crusaders would once ride and you came.
So we ....."
"You had come to meet the one known as the
Crawler." Sergei replied. "It would look like our path was well
guided by hands unaware to us."
"But how did you know we were coming?"
Geranium asked. "I myself did not know we would seek shelter here until we
saw the light."
She then recalled that they saw streaks of lights
that were seen on the skies which led them here.
"My child, you may have seen a miracle. An
aurora form by Lake Peipus could be the sign." Abbot Adrian commented
back. "The war did not dry the lake although its water was made
undrinkable but its banks now nearer to us."
"Three hundred or maybe four hundred million
years ago, the entire territory here was covered by a sea. It slowly subsided
by earth movement and of course the making of man's earth shattering technology;
the lake was formed and reformed by the later to what its today." Geranium
frowned at Sergei who had intervened with his geographical knowledge.
"Tell me please, Abbot Adrian. I need know more
about this ..........protector of yours." Geranium asked.
Then was the time to reveal the last member of the
Crusaders.
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