Once there was Darkness

Chapter 13

Part 1

Leviticus 16:10

King Teo arrived for his visit. Three days into his stay, his party set on top of the palace overlooking the city.    

Teo was older than Kol by about 15 years. Louder, and bigger. He wasn’t to the point that he needed help to walk. When Kol looked at him, he pictured a sloth. But he knew that Teo was a formidable man.

“King Kol,” Teo asked, with a wine glass in one hand and a piece of fruit in the other. “Where is that enchanting female ambassador that you sent to me?”

There was murmurs throughout the party.

Kol just smiled, “she is on assignment.”

Teo roared with laughter, “I bet she is.”

Frego and the grand duke joined everyone on the roof. They laughed and talked for hours. Finally, something caught his eye. He was looking out over the desert. “Father, what is that?”

The entire party had joined him in his gaze. A rider wearing white on a white horse, raced from the wall toward the object. As it came into view, it looked like a horse drawn wagon that was on fire.

Kol knew it was Kessa racing to the wagon and his heart sank.

Kessa got her horse beside the other one. She jumped on him forcing him to a stop. Then dismounted, retrieving a blanket from her horse. Screaming alerted her to the fact there was a person in the back of the wagon. With great effort, she pulled him from the fire. As he lay in the sand, she beat at him with the blanket. His skin was burnt and cracked. It looked like rivers of lava were running across his skin. His screams were more than she could bare.

Suddenly she realized, she was on fire. A quick roll in the sand took care of that.

“Mordecai?” All of his hair was gone. If he had garments on, they were gone.

He rose a burnt shaking hand toward her. “Kessa? Is it you?”

She sobbed, “yes my brother.”

The party watched four more riders leave from the wall. They were all dressed in black; Bejhar.

“Mordecai, who did this to you?”

“Kes,” he whispered. “Tell Kol, I love” he paused. “him.”

“I will.”

His hand slid from hers leaving his skin behind. He panted, “we have a new enemy.”

“Mordecai, don’t go.” She pleaded but knew it was fruitless.

He began whispering the old prayer. She prayed with him. He gasped and was gone.

She turned the horse and the flaming wagon back in the direction which it came, cracked the horse on the rump, and it went running away.

Her attention was then turned to Mordecai. She wrapped him up. When her fellow Bejhar arrived, they placed the body on another blanket. She and three of her Bejhar walked him back to the palace. While the fourth Bejhar walked the horses.

Kol made eye contact with Rajaf. At the same time they spoke, “Mordecai.” They left the palace to meet the body. When they reached it, the Bejhar lowered the body. Kol and Rajaf fell to their knees weeping over their lost friend. Kol took the place of one Bejhar and continued carrying the body home.

They laid the body on a slab in the temple. Everyone left except Kessa and Kol.

Kol whispered, “Kes, I want to see him.”

“Really, my king, you don’t.”

“Unwrap him,” Kol roared.

She got in his face, “you unwrap him.” Her body was shaking. Kol could smell the lingering scent of smoke and ash. “I have seen enough!”

He moved away from her and stood over the body. “Tell me,” his voice was again a whisper.

She held back her anger and her tears. Her voice cracked when she spoke, “remember him the way he was. He did send you a message. He loved you.”