The New Guard (Crossroads Book 1) (14 page)

When
David finally looked over at Deborah, she was blushing and fidgeting. She was
the first to speak. “He told you about the kiss?” As she asked she blushed,
turning a darker shade of red.

David
sighed again and said, “Briefly. I am glad Hogan was such a gracious host and a
thoughtful one too, but. . .”

“I’m
sorry. I don’t. . . I didn’t consciously think about kissing him and it was
just on the cheek. I don’t think I meant anything by it except as a sign of
appreciation.”

David
raised his hands to forestall any more comments from Deborah. “Deborah, stop. I
can tell by how flustered you’re becoming that you’ve given this a lot of
thought since it happened. However, let me take this moment to remind you of a
few things. First, you are a beautiful young woman, and Hogan, though an elf,
is still driven by the same hormones and thoughts of young men on Earth.”

“Dad,
please; Hogan was a perfect gentleman all night.”

“Yes, I’m
sure he was. He was also very thoughtful in having the birthday cakes prepared
for you. Still, he is a young man, and a lovely young lady has just shown him a
great deal of interest. I’m reminding you to guard your interactions, just as
we have when any of the boys in high school showed interest in you. Do you
remember what I promised you?”

Deborah
looked down at her left hand and the band on her ring finger. When Deborah
answered, her voice was a little hoarse with emotion. “You promised to protect
me, walk in faith with me, and teach me about love by showing me how a man
should treat a woman: with respect, and as a gem in God’s crown.”

When
Deborah paused to catch her breath, David picked-up the conversation. “I gave
you that ring as a symbol of that promise, and told you that your mother and I
would both pray for the man whom God had set aside for you. We prayed for his
safety, that his resolve and love toward God would be strong, and that when he
entered your life we would both see him for who he was.

“Even
here, so far from the place where that promise was made, I will hold true to
it. I will gladly give you away on your wedding day to the man whom God has
provided for you. I only ask that you prayerfully consider any man before you
fully give your heart to him.”

Deborah
whispered, her voice almost nonexistent as she battled her emotions. “I know;
I’m sorry. I got caught up in the moment.”

David
walked over to his daughter and hugged her tightly. He kissed the side of her
head as she fiercely returned his hug. “I know, Deb. What girl wouldn’t be
swept away by the attention of a young prince?”

They
embraced for several minutes. When David was fairly certain Deborah was calm,
he held her at arm’s length.

“I love
you,” he said. “However, I have to say one more thing. I don’t truly know
Hogan, but I know his family. The elves have ruled the Crossroads for nearly a
millennium. They are a proud family and they have not heeded the warnings of
God. They will not easily surrender power. Be careful around Hogan. Even though
he seems disenchanted with his family, once the truth of what you represent comes
to light, he may turn on you.”

Deborah
had not the strength to contend her father’s words, even though she felt deep
inside that Hogan was a man worthy of her affections, if she would give them to
him. She didn’t feel Hogan would betray her if she confided in him. However,
she was not certain, so she merely nodded at her father’s last comment. David
took her face in his hands and gently kissed her forehead.

“Come
on,” David said softly. “Let’s get some rest and continue to pray about this.”

*

Later that
night, in the darkness of the castle, in the chambers of the king and queen, a
short squat figure sat in the corner. The king had finally fallen asleep, but
his dreams were troubling. As the king tossed and turned, the small creature
called out softly.

“SHHH, O
King Avrant,” the velvety voice penetrated into the subconscious of the king.
“The Sword Bearer is not your worst problem. The armed landlords are not your
worst problem. No, O king; your worst problem is God. You know He is displeased
with you and your family, and now you have heard the rumors of a new twelve.
The rumor is true; the twelve are here. Most of them sleep under the very roof
you provide, but do not fret, for my master will provide you and yours with the
opportunity to retain your kingdom. You are cunning, Lord Avrant, and you can
take advantage of opportunities when they are presented. Who knows? Perhaps if
you save the reign of your family, you will be the one sitting upon the high
throne and ruling the Crossroads. Yes, O king; dream of that and my master, and
I will take care of the rest.”

The
king’s sleep became less fitful as visions of ultimate power honeyed them. The
diminutive, stocky figure smiled and faded into the shadows, leaving the king
to envision his new kingdom.

David and
Rebekah Koen were both Christians and they raised their children accordingly.
Church was typically part of their life on a weekly basis. Back on Earth, the
church they had attended was a converted barn and farmhouse. They were taught
that the important part of the church was the people, not the buildings; the
buildings just gave you a central place to meet regularly and honor God. This
is what Sunday represented to the children, a day that the Lord had set aside
for people to come together and share the good news and praise the Creator and
the many blessings of their lives.

While the
Seventh Day (or Holy Day or Sabbath) was celebrated throughout the Crossroads,
the varied species celebrated the day in unique ways. The children were
awestruck with what they experienced that first Sabbath in the Way World. They
were moved by the ornate church building, the pageantry of a military service,
and the many different species surrounding them.

For
seven-year-old Jeremiah, it all made his mind swim, until he focused on one
aspect of the day. He chose to study the various people throughout the church.
As he looked slowly around, he saw elves, gaeder, weald, Coterie, dwarves, and
other humans. Then as he thought about the other species he had read about but
didn’t see, he had a revelation. Each of these other races were part of the
creation. God formed not only Earth and humans, but nearly a dozen more home
worlds for all these various species. Jeremiah had always looked at the night
sky and wondered about the other solar systems and galaxies, but here was proof
about how much more powerful God was. Each species was created in God’s image
with the ability to love, create, and think beyond the present. The thought
pulsed through his body, and he smiled.

However,
his smile slowly faded as he realized that each species was very similar to his
own in another way. Each of these people had been represented by their own Adam
and their own Eve. Each of these races had been given a chance to follow God
faithfully in the Garden. Yet each succumbed to temptation, doubted, and
rejected one simple command of God. They were all thrown out of their Garden
and punished accordingly. Creation was broken and death entered into the
equation, tainting everything life could have been.

From that
point, Jeremiah sat in church that Holy Day wondering what each different
race’s Bible would look like. What choices had they made to embrace God or
distance themselves from Him? What words had their Savior spoken? How had they
rejected and killed Him? Then Jeremiah prayed. He prayed to the Creator of all
the incalculable universe and asked Him to give him the power to help his
family and God’s creation. He asked God to fill him with all he would need to
combat the evil that was visible and invisible and set things right in the eyes
of the Lord.

God
answered Jeremiah’s prayer. For a moment Jeremiah’s heart stopped, and his
breath was caught in his lungs. Before he could panic, though, his body resumed
its automated work. However, the blood pumping through his veins seemed
slightly warmer, and with each breath he felt marginally stronger.

Deep in
the catacombs of Dauntalus, the Central Kingdom, Verger Rex stumbled in his
work and was brought to his knees. A chill, which had nothing to do with the
temperature of the tunnels, washed over his body and penetrated his veins. An
image of the Spire of Haven filled his mind. The Spire was dulled, lacking any
luminosity. He saw it crack and fall; however, instead of just falling down, it
seemed to fly toward something. A pain throbbed through Verger Rex’s chest and
he thought he was about to die. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the
vision and the pain disappeared, yet the coldness of his blood lingered. Shaken
and slightly weakened, Verger Rex got to his feet and left the catacombs.
Something had just happened, and Verger Rex was determined to find out what it
was.

*

Rebekah’s
Seventh Day was quite a different experience. In Haven, the Sabbath begins at
sundown. So, what would have been Friday night for Rebekah back on Earth was
the beginning of a full day of worship. The entire community, save some guards,
gathers in the various rooms of the sanctuary. There they share a meal, weekly
news, and discuss the messages within the Bible. The smaller groups take turns
coming together in the central hall to sing praises and hear a reading of the
Word. After several hours, the people of Haven disperse. A smaller service is
held for the guards as the watch is switched out.

Then
dawns the morning. Once again the population of Haven gathers in the sanctuary,
packing the central hall and the street beyond. In unison, they sing a song of
thanksgiving. Following this, three acolytes, from different locations in the
main hall, cry out, “Go good people of Haven. Go strengthen your community. Do
as the Word commanded: love your neighbor as yourself, and thus honor God with
all your heart, body, and soul.”

Haven
explodes with life on the Sabbath. Those that cannot leave their houses are not
without continuous company and comfort. The storehouses are opened, and goods
are freely given to those in true need. The children decorate houses with
flowers or branches. Choirs roam the streets, stopping every now and then to
sing praises. Meals are shared, and fellowship is found in abundance.

Rebekah
was in awe of it all. When she finally had to retreat to her room due to
exhaustion, she found the Owl perched on her windowsill.

“This is
all so wonderful!” Rebekah said breathlessly. “Does this happen every Sunday?”

“Every Sabbath,
or Holy Day, or Seventh Day, yes.” The Owl said. “Days of the week here are
based more on the old calendars than the Georgian one you are used to. The
citizens of Haven have been honoring the Holy Day like this for generations on
end. It is the reason Haven has the least amount of demonic activity. A
community this strong has very few ills on which demons can prey. The gates
into town even have a little bit of a threshold force that helps to prevent
lesser demons and Void beings from entering.”

“I feel
safe here. I feel surrounded by love and caring. I see why Alawnwee dreads
leaving this place.” Having said this, she fell into silence and absentmindedly
rubbed her stomach.

“You must
leave, though,” the Owl broke in quietly. “David will be able to protect and
educate your children anywhere. To hide here in Haven would put the entire town
and your children’s future at risk. Besides, if your family does not have a
presence in Dauntalus before it becomes fully known what you all are, the
consequences can be catastrophic. Trying to lay siege to the Central Kingdom in
order to gain that throne would most likely destroy the Way World. The ruling
lord of Dauntalus is many things, and one of them is a stickler for traditions
and honoring his word.”

Rebekah
waited for the Owl to say more, but it didn’t. She had fears, but tried hard to
release them to God. She had come to trust the Owl and the Fox, which was lying
at her feet. She trusted David, even though she was still upset about his not
confiding in her. She recognized all these forces as being placed in her life
by God, and she tried hard to trust Him with her future and the safety of her
family and herself. She tried, but it was difficult.

When Rebekah
dreamed, it was of her husband and her family. She longed for what she did not
have, and her dreams flowed in that direction.

“Rebekah,”
she heard her husband calling to her. She saw him in the distance holding a
hand out to her, “Rebekah.”

“Rebekah,
it is morning.” The words broke through her dreams, and tears of frustration
formed behind her closed eyes. “Lady Rebekah,” Alawnwee called, “it is time to
make our journey.”

Rebekah
put her hands to her eyes and tried to hide the tears which fought to leak out.

“The
carriage is packed and the coachmen are harnessing the horses into place.
Goodness, they are large horses! Brother Carefrin has breakfast ready
downstairs, and wishes us to eat before we leave.”

Rebekah
finally opened her eyes after she rubbed at them, wiping away the sleep and
unshed tears. Methodically, Rebekah rolled over in bed and then sat up. Without
a word, Alawnwee began helping Rebekah change from her sleep gown into
comfortable traveling clothes. Halfway through changing, Rebekah realized what
was going on and laughed as she shooed Alawnwee away.

“Thank
you, Alawnwee, for letting me experience what my children must feel like when I
have to rouse them out of bed. Thank you for your help, but I can take it from
here.”

Alawnwee
bowed slightly, and Rebekah had a strange thought: when her children were
royalty, would she be treated like this all the time? She waved the thought
away, and then finished changing. She followed Alawnwee to the kitchen where
Carefrin was supervising the packing of some food. He motioned the women to the
waiting table and still warm food.

“Eat,” he
said, “the coach is ready, but there is time to eat.”

The two
ladies sat and filled their plates. Rebekah noticed that Alawnwee was picking
nervously at her food, eating very little. Haven was Alawnwee’s home, her
security. She had never left it since coming to the Way World, and had grown
accustomed to the safety its walls provided. In addition, the stories she had
heard of Dauntalus were not comforting. Once, Dauntalus had been like Haven in
strength of faith and its ability to repel evil. However, Dauntalus grew as the
Crossroads grew, and soon the castle became a town, the town a metropolis, and
the metropolis a massively fortified city state. It was true that the darkness
could not easily get into the Central Kingdom, but it had found ways to creep
in and once it did, it hid and preyed quietly on the population. Now the city
had evil oozing through all the streets, tainting not just the city, but all
the kingdoms.

Neither
of the ladies knew what to expect from Dauntalus, but they knew there was hope
still in the city. Crime was not running rampant through the streets, and the
guard within the Central Kingdom tried to deal quickly and efficiently with the
most heinous of crimes. Good people were found throughout the city who tried to
invigorate the population to reject the evil and embrace God fully. In fact,
after helping Rebekah, this was to be part of Alawnwee’s work at one of the
local temples.

Both of
the ladies’ minds were flopping back and forth with thoughts of hope and fear.
Trust
in God.
Dauntalus had become a central point for the apathy, corruption,
greed, lust, and many other sins that were poisoning the Crossroads.
Have
faith that hope and love will win out.
The Central Kingdom held a dark
unknown, and evil could inflict a great deal of damage before the end.
If
God stands for you, who can stand against you?
On and on and on their
thoughts wandered.

Rebekah
reached out her hand and grabbed Alawnwee’s. When Alawnwee looked up, Rebekah
quietly said, “Thank you for coming with me. Trust me; I know following the
Lord’s path can be trying, frightening, and disconcerting, but I’m glad to be
traveling it with you.”

Alawnwee
smiled weakly. “If I am to go, I’m glad I will be in your company. Still, I
can’t stop thinking about all the dangers I’ve heard Dauntalus holds. I will
pray during the trip, asking the Lord for his strength and courage.”

The women
ate in silence for a few moments more until Carefrin came to check on them.
“Have you eaten well?” He asked. When both women nodded, he continued. “Good;
the coachmen say they will ride the whole journey today. Leaving now, you will
be on Haven Road for just over an hour. Once on North Road, the ride should be
smoother. You should arrive at Dauntalus just before nightfall. The Coterie who
are traveling with you will stay with you at Dauntalus for the night, before
leaving in the morning for their homelands.”

Alawnwee
heard the last statement and looked markedly relieved. Carefrin smiled, knowing
the young acolyte was worried. “You will stay at North Temple during your time
at Dauntalus. They will care for you and protect you as necessary,” he said
laying a reassuring hand on Alawnwee’s shoulder. “Now, come; you must be off.”

The
carriage was an impressive sight. It could easily seat six people, and possibly
eight. The frame and chassis were all solid wood, thick and sturdy and covered
in decorative, yet defensive, metal studs. The wheels were formed of metal a
finger thick, a hand-width wide, and five feet round. The wheels, therefore,
held the carriage two and a half feet off the ground.

Rebekah
and Alawnwee looked toward the front of the carriage and were greeted by the
two drivers seated up on their perch. The women returned polite bows, then
continued to admire the carriage and the six massive horses harnessed to the
front. When the drivers heard the ladies’ quick intake of breath, they smiled.

The
youngest looking of the two drivers stood up. Rebekah was surprised to see that
the young man was of mixed blood, as she had not seen much blending of the
different races since she had been in Haven. He had the look of the Coterie and
elves together, but the telltale signs were muted.  His ears were not as
pointed; the ridges about his hands and face were softer and smaller than any
she’d seen till now, and his skin was a light sunburnt red.

It took
Rebekah a moment to realize he’d started talking and to focus on his words. “.
. . They are the normal breed for pulling and speed. We were told to transport
you as quickly and safely as possible, so we added two more than normal. We
should make it to Dauntalus’ gates before sundown with no problem. Since you
didn’t have much baggage, we stored it in the carriage. As soon as you are
aboard, we’ll be off.”

Carefrin
opened the door and withdrew the carriage steps. He helped each of the ladies
up before handing them two small food sacks to add to the gear already aboard.
Without being noticed, the Fox slipped in before Carefrin shut the carriage
door. The Owl was already in the carriage, roosting in a corner.

As the
carriage took off, Rebekah was amazed that the movement was not as bumpy as she
thought it should be. After sitting a few moments and watching the scenery, she
lay down on the wide, padded bench. The slight swaying of the carriage soon
rocked Rebekah to sleep.

Alawnwee
was not so easily relaxed. She tried to read. She tried to knit. She tried to
doze, but the apprehension inside her would not quiet down. She looked out one
of the window slits of the carriage, but could see nothing to hold her
attention. Finally, she closed her eyes and began to pray. However, it was not
the destination she should have been worried about; rather, she should have
prayed about the journey.

*

After his
meeting with the Fallen Star, Ferreter was left with very explicit
instructions. Only the Lord of the Demonic Host would have the power to
sentence any of the new twelve to death. Therefore, Ferreter was to continue
tracking the missing twelfth child, but under no circumstances was he to kill
it. So Ferreter continued his journey to the Second Kingdom.

Once
Ferreter made it to the Second Kingdom, he headed straight for Haven. Almost
every new arrival into the Way World who entered into the Second Kingdom found
their way to Haven, so this was the best place to start the search for his
quarry. As he circled Haven, he found the trace scent he was looking for. He
was surprised, however, to find only half the scent. Searching his scent
memory, he quickly realized he must have found the children’s mother. However,
there was no child with her.

He traced
her trail back for several miles. He confirmed she was traveling with an angel,
but still no child. Ferreter was becoming concerned he might be following a
false trail when the hound found a spot where the woman had relieved herself.
Ferreter knelt next to the hound and touched it so they could combine senses.
This is when the revelation came. There within the dried urine was the subtle
trace hormones that indicated pregnancy.

Ferreter
dismissed the hound to find shelter against the coming dawn and smiled. The
twelfth child was not yet born. Still smiling, he followed the mother’s trail
to within sight of Haven. As it was nearing dawn, Ferreter dared not get any
closer to Haven than the distant woods. As he peered through the distance he
noted the woman’s trail only went in, not out. Looking closer at the trail
markers around him, Ferreter noted their age.

“Several
days old,” Ferreter mumbled to himself. “We returned to the Here Between at the
beginning of a night, and lost the day thereafter. She must have stayed in the
woods that first night and made it to Haven sometime that first day.”

Ferreter
kept calculating time until he counted off four days and five nights. As he
reached this number he cringed, for the melodic chimes of many bells filled the
air, followed by a quick, panicked wail. The bells were clearly from Haven’s
sanctuary,
ringing
out the dawn call. The wail,
Ferreter surmised, was from some Void creature holed up in the woods. He shook
his head in disgust; clearly the demons had not been expecting the bells or
were affected by their power more than he, as they were fresh from Hell.

Ferreter
walked deeper into the woods and quickly found a hollowed out tree the demons
were using as a shelter. He crawled in and found a large gallery in which he
could easily sit up. In nearly every direction from the main gallery there were
tunnels, no doubt leading to small burrows. The two demons he had recruited in
Dead Hollow lay curled up in the far reaches of the large chamber. As the sound
of the bells died, down they too slowly recovered.

Ferreter
spat at them as he spoke. “Stupid haunts, so fresh from Hell you haven’t
proofed yourself against church bells! Report, or are you so worthless you
don’t have any information for me?”

The
taller of the two looked at Ferreter and spoke without preamble. “We arrived
quickly enough, traveling as you advised. It was full day, and we spied the
city but dared not journey close. The goblins found this hollow and enlarged
it. One or two watchers have been spying the road and the town since.”

The
smaller demon recovered enough to be ambitious and said, “Yesterday a carriage
arrived.”

Ferreter
grabbed the demon before it could finish. “Did it leave?”

The demon
shook its head and pleaded. “No, no; please let me go! The carriage has yet to
leave.”

The
taller demon stood up and spoke again, “Master Rider, the carriage has not left
via any gate. We have watchers at all gates.”

Ferreter
flung down the smallish demon and nodded. “Very good; we can pull the watchers
from all the gates except the one that leads to the Central Kingdom. We must
arrange to waylay the carriage when it leaves. I’ve no doubt they plan to
transport my prey this way in deference to her condition. I must make one thing
clear about this operation; I seek a woman, so when we attack leave any women
alone unless I say otherwise. Now, what forces do we have at our disposal?”