Chapter 241: Aiziel

Day 7 (Evening)

I knew for sure that we weren’t on the same planet when, shortly after sunset, a bright moon rose in the eastern sky. By then, Penny had everyone else moved back about a hundred yards into the forest. They were in a slight depression and all of my security, except Vie and Nina were surrounding them.

“Michael? Aida and Lydia are nervous. And Amy is scared to death. She keeps talking about how she should have made love with you so they wouldn’t be after her. Deedee isn’t saying anything and Rie’ka is worried. Can you do something?” Vickie thought to me.

“Like what?” I asked her.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should come back here and relieve them of their problem,” she thought hesitantly.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea at the moment. I’m sensing some movement around the castle.” I thought back. “Just reassure them that they’ll be safe and we’ll discuss it later.”

It was another hour later that I began to sense a mass movement from the castle. Fifteen minutes later, we could see them. They were on horseback, two abreast, following the trail we had seen earlier. I counted twenty-four troops and a leader. There were also two wagons, pulled by large ox-like creatures following slowly behind. There were two men on each wagon.

“It looks like they don’t expect much opposition,” Kip whispered as we studied the procession. “I don’t think they realize we outnumber them. They’re even bringing the wagons to collect their spoils.”

“Yeah. They obviously know we’re here, but I don’t believe they know what they’re facing,” I replied. “The real question is, how did they know we were here?”

“Will you be able to do your paralyzing thing on them?” Kip asked.

“I have no idea. We’re in a whole different world” I reminded him. “We’ll have to wait until they get closer to find out.”

So we waited. As they got closer, I expected them to fan out and flank our last known position, but they stayed on the path, two abreast, leaving the slow moving wagons behind.

Finally, as they approached the hill on which we were hiding, two of the horsemen broke off and spurred their horses up the hill. I waited until they were almost on top of us and then using my gift, tried to put them to sleep.

It worked! They both tumbled from their mounts not more than twenty feet from where we were hidden. Their horses were obviously well trained and stopped immediately next to the fallen riders. From the trail, I’m sure it appeared that the riders had just dismounted to do their assigned tasks and while the officer looked this way, he didn’t seem to think it unusual and continued on the trail around the small hill.

Now that I knew they were similar to us, I could take care of the rest of them.

Starting with the two rear mounted troops, I began putting them all to sleep. As they fell asleep, they slid out of their saddles to lay beside the trail.

Finally, the officer looked behind him and saw all his men scattered alongside the trail. Then he looked to the small hill and watched as Kip and I stood and slowly approached him. I had instructed Vie and Nina to stay hidden and reminded Penny to be on the lookout for the other dozen or so troops that I had sensed in the castle earlier.

“Who are you to interfere with the King’s Guard?” the officer demanded from his saddle.

“Who are you to question the God of the Sun?” I shot back.

It was an interesting moment, if you were an archeological sociologist, as the officer’s emotions and training warred within him. I had taken a chance that this society was still somewhat primitive when I announced that I was the Sun God. Now I could see that I had struck a nerve.

Finally, after looking back at his men, scattered and unmoving along the trail, and then at me again, he sheathed his sword, slid off his mount and came to one knee.

“How may I serve you my Lord?” he asked.

“You may tell me your name,” I said.

“My name is Neilon, second son of King Heddon of Gerwayne,” he replied formally.

“Arise, Prince Neilon,” I said. As I waited for him to arise I thought “Penny, is there enough light for you to bring everyone up to where we are?”

“We’re on the way, Boss,” she replied.

“Prince Neilon, do you have other troops out and about tonight?” I asked. I connected Vickie and told her to connect the others.

Prince Neilon looked decidedly uncomfortable before he finally admitted, “Aye, sir. There are four more men following on the wagons.”

“And the rest of your troops?” I asked.

“They are doing their duty and guarding the king,” he replied.

“Then tell me Prince, what are the king’s guards doing out in the countryside on a fine night such as this?” I asked. “And please do not bother to feed the gods with any false truths.”

“My father, the King, learned that there may be poachers and sent me to round them up,” the Prince supplied.

“And how did your father, the King, know that there were ... er, poachers about tonight?” I asked.

“I do not...” he started before he screamed in pain as I tweaked a couple of nerves in his spine.

“The seer! The seer! She told him!” he cried. I let off the pain, leaving him on his knees trying to regain his breath.

About then, Ileana and Abby approached my side. They had Rie’ka with them.

“Why don’t you just kill him, then we can find this relic you seek and be gone?” Rie’ka said angrily.

I raised my eyebrows at the still kneeling prince. “That is a good question, Prince Neilon. Why shouldn’t we kill you and be on about the god’s business?”

When the prince did not reply, I tweaked the nerve in his spine once again. Through gritted teeth he cried, “Enough. I will tell you what you wish to know,” as he looked back down the trail.

I followed his gaze and saw what he was searching for. The two carts were finally approaching. I simply stood and waited for the men to reach the first of their fallen comrades and watched as they jumped from their carts and drew their swords. Then they cautiously made their way past the fallen bodies to where we all stood in a group. As they approached, my girls stepped back to reveal the Prince, still on his knees.

“Halt!” I called out to the four guards and they quickly stumbled to a stop, looking from me to the prince and back to me again. I knew I could put them to sleep as well, but I had other plans for them.

“Are you here for the virgins also?” I asked them. The prince raised his head at that, finally realizing that the gods knew more than he thought.