Chapter 16 ("Good-bye")

This'll be the last chapter! I'll miss my book.

Chapter 16

Grinning from ear to ear, Ben stared at the place where Mahal had once been. Now it was perfectly smooth, as if everything had never took place. He turned around to talk to the others and noticed that the trees behind them, once old and dead, were not rapidly turning green. Some of them had blooms on them, and even from here Ben noticed the happy twittering of birds.

Kaela grinned from ear to ear, standing beside Learka and Nolan. "Isn't it awesome?" she cried. "We finally did it! Now tell me everything you did, Ben."

Ben was about to tell her when the women and children thronged up out of the tunnels to help celebrate the victory. Klii and Yev joined them, and then Ben recited his story for all. After he was finished Kaela also told what she had experienced. When they were both done, Ben said, "So, I guess that's the end of Daran?"

Klii shook his head. "Not to dampen the mood, but it isn't, and won't be for a long time. In the Book of Prophesies it is written that Adonai will come in actual person, and not just in our minds, and will conquer Daran for good. But even then it will take a while for Daran to die of his wounds. But for now, we can celebrate."

Learka looked toward the tunnels, which were now opened. "And from what my nose tells me, the women are already preparing a feast!"

Yev raised her eyebrows. "Really? Well then, I'd better help them! See you guys!"

It didn't take long to prepare a huge meal for all the followers with literally all the women in Elandai cooking. There was lamb, pork, chicken, meat pies, fresh baked bread, sweet potatoes, salads, and more for the main meal. And for dessert was pie of every kind, something that tasted a lot like ice-cream, tarts, pudding, cakes, and cookies, to name a few. Ben's mouth watered at the smells, and he coudn't wait for it to be time to eat.

Ben sat down with Klii, Learka, Kaela, Yev, and Nolan and his family, and happily enjoyed a piece of lamb. Opposite him, Kaela bit down into a piece of pie. Apparently there were no rules on eating dessert first.

When he was finally finished, Ben set down a chicken bone and then looked up to say something to Learka. To his surprise, he was sitting on the grass, with Kaela, besides a very familiar-looking creek. They were alone. Why, this is the creek that started this whole adventure! It looks totally alike, except the trees are alive. Ben realized. Kaela must have been thinking the same thing too, because she said, "We have to go home already? We didn't get to say goodbye to the others!"

Just then there was a flash, and then Adonai appeared in front of them. He was smiling, just like always. "Don't worry, they know that you wanted to say goodbye. And yes, it is time for you to go home. This adventure here is over."

"This adventure?" Ben asked hopefully. "You mean, there'll be more?"

"Yes, definately," Adonai assured him. "And they will come soon, so always be ready."

"We will!" The siblings chorused. They knew they'd look forward to coming to Elandai again.

There was a slight pause, and then Ben said, "I guess this is goodbye."

"Acutally, it isn't."

Kaela's eyes bugged out. "Really? So we aren't leaving yet?"

"You are, but this isn't goodbye," Adonai explained. "I am always with you, to the end of the age, you know. Even if you go into another world."

Both Ben and Kaela were confused. "But we've never heard of you in our world," Kaela pointed out.

Adonai smiled at her. "I have many names. I am simply known by different ones in your world." Then he turned and pointed to the creek. "Now is your time to cross. Goodbye!"

"Goodbye!" Ben and Kaela called back, and then they stepped into the stream.

Halfway across, Ben looked back at the other side of the creek. Adonai had disappeared. When he looked forward, he could see signs of the modern world; houses, the spray-painted board, and he could hear the occasional trucks back on the roads.

Ben and Kaela reached the other side, and then climbed back onto the path. They looked at each other. They were both wearing their modern clothes, and their swords were gone. "Was that real?" Kaela asked. "Were we dreaming?"

For some reason, Ben knew that it actually did happen. "That was real." He whistled. "But wasn't that awesome? We didn't even know that this world existed, and then whoomph, we suddenly were there!"

"It's certainly not something your average kid would experience," Kaela agreed.

They started walking on the path toward home. Then Ben had an awful thought. "Oh my goodness!" he exclaimed. "How long has it been since we've left home? Mom and Dad must have called the police by now!"

Kaela squinted up at the sun. "The sun's in the same position," she observed.

Ben glanced down at his watch. "And it's the same time, pretty much." He frowned. "How could that be? Did we take no time at all?"

There was a moment of silence, and then Kaela spoke. "Well, Elandai is a different world, so who's to say that they don't have a different time?" This was the only explanation they could think of that made sense, so they moved on.

A few minutes later they arrived at their house. Racing up their yard, they both banged into the house. Mom and Dad were both sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for them. When she saw her kids' shining faces, Mom smiled. "So, you got my note?"

Ben plopped down in a chair. "You knew of Elandai?" he asked.

Dad nodded. "Yes. The last time we visited was long ago, but I still remember much of it. Did you guys have fun?"

Kaela nodded. "Oh, yeah. First of all, we went to the creek, and when we crossed it, we got shot at by Ogres, and then we fell through Klii, Learka, and Yev's roof..."

It took a while for Ben and Kaela to explain their adventures to their parents. When they were done, Mom's smile grew. "It sounded like you guys should plan on going back. And you probably want to, don't you?"

"Definitely," the siblings said at the same time.

Mom looked at the clock on the stove. "Good grief, it's getting late! You guys need to hurry up and get ready for today. You have piano lessons at two o'clock, and then Kaela has gymnastics at four, and Ben, remember your swim team..."

Ben smiled as he dashed up the stairs to get ready. He didn't know how he would concentrate today after Elandai. The continuous sword-fights, dangers, and excitement was a hard-to-break habit. And we'll go back soon! He reminded himself, feeling shivers go up and down his spine at the thought. I can't wait!

The End

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Wow, I didn't actually think I'd ever be done with "The Other Side of the Creek" for a long while. When the poll for a sequel or not is finished, I'll know if I'll write another story like this one. (I hope I do)

Izori

Chapter 15 ("Mahal's Falling Down")

To Chapter 15 already! We're nearing the end.

Chapter 15

Ben and Daran stared at each other for a moment in the room surrounded with flames. The silence was interrupted only by the crackling and whooshing of the fire. Ben gripped his sword tighter, observing the throned man.

That is, if he could be called a man. His hair was black, and he had no beard or moustache. His skin was an unusual mix between red and black. Maybe a faint burgandy. And his eyes were blood red, with unsettling white orange pupils. Ben shivered.

Daran opened his mouth to reveal his teeth, which were long fangs. "Ahhh, so you have come at last." He stood up to his full towering height, several heads taller than Ben, and stepped down from his throne. "I have been expecting you. Sent by that miserable Adonai, I presume?"

Ben didn't say a word, just readied his sword and slipped the bottle of blood into his pocket. Daran stepped closer until his dancing shadow fell over the boy. Then he drew his sword. "You came to fight." It was not a question.

"Yes, I did." With an effort, Ben returned Daran's stare. "And not only to fight, but to win."

The evil king threw his head back and laughed, a sound that put Ben's teeth on edge. "To win!" he shrieked. "Are you that confident?"

"With Adonai, I am."

Daran circled his young opponent, grinning all the while. "And what makes you so sure that Adonai will help you? What if he backs out? Why didn't he stop my Ogres when they fired their arrows at you, long ago when you and your sister first came to my land."

"He just won't," Ben replied stubbornly, turning to keep his back from Daran. "He's not that sort of person. And he's way more powerful than you are. His blood can melt chains!"

"And mine can poison, kill, and devastate! Which is more strong?"

"Adonai's, of course."

Daran stopped circling. "Adonai's cannot poison and destroy!" he rumbled. "Your Adonai upholds love and unity and all that other mush. And everyone knows hate is stronger than love!"

Ben was puzzled, but only for a second. "Who says?" he asked defiantly.

For answer, Daran roared and lunged at Ben, his sword flashing in the fire-light. The boy barely got his own sword up in time to deflect the blow. The fight had begun.
---- ---- ----

Kaela looked up at the steep climb with dread. How could she be expected to climb the tower? And she didn't have much time, too. Soon the Ogres would spot her and that would be the end of it.

Something made her look to the left slightly. Oh, how foolish! That was there all along! Or was it? In the tower was a door.

Kaela opened it, and to her delight she saw a staircase winding up into the tower. There was no light coming in, so it was dark. When she stepped on the first stair, she found it was also wet and slippery. Having her sword light the way made it a little better, though.

She cautiously crept up, on the alert for Ogres. Only once did she look back down, and that was when she was half-way up. She grimaced at the far fall and from then on stared straight at the stairs.

Kaela had almost neared the top when she heard a rustling up ahead. She froze. The rustling grew louder, and then the source stepped out into the light. From Yev, Klii, and Learka's description, she knew right away it was a Vakir.

The Vakir pumped it's leathery wings and screeched, then launched itself straight at her. For a moment, Kaela was paralyzed, and then light shot from her sword burning the Vakir's wing. It screamed louder and once again made a bee-line for her, now maddened by it's injury.

Kaela brought her sword up and slashed into the Vakir's belly. To her surprise fire shot out of the wound, and the Vakir fell to the ground and shriveled up. Kaela stepped over it and continued up to the steps.

She reached the top of the stairs a few seconds later. It ended right at a door, solidly barred. Kaela raised her sword and brought it down upon the metal bolt, neatly severing it. Concerned that her blade had gotten nicked, she examined it. To her delight, it was un-damaged. Whoever made this knew what they were doing!

Then she pushed on the door. It didn't open, to her surprise. She checked to make sure it was completely unlocked, and then pushed again, and then pulled. But it still didn't work.

The password! Kaela scolded herself. How could I have forgotten about that! She leaned close to the door and whispered, "Agblith!"

The door swung open on it's own, and Kaela stepped in and looked around. The room was larger than she had expected, with people scattered all over the place. They were of many sizes and colors, but they all had two things in common. They had a blank, un-intelligent, empty expressions on, and they all wore chains.

"Hello?" No one moved, only continued staring at nothing. Kaela stepped into the middle of the room and raised her voice. "Hello!" When she got no response, she shrugged, and then opened the bottle of blood she held. So, I guess I just sprinkle it over everyone?

She dipped her fingers into the surprisingly warm blood, and then sprinkled the droplets on the people, taking care she didn't miss anyone. Then she waited for the results.

Almost immediately, the chains began to shrivel and melt away, until they became mere shadows that soon disappeared. All around, people were waking up and rubbing their eyes, and then staring around at each other in bewilderment. And then suddenly they all started talking and laughing at once. Probably the last thing they remembered was being enslaved by Daran. That's right, Kaela realized. Daran. Ben should be fighting him right now. She looked over all the people. How could she tell them that they had to fight, right now? She wasn't that skilled in public speaking.

All at once the words came to her, and before she knew it, she was talking. "Ladies and Gentlemen, as you all probably know Daran has taken over Elandai."

Everyone turned around to look at the speaker, and was surprised to find that it was a nine year old girl. Still, Kaela talked on. "But now the time has come for us to overthrow Daran. With Adonai's help, an organization of followers, lead by Adonai's appointed leader, Nolan, have made it very far to regaining Elandai. My brother is fighting with Daran himself, while Nolan and the followers are fighting with the Ogres. And Nolan is in need of men." He is? I didn't know that. And why am I saying this?

The crowd began to stir. "Then let's help them!" a man called out.

"Aye, why are we sitting here lollygagging while honest men are fighting for us?"

Kaela smiled. It was encouraging so see that they were enthusiastic about this. "Well then, follow me!"
---- ---- ----
Nolan had a worried expression on his face as he looked over the battle-field. The fight was not going very well. His men, outnumbered at the beginning, now had suffered many casualties. The Ogres had the advantage of being high up on Mahal's walls, and they used it. They shot arrows down at the followers, and poured boiling oil when Nolan's army got too close. The followers had tried building catapults, but all the trees around were dead and rotting; not that great for catapults. But what they really needed was re-enforcements. Especially now, because the Ogres had just issued a direct, face-to-face battle. They had streamed out of the gates of Mahal, closing the gate too swiftly for the followers to get in, and had then begun wreaking havoc among the army. Nolan was just now taking advantage of a brief lull in his part of the battle to take a break.

He wrinkled his forehead as he saw another one of the followers fall with an arrow stuck in his neck. I thought you wanted us to do this, Adonai! He cried inwardly.

Suddenly the gates creaked open again. Nolan tensed, thinking that it was more Ogres. But to his surprise, regular humans came out, brandishing make-shift weapons and yelling like crazy. Nolan gasped as he saw the leader of the new party was Kaela. Re-enforcements! Praise Adonai! Then he joined in the battle with a will.

The surprised Ogres were cut down very quickly with the new soldiers. And then the gates were swung open; this time to let the followers in.

To their surprise, there were not that many Ogres left in Mahal. It took only a minute for them to find the last of them and kill them. Nolan met Kaela afterwards.

"Do you know where Ben is?" He asked.

Kaela shook her head. "No. I think he's supposed to be fighting Daran, though."

"Then do you know where Daran is?"

She shook her head. "Not exactly, but I have a suspicion where." Kaela pointed to the red-glowing building in the center of Mahal. "There."

---- ----- ----

Ben sweated freely as he parried Daran's blows. He was constantly on the defensive, as his opponent was much more experienced then he was. He could feel his strength failing, and he missed several chances to strike. Daran's smirk was growing bigger.

Suddenly Daran stuck out his foot and tripped Ben. With a cry, he fell to the ground, his sword spinning out of his hand and out of reach.

Daran placed a heavy foot on Ben's chest. "So, you came here to win?" He asked smugly. "Turned out that I won. Guess Adonai did chicken out, after all. And now no one will be able to interfere with my rule. Too bad for your team."

He gave Ben an obnoxious smile. "I can be sure of my triumph when I've chopped off your head, boy."

Sure of his triumph! That's when I throw the bottle at Daran! Ben scrambled around in his pocket, searching for that bottle of blood. It seemed to evade his grasp.

Daran lifted his sword over his head. "Time to say goodbye, Ben!"

That was when Ben found the bottle. Barely even stopping to un-cork it, he threw it up into Daran's face.

His scream pierced the very walls of the building, making then tremble. Daran's face appeared to be melting, turning black, as the blood dripped down it. His whole body shriveled up into a whisp of shadow, which floated to the ceiling and disappeared. His sword, laying on the ground, also was gone.

Ben looked at the bloody, smashed pieces of the broken bottle, and then was startled by the rumbling sound he heard. Mahal's falling down!

He picked up his sword and made for the only exit, which was the door to the tunnel. But when he opened it, he found he was looking out into the city of Mahal. It was trembling, just like the fiery building. To his surprise, he saw no Ogres, only Nolan, Kaela, Learka, and a bunch of followers all running around the streets.

"Ben!" Kaela screamed as she ran toward him.

But Ben didn't waste time on reunions. "Hurry!" He yelled. "We have to get out of here--Mahal's falling down!"

All the followers streamed out of the quaking city, and then when they were a safe distance away, they turned and looked back. Mahal shook for one last moment, and then suddenly debris flew up into the air. The flames exploded higher, and then were gone. Mahal had fallen.
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Izori

Chapter 14 (Up is the Way)

For a change, I'm going to write a little about what Kaela's going through (She actually would have been my main character, except I decided it to be Ben, just to experiment at how well I can write with a boy main character). So, without further ado...

Chapter 14

Kaela gulped as she looked at Ben's receding back, and then turned and followed her own tunnel. To try and not dwell on her fear of being alone in the tunnels, she thought of Adonai. It was amazing to her that with just a wave of his hand, he could create tunnels deep in the earth on the spur of a moment. And his blood could melt chains...talk about real power. She had heard kids talk about witches and sorcerers, back on earth, and how they had pretty strong powers--seeing the future through a ball, turning people into frogs, and so on--but they always got their powers from bad things, like torturing cats. And when they got the power they used it for bad purposes, like making people miserable or frightened. Adonai wasn't like that at all.

She then reviewed her instructions in her head. What were they? Oh yes, travel along the tunnel until I get to Mahal (I hope I'll know when I've gotten to Mahal), and then find the dungeons and then sprinkle the blood on the enslaved people there...how do I know where to look for the dungeons? I'm not so sure I can do this.

Kaela walked onward through the tunnel (which sloped up, sometimes rather sharply) until she came to a door. It was plain and made of wood, with some writing on it. Without knowing it, both Ben and Kaela were experiencing the same thing at the same time. And just like her brother at the opposite place in the tunnels, Kaela found that she could suddenly understand the wording on the door. That doesn't make sense, she frowned as she read the words. Then again, suddenly finding ourselves in Elandai and then being chased by Ogres and then falling through some peoples' underground roof doesn't make much sense, either.

These were the words Kaela saw:

Go past my gates, but keep about your wits
Watch your head, do not be hit.
Agblith the password, up is the way
Or save your skin for another day.

Kaela stared at the words, not very comforted. But at least it was a clue. So, apparently I should be careful otherwise I'll 'get hit'--I think I know what get hit means. 'Agblith the password', I'll have to have a password? Oh well, passwords are a good thing to know. And I'd better go up, I guess. Or I could 'save my skin for another day'.

"Well, that's optimistic!" she told herself aloud. "But I know what to do. So..." Kaela grasped the handle and pushed open the door.

What she found was not at all comforting. She was now standing on a sport of stone ledge, coming out of the side of a tower.

How'd I get up this high? I thought I was in the ground all the time. Well, whatever it was, Adonai arranged it.

Below her was the city of Mahal in all it's dark glory. The buildings were either black or red, and there were Ogres milling around in the streets below. The sky was almost a blood red, and there was one central building that emitted an evil glow almost the same color as the sky. It gave Kaela the jitters.

From another wall arrows came streaking down from outside, and the Ogres, of which some were now flopped on the ground with the followers' arrows stuck in them, rushed over there, shooting their own projectiles. Nolan and the troops were doing a wonderful job fighting.

Then Kaela remembered the riddle on the door. 'Agblith the password, up is the way'. I guess I head up.

She looked up at the steep climb up the tower. That may not be as simple as it sounds.
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I would have finished this chapter earlier, but Mom offered me a popsicle on the porch and..heh heh, I couldn't refuse. (Hey, it was lime-flavored. My favorite :D) And then we had to go get the baseball field ready for tomorrow's game--yes, I play baseball, my brother talked me into it this year--, and now it's 8:41 at night, so at least I was loyal and finished the chapter!

Izori

P.S. I just realized we only have one or two chapters to go! :-(

Chapter 13 (Daran)

I would have posted quicker, but we're really, really busy. And chapters take a longer time to post than ordinary posts. Anyway...

Chapter 13

Ben continued on through the tunnel, his out-held sword illuminating the path ahead of him. It was scary being alone down there. Well, not quite alone (there was the occasional spider and once he startled a bunch of bats) but other than that, no one else was there.

As he walked, he glanced down at the bottle of blood he had in his hand. A bottle of blood that can break a kingdom and melt chains...that's what I call powerful.

Ben looked up then and caught sight of a mysterious shape in the shadows. Was that an ogre, waiting just beyond the light to grab him? Ben could just imagine it's evil red eyes. It reminded him of a time when he had been a lot younger. It had been night time, after Mom and Dad had tucked him in and turned off the lights. He had been lying peacefully in his bed on the verge of falling asleep when he had seen a shadowy shape on the wall. Not daring to move, he had lain in his bed until he had finally worked up the courage to turn on his nightlight and found that he had been scared of the shadow of his favorite teddy bear. Maybe it's like that; I'm only imagining things.

His sword flared up brighter, revealing the real source of the shadow--a rock sticking out of the wall. Feeling slightly foolish, Ben moved on. He didn't encounter anything else until he came to the end of the tunnel. There was a door there, with strange runes etched on it.

Ben stared at the writing for a moment, and then to his shock he found he could read the letters. They didn't change or anything, but they suddenly made sense. They read:

Here is the door to Mahal

That sounds simple enough, Ben told himself. Adonai must have arranged the 'suddenly being able to read it' thing as well as the tunnel and the way to Mahal. I bet Daran doesn't even know about the entrance into his city yet.

Ben hesitantly grasped the knob and then pushed open the door. Stepping inside, he looked around. It was dark and deserted, just like the tunnel. Actually, the only thing that was a change was that the walls were stone and metal, and not dirt. So this is Mahal.

He started walking again, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. This new tunnel (or more of a really long hall) went in an upward direction. Ben had been walking for several minutes before he came to an apparently more trafficked area of the hall. He could tell it had more use because it was lighted by torches in oddly shaped white jars, which were in small alcoves in the wall. A closer look revealed that the white 'jars' were actually human skulls. Ben shivered and tried not to look at them after that.

Then he heard footsteps in the hall around the corner ahead--many footsteps, and headed his direction. Ben tightened his grip on his sword and steeled himself for whatever he would see.

The footsteps came closer.

Ben jumped around the corner with his sword at the ready, and then gasped. In front of him stood seven huge Ogres, each armed with bows, arrows, knives, and clubs. They looked as if they had been prepared for him.

The first Ogre gave a screaming growl and loosed an arrow at Ben with amazing speed. He flicked it away with his sword just as quick, and stepping closer, twirled his sword and lopped the Ogres head off. Immediately he whirled and a ray of light shot out of his weapon, burning a neat hole through the next opponent's forehead. It too dropped to the ground.

Then Ogre #3 drew it's knife and Ogre #4 drew it's club and then they both jumped at Ben. He managed to impale #4, but he wasn't quite quick enough to catch the other, which managed to nick Ben's arm with his knife. To his surprise and concern, the skin around his wound started to bubble and burn. As Ben looked down at it, wondering what he was going to do, a beam of light emitted from the pommel stone on his sword. The wound glowed for a moment, and then it healed perfectly.

Ben didn't have time to think that over before he had to stab Ogre #3. He got it right in the throat, and it toppled over, letting out a gurgling howl before it died. He pulled his sword free and then stepped forward to slice the string of the bow that Ogre #5 held. He followed that up by thrusting his sword into the Ogre's heart.

Now all that remained were Ogres #6 and 7, which were standing close by each other. They both had bows and arrows, but obviously were not very intelligent; they didn't even have arrows on their strings. Ben cut #6 in two, and then his sword shot a narrow beam of light at #7, which detached it's head and neck from the rest of it's body. It fell onto it's side next to the rest of the Ogres.

Ben lowered his sword and stared for a moment at the carcasses of the seven Ogres, each one's blood staining the hall floor black. Then he stepped over them and walked on.

He continued on several minutes, noticing that there was an odd reddish glow coming from up ahead. It looked very evil, and it made the skulls on the walls even more scary-looking. When Ben had walked a little more he found the reason for the glow. The hall-way suddenly opened up into an enormous room. As he stepped in he saw that the room was basically a big platform, with drop-offs on all sides. From out of the drop-offs came long flames--the cause of the red light.

Even more worse than these was the completely black throne on a raised part at the end of the platform. Or rather, the figure on the throne. Ben knew right away that it was Daran.
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Izori

Chapter 12 (A Bottle of Blood)

Okay, this one didn't come as quick to me. Probably my own fault because I'm working on my other books and so on. So...

Chapter 12

Nolan raised his eyebrows as he stared at Ben. "So your saying that Adonai came to you and the others and told you all that I am supposed to send you and Kaela on a mission? A dangerous mission, at that? Are you sure?"

"Yes," Ben nodded. He, Kaela, Learka, Yev, and Klii had come to Nolan as soon as they could with Adonai's message. "And I know it sounds a little wild, like following where the sword points and all, but there's no doubt it was him. You get that sort of...feeling when your in his presence that you can't mistake."

"So, I guess I'll send you and Kaela off immediately, if you're absolutely sure it was Adonai."

"I'm absolutely sure." Ben promised. He was astonished at the faith Nolan put in Ben's words. This really is the right leader, he thought. "But there's one thing I want to ask you, Nolan. Do you know what Adonai meant when he said to follow the sword point?"

Nolan nodded. "Yes. That's what some people like to do when they don't know which way to take and it doesn't matter which one. They put there sword on the ground and then spin it. They walk in the direction the sword points. And before you go, did Adonai have any advice for me?"

"He didn't tell us anything, but I think he'll put whatever he wants you to do in your head. We'll see you, Nolan. Bye, Learka, Yev, Klii."

Ben and Kaela turned and walked out of the small side tunnel where they had met with Nolan. Out in the main tunnel there were no soldiers nearby, as they were all mainly congregated a little ways off. Ben drew his sword and set it down on the cold stone floor. Giving it a good spin, he stepped back and watched with Kaela as it twirled around in a circle. When it stopped it pointed to a side-tunnel in the wall, probably the only one that didn't immediately lead into a small room.

Ben picked up his sword and stepped toward the side-tunnel. "This is where we go," he told his sister. "Come on."

They had walked a good way down the tunnel. It was a long one, as Ben noticed. Their path seemed to be going in a slight curve. We're probably going to Mahal.

Then there was a blinding flash, one that had become familiar. It was Adonai.

"You have followed my instructions," he said approvingly. "Now I will tell you more." He turned and pointed ahead. "See, the tunnel ends here. But I will make it so that there are two routes. Both will end at Mahal, though at different places. And both of you have different missions. Ben..."

"Yes, Adonai?"

"You will need this." Adonai reached into his robes and took out a small, corked bottle, and then handed it to the boy. It had red liquid in it. Ben didn't know what it was until Adonai said, "This is my blood. It is powerful enough to break Daran's hold on Elandai. When Daran believes he has finally triumphed, you will throw the bottle at Daran."

Then he turned to Kaela, who was watching wide-eyed. "Adonai, is that really blood?"

"Yes, daughter, it is. Now you are going to take another route, and free the many people that Daran has put in his dungeons. You also will need my blood." he pulled out another bottle and gave it to her. "This you will sprinkle over the people. It will melt their chains around their bodies and their souls."

Adonai turned and waved his hand at the walls. They instantly split, making two tunnels . The ageless man steered Ben to the left and Kaela to the right. "Now go down your separate paths. And always bear in mind my advice. They will come very important!"

Then in another flash, Adonai disappeared.

Ben and Kaela looked at each other, both standing in the mouths of their respective tunnels. "Well," said Kaela. "Have fun. I guess I'll see you sometime soon. Bye!"

"See you," Ben told her back, and then he turned and walked.
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This is probably one of my shortest chapters ever. But at least it's a chapter!

Izori

Chapter 11(Adonai's Advice)

Well, I'd better move on with my story, I guess...

Chapter 11

Ben stared up at the hatch that led to the outside world. Somewhere out there is Mahal, and Daran. I wonder what's it's like up there. Come to think of it, I haven't been above ground since the day Kaela and I tumbled through the dwelling roof.

"Have you been up there?" Nolan was asking the men.

"No," one of them reported. "Other than what was necessary for installing the trap-door; we didn't want to risk it. Will you be going up, soon?"

"I must," answered the leader. "If I can get a look at Mahal, I might be able to figure out what we'll do to attack it." Nolan looked at Ben, Kaela, and Learka. "I hope you'll accompany me?"

Learka, Kaela and Ben nodded.

Nolan turned to look at Yev and Klii. "If you would like you can come up too, but..." he hesitated.

"Don't worry, I understand." Klii assured him. "Yes, it would be a little unwise for us to go up with you, though Yev is still spry and strong."

"Very well then, Learka, Ben, Kaela, and I will go up and take a look at what we will be attacking. Come on,"

The four of them climbed up the wall (in which was a built in ladder), opened the hatch, and then cautiously crawled outside. Ben looked around at his surroundings. They were just past the edge of a dense woods, all the trees as twisted and dead as the one above the dwelling. The sky was an icy gray, and a bitter wind blew. In the middle of a grass-less plain, a huge castle loomed up, looking cold, dark, and generally uninviting. It was Mahal. Ben could see that coming from the small windows and space between the doors was an eerie red light. It gave him the shivers.

They stared at it for a second, still crouching low, and then Learka said, "So this is what we're up against."

Another silence, then Nolan said, "No one can read the mind of Adonai, and his plans are beyond understanding, but this...is absolutely baffling. We will need all the help we can get." He looked over at Learka. "Adonai tells things to Klii many times, am I right?"

"Yes, he does, but not all the time. Do you think Adonai will reveal what we will do next through him?"

"I certainly hope so," Nolan's eyes scanned Mahal, looking for some weakness in it's structure. "This will be a formidable foe, I am sure."

Just then there was an all too familiar noise, and an instant later an arrow landed in the soil by the little group. Learka raised his eyebrow. "They have struck, Nolan."

"Aye," he agreed as he tugged the arrow out of the soil. The flights, or feathers, were black with one dark red streak down the center of each one. "They have started the war, ending all complications. Now we can fire at them. As soon as we are able to get organized we shall begin to siege Mahal."

Three more arrows streaked down from the walls of Mahal, all thankfully missing. Still clutching the first arrow, Nolan signaled everyone to go down into the tunnels, he himself going in last and closing the hatch behind them. When they were down he addressed all the troops in a ringing voice. "We are officially at war with Daran and his forces, they themselves having declared it by firing this--" here he held up the arrow for all to see, "--at some officers and myself just recently. I now call a meeting for all of my captains, lieutenants, and otherwise commanding officers right here and now. The rest of you, disperse and prepare for a battle."

Ben, Learka, Kaela, and the captains and lieutenants all gathered around Nolan as he outlined what they were going to do. "We'll put the city of Mahal under siege. Have all your fighting men come above grounds when I order. We will establish a temporary encampment there. Have builders ready to construct catapults, and we'll also need archers. And most importantly, spend time in prayer to Adonai. Without him we are defeated."

The officers left to carry out their instructions, and Ben, Learka, and Kaela found Klii and Yev. They had made up a little make-shift dwelling in one of the side-rooms coming out of the main tunnel.

Yev greeted them as the three came inside. "Hello there. What's going on?"

Learka explained the situation to his sister and his father. Klii nodded when his son had finished. "We must certainly devote time to prayer. Why not we do so now, silently."

They all bowed their heads. Adonai, if it's your will, please, please guide us in what we are to do. Please let us to act wisely. And, do you remember that time when you gave me and Kaela instructions? Well, of course you do, but anyway, please help us in those. I have a feeling those will be coming up soon. Ben thought back to the time when Klii had said that prayer was the powerfulest weapon of all. Then this is the real way to fight, what I'm doing now. Amen.

Then, all of a sudden, everything went brilliant white for a moment. Even though it was a short time, Ben was blinded by the light. When he could see again, he looked around. He was in the same room, and still with his sister and the rest. They were all blinking and looking around too. We must have all seen that flash.

Then Ben's heart leapt. In the center of the room stood Adonai. He was smiling happily. "You asked me to tell you what to do?"

"Adonai!" Ben yelped.

Klii looked stunned. "In all my years I have longed to see you. Am I dreaming?"

"In a way, yes, in another way, no." Adonai answered him, sounding both clear and confusing at the same time. "Now I will tell you what to do. Klii and Yev, you once again will fight with prayer in the up-coming battles. Learka, you will fight with your sword again. Ben and Kaela?"

"Yes, Adonai?"

"You two will be sent on a mission. A very dangerous, yet important mission. You are to go into the very heart of Mahal itself. But I will not tell you what you are to do when you are there...yet. For now all that you need to know is go into the side-tunnel that your sword points too. Tell Nolan all that I have told you, and remember," Adonai began to fade away, yet his voice still was strong, "...think on the advice I gave you, Ben and Kaela." Then all was silent.

Ben's head jerked up and he stared at the others, and then at the rest of the room, in shock. Nothing was there to indicate that Adonai had been there. Nothing except memory.

"Well, that was...unusual." commented Learka.

"Yes, it was. But something Adonai said makes me wonder. You know how he said both Kaela and me were to go on a mission?" Ben asked. "Well, last time he only said that Kaela was to go on a mission. Could he have changed his mind?"

Klii cocked his head to one side. "But who's to say that Adonai only mentioned Kaela's mission. Or that she'll go on a mission within a mission, if you know what I mean. Even if he talked about one, it would be true, because you cannot have two without one."

Ben nodded in aknowledgement, understanding Klii perfectly.

"Well, it is clear what we are supposed to do, now." said Yev, standing up. "We must tell Nolan of Adonai's plans immediately!"

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There. I spent a week thinking up that chapter. Enjoy!

Izori

Chapter 10 (Through the Tunnel)

Chapter 10 already! We're in the double digits!

Chapter 10:

The follower army marched after Nolan, Ben, and the others as they made their way through the main tunnel. The Captains were very good at keeping the men in ranks, and everything was orderly despite the small space. Learka and several other men carried torches to illuminate the way.

Ben walked alongside Nolan, slightly awed. A few weeks ago, he had not even known that Elandai and Adonai and Nolan and everyone else existed, and here he was, leading an army into a battle. He shivered with exitement.

Many hours later, Ben didn't know the exact time, Nolan called for a halt. Everyone unpacked their haversacks to eat supper. Anyone who had been walking down the tunnel at that time would have seen many soldiers, as well as women and children, all propped up against walls, enjoying flat bread that looked a lot like hard-tack.

Ben was sitting next to Nolan. Everyone in their little group--Learka, Kaela, and the others--were already finished with their supper, but others were still eating. A stern leader would have just made them continue the march anyway, but Nolan was soft-hearted.

Sometime along the journey, Nolan's wife and children had joined them. The children were very exited, to them it was a game. The wife was more sober, knowing that they would have a battle soon.

For the sake of conversation, Ben asked Nolan, "Did you grow up in the tunnels, sir?"

Nolan turned toward him. "No. My family and I moved down here when I was about ten. I've not been above ground but a few times since. And you don't have to call me sir, I prefer simply Nolan."

"Alright, si--I mean, Nolan. Why did everyone move underground instead of go into another country when Daran took over?"

"Well, he, Daran, has 'ruler-ship' over every country. Fleeing would hardly solve things. And Adonai told us to stay here. He is, after all, true king."

Ben nodded. "He is. What did you do above ground?"

"Oh, nothing terribly interesting." Nolan shrugged. "We were farmers. We had a lot of animals, and we had crops. We had to leave them all behind though, when we went underground. And then we just survived, and waited for the right time to rise up. During that time I met Elinor--" here he smiled at his wife, who smiled back. "--and we raised a family. Enough about me, now you tell me about yourself."

Ben told him of the cul-de-sac he and his family had moved into, of his Mom and Dad and friends, of how they got into Elandai, and of everything else.

Nolan's eyebrows jumped. "You mean to say that there are other worlds than this? And you got into here by crossing a creek?"

"We sure did. It was a little scary though, suddenly finding yourself in another world. Gave me a turn, though I guess the next time it won't."

"How do you like our world?" Nolan asked.

"It's certainly...different." Ben told him. "The food's different, and so are the clothes--" he momentarily glanced down at the tunic and leggings Yev had out-fitted him in a few days prior. Kaela and the rest were wearing something like it. "--the living style..."

"The food is not the same?" Nolan stared at Ben. "What do you eat?"

"Well, we have hot dogs--"

"What are...whatever you said?" Nolan looked very confused.

"Hot dogs. They're like sausage. You put it in a sort of bun with a split down the middle, and you can put ketchup on it. I don't suppose you know what ketchup is?"

The leader shook his head.

"It's tomato paste. You have tomatoes, don't you?" Ben asked anxiously. Tomatoes were his favorite vegetable.

"We have something called, tormeka. They're like red balls. The middle is filled with pulp and seeds."

"Yeah," Ben assured him. "Those are your version of tomatoes."

Just then Captain Gawain strode up to Nolan and his group. "Everyone's ready to march, sir." he reported, saluting military style. "Shall I call a march?"

"Certainly, Captain." returned Nolan. "You may call it."

The Captain called back at the men. "Alright now, forward march!"

They started out again down the winding tunnels.

They must have marched for hours more before Nolan called again for a halt. The sun had set outside, and it was time to bed down for the night. Ben had no clue how he knew that it was night-time, but he didn't argue. He plopped down wearily on the tunnel floor and was asleep in an instant.

He was awakened all too quickly by Kaela. "It's morning, Ben," she informed him. "Time to march."

Ben slowly got to his feet. Nolan's children, Sori, Jon, Cassie, and Mary, were watching him. They giggled and ducked their heads when he looked at them. It became a sort of game as they marched, he would suddenly look their way and they would start laughing. Ben never figured out what was so funny.

They had marched almost until lunchtime when several men walked toward them. They were the diggers that had been sent before to tunnel further. They had done their job well, it appeared.

The followers traveled on until they reached the point where the tunnels ended. Directly above was a large hatch, not unlike the one in Klii, Learka, and Yev's old dwelling. One of the diggers pointed up to it.

"That," he said, "Is the way up to Mahal."
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There. I have to go fold laundry now.

Izori

The March to Mahal (Chapter 9 of The Other Side of the Creek

According to the voting polls, naming my chapters won out. So...

9. The March to Mahal

Ben felt a little dizzy, like he was going to faint. Behind him, Kaela sucked in a rapid breath. "Who could have locked the door on us?" He asked.

Learka's mouth was a straight line. "It was probably just some well-meaning follower traveling down the main route when they saw this door unlocked. Naturally, they would lock it. Now the question is, how are we going to unlock it from the inside?"

"How did the ogres unlock it?" questioned Kaela.

"They must have brought skrakilae with them." Learka supposed. Seeing Ben and Kaela's look of confusion, he explained. "Skrakilae is plural for skrakil. They're a special kind of ogre. Daran uses those in his army as many things. They can shape-shift into a shadow and seep through really little cracks, and then turn back into ogres and unlock the door."

"Oh." said Kaela. "So I guess we can't use that method to get out."

"I thought of one. It's a little obvious." Ben announced.

Kaela and Learka looked at him. "What is it?"

"We ask Adonai to get us out."

Learka slapped his forehead. "Oh, well, that was obvious. And whatever happens, it's Adonai's will that it happens that way. He always has plans." He bowed his head. "Let's pray, shall we."

Ben and Kaela bowed their heads too, and Learka began speaking. "Adonai, if it's your will, please let us to get out of the Helinga Passageway. Your army will be marching soon, and Ben and Kaela might be needed. Please also let us not to grumble and think you're uncaring if for some reason you don't get us free immediately. Amen."

"Amen." Ben and his sister finished in unison.

Holding his breath, Learka tried the door. To everyone's immense joy, it swung open. As Ben stepped out with the other two into the main route, he had never felt so relieved. What he said aloud was, "Wow. Praying really worked!"

"That was so easy!" remarked Kaela. "All you have to do is ask."

"That reminds me of a part of the Book of Prophesies that my father read aloud to me and Yev." Learka said. "Knock, and the door will be opened. It's amazing that so many verses from it are similar to our situations."

"It is." Ben agreed. "Now, which way leads back to our dwelling? I always get mixed up in these tunnels."

"It would be to the left." Learka answered. "Come on."

They reached Klii and Yev a few minutes later and told them of their adventures.

Klii raised his eyebrows. "That was such a long time ago, when we closed the doors of Helinga. But while you three were gone, we got a message from Nolan. We are marching now for Mahal. The followers are supposed to meet in Great Oak Hollow as soon as we can."

Klii and Yev grabbed their swords (Ben, Kaela, and Learka already had theirs) and Learka and Yev also carried with them the weapons they had been working on for the past few days. Then they started out for Great Oak Hollow.

They gathered with the other followers at the designated meeting place, and mixed with the crowd for a little bit. Ben and Kaela were talking with Yersi and his twin sister when Klii walked up to them. "Ah, there you two are. Nolan wants us to come with him to the front of the room again."

Ben, Klii, Kaela, Learka, and Yev joined their leader at the front. Nolan addressed Klii. "I haven't quite thought of it until now, but what will the women and children do while we are fighting. Should they come with us on the campaign, or stay here. I would be a little worried at leaving them undefended though, and we haven't got enough numbers to split up."

Klii nodded. "I've been pondering that too. From what I remember of the southern tunnels, there are quite a few dwellings there that with a little bit of dusting can be quite inhabitable. They can follow along but stay in the tunnels while we go out and wage war. That way they'll be close so we can protect them."

Nolan raised his eyebrows. "I'll have to make you chief advisor. You're very wise."

"I guess there's a silver lining to growing old." Klii smiled. "The people are waiting for you to give out orders."

The leader turned to the followers. "We are going to be marching very soon. Everyone brought some long-lasting provisions for themselves, I hope."

Ben looked at Yev. He hadn't heard this part of the message. She winked to tell him that he didn't have to worry; she had taken care of it.

"Alright, Captains Gawain and Sam, come forward."

Gawain and Sam came to the front of the room and saluted. "Gather your lieutenants and men." He commanded.

Immediately a flock of men gathered around their officers. Now only the women, children, and old ones were standing where before a large crowd had been. "Because we would rather have our civilians close to us just in case there is an ogre attack, they will follow. I am told there are dwellings in the tunnels that they can stay in. I know that many are great praying warriors, but we must not be rash."

Nolan turned around to Klii, Ben, and their little group. "Klii, are you and Miss Yevelina counting yourselves as soldiers?"

"Adonai has spoken to me about this matter," the old man said. "Yev and I are to travel with you, Learka, Ben, and Kaela, but we will remain for now praying warriors."

"Very well, then. Come with me."

Nolan, Klii, Ben, Learka, Yev, and Kaela walked toward where Great Oak Hollow became a tunnel again. Then Nolan turn back. "Follow me!" he cried. "We march now!"
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There you go. Happy reading!

Izori

Chapter 8 of The Other Side of the Creek (Locked In)

Because the voting poll for naming chapters is still going on, I'll just stick to my normal not naming them for now.

(Note: On April 3, 09, I decided to name the chapter)

Chapter 8

"You know," Learka said thoughtfully as he whittled. "I wonder how the ogres got in when they attacked us." He set down his knife and the stick he was carving into an arrow. "Because if however they got into here is still accessible, they could sneak right back in."

It was one or two days after Nolan had become leader. Nothing exiting had happened, just the usual training for battle. The follower army was almost ready to march underground to Mahal, but were waiting a little bit while people collected weapons. So far Yevelina had made several slings with ammunition, and Learka was carving arrows and making bows.

"That's a thought," Yev agreed as she swept the dirt floor. "I'm surprised it hasn't occurred to anyone else,"

"If there still is an opening, do you have any idea where it could be?" Ben asked. He was helping Learka by waxing bowstrings.

The older boy nodded. "The people that live below and to the left have commented on their house starting to become chilly. That would only happen if someone came up from the Helinga Passage."

"What's the Helinga Passage?" Kaela cocked an eyebrow.

"It's a passage that starts at the surface and goes down really deep underground through a natural cave. It leads up to the main route, but it got closed off some time ago due to it being dangerous. There are doors along the way that are supposed to remain closed, but if they got left open there would be a draft."

"Would we be able to use that way to get to Mahal?" Ben questioned.

Klii shook his head. "No. Mahal is farther south, the Helinga Passage comes above ground north of here. It would take us farther away." He turned to his son. "Are you thinking of exploring that?"

Learka nodded. "If we didn't, we'd be taking the risk of leaving a clear path for the ogres. I'll start out...soon. Should I tell Nolan?"

"Definitely." Klii advised. "That way he knows to be on the look-out just in case any ogres do come up."

Learka stood up. "All right. Ben and Kaela, you guys want to come?" he asked as he grabbed his sword.

"Sure." Kaela picked up her weapon and handed Ben his. "I like caves."

Ben took his sword from Kaela without saying his thoughts on caves. To tell the truth, he was scared to death of them, but he decided that if his nine year old sister could do it, he could too.

The three of them entered the main route and walked a little ways. Then Learka, who was leading the party, halted in front of another wood door to the side. He knocked, and it was opened by a woman in her early thirties. "Yes?"

"Can we speak to Nolan?" Learka asked.

The woman, who was Nolan's wife, nodded and held the door open wider. "Certainly. Come on in."

They entered the dwelling. It looked a lot like theirs, a fire-place, a stove, a table, and so on. The only difference was that four children were busy playing on the floor with some stones and sticks, and Nolan sat at one of the chairs, reading a copy of the Book of Prophesies. He looked up as Learka, Ben, and Kaela came in.

While Learka explained to Nolan what was going on, Ben watched the children. The oldest was a boy, slightly younger than Kaela, with a mop of curly auburn hair. The next oldest was another boy, this time with brown hair, a button nose, and a dimple that made him look a little mischievous. Then were two girls; they looked like twins. They weren't identical, but they looked similar, with gold curly hair and brown eyes. The game they were playing looked a little like bowling. They would set the sticks up leaning against the wall, and then they would take turns rolling stones at them to see who knocked down the most.

When the visitors had come in the children had stopped making a lot of noise, but sometimes one would say, "See, I knocked down all of them!" or, "I beat you, Cassie!" "No you didn't, you knocked down three. I knocked down two." "She actually did beat you, Jon. The point it to knock down the most."

Learka had finished explaining by now, and Nolan gave his consent. "Alright, you can go, but are you sure you don't want to take more men with you?"

"I'm sure. Helinga Passage is a little bit unstable. We'll need more lighter people to go on it."

"Okay. May Adonai be with you!"

Learka, Ben, and Kaela left Nolan's dwelling and walked down the main passage way some more until they came to a short side tunnel leading to the left. A few feet past the beginning of the side-tunnel was a solid door, that looked like it was supposed to be locked. Instead it was slightly ajar.

"Here is the entrance to the Helinga Passage." said Learka. "Ready?"

Ben gulped, but he said along with Kaela, "Ready."

Learka cautiously opened the door all the way. It let out an eerie creak that almost made Ben jump. He glanced nervously at Kaela and saw that her eyes were wide. Well, at least I'm not the only one afraid. He gripped his swordhilt harder and hoped that there wasn't anything lurking in the shadows beyond.

Learka stepped forward into the passageway and drew his sword. To Ben's surprise, it let off a glow that illuminated the tunnel before them.

"I didn't know the swords could do that," Kaela commented, saying what was on Ben's mind.

"Well, they can." Learka said as they walked. "There are more things about the swords that you'll discover in time. There are many things about them that have not been discovered yet."

Ben looked around as they walked. Spider webs hung from the walls and cielings. Thankfully, there were no visible spiders, because if there were, Ben knew that Kaela would be really scared. Spiders and bats were Kaela's main fears. It was wasps and caves that Ben didn't like.

As they got further down, it got colder, and Ben noticed that there were no tree roots. Also the walls were less dirt and more rock. Then they came to another door, also left open. Learka was starting to look grim. "They definately came this way," he said firmly. "The last people down here almost ten years ago was me, my father, and Yev. I was around Kaela's age, and Yev was a year younger. Father locked the doors and rechecked them almost twice. No way they could have opened on their own."

Ben was starting to get the creeps, especially when Learka added, "You two best draw your swords."

They did so, and Ben discovered that both of their's glowed with an inner light. Oh, wait a minute! I have seen glowing swords before! he reminded himself. The time of the ogre attack, the leader then had a glowing sword! It wasn't a brilliant uncovering, but Ben was happy that he had at least put the two together.

Learka stepped through the doorway, his sword extended. Ben and Kaela followed, and then gasped. They stood in a huge room, bigger than Great Oak Hollow even. Stalactites dangled from the cieling, and there were stalagmites all around on the floor. The whole cave was made out of stunning rock formations; some looked like frozen waterfalls, and some like chandaliers. It reminded Ben of some cavern his family had toured a little while ago, Luray Cavern, he thought it was called.

Then their attention was drawn to a shadow moving behind a group of stalagmites a distance away. It paused behind one of the formations, and then slipped on to the next.

Learka's sword flared brighter, revealing the strange creature. It was an ogre, from the splayed feet to the hunched back and the un-intellegent looking head. It let out a low roar from inside it's throat and drew a pike out from behind another stalagmite.

Ben's, Learka's and Kaela's swords all suddenly shot out a strong beam of light. It stuck the ogre directly in the chest, and it roared and fell down dead.

The three cautiously approached, swords at the ready for any more ogres. They didn't come within a foot of the ogre they had just killed, not for any particular reason. Black blood was slowly forming a puddle on the stone floor.

Finally, Learka stirred and said, "We'd better look around and see if there are any more ogres." He promptly turned and started inspecting the stalagmites.

Ben and Kaela teamed up, neither really wanting to be groping around in the semi-darkness alone after what had happened. No one found anything, so they moved on. They began traveling on a path leading out of the cavern (Learka called it Helinga Cavern) and slanting upward. As they continued, the ground leveled off, but the actual pathway kept on going, like a ramp.

Ben began to notice that the path was shaking a little bit. Learka must have noticed too, because he stopped. "It's not safe to go any further." he cautioned. "There's another door ahead--I can barely see it from here--but it looks closed and locked. Do any of you have good eyesight?"

"I sort of do." Kaela said. She squinted forward. "Yeah, it's locked."

"Good." The party turned around. Ben, who had been at the end of the line originally, was now the leader, since the ramp was too narrow for Learka to get ahead. He held out his sword, which was still providing illumination, and started walking down.

Everything went well for a few minutes, until suddenly Ben stepped on a seemingly harmless part of the ramp. It collapsed under him, as well as some more parts of the ramp. Learka and Kaela were too far behind to fall, but Ben, unfortunetely, wasn't quick enough to jump away.

Ben got the feeling that he had left his insides back on the ramp as he fell. He got one glimpse of the stone ground rushing up to meet him, and then yelled right before he hit it.

He wouldn't have been surprised in the least if he had been knocked unconcious, but all that happened was that he saw stars as he slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"Ben! Are you okay?" Kaela called down from up above, sounding concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He looked up at the sides of the ramp. There was no way he'd be able to climb back up to Kaela and Learka. "I'm just going to continue on this level until the ramp is even with the ground!" He called back up.

Learka nodded. "Good idea. Meet you there!" Ben saw him and Kaela cautiously leap over the unstable place in the ramp and continue down. Then he climbed to his feet and walked to meet them.

A little while after that they all met at where the ramp touched the ground, and then they kept going through Helinga Cavern and on up through the tunnel. When they came back through the doors Learka firmly shut and locked them.

They reached the door leading out to the main route, but then Learka stopped. Ben looked around the older boy to see what the matter was. The door had already been shut!

Learka tested the door gently at first, but then more urgently. He turned around to face Kaela and Ben. "It's locked."
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I had no idea where that would go when I began typing this chapter.

Izori

Chapter 7 of The Other Side of the Creek (A Leader)

Finally...

Chapter 7

They made their way down the winding tunnel ways once again, and came to Great Oak Hollow. Just like before, it was full of followers. They waited expectantly as Ben and the others came to the front of the great room.

"People," Klii's voice had a faint echo to it. "As you know, we have already called a meeting a few days ago and decided that we will attack Daran very soon. The battle last night has not stopped our plans at all, rather, it is a reason to act even quicker before Daran hears of our victory and realizes that we are stronger than he thought. But to attack, we need an earthly leader, one who will follow Adonai's commandments as much as sinful humans are able to do. So far we have hastily picked a leader when we needed one, but we cannot do that anymore. And this leader that we pick will also be an earthly king when we have won. So we must be wise in this decision."

Klii was about to say more when some voices called out, "Let's have Klii as our leader! He would be good!"

"Yes!" more agreed. "Klii for leader!"

The old man raised his hand to stop them. "No." he said. "Adonai has told me who our leader, and later king, is going to be. We will trust his judgement, as he knows a whole lot more than we do." he paused, looking around at all the faces waiting on his words. Ben leaned forward, wondering what he was going to say.

"Nolan, come up here please." Klii instructed.

Very pale, Nolan stepped up beside Klii, who laid a hand on his shoulder. "This is the one that Adonai has sent to be our leader."

Ben raised his eyebrows in suprise. He hadn't expected the slightly shy Nolan to become a leader and king.

Klii looked around at the crowd. "Does anyone object to it?"

No one said anything, so Klii turned to Nolan. "Now, do you swear that you will lead this people by the will of Adonai, and later be king over them also by his will?"

"Yes, sir."

Klii turned back to the followers. "And do you swear to follow Nolan, under Adonai, and to encourage him, pray for him, and help him? If you do, raise your right hand."

Everyone in the group, including Learka, Yev, Ben, and Kaela, raised their right hand.

"Very well, then." said Klii. "In the Book of Prophesies, Adonai promised that he himself will come to earth to kill death. He is the true king, and will always rule over everything. Under the True King, Nolan will rule us."

Klii addressed Nolan. "As our leader, what will we do now?"

Ben could see Nolan hesitate for a moment. "Uh, well we should have officers that each command a unit of soldiers, so that we can have a little bit more order and that I won't go crazy."

The followers chuckled at that part.

Nolan went on. "Let's see. Gawain and Sam, do you mind being Captains?"

Gawain and Sam, solid and sensible brothers in their thirties, stood and saluted. "Not at all, sir."

"Then come up here, please."

Gawain and Sam came up and stood beside Klii, who was beside Nolan. Yev, Learka, Ben, and Kaela were behind them all.

"And Lerikan, Guelo, Elad, and Meri, can you be lieutenants?"

They saluted and came up front, standing beside the two captains.

"Now, how many followers who will be in the army are there?" Nolan turned back to Ben and Kaela. "Would you kindly go around and take a count of the fighting ones, sir and lady?"

Ben was taken by surprise to be called a sir, but he said, just a little squeakily, "Yes, sir," and then he and Kaela quickly milled around in the crowd for a little, counting. Then they came back and Kaela gave the report. "Three hundred ninety one, sir, not counting the captains, lieutenants, Learka, Ben and myself."

Nolan smiled at them. "Thank you." Then he looked back toward the crowd. "The number is three hundred ninety one. So that would mean--" he did some quick math in his head. "--196 of you are under Captain Gawain's command, and 195 of you are under Captain Sam's command. Lerikan and Guelo, you will be under Captain Sam. Lerikan will command, uh, 97 soldiers, and Guelo will command 98 soldiers."

Ben was impressed by Nolan's skill in mathematics.

"Elad and Meri, you are under Captain Gawain. Each of you will command...98 soldiers. Gawain and Sam, will you please divide the troops?"

While the Captains were assigning the men, Ben worked up the courage to address Nolan. "What will we do, sir?"

"You and your sister, as well as Learka, will be aides to me. Are you willing?" he asked all of them.

"I am." answered Learka.

"So am I," Ben and Kaela agreed in unison, and then smiled at each other.

In that short time, the Captains had grouped the soldiers. They all stood in front of Nolan and then Gawain asked, "Now what shall we do, sir?"

"Each man remember his lieutenant and captain." Nolan instructed. "You are dismissed." he walked away to his family, who was eagerly waiting for him.

Ben, Klii, and the others were about to go back home when the very old man who had spoken out last meeting, named Jarod, hobbled up, still leaning on a cane and the young boy's arm. "That was a good choice Adonai made, picking young Nolan," he commented to Klii.

"Yes, I agree," answered Klii, and the two men immediately launched into a discussion of battle strategies.

As they talked, Ben found himself studying the boy's face. He had brown eyes and light brown hair, with a wide mouth and a turned up nose. He may have been twelve or thirteen, Ben couldn't quite tell. No older than fourteen, probably.

Because he was stationary, Jarod had let go of the boy's arm. Now the boy came over to Ben and Kaela, so he could talk to them without interrupting Klii and Jarod's conversation. "Hello," he said. "My name's Yersi. I don't remember anyone mentioning either one of your names."

Ben nodded. "My name's Benjamin, but most call me Ben. This is my sister, Mikaela, but she prefers Kaela." Apparently, he's not very shy, he told himself.

"I'm thirteen. How old are you?" Yersi inquired.

"I'm thirteen, too." This time Ben let Kaela speak for herself.

"I'm nine. But I'll be ten soon."

Yersi nodded. "Where do you guys come from? I'm just from around here."

"We're from Prince William County, Virginia." Ben hesitated. "You wouldn't know where that is, would you?"

"Never heard of it. Is it up north?"

"No, I don't think so. More south-ish, but it's not really near here."

There was a slight pause, and then Yersi asked for sake of conversation, "So, do you have any other brothers or sisters?"

Kaela shook her head. "No. Do you?"

"I have a twin sister. We both live with our grandpa--" he gestured toward Jarod. "--because our parents got captured by Daran for being followers of Adonai."

"Oh, I'm sorry." sympathized Kaela.

Just then, Yev tapped Ben and Kaela on the shoulder. "Time to go, guys."

"Alright. Bye, Yersi."

"See you!" Yersi offered his arm to his grandfather again, and they walked away. Meanwhile, Klii, Learka, Yev, Ben, and Kaela started back for home.
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I agree with Ben, Nolan's math skills are very good. I needed my calculator to figure everything out!

Izori

PS. Feel free to post comments about my story! Suggestions, etc. are appreciated!

Chapter 6 of The Other Side of the Creek (Adonai)

I haven't thought up anything for this chapter, so I'll just see what Ben and Kaela do.

Chapter 6


Ben, Kaela, and the others had fallen asleep where they sat, too tired to crawl onto their sleeping mats after the battle. Ben was slumped in his chair, snoring (just a little) when he was awakened for the second time that night, this time by a bright light in the room.

He started awake and almost fell off his chair. There, standing almost right in front of him, was a man. The light was coming from him, and it was almost blinding. The man looked neither old nor young, and he had deep brown eyes that seemed to pierce right through Ben. Without being told, he knew this was Adonai.

"Hello, Ben." Adonai's voice was deep and rich and friendly, yet also majestic at the same time. "Welcome." he then turned to Kaela and immediately, she woke up with a start.

"Who--Adonai!" she cried, and then to Ben's astonishment, flung herself into his arms. "It's so nice to see you again!"

Again? She's seen him more than once?

Seeming to know what Ben was thinking, Adonai looked at him. "I appeared to her the night you two first arrived in Elandai." He paused and cocked an eyebrow at Ben. "Well, are you going to hug me?"

Ben giggled, without knowing why, and then wrapped his arms around the ageless man. "I'm sorry I didn't believe when I first came here."

"Everything has a reason," was all Adonai replied. Then he said, "Now, I am here to tell you what will happen in the battles ahead. I will not tell you everything, but I will give you both a word of advice." He looked at Kaela. "You will have to go on a mission that will be very dangerous. Stay with the light. And Ben,"

"Yes, Adonai?"

"You will also be challenged, but when you are, remember that things are not as they seem. And both of you, I will be with you always, even though you will not always see me. Goodbye!"

The man faded from view, and then Ben found himself back in his seat, with his eyes closed. He jerked them awake, and looked around. There was no sign of Adonai anywhere. Was it a dream? He wondered.

Ben saw Kaela, also fast asleep in her chair. Or so it seemed. The next instant, she woke up and stared back at her brother.

"Oh, Ben, I had a dream! Adonai came, and you were there too! He gave us each a bit of advice. He said--"

"--he told you to stay to the light--" Ben interrupted.

"--And he told you to remember that things are not always as they seem! Ben, did you have the same dream?"

"Yes, I did! It was so awesome! He also told both that he will always be with us, though we won't see him."

"Yeah. I wonder what my dangerous mission is going to be. I hope it doesn't involve spiders." Kaela shivered at the thought. "Or vakir."

Learka jerked awake suddenly. "What? Vakir? Where?"

Klii and Yev woke up when Learka spoke. "Vakir?" exclaimed Yev. "Huh?"

Ben and Kaela explained about Adonai's coming to visit them. When they were done, Yev sighed. "I wish I'd been awake. I haven't seen Adonai in ages."

Klii agreed. "Yes, it would have been wonderful. Maybe he'll come soon."

Learka nodded. "Same here. But what time is it? It must be morning, at least."

Yev climbed up to the hatch and cracked it open a little bit. "Oh, it's about...nine o'clock. We've really slept in. I'd better make breakfast."

She flew to the stove top and got busy cooking, while Ben and Kaela practiced their swordsmanship. Then they hurriedly sat down to breakfast.

"Later today we'll meet at Great Oak Hollow again, and decide the leaders of our little rebellion." Klii said thoughtfully during breakfast. "After that we're going to begin the march to Mahal. So right after breakfast we'd better leave for the meeting place."

They finished the meal, buckled on their swords, and then started out for Great Oak Hollow.
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Well, Ben and Kaela were pretty active in that one!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Izori

Chapter 5 of The Other Side of the Creek (Ben's First Battle)

I would have posted earlier, but our computer was really slow. Anyway...


Chapter 5

Ben jerked awake in the middle of the night. He lay on his mat for a moment, wondering what had woke him up. He glanced around at the others. They were all peacefully asleep on their own mats. Then he heard a noise from above, a sort of rustling noise. It sounded like someone (or something, Ben thought with a shudder) was above the dwelling, trying not to make noise but not succeeding. That was what woke me up he realized.

The noise came again, only louder. It sounded as if there were more than one things above. Ben held his breath, starting to get a little nervous. He looked at the rug that covered the door leading to the dark, mysterious passageway, and wondered what scary creature could come out of it. He considered waking Learka or Klii, but then decided against it. Probably just my imagination. Then again, that's what I said when I saw the ogres.

He pushed himself up into a sitting position, and then glanced up at the hatch in the ceiling. To his shock and horror, the hatch budged slightly. Ben looked toward Learka, who still was soundly asleep and snoring a little bit. Then he looked back at the hatch. It creaked and opened up a little more. From the darkness outside he could see the glint of an eye reflecting the dying fire in the hearth.

This time, Ben made up his mind. "Learka," he hissed.

The older boy cracked an eye open. "What?"

"There's someone opening the hatch!"

Learka was on his feet immediately and grabbed both his and Ben's sword. Giving Ben his, he gripped his own in his right hand and moved cautiously toward the hatch. Yev, Klii, and Kaela also woke up at the noise and grabbed their own swords.

Learka was about to thrust his sword through and spit the person outside when a man's voice hoarsly called, "Psst, Learka! Don't make a noise and don't kill me for goodness sake! Tis I, Nolan!"

Learka lowered his sword and spoke in a whisper. "Nolan! What are you doing in the Dead Forest at this time? Why didn't you come by the tunnels, or send Larkin?"

Nolan, a wiry man with starting-to-gray hair and a sword on his hip, dropped into the dwelling. "That's just it, Learka." He said as he nodded to everyone else. "The tunnels have been found out and invaded by the ogres. And Larkin is missing, as is almost every member of the squirrel tribe. There were no talking birds to be found either. I've come to warn you; we will flee soon. The ogres have invaded several of the smaller tunnels. We need every fighting male, now." he glanced at Ben. "Would he be considered a fighting male?"

Learka looked at Ben, and then at Klii. "What do you think? He can't use light yet..."

Klii nodded. "He should go. Adonai has told me that this will build his faith. Also, Kaela will go."

"Me?" protested the nine year old. "I'd hardly be called a 'fighting male'!"

"Women too, can be warriors of Adonai." Klii wisely responded. "Though it is rare Adonai calls a woman to fight in a battle. They usually fight by different means, like men and Yev. We will fight, too, but by prayer."

Nolan said, "Will you two be safe if the ogres come to your dwelling?"

"We have our swords," answered Yev. "And we can pray."

Then to Learka, Ben, and Kaela, Nolan ordered, "Come on. We will make our way above ground until we get to the part where the main follower army has gathered."

The four of them clambered up the hatch and out into the dark night. It was cold out, but not the crisp, fresh, coolness that many winters bring. It was more of the clammy, threatening cold. Ben shivered and clutched his sword harder.

They made their way down a little path, Nolan leading. The trees seemed to close in on them, and shadows darted around. Kaela stuck close to Ben, and no one said anything. The moon shone down, though sometimes it was covered by dark clouds.

After a good amount of minutes they arrived at where several hundred followers were gathered around one man, who seemed to be the leader. There were only a few women in the crowd; many had chose to fight by staying at home and praying. Nolan, Learka, Ben, and Kaela mixed in with the group.

They had arrived just in time to hear the man in charge saying, "We cannot strategize in good detail, for the ogres are already raiding the homes of followers. There is no time to spare, so I can only say, listen for the advice of Adonai, and follow me!"

The man drew his sword, which shone with an inside light, and then charged toward an opening in the ground leading to the network of tunnels. The followers came after him, each with swords drawn.

Ben found himself running through the labyrinth of passageways with the followers, alongside Learka, Nolan, and Kaela, and hoping that the ogres had already gone home. He hoped in vain, however, for suddenly the head of the charging followers collided with a large group of ogres.

The ogres started slashing their way through the followers, and worked themselves deep into the crowd. Everyone was still running along, and they came out of the narrowed passage into Great Oak Hollow meeting place. There the main battle took place.

Ben was in the middle of thrashing, kicking ogres and followers when an ogre singled out him to fight. It took up stance in front of him and held out it's ugly, long, stone knife, stabbing at Ben. He retaliated by blocking the thrust and driving his sword toward the ogre. They continued parrying and thrusting, dancing up and down, until the ogre finally got the advantage of Ben. It tripped him up, and then pounced on him while he was on the ground.

I really wish this had come a day later, Ben thought. I need more sword training, bad. He saw the knife coming down toward his throat, and in a split second prayed. Adonai, I'm sorry I've doubted you. Please don't let me die! It wasn't the most eloquent of prayers, but it worked. The ogre's hand stayed for a few moments, allowing Ben to get on his feet and and point his sword at it. He was about to run it through, when a shininess passed along the sword blade, and the ogre collapsed, pierced through by a ray of light. Ben himself felt a thrill pass through him. I guess I really believe, now.

In a momentary lull he glanced around to find where Kaela was. He located her, in the middle of blasting a big, two headed ogre with light. He also saw Learka surrounded by several of the ogres, fighting valiantly. Ben decided to help him out.

He came up behind an ogre and pointed his sword at it. The ogre fell, his back hit with a burst of light. Ben lopped the head off another one, and Learka easily finished the other two.

"Thank you." Learka said to the younger boy. "I noticed you shot one with light. Do you...?"

Ben grinned and nodded. "Yes, I do. And your welcome."

The fight didn't last much longer. The ogres were all destroyed, and all that were left from them were bodies with pools of black blood all over Great Oak Hollow. Ben, Learka, and Kaela helped some of the followers set fire to the ogre bodies, and then headed back to their dwelling.

They came through the door into the main room, and saw Klii and Yev, both on their knees, praying ferverently. They both looked up when the returned warriors entered.

"Oh, your back!" exclaimed Yev joyously. "You won the battle, right?"

Ben nodded. "We sure did! And guess what else!" he told Klii, Yev, and Kaela (who hadn't found out yet) that he finally believed in Adonai.

"That's great, Ben!" Kaela congratulated her older brother.

"It is," agreed Klii. "Now Adonai will do wonderful things with your life, and teach you many great things. But now, let's inspect injuries."

Learka had a gash on his calf, Kaela had a jagged cut from a knife from her cheek to her ear, and Ben's left wrist was slightly fractured. Yev prepared soothing poultices for them all, and then they sat around the table, having a late night/early morning snack.

"What do you think we'll do now?" Learka asked Klii. "Will we continue the attack on Mahal?"

Klii nodded. "Almost certainly. We can't give the ogres time for recuperating, and we have to strike before Daran knows of the defeat. He isn't going to be very happy, that's for sure."
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That was another fun chapter. Enjoy.

Izori

Title

Hi,

I think I finally thought up a good title for my story! (At last). How does 'The Other Side of the Creek' sound?

Izori

Chapter 4 of Unamed Book (Great Oak Hollows)

Okay, I really have to think up a title, now. Writing the fourth chapter is a good sign that you'll probably continue the story.

Chapter 4

Ben opened his eyes and stared up at the earth ceiling for a moment, wondering why he was not staring up at his bedroom fan. Then he recalled yesterdays events. That's right, I'm in Elandai. He stretched himself and sat up.

Yev, Klii, and Laerka were already up. Yev was making breakfast, Learka was whittling something, and Klii was reading to himself from an old looking leather-bound book. The old man looked up and saw that Ben was awake.

"Good morning," he greeted. "You're just in time for breakfast. Wake up your sister, please."

Ben walked over to Kaela and shook her. She rolled over and groaned sleepily. "S'not a school day, Ben. Mus' be 'bout 5:30."

"Come on, Kaela. We're in Elandai, remember? Almost time for breakfast. And I don't think it's as early as that. What time is it, anyway?"

"It's almost 8:30." Klii informed them. "You guys slept in late."

Kaela sat up and her eyes opened. "Huh? Well, it feels like 5:30." She stood up and rolled up her sleeping mat. "Breakfast smells good, Yev."

Yev turned from cooking some sausage and smiled. "Thanks. Could you and Ben set the table?"

Ben and Kaela quickly did so, and then breakfast was ready. It was scrambled eggs, some of yesterday's bread turned into toast, and sausage. Laerka set aside his whittling and hastily sat down at the table, looking very hungry. Klii carefully put down his book and came to attention as Yev placed the sausage in the middle of the table. Ben glanced at the book, only to find that it had no title on the front of it.

Klii noticed his gaze and said, "That's the Book of Prophesies. It contains all the promises of Adonai."

Ben nodded. He still didn't get the whole Adonai thing.

Klii said the blessing, and then they all commenced eating. During breakfast, Klii mentioned, "I've sent word to the other followers through Larkin and his tribe. We will meet in the Great Oak Hollow at noon."

"Who's Larkin?" Kaela asked.

"He's a squirrel," Laerka explained. "Very talkative fellow, but can get downright serious in the discussion of nuts. Can you pass the eggs, Yev?"

"Talkative?" exclaimed Ben. "Does he talk?"

Yev nodded as she passed the eggs to her brother. "Of course! Don't the squirrels in your land do the same?"

Ben and Kaela shook their heads. "No," said Kaela. "No animals talk in our world."

Laerka stared openmouthed (thankfully he was not in the middle of chewing) at the children. "No talking animals? Why, almost every animal in Elandai does! There are a few exceptions, but most of them carry on a conversation quite well."

"Well, Cun the Eagle doesn't talk too much, though he knows how," reflected Klii. "But some, like the butterflies, talked your ear off. Before they left, that is."

"Why did they leave?" Ben questioned.

"When Elandai got turned into a waste-land." replied Klii. "But some animals stayed and they live with the followers in their underground homes."

Ben was about to ask more questions when Yev stood up. "If we want to get to Great Oak Hollow, we might want to start soon." she started to clear the dishes.

The rest helped, and then they prepared for the council. Yev, Ben and Kaela packed lunches and Klii flipped open the Book of Prophesies again. Learka continued whittling. When the lunches were packed, everyone grabbed his or her sword.

Learka walked over to a wall which had a rug hanging on it, covering some of it. He lifted the rug, and beneath it was a thick wooden door. He opened it, and Ben stared into a narrow, black, hallway. Yev handed out the lunches, all in packs, and then lit a torch. She gave it to her brother, who nodded his thanks and then led the way down the hall.

Ben looked around as he walked. The hallway was made all out of dirt, and dead-looking roots from the trees above dangled down, some brushing Learka's head. There were a few cobwebs, and the hallway looked like it was out of a movie. There were some smaller halls branching out from the main one, but the group didn't turn off. Eventually the hallway widened out until five could walk abreast with some room to spare.

They must have walked a good amount of miles before they came out into a great big room, lit by many torches on the walls. The roots of a very large tree hung from the cieling, and people were milling around, chatting. This must be Great Oak Hollow. Ben told himself. He was surprised that almost everyone wore swords at their sides, even some of the little ones.

Klii, Learka, Yev, Ben, and Kaela made their way to the front of the room, and then stood for a second. "Can I have your attention?" Klii called.

Some people paused and looked in his direction, but the majority continued talking.

Klii tried again, and then put his fingers to his mouth and whistled piercingly. That got everybodies attention. "Thank you. Before we begin, let's pray."

Everyone in the room bowed their heads, and Klii said a simple prayer, asking for wisdom in the council. Then everyone straightened, and Klii began. "The reason you all were called here was that Adonai has finally sent his help from above. These are what he sent."

Laerka pushed forward Ben and Kaela, who shuffled their feet and looked slightly shy with all the people staring at them.

"Now that our help has finally arrived, we need to consider how we are going to attack Daran. I am very open to suggestions, so please tell your thoughts."

Someone called out, "We should attack quickly while we have the element of surprise!"

Klii furrowed his brow. "Yes, I agree, but how will we attack? Will we go directly for Daran's main castle, Mahal, and put it under siege, or should we concentrate on the small outposts he has, first?"

An old man stepped forward, leaning on a cane. A boy Ben's age was holding onto the man's arm, probably to keep him from falling. "We should definately aim first for Daran's headquarters!" he advised in a very aged and wise voice. "'Cut off the head and the snake will die,'" he quoted.

"But do we have enough force to do that?" A younger man questioned.

The old man turned so abruptly to view the speaker that the boy had a hard time keeping up. "Obviously we have enough force!" he said, his white eyebrows scrunching together in a fearsome way. "'With Adonai, who can stand against us?'" Ben had a feeling the man liked to quote.

Many in the crowd nodded, and a few called out, "Wisely said, Jerod!"

"So," Klii said, "Are we all agreed on attacking Mahal directly?"

A chorus of aye's followed his words.

"Well, then, when should we attack?" a woman's voice asked.

Learka stepped up. "Why not we do it a few days from now. We can meet here, and then make our way by the tunnels as close to Mahal Castle as we can. There's a few days march from the end of the tunnels to the castle, and then we can put it under siege."

"Can't Daran call in his patrols to fight us from outside if we do a siege?" a member of the crowd asked.

Learka frowned. "Well, I suppose we could send some fast, strong men ahead to dig the tunnels further until they're almost all the way up to Mahal. Then we can attack by day when less vakir are out, and hide in the tunnels by night. The digging will go very fast if Adonai approves of our plan."

Ben listened to the discussion, amazed. Everyone talked about this Adonai person as if he was actually in control of all this. He also watched Kaela, and was suprised to see that when the old man had said, 'With Adonai, who can stand against us', Kaela nodded in agreement. He made a mental note to ask her about that later.

Everyone seemed to agree with Learka's strategy, as it was the only one that made sense. Several strong looking men were sent off down the tunnels, on the mission of advancing the halls up to Mahal, pausing before leaving only for a prayer. Then the rest of the followers, as Klii, Learka, and Yev called them, drifted off to their individual dwellings.

Ben and the others were one of the last to leave. They walked back to their small room, with only some talking on the way. The council had taken longer than Ben had thought it had, and he was getting tired.

When they got home, Kaela and Ben got in some sword practice, and then everyone fell asleep.
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That was a fun chapter to write. I like battle strategies.

Izori