Chapter 22
The Book of Naba
Morgan followed closely behind Leora; he didn’t like her being in the lead of them. With him not knowing what it was that was following them but whatever it had been or rather still was, he did not want Leora to be the first one that it attacked if it was foolish enough to do so. A wailing noise to his left had him stopping in his tracts, turning to where the sound had emanated from for a moment he tried to see what it was, but was unable to. Which made no sense to him since there were no shadows for anyone to hide within, and even if there had been he would have been able to spot them. Moving his concentration back to Leora he saw that she had gotten a ways ahead of them. Picking up his pace he easily caught back up with her, calling out her name in order to catch her attention.
Retracing her way she came back to Morgan landing beside him. “Is there something wrong?”
With a nod he pointed with his head to the tree line that had now moved closer to them. Looking to Taher he noted that his sword had been drawn and was now at the ready. That was something that Morgan did not understand, with all the abilities that he knew Taher had why his mentor always chose to use a sword never registered with him. A look passed over Taher’s face so fleetingly fast that Morgan was almost unable to read. If he didn’t know better he would have thought that it had been…
“GO!” Taher’s sudden words broke into Morgan’s thoughts.
“What do you mean go?” Morgan asked, a stubbornness rising up inside him. Whatever it was that had awakened in the morning hours of Aiken was strong enough to put Taher on edge. There was no way that Morgan was going to leave him here to fight it alone.
Taher locked eyes with Morgan, and then angled his head towards Leora, who was now standing beside Morgan since she had gone back to bound form. “I will buy the both of you time, take your chosen and run. What is coming is not like anything that you have faced before, now go while you still can.”
Morgan stayed rooted to his spot an inner war being fought within him. Taher was to him what his own father had never been, a father, next to his mother, Taher had been the only one to show true care for Morgan during his childhood years. Taking a step forward he was halted by the look that was given him. “Leave now Morgan with your chosen while you still can, if you do not harm will come to her.”
Turning his gaze to Leora their gazes clashed together. A burning built up in him; a firm resolve that he would not let any harm come near what was his rose up inside him. Reaching out a hand he waited until Leora took hold of it, pulling her to him he scooped her up in his arms. And without a backwards glance and in a single leap jumped from the bottom of the ravine to the top of it. Leaving behind the one man that he would have ever called father behind to whatever fate awaited him.
Having made it to the literal bridge into Enos, they waited for Morgan, Leora and Taher to arrive. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of Ryan’s stomach, something was not right. “Cody.”
Cody looked to Ryan from where he was leaning against the bridges side wall.
“I am heading into the mid-plane to get the Book, I need you to stay out here and watch over Amori.” Cody gave his agreement. Having that Ryan took a step forward and entered into Aiken and Enos’ mid-plane.
Dryan couldn’t help the amazement that came over him as he entered the mid-plane. It was both realms overlaid against one another, so that you could tell that they were different, but at the same time, you knew that they were one and the same. Moving on he felt as though he had been traveling for hours, and at other moments like he had just stepped into the mid-plane of the two realms that was flowing together like an odd yet graceful painting about him. With it depending on the moment whether one became more seeable that the other, but neither ever being able to fully overtake the other.
Dryan had seen these things many times before but he had to admit, even to those who were and are used to it, the happenings of a mid-plane, still had the same effect as it had on those who were seeing it for the first time.
Following the only viewable path he came to a stop in front of the only place that was the same in both Aiken and Enos. Proceeding to the Gate there he stopped only a few short feet away. Breathing in deeply Dryan took a step to his right not opening the Gate; walking through another passageway, which was a hidden crossway.
He quickened his pace. A sudden flash, then a bright light enveloped him. The light dimmed only slightly to reveal to the young prince the Book of Naba. Grabbing hold of it Dryan stepped out of the mid-plane, and back into Aiken to see the sun beginning to set on the horizon.