Chapter 1
Elita sat at her father's
feet among a small group of locals meeting within a tiny
cottage nestled in the rolling foothills. His finger
traced the words on the ancient scroll. "Did you hear
me? Listen to these words," he repeated in his teaching
voice. "It doesn't say we who live in the country will
be exempt. It says, 'Every town and village,' and that
means us. We can't hide from the widespread 'increase in
evil propensities.' I've heard they've taken over the
cities and it's just a matter of time. . . We have to
fight back while we have the chance."
* * * *
A
few of the men and women who had gathered in the small
room nodded. Others looked with blank expressions out
the windows facing north as if studying the nearby
mountains. Elita stifled a yawn. The other children no
longer attended. She wanted to ask what propensities
were, but from the looks on the adult faces now was not
the time. Not everyone had patience for her questions,
and some thought she was too young to participate at all
at times like this.
Too young. The very words irked her. After all, at
age 12 she was only three years from marrying. Not that
she knew anybody who wanted to marry her. Things had
changed so much since the mantids' arrival. Her father
restricted her comings and goings. He believed the
mantids were trying to take over the world. It was their
fault she had to sit through these teaching times
without a playmate. Her father insisted that the
prophecies be handed to the next generation to prepare
them to recognize and fight the evil presence.
"The Chosen One," he said looking up at an invisible
presence with a hint of awe, "will save our world." He
placed his hand on Elita's head and smiled.
Torkel, their closest neighbor, from a farm five miles
down the road, shifted on his hard chair next to the
fireplace. "How will we know who this Chosen One is?
What is the sign so that we will not be misled?"
"Good question." Elita's father looked down into her
eyes. "Elita, would you like to answer Torkel's
question?"
Elita glanced at the floorboards and pulled in a deep
breath, but nodded. She looked at the men and women
gathered with them. Some were friends, others strangers.
"We'll know by the alignment of the five planets." She
glanced toward her father who tipped his head for her to
go on. He knew this aspect of the prophecies fascinated
her. "Kamali will appear in the east marking the first
gate. The Chosen One will see his light and has one week
to travel through all five mystical gates and return to
our world. Upon their return, the Chosen will carry with
them something from each gate. Something to save us. .
." She looked to her father for affirmation.
"Thank you, Elita."
Her
chest swelled with pride, and he turned his attention
back to his guests. "Those living in the time of the
alignment will know who the Chosen One is. It's not
important that we know now, unless. . ." He leaned and
stared into the sky through the window. "No, I don't see
anything other than our sun setting in the sky, and it
tells me it's getting late."
A
few of the people chuckled. Elita shifted her weight on
the wooden floor and rubbed her knees through her
trousers. Her mother walked into the room balancing a
tray of crisp sweets and bent to offer one to her
husband.
He
plucked one of the honey-sweetened treats from the tray
and while her mother served the others, her father snuck
his crisp into his daughter's hand. She sat up a little
straighter and sucked the golden treat. It lasted so
much longer that way.
The
people exchanged farewells at the door until the last of
them left the small family to the peace Elita enjoyed.
The size of the gatherings had diminished over the last
couple of years. It hurt her father so she didn't talk
about it. Many called him a fanatic.
"Elita, you did well this evening. Before our next
meeting, I'd like you to make a list of the prophecies
you know." Her father walked across the small square
room to rekindle the fire in the fireplace.
Elita's heart dropped. Not another child in the
province has to complete assignments like this. It's not
fair. "Why can't I just tell you?"
He
brushed soot from his hands and propped them on his
thighs as he knelt before the growing fire. "Very well,
what can you tell me?" He placed a log on the flame.
"Well. . ." She played with the dark braid draped over
her shoulder. "There will be deceit, lying and criminal
activity."
"Very good. And what do you think that means?"
She
shrugged. "I guess it means by the time the conjunction
of the planets happens this world won't be a very nice
place to live. Is that why you want to fight back?"
Elita's mother looked at her father and swallowed hard.
She wiped her hands on her apron out of nervous habit.
"Can I ask a question?" Elita asked.
"Of
course, and please sit in the chair." He pointed.
She
scurried to the chair and sat while searching for the
right words. "It's . . . well . . . there's five planets
and five gates, right?"
"That's correct."
"And there's seven days to complete the journey?"
"That's correct."
"Here's what I don't understand. Why is it seven days
when there are only five gates?"
"That's a good question, a perfect example of how people
misread the prophecy. It is true there are five gates
and five planets. However, when the planets align it
marks the fact that the Chosen One will have seven days
to make it through all five gates. What if it takes
three days to find the first gate? How many days are
left?"
The
realization of her father's words brought new
understanding. "You mean if they don't see Kamali's
light for the first three days they only have four days
left to make it through all the gates?"
"That right." He nodded. "And once the Chosen One enters
that first gateway there is no turning back. The gate
closes. It's a one-way journey."
"That's scary. The Chosen One will have to be brave."
"Another thing to realize is that if there isn't faith
enough to see Kamali, the alignment of the planets will
come and go without the journey taking place."
"Part of me hopes that none of this happens until I'm
old."
Elita's mother chuckled. "I know what you mean." She
patted the seat beside her and Elita moved to sit beside
her mother, who started to unbraid her long hair.
Her
father shook his head. "It's not about us. It's about
all of mankind."
In
her heart, Elita trusted the prophecies, but they also
scared her.
"Why would people miss the coming of Kamali? He is to
shine like a bright light in the east."
"Those who are not looking for him will not see him."
Her
mother brushed her hair. "Go to the well and wash while
I set dinner on the table."
Elita stepped into the twilight and wandered to the well
at the back of the clearing. A cacophony of birds called
to one another as the sun slid toward the horizon. I
love this. She missed being outside, riding her
horse freely and hunting with her bow. Even though she'd
never seen a mantid, part of her already hated them. It
was their fault she had to stay with her parents all the
time.
The
cool water refreshed her. She dried her face on her
sleeve when an odd sense of foreboding stopped her.
Silence. Not a bird or cricket sounded. She hurried
toward the cottage, the crunch of long grass beneath her
feet. Smoke scented the air. In the distance she saw the
glow of a large fire. The village!
She
turned the corner to the front of the cottage and
skidded to a stop. Large ugly creatures hunched to fit
through the door. They stepped outside dragging her
parents with them. "Father!" she ran toward him when
something cool and hard clamped her forearm and scraped
her skin as she struggled to free herself.
The
diminishing sun highlighted the horror on her mother's
face. Her usually happy eyes widened with fear.
The
mantid dragged Elita toward a cart without a horse or
oxen hitched to draw it. A large cage filled with young
people lay on the bed of the cart. She kicked and
screamed, but to no avail. The monster threw her into
the cage. She stumbled and landed face-to-face with a
boy; his red-rimmed eyes stared at her blankly. Elita
scrambled to her feet, pressed her face to the bars and
stretched her arm toward her parents. "Mother! Father!"
Her
mother broke free and ran to the cart; her fingers
grasped Elita's and held tight. "Elita, do not forget. .
." Four mantids rushed toward them. One of them ripped
her mother's hand from hers and yanked her mother to the
ground where two others dragged her toward her father.
"What are they doing?" Elita's voice tore at her throat.
"Father! Father help me! Don't let them take me!"
Her
father struggled against the mantid, but they
outnumbered him. They blocked his way like an armored
wall. He shouted over them. "Elita, the oracle is the
answer--" A sharp sickle-shaped mantid claw clamped
around her father's bicep cutting his words short. His
arm dropped to the earth with a sickening thud. Blood
spewed across his shirt, shot into the mantid's face and
sprayed her mother's tunic. Her father's eyes rolled,
and he crumpled to the ground.
Stunned, Elita shrank to the floor of the cage. Evil
propensities. The cage-cart moved under its own
power further into the country. At each home, the
mantids collected the young. Her eyes drifted from face
to face in the dim light and then to the sky. She prayed
to Kamali hoping to see the planets appear. Instead only
the moon climbed into the sky. How could she get free
and help her parents? For now, in her mind, she did the
last assignment her father had given her. He'd be proud
of her. Mentally she made a list of the prophecies she
knew.
The
sun melted into the horizon. An eerie twilight cast
elongated shadows across the crying children. Elita
looked away from the misery; an emptiness sought to fill
her. She watched the sun disappear and wrapped her arm
around the little girl beside her. Beyond the horizon
dawns a new beginning. That was her mother's
favorite prophecy and now she claimed it as hers. It
gave her a little hope. The wheels of the mechanical
cart churned up a cloud of dust. Elita closed her
eyes and prayed to Kamali. Her father's words echoed in
her mind. "It's not about us. It's about all of
mankind."
s echoed in her mind. "It's not about us. It's about
all of mankind."
