Scrolls of the Prophet
Book I
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Surprised Eyes
“Please...my child...let an old man of faith merely look upon its surfaces..?” the old wrinkled man with the long grey-beard asked while he held out a soft palm of silk-cloth beneath the gleam of the spear-head that he so longed to touch. I felt the tension rise as his fingers shook ever-slightly beneath the delicate silk. Again, he called to me honestly, “my son..,” which struck me as odd—for this was our first meeting and I was sure we weren't kin.
As I watched his intense gaze, I gently lowered the long spear-tip down onto the silk which he held.
“Thank you—thank you...my boy..!” the old man said, his voice spent with a sense of over-delighted greed, and again he called to me as if I were from the fruit of his loins. I thought it a bit salted, as he raised his other hand which was as unsteadily as the first, then he hobbled quite quickly away and over back to his own-side of the table where he rejoined the Great Master.
With reverence, he cautiously placed the spear-head face-up on the table—silk first—and then with his nimble fingers put back in action, he began to trace all-about the small etchings that showed on the tip's-face, his tone soft in a whisper at some type of saving-grace. His head bobbed as he mumbled, his prayers in sincerity as he moved his fingers back and forth from the spear-tip to the wooden-plate, and then back again.
Smoothly, his old priest-like form pulled from around his neck a long leather strap. From the end of it, a small wooden stick was hung which looked round-topped and polished, it had a flat-round of glass which was pressed into its end as the set was then spun before they stopped at a dangle. He paused, quited his muttering, and then moved the glass-ring closer toward the gleam of the metal's inscriptions. Expertly, he balanced his gaze from one-relic to the other, and squinted in persession between the two with little given effort. "A very odd bird—indeed...this old one..," I thought.
“Do you know the language..? I haven't seen it before..,” I called out with hesitation.
"Sir Tancred" responded, while the priestly figure he presented stood calm in position: “It’s an old form of Coptic...young master...and quite difficult to decipher—if not for priest Malakie here...we wouldn't have a shot at not being utterly lost...”
Seeing was believing in their deep show of interest, allthewhile, an old thought had struck me, “Is it not the head for that sacred spear which you sought after...Great Master..?” I asked eagerly, though I already assumed that they’d been searching for this prize for a very long time, hundreds of moons, and at least three-full seasons.
Re-calling a earlier barter which we had, and my own trade agreements from the past—“Spear of Specialty...box with two-golden birds on its top...and what else was there..? Ah...that long blanket or sheet which had come embossed with a man’s face burnt into it”—I thought that if we combined this relic with the great "Sword of Palmyra"...and the scroll that I carried...it might not only pay-off in the end and cover all my debts, my lessons...but also bring in enough sheckels for my love Maggy's, dowryfor walking...and some new clothes to boot..."
“Yes..!” I thought inwardly, as I watched their heavy gazes.
“Does it show any word of the missing staff’s location...Malakie..?” "Master Tancred" asked, his breath heavily laden in its show of anticipation.
“No—no...I’m afraid...it only tells the horrid story of the "Via Dolorosa"...his crucifixion...and the strike to his flesh...The wooden-shaft for the spear itself has surely been lost to us forever...The priceless treasure...gone...and never to return to the sight of mankind...It’s been nearly three-hundred-years since the Great Master...himself...had been taken to the cross...The location of the shaft from his spearing...it has surely been left fully dissolved over time..,” Malakie said sadly, his voice only paused briefly before he returned his attentions back to just mumbling, and the careful scan of his rounded-glass stick.
At that moment, everything clicked in my mind like a cart-load of heavy clay-bricks which had just fallen back in place.
“Thanks be to the merciful Gods..!” I thought, for now I was grateful that my own incursion with Hassani hadn't broken the staff into pieces when I bridged it against his black-horse's chest when I sent the pair tumbling.
Tempted, I offered out with my barter: “Do you mind...Great Master...if both the spear-tip and the plate are worthy of my lessons...and say…seven-"talents" of round-copper..?” I baited the hook while I hoped that the other item which I possessed might then fetch even more, or at-least the addition of some well needed silver-"shekels" to use as bartering chips toward my allocation of clothing.
“Oh...my...blessed be the child...the Holy "Spear of Destiny"—why just this tip...alone—it is far beyond any coin’s value...and must be kept safely...for providence-sake..,” Malakie, the priest, he interjected freely, and while not even glancing to put one-eye upon me.
With gentle fingers, he pulled out another of the square silks and, with concern, then flipped over the spearhead to show its other-side.
“What’s with all the colored silk..?” I again wondered, and watched with amusement as he wobbled the blade into a new stationed place. He pinned it with his grasp. The old man’s wrinkled fingers showed out only as un-steadied while the spear-tip then bobbled with his each careful motion.
“Well...young Master...Tav.., this relic alone...with its religious significance intact...it will surely cover your debt and more...and possibly bring the addition of a righteous reward..,” "Sir Tancred" said firmly, a large grin of trickery had spread across his face. It gave me the sense that I might be in a pond of much deeper-water than I had anticipated before.
“Is there anything of importance that is scribed on the back-side...my old friend..?” he asked Malakie.
“No—no...I’m afraid...the locality lost to time...this side mentions only that of the wood-bowl of "Christos"...a dark crystal-lined cup which was used by his betroved to capture up some of the red-spirits as they flowed out from his ribs... No doubt another of the sacred relics which are so badly needed for the "Pope's" sanctification...but one that has perished just like all the others..,” Malakie said, he then paused again:
“But not all is lost..,” he nodily-added with a gleam to the wrinkle of his aspiring grey-eyes. “We do have this treasure here...Young Master...Tav...and you have most surely saved the day...and brought forth a very important piece of the unforseen puzzle...Imagine—a child in his search...and him finding the holy spear-point of "Christ’s" destiny on his own...what a miracle indeed..!”
It was here when I decided to interject with my barter.., “Sooo...if by some chance or miracle...some-one were to come forth—say...by luck, grace or fortitude from the dieties above—perhaps this exact wooden-staff which is so desparately needed...should it miraculously appear...would it not be also of good fortuen...value...and also be worthy of some immediate compensation..?” I tried to put it out plainly.
“But of course...that would be true...if only the shaft itself still remained in this world..,” the old-one answered quickly...his response not in pause as his light-fingered touch continued to hop from the spear-tip to the wood-plate. The thin round of his glass-ring had followed his pace, if not leading him on then leading his gaze.
With slow, deliberate actions, and just a hint of deception, I slowly unrolled two more full turns of the sheet, the one that held my surprises. Held the staff... And carefully, methodically, I ran my own fingers down along the smooth, warren wood, in the hopes that my luck would play out yet again. The engravings on both the box-top and spear-tip seemed to be of the same style, and with a sensitive touch, I compared the shiny-silver etchings to those on the wooden walking stick just below and still hidden. Then, with a gentle glance, I studied the wide, rounded-end of the spear-tip just a little more closely from afar. And in my mind, I matched it up with the indented holes which appeared on the staff’s-tip—they were basically the same size, same shape, and had been placed in the same locations.
As the two men stood unaware, they were about to unknowingly play right into my palms...
“Sooo...say...with such a rare find....wouldn't it be the shaft of need which looks quite similar to…say..."This"..!” I called out brazenly, and then quickly pulled out the long staff so it was fully free from its wrapping, I then in one smooth, and hand-held motion, lifted it out before them . Blatently the hold of their eyes froze as they saw it. The smooth, warren-wood, it slid free of my fingers; the ancient "Coptic" engravings came released in surprise...
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I first smiled at, then grinned at: "Sir Tancred", and the great white-haired old owl; then just as quickly, I glanced only at Master Malakie intensely; the priest, who had raised his short stick with the round glass rapidly, examined the etchings. I stood stiff in my hold as I watched in anticipation, his thin-lips moved firstly, his body trembling slightly, while his eyes carefully scanned every inch in length of its presented wood surfaces.
“Ughh..!” The old man gasped, his body flailed wildly. His emotions immediately over-whelmed him as they took him by storm, and he collapsed right-away, and fell from the table, the faint gurgling he offered co-mingling with the plush of the wide, "Persian" rugs.
“You’ve done it now,...young Master...Tav..! You’ve put him in a flutter and killed the old sod..!” "Sir Tancred" said blatently in his mix with restrained stern-ness, though a smile was obvious to be seen as it tugged at his lips.
We both burst to laughter as the scene then progressed, the ousting of Master Malakie, and an old-owl’s undoing.
“Maria..!—Bring water..!—Maria..!” the great master called...
“Yes...master...what is it..?—please do state your needs..," a young woman responded as she stepped out from behind a blue-died sash-curtain before entering the room. She was dressed in a "Persian"-styled slip-cloth of light purple-hughes, and bloused with a pink-toned waist-scarf tied about her middle, the greens of her silk-tunic were low-cut at the high-shoulders, with heavy sweeping-folds, and her leggings showed to be tied way too high before they stopped there abruptly just below her knees, this revealed the release of that which was normally unseen, her soft-tanned skin. I felt a flush of embarrassment as I tried to maintain my focus, the best one could do on this day's dowry of bartered business.
“We may have surprised Malakie into fainting..,” "Sir Tancred" explained. “The old owl is so emotional...and he can't keep his feet...will you please fetch some water...some soft towels, and tonic...and some smelling-salts as well...to wake up his nose..? And some tea for all of us...that would also be welcome...”
“Yes...master...right away..,” she replied in a voice full of caring, and in a bit of a rush. And then, just as quickly as she had entered, she disappeared out of sight through the blue-sashed, side entry-way, hang of the curtains.
And as she passed, I felt a faint heat rise-up within me—her form shown both firm and robust, while adorned with the sparkle from the many necklaces she wore, the rings on her fingers, and loops on her toes, and a gold-studded diamond that was decoratively fashioned to the left-side of her nose.
Glancing down, I took in the body of the still-sleeping Master Malakie as he was officially laid out, "Sir Tancred" and I poised into more bouts of laughter.
“He seems to be blessed with the weight of only light-stones...Great Master..,” I joked.
“You’re right...young master..,” he replied in a light-hearted way. “But with you now holding the knowledge of his slighted condition...you should be slightly more civil and not spring such treasured relics upon his disposition without given warning...I fear that Master Malakie might not survive such a shock if he is shown with another...”
His eyes twinkled with gleams as they became, moisture-filled and tearing...
“There...is no more to be revealed...is there...young master..?” he asked cautiously...
I felt almost shameful, and lowered my eyes from his intensified view. Then, a smile crept in as I tried to hold it back and hide my true bafflement with a dip to my chin. "Sir Tankred" gifted.., "Oh Lord...let us see what else you have brought...young master..."
Just then, the young woman returned, “great master...I have brought in some cool water...and smelling salts for the priestly Malakie...and some fresh chamomile-tea with the additin of cups for you all...” the servant girl announced as she set her silver-tray on a table positioned right next to us, and then poured out carefully with three cups of tea.
Like an experienced healer, she knelt down by the old priest who lay sprawled out on the rug. And though he seemed asleep, she gently lifted his head with the use of one-palm and slid a thick pillow-bag of brown and gold tones to rest just beneath it. The pillow-bag looked exotic with its long-stringy fringes that ran all the way around it as it supported his head.
Master Malakie grunted. She ignored him, and then placed a damp cloth to the red-wrinkles of his forehead. In her other hand she palmed a small grey-vial, and she used the bright-white of her front-teeth to loosen-up its stopper before she waft it about under his oversized nostrils, the vapors in raise made him quick-shake his head.
Suddenly, the priest lunged and he sat up-right quite briskly, his eyes opened wide as he sneezed out rather loudly and this sent Maria to quick-dodged his motions.
We all had a laugh at Master Malakie’s expense, and the outlandish show of his body, that and the vibrant look that he held from the stooper-locked vision of his newly awakened use of wide, surprised eyes..!
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Thank you valued Rider's Vault Members..!
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CURRENT VOLUME List:
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Scrolls of the Prophet...historical/biblical/adventure/coming of age
- Awakening
- Gathering
- Binding
- Bloodline
- Prophecy
- Phoenicia
- Future Dig
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Scrolls of the Past...historical/adventure/coming of age
- Amen Rey (Egyptian)
- House of the Fawn - (Greek)
- Spice Road - (Persian)
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Dominatrix...sci-fi/thriller/action/space adventure/coming of age/assassin
- Domina
- Bisal
- Alaran
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Terraformation..sci-fi/action/adventure/alien love story/space travel
- Terra-Form
- Terra-Rise
- Terra-Site
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Quest of the Seeker..thriller/murder mystery/afterlife/coming of age
- The Key
- The Clown
- The Seeker
**Hint: The Seeker is the Grim Reeper's brother...:)
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The Cleaner..action/thriller/coming of age/assassin
- The Child
- The Woman
- The Teacher
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Ready The Yeti..children's series/adventure/life lessons
- I Am Ready
- I Am Sassy
- I am Abominable
or
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