All Things Begin - The Anmah Series Book 1

When they finally returned to the camp almost an hour later, Ga’briyel was feeling much better. He and Sophyra had talked for quite a while afterward, Ga’briyel sitting with his back against the tree and Sophyra sitting between his legs, her back to his front. He held her tightly and told her what had happened after he left the camp. He told her everything except about the Debaduta’s visit. He was not sure why, but he wanted to keep that to himself for now, even though Mathi knew. When he told her of his attempt to get information from the Asabya, she turned in his arms, knelt in front of him, and ran her fingers through his hair.

“They are evil, Ga’briyel. They deserve everything you do to them.”

“No, they do not deserve torture,” he said, frowning. “No one deserves that.”

“You are wrong,” she stated emphatically. “They do. They kill without remorse and torture their slaves and families. They should get the same in return!”

He shook his head. “My father told me that I should not let myself become cruel. He told me to make my vengeance quick and painless.”

“Your father was wrong.”

Sighing, Ga’briyel stood and pulled Sophyra to her feet. “I do not think so,” he said quietly.

“And I think he was.”

With a smile, he drew her to his chest. “I suppose we will have to disagree on this, my heart.” He chuckled and kissed the top of her head before they walked back toward camp, his arm around her shoulder and hers around his waist.

When they arrived, Dinton and Tero were seated by the fire, Mathi between them, and it looked as if they were explaining military tactics to the boy based on the stick and pebble diagram in front of them. They glanced at him out of the corners of their eyes, both wearing almost identical smirks. He did not know why they still reacted that way whenever he came back with Sophyra. It had to be obvious to them by now that he and Sophyra were together, and he was starting to get annoyed by their looks. He sighed and looked down at her. Her head was down, and he knew that she was blushing. He felt her shame cover him like an unreachable itch, and his annoyance instantly changed to fury that they would embarrass her like that. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“Take the boy, please. I need to talk to Dinton and Tero.”

“What do you want me to do with him?”

“I do not care. Show him the horses, go for a walk, anything.”

“Yes, Ga’briyel.”

Her submissive tone made him realize that his anger was evident in his voice, and he hugged her. “I am not angry with you, my heart. You have done nothing. It is those two I am angry with.”

She looked up at him, frowning when she saw his eyes blazing violet. “Why?”

“Because they have no right to shame you like this. They know what we do together, yes, but it does not need to be so evident that they do.”

She tried to drop her head again, but he caught her chin and gave her a kiss.

“Sophyra, I love you, and I promise this will never happen again.”

The corners of her lips twitched upward, but she still looked like she might cry at any moment, and Ga’briyel’s fury grew stronger and darker until he felt it might consume him.

“I love you, Ga’briyel,” she said softly, and he gave her one last hug before she walked to the fire.

“Come with me, Mathi,” she said, keeping her eyes on the boy and off the men. “I want to show you something.”

Mathi stood up immediately and followed her to where the horses were grazing. It was not far enough away that they would not be able to hear Ga’briyel, however, so he glared at his friends, his eyes bright.

“With me. Now.”

Surprise showed on the men’s faces, but then Tero dropped his eyes. They said, “Yes, sir,” and stood up.

Without another glance at them, Ga’briyel spun on his heel and stormed into the trees. He heard them following, but he opened his mind to them anyway. Dinton was wondering what they had done to incur his wrath, but Tero knew, and Ga’briyel was gratified to know that he was remorseful, but it was not enough to cool his anger. When he had gone fifty paces or so, he stopped. He kept his back to the others and clenched his fists as the disrespect that they had shown Sophyra was piled on everything else that had happened that day.

“Ga’briyel…”

He whirled around and fixed his violet gaze on his best friend. “Do not speak, Captain,” he spat out as he took one step forward, his eyes flashing back and forth between the two men. Dinton involuntarily moved back in shock, but he kept his mouth shut, and Tero refused to meet his gaze.

“How dare you?” Ga’briyel hissed. “How dare you treat Sophyra like that? After everything she has gone through, how dare you make her feel like a common harlot! How dare you look at us that way!”

Dinton’s mouth worked, but no sound came out until he finally shut it and looked at the ground.

“I am so sorry, Ga’briyel,” Tero said softly, looking at the Anmah. “I do not know what caused me to do that.”

Ga’briyel said nothing, but his fists clenched tighter. Dinton raised his head and faced his friend. “Me, too, Ga’briyel. There is no excuse for it, and I am sorry.” He glanced down at the clenched fists and then back up at Ga’briyel with an apologetic smile. “If you want to hit me, I will understand.”

A brief pause followed that statement, and then Ga’briyel’s fist flew from his side and connected solidly with Dinton’s jaw with a loud crack. The latter dropped to the ground, his hand coming up to cup his jaw.

“Yisu’s beard!” he yelled. “I was not serious!”

“Too bad,” Ga’briyel said tightly, unflexing and flexing his hands unconsciously. “I was.” He looked at Tero who put both his hands up in surrender and took a step back.

“No such offer from me, my friend,” he said seriously. “I would like to keep my bones intact.”

Ga’briyel raised a finger in warning. “One more time, Tero, and you will find yourself down there next to him. I do not care if it takes a sennight for you to heal.”

“Understood.”

Dinton raised himself up to a sitting position and spat blood onto the ground. He worked his jaw back and forth before he said, “At least you did not break it.”

Ga’briyel looked at him. “Never again, Dinton, or something will break, I promise you. You will never disrespect her or me like that ever again.”

Dinton nodded and spat again. Ga’briyel reached his hand out and helped his friend to his feet. Dinton gingerly felt his jaw and winced. “I think my tooth is loose.”

Ga’briyel grunted and walked away, feeling a little better. He heard the other two behind him, and then Dinton’s arm came around his shoulder. “Are you still mad, Ga’briyel?”

Chuckling at the mock desperation in his friend’s voice, Ga’briyel said, “No, you big baby, I am not.”

“Big baby? I will show you a baby!”

As they came into the clearing, Dinton tightened his arm and tried to get his friend into a headlock. Ga’briyel easily slipped out of his grasp and crouched down, slowly walking backward, a grin on his face.

“You sure about this, Dinton?” he teased. “You know what happened the last time you tried to take me down.”

“That was five years ago! I am better now,” the other returned. His hands were up and open.

Tero laughed and moved to the fire where he sat down to watch. “So is he, you fool.”

“We will see,” Dinton said, starting to circle his friend slowly, looking for an opening. “Come on, Anmah, let me see what you have got.”

Ga’briyel’s grin grew bigger. “Whenever you are ready, baby.”

Dinton growled, and after a few more steps, dropped low and grabbed for Ga’briyel’s legs, but the Anmah stepped back with his left leg, and Dinton only managed to barely grab hold of the right. Ga’briyel once again easily removed himself from his friend’s grasp and, almost faster than Tero could follow, twirled behind Dinton and dropped a knee on his back, forcing him to hold himself up on his hands to avoid having his face buried in the ground. Dinton tried to roll to his left, throw up his leg, and pull Ga’briyel down underneath him, but all of a sudden, he found himself on his knees, this time with his arms pulled behind him as Ga’briyel straddled his legs. The Anmah laced his arms through his friend’s and clasped his hands behind Dinton’s neck before pulling up and back.

“Say it, Dinton,” he laughed, thoroughly relaxed.

“Never!”

Ga’briyel only pulled harder, and Dinton’s back arched as he grunted and attempted to reach behind him to grab something, anything, that would get him free.

“Say it. You know it is true.”

“No! I told you I would never say it again!”

“Oh, give up, Dinton,” Tero said, laughing so hard he was holding his sides. “Just say it.”

With a louder grunt as Ga’briyel pulled back yet again, Dinton spat out, “Fine! Ga’briyel Mistri is king of the world and I his humble servant!”

Ga’briyel laughed loudly and released his friend. He stood up and again held out a hand. Dinton rotated his shoulders twice before accepting it with a grin.

“You are such a child,” he chided as he stood. “I was twelve the last time you made me say that.”

“I know, but it sounds just as good now as it did then.”

Pleased that his friend’s good mood was restored, Dinton clapped him on the back. “Thanks for not hurting me, Captain, fool that I was to challenge you.”

Tero snorted. “Told you.”

“Yes, you did, old man. How about you and I try? I think I could actually have a chance against you.”

“Maybe later, children. Now you need to get cleaned up like good little boys.”

Ga’briyel grinned at Sophyra’s voice, and he spun on his heel to see her leading Mathi into the clearing, his hand in hers. He took three steps and pulled her hand free.

“Excuse me, Mathi, but I need this lovely lady for a moment.” He looked down at the boy. “You do not mind, do you?”

“No, sir,” Mathi said, the barest hint of a smile on his lips.

“Thank you so much.” As the boy left them, Ga’briyel wrapped his arms around Sophyra, his back to the clearing. Since he knew the others could not see, he let his eyes blaze as he trailed his fingertips up and down her spine, causing her to shiver.

“Little boy? Shall I prove to you again how much of a man I am, my heart?” He dipped his head and kissed her soundly. When he released her, she bit her bottom lip.

“No need right now, Ga’briyel. My memory is not that bad.”

With a laugh, he kissed her once more and then led her to the fire. The other men were back to their sticks and pebbles, and Mathi was watching them intently as they talked to him. Sophyra started getting last meal ready, and Ga’briyel sat down across the fire from the others.

“Captain Sekara, may I ask you a question?” Mathi asked during a lull in the teaching.

“Of course, Mathi. What is it?”

The boy pointed to Dinton’s jaw. “Why do you have a bruise on your face, sir? It was not there before.”

Ga’briyel had just taken a drink from his water bag, and he choked on it trying not to laugh. Dinton glared at him as he fought for breath.

“Died from laughing too hard yet, Anmah?”

“No,” Ga’briyel managed after a while, “but I have already choked and drowned and suffocated, so I am not worried about that, at least.” He coughed a few times and then grinned at his friend. “Are you going to answer the boy’s question, Captain, or shall I?”

After another glare directed at Ga’briyel, Dinton looked down at Mathi. “I…” He gestured at Tero. “We did something we should not have, and Captain Mistri made me pay for it.”

“How?”

Dinton sighed. “He punched me.”

“Why?”

“Because I deserved it.”

The boy frowned and looked at Tero. “Then why does Captain Rabina not have a bruise, too?”

Ga’briyel could not hold back his laughter this time, and both Dinton and Tero chuckled.

“Because he is a better negotiator than I am, it seems.”

“Either that, or Captain Mistri likes me better than you.”

Dinton shook his head. “Not likely. Maybe he just did not want to break his hand again on that hard head of yours.”

Tero shrugged. “I suppose that is possible. Whatever the reason, I am not the one who’s going to have trouble eating tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?” Dinton said. “I am going to have trouble tonight.”

The banter continued between the men with Mathi occasionally inserting a question or two until Sophyra informed them that the food was ready. After eating, during which Dinton did indeed have problems, Tero took first watch, and the others settled down to sleep.

Dinton gave Mathi his heavy cloak, and the boy stammered out his thanks, much to the men’s confusion.

“He has probably never had so much as a blanket before,” Sophyra said quietly as they watched the child wrap the heavy fabric around himself and lay down next to the fire. It took only moments before he was asleep.

“I know how he feels,” Ga’briyel said, gathering Sophyra to himself. They lay down near the boy, and Sophyra was quickly asleep, wrapped in both Ga’briyel’s cloak and his arms, but the Anmah had difficulty relaxing. He was not sure if it was because of the excitement of the battle, the visit by the Debaduta, or the promised visit from the Creator, but it was a long time before he shut his eyes, and even longer before he actually fell asleep. It felt like he had only been asleep for minutes when Dinton woke him for his turn at the watch. As soon as he opened his eyes, he felt a sense of dread surround him.

He extracted himself from Sophyra and stretched when he stood. “What time is it?”

“Three hours until first light,” Dinton said, looking at his friend closely. “Are you all right?”

“I am fine,” Ga’briyel said crossly. “I just feel like something is not right.”

“What is wrong?” Dinton said, instantly alert. “Your feelings are not often amiss.”

“I do not know, but it is bothering me.” He looked at his friend. “Go to sleep, Dinton. It does not feel urgent; it just feels wrong. Maybe it is being so close to Grama. I do not know.”

Dinton nodded and rolled himself into his blanket. Ga’briyel added wood to the fire and, after a brief moment, unsheathed his sword. He stared out into the forest, turning in slow circles until he settled on facing west. That seemed strange to him since any danger should have come from the east, from Grama, but he knew that whatever was wrong, that is where it would originate. He settled into a relaxed, ready stance and waited.

Ga’briyel.

His name was just a deep whisper on the wind, but it seemed to come from everywhere at once, and he tensed, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword.

“Who’s there? Show yourself!”

No, my son, that is not possible. The voice was no louder, but Ga’briyel felt it flow over him like a calming breeze, and he relaxed. Do you know who I am?

Ga’briyel dropped to his knees, placed his sword across them, and hung his head. “I do.”

Tell me.

“You are Yisu, Creator of the world, Sustainer of life, Gatherer of the faithful at death, and I am Your servant.”

Yes, you are. Listen carefully to me, Ga’briyel. You must enter Grama within the hour. If you do not, someone will die who is essential to your fight. However, if you do this, one of the people here will die just after the sun rises. You must make the choice.

Ga’briyel frowned. “What? What kind of choice is that? If I do as you ask, I save a stranger but lose a friend. If I do not, what? My friend lives, but the world dies?”

Perhaps the world will die; it is quite possible. If you do not enter Grama and do what you must, the world may very well be doomed. If you do, someone you love dies.

Surging to his feet and spinning in a circle, Ga’briyel shouted to the sky, “I cannot make that choice!”

You must.

“Why?” A sob caught in the Anmah’s throat. “Why are you doing this to me?”

I do it because I must, my son. There is no other way.

“How can you say that? You created the world! Surely you can change this!”

I have rules to follow just like you, Ga’briyel. Humans must be able to make their own choices, to make mistakes, to fail. Otherwise, you would be mindless animals following a leader with no idea why. That is what Sayatan wants. Millions of mindless worshipers that he can do with as he pleases. I do not want that. I want people who worship me because they love me, because they choose to worship me. Unfortunately, that means giving them choices in other areas as well.

“This is not a choice! You are asking me to sacrifice a friend for the world! I cannot do that!”

You must.

“I cannot.” Ga’briyel fell to his knees and wanted to cry, but a sensation of peace drifted over and around him, and he took a deep breath.

You must. The voice drifted into silence, and Ga’briyel slowly stood. He looked back at the camp to where his friends were sleeping. Dinton, his best friend and the brother who had replaced the one he lost; Tero, who had become something of an uncle to him; Mathi, coming into a camp full of strangers and trusting them completely; and Sophyra, his heart. He could not imagine losing any of them, but he knew that there was more than one life in his hands. If he did not make the choice to lose one of them, the entire world could be destroyed.

He walked back to the fire and sat down with his legs crossed and his sword across his lap. He stared at it as he traced one finger up and down the blade. His father had given it to him on his twelfth naming-day. It had taken the bladesmith and cutler over a moon to complete it to Jarda’s specifications, but it was beautiful and strong, and it had become like another part of himself. He stared at the eagles, a tribute to his first father, etched into the metal until his eyes burned. He had had his family’s token carved into the hilt, and he could feel its shape each time he held the sword. Now, however, he held it up in front of his face, rested his forehead on the flat of the blade, and closed his eyes. He blanked his mind and breathed deeply.

“What should I do, Father?”

Two faces came to his mind. One that he barely remembered, that of Adama el’Altyara el’Illyama el’Jonsa, and the other of Jarda Mistri. Tears came to his eyes and dripped from his closed lids as he imagined what Jarda would say if he were here.

You have the fate of the world in your hands, my son. I am sorry it is so, but you must be strong and make the right choice.

“I know,” he whispered, clenching his teeth to keep himself from screaming out his pain and frustration. “Father, help me, please.”

He opened his eyes and lowered the point of his sword to the ground. He stared across the fire at the four sleeping people, and he knew what he had to do. Mathi and Sophyra would stay at the camp, and he would give Tero and Dinton the choice to come with him or not. He would tell them what he knew and give them the choice, although, even if they both stayed, that would mean something would happen at the camp while he was gone. He knew that his friends would come with him, though. They would not abandon him.

He sat still, his thoughts torturing him for another few minutes. Then he stood, sheathed his sword, and woke his friends. Dinton and Tero stared at him in confusion for a moment, but then they stood and waited for him to speak. He just stood in front of them, his bottom lip in his teeth, and his heart breaking.

“Ga’briyel, what is going on?” Dinton asked, laying his hand on his friend’s arm.

Ga’briyel took a deep breath and told them everything that had happened earlier that night. By the end of his telling, he was struggling to breathe, and he bent over and placed his hands on his knees.

“It has to be done,” Tero said softly.

“Why? Why does one of you have to die to save the world? It is not fair!”

“Fair or not, my friend, it must be done.” Tero’s voice was soft, but firm.

Ga’briyel nodded and stood up straight, taking another deep breath. “I know,” he said quietly, and then he moved to where Mathi and Sophyra were still asleep. He knelt down next to them and gently shook Sophyra until she opened her eyes.

“Ga’briyel? What is happening? It is still dark.”

“I know, my heart, but I need to talk to you. Now.”

She nodded and stood up, careful not to wake up the boy lying next to her. Ga’briyel took her arm and moved her away from the fire before taking her by the shoulders. She looked up at him expectantly.

“What is going on?”

“We are going to Grama.”

“When?”

“Soon. I want you to stay here with Mathi. I need you to stay safe.”

“Of course,” she said softly. “We will be here when you get back.”

Ga’briyel pulled her to his chest and held her tightly. “I love you,” he whispered.

“And I love you,” she answered before stepping out of his embrace. “Now, go. Do what you must.”Ga’briyel kept himself from releasing the sob that built up with her words, and he kissed her.

“Stay safe, please,” he said softly.

“We will.”

He nodded once and then walked back to the camp. He changed his white shirt to a black one and armed himself with every weapon he had brought, noticing that his friends had already done the same. As he slung his bow over his back, he said, “We must go. We have to enter within the hour.” He took one last look at Sophyra, who was standing by Mathi, her arms wrapped around herself, before turning and walking into the trees.