Chapter 7

Revina and the Lord rode on one horse while Malin followed closely behind aboard a white horse. They had received no resistance by the gate as they rode out onto the main road. They took a turn from the main road and entered a footpath that meandered through a planted forest that stretched just a few moments from the palace. The trees swayed and danced as wind increased in strength, the clouds darkening, suggesting a possible rainfall in the offing. Parafon led the way, Revina behind him on the horse as they rode through the forest in silence.

Malin was however disturbed. He couldn't understand anything. Parafon seemed strange but very familiar. All the time he had been talking in the courtroom, he could almost recognise his voice. It was so familiar as though Malin had heard it before. The strangeness in his gaze however, discarded any hopes of recognition. But he could feel he had met him, or known him or dreamt of him. How that was possible mystified him since Parafon was from the lower dimension and him from the upper dimension. What made no sense even more was the fact that Parafon had said they were his guests, rescuing them from the Emperor's sentence. How could someone they had never met defend them like that? He knew no one in this dimension yet he was going to be the guest of the High Priest of Dalawa empire?

Looking at Revina as she held on to the lord on the horse, he felt sympathy for her. She must had been used to good and simple life, full of pleasures and no hardships. What was happening to her was nothing that she deserved. The fact that he couldn't tell how long they were going to remain stuck in this dimension worried him even more. "How long will I protect her?" he wondered, fearing failing at one point and getting her killed. He couldn't handle that. He cared for her too much to watch her die. But in this strange dimension where they knew no one, how could he protect her? Fighting the royal guards had given him some resolve that he could do it but he wasn't sure he could fight and protect her in an open field were they to be attacked.

They climbed a small hill before descending into a ravine on the other side of the forest, moving fast to avoid an oncoming rain. As they crossed through the ravine, negotiating a bend and coming out onto a large meadow with trees scattered on its either sides, Lord Parafon's horse lifted it's two front legs abruptly and so fast before falling to the ground while Lord and Revina fell off and rolled severally before being stopped by trees. Malin stopped and jumped off his horse, rushing madly towards Revina who was writhing and groaning in excruciating pain, as soaring pain stabbed through her nerves.

Lord Parafon rose up from the ground as if nothing had happened to him, dusting off the soil and leaves that had coated his blue gown as he walked towards Revina. He found Malin holding her and trying to administer first aid to her left leg that had received a deep cut and was oozing out blood.

"Let me handle it," Parafon said as he gently pulled Malin away. He took out a white cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around the cut leg, sending Revina into a one minute sleep. When she woke up from the short nap, the feet was whole again as if nothing had happened to it. No cuts, no blood, no scar. She rose up as if to test her leg's fitness and even tried a small run. The leg was perfect, completely healed.

"How did you do that?" asked the bewildered Malin who had been greatly relieved by Revina's miraculous recovery.

"How I did that is not important," Lord Parafon replied, looking disturbed. "What is important is to manage to survive and get to my cottage in time."

"What do you mean Lord?" Malin asked, getting worried by the scared tone of Lord Parafon.

"What happened to your soldierly instincts son, can't you see we are surrounded?"

"What? I don't see anyone anywhere sir," Malin said as he pulled Revina closer to him, searching through the trees with his eyes. "What happened to the horse?"

"The horse was shot with an arrow," Parafon responded as he started walking back to the path while Revina and Malin followed. "It seems to me that you people are wearing very dark glasses for you not to be able to see how we are surrounded and greatly outnumbered," he continued as he walked towards the horse that lay on the path, lifeless. Just as they reached the horse, a group of soldiers arrived, led by Prince Mamadu, the younger brother to the Emperor.

"Well, well, well, well," the prince began, "who do we have here. Today must be my luckiest day ever, to finally get the chance to meet the great Lord Parafon himself in person."

Malin stood confusedly behind Parafon, Revina standing next to him in as much confusion. The prince and his soldiers dismounted from their horses and walked towards them, the prince stopping just a few yards from Lord Parafon while the rest of his soldiers stood just a few feet behind him.

"What brings the great High Priest here at this hour, trying fate?" the prince asked, faking respect for the Lord.

"Greetings prince Mamadu, I'm on my way to my cottage. I didn't know you control this forest," Parafon replied, his voice and face emotionless and expressionless.

"Control the forest?" the prince asked as if surprised by Parafon's question. "I don't control the forest dear Lord. I own this forest. Didn't you know that the great Emperor cast me out?"

"Yes I know about that but I didn't know you took refuge here, within Dalawa empire."

"Yeah, you didn't. Actually nobody knows and nobody must know."

"Are you asking me to keep this from the Emperor Prince Mamadu?"

"No Lord Parafon, of course not. How can I ask that of you when you are the reason my brother cast me out of the palace Parafon? That would be too selfish of me, don't you agree?" Mamadu asked.

Getting tense after realizing Mamadu didn't have good intentions for them, "Prince, I'm in a bit of a hurry, it's going to rain any time and..." Parafon said.

"Hold it there Parafon," Mamadu shouted, moving closer to Lord Parafon. "What do you think this is, huh? An escort parade?" Holding the Lord by his shoulders, "do you have any idea how much pain you have put me through High Priest? Do you?"

Pulling away from his grip, "no I don't," Lord Parafon responded, getting upset by Mamadu's lack of respect. "My job is to ensure that the throne is handed over to a deserving and worthy person. The true heir by right and not by reason or coercion, the true descendant of the throne and not by blood relations. If you stopped me here to ask me or to force me to ratify that nonsense of making you the emperor against the laws of Dalawa and the wishes of the gods then you are utterly mistaken. The throne shall be occupied by the rightful descendant, not a blood thirsty monster like you Mamadu."

Mamadu's eyes reddened with anger as he stretched his sword out and pointed it at Lord Parafon's throat. Malin and Revina found themselves surrounded by over ten soldiers who had sneaked behind them as stealthily as cats without them noticing, each soldier holding a sword, ready to strike.

"You are wrong Parafon," Mamadu said. "I will be the emperor of Dalawa whether you like it or not. Let me remind you old man that Micaleaon has no heir. Nicadeaus is a fugitive, having used dark magic to kill Medan and as such cannot become the Emperor according to the laws of Dalawa. Which leaves only me as the viable replacement for my brother whose reign comes to an end in just under seven days Lord Parafon. However, your resistance to ratify the Oracle's decision to have me sworn in and your insensible advice to the Emperor to treat me as a threat to the throne stands in my way. But that's about to end..."

"What are you going to do Prince Mamadu, kill me?"

"No Parafon, it doesn't have to go that far," Mamadu responded, taking out a letter from his trench coat and handed it over to Lord Parafon. "I want you to sign that letter, ratifying the Oracle's decision to have me sworn in as the emperor. Just do that and I guarantee you a safe passage, you and your guests."

"What if I refuse to sign this letter?"

"You see, old man, this sword I'm holding in my hand has been treated with all sorts of mirimas in Dalawa empire. I'm certain it will make the great Lord bleed. If the Oracle speak again and the Lord is not there to challenge what she says then my brother will have no option but to relinquish power to me. You see old man, I still get what I want. But we don't have to go that route, Lord, do we?"

"No, we don't," Parafon responded, looking hard at the letter.

"Great. I knew the Lord just wanted a little persuasion to make the right decision," Mamadu said, pulling out a pen and handing it to Lord Parafon. "Now, the great Lord, use this pen to sign the letter and I'll personally see to it that you reach your destination safe and sound."

Parafon turned and faced Malin who was still surrounded by Mamadu's soldiers. "You don't get it Mamadu, do you?" he said in a low but confident voice. "You can never be the emperor of Dalawa empire regardless of my approval or lack of it. The rightful heir is here, in Dalawa and in this forest right this instance. But it's not you my dear prince, it's never going to be you."

baffled and confused by the Lord's words, Mamadu loosened his grip on his sword. "What are you talking about Parafon?" he asked.

"You can't kill me Mamadu because I'm in the company of the real heir, your mirimas have no power over his rage." Pointing at Malin and raising his voice so that Malin could hear him, Parafon said in a deep and thick voice, "awaken the dragon and feast not on the souls of the empire but on her enemies."

Malin's chest shone with a bright blinding light, forcing everyone to look away while others closed their eyes with their hands. An arrow appeared on his left hand while a sword on his right, the light slowly diminishing. Mamadu was overwhelmed with profound shock as his soldiers stood transfixed with horror. Malin felt anger, a momentous anger he always felt when attacked by an enemy in his own territory. But this time his anger seemed bigger, deeper and tantamount to disaster.

It took a while for Mamadu to regain his composure and when he did, he tried to strike Lord Parafon with a sword from behind but Malin shot his right shoulder with an arrow, riveting him to a tree behind him. The soldiers attacked Malin, swinging their swords at him with immense speed and determination. Malin jumped high and slowed his motion in the air, cutting several of the soldiers on their heads, splattering their brains onto the meadow, carpeting it with blood. Snipers that had crept to the tops of trees that surrounded them started shooting arrows at them from all directions, catching Malin off guard and striking Revina on her left thigh. Malin raised his hand above his head and formed a blanket of cloud, separating them from the snipers and blocking their view. He then narrowed his eyes and looked through the cloud, shooting them one at a time but with the great speed of a bullet.

While fighting the soldiers and shooting down the snipers, Mamadu pulled away from the tree and forced Lord Parafon to heal him by threatening to cut off Revina's head. Fearing Malin's reaction in case Revina was killed, Parafon was left with no choice but to do as Mamadu demanded. Mamadu then struck him with the handle of his sword, sending Parafon rolling down the steep slope uncontrollably. He then twisted the arrow that had struck Revina's thigh, forcing Revina into a carriage that was heavily guarded by his soldiers.

Malin cleared the pall of cloud and swirled his sword around him, creating a shield from the arrows that were being shot at him by the soldiers on the carriage, deflecting all the arrows. He jumped into the air and formed a spear of lightening from his chest, aiming at the carriage that was trotting away at fast speed as the soldiers kept shooting at him. When he was about to strike the carriage, Lord Parafon called at him shoutingly, telling Malin to stop. Just then his eyes caught sight of Revina aboard the carriage that was being pulled away by six horses with Mamadu holding Revina's mouth so tight, preventing her from screaming.

"You can't strike the carriage with lightening, you'll kill Revina but not Mamadu," Parafon said as Malin descended to the ground, beaming with anger. By this time, the carriage had already disappeared into the forest, out of their sight.

"But how could you let them take her Parafon? You were supposed to protect her from..."

"I had no choice Malin. I cannot challenge the prince. Besides, he made sure I was far away before taking her hostage," replied the Lord.

"She looked hurt, was she...?

"She was struck by an arrow on her left thigh, she couldn't run."

"Oh my God!" Malin exclaimed, feeling Revina's pain almost immediately and as if he had been struck too. This is what he feared. He had let her down, left her to die in the hands of a ruthless and a heartless prince. She was just a girl, his girl from the upper dimension. What would the prince gain from killing her?

"Where are they taking her Lord Parafon?" he asked.

"To the Prince's villa on the other side of the capital in a town named Prime City," replied the Lord, looking calmer than before. "But you cannot go after them, not now."

"And why can't I go after them Lord Parafon when they have Revina, my Revina?" Malin asked as tears welled in his eyes. He couldn't bear losing her, he just couldn't. "I have to bring her back... I don't care whether that will cost me my life..."

"I understand your pain Malin but trust me, Prince Mamadu is not going to kill her, at least not for now. He must be thinking Revina knows something that could help him..."

"Help him do what Parafon? She is not from this empire or this dimension so of what help could she be to the prince?"

"The prince doesn't know that Malin, nobody knows that."

"In that case I have to rescue her because he is going to torture her for an information she can't provide."

"Calm down Malin. You need to know the reason why you are here first for you to understand what's going on," Parafon replied, holding Malin by his hands.