"Mama! Mama!"Ami yelled running up the steps to his home. On the porch, Ami's mother Taa, heard Ami. She looked over her shoulder and saw her son racing towards her. In a nervous tone she yelled out to Ami, "Where is your father and brother?" He slowed down to catch his breath.
"Their catching up! They're over there,"
She looked over the rocks and saw them. Relieved, she greeted him with a hug.
"You guys are home early. I didn't expect you here for the next few days. Are you ok? You look tired. Did your father feed you and your brother right?"
"Taa the boys are fine. Ami found some Kaa beetles, so we got here more quickly than I thought." Kames chuckled. Taa looked at Ami.
"How many time have I told you not pick up things from the ground?" Ami hung his head with shame.
"But you did shorten the trip home. I made some food for your grandma and I. There are some left...... overs." The boys sprinted to the house the moment 'food' was spoken of. Taa turned to her husband.
"I thought they ate Kames," He tried to respond but found himself at a loss of words.
"They were excited to get home. They missed your cooking," He said with a smile. Taa laughed but her eyes held anger. With a turn she headed back inside.
Evening
Getting ready for bed Ami remembered the encounter with Moria.
"Mommy I have something that I wanna talk to you about," He said quietly. Taa replied,"What is it Ami?" She sat by his bed. "Well um at the ceremony I-." He was cut off quickly.
"You were scared of the ceremony. I knew I shouldn't have let you go. You're only a child,"
He whispered, " I saw her. She had called herself the Shaman of the Gravekeepers. Her name was Moria." He handed the jade that Moria gave him.
"She gave this to you?" She studied the jewel for a while, but nothing came to mind. "Here you go son. Keep it close, and heed to her advice. It's not too often one sees the Shaman. Maybe one day she'll come back for it."
-The Temple of the Gravekeepers
In the western hall, Moria was talking to the priest Patesi, "Moria did you give the child the stone?"asked Patesi. She nodded to him. "He was scared though when I approached him. Are you sure he's the one?" He grinned at her. "Moria you are still young." Getting in a serious mood he sat next her. "There is something wrong. I sense it from you, Patesi," She whispered. He nodded. "There is a heretic among us." He turned around to see if anyone was there. He whispered, "Nobleman Teos, Moria. Ever since he came to the Temple with the scroll.......I sense that he'll betray us. We must remain cautious."
"Be on your gaurd for what? The bandits? Don't worry you two, my men are well trained." It was the chief Tsekani. Patesi played along. "For sure Tsekani, we are safe with your men."
With pride he boasted about his army protecting the gravekeepers. Meanwhile in the northern hall, Teos met with Visionary in the meditation room. "Ah, Teos it is good to see you. I see you got the scrolls I wanted. Thank you. So what do I owe the pleasure." Teos started walking nervously around him. "Oh Umi my friend. I've come to say that the ceremony was a success. I was watching it from the Temple." Umi got up from his praying position. "I suppose so..... I sense something bothering you Teos. You seemed to be tense."
"Uhh yeah Umi there's some thing wrong. Before the ceremony, two or three days ago the was a report that men in the western province wearing the seal of Bek. Is it not the seal of the Visionary?" Umi replied hesitantly, "It is Teos.What happen to the bandits." Teos snapped at him. "They raided and killed some women and children including mine except one."In a solemn mood Umi tried to explain that he wasn't involved,but Teos didn't want to hear it. He pulled out a khopesh (an Egyptian scythe)."This is the end for you Umi. My blade will taste justice." Umi stumbled back to the wall. He lifted the blade at the old man's neck. Teos chuckled ,"May Anubis keep your soul in the underworld forever." With a swift swipe the of the 9th Visionary was slain. Teos left the temple and rode off west.
Still in the northern hall, Patsei was starting to become uneasy. "Is something wrong?" Moria asked nervously. Patsei hesitantly asked,"Teskani were is Umi?" Showing a concerned look on his face, " I-believe he is the Western hall meditating. Shall we visit him?"
"I believe he is in grave danger. We must go now!"
When they arrived to the meditation room they saw their friend laying on the ground. A pool of blood surrounded Umi. Moria started choked up, "His....throat Pastsei.... is severed." Teskani picked up Teos's sythe. " This blade... is Nobleman Teos's." The dark truth came to him. "He couldn't he was kind to us. He had shown no evil in him.....was I a fool trust him alone with Umi?" He dashed the scythe away and knelt next to the Visionary. "Old friend," He wiped a tear. "I will cherish..... the times we had together." He broke down in tears as so did Patsei and Moria. Teskani spoke up," Moria get the embalmers here please. He shouldn't be here laying any longer." She nodded and left. In anger his voiced roared. "I will order every soldier out on the street, the villages, the countryside to find Teos and bring me back his head!!" With in a hour solders were on the street. Umi... Moria thought to herself. Why did Teos kill you?....... Is he after more?
The Western Province of Genai
Daybreak had came to the West Province. Teos had been on the run overnight. Looking for his son, he searched for his young son in his home.
"Ra were are you boy." Ra came out from the corner, "Father you're still alive?" Teos hugged his only son and sat him down. "Look Ra, I'm not long for this world. Solders are going to come for me Ra. Now listen." He told his son about what he had done. "When I leave this earth carry on." He looked at his son for a final time and left the house. He rode of to the desert. When he stopped he reached to the Gravekeepers Stele. He was followed by calvary men. "It's over your surrounded. He looked all around him. He was finally trapped. He knelt down. He pulled out his scythe. "One day....... you will kneel...." He closed his eyes and stabbed his heart.
