Chronicles of the Seventh Realm, Scroll 1 : River of Blood

Chapter 2

(Quick note: each chapter is designed to move forward in time. Many of them are by years, oh did I mention, this is an adult short story)

Banished 

Benjamin led Tzofiya to a small camp, complete with a fire, driftwood to sit on, and a lush bed of living leaves and flowers that reminded her of the garden they'd once called home. How wonderful for him to have found such a lovely place in the mist of such chaos, she thought, and in the realm of knowledge no doubt. Tzofiya smiled, watching as he disappeared behind one of the walls. Chuckling, she took a seat by the fire. This will do perfectly. He will be safe here, and with his bodyguards, she thought with a chuckle, he can live out his days in peace.

"Are you hungry?" Benjamin asked, interrupting her inner monologue. He'd returned with a huge leaf full of fruits and vegetables. He sat down next to her and grinned ear to ear. There was corn, carrots, apples, tomatoes, pears, bananas, and several other varieties of fruits. Tzofiya smiled and reached for an apple.

"Benjamin, how did you find this place? I mean the pathway, it isn't common knowledge."

Benjamin chuckled and picked up a tomato. "The last thing you said to me in the garden that night was 'run.'" He took a bite of the tomato, and smiled. Tzofiya couldn't help but chuckle at the juices that escaped down his chin.

"So I did...I ran right into this. It wasn't as vast as it is now." He said with a shrug and took another bite of the tomato; then moaned in satisfaction, closing his eyes and adding to the juices on his chin. Tzofiya rolled her eyes and took a bite of the apple.

"I wasn't followed," he continued once done with the tomato. He wiped the juices from his chin with a stroke of his palm, and Tzofiya took another bite.

"I stayed there all night, just watching, waiting, sure the hounds would pick up my scent." He shook his head. "But they never did. It was a solid week before I even started to feel hungry enough to venture out. I'd accepted your explanation by then, and was joined by several others who stayed only a brief while before moving on." He picked up a stick of celery. Tzofiya worked her way slowly through the apple, staring intently at the fire.

"It was hard at first, knowing that the lot of us would be hunted and killed simply because of our parentage." He took another bite and chewed it down before continuing.

"A hundred..." he said, contemplating a moment.

"I should never have told you that," Tzofiya added suddenly. Benjamin continued as if she hadn't spoken.

"But it was Mother's choice; we simply had to live with it. Or die trying." He chuckled dryly. "So I began a pattern: I would hop in and out of realms during the day, and stay in the...pathway?" he asked, looking at her with a raised brow, "by night. It wasn't long before I found out why father didn't wake up. He wasn't meant to remember us. Any of us." He returned his attention to the fire. "And his new mate quickly began replacing us. She submitted to his desires in ways Mother never would." Benjamin took another bite of the celery stick, and threw the rest into the fire.

"He completely forgot about us. Many were angered, and only made more so when they understood the decree that, because mother would not return, we would be hunted nightly. Those of us who survived grew stronger by the day, and more desperate. Some transformations have occurred, and those children of Lilith's not fathered by Adam sought revenge on us for their fate. They began to hunt us in addition to Eve's children. They hunt us still, sister, but many are killed in the process." He chuckled with a little more enthusiasm this time.

"It was all for naught, you know.... Seems Eve was worse than Mother, getting them all kicked out of the garden. At least mother left on her own accord." He sighed. "We live by day and exist only by night, Tzofiya, so forgive me for taking the opportunity presented when that daughter of Eve died in my arms."