Covenant: Exodus

Chapter 32

That is why I have told you that you must be careful when you are practicing your swordsmanship Rashan," Noah said to the young man at this side. As he spoke, he allowed a small trickle of his Ari to flow into the wound of the other young man, who was lying on the ground bleeding from a large gash on his upper arm, where he had been struck with a sword. The wound began to glow slightly as the skin pulled closer together and it began the process of healing itself.

"Well if he would have protected himself it would not be a problem," Rashan said as he smiled up at Noah with his sparkling blue eyes, running a hand through his messy shoulder-length hair, "but I will try harder to be careful in the future father."

"Please be sure that you do. I wouldn't want your mother to find out you almost cut off your best friend's arm." Noah said playfully.

"Almost cut off my arm," the boy on the ground said, "Ha! He is just lucky that I slipped in the mud. His sword is no match for mine."

"You may be right, Amare," Noahim said to the boy, "but even so, your father would not be happy with me if you lost an arm."

"This is true!" a voice from behind them shouted as Jikar came into view, "Although, I think I have to agree with my son Noah, he is slightly better with a sword than yours."

Noah and Jikar embraced as they laughed, walking away from their sons and allowing them to continue their training. It had been fifteen years since they had found their home here in the jungle. Many decades had passed since the survivors had left Atla, and much had been accomplished in that time. As Noah and his people continued to search the lands, seeking the proper placement of the machines that would make the Gods' Noise, they had come across so many people in great need. In each case, the Atlans had shown the people how to provide for themselves.

As Noah reminisced on friends that he had made in those lands, he could not help but wonder if he had done enough to ensure that the machines would be revered by the people...and protected. With the first machine, he had left four Mul'Ki to protect it if Jakon and his men, or any others, came bent on destroying what they had taken so long to build. More importantly, he left them to teach the people of future generations in the land the significance of the machine so that it would be safe until it was needed. It had been an undertaking unlike anything the world outside of Atla had ever before witnessed, and once finished, all who laid eyes on it were left in a state of awe.

The construction of the first machine had taken over four years to complete, and when it was finished, it had taken Noah and the other Mul'Ki another two years to construct the myths that they would use to pass down the information that was needed to operate the machine. Although he was not certain that anyone other than himself would be able to activate them, and if he was honest, he was not sure that he would be able to make the machines work when the time came either. Noah and the others had left that land a little over twenty-five years ago, traveling and seeking out this new home they had made for themselves in the jungle. Building the second and final machine here in this new land was far more difficult, and had taken much longer due to Noah's insistence that the machine not be nearly as visible as the first. The first machine had been placed in a way that all would see it, and it would become legendary, but this one needed to be less conspicuous.

To accomplish this feat, the Atlans dug deep into the earth and buried all but the very top of the machine. It was a painstaking process. The machine was incredibly large, so the sheer volume of earth that had to be removed was staggering, and then came the task of disposing of the dirt once they had dug it out. A pile of earth the same size as the machine would have been no less noticeable so the Atlans had to move the dirt to the outskirts of the new village, creating a small ridge that also served as a defense around their new home. Defense was needed from people but also from some of the more troublesome new animals that they had not encountered while still in Atla, namely the giant black caimans, the large crocodilian species that lurked in the depths and on the shore of the great river. The Atlans had tangled with this particular beast many times since arriving.