The Enlightened Few - The Journey Begins

Concealment

Edan and Aris had journeyed with a group of five male guards to the north of their kingdom to the caves of Mab, home to the Mohan sorcerers. The five guards were raised by the King's general and sworn into obedience to the King since childhood; they were to do and say only what the King wished and no more. They were his protectors until death and were chosen from honourable families as a respect towards the ruler.

The Mohan were like a family, led by the father and mother sorcerers Ahti and Louhi who tended to their daughters of sorcery with pride. No one knew very much about them as they were secretive as no other tribe, nor did anyone know how they had thirty children, but all were afraid of them and only looked for help from them in dire situations. Whatever you may ask in favour from the Mohan would have to be repaid twice fold.

Yet legend says that they stole a child from its crib every thirty cycles on the night of its first moonyear, under the full moons protection. The child could be of any tribe, but would be recognized by the red moon symbol on its upper thigh. The monks knew of this society and one entry within the scripts to the coming of end, number 49 was the capturing of their 31st child. The days were few before the occurrence of this event, which brought the 57th entry's turn closer and closer.

It took Aris and his team half a day to get to these caves and they were hard to spot in the night sky. What gave them away were the drum rolls and beats followed by the red potent light. The men set camp in-front of the caves for the night, being too afraid to enter and did not want to disturb what seemed to be a celebration of sort. The smoke from the caves stretched out into the land, filling the men's lungs with perfumed aromas of witchery. They had restless sleep filled with dreams of horrific faces and hallucinations.

Morning came in to brace them from the East and warmed the white barren lands they rested upon. Aris had been awake all night thinking of what he would say to these people, creatures or whatever they were. He had only heard rumours and stories from his grandfathers, he was taught their location at an early age for if he needed something in a dire situation during his rule as King then he would have to gather the strength to ask them for assistance or guidance. He resented being told that sorcery could solve the more difficult of situations; he believed men had to work hard but could overcome anything and it would be a weak man's solution to result to this means of clarification. He had concluded that in some circumstances in order to preserve the peace of the many, one had to do things at the sacrifice of himself and his own morals.

He was too afraid to tell the truth and face the consequences, thinking this would change things and would preserve his son's decisions, thus causing himself injury. He could not accept that maybe his son had done things because he had good foresight and intuition; after all he was a SoverI even if he did not go to Entirisia.

They left their horses and bags at their camp and set off on foot into the big entrance of the only cave in sight. There were many passages inside this cave and there was now a dead silence, that every footstep they made forward resonated within the walls of it.

The wandered and wandered downward following a thin engraved path with strange symbols for protection. They came to a crossing where a small river flowed and seemed to curve at the bending of the cave wall, where they noticed a massive engraving saying

"Those that dare to go beyond, enter without bad intent or sword

Knowing they will honour the Lady and Lord

The children of the Mohan this cave shall protect

And all seven tribes do connect

But be wary if you try to harm or lie