of footsteps coming closer. The steps were slow and light, revealing that the walker was being cautious, anticipating his prey to be very near. Silas had not had the chance to cover his tracks and he had been easily followed. He hoped that the stick in his hands would prove effective. There would be only one chance to take out his pursuer.
The sounds of each step became louder as his tracker came closer to Silas’ exact location. This was it. With his back against the tree, Silas took in a deep breath and gripped the stick tightly like a spear. He waited until he was sure the assassin was only a few feet away. He closed his eyes one more time, gathering the strength within him to show no mercy, and to strike for the kill. With a scream like a wild man, Silas spun around with the sharp end of the wood, aiming for the assassin’s head. As he stabbed, the assassin swung his sword around and cut the stick in half, falling to the ground in the process. Silas stood unmoving when he saw the man flailing on the ground letting out swears and grunts. This was no assassin.
“Kaden?” Silas said, confused.
Kaden slapped his hand on the dirt, a look of anger on his face. “This is about magic, Silas! You aren’t supposed to attack with a weapon.”
Silas was unsure of what to say at first. Had Kaden been the one to fire the arrow at him? “I thought you were someone else,” he said.
Kaden pulled himself up from the ground and brushed off the leaves that clung to his hunting cloak and thick, brown and gray beard. “Who else would I be Silas? It was either me or Inga.”
“Did you fire an arrow at me earlier?”
“When?”
“Just a minute ago.”
Kaden shook his head. “Inga wouldn’t have either.”
“Exactly my point. Someone else is in these woods! Come on!”
Kaden heeded Silas’ words and followed him to cover behind a set of trees. They lowered themselves to the ground, searching for any sign that someone else might be near.
“Did you get a good look at him?”
“No,” Silas said. “He was wearing dark clothes, maybe a mask. I couldn’t tell. I felt the arrow go by and I took off.”
Kaden nodded, his eyes darting in every direction around the tree. He quickly unstrapped the staff of Uriah from his back and handed it to Silas. Once Silas’ hands wrapped round the staff, it instantly turned into a bow and arrow. They both glanced down at the weapon then to each other.
“That must mean he’s within range,” Silas whispered.
Kaden acknowledged this by resting his sword upright against the tree and pulling his own bow and arrow from his back.
“I’m jealous of your weapon, Silas Ainsley,” Kaden said as he readied the arrow.
Kaden had a right to be jealous. The staff of Uriah had been extremely useful to Silas and he had grown to depend on it. In their training, Silas had seen the staff turn into many weapons including a sword, bow and arrow, mace and a spear. It had even turned into a shield on one occasion. However, only Silas was able to wield the staff effectively. No other Human was able to use it. The magic of the staff only worked for someone who was born in Marenon, and since Silas was the only Human to fit that requirement, he was the only one with the ability to use the staff.
There was such a mystery surrounding the reason Humans were in Marenon. Nobody understood why, but some Humans who died on Earth, were sent to Marenon to live. But there were limits to the life they could have. No Human could reproduce in Marenon. No Human had ever been born here. None, that is, until Silas. His father had been Human and his mother, Erellen. The Erellens were the fair-skinned race of beings, who resided in the northeast region of Marenon. But surely his parents had not been the only Human and Erellen couple to have existed. Silas was the fulfillment of a prophecy that the first Human to be born in Marenon would be the Meshulan, the Erellen word for deliverer.
Initially, there was some speculation as to whom Silas would be delivering, for the prophecy awkwardly left out this piece of information. However, with Silas’ defeat over the Stühoc lord, Maroke, he had made his decision. His purpose was to deliver all of Marenon from the oppressive Stühocs. That was