I need protection,” he said, trying to lighten the mood.
Shalee gave Sam a look to kill. “Oh ... so you’re a funny guy.” It was obvious he could take care of himself. Despite her irritation, she was impressed with his body, and if she had not been so unnerved, she might have found the time to realize this fact. She may have even found the desire to touch him. His brown hair and his soft, brown eyes were exactly her type.
“Can we stay together from now on?” George said in a harsh tone. “This isn’t my idea of fun, so the less we have to think about, the better. Please, no more thinking for you, woman.”
Sam ignored George’s comment and brushed past the jerk as he continued toward the statue. Shalee, on the other hand, gave George the finger and stayed on Sam’s heels.
“Women … drama … emotions,” George sneered, rolling his eyes.
With the trio now standing in front of a bronze statue, they looked it over. It was tall and had incredible detail. The being was a man, no more than six feet tall, but when combined with the base of the statue beneath his feet, it put him another five feet off the floor. He held a staff in his right hand with an orb resting at its top, and he was using the staff as a walking stick.
The skin between Shalee’s eyes wrinkled as she studied the staff. That looks like the staff from my dreams. What the heck is going on here? she thought.
On the man’s left hip hung a long sword meant for one hand, and it had been belted around the outside of his robe. A hood extended up and over the top of the man’s head and stopped just above his eyes. Beneath the shadow cast by the hood, a scar ran across his right eye and ended near the corner of his mouth, but the cut creating the scar had not penetrated deep enough to injure the eye.
His boots extended high on the calf and looked as if they would offer solid protection. The robe beneath his chin was parted halfway down his sternum, and a hint of chainmail could be seen, yet it was not clear how much of his upper body it covered.
Sam and Shalee both thought to themselves, I’ve seen this guy before. But neither verbalized it.
The group continued to circle. To the man’s right, tucked behind the staff, was a four-legged beast that looked like a wolf. The animal seemed peaceful, as if it was with its master. They all agreed the beast was larger than any wolf they had ever seen.
Across the man’s body was a cord that stretched from his right shoulder to his left hip. It extended around to his back and was attached to a bow. The weapon looked worn, but battle worthy.
Sam stopped to ponder.
“What is it?” George questioned. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Sam murmured, “He looks familiar.”
“What? Speak up. You’re mumbling,” George snapped.
“I said, this guy looks familiar.”
When Shalee heard Sam say the man looked familiar, her anxiety returned. Could this stranger have had the same dreams I did, or is this guy’s face just one of those that everyone feels they’ve seen before? She brushed off the awkwardness. One of the bachelors on TV did kind of have a face like that. It’s probably just a coincidence.
While Shalee was pondering, George responded to Sam. “How do you know this guy?”
Sam put his hand to his chin. “I don’t know that I know him, but there’s something about his face that I can’t put my finger on.”
“What about this place?” Shalee cut in. “Does it give you the same feeling?”
Sam took a long look around before he responded. “No … this place doesn’t ring a bell. I’m still at a loss. I’m sure I’ve never read anything about it. Let’s just keep moving.”
Shalee looked at George and frowned as the manipulator shrugged.
The group moved behind the statue and noticed a quiver of arrows in easy reach over the man’s right shoulder. The quiver was tucked close to the right side of his neck and angled toward his left hip.
Sitting on the base of the statue, near the man’s feet, was a round object that sat cradled on a golden dragon’s back. No larger than a basketball, the sphere had been formed from a gem or some type of crystal. It had a blue-white glow and a rough surface. As they