The dusk was falling rapidly and that mellow evening was becoming somber. The moon was casting undefined shadows to lurk around the corners of the narrow path through the woods. The stridulation of crickets was constantly breaking the blanket of silence that had prevailed around them.
It had been a tiring day, not just for them, but for their horses as well. But they didn't stop galloping, not even for a moment even if their gaskins were almost on the verge of a tear. Neither did they neigh nor did they nicker, as if they knew that had to take these men safely to Ambracia.
But then suddenly the horse ahead of them halted and Balthazar saw Morpheous climbing down from the horse.
"Hut Hut"
Said Nicholas and pulled the reins to stop his horse. He too got down from his horse and helped Balthazaar get down as well. Then he walked towards Morpheous and asked,
"What happened?"
"Damianos doesn't feel well," said Morpheous and gently helped Daminaos to get down from the horse. Carrying his fragile body in his arms, he walked towards a nearby tree and helped him rest.
Then turning towards Nicholas, he said,
"There is a lake nearby, can you help to get some water for him?"
"Sure!" said Nicholas and turned towards Balthazaar and said, "You stay with them. I will be back in no time," and he rode away with his horse into the woods in the direction that Morpheous had pointed earlier.
Slightly limping and holding his necrotic arm, Balthazaar walked towards Daminaos and with a bit of effort, he managed to sit on the ground next to him. He then checked his pulse which was barely feeble. His entire body was sweating profusely and his eyes were still shut close.
He turned towards Morpheous, whose eyes looked deep-set and singular, containing nothing but worry for his old man yet a ferocity lingered in his depressed brows. His eyes looked ignited with revenge but his manners were subdued of that of a gentleman whose prime concern was now the well being of his guardian angel.
"What happened to him?" asked Balthazaar.
Pinching the space between his eyebrows, Morpheous replied,
"He did this to himself in order to save me. He passed away all his energy so that I could wake up," said Morpheous and supported the neck of Damianos with his hand.
"He did what?" exclaimed Balthazaar and hurried to open Damianos's robe to take a look at his chest and true to his fear, his chest had turned necrotic just like his hand. His heart had taken the toll of the transfer.
"What is wrong with him?" asked Morpheous as he saw a worried look on the face of Balthazaar as if his old man was suffering from something perilous.
Hearing his question, Balthazaar got up and pulled the right arm of his robe up and revealed his own necrotic arm. The necrosis vein pattern looked similar to that of Damianos as if squirted with the ink of a squid but was much worse and darker.
"Are you ok? What has happened to your arm? If you are ok with this thing then he will be ok too right?" asked Morpheous in desperation.
"We call it alpha-genesis, the transfer of one's spirit energy to another."
Hearing which Moprhoeus asked in the next instant, "Then, can I do the same and help him out?"
Balthazaar looked at him for a moment and then said, "Only non-mortals can do that. Non-mortals like me," and he bent down and placed his index and middle finger on Damianos's chest, where the necrosis had happened and closed his eyes.
Even though he didn't have much energy left, he had to save Damianos and only his energy was capable of saving him as their ancestry was the same.
A faint pulse of light was transferred from Balthazaar and the moment it reached Damianos's heart, he coughed hoarsely.
"Damianos!" exclaimed Morpheous and rubbed his back with his hands to calm him down and the moment he felt relieved he opened his eyes and saw the face of Morpheous next to him.
"You are... you are..."
"I am alive Damianos. You saved me and everything is fine. Just rest now for some time" he said and hugged him tightly.
By then Nicholas had arrived, carrying water in dried coconut shells for both Damianos and Balthazaar.
After drinking the water, Damianos felt a bit better and again opened his eyes.
"Where are we?" he asked looking at Morpheous and then looked at the old man resting in front of him along with Nicholas and exclaimed,
"Balthazaar!"
"Do you know him?" asked Morpheous and hearing which a faint smile spread on his lips. He touched his chest as he could feel a weird tautness and saw the necrosis that had been engraved upon his skin and then looking at Balthazaar with gratitude in his eyes, he said,
"How can I not know my brother!"
"Your brother?" exclaimed both Morpheous and Nicholas together.
Damianaos took a deep breath and looking at Morpheous he said, "he was one of the fallen angels like me. Our father is the same- The almighty God."
Then he looked at Balthazaar and said,
"The time has come. The wait is over. This man that you see is the chosen one. He would bring back the glory of our land brother. The prophecy will be proven true."
Balthazaar wanted to believe what he said, he wanted to put all his trust in Morpheous, but his father could never be wrong. His father and his forefathers, they had all believed in Nubeous. They had patiently waited for the time to come when he would find the other half of his guide.
But the more he saw the way Nubeous lived, the less he believed that he was the one. Even though back in time he had seen the might of Morpheous, his heart was still not ready to cave in.
"Hmm...." he mumbled and Damianos understood his reluctance well.
But suddenly the conversation was interrupted as they heard the loud wailing of the dogs from a distance.
This was so not a good omen.
Morpheous had rushed back from the kingdom because he knew that a battalion of soldiers had been sent to his village. He knew that not only his family but his entire village was in danger. It was time to fight!