I stood baffled at Howard's words. I could vividly remember the second time I came to the home of omens, I was 15 years of age in a foster home. This time I stood at the place I saw the first torch which lost its flame, I looked right and saw the huge tall forest trees which had lots of leaves and branches mostly at the top. On picking the torch in the rain, a hole opened up from below and swallowed me in, startled by this I threw the torch in shock to what occurred. It was more like I was translated to the home of the omens in the quarter of a minute having the same rough landing. This was my first encounter with Howard. As soon as I fell in the dark room of the omens, his clothes emitted light, from the grey hair on his head, his grey beard and his dazzling white clothes, to the shoes on his feet, initially I thought I was dead and I met an angel who was meant to lead me to my fate.
He was suspended on air glancing through some sculptures that were high above the three story building. I was scared and terrified due to the dark nature of the room, the reflection of lightning from the transparent windows with dark clouds made my fear conspicuous as I shivered in the cold that held onto my wet body.
"Who are you?" I asked with a cracked voice enunciating as I spoke.
"Lyon" he responded " Your name is Lyon Davis" he continued lowering down to my direction. " Don't be scared, I'm Howard." Utteering gently, rest assuring me that I had nothing to be scared of.
"I don't know you, what is this place, why are you suspended in air, why all the nightmares and why are your clothes glowing in the dark?" I protested still restricted to my fear, but he cut me short of words in response to me.
"I know you have lots of questions to ask, but if you trust me, I can help you. I will teach you and tell you all you need to know".
"Teach me?", I asked improbably, "I don't trust you". Rudely responding. "I don't trust anyone, and I can't trust you even if you were an angel, I don't even trust myself!". Emphasizing my point.
"But you have to trust something!" cutting me short of words, "Your name wasn't given to you by mistake. You didn't have it by luck, you are Lyon Davis and that's who you are. There's a destiny that awaits you and no one but you will fulfill that which has been set aside for you to accomplish".
I looked at him in a stern way in utmost disarray asking him what he meant about me being chosen. He smirked and told me the exact words I didn't want to hear.
"Your parents, their death, their sacrifice".
On hearing these words my heart was filled with anger that I felt like punching his face until his brain was out of his head. I ran towards him with my fist filled with rage risking a punch, but just when I thought I succeeded, I woke up from the dream breathing heavily with lots of eyes around me having the looks of frustration and dismay. The whole room was filled with awkward silence for a while before realizing the grief in everyone's eyes.
"Did I talk in my sleep?" I asked looking with self pity at the faces of my foster parents and five of my foster siblings.
"You'll be out of this house tomorrow, and don't you ever step foot in this place again".
Shocked at his words, I wondered why he told me to leave his house, wasn't he meant to be my foster father, wasn't he meant to care for me and love me like a son? I asked in deep thought. Shortly after he spoke those words, I turned round and saw the mess I caused, eventually, everyone was hurt but I didn't know what I did wrong.
Before I packed my baggage, all the foster kids were in tears, no one slept that night and I was angry with myself. I stared at the transparent window and saw an ambulance, beside it were two people rolling in a stretcher behind. I turned facing the foster kids and counted them again, they were four in number. I looked at my right hand and its phalanges were covered with blood. I walked further towards them and asked what happened, but no one was able to respond. I asked severally raising my voice and shaking the bed vigorously of which two of my foster sisters cuddled themselves at the corner close to the wall and sobbed in fear, but when I waited for someone to respond, no one replied.
I picked up my bag with tears in my eyes as I walked out of the house. Two of my foster brothers weren't around except for the calm and disquieted James. I looked at James in the eye following him as he walked backwards close to the door until he pinned himself against the wall and I walked closer until we were few inches apart from each other. I could feel his heart beat pounding in fear and his massive inhalation of air. I stared right in his eyes telling him to forgive me, I never knew anything about what had happened. All he did was stare at me with his eyes bulged having the looks of unbelief all over his young teenage ego.
I exited my foster home and my foster parents were gone with the ambulance. Standing in the middle of the road as I watch them leave until they were out of sight with my eyes filled with tears, I turned only to see the tragic end of my misfortune. I could hear Anna screaming and the neighbors looking horrified at the corridor of their homes, one thing I wouldn't forget was James motioning with his hands telling me to get out of the road when a large truck came behind me unnoticed. I turned with my eyes wide open and my face filled with fright placing my right arm over my head and the left across the other in realization that the truck had no driver. I knew this was it, my fate, and just when I had given up, the truck hit me in great speed.
All I could see was the darkness that encompassed me when I heard Howard's voice telling me to wake up. I jumped up and stood bewildered of everything that happened as I came out of what looked like a bath filled with water. I breathed out heavily wet with water and my whole body ached so bad.
"I can explain everything to you, but first, you must have to trust me" he added, though unseen his voice was clear enough.
From that moment, I knew that my life wouldn't be the same ever again, and this was the doom of my normalcy.
**
Thoughts of all my past kept my face somber, I lost track of Howard's words for a while as he explained the distinct spirits and what they represented, but shortly he made it clear that he was still speaking as he cleared his throat getting my attention. I turned and looked at him watching him focuse on the dragon.
"What did you say about the dragon again?" I asked making him turn as he scoffed before giving me a response that I knew wasn't what he said earlier and alongside came the summary of all he had taken his time to explain of which I paid no attention.
"The dragon is a sign of all things that are good. She protects herself with its fiery flames and she provides the best things ever to be asked for. Her whole skin is covered in a natural shiny glitter and it's wings aid in flight".
"I know all those, you said something about the dragons fate" I said cutting him short.
"Her fate isn't to bring doom or descend the apocalypse. Her fate is to live, but there's an eternal pain she will face in the end."
"What of the eagle?" pointing towards it.
"The eagles strength is undeniable, it's fate is to soar and provide the best information in its detail. It spots weaknesses and uses his strength to conquer".
"And the Lion?".
" A lion does everything for it's pride, and it's fate is doom. His courage, strength, authority and bravery will alter the one sacrifice that's strong enough to make the fallen powerless".
"Isn't the dragon big enough for that?" I asked in perplexity.
"The dragon is huge, but hert fate isn't to die. Her flame and physical features doesn't qualify it to be brave. A dragon can be terrified of many things, but a Lion isn't. An eagle isn't authoritative as he is".
"So basically the three animals here are the main spirits or there are others?" I retorted.
"You'd see for yourself". Howard responded turning his back on both the animals and me heading towards the door. I gave the animals one last look before turning towards the door. Above the rocks of door stood a grumpy gorrila looking at me, it grunted and turned back around until I couldn't see it anymore. I was still confused and I needed clarity, they're lots of things I wasn't willing to accept and some of which I didn't understand. I walked into the house of omens ready to say all that I had in mind, but just before I asked he answered.
"The animals aren't the ones who would fight the fallen. They are only but attributes of those who have been chosen to face the fallen"
"So what attribute do I have that qualifies me to be among those who would face the fallen, I mean look at me, I have no life. Do you know how many times I've committed suicide only to wake up in a bath. I don't even know how to fight neither can I hurt a fly".
"Hmmm, I see there's a huge problem here", said Howard striking his beard, "You don't see yourself because you've been blinded. The real Davis was initiated after his chase with the watchers who guard the gate of the fallen. Your greatest fear. That is the source of your strength."
"I still don't understand what you mean, your words sound more cryptic each time."
" When you overcome that which weigh you down, you'll get the true revelation of that which you're yet to become".
"But my name is Davis, Lyon Davis. If my name wasn't a mistake then I deserve to know" uttering precariously as he took off his right hand from his beard and opened his palm with the other hand behind, close to his sacral vertebra. On it was a small piece of paper neatly folded into four parts.
"Read it" he commanded.
Unfolding the paper, I saw nothing at the front. I raised my head up and was appalled to be back at the club standing in the place I left, and the coffee on the table was the exact way I left it before Howard came. I sighed turning the paper around. This time, it had a writing which read:
"The ability to indicate another chosen is at your disposal. Soon they'll be awakened, there's no much time".
I gave the paper a stern look petrified of that which was yet to come.
"Look again" I heard from deep within me and I knew it was Howard telling me to read the paper. Looking at it the second time feeling exhausted, i saw it had a different writing which read
"Who you are will be revealed in the glimpse of time".
If only there was a way I could get myself out of this mess, I wouldn't have to suffer my reality which was filled with fantasies. But this wasn't my fantasy neither was it a fantasy. Sooner or later the whole world will face the wrath of the fallen and someone had to bail humanity out of its doom.