Why do you fret, son of the earth?
Know you not that everything in the universe is well accounted for?
Even the hairs on your head are numbered.
So fear ye not and carry on this task with your eyes closed, for I will be your eyes and light your path.
-From the Risalah of Mahmet, chapter 1 verse 75-78.
I
It was another rainy night. The time was 12.am and Mikhail lay on his bed consumed by thoughts, he couldn't sleep. He was troubled and anxious. His mother's words had a profound influence on him, he couldn't stop thinking about it. "What could she possibly mean by these words." He thought. "Does she know something? It's pointless asking her now. I must do what I have to do." He thought as he felt sleep come over him…. Suddenly he found himself on the highest floor of a temple situated deep in the forests. He was on the balcony and he could see a mountain covered with foliage. It was very cloudy and the scene was ominous. He woke up perplexed. "What could this dream mean?" He thought. It was 6.am. and he felt he had to get out of bed early. He reached for his wardrobe and put on a green shirt. He had packed his bag the night before and filled it with his dagger, light food, gear and map as he was instructed by captain Dara. He left for the living room but couldn't find his mum, he called for her and searched the whole house to no avail, then he saw a note on the table saying, "I have gone to the temple of Amun to pray for good outcomes. Remember what I told you last night and let it sink in deep into your heart. Do not attempt to seek me, I believe fate will reunite us once more." "Why?" He muttered as a tear dropped from his left eye. But strangely he was relieved at heart, "at least she understands that I need to do this." He thought as he folded the note and put it in his pocket and headed out to Simi's with his bag pack. He walked a few meters before finally reaching there.
"Hello." He said as he knocked on the door."
"Coming." Someone said in the distance, he could guess that it was Simi.
"You're here. Why are you here this early though?" she said as she opened the door." She was still in her night gown and her hair down. Mikhail stared at her a bit and thought she looked more beautiful.
"Yeah hum…" he finally said. "My mum, she's gone."
"Gone?" Simi asked confused. "Gone where?" She added.
"Hum, she left a note, she went to the temple of Amun…" he said tearful, "to pray, for me."
"Oh." Simi said. She felt compassion towards him. "Come in."
"Yeah sure." He said as he entered.
The house was fairly lit by oil lamps hanging on the wall, it gave a characteristic glow to the grey paint and art on the walls of the corridor that led to the sitting room. Mikhail trailed behind Simi, the air itself told a tale, he could feel his whole life about to change. The sitting room was very spacious with artistic aesthetics, designed with all sort of paintings, some depicting the horrors of the lightening of Zeus, others were simply relics which depicted life from before the lightening of Zeus, and were originally brought to the forests of Afrik by the first migrants. Simi's father, Yaru is a one of the village's ministers, Simi became a huntsman as a hobby, not that her family needed the money.
"Wait here while I change." Said Simi, signalling to Mikhail who now sat on the sofa.
"I hear you have a mission today." Said a voice from the distance, it was hard for Mikhail to see the figure but he could tell from the voice that it was Yaru, Simi's father."
"Yeah but, I thought that was supposed to be a secret."
"Yes, but did you forget who I was?" The figure finally manifested itself, a tall, well-built man with short, thick beard and a smiling face, dressed in a robe that revealed his white t-shirt and robe.
"Yeah Hermon must have told you, but… you seem calm about the whole situation."
"Hum, why don't you join us for breakfast?"
Timi, Simi's little brother was present at the table together with Elizabeth, their mother. Simi came in as Mikhail and Yaru took to their seats.
"I looked for you in the sitting room, couldn't find you so I figured you'd be here." Simi addressed Mikhail.
"Yeah of course."
"So tell me, Mikhail, are you nervous?" Yaru said as he broke his bread and reached for honey.
"Nervous and excited, and honesty I don't know how that is possible."
"Hmm, it is perfectly normal, you haven't done something like this before."
"Yes but…" Yaru cut him off.
"I know this is hard for you but you must realise that this is a great responsibility and you must take it with utmost seriousness. You cannot afford to fail."
"Yes, sir." Said Mikhail
"Do you want to know why I'm not hesitating to send my own daughter on this mission?"
"Yes of course."
"Because it is simply her duty to defend this village, as is yours. Let me tell you a little bit of history…"
"Oh let the poor boy eat will you, you can tell him your story after that." Said Elizabeth, passing the plate of containing fried eggs to Mikhail."
"Oh woman, you do not understand the gravity of the situation we are in, I must tell him this now, to prepare his mind." "Listen," he turned again to Mikhail. "You have heard of Simon the kind, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"Well," Yaru continued. "Before the lightening of Zeus struck he was a preacher, philosopher if you like, of primitivism, and was against civilisation. Civilisation he believed was a horrible thing. He gained a lot of followers, mainly among the poor and weak. He lived in the Sahara country, pretty close to our lands. Legend has it that he foresaw the lightening of Zeus and warned his followers about it, the fall of civilisation he called it.
"But civilisation didn't fall." Retorted Mikhail.
Yaru gazed long at him and finally continued. "That's what you think, but it did, at least on earth, life will never be as it was before the lightening of Zeus."
"But there are humans out there, who have established another civilisation, beyond the earth." Mikhail said almost hesitantly.
"So the story says, but son, there can only be one home and that is earth, where humanity began."
"So how exactly is this story relevant to our mission." Said Simi who seemed to have finished eating.
"I'm not done." Yaru said without looking at her. "Tell me son, I know I've not succeeded in convincing you but tell me, would humans have had to leave the earth if there were no nuclear plants in the first place? We invented the things that saw to our doom."
"With due respect sir, the humans are not doomed, humanity still exists." Emphasised Mikhail.
"Yes, but it's only a matter of time before it goes extinct, I tell you, son, the lightening of Zeus won't be the last lightening that will strike humanity, so here comes my point. As long as we live here in the forests we will be safe, we will be the inheritors of the earth, but that itself has been threatened by the arrival of the foreigners from the other side."
"To care about the people in this forest while not caring if people outside of it perish, isn't that selfish?" Said Simi.
"Sometimes girl, it is better to be cruel than sorry, especially when nature herself isn't always kind. I don't think I have to remind you of how life is on the other side. Hell is what life is on the other side and that is why you mustn't fail this mission, no matter what." Yaru said emphatically, looking them both in the eyes.
There was a moment of silence.
"Promise me you will keep the village safe." Yaru finally added.
"We'll do our best." Replied Mikhail.
II
It was noon at the lake of Tam, the twelve phantoms and four captains have gathered. All dressed in special military outfit that is meant to camouflage. They were nearly indistinguishable from their surroundings.
"Ok, listen up, this is the final briefing." Senior captain Dara began. "All twelve of you will be divided into four units. Egar, Mikhail, Levi and Lola are in unit one, commanded by Captain Nazir. Simi, Moses, Bones and Ade are unit two, commanded by captain Waterside. Enoch, Jerry, Anna and Ali are unit three, commanded by captain Seth. And unit four, the last unit are Maria, David, Neumann and Mathew, commanded by me. It will take us three and half days to reach the trees of Antana but as I have told you earlier we won't be spying as a whole, each unit will go in different directions the moment we reach the hills of Hamun. Remember, no confrontations, just surveillance, be careful and do not jeopardise the mission and remember, the mission is to be carried in the darkness of the night. Ok, let's move."
They journeyed for three days until they reached the hills of Hamun.
"Ok, this is where we split, may the spirit of Amun protect you." Dara said in a final address as each unit dispatched.
It was evening and Mikhail's unit moved stealthily, for Mikhail it was almost as if time had slowed down, he could detect the slightest movement in the trees from insects to leaves. Captain Nazir was in front signalling to them to be stealthier, Lola and Levi were behind him and Mikhail trailed last.
"This is it, the moment of fate." Mikhail thought.
Captain Nazir suddenly put a fist up, signalling them to halt. "I can see them." He said under his breath.
"Ok captain what are your orders." Asked Levi nervously.
"Assume positions and start recording whatever you see." Answered captain Nazir.
There were close to a hundred troops in the trees, all clad in special military gears and a vests with S-F boldly written at the front. They all seemed relaxed.
"Are those…. guns?" muttered Lola.
"Yes, it seems so." Said captain Nazir. "Record everything you see." He added.
"There's no way we are beating these guys." Said Egar.
"The battle hasn't begun, and you are already cowering." Replied captain Nazir.
"Look." Mikhail drew their attention to one of the soldiers who approached the others from the woods, he seemed serious and agitated, he was trying to tell the others something.
"I tell those guys are here!" The soldier shouted in the distance. "They are here!" He repeated. The others got up and took their weapons."
"Oh no." Mikhail breathed.
"What do you think has happened." Asked the nervous Lola
"It means one of the units have been detected." Said captain Nazir. "We have to move, now." He added.
They started withdrawing quickly and moved faster one they were farther into the woods. Suddenly they started hearing what seemed to be gun fire.
"Run!" captain Nazir urged and the rest of the unit obeyed. Simi and Moses suddenly appeared out of nowhere both covered in blood. Mikhail rushed to her.
"They killed them!" Simi screamed in anguish
"Killed who?" Mikhail asked holding her.
"All of them!" Simi said petrified.
"Common we have to keep moving." Captain Nazir urged.
"They shot the captain, Bones and Ade. They are dead." Said Moses.
"Common let's move; we have to make it back." Mikhail said as he helped Simi get up.
"Over there!" A voice said in the distance.
"Go, go, go, go." Urged Egar as they started running.
"we have to split; they are too many." Said Mikhail.
"Alright, take Simi with you, Egar you're with me, Moses, see that Lola is safe." Instructed captain Nazir.
"Common Simi." Mikhail urged. They kept running until they became tired and their movement slowed.
"What do you think has happened to the other units."
"I can only hope better fate befell them than your unit's."
"This is as far as you go." Said one of the two soldiers that approached them.
"Stay back." Mikhail said as he raised his dagger.
Both of the soldiers laughed. "You see this?" One of them said raising his gun. "This is going to end you in a second." He added.
"Simi, Mikhail whispered. "Run as far you can, I'll try to distract them."
"I can't leave you here." Simi argued.
"One of us has to make it out of here, I doubt the others made it. You have to warn the village."
"But…."
"Go!" Mikhail whispered before she could continue. Simi obeyed.
"Think you are going to make it out of here alive? One of the soldiers mocked.
"Why are you not shooting at her?" Mikhail asked, he was defensive.
"What you don't know is we have the whole area surrounded, she's eventually going to encounter our men." Said the other soldier.
"Shoot him." One of the soldiers said as the other pulled the trigger.
The bullet went straight into Mikhail's heart. The whole world seemed to freeze, his dagger dropped and he fell flatly on this face. He could hear the faint voices of the soldiers in the distance. He couldn't move any part of his body and slowly lost faded into unconsciousness.
"Dropped like a fly." Said the soldier who pulled the trigger."
"Let's go." Said the other soldier as they turned their back to the dead Mikhail.
They took some steps then they heard something, leaves rustling. They turned their backs only to find Mikhail standing. He was fully upright and covered heavily in his own blood.
"It's not possible…." Muttered the soldier who pulled the trigger.
"What is this guy…." Said the other soldier. He raised his gun to shoot but lowered it when Mikhail fell back to the ground. They both approached him and the other bent to feel his pulse.
"He is alive." He said frightened.
"Looks like there's more to these forests than we thought. Cuff him, we are bringing him back to base. The general would love to see this."