"Max, I leave tomorrow. That is if I pass Master Laila's test," Zoe said buried under the cozy sheets.
"Yes. And for the 50th time, I know!" Max replied from the base of the bed. "Geez! What an annoying gorilla."
"And for the 50th time, have you remembered your promise from two weeks ago?"
*********
Two weeks ago;
"Max, why don't you talk about your father, Barak?" Zoe asked. "It seems I always talk about mine but you never talk about yours. Tell me. What happened six years ago. Prove to me your dad isn't the traitor we know him to be."
"You want to hear my story, huh?" Max asked.
"Yes!" Zoe echoed with a frenzy of excitement.
"I will at the right time. When your stay here is about ending."
**********
"That's what you said two weeks ago," Zoe said as she sat up in the bed.
"Fine, fine I will tell you what happened. It's not like you will believe me anyways. So, six years ago—"
"Wait, wait!" Zoe childishly interrupted. "Come lie next to me. I want to hear every syllable."
"Are you sure about that?" Max asked.
"Yes, I am," Zoe answered. "You don't have the balls anyway. Hop in. You are supposed to do whatever I say in this room, remember?"
"Sure, sure, gorilla. If you say so."
Max got off of the hard floor holding the bed for support. Once up, he hastily made his way to the side of the bed and laid on top of the sheets so Zoe could lay under.
"You don't have to act so innocent and chaste around me, you know?" Zoe pointed out.
"Who will be stupid enough to let his guard down around a gorilla? I love my chastity if you may know."
"Tsk! Just continue with you story!" Zoe ordered.
"Alright. Geez! Talk about power corrupts. So, as I was saying. Six years ago…"
**********
Six years ago, on Max's birthday, all he would accept as a birthday gift was to go on patrol with his father, Barak, and a patrol he got with him and Fayak.
Though Laila was in utter disagreement with his wish, the man of the house, Barak, had spoken and so there was nothing she could do but warn and advice.
The two and a half men had left on their horses right after Laila had remembered Max had not taken his wooden dagger but it was too late for him to get it then. All Laila could do was pray for their safety as the wind kept whispering danger in her ears.
In about a day of unbroken gait, the two and a half men had safely made it to the outskirts of Yonder.
The afternoon sun shone high in the sky providing illumination for all.
The outskirts of Yonder had little vegetation. It was like a desert but filled with rocks and mountains, and everywhere was white as if there was snow.
"Max," Barak called out to his son who was strapped in front of him and announced, "this is the White Side."
"White Side?" Max asked with his innocence. "Why that name, father?"
"I think it's quite obvious why son. This place is the white side of Yonder. And hence, the name, White Side."
"Well, I think it's a stupid name," Max mocked.
"Oh, really?" Barak laughed. "And what name would you have proposed?"
"Mmm… something catchier and cooler. Like the White Surface," Max said as he cupped his hands and spread them open simultaneously in that 'Wala!' manner.
"That's the best you could—"
"Quite!" Barak got interrupted by Fayak. "We walk from here. Dismount your horse."
They both got off their mounts and pulled them along through the rocky planes of White Side by a rope. Barak followed Fayak's every move made with caution. They moved as if something was below.
"Fayak. Isn't the big sword strapped at your back too heavy? Maybe you should ditch it."
"I haven't ditched you, have I?" Fayak shot back to Barak. "Now be quiet and follow me!"
They kept advancing through the rocky planes as quiet and as careful as they could be.
Max, the young and inquisitive boy's mouth itched. He just had to ask, "father, why aren't we using the horses anymore?"
Barak paused in his steps and picked up a rock from ground. He handed it to Max who was strapped before him. "Try crushing it," he urged Max.
With some effort, Max crushed the rock with both his hands into pieces. He asked with awe, "have I become stronger, father? Have I grown my manhood like you now, father?"
Barak exploded in hearty laughter and encouraged, "no son. But you will be one day. I'll make sure of it."
"Keep your voices down, Barak!" Fayak cautioned. "Are you trying to wake them up?"
"(SIGH) You always have to suck the fun out of everything, huh?" Barak voiced. He then said to Max, "Don't mind Fayak, okay?" the little boy nodded and smiled.
"So, father, are we walking because of the rocks?"
"Mmm… yes and no," Barak answered. "You see Max, the White Side is home to a very dangerous species of monsters."
"Monsters!?" Max cried. "I heard from the soldiers that monsters have deadly fangs, claws and venom. Are we going to die!?" Max questioned with his heart racing with fear.
"Don't let some weaklings scare you, son. Did you forget who I am?' Barak asked. "(SIGH) Anywho, these monsters are called White Worms, popularly known across as Undertakers." Max gulped down his last morsel of hope upon hearing the name. "Scary, right? Well, hear this; these worms are ginormous. They dig up tunnels beneath us, hence, setting traps everywhere. The right amount of weight could cause the ground to collapse, falling everything in that space into the den of those hungry worms.
But they have a weakness, you see," Barak progressed, "they are blind so it makes it quite easy to escape from them. That is, if you are quiet enough."
"So, that's why we got down to walk? But isn't the horse plenty heavy?" the prying boy kept asking.
"Oh, yes. It is. But we are better off feeling the ground with our own two feet," Barak answered.
"So, what if the worms attack us?" Max snooped further.
"That's close to impossible. White Worms are the laziest things I have come across in all my life. They sleep like a log and would only be provoked if some idiot went about making noise and ruined their beauty sleep. But watch your words. Don't jinx—"
The ground began to shake as if there was an earthquake.
The horses' ears started to prick to and fro trying to identify the position of the impending danger. Their muscles tensed and their movements exposed a sense of unease.
They began to take cautious step backwards trying to pull along their masters. When that proved futile, they started to neigh, jump about, and raise their fronts to notify them of the imminent danger.
The rumbling augmented, became more violent and the white ground started to crack open.
"Hey, Fayak!" Barak spoke to Fayak who was some meters ahead of him, "move from there, will ya!"
"Tsk! Shut your trap. I know—"
A White Worm sprung up from below Fayak like a jack in the box and swallowed him and his horse whole.
It was enormous. Its entire mouth was filled with fangs and like its name, it was white in color.
"NO, UNCLE FAYAK!" Max cried out.
"That fool! I tried to warn him," Barak said.
"Dad!" Max called with woeful tone and face. "We are all going to die!" he continued his dirge.
"(DISAPPOINTED SIGH) Max, men don't cry in the face of death no matter how undesirable it may be! How many times do I have to lecture you on that?" Barak scolded and then shouted at the worm, "HEY! THAT'S ENOUGH! YOU ARE SCARING MY BOY!"
The rumbling exacerbated and more white worms sprung up. There were dozens of them. It seemed Barak's racket and Max's crying had woken them.
The worms came in varieties of sizes. Some were bigger than the first and some smaller, and they roared in anger and hunger like the beasts they were.
The one which had swallowed Fayak and his horse suddenly fell in a fit of frenzy.
Its roaring got louder and it started to wreak havoc. It was slamming its heavy body all over causing the ground to open up even more.
Barak could do nothing but jump around. He had no choice but to hurl his horse acres away with his bare hand as if it was a pillow.
Barak proceeded in evading the opening cracks keeping in mind the proximity of the new worms that sprung up. They might have been blind but their sense of hearing was superb like their sense of smell which was possible due to the aid of their sticky tongues.
The worm which had swallowed Fayak became more violent and started to advance towards Barak and Max.
It moved like a dolphin in the sea; in that sort of linear zigzag manner.
A few dozen meters to catch up to Barak and it broke down like a bison shot in the head. All movements seized and it gassed out its last breath.
Just then Barak noticed a deep and wide gash on the side of the dead worm and he sighed, "that idiot."
Fayak heroically walked out the mortal gash in the side of the worm, and he was buck naked. He dragged his enormous sword along like it was a body
Barak immediately blocked the gaze of Max with his hand and enunciated, "really? Why in the devil's butt are you naked?"
"Ask this beast's stomach acid!" he replied with a grin. "Its stomach acid melted my horse to the bone instantly upon contact. Lucky my body is a whole different story."
Fayak paused and took a cursory gaze at their surroundings. "I thought you would have taken care of the rest by now," he confronted.
"Well, it's not my fault they woke up, is it?" Barak questioned with a countenance filled with disgust. "Alright. Go get yourself some cloth from my horse." He looked around for a bit and said, "a few erm... 15… 20… 25… should be a piece of cake. I will take care of them."
Max who was filled with fear, regret, and a huge bundle of questions stayed as still and as quiet as he possibly could, mostly because of the fear.
"MAX!" Barak roar along with the pissed and hungry worms. "Pay close attention. Don't miss your father in action!" Saying this, Barak held the left side of his face with the right hand. His fingers were bent into hooks as if he meant to rip his face off. He vehemently pulled his hand across his face and a red grotesque musk appeared on his face.
The mask had horns and fangs. It looked like the face of a demon. Even Max was having a hard time keeping his fear hidden.
"A Master's Call!" Barak declared and let out a loud demonic growl.