Saturday, September 28, 2013

Chapter 8: Gihon Village (an excerpt)

Hello readers! For a limited time only I present to you the first few chapters of my up coming first book in the Mekonnen Epic series, "The Warrior From Aksum". It is still being proof read and improved but because of high demand to read the story from anxious fans of the artwork and idea I decided to treat the world with what is complete so far. Be aware that there may be a few spelling and grammatical errors but I hope this does not distract you from enjoying the story. Thank you and Enjoy! All story and artwork copyright to Jerome Matiyas, 2006 to 2013 and beyond.Chapter 8

GIHON VILLAGE

Mamoosh! Come on Mamoosh, lets go!" shouts the voice of an energetic young boy calling out to his Semien wolf puppy. "Hey, wait for me Mamoosh! You're a fast little dog aren't you. Ha Ha Ha!" The boy jeers at his pup who is running ahead of him in the grassy moorlands somewhere in the uncharted areas of Abyssinia far away from the jurisdictions of the Aksumite Empire. "Rrreff! Reff, Reff, Reff, Reff!", the cute pup replies as it bounces around through the green savannah, spinning around occasionally with its tongue hanging out his mouth to see if his boy master was still following him. The pup looks like a ball of reddish brown fur with a brushy tail and white highlight around his mouth, under belly and feet. An animal that is very common in this part of Habeshania, endemic to the Semien Mountains and environs, living in the wild in packs hunting mole rats, and other critters for meat, but not usually known to associate themselves with mankind. Yet somehow this boy and his wolf cub have become best of friends. As the two run around in the grasslands playing fetch with each other, Mamoosh the wolf cub darts off towards a nearby river stream, which is part of the famous Abay River. In more ancient times this river was called the Gihon River, because many of the locales believe this is the very same river mentioned in the first of the five books in the Oritwritten by Moses, being one of the four rivers that flowed out of the Garden of Eden. Mamoosh runs off to the banks of the Gihon river and the sight of a tankwacaught in some reed bushes near the bank sparks his attention. He walks up to it with tail wagging speedily from side to side and begins to sniff, sniff at it, walks around it and looks it up and down then sniff, sniff at it some more. Not that Mamoosh has never seen a tankwa boat before but he believes he can smell a person is inside this one. He stands up on two hind legs in an attempt to see who or what is inside but Mamoosh a too little to see over the rim. "Where are you Mamoosh? You think you can hide from me! I will find you!!" the boy declares pretending to be serious. "Rrreff, Reff!!" the puppy barks in response, still sniffing and trying to look into the 7 foot long boat. "I can hear yooooou. I can hear you, and I will FIND YOU!!" "Rrrreefffff, reff, reff, reff, reff." Mamoosh barks more rapidly to let his boy master and play friend find him quicker. The boy reaches the bank of the river and sees his pup sniffing and scratching away at a tankwa. "Hoy! Mamoosh! There you are boy. And what do you have there, my friend? You found a big tankwa? Too little to climb in aren't you. You're not a big boy like ME!" The boy is about 7 years old, of medium dark brown complexion, with a round face and big brown eyes, and a tuff of curly dark brown hair only on the top of his head towards the front. Wearing modest none-descriptive beige and brown clothing, and no shoes or sandals on his feet, runs towards the dog and the boat of interest. Several little frogs jumped off into the bushes and the river to get out of his way. He approaches the boat quickly and is tall enough to peer inside. To his surprise, there is a young man laying in the tankwa, unconscious and cover with tree branches. The boy has no idea if the man is asleep or dead. He gasps, "Gasp!, OOOhh, look Mamoosh, It... Its a man." his voice lowered to a whisper, "You found a man, sleeping in the boat." The boy picks up the wolf pup to show him what he sees. Mamoosh finally sees the man in the boat and growls and sniffs some more. Its a young man who is not moving with bruises on his face a cut on his left eyebrow, and his body cover with leaves and tree branches. But he appears to still be alive, in a deep sleep. It is Mekonnen the warrior from Aksum, who pasted out in the tankwa the night before after running for miles for his life from the Hooded Assassins and the hounds from hell. "I wonder where he is from, Mamoosh. Looks like he is hurt. There is blood and bruises on his face." Says the boy with concern, then with a burst of sudden revelation, He calls out to the man laying there, "Selam, Geta nachow!, Hello My Lord! Are you awake! Are you hurt?"Then there was a low groaning sound coming from the man in the boat as if he was trying to response but could not. "Uhhgnn." "Geta, can you hear me? Are you well?" the boy calls out again, only to get more groans from Mekonnen, who is too ill and tired from the running and bite marks on his arm from the hound that caused some loss of blood and possibly the beginning of an infection. "Uhhgnn." is the only sound Mekonnen can summon again. "He's trying the speak, but can't, Mamoosh. I think he is unwell." "Reff, Reff!" Mamoosh replies in the affirmative.


"We must rescue this man in the tankwa!!! Come on Mamoosh, quick we must tell someone in the village! Lets run and tell Geta Jallel!" And off the two youthful creatures ran back to their village that is not very far away. It took them less than two minutes to reach the village that is near the banks of both sides of the Abay River in an enclave. The layout of the village consist of a unique array of round houses, back dropped at the base by trees and steep cliff sides that shaded the village from the sun for half the day, which is carved out into cozy caves inhabited by families and decorated inside just like the interior of any round house with furniture, pottery, carpets, candles and stoves for brewing bunnaand cooking meals. Ornate rugs, ropes and ladders hang down from these cave homes with some caves accentuated by wooden constructions of sturdy scaffolding that look more like elevated mini front porches, walkway and bridges. This commune looks somewhat familiar but unique at the same time, best described as a combination of round, thatched roofed, brick homes as in most rural villages, monastic caves often seen on the outskirts of Aksum, Asmara and most larger cities in the kingdom in the north and the classic style of Aksumite architecture but at a simplified and miniature scale.

Amidst this beautiful and concealed riverside community the boy and the wolf pup finds a dark skinned man in his early 40s with a round, very neatly coiffed puff of hair on his head. His hair is so neat and perfectly round at the edges, with the front chiseled to a point like a triangle pointing downward on his forehead. It looked like it was carved out of wood or molded from black clay, so neat it was. "Geta Jallel! Excuse me for disturbing you! Please come quickly! We found a man in a tankwa by the river. Come and see him quickly!! At first Geta Jallel did not move from his spot drinking bunna in peace with his wife and two young men with him, but he realizes what the boy was saying and looks up at him slowly and asks. "What you mean a man in a tankwa? There are always men rowing down the river in tankwas?""No, No, this man was not moving! He is sleeping but not waking up. Mamoosh found him! Come on and see, Geta, my Lord!" "Eshi, Eshi, calm down, Yonatan." he says to the boy Yonatan, "I will come along with you and see for myself." Geta Jallel summons the two other young men with him, one of them is actually his son, to come with him, accompanied with their spears and a sword just in case self defense is needed, although this is a very peaceful village where no one has ever had to take up weapons to defend themselves from evil-doers for almost ten years. Yonaton and Mamoosh lead the way to the man in the boat with much more urgency than Geta Jallel and the two men with in but they all got there eventually. "See, look! There he is!" said Yonatan softly as if to not awaken Mekonnen from his deep sleep but with excitement still in his facial expressions, eyes wide open and jaws slack. Pointing at the boat he adds, "He's sleeping in the tankwa." Jallel and the two young men peer into the tankwa cautiously, lifting the branched to see Mekonnen unconscious with the serious wound on his left arm. "Humm. I see his arm is wounded pretty badly." Geta Jallel enquirers. "From his apparel I can tell he is from Aksum. Definitely a warrior or royal guard. He sure has come a long way. Far from home indeed. Come boys, instead of lifting him out of the boat let's just lift up and carry the boat to the village with him still in it." Geta Jallel and one young man each lifted the boat from opposite ends while the second young man and Yonatan heaved from the middle of it. Yonatan, of course, being shorter than the three grown men, struggle to reach the center of the boat but he tried anyway to pitch in. Mamoosh, ran around them with his four little legs, panting and wagging his tail to give moral support. When they got to the village there was quite a stir as people got curious as to what Geta Jallel and company was bringing into there abode and who the person was inside the boat. They emerged out of their houses and climbed down from their caves, a few went closer, some staying afar off. Men, women, children and toddlers. Young and old, big and small, dark, brown and lighter skin. Straight, curl and tightly coiled hair. They trickled out to Jallel like ants to a piece of meat.. "Eshi, now do not crowd him! He needs some air to breath!" Geta Jallel commands the crowds. An older woman approached Jallel, "You can bring him up to my home, Geta Jallel. We can take care of him there." "Thank you, Wayzero Waris." said Jallel. "And please, take care of his arm and the cut on his forehead above his eye. It looks like he was attacked by an animal of sorts." "U-we, Geta Jallel."

Soon, they dragged the tankwa to a nearby round house and the two young men lift Mekonnen's limp body from out of the tankwa and laid him on a decorative Egyptian rug on the floor, propping his head up with some sheets. They realized his clothes are wet and smelly so the men got the women out of the house and took off his outer warrior shirt, under shirt and outer pants and replaced them with dry robes and a sheet. Mekonnen was still unconscious but groaned in his sleep as if he was dreaming or uncomfortable in some way. Then they noticed beads of sweat started forming on his face and arms and the older woman Waris perceived this to mean he was growing hot with a fever, most likely from an infection brought on by the animal bite on his arm, plus the shear exhaustion from running in the wilderness for hours for his life. What they did not know is that the bite was not from an ordinary creature from this world so it may not be an ordinary fever either. "Quickly, bring some medicine, ointments and cool water for me. Ask Nuhamin, Please! She will know where my medicines are for animal bites!" Waris states with urgency. Immediately, Yonatan bolted out of the house shouting, "Me and Mamoosh will go get Nuhamin!" Off he and the dog ran pass some chickens and a few sheep towards the steep mountain cliffs where the holes for the cave entrances can be seen. He runs up to the one he knew Nuhamin lived in and shout, "Nuhaminnnnnn!!! Annat Waris wants you to bring the ointment and medicines. Nowwww!!!"

Inside, the one called Nuhamin is startled that Yonatan would scream out her name so loudly, and embarrass her while she was speaking with her friends, a girl close to Nuhamin's age named Meena and the twins Almaz and Enku, who are damsels younger than her at 12 years old. Nuhamin herself is about 18 or 19 years old, with a beautiful, oval-shaped face and dark brown, smooth skin. And long curly, black hair, flowing gloriously in waves and curls over her shoulders down to the middle of her back. It's styled usually in the traditional shuroba hair style, braided in the front, top and sides in rows a little thicker than the way its done in the north in Aksum and Eritrea, but now it is all loosed out, framing her lovely and intelligent face beautifully, ready to be braided later.

She sighs and says to her friends. "That little boy has such a big mouth, does he? Why does he have to scream out my name like that for the whole village to hear?" As she sprang to her feet from the bed to look outside and down to Yonatan below in reply, "Eshi, big mouth Yoni! Tell her I'm coming!" Then the wolf-pup Mamoosh starts barking as if to response to Nuhamin. She just couldn't resist responding to the cute puppy with a wave of her hand. "Selam, Mamoosh!" One of the twins, Almaz, starts talking, "Yoni is always up to some mischief! You know what he did to me yesterday? He..." Her sister Enku cuts her off to add, "And he's always with that smelly dog! You know what Mamoosh did yesterday...?" Nuhamin cuts them both off and says, "Come on ladies, help me get these medicines to Annat Waris. We will chat later, Eshi." Meena, a slender girl with a smile that can light up a room, is slightly amused by the twin's complaints about Yonatan and Mamoosh. She chuckles then adds, "I wonder whats happening? Why would Annatwant medicines and ointment?" Nuhamin responses, "Maybe someone got hurt. I guess we will find out when we get there, Eshi." Nuhamin peers down to Yoni again and ask, "Yoniye! Where is Wayzero Waris now?" Rubbing Mamoosh's head and neck he replies, "She's in Geta Jallels home. Me and Mamoosh found a man in a boat the river! We pulled him out and he's hurt."

"Oh, really!" Nuhamin responds. Nuhamin and Meena look at each other simultaneously with curious looks on their faces, their interests now perked. "Is that true, Yoni? Are you just making that up?"

Yonatan replies, "Oh Yes, Numeen, That is honest to Agziabeher true!! No lie!" He points to Mamoosh, "Mamoosh found him first and then I second. Ask Mamoosh he will tell you!" With tail wagging and tongue hanging out his mouth Mamoosh barks in response, "Reff, Reff!" Looking at the little faces below, Nuhamin some how believes Yoni and the pup are telling to truth, despite their reputation for playful pranks. This time Yoni could be telling to truth. Nuhamin turns her head slightly to the left to look and them sideways and says, "Eshi, tell annat I'm coming." The four girls Nuhamin, Meena, Almaz and Enku, climb down the steps of rock and walk briskly towards Waris house nearby. Nuhamin knows exactly where the herbal medicine and ointment shelves are and grabs up a few bottles and leaf wrappings then head over to Geta Jallel's home. "How odd to find a man alive in a tankwa and to pull him out of the river. Where could he be from?" she thought to herself.

As the four ladies walk towards the Jallel's house at the front of the village, suddenly Yonatan and Mamoosh jumps out from behind a wall to startle the twins on purpose. "Yaaahh!" he screams with a scowl on his face, arms outwards with fingers curved to simulate the claw grips of a ferocious beast. The girls scream, "Eeeeaaak!" and try to hit Yoni with flaying arms as soon as they realize it was him out to his mischief again. "Yoni, stop it! Why are so wild?!" Almaz yells, as she runs after Yonatan trying to hit him but he dodges her swings. "You and Mamoosh are worse than, ANIMALS! You are MONSTERS" Enku screams also trying to hit Yoni but he's too fast for both of them, running, dodging and twisting his body to avoid the girl's blows, while Mamoosh naps and grabs on to the hem of their dresses with his little mouth. Usually Nuhamin and Meena would intervene to stop the younger ones from getting out of hand but this time they just glance at them briefly and kept walking, considering Wayzero Waris' request for the medicines is more important, and curious to see the new stranger that washed up on their shores. Less than 3 minutes later they arrive at Geta Jallel's home to bring the medicines to Waris. "Selam annat. Here are the medical herbs as you requested, Wayzero Waris." said Nuhamin as she and Meena walk in and approached the old lady with respect. Still the girls are curious to see the ill young warrior Mekonnen laying there with beads of sweat forming on his face, neck and arms, groaning and moving his head slowly from side to side, not just in pain and agony but also as if he was dreaming. Most likely a bad dream, Nuhamin thought, perhaps replays in his head the rough experiences he had that caused him to be seriously injured and far from home. Now she and Meena can't help but stare at the helpless stranger, noticing how young he was, but still a bit older than they are. They can tell. "Is he going to be alright, Annat Waris?" Nuhamin ask with genuine concern. "Once I get the right herb on his arm and have him drink some medicinal tea then he should begin to recover." Meena's typically happy face now becomes wrinkled at her eye brows as she saw the gash on Mekonnen left eye brow and bite wound on his fore arm and how it was changing to a dark purple color and spreading to his biceps and wrist. "His arm doesn't look to tzebuk, doesn't it, annat." she adds. "No it doesn't, child. Now don't just stand there staring, you two! Help me! Go boil some hot water, and finding strips of clothe for me to clean his wounds!" Immediately Nuhamin and Meena hurry to fetch hot water and cloth for Waris (while a couple of men came in to remove Mekonnen's wet shirt as he groaned in pain). The wounded warrior's eyes were still closed as if he was wrestling with a bad dream that accompany the wound. In actuality, he was. In his dreams and subconscious he was still running for his life from the hooded assassins and the evil hounds. His pursuers seem more elusive and menacing this time. Popping in and out of shadows to strike at him and appearing from behind trees randomly to taunt him with treats like. "You will DIE!" "You will NEVER escape!" We will CATCH you and TEAR YOU APART!" "You are TRAPPED in darkness with US!" are the words they through at him as he sprang through the forest and scaled the Semien mountain range like an Ibex. Definitely more like a nightmare it is, as it seemed all too real as he feels and senses every thing from when it happened the day before when he was wide awake and in flight. In fact the pain and terror felt worst now than when he with awake as there was an extra dimension that amplified sensations in this subconscious realm between dream and reality. Immediately, Waris inspects the medicines the girl left with her, open bottles, smells them and unwraps leaves to reveal the contents. The scent of medicinal herbs and ointment begin to fill the air in the house and Waris begins to hum a sacred hymn from the David Mezmur (Psalms of David) to anoint the atmosphere and intone herself to the Spirit of the Almighty One who created the world and heal the power to heal and guide the hands of mankind to invoke healing. Wayzero Waris is originally for the land to the south east known as Somaliland or Punt Land, a people descended from Samaale, a descendant of Punt, son of Ham, son of Noah who build the art and was saved from the great deluge as was chronicled in ancient records and the Holy Oracles. Her people are of a different culture and language from the land she is in now, but she has come to the understanding the writings in the Ge'ez language and the faith of the followers of Yesus Kristos, the blessed son of the creator, called Egziabeher in the land she resides in now, thanks to the message preached by the patriarch and seed planter of this Gihon village, an itinerant hermit monk, a Bahetawi they call Abba Shiloh. While she was applying the ointments on Mekonnen's arm passing a bottle medicine under his nose for him to smell and wake up, Nuhamin and Meena return with for hot water and clean cloth. Waris thanks them and begins dipping the cloths in the water then wiping his arm and his forehead and neck while still signing hymns. She cleans Mekonnen's wounds on his arm and eye brow then applies more fresh ointments on them, paying special attention to the serious one on his arm. Nuhamin and Meena watch on and assist when Waris ask for help. Almaz and Enku peek through the door way occasionally but were too intimated to go straight in. They trying to lift Mekonnen's head to get him to drink some water from a clay cup to put up to his mouth but it proof difficult since he was still stuck in his unconscious dream state.

Two hours later when Waris was done doing all she believed she could, Mekonnen stopped groaning and falls asleep. That night Mekonnen begin groaning again and sweats profusely. His begin pulsating in pain more than before and he tosses and turns his head as he is having a nightmare again. This time it was a night terror where he can see dark figures surrounding and taunting him. He has the sickening feeling his was now connected to the hooded ones and hounds in a strange supernatural way because of the bite wound from one of the evil hounds. Like the infection from the saliva was traveling through his body, going to his heart and mind. Then a gravelly voice in his mind from one of the dark being before him in the spirit realm says, "We have you now. A poison has been injected into your body through the bite on your arm. I was travel through your body and take over yourheart, soul and mind. You will become one of US! Hah, Ha, Ha, Ha, Haaaaaaaah!" The voice him Mekonnen head was terrifying and made his fearful and feel more ill. He sweats and groans. Trying to escape from the evil dark one, but could not move. Then he looks done and see he is bound in chained about his body and legs. Like they appeared from thin air for he did not not remember being subdued and bound. Now Mekonnen does not know if he is just having a bad dream, or if this was actually happening to his was maybe found by the hooded assassins and hound and pull out of the boat from the river. He just could not pin point the moment it happen in his memory. If it ever happened as all. What ever is the truth, what he feels now seem very real. And was he really poisoned by the bite? Can they really take over his body and soul and being one of them? He had no way of knowing that was the truth or a lie from the pit of Hell. Was this happening for real or is it all in his head, in his dreams? Mekonnen wishes it is the latter, but he has no way finding out for certain.

Geta Jallel, sleeping on a rug on the floor in the same room, hears the sounds of struggle and pain rumbling out of his guest. He springs off the floor and attempts to comfort the wounded warrior with water and affirming words, but to no avail. The warrior seemed to be lost and trapped in his own nightmare and pain. It is already quite late in the night but Jallel sends for Wayzero Waris to return with his medicines. "Berrisa, go over to Wayzero Waris home and ask her to come back and help this young man, Please. Apologize to her on my behalf for awaking her this late at night." Geta Jallel declares to his son, a young man about 5 years younger than Mekonnen. "Yes, Abba! As fast as I can!" Berrisa replies and darts out the house and up the path to Waris' home with a touch lamp in hand to light his way in the darkness.

AWAKEN Meanwhile, in the wilderness on the outskirts of the Gihon village, a mysterious figures covered in grayish robes about his body and covering over his head sits in the darkness at the base of a great tree. Suddenly, his eyes open, as if awakened by an internal call, and remains seated, staring straight ahead into the dark, moonlit forest. Only he is not hindered by the darkness, for he can see clearly as if it was evening time of the day. Neither can the trees hinder his sight, for he can see the Gihon village from above at a distance not very great, but far enough to have a full panoramic view. His breathing is slow and deep, his heart beats steadily. He is focused. Focused of the sound of a young man in the village, groaning, struggling and crying out in the darkness of his own dreams, and his emotional and physical scars. A young man lost in the dark, demented parts of the spiritual realm, he senses. "It is time." says a deep voice inside the head of the mysterious figure in the wilderness, his eyes now glowing bright as a lantern. "Time to wake up." The voice speaks again.

The figure, slowly and deliberately arises from the base of the tree, literally peeling himself off from it, as vines and shrubs clung to his clothes and robes, as if he had been sitting there for a long time. Vines broke, twigs snapped, leaves fell off his head and shoulders and insects scurried from underneath him as he rose uprightly with a staff in hand, almost as tall as he is at about 6 feet. He arches his back and lifts his head till his neck and back crackled from stiffness. He turns his head from side to side and moves his shoulder up and down and front and back to snap more joints and relieve more stiffness. He takes in a deep breath, exhales, then takes one step forward. Then another and another. Until he was walking determinedly towards his destination, Gihon Village. His purpose and motive, whether good or bad is unknown. Not even himself. He only listens to the voice inside his head.



Back at the village, Waris is at the bed side of the warrior, disappointed that the fever was not going away and his arm was not healing, but getting worst. The dark purple mark has spread to the warrior's hand and shoulder. Geta Jallel, his wife and son are in the room next to the bed and look on in pity and concern. "I don't know why the ointment did not work, Geta Jallel." mourns Waris. "It's like this wound is of some darker origins than a mere dog bite, or even a geleda baboon bite." "Egziabeher help this young man. Try what ever you can, Wayzero Waris. In the mean time we will just have to pray to Egziabeher for healing." Waris cleans Mekonnen's wounds again and applies more ointments, while Geta Jallel his wife and son and another young lady from the village who helps Waris all prayed and sang a hymn.

While they sang, a commotion ensued outside as the animal, dogs, chickens, sheep, goats started waking up and making noises as if it was day time. The people then start waking up to look outside to see a bright light and the figure of a man with a bright glowing lantern in his hand walking through the villages. Nuhaman woke up to the commotion and look outside herself to see. To her surprise, a man in light colored robes and a hood over his head, concealing his face was walking quietly through the village. But more shockingly she sees the bright light was not coming from a lantern the man was holding, for his had none but a staff in his right hand, but it was has face that shone that brightly. Also shockingly, she recognizes his walk, and believes she actually known him. Meena awakens walks up to the window next to her friend see what was going on outside. "Numeen, whats happening out there?" With her eyes wide open and jaws slack she replies,"It's him. He is back."

Back at Geta Jallel's house has Waris continues to tend to him, Berissa standing by the door hears the noises outside and can see that lamps and candles were being lit as villagers and animals awoke in the middle of the night. As he kept looking outside it notices a light coming up the path towards the house. As the light approached closer the moonlit path became even brighter as the person came closer. "Someone is coming up the path to the house Abba and Annat." "Who is it son? Can you see?" his mother asks. Berrisa looks again, and to his shock and horror, the face of the person approaching the house was glowing like a Melak. His eyes expanded, heart sped up as if the leap out his chest, mouth open in aghast. Yet despite the unusual glowing brightness, Berrisa recognizes who it is."Abba! Annat! It's... it's him! He's is back!""Who is back son! Speak up!" Jallel exclaims. "He's back! The Bahetawi!"

Geta Jallel arises to his feet in excitement, mouth slightly open as if ready to say something. "After all this time. He has returned. Just in time. Please, open the door, son, and let him in." Berrisa opens the door and in walks the strange figure, face glowing and flooding the room with immense light as if it was midday. Waris steps away from Mekonnen's bed side and bows as is customary in respect saying, "Egziabeher tebarak, Geta nachow. God Bless you, my lord." Jallel, his wife and son and the other woman did the same gesture, stepping aside and bowing, looking away from the light because it was so bright and blinding and convicting. Convicting because it with not the light of the man bearing it but they recognize it as the light of the Lord Egziabeher Almighty Creator of the world himself. It was the same ligh that shone on the face of Moses after he return from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments, and the same light that shone on the face of Henock as he walked with Egziabeher for 300 years. Without saying a word, the figure, the Bahetawi, as Berrisa revealed, walks up to the bedside of the troubled warrior Mekonnen, mourning and groaning in his sleep, sweating and arm infected. As the glowing figure approach the unconscious Mekonnen, the warriors body began to shake and tremble excessively. He never opened his eyes to see who was before him, but the dark shadowing figure that taunt him in his dreams can sense something was happening in the other side and they was being defeated. "Oh, no! What is happening! What is that BRIGHT LIGHT!!" screams one of the dark creature with red eyes, cringing and blocking his face from the brightness emminating from Mekonnen's own dream body and soul. The Bahetawi lifts his staff and touches Mekonnen wounded arm with the other handed and speaks. "Be gone, dark creatures. Leave this child of Egziabeher alone." On the other side of the dream spiritual realm the dark figures hissed and growled, blocking their eyes as they stepped back. "We are LOSING HIM!" growls one of them "We must not lose him. We MUST have him!"The Bahetawi recants, "Oh No, you foul spirits! You will not have this one. Be gone in the name of YESUS KRISTOS!! SON OF THE LIVNG EGZIABEHER!!"The demons scream, pull hoods over their heads and dispersed into the darkness on the other side of the spirit realm, never being seen or heard in the house of Geta Jallel, but only the Bahetawi, Mekonnen and the dark ones heard. "Now I pray in the name of Yesus Kristos, be healed."Immediately the warrior Mekonnen's left arm healed and the purple discoloration dissolved in front of every one eyes that saw it in the room. His arm returned back to the natural brown color. A dark liquid oozed out of the teeth mark wounds, the bright faced Bahetawi was able to wipe it off with a clothe before it touched the bed. The fever disappears and Mekonnen is silent and sound asleep.

The Bahetawi turns around and everyone in the house lifted their heads. He speaks, "He is well now. Give him some water to drink, then let him sleep." Then he turns around and walks out the door, back outside and down the path towards the wilderness again from whence he came, but down a different path out through the village entrance.

Jallel, Waris and the rest rushed to Mekonnen's side to there surprise he was asleep, and his arm was back to normal with just teeth mark prints indicating where he was bitten. His fever was gone and he was not groaning in pain anymore. Waris places a cup of water to the warriors lips and without even opening his eyes he gulps it down quickly. A second cup was given and he also gulps that down in haste. Then he falls fast asleep and in three minutes he could be heard snoring quietly, as he drifts into pleasant dreamland. "Egziabeher Amlak Temisgan! Almighty God of gods be praised! Exclaims Waris and then Jallel and his wife. Berrisa is still just wide eyed and jaw dropped at what he just saw.

Outside, a small crowed is gathered to inquire about what happened and if everything was okay. A few also asked if "The Bahetawi" had returned. Even Yonatan and Mamoosh were among the curious gathering, but Nuhamin, Meena and the twins remained inside. "Geta Jallel, how is the man from the river, is he feeling better? Is he Well?Yonatan asks persistently. Yes, Yoni he is doing better, much better. Now go back home and back to sleep, Eshi."Geta Jallel, who did not want to give too much information to the crowd about what happened since it was late at night, responds, "Everything is okay, my friends and family. Our guest is doing well now. Please, return to your homes and to your beds. Thank you!"

The following morning, people were still buzzing and wondering what happened last night. Nuhamin and Meena arose early in the morning and went over to Geta Jallel's home to find out if the stranger was doing well before they even began their daily morning shores. It is only natural for them to be curious since they brought the medicines over for Waris when it was urgent. But Geta Jallel just gave them short answers and refusal to let them see the warrior as not to disturb him from sleep that will help him recover fully.

~ TO BE CONTINUED ~
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