Trail of the Gods_ The Morcyth Saga Book Four - Brian S. Pratt [101]
“You’re the first one ever to know,” he explains. One of the slavers glances over in his direction, but then after a moment resumes the conversation he’s having with another.
“Does that mean something to you?” James asks.
“Yes,” replies the old man. “As far as I know, my family has been the only ones to have used it. Have been for hundreds of years.”
“Oh?” prompts James.
He glances over to the slavers to make sure they’re not watching before continuing. “Seems one of my great-great- I don’t know how many grandfathers had been told that someone would come who would know the meaning of it. That we needed to be aware and ready.”
“Ready for what?” he asks.
Just then a slaver looks in the old guy’s direction and he gets up to join the others in picking up rubble.
James almost screams in impatience. Knowing he’s got a while to wait, he sits anxiously next to Jiron under the window. What the man said keeps running through his mind.
The time seems to pass excruciatingly slow before the slave gang takes their noon meal. When the sound of them clearing away the rubble ceases, James peers out to see the slaves lining up to get their food and water. After receiving his share, the old guy comes back over to take his place on the section of wall by the window.
“You there?” he whispers just after he sits down.
“Yes,” replies James. “What were you to be ready for?”
“You,” he replies. “Didn’t think I’d be the one to live to see it.” Taking a bite of his food, he chews a moment then continues. “Thought the secret our family kept would die with me. You see my son and grandson both perished when the Empire took Saragon, I’m all that’s left.”
At the word ‘secret’, James’ pulse quickens. “I’m sorry for your family,” he says, offering his condolences.
“Me too,” he replies sadly. After taking a drink of his water, he says, “Anyway, what’s done is done. Who told my ancestor has been lost, but what was told was not.”
“What was he told?” asks James. He can feel his heart pounding in his chest in anticipation.
“That a day would come when one of us was approached by a man who knew the meaning behind the word ‘gesundheit’,” he explains. “We were told ‘To hold the secret safe until such a time. Great tragedy would foretell his coming and the one the man approached would feel as if all hope is lost’.”
“You can be sure, many times throughout the past, my forefathers have faced tragedy and some had felt that all hope had been lost. Each time they expected the one to come as had been foretold to them. But each time none came.”
“Through the years, it’s become more of a story than something any of us actually expected would be fulfilled. Since it was a favorite of the kids, we told it often so never lost it.” A sad smile comes to him as he reminisces about his own son and grandson as he told them the story.
“What was the secret?” prompts James when the old guy remains quiet for several minutes.
Snapped out of his reverie, he says, “It’s never made much sense to us, and let me tell you we’ve tried to figure it out for centuries.”
“What was it?” asks James eagerly. “Did it have something to do with Morcyth?”
“Morcyth?” questions the old man. Shaking his head, he says, “I don’t think so. Wasn’t he a god or something a long time ago?”
“Something like that,” answers James.
“There’re three verses. The first ones goes…”
When the Fire shines Bright
And the Star walks the Land.
Time for the Lost
Will soon be at Hand.
At the mention of the Fire shining bright and the Star walking the land James and Jiron look at each other. A gleam of recognition can be seen in both their eyes.
“The second verse is:”
At the foot of the King
Bathe in his Cup.
Pull his Beard
To make him sit Up.
“Doesn’t make much sense does it?” he asks.
“No,” agrees James, “it doesn’t.” He glances to Jiron who looks just as confused at the second verse as he does.
“And the last one goes…”
Seven to Nine
Six to Four.
Spit in the wind
And open the door.
“That’s it,” he tells him. The slaver in charge of the slaves starts