Setting Moon Ch. 08

"My son will not think of me as a deserter. I will fight with honor, so that one day he may fight the same." The guard said trying to steady his stance.

"I admire your courage, but that alone will not protect you." Hamid said, then the guard swung at him, Hamid grabbed his arm with the sword in it and pushed it aside, and then with his other hand he stabbed the man in the chest. As the man sunk to the floor Hamid held him close. "Your son would be proud of your bravery." Hamid said and then laid him on the floor.

From behind him he heard, "You are stupid for thinking you were the only one who knew of this power and that you were good enough for it." Hamid turned around to see his brother standing over the pharaoh; he started to walk over to them and noticed the pharaoh's blood seeping onto the floor. "You have dishonored yourself and when the people find your body they will know the truth. That you are not an immortal or a god, just a sheep hidden in the clothing of a wolf." Farid said.

"Brother, it is enough, we are finished here." Hamid said touching his brother on the shoulder.

"No brother, he must pay for what he has done." Farid said grabbing the pharaoh and pulling him up to his feet.

"He will pay with his life and in his death, he will not go unpunished. Slit his throat and be done with it." Hamid said handing Farid the knife.

Farid looked at his brother as anger seared through his eyes. "Yes he will suffer in death, but in life he was a false king. Should he not suffer now in the eyes of his people? As he has done with all those which he deemed traitors?" Farid said trying to sound calm.

"In the eyes of what people brother, we will be the only ones to see it. Even if we wanted to show the people we couldn't, we must not show our faces because we are immortal. No one must know who we are. We need to leave; more guards may show up soon." Hamid said sounding irritated.

"Fine, then I will watch you die for them." Farid said and stabbed the pharaoh in the chest. The pharaoh's eyes widened and then went dark. Farid then dropped his body and turned towards his brother. But as he was turning he heard a noise like a door opening. He turned to look and ducked as he saw a dozen large bats fly out from an opening behind the pharaoh's chair. He swung at one and then another latched onto his shoulder biting him. He yanked his off of him and flung it to the ground the impact killing it.

A moment later the bats where gone, Hamid looked at his brother, "Are you hurt?" He asked seeing the blood on Farid's shoulder.

"I'm fine just a scratch lets go." Farid said.

They then left going down a hallway and a small staircase they found themselves in the dungeon. A guard was leaning against a wall when they entered but now stood up right staring at the two. "Open the cell with the bodies in them." Hamid said firmly.

"Who are you?" The guard asked.

"Open the cell or you won't live to regret it." Farid said grabbing the man's throat.

"But the pharaoh..." The guard began to say in a struggled voice.

"The pharaoh is dead, now open the cell." Hamid said calmly. Farid let go of the guard and he scrambled to the first cell door, he fumbled with the keys but finally got the door open. Once the door was open Hamid walked into the cell and saw the bodies of his mother and father just thrown on the floor. He went over and carefully picked up his mother and carried her out of the cell and then Farid did the same with their father. As they went to leave Hamid stopped next to the guard and without looking at him said, "You should leave while you can." And then Hamid walked up the stairs to find Farid waiting for him. They both then walked out of the palace heading back towards their home.

Once home they laid their parents down on their bed and then left to make the funeral pyre just outside of town, once they were done they came back to their home, grabbed their bags and then the bodies of their mother and father. When they reached the pyre they laid their mother and father down next to each other upon it and set them on fire. They both stood watching as the fire burned; it was hours before it was done. But they stood the entire time just watching without saying a word. When it was done they walked away from the town and back towards the cave they had slept in the night before.

In the cave they were silent, as they made a fire and ate their bread. Until Farid said, "I should clean this wound, so it doesn't get infected."

But they hadn't brought any water, "Wait here I will see if there is any water deeper in the cave." Hamid said then grabbed a large stick out of the fire, the flask that held the wine and started walking down into the caves depths. After several minutes he found some water dripping from the ceiling he uncorked the flask and held it up to the dripping water, after a while he felt it was full enough and corked it shut, it was then he heard some small whimpers come from in front of him. Curious he walked forward trying to use the fire to see farther but he couldn't see anything until he came upon several wolf cubs huddled together for warmth. Hamid then realized that he was in a wolf's den and now the mother would see him as a threat to her children. He looked around quickly moving his fire as to scare the mother into not attacking him. But then suddenly he heard a growl and then she was on him tearing and biting into his side.

Hamid managed to fling her off and then started running for the front of the cave when he got to the fire where Farid sat; he fell to his knees and said panting "Watch out for the wolf." Farid looked shocked and then saw the blood on his side, he then stood and took the flame from Hamid and held it towards the back of the cave.

Hamid opened his shirt to find huge teeth marks imbedded into his side. Farid then came up beside him and helped his brother take off his shirt and poured water onto the wound. He then ripped Hamid's shirt into long strips and wrapped them around Hamid's stomach and over his wound.

"Thank you brother, she was protecting her young. It's not her fault." Hamid said.

"You are too forgiving." Farid said and dug into Hamid's bag finding another shirt he handed it to him.

"Here Farid." Hamid said handing his brother the flask filled with water and then put on his new shirt.

Farid grabbed the flask from him and tended to his own wound. When the blood was gone Farid noticed the small bite marks where gone as well. "Hamid look the bite marks are gone, maybe we heal faster now too." Farid said.

"We'll see, you know even with my new found knowledge, I can't remember what kind of wolf that was. I just can't seem to place it." Hamid said touching his side. He had sat back down next to the fire across from Farid and now leaned against a large rock but they were still inside the cave.

After sitting a while there in silence, Farid asked, "How's your side?"

"I'll live, guess this means even though were immortal we can still get hurt and even die if injured bad enough." Hamid said.

"Should we find another place to sleep; do you think the wolf will come after you?" Farid asked looking back into the darkness of the cave.

"I think we'll be fine, like I said she was protecting her young. I don't think she would be willing to leave them. We should be alright to sleep here tonight but tomorrow we should move on." Hamid said and then yawned.

"Where will we go?" Farid asked lying down.

"I don't know, but away from the pharaoh's city, I know that much." Hamid yawned again and then cringed as he lied down on some blankets.

In the morning Hamid was feeling well enough to pack his things and move on. Farid and Hamid walked as far as they could the next day, until Farid said "I don't feel very well brother we should stop for the night." They managed to find an oasis with water and rabbits to eat. Once fed, they sat around a warm fire and talked for a while.

"How do you feel, Farid? Are you sick or is it something else?" Hamid asked.

"I think I may have been poisoned by the bat that bit me. It would make sense that the pharaoh would have poisonous bats. I feel like I may be dying, I am sorry brother that I have put you in this situation." Farid said.

Hamid now noticed that Farid looked pale and sweat beaded off his forehead even though it was cold in the desert at night. His eyes were blood shot and he was shaking. Hamid walked over and put a blanket around his brother. "You're going to be fine, you said yourself that we heal faster now. It will probably just have to work its way out of your body. Here drink this water." Hamid said handing Farid the flask of water.

Farid took a couple of big gulps of the water, then asked "How are you Hamid, is your side healed?" Hamid opened his shirt to look at the bite. It was red and puffy but didn't look like it was healing any faster that a normal mans would.

"It was worse than yours was, maybe it will just take longer to heal." Hamid said trying to sound convincing.

"I feel strange as if something is happening to my body I can't quite understand. I know what death is supposed to feel like, but this feels different." Farid said looking a little confused.

"It's probably like I said; you will be fine your body just needs time to heal. Just like mine does." Hamid said closing his shirt and putting a blanket around himself. "Sleep now brother, it will help. Hopefully in the morning we will both feel better." Hamid said moving back to the other side of the fire and lying down on his blankets.

"Will you burn me as we did with mother and father? I would hate to be buried in the ground where the sunlight would never find me again." Farid said as he lay down.

"Yes brother if it comes to that I will. But it will not. Go to sleep, we must be rested for the walk tomorrow." Hamid said knowing that he may be lying to his brother; bat poison could kill a normal man in hours. But he did not know what it would do to Farid. Hamid now looked up at the moon, it was almost full and something deep inside of him was drawn to it. He tried to shake off the feeling as he fell asleep.

The next morning Farid awoke first, he sat up and tried to look around but the light hurt his eyes. He still felt sick and could barely get up but he managed to move over to where Hamid was sleeping and shook him awake.

Hamid awoke growling at the sudden presence of someone at his side, but stopped when he realized it was Farid. "Sorry Farid, guess I was having a dream. What's wrong?" Hamid asked.

"The light it hurts my eyes and it hurts to move." Farid said slouching over a little.

"We need to get moving, there a town not too far from here. We can find a healer there and find a way to get you better." Hamid said as he got up and packed his things, and then he set to packing Farid's blankets.

"A healer? Isn't that a bad idea considering what we are?" Farid said sounding strained.

Hamid then stopped and squatted down in front of Farid, he looked into Farid's eyes before he began talking. "You are the only other person that will ever understand what it's like to be what we are. To actually feel it instead of be told," he paused for a moment, "an eternity without someone who understands who you truly are would be immensely lonely. So yes brother we will go find a healer even though it's probably a bad idea." Hamid said helping his brother to his feet. Hamid also grabbed the two bags and Farid leaned on him heavily as they started walking towards the town. But Hamid did not stop he was determined to save his brother and the town and a healer was his only chance.

They reached the town as the sun was setting in the east, red and orange waves light lit up the sky and then melded into the black of the night. Wind had blown sand onto their clothing as they walked, so that now they looked as if only dusty travelers. Hamid walked into town carrying Farid, he had fallen into the sands not too long ago and didn't have the strength to move. So Hamid carried him the rest of the way.

Once in the town Hamid stopped at the nearest house with light in their windows, and ask where he might find shelter and a healer for Farid. They pointed him in the direction of the center of the town and said that the healer's door had a large red mark upon it. So Hamid carried his brother to the healer's door and knocked, but no one answered, he knocked again and looked around seeing a light in the window.

He then called out, "Please, my brother is sick. You must help him."

Then the door opened, "Who are you?" said a woman from inside the house with a strange accent. Hamid shifted his gaze to look at a beautiful woman standing in the door way. She had short blond hair as if someone had cut it off and tan skin. Her eyes were a glorious blue that almost made Hamid weak when he looked into them.

He had been quiet for too long and she looked as if she was going to shut the door when he said, "I am Hamid this is my brother Farid, he is sick and needs help. I fear he may be dying. Are you the healer?"

"No I am not the healer, I just live in his household and do as he wishes." She said as her head sunk to look at the floor, then from a room deeper in the home they heard.

"Who is it witch someone come to save you, at last?" Came from an older man walking into the main room of the home, he could see the men in the door way and then said in a serious voice. "Come in and lay him down on the bed." Hamid ducked through the doorway and gently moved past the woman, but she just moved aside, still looking at the floor. He felt sadness for her and wished he could do something to make her happy. But he had to tend to his brother, Hamid laid his brother down on the bed and then the healer asked him. "What's wrong then?"

Hamid looked at the man and then said, "He was bitten by a poisonous bat, the wound healed quickly but the poison didn't take effect until yesterday. He is dying, can you save him?" Hamid listened as the old man muttered some things then he asked how many suns and moons have passed since he was bitten. Hamid was almost confused for a moment today would have been the third day since Farid was bitten but the old man wouldn't understand what he meant by days. He had to speak the language the people were used to, "It has been three suns and two moons since he was bitten." Hamid said.

"Ah, then it was the pharaoh's poisonous bats who bit your brother. I may be able to help him, if you can promise me that no one is still after him and for the right price." The old man said with a slight smile on his face.

"No one is still after him and I have plenty of money, if you can save him I shall pay you whatever the price." Hamid said staring at the old man.

"Fine, I shall try." Said the old man and then poured some kind of medicine into Farid's open mouth. He then ordered the young woman the wipe Farid down with some cold water to keep his temperature down. She then walked over to a corner of the room and grabbed a bucket of water and some strips of cloth. The old man then turned to Hamid and said, "And you why are you bleeding?" Hamid looked down at his side and saw that blood had seeped through his bandages and the shirt. He must have ripped it open when he was carrying Farid.

"I am fine; he is the one who needs help." Hamid said pointing to Farid.

"There is nothing we can do for him now until the medicine starts to work." He then turned to the young woman and said. "When you are done with him, clean the other ones wound so I can deal with it as well." The old man then turned and walked into the back room from where he first emerged.

When the woman was done wiping down Farid she turned to Hamid and stood there waiting silently. Until Hamid stood and removed his shirt, she didn't hesitate once she saw the bandages and she immediately set to carefully removing them. When she saw the wound she stared at it with wide eyes before walking over to the fire and grabbing a pail of warm water and some more strips of cloth. She walked back over to him and set down the pail and dipped a strip of cloth into it. She then tried to gently touch the cloth to the wound but when she did he growled a little at the pain.

She then stopped and put a hand on his chest, "I'm sorry, what bit you?" She said in a quiet voice. Her hand was warm and he put his hand on hers and lifted her head with the other on her chin.

"It's alright; I was bitten by a wolf." He paused as he saw the shyness in her eyes, "What is your name?" She looked into his eyes now and saw they were gentle and the color of amber.

"They call me witch, because of the color of my hair." She said.

"But that is not your name, please tell me what your true name is." He said.

"My name is Vilaria." She said as she started to clean his wound. "Where did you come from?" Hamid asked.

"I was born a very long way from here in the cold mountains. I had gotten lost and walked for a very long time before the healer found me. He brought me here to be his slave, but when we got here many thought me a witch because of my long light colored hair. So they hacked it off and I have not been able to live peacefully since. Why are you being so nice to me? Do you not think of as a witch?" Vilaria asked.

"If you were a witch why would you live here with him instead of leave this place?" Hamid asked.

"That's why they cut my hair, they believe for a witch to be able to use her power she needs to have her long hair and so they cut mine. Would it bother you if I was?" Vilaria asked.

"No there are many things in this world that many don't understand so they are afraid. I understand more than most and still I know that the unknown should not be feared but accepted, until something is done to change that view. I know you are a witch, I can feel it within my soul. What would it take to set you truly free?" Hamid asked.

She looked down and went back to cleaning his wound. "If I say it won't be true and if it's not true it will never free me. It took me so long to remember even that small part of me. I've been here for two years and yet my hair has not grown. Without it I fear I will never remember." A tear fell down her face as she said it and Hamid wiped it away.

They were silent for a while as Vilaria finished cleaning his wound, when she was done she went to move away from him but he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her into his embrace. She felt his warm body against hers and clung to him as if it was the first kindness she had ever been shown.

Hamid then whispered into her ear, "Would you allow me to take you away from this place? I would ask nothing of you and never bring you harm." Vilaria then looked at him longingly and nodded her head. "I will have a word with the healer once he is done." Hamid said quietly. She then went off and got the healer.

When she came back the healer walked into the room before her. "Now let's see that side of yours." The healer bent down in front of Hamid and looked at the bite mark. "It looks like its healing fine, better than fine really it looks like its healing before my eyes. What witchery is this? I this you're doing witch?" He said looking at Vilaria.

"No, it is not her doing. It is mine; I haven't been very honest with you. My brother and I are more than powerful. I came because I need help for my brother. You don't need to know more. Now tend to my brother." Hamid said angrily with a growl.

The healer scared turned to Farid who look like he was fading fast. "Your brother is dying." The healer said shaking.

"Help him." Hamid almost shouted.

"It is too late he is already dead." The healer said, Hamid pushed him aside and knelt down next to his brother checking his pulse. He knelt there for a moment before standing and looking at the healer.