Otheris and the Serpents of Qhudrus (2 page)

Otheris cut
more from the loaf and dipped it in the soup nodding his head as he
ate.

“There is also
a rumour long dispersed in the kingdom which appears tangible; they
say that my loins lack the seeds to yield a male child…which also,
typically means I would not have any heir. I want it to remain a
rumour!” he stood to his feet and began to walk gently, “you know,
the oracle said that there lies a finical hag and serpents that are
working against my throne,” he stopped, “however, the oracle made
it clear months back that this hag’s identity would never be known
and that if or when known and killed along with the serpents, then
I can bear even many sons!” the king turned to Otheris, “I do not
expect you to understand the importance of this thing-of you not
only capturing the great witch of Moughdug but delivering her
headless body! It’s also very important to deliver to me the heads
of all the serpents…of Qhudrus, for anytime these serpents feed
destinies are stolen Otheris, serpents do not chomp their meal they
swallow it whole so when you encounter them do not only bruise
them, decapitate them all even when they appear to you in
dreams!”

Otheris sipped
some wine and went for more bread, “Mmm!” expressed Otheris as he
nodded.

“A quarter of
my gold and silver all for you if you can locate these serpents and
bring to me their heads!” said the king.

Otheris
swallowed the bread in his mouth and grinned, “I’ll need something
more palpable!”

“You can carry
the oracle along with you on your journey; the best guide and
protection together with seven of my best men!” said the king, “in
the end you’d find out that my offer is more staggering than any
reward a man in this kingdom could ever gain.” The king returned to
his throne, “Question is, do you have what it takes to earn
it?”

“When I return
I shall tell you how I ensnared the great witch of Moughdug! I have
all the luck I need to slay the serpents of Qhudrus!” said
Otheris.

“You will need
more than just luck when you encounter the serpents of Qhudrus,”
said a tender voice, “for they are more cunning and malignant than
the great witch of Moughdug…who begot them!”

Otheris quaffed
his wine and turned to see the one who spoke.

“Such pleasing
sight!” said Otheris as he stood to his feet amazed by her looks,
“I feel intoxicated by your beauty my lady. I am Otheris, son
of…!”

“I know who you
are son of Delial, I’ve longed to see you ever since you first
appeared in my dream!” she said, “You’ll need more than just
yourself on this journey. Your skills are no match for the serpents
of Qhudrus, so I suggest you take with you seventy men, for the
ones who hold Qhudrus in bondage bore many more of their kind, and
they boast of spifflicating the dreams of many a more men than you
could ever imagine!”

“The soothing
sight of your beauty would not allow my ears serve their purpose
correctly my lady, and you are?” asked Otheris.

“You haven’t
met the Oracle before, hmm?” inquired the king.

“The Oracle?”
asked Otheris smiling, “this is the…I mean…she’s the-Oracle?” He
emphasised.

“Uh huh!”
replied the king, “Thakina shall go with you on this journey, and
when you come face to face with the serpents of Qhudrus she would
be more than useful to you!”

“Well, in that
case I will do it for half of what you have promised me if she’d
marry me on our return!” Otheris said.

“Your words, so
strong…like a huge block of ice under the desert sun at midday
Otheris!” she said.

Otheris
sneezed, “Well, trust me I am…”

“Bless you!
Now, can we focus on what we are all here for? Lady and
gentleman!?” interrupted the king as he spread his arms, “alright!
Good! Now where was I? Oh yes! If you bring me their heads I shall
offer you what I have promised.”

“What do I get
for killing the great witch?” asked Otheris.

“Nothing!
Besides, you ate from the king’s table that should be enough!” she
joked.

“Two great men
are conversing, you don’t mind, do you?” said Otheris.

“My big farm on
the northern side of Avigia, the former capital,” replied the
king.

“This is not
happening!?” she protested.

“I want the
garden on the western side of this village, my aunt loves fruits!”
Otheris injected.

“No! Father you
cannot give him that! My favourite fish pond is in the middle of
that garden!” she shouted.

“You don’t have
to break my eardrums Thakina!” the king said, “calm down love!”

Otheris bent
and held the turkey on the table then pulled off a lap and took a
bite, “The Oracle is your daughter?” he asked in amazement, “okay
fine, you know what? I don’t want the garden anymore I have changed
my mind.”

“Changed? Your
mind?” the king responded, “So you will do it for free?”

“Well, Yes!
Sort of, but on the condition that she will be my bride when I slay
the serpents of Qhudrus! Deal?” he said, as he kept the meat back
on the table stretching his right hand to the king.

“Hmm! Well, it
seems you’ve left me with no choice,” said the king as he shook
Otheris’ hand, “deal!”

“Father,
seriously?” she shouted, “you forced me to work at the temple like
that isn’t enough punishment, now this!?”

“He’s a good
boy…I guess,” the king replied.

“Who would want
to marry a boy?” she said.

“Well, I meant
to say a man!” responded the king as he turned to Otheris, “okay
agreed! You can have my daughter’s hand in marriage…and the western
garden! Because you…deserve it! And you shall find that I, King
Ikaneziah, is very generous!” he stretched his right hand to
Otheris once more, “Just bring me their heads,” whispered the king,
“all of them!”

“Give me seven
of your best men! We set to Qhudrus at dawn tomorrow!” Otheris
said.

“Seven? I
advise you take seventy. Besides, you look like a man with too much
pride whose fall is inevitable!” said Thakina.

“Done! They
shall await you by the palace gates earlier than that!” answered
the king as he turned to Karim, “Assemble six of your best
men!”

“Try and wear
something light, the temperature is well, not suitable for thick
clothes…princess!” Otheris teased.

“Don’t you ever
call me princess!” she said as she walked away.

“Don’t worry,
she behaves like that whenever she feels cared for!” said the king
as he winked, “You know what I mean?”

Devourer

“Otheris! Help
me!” screamed a familiar voice in the dark. He woke up from his
sleep and stood up as he looked around.

“Otheris! Help
me, they want to kill me! Please help me!” the voice cried out
again.

Mother? Is
that you?
He wondered as he hurriedly made his way out of the
room.

Otheris got
out, it was already midnight and he did not carry the lamp with him
for the moon gave him enough light he needed to see where he was
headed. “Who’s there?” he said as he moved around the small
compound but did not see anyone nor hear anything, so he turned to
return to his room then stumbled on something and as he was about
to fall, a huge snake the size of his thigh aimed for his neck but
he instinctively acted fast as his two hands sprang into action
grabbing the snake by its neck.

One thing that
baffled Otheris as he struggled with the snake was that as huge as
the snake appeared, it was standing on its tail like a tree. The
snake opened its mouth wide trying to take a chunk off Otheris’
neck, Otheris knew he was in great danger and without any second
thought he went straight for the snake’s neck and bit a chunk off.
The snake hissed and swayed violently then threw itself on the
ground and quickly crawled out of the compound. Otheris ran back to
his room, as he wondered whether what just happened was real or
just a dream, he lay down and dozed off.

“Otheris!
Please do not let them kill me!” the familiar voice screamed again.
This time he was sure he’d heard that voice before but he could not
put a face to it, so he stood up and walked out again to see if he
could trace her location but he got attacked by the same snake
again. Instead of biting the snake Otheris forced his fingers into
the wound he inflicted on it earlier, injuring it the more, the
snake ran away yet again.

Otheris went
back to bed but before closing his eyes he heard another scream,
“This can’t be happening!” he said as he grabbed a sword from
underneath his bed then walked out and as he stepped out of the
door, he realised that he walked pass a dark figure but before he
could turn, something cold touched him on the neck. He could not
move, Otheris was frozen.

The dark figure
moved from where it stood and hovered like a thick dark smoke in
human form, Otheris began to follow as though parented by the dark
figure. He could not talk nor do anything apart from just
hopelessly follow the smoke. Otheris could not tell what it was; it
had no face and no definite shape. Otheris tried to open his mouth
to call for help but couldn’t. His heart pounded, he then
remembered something he should have done, and he thought of a name
and spoke it from within his heart. He could hear the name resound
in his mind and heart, even though his lips were still glued
together. As Otheris continued to repeatedly call out that name in
his heart, three men came out of nowhere in the bushes and attacked
the dark figure, they touched Otheris and he regained control of
his body.

“Go home!” said
one of the men.

Otheris could
not tell from their faces if he had seen them before but he turned
as instructed and started to walk home, he then heard a horrible
sound from behind him fast approaching and as he looked back, the
dark figure hit him to the ground.

“No!” Otheris
shouted as he woke up from sleep. He had a nightmare.

“It was just a
dream!” he exhaled, then covered his face with his two hands and
laid his head back on the headrest.

After a little
rest and a little thought, Otheris got off the bed and dressed up
for his journey to Qhudrus. He took his sword and knelt down, said
a little prayer then went up to his aunt’s door to knock.

“I am here!
Your breakfast is ready, I also prepared some food for you to carry
along!” she said standing behind him, “I heard you scream…another
bad dream I guess?”

“Yes!” he
answered, “more of an attack!”

“Is it about
your parents again my dear?” she asked.

“No aunt
Zeenah! It’s uh…umm! Nothing to bother!” he said as he kissed her
on the forehead then went to eat his breakfast, “I couldn’t kill
it…again!”

“You couldn’t
kill what dear?” she asked.

“The snake that
attacked me in my dream, this is the fourth time it appeared!” he
responded.

“Don’t sweat
yourself child, the good thing is, you seem to be favoured by the
one you prayed to! There’s a reason He allows such a so many things
to happen to us all. You just have to learn one thing,” she placed
a plate of food on the table, “maybe next time you get attacked, do
not defend yourself as though the power comes from you!” she
whispered as she smiled.

“I’m getting
tired of all these night attacks and battles!” said Otheris as he
sipped his tea from a cup.

“You have such
a great task ahead of you Otheris, I can sense that in you, but
perseverance is the key and you must be very careful son!” she
moved the lamp from her front to the centre of the table, “and
about those dreams; it’s evident that you’ve always come out
victorious in all you’ve faced so far. You see, a man can either
have the roots of his soul grow downward into the dark or upward
into the light; every soul bears its own kind of fruit depending on
the source of its essence, because each is being fed
distinctively!" she paused, “It is important child, for you to know
which ground you dip the roots of your soul in, for when the time
for harvest is nigh, the light would only pick that which is rooted
in its marrow!” Zeenah turned to him, "When last did you flip
through the pages of the book I gave you?”

Otheris cleared
his throat, “Well, you know I’ve been busy lately aunt Zeenah!” He
scratched his head, “Besides, some of the writings are not really
clear because some of the pages are stained with…”

“Blood!” She
interjected with a feeble smile, “Have I ever told you how I got
the book Otheris?”

“Yes! You told
me your husband gave it to you before he passed away?” he
answered.

“Well, yes but
not exactly in that manner!” she replied, “Anyways, many years ago
when your cousin Jaharial was only three years old, his father and
four of his friends went hunting in the nearby mountains and that
evening they came across a stranger in a carriage who was badly
injured, so they rendered help to him and as the men were treating
his wounds, my husband’s friends discovered some silver and gold in
a wooden box hidden beneath the seat of the carriage,” she smiled,
“that’s where the trouble started; they all got greedy and lost
their senses and wanted to steal what they had stumbled upon, but
my husband disagreed. So the men attacked my husband and the
stranger then ran away with the wooden box,” she sighed, “as my
husband made an attempt to go after his friends, the stranger
called him back and told him to let them go!”

Otheris stopped
eating then opened his mouth to talk, Zeenah shook her head, “I’ve
told you several times to always allow a lady talk, your job is to
listen, listen and…”

“Listen!”
chorused Otheris.

Zeenah smiled,
“We prefer if you men would just, you know…”

“Listen!” they
both spoke in unison.

Otheris placed
his right elbow on the table and buried the right side of his face
in his palm, “I-am-all-ears!” he smiled.