THE HAUNTED KINGDOM 3 by CHARLES E.J. MOULTON (ereader that reads to you .txt) 📕

and even a lightning bolt or two struck some tree in the pasture down at the foot of the hill where the cave was located.
They walked in and it felt good to be away from the storm. Even Mercutio seemed to think so.
“We can have a goose for breakfast that I trapped last night. Take shelter here and you will feel better very soon. I will help you gather strength. Come in.”
They started walking into the cave.
“Come, come!”
It was dark for a while, but after turning the corner, he saw the flickering flames. The man had made a fire and had gathered all his belongings around the fire. There were blankets and a book. There was food. There was a bag and there were spare clothes.
“Set your horse by my ox. He can eat from the trough, there’s enough food for them both.”
Alex walked up to the trough and set him by the trough.
The man went to the ox and said:
“Hey, you. You don’t mind sharing with this fellow, do you?”
The ox didn’t react, but the man cackled as if the ox had just cracked the world’s funniest joke and walked back to the fire.
“Have a seat by the fire! You want some food?”
“Oh, yes, please.”
The huge ox that was standing in the corner was soon eating side by side with Mercutio who was happy to be inside.
As the man went to put a blanket upon Mercutio and dry him off while eating, he said:
“Where are you heading, Sir, at this ungodly hour?”
He gave Alex some bread. Alex started munching, noticing that he was sweating rather heavily and needed some refreshment.
Alex wondered if the man had transported that ox all the way from the village and if not, from which town or city then? No city? No town? He could not believe that.
“Oh, to places that I’d rather not go at all, but I have to.”
The man was drying off the stallion.
”Where then?”
“The darker territories” Alexander said. “The hardest part of the country: Yambalah.”
The reflections from the fiery flames of the campfire flickered on the cave wall.
He stopped drying the horse, folded the blanket and sat himself down by the fire.
The power of the tempest outside made the corner leading to the opening of the cave nearby whistle and the stony ceiling almost shake.
“Oh, you are heading there? My, oh, my. We call it Yambollah in Nocturanian, although you are right. It is said that the original word for the loved one. The place itself is not so loved.”
The place they were at was far away from that unloved place and yet the fire had a way of reacting to the breeze that came round the corner.
There was a goose frying over the open campfire. It seemed to be slightly overdone.
“Yes, I’m heading for a place where the dark souls linger.”
The man smiled, although Alexander saw that his response made him nervous.
There had been no humour in Alexander’s comment.
“Then you need a bit of rest to gather some strength, eh? Here we will make you bright eyed as a squirrel again.”
“I never knew I was bright eyed as a squirrel.”
”I am sure you were, Sire. I am sure of it” he laughed.
The fact that he was travelling to the darker territories was something not to be taken lightly.
Alex reached forth his right hand. The man took it and shook it.
“Thank you for saving me from that storm … I would not want to be caught in that.”
There was a long pause whilst the two men gazed into the fire. They listened to the crackling wood and heard the flames breathe smoke upon the ceiling. They listened to the wind that seemed to be moaning and whining a lost cry that no one heard. The walls were grey here and moss covered the stones. It was a well rounded place. It was a tilted cave with quite soft earth. Alexander felt at home here. He felt as if he had known that this place existed for a long time. The ocean where he met the archangels was also a place that his heart lingered in at times. It was a resting spot for his soul, this could be a retreat for his mind to find truth.
“What is your name?” Alexander asked.
”Lucas …” the man said. “Lucas is my name.” The man shrugged. “My pleasure to meet you” They said and shook hands. I thought that a lonesome traveller might need a roof over his head to escape the thunder and the leaves dancing in the hurricane. And your name?”
“Alexander Winsletenna …”
The shook hands again and then let go.
“Sir Alex, it is my duty to help someone in need of assistance. My home is a cave near the road and my job is looking at the stars and contemplating life’s mysteries. And helping a wayfaring stranger caught in a storm is more than a duty. It is vocation, just as it is vocation to seek the truth.”
”Well,” Alex smiled, “that storm almost had me tumbling across the plains.”
“Aye,” Lucas said, “hurricanes can be treacherous.”
“Hurricanes?”
”Just an exaggeration.” The man grinned, bitterly. “You wouldn’t be here if that had been more than a storm.”
The man brought forth a blanket, stood up and lay it around Alexander’s shoulders. It was sheep wool. It felt good to be with this man. Looking into this fire and cuddling the sheep wool felt too good. Yes, it gave him strength.
“Want some goose?”
Alex looked up, smiling.
”This is better than any inn.”
”Don’t like much eating all by meself.” He held up a wooden plate. “Eh? What shall it be?”
“Yes, please! I have a problem with saying no.” Alexander was laughing, whilst eating, crumbs dropping from his mouth.
Lucas walked to the fire. His long grey hair gave him a wise look.
His beard made him look like a prophet, but his skin was remarkably fresh and young.
He reminded him of someone?
He looked like … he could not place it.
Lucas took a knife and started cutting a large piece.
He cut another and now Alex realized how white the meat was.
He handed it over to Alex. Alex took it just as Lucas gave him a knife.
“Enjoy.”
He nodded at Lucas and began eating.
It was juicy meat with very crispy skin. It felt good to eat something. The wine at Mark’s castle had gotten to his head and the storm had weakened his bones.
Lucas cut up some for himself and set the plate down.
He took a ladle and poured up two cups of a steaming hot liquid in a large soup terrain. It hung one foot away from the goose on the metal bar above the fire.
“Hot soup” Lucas said. “Good for cold weather.”
“Thanks.”
Alex, who rarely complained about physical ailments, noticed now for the first time that his hands were shaking.
He began drinking the soup and eating the goose. Bread was brought forth and so was wine.
The two men must’ve sat there for a little while, speaking of the food and the weather. All the time, the two of them watched the ox and Mercutio.
“Yes, at times I walk out of the cave here when it’s not storming,” Lucas said and nodded mischievously, “looking at the stars and wondering at the loves and puzzles of this wondrous place called creation. Contemplating what a wonderful world this is.”
Alex smiled.
”It is, isn’t it now?”
The man looked at Alex. There was a challenge in the man’s face.
“Worth fighting for, isn’t it?”
“Absolutely. A man needs to keep the love for this creation in his heart.”
”So he must” Lucas said, smiling.
”Yes,” Alexander answered, half in thought. “Someone told me that the heart of a human being needs patience. But I think a heart needs something else, too.”
Lucas cocked his head.
”What, Alex?”
“Strength. Strength to stay on the road he has set out to wander.”
Alex looked at the ox in the corner.
“Like that ox over there?”
Alex nodded.
Lucas looked at his animal and agreed, thinking about Alexander’s words. “He is strong. He doesn’t complain. When he is asked to pull a plough, he does so and he does not falter, he prevails and he keeps on going. That ox has the strength of a thousand souls.”
There was a long pause.
“A heart needs strength, no doubt.”
The wind wailed again.
“I felt that in the storm out there. I could’ve gone off the horse, but I did not. I stayed on the saddle.”
Lucas looked at Alexander and the look went so deep into his eyes that he at once knew who this was. It was Old Father from the village, but with a longer beard and longer hair.
Alex gasped.
“I know you, you are …”
Lucas held up his hand.
“We appear in different shapes, Alex, and as you know me, I know you. And I know how you fought and suffered on your road over here. But keep the truth in your heart. That is revealing enough.” Alex took the man’s hand and caressed it, sighing. “We love your truth. Believe in your truth. There is strength in that truth.”
“What is the truth, Old Father?”
The man smiled. “Luke, my name is Luke.”
“Luke …” Alex said. “What is the truth?”
”Alexander, I sat here and heard you speak from your own soul. Earlier you spoke of always being lead.”
“How do you know?”
“I know, because I know you.”
“Then what shall I do?”
”You need do nothing, Alex. You are on your way. You know how you thought you were a victim of circumstance for years?”
“Yes.”
“Well, that is finished. You lead now. You are no longer a victim. That was the main point of the training. You are not only a man of heart with patience. You have the strength of an ox. The
patience of a lion. The heart of a man. You know the truth.”
Luke shook his head.
“I need not tell you that.”
“The truth,” he responded, “is that in this world there are influences everywhere. Left and right I feel demons want to influence me. But they only have power if I give them power, is that not so, Luke?”
Luke nodded. “Yes, very true. The key they have to influencing you lies in your eyes. The window they have to influence your thoughts and desires is in your eyes. You might see something and want it just because you saw it. They know this.” Luke sighed and looked down into the fire. He took a deep breath and prepared himself to say something.
“You want to say something” Alexander said.
Luke looked up. “Yes” he responded. “I know that you know this. I am just gathering strength to say what I am about to say.” Luke nodded. “I just waited for the right time for my words.” He looked up.
“Demons. I will tell you something about them.” The wind was making twists and turns around the edges the cave. The wind sounded like a wounded animal. “They have no power unless you give them the power. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy and pride. These feelings are the emotions they use to turn you to the bad side of creation. They know you are weak and all they want is you to believe in their lies. Now pride itself