• tab Jordan rode his steed hard, hoping to make it back to camp before nightfall.
    tab Thank God for the wind... He thought to himself. Looking back, he made sure the gusty, miserably hot wind was blowing over his horse's hoofprints and effectively eliminating his tracks. Since there had been no sign of any enemies following him, he veered north and rode harder. The bleak terrain seemed to melt all into the same thing broken only by an occasional rock, or even a small oasis. Spotting one of the latter, Jordan gently pulled the reins until his horse stopped, allowing him to slip off and drop to his knees next to the dirty water. Grimacing as he took a long pull, Jordan let out a deep breath.
    tab "Finally... I'll bet you want a drink, huh, Skye?" He said to his horse. He stood and removed the bit from his horse's mouth, and set about to remove the saddle and halter.
    tab "Go on, drink up. We're almost home." He said, pulling a brush out of one of the saddlebags. Turning back, Jordan spotted a severed finger, lying atop his horse's back.
    tab "What the...?" he said, pulling the detatched digit from his horse's fur. Surveying it, he shrugged and found it to be of no consequence. He turned and heaved it into the desert, losing it over a dune.
    tab "I'll bet that one hurt..." he said quietly, brushing out specks of dirt and small rocks on his horse's back.
    tab "Poor guy... I wonder how it happened..." Jordan mused to himself as his horse turned one almond brown eye to him.
    tab "Don't look at me that way..." he said in an offended tone. He then realized the audacity of the situation.
    tab "Oh man, I really have flipped my lid." He said, gently scratching Skye's forehead. Sighing, he pulled the saddle off of the ground, and after checking for anything on the underside, slipped it, along with the halter, over Skye's back and fastened the leather buckles. Skye took one more pull of water and then turned to have the jointed snaffle bit put back in his mouth. Jordan tightened all the straps, then pulled himself up onto Skye's back.
    tab "Haa!" he said, kicking his horse into an easy gallop. The wind roared in his ears as they left the cover the palm trees of the small oasis offered. Surveying the land, he used the sun and the distant mountains to get his bearings, then turned more to the west as he ran north again. Soon enough, he was leaving the sun-scorched desert surrounding The Beasts' capital city of Babylon, and enetered the dense, hot forest that hid his own base camp. Skirting the edge, Jordan found the familiar hidden trail they used to get home, and spurred Skye along the well-worn path. Trees whooshed by as Jordan galloped down the road, taking the well-known switchbacks, and leaving the trail for lesser, more well-hidden ones when necessary. After an hour or so of navigating tricky switchbacks, false leads, and the occasional pitfall or two, Jordan finally came upon a long stick with a red piece of cloth tied to the top.
    tab "Finally! Home..." he said quietly, dismounting from his horse and surveying the surrounding forest. He put two fingers into his mouth and let forth a loud, shrill whistle that made even Skye's ears twitch. Soon enough, five men descended upon him, blades drawn.
    tab "Password?!" One of them said, lying a blade to his Jordan's throat.
    tab "There is no password." Jordan replied. The man smiled and clasped Jordan's hand at the wrist, shaking it hard.
    tab "Good to see you back so soon, O fearless leader." The man said, laughing. Jordan smiled and pulled his old friend into a hug.
    tab "Were it not for the unfortunate circumstances, you'd not have to see my ugly face so soon, Tanis." Jordan replied, laughing. The other four men laughed and clapped Jordan on the back.
    tab "You're the last one back!" Tanis said, almost as if scolding Jordan.
    tab "Good. Then I'll not have to worry over everyone else's neck." He replied.
    tab "Were it so easy..." A grave look crossed Tanis' face. "It's May..." he said solemnly.
    tab "Take me there." Jordan demanded.
    tab "Now."
    tab Without further ado, the men took off at a dead run, recognizing the deadly tone in Jordan's voice for one not to be trifled with further. Skye followed close behind, the jingling of her harness the only sound aside from the silent padding of feet over the damp forest floor. In a matter of fiteen minutes, the men dashed into camp, huffing for breath. Jordan clapped Tanis on the shoulder as he pulled ahead, skidding to a stop over May. She was lying in the center of the village as The Old One tended to her. A mass of The Saved were huddled in around her, Serenity, Bale, Aske and The Old One were the closest.
    tab "Jordan!" Serenity said, dashing into his arms. he held her close as he peered down at May over her shoulder. Glancing over her body, he saw a single arrow protruding from just underneath her right breast. Her breath rattled in her chest, a wet, gurgling sound coming forth each time she exhaled.
    tab "Is it bad?" Jordan asked The Old One, knowing the answer before the last word left his tounge. The Old One simply nodded as he pulled his hands together in prayer. Jordan pulled himself away from Serenity reluctantly, and turned to walk away from the crowd. Realizing his intentions, Serenity let him go, one tear sliding down her cheek. Jordan walked for five minutes, until he was free from the surrounding huts and tents that was his home. He fell to his knees and pulled his hands into a prayer, seeking that inner calm.
    tab "Is this your will?" he asked, seemingly to no one.
    tab "No. I wish for May to live." A voice said. It echoed several times, lending it an ethereal, heavenly quality. Jordan nodded simply and stood, walking back to the village center. When he arrived, everyone looked up at him.
    tab "It is not His will." Jordan stated simply. A collective sigh of relief sounded among the gathered Saved as The Old One opened his eyes and placed his hand on the protruding arrow. A soft, white glow emenated from The Old One's hands as the arrow disappeared into speckles of shimmering white light. They ascended, breaking apart into individual pieces as they rose, almsot like a reverse snowfall. May drew in a deep, sharp breath as her eyes fluttered open. The village cheered as she sat up, a roar of triumph echoing among the surrounding huts.
    tab When the cheer died down, Jordan grabbed May's hand and pulled her up, turning her about for all to see. He raised her hand, still clasped in his, as a new cheer erupted from The Saved. He smiled at May, releasing her hand as she stumbled over towards Bale in a daze. The Old One pulled a long bench from next to a nearby hut and slid it close behind Jordan, who promptly stood upon it, raising his head above everyone elses. Briefly, he stared out over the heads of the crowd.
    tab "We have witnissed a miracle today." Jordan said, his voice ringing with authority. A hushed palor descended over the crowd. "For those of you new amongst us, you have witnessed the highest form of Divine Intervention." His eyes scanned the crowd, briefly flickering over newer faces. "Let this eradicate from your minds, ANY and all doubts you may have had as to who lends we Saved our power. Our protection." No one blinked. No one moved. Not even a cricket sounded as his words rang out true, striking silence and awe into the hearts and tounges of the congregation.
    tab "You have ALL seen today, the sheer power and impossiblity of a healing act. May would be dead, beyond the help of all Mortal means, were it not for one thing." Jordan raised a single finger skyward, and spoke the next word in a whisper.
    tab "Him." Pandemonium erupted as each and every member present let forth a primal, joyous scream. The sound was deafening, and surely awe-inspiring. Jordan watched each of The Saved yell and shout in triumph and joy as thier praises resounded skyward. He stepped down from the bench, wrapping Serenity in his arms as she rushed forward.
    tab A celebration took place that night, each of the villagers wanted to speak with May, so Jordan couldn't ever get close enough to speak with her directly. Standing to the side as everyone talked, laughed, danced, and overall had fun, Jordan silently contemplated the next day's actions.

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    tab Hundreds of miles away, in Babylon, Sophos recieved a single, rolled up scroll stamped with the royal seal. His long, dirty fingernail slipped under the hardened wax and broke it, allowing him to slide the parchment open on a nearby table. His beady eyes scanned over the short, clipped report hastily. When he reached the end, he suddenly swept the table clean, knocking many priceless artifacts and a cup of red wine to the floor, where they each broke or spilt, staining the carpet red.
    tab "DAMNIT!" he yelled loudly, several nearby aides jumping with fright. Sophos turned to the nearest and siezed the poor man's throat, lifting him off of the floor with ease. With no effort, Sophos twisted his hand as several loud, sickening pops sounded. The man fell limp and slumped to the floor.
    tab "This is the last... Last F*&%ing time Jordan slips from my grasp again..." Sophos turned and started barking orders to nearby aides, who ran off to deliver his orders to the proper people.

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    tab Back at the home base of The Saved, Serenity broke from the merrymaking and slipped her arm through the crook in Jordan's elbow.
    tab "You should be happy..." She said quietly. Jordan grasped her slender hand in his big, callused one.
    tab "You're mistaken. I am happy." He replied.
    tab "Oh?"
    tab "May turned out fine, didn't she?"
    tab "I'm not talking about May." Serenity raised one eyebrow suggestively as Jordan looked down at her, smiling.
    tab "What else should I be happy about?" Jordan asked, a helpless grin stretching his face.
    tab "We're young, healthy, full of life. You've got an entire congregation who adores you, and a wife who just can't WAIT to get into your arms tonight... Serenity moaned as she said the last words, smiling up at Jordan's handsome face. Without warning, Jordan pulled Serenity to him, and kissed her lips with a passionate moan.
    tab "It is night, Love."
    tab "My point exactly." Serenity smiled coyly at him as she pulled on his arm, coaxing him into thier nearby tent.