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Crimson

Evelyn Olorunfemi

CRIMSON

  by

  Evelyn Olorunfemi

  CRIMSON

  by

  Evelyn Olorunfemi

  Copyright 2012 Evelyn Olorunfemi

  Thank you for downloading this free ebook. Although this is a free book, it remains the

  copyrighted property of the author, and may not be reproduced, copied and distributed for

  commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage

  discover other works by this author. Thank you for your support.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  About Evelyn

  Connect with Evelyn

  ONE

  The land of Adelon

  1257

  LEON’S EYES OPENED. His heart beat quickly against his chest and he breathed heavier than usual. His eyes darted across the room. One of the windows was still open. They had forgotten to close it. The moon shone mild rays of white light through the free square space onto the wall. No sound could be heard, save the chirping of a lone cricket by the windowsill. Slowly, he sat up in the bed. His wife stirred. He watched her until she stilled again. He ran his fingers through his dark wavy hair and buried his face in his hands. He could feel a little sweat from his forehead on his finger tips.

  Another dream he did not understand. He recalled the sullen, sorrowful faces he had seen just moments ago. This is urgent. He always felt this way after having one of those dreams. What did they mean? He gave a little groan. What is the meaning? These dreams had started a few days ago and he was not able to make sense of them.

  “Another one?” His wife’s voice sang softly through the cool air. He turned to find her studying him intently. She rested up on her left elbow. Her curly auburn hair hung loosely down her left shoulder.

  “Yes,” he breathed.

  She touched his right arm with her right hand and rubbed it gently. “You should speak with Master Solon about this.”

  “I will,” He nodded. “I will.” He laid back down on his right side. “I have to talk to Master Solon about this.”

  His wife lay back down too. She turned on her left side facing her husband. She still rubbed his arm. She spoke words—special words; the words she knew would help him sleep peacefully the rest of the night.

  Cealia was very concerned. Her husband’s dreams were becoming an issue they needed to deal with. She hoped he could get some answers from Master Solon. They needed help. It was early morning. The sun’s brightness was increasing very slowly. She pulled the bread out of the oven in the kitchen wall. The fire burned steadily on a low heat. The bread rested on a large bronze tray. The end of the tray’s long handle was overlaid with wood so she could put it in and pull it out of the oven as she pleased. She placed the bread on another bronze plate. Steam danced up lazily from the hot bread. The sweet aroma soon took over the kitchen.

  “Hmmn… Smells wonderful.” Leon caught a whiff as he approached the kitchen door. She turned and smiled warmly at him.

  “How are you feeling?” She placed both hands on either of his cheeks. Her fingers felt part of his neatly trimmed beard. Then she squinted, studying his eyes.

  “I’m fine,” He laughed. “Don’t worry.”

  But that did not lessen her concern. “Will you be going to Master Solon immediately?” She spoke letting go of him.

  He wondered if that was a suggestion or an instruction incognito. He smiled. “Yes. In fact, right now.”

  She deftly cut away part of the bread with a knife. “Why don’t you have something before you go?”

  Leon mounted his dark brown stallion a few minutes later. Everest was his favorite horse—one of his many horses. He bred horses and ran a successful farm. Some of his horses had even made it to the king’s palace. Something he was very proud of. Leon was doing well for himself. But then so was about everyone in the land of Adelon. A land of prosperity and peace.

  The morning sun was brighter now but had not stopped the air being a little chilly. Cealia stood at the front door watching him, wrapped in a yellow woolen shawl. He could still read a little unease in her expression. He waved at her, smiling. She smiled back waving and he was off. She watched him leave hoping that he would return with answers.

  Leon was led to the parlor. Solon was seated with a silver cup in his hand. His graying hair neatly combed back. He had on a beige robe with gold embroidery on the front—one of the land’s cultural attires. He grinned as Leon walked into the parlor.

  “What brings you to my humble abode so early my son?” he asked. His abode was anything but humble. It flourished with décor and exquisite furnishings from different parts of the world. A land of prosperity indeed. That was Adelon.

  “I need your help Master Solon,” Leon informed as Solon motioned him to sit. He took a seat on an interesting looking chair opposite Solon.

  “That one is from Asia.” The old man explained. Leon had been studying it but now turned his eyes from the chair and faced the old man who was waiting to hear the purpose of his visit.

  “Can I get you a cup of this interesting drink made from blue berries?” The old man raised his cup. Before Leon could respond, he called out a name. “Miriam.”

  Shortly, a small slim lady with braided blonde hair marched into the parlor. The maid servant. Before she could ask anything, her master instructed her to top the jug with more of the blue berry drink and get a second cup for Leon. In a few minutes the two men were sipping on the drink as Leon explained himself to Solon.

  “For the past four days I’ve been having these dreams.” He began. “I wouldn’t bother you if I didn’t think there was something peculiar about them. Now they don’t so much frighten me as they give me much concern. But I always have a feeling of intense urgency when I awake from them.”

  “What did you see in these dreams?”

  Leon took another sip and continued. “In one of them I went to a strange land; very dark. The atmosphere was thick—thick with depression and dullness. There were people on both sides of the streets groaning. Some of them saw me and stretched out their hands like they wanted me to help them. Some were irritated by my presence and just wanted me to leave them alone. Each night the dream is different but they all seem to illustrate the same things.”

  The old man placed his cup down and clasped his fingers together in front of him. He rested his elbows on his laps. “Have you asked our Father about this?”

  “I have.”

  “Does your wife know about this?”

  “The dreams, yes, but not His answer.”

  “His answer?”

  “Mordelan.”

  “Mordelan?”

  “Yes,” Leon sighed. “It seems He wants me to go there.”

  The old man stared at him silently for a few seconds before finding his voice again. “Are you absolutely sure you heard correctly? The enemy is cunning.”

  “I’m sure. I know His voice any day.”

  The disapproval revealed gradually on Master Solon’s face. “I hope you know the implication of what you are suggesting. I hope you know the land we speak of.”

  Before Leon could respond, the old man provided the answer. “ Mordelan. The strangest land I’ve ever heard of. Darkness is where t
hey live. I heard that no one has stepped in or out of that land in forty years. It is a forsaken land.”

  “I already understand that Master.”

  “And what are your family supposed to do while you travel off to some strange land?”

  “They are coming with me.”

  The old man pulled back like he had not heard right. “What?”

  “He wants me to take them with me.”

  The old man shook his head. “You’ve probably been overworking yourself. That’s what it is. You are fatigued from all that work on the farm.”

  “But I’m not stressed, Master. I have so many capable hired hands on the farm. I don’t overwork.”

  “Then I need to go into my private chamber and find out for myself what exactly is going on here.”

  Later that day, when he returned home, Cealia wasted no time in asking how the meeting went and whether they found a solution.

  “He was heading to his private chamber when I was leaving.” Leon replied.

  He did not know what to do. Master Solon was usually a very restful man, calm, the epitome of serenity. Leon had never seen him react this way to anything before. But Mordelan could not be so bad. He had heard some stories about the strange land before but he had brushed most of them off as exaggerations. He would wait to hear what Master Solon finds out in his private chamber. Clearly the Father did not feel it was dangerous enough that it could not be handled. And Leon knew this truth; the Father could be trusted anytime.

  TWO

  “LOOK PAPA! BIRD!” four year old Keren pointed excitedly at a blue bird perched on a tree branch in the distance.

  Her father smiled weakly. “Yes sweetheart. A