Book Five: Hoshea

(Words: 1584)

1. and the hero moved out of the forest
2. with sadness filling his heart to the fullest
3. and he left some of his men to manage the forest
4. but now he has no power to fight or to war
5. for only one hundred men are left with him
6. and he wondered about his next direction
7. is it south or to the land of day and night
8. for he knew he will be back there one day
9. he decided to go south and pass on the middle land
10. and see what wonders might come or commands
11. while his one hundred men were his faithful and closest
12. then at night they camped in the wilderness like nomads
13. tired from all the troubles they tried and saw before
14. and the heaviness of metals broke their backs
15. at night time they slept and Alexander had a dream
16. weird it was and Alexander could not explain
17. he saw people like monks covering their heads
18. they were telling him to come down to them
19. because life is such an agony and wild
20. where no love remains and no soul
21. they asked him to come and see
22. the wonders of God that none did see
23. he then woke up with a fast heart beating
24. and spent the night awaken by the shock

25. in the morning he was still thinking
26. how to come down to people like this?
27. and who are they and where do they live?
28. he remembered then the word Ayvar
29. some where it was in the middle of Earth
30. should he turn back or head to the south
31. when suddenly a light arrived from heaven
32. and stroke down the earth and made glass
33. and when Alexander wanted to take the glass
34. the glass moved further away from him
35. and he kept moving after it with his men
36. until it disappeared before an old village
37. it was so old that like time forgot about it
38. and the fence barely stood up in face of winds
39. and the hero thought that God drove him here
40. amid the adversities he did not lose his faith
41. he went to the wooden great gate of the village
42. so huge that it counted the length of thirty men
43. and its width was the count of fifteen men
44. then he kocked on the gate by the knocker
45. so heavy was the knocker that it needed ten men
46. and they knocked several times but no answer
47. and they almost gave up hope for a living there
48. and when they moved away, the gate was opened

49. the gate opened as it was by itself without anyone
50. and no one showed up behind the gate but only dust
51. Alexander and his one hundred men got in slowly
52. and wandered around between old houses without doors
53. so old they were like if time forgot about them long ago
54. until they reached a hill where a plain extended behind it
55. and from above the hill and they looked upon the plain
56. they saw lot of people work in their green fields
57. men and women with ancient clothes were working together
58. all of them were old, as old as the village they live in it
59. then Alexander decided to go down to them and talk to them
60. and so all men and women stopped working in the field
61. and they stared at him with his men in a strange way
62. then one old man with red garments approached to them
63. and after greeting them with peace, he asked them a question
64. about their identity and their origins and their story
65. Alexander agreed to tell him everything if he tell their story
66. and the old man started to tell about his people and the village
67. and he said: we are the branches of goodness of ancient times
68. we lived here for hundreds and hundreds of years before
69. we are the followers of a prophet whose people sinned
70. and we were protected by the walls of this ancient village
71. while the remaining of our people were turned into mutants
72. and we banished them there to a land called Zimúrá

73. Alexander's hair stood up like pikes when he heard of Zimúrá
74. because he tried it with his men and he knew the pains
75. and he told the old man his story from Caqobia
76. up to until he reached this strange village of the old people
77. the old man then shouted: you are the promised then!
78. Alexander was surprised for the answer and opened his eyes
79. and asked the old man about the other stories of the village
80. the old man continued the stories of this strange village
81. and he told him that this village is called Hoshea
82. and his name was Nertus, the elder of this village
83. no one rules them and all of them are equal
84. they plant together and eat together and trust each other
85. their graves in the homes to remember death always
86. and no doors to their houses because no thief exists
87. and one day their prophet long time ago foretold them
88. a yellowish warrior will come and save the village
89. from the beast of Tawyátá, the bird that eats humans
90. and in every year the bird eats a young man or woman
91. or eats what they plant for food or drink their waters
92. and only when one man and his faithful nobles come
93. they will save the village from the claws of this bird
94. and their names and numbers are mentioned in the books
95. the old books of the village of Hoshea
96. and the talk of Nertus the old was over

97. Alexander gathered with his nobles and discussed the matter
98. and asked the old Nertus for some help to find wood
99. but old Nertus denied to help with wood because it was sacred
100. because the trees have special memories of their fathers
101. and cannot be cut down by any costs or for any purpose
102. thus Alexander had to think of some other way of help
103. and from afar he noticed some sparkling in the horizon
104. and Alexander asked Nertus about the luster from afar
105. then Nertus answered that this is the great sea of Zús
106. where the world ends to this limit from the south
107. it is where the Tawyátá comes from and where it goes
108. and just then Alexander had an idea to do with his men
109. which required a great sacrifice of souls and courage
110. and he asked Nertus to prepare one hundred great straws
111. and to prepare a skin of a sheep and fill it with air
112. then he asked his men to take the straws and swords
113. while he wore the skin of the sheep and went with them
114. and he dropped himself in the sea of Zús with the skin
115. while his men went under the shallow water with the straws
116. and he poisoned the skin on his body with herbs known to him
117. so if the men did not catch the bird he would poison the bird
118. hours were spent and the men come up and down from the water
119. while Alexander remained on the top of water not moving
120. until the huge bird appeared from above, covering the sun

121. the bird showed up and Alexander stopped breathing
122. and the men under water held their swords and got ready
123. and the bird saw the body of Alexander on the water surface
124. it was but moments and the bird was attacking Alexander
125. it was ugly, with eight legs and fangs in the cusp with three tails
126. its sound was furious and shakes the heart of the bravest
127. and from the sky he fell down like an eagle on Alexander
128. and when he approached the water, the men stung him
129. while Alexander worked out with his dagger on the bird
130. the fight was fierce and the water tide was not easy
131. until the men gathered again and attacked as one man
132. and all of them planted the swords in the neck of the bird
133. while Alexander moved his dagger all over his stomach
134. and the bird was finally dead and the village is safe
135. then the old people of the village made a celebration
136. and made new garments for Alexander and his men
137. and Nertus invited Alexander to live among them now
138. since no army is left for him and not much weapons
139. but Alexander asked for the opinion of his nobles
140. and his nobles desired to stay in this village
141. to be among their good old people so they may do good
142. but Alexander decided that he should leave them here
143. and go along his journey, to the middle of the Earth
144. in the place where the Ayvars could be living there