Marked by Pedro Urvi Page B

right out of his chest.
    Who were these sinister figures? What were they searching for? Why did he have such an ominous sense of danger? He tried to calm himself by breathing deeply. For a moment the image changed, exposing more than what his vision initially had revealed. In the midst of the fog, the sacred Norriel monolith appeared before his eyes—the monument to Ikzuge, the Goddess of the Sun! Komir felt a pang of terror in his chest as a chilling sense of evil coursed through his body. The warriors were arriving at the monolith...  
    The monolith that was located dreadfully close to his home!
    His heart stood still then began to beat like a runaway stallion. The image of his parents sleeping, unaware of any danger, seized his mind.
    I have to warn them! They’re coming for us! I have to save them!
    And he awakened.
    Startled, he sat up in bed, soaked in a sea of cold sweat. He opened his eyes wide and frantically took in his surroundings. He was in his room. Jumping to his feet, he waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He quickly looked for his pants and boots and got dressed, then rushed to his sword that was hanging in its sheath on the wall. In one swift motion he pulled it out and headed for his parents’ room with just one thought in his mind: to warn them of the imminent danger. Silently, he entered their room, went to his father and, covering his father’s mouth with his hand, whispered in his ear:
    “Wake up, Father. We are in danger. Wake up!”
    Ulis opened his eyes, alarmed. He looked at Komir and, after taking a brief moment to awaken and clear his mind, he nodded. Immediately, they gently awakened Mirta. She gazed at them with frightened eyes.
    “I had a vision,” whispered Komir. “We are in grave danger. Several warriors wearing tiger pelts are closing in. They are coming for us,” he cautioned, unable to mask the anxiety in his voice.
    “A vision? Couldn’t it have been just a nightmare, Son?” asked an incredulous Ulis.
    “No! It was more than just a dream—I’m sure of it—but I can’t explain it. It is a warning, a foreboding that we are in danger.”
    “Who are they and why would they want to harm us?” his mother urgently questioned.
    “They appear to be foreign warriors, Mother, or at least they are not from any tribe I recognize. They are very close. I think they are coming to kill me... why, I don’t know but I’m positive that I am the one they are searching for. Amtoko already warned me about this.”
    “How many are there, Son?” asked Ulis, now completely convinced.
    “About six or seven, but I’m not sure. There could be more.”
    “All right. Whoever they are it will be better if we are prepared for them. We will defend ourselves from here, inside. Out in the open we have less of a chance,” stated Ulis.
    “Quickly, Father. They must be almost here by now.”
    Ulis pointed at the door of the room. “Mirta, get the bow and cover the entrance from here. We will wait for them next to the front door.”
    She agreed. Not wasting a moment, she immediately took down the bow and quiver from the wall.
    Swords in hand, father and son silently moved toward the front of the house. They positioned themselves on both sides of the entryway, simultaneously covering the windows that flanked it. Doors, windows, and shutters were all bolted shut. They crouched down and waited in silence. Komir looked at his father who was trying to cautiously peer into the darkness through the cracks in the shutters. Komir did the same. Everything was pitch black; clouds covered the moon, allowing only a faint silvery light to descend from the nocturnal clouds.
    They continued to wait quietly. Mirta had the bow armed and steadily pointed at the door. Not a sound could be heard. His mother’s face reflected the increasing tension of the moment.
    Komir noticed a slight movement and turned his head. As he watched in astonishment, two thin metal lances emerged between the wooden