The company learned that the name of the settlement is Antioc. It is a small settlement of forty-two occupants. The settlement has five dirt roads, the main road is the middle passage that starts at the gate and ends at the longhouse.

The main middle road is empty and is used for any activity the whole settlement does such as plays for the children or a feast for the adults.

The residential homes are small woodsheds that each family builds or adds onto as needed. The homes are on diagonal roads that are connected to the main road by small walkways.

As the company passed led by the chief, followed by the giant knights, and lastly by Alexander and Cyrus. The people of Antioch watched in wonder, especially the younger children watched the giant knight and his companions.

The older women and men did not seem to bother with the visitors as some worked in shops with wool, and deerskin apparel while others filled the village with the smell of smoked meat and stew.

The village is quite dull, the majority of the homes looked the same, the passages were made with dirt and the only decoration on the houses or shops was different animal skin.

When they reached the longhouse, they found it quite large, the entrance had a Matt of a ten foot near skin, the head of which was detached and nailed to the door.

The chief looked back at his visitors, “It is customary when a new chief is chosen, he shows his ability to protect the settlement by killing a bear and displaying it as proof.”

The longhouse’s main room was rectangular, the main display was a fifteen-foot table. Behind the head of the table, there was a large fire lit.

“Please come sit and get warm, I’m sure you’ve had a long journey.”

All three sat, the knight on the left side of the table, while Cyrus and Alexander sat together on the right side.

They could hear the chief pull out a couple of wooden plates or bowls, as well as the sound of a wooden spoon.

After about ten minutes the chief returned with three wooden bowls and wooden spoons. He placed a hot soup in front of them.

“This is a deer soup we make for our guests, it is made with deer, carrots, and lyco's”

Cyrus pushed Alexander’s bowl first, and then his own, “Are you trying to poison us” he yelled.

The chief laughed, so loud Cyrus looked towards the door expecting the villagers to barge in from the commotion.

“I’m glad you are not trusting strangers, but your education needs some work. Lycos is very poisonous but if you let it boil the poison turns into a honey-like broth.”

Cyrus' face went red as he looked down, Alexander patted him on the back with a laugh putting both their soups back in front of them.

“Please have a taste.”

The knight had already started, while Cyrus and Alexander watched in wonder as he gulped down the bowl without a utensil.

“Eat eat,” the chief said impatiently though still with an excited smile.

Alexander took a bite first and was pleasantly superseded. The deer tasted nice and tender, but most surprising was the Lyco broth. It tasted like apple and citrus, with a hint of mild spice.

Seemingly reading his mind, “The fruit flavor is from the flower, while the poison when cooked adds the spice, if you had time to wait for it to boil you’d find the spice a little milder.”

“It tastes great, and I like the prickling on my tongue. Though I find it hard to use the spoon now” Cyrus finished while laughing slightly.

The chief now had the bowl that he sat at the head of the table, “Feel free to drink it if you must like our friend over there”

Everyone ate the rest of the meal in silence, only talking a little while they enjoyed the food. Cyrus decided to follow the knight's manners and gulped his meal down.

Once everyone was finished the chief cleaned the table, “I’m sure you are ready to go to sleep, I’d recommend you try too soon. You will find that the children do not care very much if you are asleep while they are awake.” The chief said with a little chuckle.

The knight got up first, and much to the confusion of Cyrus and Alexander he got up towards the door.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“WHERE ARE YOU GOING” CYRUS ASKED HIM.

The knight turned towards him as he pointed out the door. The chief put his hand on Cyrus’s shoulder.

“Do not worry he is accustomed to sleeping outdoors.”

Cyrus looked at the chief in confusion, who answered his look with a mischievous smile and a shush of his lips.

“Do you know what that’s about,” Cyrus asked Alexander.

Much to his dismay, he found Alexander no longer sitting beside him. He heard a cough from behind him, as he looked back, he found the chief pointing to his left.

He found Alexander on a wool couch fast asleep.

“You can sleep on the boar skin, there is a wool blanket on the chair.”

Cyrus thanked the chief as he found himself alone awake, he thought about how far they had come in only one day. He fell asleep thinking about the journey ahead, and lastly of his mother and father as he fell asleep.

Alexander woke with a start by the feeling of something heavy landing on his stomach.

“ Get up, I’m taking you out with me.”

He found the chief at the foot of the couch, he was already dressed in brown linen pants, and his familiar wolf overcoat.

Alexander found Cyrus asleep on the floor.

“Do not wake him, it will only be us two.”

“You want a blind person to be your only companion out in these mountains.” He asked.

“Just put that on so we can go.”

The coat was white wool that reached down to his knees, he kept on his white linen shirt underneath, and his linen pants.

“Do I get a weapon?” he asked.

“Why would you need a weapon if you can’t see” the chief asked.

Alexander found he had no answer to give without causing more questions to be asked.

If he can kill a bear, I am sure he does not need me to go with him, how could I get him to come to that conclusion on his own?

Alexander found himself stuck and without a choice decided it was best to go.

Unlike last night that village was bursting with people, children played on the main passage from ten feet from the chief's door, the whole way down towards the gate.

Some of the children played by throwing stones at each other, and others were fighting with wooden weapons. However, an old lady sat on a stump-like chair with the majority of the children sitting at her feet, eight in total.

As they walked past Alexander heard the ending of her story, “The goddess Lycra and Osiris were said to be much like twins always on each other's hip. Until one day Osiris created huge rocks to look upon the earth. Lycra in her jealousy inhabited her brother's creation with a beast who would destroy his creation. They would destroy the rock but also bring wonder to his rocks. Trees began to grow, and flowers bloomed.”

Alexander found himself transfixed in her story until he reached the gate and was too far away to hear.

“Was that how these mountains were made?” he asked

The chief briefly looked back from the gate towards the old storyteller, “Yes, some people believe the first chief of the village was created by Lycra.”

“Wouldn’t that mean he was created to ruin these mountains?” he asked before thinking.

The chief stopped suddenly, the sound of the gate door dropping from his hand, “One could think so from the intent of Lycra to infuriate her brother. However, we find it quite the opposite that she thought we would change the mountains, and I’d like to think we did.”

Alexander found himself agreeing yet found it quite naïve.

If they believe their God created them to ruin her brother's creation, did she not create them out of jealousy, not love?

Alexander did not voice his opinion as was the custom with religious beliefs. To know one's deity, they worship is to know one’s soul.

The two walked two to three miles from the village before they turned left into the mountain wilderness. The terrain was declining, Alexander tripped over himself a couple of times.

Finally, he felt the terrain become flat and the chief stopped.

“I know who you are,” the chief said.

His flamboyant and jolly tone was gone replaced with a crispness in his smooth voice.

“What do you mean chief” Alexander said with innocence in his voice.

“Well first off you are not blind, you did not touch my door when you entered or even feel around the house. Of course, you could be newly blind but then where is the staff or why is your friend not helping you around.”

I could attack him, but I do not know if he has a weapon.

“Chief I do not know why you think we are here, but we are truly just passing through.”

“Good, so you are smart, though I figured a member of the ancient family would be.”

“Who are you” Asked Alexander.

The chief laughed heartily; Alexander felt the familiar air of the man he met yesterday return.

“That is not important, I just wanted to see if you would be truthful.”

“If I wasn’t?”

“Relax I would not have done anything; I would have just made you leave as soon as we got back.”

“You are not worried? Or angry that I lied?”

“You never lied; you just never told me. Did you not think it was odd that I never asked for your names?”

Alexander thought about it and felt beyond stupid.

I have been so caught up in the future, and my plans to change it that I did not even question or think about acting blind, or even the person I am staying with.

“Why did you not ask” he wondered.

“You have a knight as your escort boy, one of you has enough importance for the federation to personally escort you. Neither one of you has an artifact, so you ether a son of a senator or a member of one of the families.”

Alexander found his rationale quite remarkable, making him question even more who the chief was.

“How did you deduce I am from the Godt family?”

“Like I figured you were not blind from your actions, and the Cardinal passed through here, which he only does when artifacts are chosen. Only a person apart of the ruling families can choose an artifact not on the chosen day of the year.”

Before Alexander could say anything, he heard growls from three separate directions.

“Uh chief”

“I know I see them they are already in my sight.” Answered the chief unnaturally calm.