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Adroit Comics, Crimson Hawk, Hawk's Log

Sitting there, under the moonlight, I somehow began to feel cold. There, in the middle of the jungle, in front of a burning campfire, I somehow felt a chill going down my spine. I had been looking into the eyes of this man for months now, wondering what fueled the rage in his eyes. But now I was beginning to understand.

The air was thick, and I dreaded what would come next. However, it didn’t matter. This man and his wife had already lived it. The least I could do was listen to his tale. Pops continued to tell his story, and what followed was even more devastating.

“Mako’a returned to the clan with warriors who had defected to follow him. They stormed the village and stole all the holy books, artifacts and weapons. Those traitors set fire to our home, along with much of the village, before whisking away into the night. So many lives were lost, and it felt like our entire history had been obliterated. Even our beloved daughter, we lost her that night as well. It is a pain that has never mended.”

A reflection of the fire danced in Pop’s eyes. I may have even seen a tear well up in the corner of his eye. I know I felt my eyes tear up, just a little. I mean, I felt for the man. They had been through so much, and now here they were, nursing be back to health. These two souls had taken me in like a son. I knew I would do whatever I could to help them.

After a few moments, he continued to speak.

“All the survivors agreed to disperse and set up camps far away from what was once our home. We agreed to go underground and rebuild our strength. We prayed to The Heavens that our path to redemption and restoration would be guided by The Divine Light. One thing is certain, Likka has never given up hope that our daughter Ari’hi is still alive. I, on the other hand, am not so convinced.”

I could see Likka never giving up hope. She was always so positive and encouraging. It seemed like nothing could bring her down.

“Well, I think I’ll have to be on Likka’s side with this one Pops,” I replied. “I’m going to believe that your daughter is alive too. And I’ll do whatever I can to help you find her.”

Pops could only nod his head. I could tell that the story had worn him out. Reliving that ordeal would drain anyone. He excused himself for the night, but I couldn’t make my way to bed. I sat outside, staring at the flames for a long while. My thoughts were so deep, that I didn’t even notice Likka sit down beside me.

“What is on your mind young man? I can feel your soul is in turmoil. What troubles you tonight?” she asked in her usual kind voice. “Pops told me about what happened to your village. . .” I replied. “Oh,” she said softly, “ I see.”

I could feel my anger rising. “I want to help you both. I want to help you find your daughter. I want to help you avenge the wickedness that was done to your tribe. I just don’t understand how you can be so peaceful, after you’ve been through so much!”

She simply closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and placed her hand on my shoulder. It was like a cool breeze flowed through my very being. A wave of peace soothed my angry heart.

She drew back her hand and spoke softly. “Revenge is not our mission. We are here to help save the realm from Darkness. We cannot do this in rage. I believe that Divinity has a special plan for each and every one of us. Including my dear daughter. The greater the test, the greater our testimony shall be. From our pain, the future of the universe may be birthed. Nothing worth having comes easy, but to those who can endure the journey, there will be a great reward.”

I didn’t know exactly what she meant. But I believed every word.

To be continued . . .

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