Blackbird

Chapter 26: Hollow Earth

Layha didn't reply but kept staring at the procession with sadness in her eyes.

"I wanna see what's going on in there...", said Patrick to Layha.

"But you still haven't recovered from the injuries yet...besides you can't walk in public in that strange dress...", replied Layha.

"I'm okay.... don't worry about me... just get me something to wear", said Patrick still looking curiously at the crowd.

"Stay here...", said Layha and quickly ran inside the hut.

Patrick knew he had no choice but to accept the fact that he was now in a different world altogether and he had to learn how to blend in. Deep in his heart he was relieved that he wasn't in his original time and place anymore- nobody really liked him there and everyone was out for his neck. This place looked promising- he could spend the rest of his life there in peace- he began to zone out.

"Here ... try this!", said Layha offering him a long white robe.

"Eh.. So this it what men wear out here?", he asked.

"Yes, it is a very luxurious gown here- every nobleman wears one of this plus it will hide that strange leg gown you are wearing.", she replied with a smile.

"These are called pants!", Patrick replied and snatched the gown from her hands and put it on.

Layha was amused and smiled as Patrick put on the white gown which stretched upto his feet. It was strangely comfortable, light and silky.

"You look good - now follow me!", said Layha.

Patrick followed her down the shack and into the streets. The place was getting crowded as people gathered to watch the parade of the royal guards. Layha quickly led him through the crowd and found him a good spot to watch the parade. Patrick was stupefied at what he saw.

The seven feet tall- well built guards stood in all corners protecting the palanquin of the royal one. The old man stepped out from the palanquin and placed his foot on a small decorated stool- he could barely stand and his eyes barely opened. He looked so old and fragile and had a stooped back.He had no hair on his head and even his scalp was wrinkled. He supported himself with an wooden stick.

"Here ye!"- said the old man in a trembling voice, " tis the time of the year again- the call for sacred duty of the chosen ones- rejoice for you shall have the supreme honour of serving the God Kings of our land!!", he said.

The crowd cheered upon hearing the announcement. Some people even cried in excitement.

"Who's that?", asked Patrick pointing at the old man.

Layha quickly pulled back his hand and said ," It's an offence to point at royalty- you'll have your hand chopped off… be quiet and listen."

Patrick quietly obeyed.

"Now who hear wants to fulfill their destiny?Come forth and kneel!", continued the old man.

Five average looking men immediately walked up and kneeled down in front of the old man.

"Good! I need one more- come forth!", the old man announced.

For a moment nobody came until suddenly a young boy in his early teens came out and kneeled.

"Begone boy, you are not able bodied yet!!", commanded the old man.

"But master, I want to serve the Gods!!", replied the young boy.

The old man lifted his finger and flicked it in the air - the boy was suddenly thrown away into the crowd by an invisible force. The crowd gasped in awe. The boy fell down on the ground and was knocked unconscious.

He guessed as if someone had taken care of him while he was unconscious and brought him here in this barn. He thought he must be in some kind of tribal village. But how did he reach there? He tried to recall his past events and remembered Rocko beating him black and blue until he lost his consciousness. But what happened after that?

"God … my head hurts… ah!", groaned Patrick.

Suddenly the door opened and a little kid wearing some sort of middle eastern clothing with a tiny hat on his head stepped in with a pot of water in his hands. He saw Patrick and drew a sharp breath as if saw a ghost and dropped the pot on the floor and ran outside screaming.

"Hey kid wait…ah!", said Patrick trying to stop him.

But the little boy ran out as fast as he could. Patrick tried to stand but he felt dizzy, so he sat back on the bed. A minute later a woman entered through the door along with the boy- her face covered under a veil. Patrick could only see her eyes as she was wearing a black gown which covered her entire body from head to toe.

"Selam!", she said to Patrick and asked him if he's feeling better now in her native tongue.

Patrick could only make out the word "Selam" which he knew was a greeting in Turkish- he had often heard the word in the camp, but he couldn't understand the rest.

"Selam...", he replied, "can you tell me how I got here?"

The little boy who stood by the door gighled in amusement. Apparantly Patrick's language sounded funny to him.

The lady politely went up to him and checked his bandages. She then said that he's healing quickly. Patrick didn't understand a word and simply looked at her.

"Um...can you understand me? Can you tell me how I got here?", asked Patrick again , this time slower but the lady simply looked at her and told him to rest for a while.

"Damn! where am I ? ", said Patrick in frustration.

The lady then said something and walked out of the door with the kid. Patrick surmised that she was simply asking him to rest. But how could he rest? After all Hans had almost tried to kill him. And the doorway?The myth of Anki?

"Wait! Did it work? Did the gateway actually brought me here? , thought Patrick as he began to remember that dreadful night.

He immediately got up and opened the door to take a look outside. What he saw left him awestruck.

He was in some kind of a village in the middle east- there were clay huts everywhere and people were busy going about their daily lives. He was in a barn that was constructed a few feet from the ground with bamboo and hay. From this elevated position he could see the entire village. Some men wore white gowns and were mostly busy herding camels and goats, some men were busy making tools and pottery. The elderly women wore beautiful gowns with their faces veiled and they too were busy carrying clay pots of water and attending to little kids. There were palm trees everywhere and even little bushes of exotic flowers in some places.

Patrick saw lines of houses as far as the eye could see. The village stretched on for miles in all directions but one particular image surprised him the most. From where he was standing he saw four huge pillars and a dome far away in the desert. The dust and sand made it quite blurry but he could still make out a gold and white coloured shiny dome a few kilometres from the village.