The Penitent Warrior

By Ethan Parke

In 1996, the Dark Warlord Janus forms the Scorpions, and aligns with the world's terrorists, starting in the Middle East and North Africa, and advances to the Chinese and Japanese Red Armies, a rogue breakaway faction of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, the Iron Batons of Europe, the Order of Neo-Nazia, and neo-Soviets, trying to reunite the U.S.S.R., catching the attention of the Pentagon, who establishes every state in America to organize a top-secret militia, of ages starting in middle school to counter strike the growing threat. Jack Stamper is a thirteen-year-old hard rock musician, in Atlanta, Georgia, struggling with Asperger syndrome, whose girlfriend is murdered by Janus. After recovering, Jack meets the founders of the Covert Militia and agrees to lead their Atlanta Theater, with the members of his band as his main staff. At the same time, the neo-Soviets, have started to succeed in their goal in reforming the U.S.S.R. and Juliana Lovasky, another young musician, struggling with dyslexia, joins their equivalent of the Covert Militia after losing her boyfriend to Janus. Aware of their progress, the dark lord vows to make their lives at home and in school miserable, by making feel betrayed by their friends and family, and prevent Jack and Juliana from uniting to stop his ultimate goal.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ethan Parke
• Release date: Jul 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005663094

Ethan Parke

I was born in Kansas City in 1982 and currently live with my family in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and have aspired to write since middle school, and when not writing work for Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee.

Book preview

Prologues

Jerusalem, Israel

1024 A.D.

The smoke and embers from the fires Earl Renwald’s Saxons, and Seljuk Turks bestowed on the Holy City, could be seen for a hundred leagues, and the sounds of arrows whistling, swords clashing, axes grinding, spears shaking, and agonizing could just as well be heard from such a distance. The fighting lasted all night and at the break of dawn, Ahmed Eben Bajir Aba Gandeth instructed Cloud, his Arabian albino mare to stop and stay for a moment, so he could observe the havoc. Beside him on a brown stallion, Earl Frode of Bebbanburg followed suit, signaling for his British soldiers, many who were part of a newly established heavily armed and armored warrior class, specially trained to fight on horseback, called knights, to also stop. Gandeth did the same with his Magi and Arab battlers, who rode horses and camels.

Ahmed Gandeth had been travelling for months, seeking Renwald and his followers. It began when Renwald desecrated the Persian village in which he lived, while he was away on a pilgrimage with his fellow Magi. When he returned Ahmed saw nothing more than the embers of his home and the remains of his beloved partner, Judiyaba, who was mutilated, and possibly raped, by Earl Renwald. Mourning for her, Gandeth heard her voice speaking comfort to him, and assured him that it was not his fault. Mohammed told him that Renwald, and his Saxons and Orcs were traversing eastward, and that it was his purpose to search them out and lay them to waste. In order to find Renwald, Judiyaba said that Ahmed must follow a star eastward, like the Magi did almost a thousand years earlier to find the newborn king.

Judiyaba’s voice faded away, and Gandeth saw a beautifully decorated scimitar sword, in a sheath decorated the same way, lying near the ruins of what was once his home, as if someone simply placed it there as a gift for him. A heartbeat later, he found a six-foot rod of oak. He then heard a horse whinny, and he turned and saw a great white mare, slightly larger than most Arabian horses. His practices with the Magi, made him remember that one day there would be a chosen Magus that would live over a thousand years, to advise the warrior that God chose to lead against a vicious human dark lord of Hell, and most likely bring forth his downfall. The prophecy said that the Magus would know if he was chosen when a brutal warlord, possibly the current human dark lord, would desecrate his home.

Ahmed considered the sword would cleave his enemies to Hell and chose to call it the Foe-Cleaver.

He could travel after Renwald’s troops on foot, and after looking a moment, he saw a great white mare, slightly bigger than most Arabian horses, grazing near the remains of his home. She came to him as if she had known him his whole life, and he patter his face, deducing she was another mysterious gift. Ahmed saddled the mare and decided to call her Cloud because of her bright white coat.

Accepting his position with great honor, Gandeth sought out the best saddle he could find, packing up all the provisions he could carry, in addition to the scimitar and staff, dressing in traditional Persian robes and turban, and mounted up, keeping the shining star in sight. Before Gandeth could seek Renwald, however, he had to inform his fellow Magi that he was chosen to advise the future leader. They praised him and willingly began following him and the star on horses and camels. Along the way, they rallied thousands of Arabic warriors, called Saracens, to their campaign. Crossing through Syria, they met Frode, Earl of Bebbanburg and his knights and men-at-arms, human and Elf, who told Ahmed that they were also seeking Renwald. Frode told Gandeth that Renwald’s Saxons sided with the Turks and Orcs because they were disillusioned by the way King Canute was doing all he could for England to retain the religious values taught and influenced by King Alfred the Great, and believed desecrating the Holy City, currently under Muslim rule, would encourage his people to worship their old gods once again. Canute, who succeeded Alfred’s grandson Edmond, and was eager to show the same just compassion as the former, would not allow that to take place. Earl Frode, as a descendant of Celts, Saxons, Normans, Danes, and Picts, as revealed by his bronze and chainmail armor, and bronze helmet with a wolf’s tail attached to the top, and arm rings all with symbols of every religion and culture embossed on them, such as the Cross and Thor’s hammer. Therefore, he was Canute’s most trusted knight, was sent to avert Renwald’s sacrilege.

As the two armies traveled Ahmed and Frode came to be great friends, as they both told themselves about their lives. The most likely reason they came to respect one another was they were the same age, twenty-eight. Another reason was that they both grew up in regions where the people constantly quarreled over what culture should be dominant, when it was possible to share their cultures and ethics. Frode told Gandeth that Canute was considering starting a military campaign to save the Holy Lands from Orcs and Turks, convincing them that all religions should respect one another, despite their differences. He told his followers of his plans, yet as devoted Catholics, they believed that they were crusades to spread the influence of Christianity. Even so, Ahmed and Frode both agreed to encourage the true meanings of said campaigns.

Jerusalem was nearly laid to waste, as Renwald’s Saxons and Orcs murdered, raped, and pillaged everything they saw. Gandeth and Frode looked at one another, having an accord that after two weeks of travelling together, it was time to charge into the melee.

We finally fight together, Frode, Gandeth said.

Our swords will sing beautifully, Ahmed, Frode said, who carried a long spear, and a large round bronze shield, in addition to his sword. I shall see you at Calvary Hill.

With that, Gandeth pulled the Sword of Allah from its sheath, and pointed it at the city, swishing his staff.

Magi, attack in the name of The Lord, he shouted, as Cloud took off galloping down the Road to the Judean Desert, kicking up dirt clods. The Magi followed him, brandishing their swords, spears, and shields as they shouted and ululated.

Knights, charge for God and King Canute, Frode shouted, as he spurred his stallion into a fast gallop, with his battlers in follow.

The horses and camels instantly began speeding across the desert sands, towards the Gate of Essenes. The horses’ manes and tails caught the wind, the same as their riders’ cloaks. Their armor, swords, spearheads, and shields gleamed in the red morning sun. The savages did not sight their new threat, until they heard the sounds of hooves approach the First Wall. Several archers began releasing arrows, which caught several attackers, and their mates were forestalled as their bodies fell from their mounts. Another score of savages knotted around the Gate, trying to quell the Magi, Saracens, knights and men-at-arms. Some were successful, but in the end only lost their lives to their blades, and in less than an hour every warrior was within the wall to the city.

The sage and the knight could not tell how long they galloped through the city, with Gandeth hacking down his foes with the Sword of Allah, and knocking them aside with the Staff of Mohammed, and Frode spearing them, and parrying their attacks on his shield, when the Temple’s shadow loomed over them. Saxons, Turks, and Orcs, almost immediately emerged from the Fortress of Antonia and the Tyropoeon Valley, in numbers they could not count. Though the horses were a helpful asset in impeding attackers, as they kicked, trampled, and bit, many knights, Arabs, and Magi, came to find it necessary to dismount, in order to scatter their enemies. One of the main reasons was because during their travels, they came to be genuinely fond of the animals, and would have hated losing them. Orcs and Turks came to surround Gandeth, who realized that he would eventually lose his balance in the saddle. If he fell, he would be momentarily more vulnerable to a fatal sword blow, so for that he quickly climbed from the saddle, using his staff to help retain his balance. For a heartbeat, Ahmed almost gave way to gravity, but immediately knocked an impending orc with his staff, and then slashed his scimitar across his gut. He then parried an axe-blow from a Saxon, pushed him backwards with his staff, and cleaved his head, deflecting a Turk’s sword-blow a moment later.

Earl Frode, seeing that his horse was also susceptible to his enemy’s iron and steel, leapt from the saddle, lunging his spear into the frontal bone of a Saxon’s skull. His shield parried an Orc’s sword thrust, and the goblin was knocked back by it, as the knight speared his chest. Several other savages were victims of Frode’s spear, until he hurled the weapon into a Turk’s thorax. His shield once again blocked swords, axes, and spears, as the knight pulled his sword from the scabbard that glistened in the morning light as he and Gandeth each slung them in wide arcs slaying the fiends.

Metal clanged and fatally wounded bodies fell to the ground, for nearly an hour, as roaring knights, chanting Elves, and ululating Arabs and Magi poured into the City. The cluster of fiends around the temple decreased, and Ahmed and Frode concluded that it was time to mount again. They whistled for the white mare and brown stallion, and they quickly galloped to their riders, knocking aside enemies. The sage and knight nimbly returned to the saddles. Their chargers neighed, as they galloped passed the Dome of the Rock, toward the East Gate, hacking down their foes.

The fracas was so brutal they could not tell how long it took them to pass through the Gate and gallop around Calvary Hill. Saxons, Turks, and Orcs, knotted around the Hill, as the wizard, knight, and their allies climbed from their mounts. As earlier, Gandeth knocked back his enemies with his staff and slashed them with his scimitar, and Frode wielded his sword and shield for offense and defense.

Eventually, Earl Renwald spotted Ahmed and Frode, and sped to them hacking down their warriors. Frode instantly eluded Renwald’s sword thrust with his shield. He swung his sword, aiming for his enemies helmeted head, but was likewise blocked by Renwald’s sword. The two earls continued to fight in such manor, until Renwald delivered a sword blow that dented Frode’s bronze breastplate, giving him the opportunity to finish him. Gandeth dashed to the Saxon earl, who deflected his sword thrust with his shield. Renwald then tried to cleave Ahmed’s head with his sword, like Frode did, but was warded off by the Staff of Mohammed. Frode rose and fended off his enemies, as Gandeth and Renwald continued their fight, blocking blows with their swords, the wizard’s staff, and the Saxon earl’s shield. After some time, Renwald’s shield knocked Gandeth to the desert sand. Frode immediately repaid his new friend, by speeding to block the Saxon’s finishing blow. The earls moved about fighting for a time they could not count, when in a heartbeat, Ahmed sped behind Renwald and hacked the Sword of Allah into the left side of his torso, piercing the lung. The Saxon earl’s limp body, collapsed on the desert sand, as he succumbed to his mortal wound.

At that minute, many of Renwald’s minions began to flee the City. Others, mostly Orcs, continued fighting, but became victims of the mighty warriors’ blades. After a while, the Saxons and Turks, came to realize they were overwhelmed, and threw down their weapons in submission.

Satisfied with the battle’s turnout, Gandeth and Forde turned to one another.

We have fought well together, Gandeth said.

We shall do so again, Ahmed, Frode said.

Just then, the two warriors saw the same star shine above them. They instantly became curious and befuddled as to why a star shined in midday. Gandeth came to hear his name called on the wind and recognized the voice as Judiyaba’s. The Magi began ascending the Hill to as the voice told him too. Curious, Earl Frode began to follow him.

You can stay here, Frode, Gandeth said, as he turned to the knight. Voice only calls me.

Then, with that, tell me what it wants of you, Frode said.

Gandeth could not tell how long it took him to reach the top of the Hill, but when he was there, he stopped, confused over what he was. It was a beautiful woman, with a white veil over her face, who seemed to appear in a wisp of blowing sand. Even with the veil of her face, Ahmed recognized Judiyaba, because of her unparalleled beauty.

I saw your body, Gandeth said. How can you be here, Judiyaba?

I appear only in spirit form, Ahmed, Judiyaba said. God sent me to praise you for what you and your friends have done. Even so, it has not ended yet. Earl Renwald was killed in a battle between Saxons, Normans, and Danes, and was resurrected by a dark spirit, as the Human Dark Lord of Hell, which is why he attacked the Holy City. As you can tell, bishops, priests, rabbis, and various other religious leaders, are intent on starting campaigns to recover this land from the Turks, Orcs, and make it belong to one particular religion. God has asked me to tell you, that you are entrusted to see that they eventually agree to share this land. Moreover, it has been prophesized that someday, there will be a warlord, even worse than Renwald, who will start havoc and be resurrected the same way he was. You will know who it is because he will make the same plants into weapons. There shall be a mighty warrior, born to combat and defeat the dark lord, as you did Renwald. It is quite possible that he will be a guardian prophet, but defiantly a penitent warrior. For that, you are now blessed with long life, as so you can mentor said warrior. Only God can relieve you of this obligation, and that will happen when the prophesized warrior makes an outstanding reputation.

Who is this prophet, Gandeth asked.

You will have to discover him yourself, if you accept.

I accept this vow with the Lord’s honor, and your love, Gandeth said. But how will we know who the warrior is, when the time comes.

You will know because when it is time the dark lord will rally as many wretched armies as he can, and the chosen one will have a condition where though he is smart, he develops slower than ordinary people. He would have also recently suffered much ridicule, undergone a painful experience, and have lost a loved one to the dark lord. Though I shall always watch over you, Ahmed, we shall not meet again. Farewell.

Judiyaba then vanished in the wind. Gandeth descended the Hill and told Frode what he was told. The knight agreed to campaign with him henceforth, and they discussed ways to assist them as they made their way to their horses.

One thing that I think would be a great help for us, is the Magi have been working on inventing some kind of handheld weapon that has the trigger like on a crossbow, which shoots a ball of hot led and black powder, having the power of a thousand swords, Ahmed said.

I doubt such a thing will ever exist, Ahmed, Frode said, with his brow furrowed, expressing his confusion. But don’t stop trying. Besides, that still sounds more likely than wagons that do not need horses, flying boats, and a magic box that stores information and can be used to communicate.

The two friends laughed, mounted their steeds and rode off, eager to encourage their allies.

Al Ijarah Desert

A hundred miles south of As Samawah, Iraq

1991

The caravan of ruthless terrorists led by a warlord who called himself, Saladin, could be spotted from thirty miles away. Though it was one of the most typical things to see in the Arabian Desert, the corps of U.S. Special Forces, mostly consisting of Green Berets and soldiers in the 101st Airborne and 10th Mountain Division, and 75th Ranger Battalion, driving jeeps and Abrams tanks, while some rode horses and motorcycles, and carrying Colt/Armalite M-16A2 and AR-15 assault rifles, M4A1 carbines, Remington M-870 combat shotguns, Heckler & Koch MP-5K submachine guns, ZMT 9mm Uzi machine pistols, war bows and crossbows, and Berretta, Colt, Glock, Sig, and Smith & Wesson automatic and semiautomatic pistol and broad swords and axes, knew who they were immediately, mainly because they discerned the Soviet hammers and sickles on some of the vehicles accompanying them. With the assistance of Dr. Herman Mints, a British born biophysicists/biochemist/ molecular and microbiologists, they had been tracking Saladin’s convoy for almost week. All that was clear of their intentions was that they were looking for a field of rare poppy flowers, which they planned to secrete a chemical from, producing a weapon of mass destruction, which Dr. Mints was recruited to help identify.

Colonel John Simpson led the Special Forces to Saladin’s stronghold, in order to rescue his friend, mentor, and commanding officer, General Martin Addams, who was captured a week earlier. Though the rescue was successful, Saladin and a slipstream of his henchmen managed to escape. What complicated things was General Addams announced that it would be impossible to distinguish Saladin, because like most of his warriors, he did not remove the black turban that veiled his face, he only heard him speak in an icy Middle eastern accent. He never specified his demands with his threats, if he had any, he only seemed eager to invoke fear in people and gain pleasure seeing people harm one another, if not cause it himself. The scenario grew more critical when the President declared that because they rescued Addams, they should no longer worry about Saladin. Addams told Simpson that Saladin was planning something destructive that could take the lives of scores of people, even small children. He was also firmly allied with a breakaway unit of the Soviet Red Army, who he promised he would have his army assist them in keeping the U.S.S.R. intact, while they retained communism, as well as the Israeli HAMAS, and the Lord’s Resistance Army of Uganda.

Knowing that stopping Saladin was critical, and the President did not care about him because his campaign did not involve oil, Simpson and Addams, who collaborated with a top-secret council of military leaders called the Jugglers in the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., agreed to lead an unauthorized campaign against the sociopath. As they rallied soldiers, Addams explained that Saladin was looking for a field of rare poppies that he planned to use in a biological weapon. Because a science expert was mandatory for the mission, they recruited Herman Mints. In careful preparations, they concluded that if they did not finish Saladin, they would at least do their best to ascertain his identity. Saladin was impossible to discern, because every warrior in his consortium wore similar fatigues, including black and red turbans that hid their faces, he was clearly one of the seven terrorists in a bronze pickup truck, with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the cab. Though they could not tell which of the militants Saladin was, they were fortunately able to confirm the identities of Major General Sergey Gabrek and Junior Lieutenant Mikhail Ormova, leaders of a Spetznaz division the staunch Communist sent to assist them. There was also the HAMAS and Lord’s Resistance Army’s symbols. With that if they did not finish Saladin, they would at least begin to quell Russia’s last attempt to spread communism and obliterate some of the world’s deadliest terrorists.

Dr. Mints, in the belly of an Abrams M1A2 main battle tank, observed the terrorist on video screens that showed what the army’s global positioning satellite system detected in their vicinity. Observing the T-55, T-64, and T-72 tanks, BMP-1 armored personnel carriers they drove and the forerunners on horses and camels, along with the Kalashnikov AK-47 and AK-74 assault rifles, Heckler & Koch MP-5K submachine guns, Ingram Mac-10 and ZMT 9mm Uzi machine pistols, longbows and crossbows, and Makarov PM 9mm, Tokarov TT-33 Desert Eagle IMI .50AE, Jericho 941FB automatic and semiautomatic pistols. Their swords were also noted which included broad swords and scimitars, the former mostly used by the Russians and the latter by the Arabs. Lieutenant Colonel Ted Galloway stood beside Dr. Mints, who he was close friends with, waiting to hear if the rebels the scientist was overlooking were who he thought they were.

It’s Saladin’s horde, no doubt, Dr. Mints said.

I’ll call Addams and Simpson, Lieutenant Colonel Galloway said, placing a Marlboro cigarette in an ash tray.

The special force leader, who attended WestPoint with Simpson and currently referred to himself as Alpha Five, called their commanding officers to confirm they spotted their targets. Indistinct chatter was heard through the receiver lasted a moment before Galloway setting it to where it could be heard throughout his battalion.

Gentlemen, we have been authorized to engage and destroy the terrorist’s convoy, he said. Saladin may have coerced those bastards into thinking we are just here to torment and force them to worship Christ. But I know that you are here to quit their terror, which is why good will overcome.

Both armies sighted each other at once. They began closing in, launching missiles with sirens and explosions that could be heard throughout the desert. Rifles, machine guns, pistols, and grenade launchers started firing once they were each five kilometers from each other, as many of the contenders disembarked their vehicles, while most soldiers on camel and horseback stayed saddled. Arrows were released and fragmentation grenades. Within an hour many soldiers ran out of ammunition, and with no time to reload, some of them drew swords or axes and continued the fracas, as they dealt with rivals on foot, mounted, and in vehicle.

The bright sun and extreme desert heat never impeded Ahmed Gandeth in battle, having spent nearly a thousand years travelling on Cloud through dust and barren wastelands, to punish wrongdoers, preparing to find the unknown warrior. Though he knew he was not likely to find the chosen one in this fray, he was nonetheless aware that the time was imminent. Gandeth turned to the few thousand Arabic and Kurdish warriors who followed him, known as the Mujahidin, or Holy Warriors, who he often assisted in attacks against their oppressors, gesturing for them to charge onto the battlefront. The Mujahidin acquiesced, brandishing their M-16s, AK-47s, and AK-74s, snapping the reins of their horses and camels, and ululating.

In the near thousand years Gandeth travelled Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Southwestern Asia, across deserts, over mountains, and through jungles, he was always able to adapt to the changing of warfare. The easiest change for him was rise of firearms that as the years progressed became more powerful and accurate. For that reason, Gandeth overtime came accustomed to various pistols, from flintlocks to revolvers, and currently favored the Desert Eagle IMI .50AE magnum pistol, because of its proficient stopping power and accuracy. Though automobiles almost replaced the use of horses, Ahmed nonetheless favored riding Cloud, the Arabian mare he rode to Jerusalem, because the advantage horses have over cars and trucks is, they do not run out of gasoline and can access places that motor vehicles can’t.

The contenders who noticed the Mujahidin were momentarily befuddled. The Americans did not recollect enlisting the help of Arabic and Kurdish rebels, and the Russians and Saladin’s soldiers assumed because of their weapons and clothing that they were their allies and ignored them. When the Mujahidin opened fire on the Russians and their cohorts, however, the Americans realized they were not a nuisance and continued fighting.

Eventually, many of the Mujahidin, dismounted so they would not be easy targets, as did many of the other mounted fighters. Once many of the battlers were out of ammunition, they drew swords and axes, lunging themselves into the melee. As the battle grew fierce Major General Gabrek came to grasp that if the Russians stayed, they would lose, and their cause will not be realized. Gabrek, wielding an AK-74, turned to Junior Lieutenant Ormova, who also used an AK-74.

They are obliterating us, Mikhail, he said. We have to retreat.

Ormova looked across the battlefront and saw that what Gabrek said was true. Sternly eager to spread communism across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the Middle east, he did not care. There would be more than enough time in the future to finish what he started this day. He only had to convince Gabrek and his other superiors that it could happen.

It is true that we are outwitted now, Sergey, Ormova said. But we shall be back soon enough.

Gabrek admired his friend’s devotion but was not sure how soon it will be.

It will be before the twenty-first century, he said. I promise you that.

Reassured, Ormova climbed into Gabrek’s Ural-4320 truck, as they fled, ordering the rest of their Spetznaz troop to do the same. The HAMAS and Saladin’s group did not seem to care that the Russians were pulling out, but the U.S. troops noticed it and began pursuit, avoiding their bullets and arrows. The Mujahidin also followed the Soviets, with fury.

Seeing the Spetznaz retreat, Colonel Galloway concluded that the U.S. forces were near victory. He spotted the truck carrying Saladin and his henchmen. He turned to Sergeant Major Rodriguez, his chief noncommissioned officer and the tank’s gunner, and ordered him to fire on the truck. Saladin’s henchmen saw the tank’s 105mm gun pointed at them, however. They prepared SA-7 anti-tank, aimed them at the M1A2, and fired the instant the tank’s gun fired. Galloway, seeing the missile launchers fire, ordered his soldiers to abandon the tank. The soldiers were out of the tank before the missiles’ impacts, with the exception of Dr. Mints, who was last to evacuate and fell under the rubble left from the explosion crushing his legs. Saladin’s henchmen followed suit and were out of the truck instantly, except for the one in the passenger seat, who was buried under debris.

Galloway, Rodriguez, and the other soldiers engaged the survivors of the truck explosion, wielding M-16s and M4s until they were out of ammunition. With no time to reload they pulled their swords and continued the fight. Gandeth, still on Cloud, also dealt with some of the terrorists with his Desert Eagle, saw Dr. Mints with his legs under the debris, firing a Glock G-18 automatic pistol at his assailants. He instructed Cloud to gallop that way, as he fired at the terrorists who tried to quell him. Cloud stopped a yard before the scientist, and the wizard dismounted still fending off assailants. Aware that he could not left the rubble covering Dr. Mints’ legs, he recited a command in Arabic that made them float in the air. Gandeth then lifted the doctor and leapt back in Cloud’s saddle. They galloped toward an ambulance, where Galloway was fending off assailants, with his Berretta M-92F semiautomatic pistol. Gandeth laid Dr. Mints beside the vehicle and seeing that the sage was not with the Saladin’s consortium, the HAMAS, or Soviets, he allowed his commandos to not attack him. Paramedics then dragged Dr. Mints onto a stretcher and carried him into the ambulance.

The fracas ended in an hour.

A Rehabilitation Center near Fort McPherson

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

Five Weeks Later

Dr. Mints was instantly rushed onto a Hercules C-130 cargo plane that carried him to McPherson. Physicians did what they could to fix his legs, but were unfortunately unable to do so completely, and though he could move his legs, he could no longer support his weight, and was therefore due to be confined to a wheelchair for the duration of his life. Once his injuries healed, Dr. Mints was sent to a nearby rehabilitation center, where he spent five weeks growing accustomed to his new life.

As the weeks progressed, Dr. Mints adopted well, learning how to dress on his own, drive cars, fly aircrafts, and all other necessary feats. Though he would miss the ability to walk, he would at least be able to engage in his favorite pastimes; soccer and golf. Most importantly, the wheelchair did not keep him from aiding the military with chemical and biological research, meaning his career would endure.

While consuming lunch on the day before leaving the center, Dr. Mints saw Galloway, who had been promoted to full colonel for his gallantry in Al-Ijarah, enter the cafeteria. Knowing Colonel Galloway was there to visit him; Dr. Mints welcomed him to the table. Galloway was immediately followed by a strange looking man clad in traditional Persian robes and turban, carrying a staff made of oak. Recognizing him as the guerilla leader that rescued him when the debris from the Abrams crushed his legs, Dr. Mints also welcomed him.

Sorry you can’t walk again, Herman, Galloway said, as he sat down. But I am still glad you’re getting better.

Well, not being able to walk does not hinder my scientific research, Ted, Dr. Mints responded. Glad you’re here, and you, too.

When the scientist finished speaking, Galloway also faced the sage.

Think nothing of that, Dr. Mints, the wizard replied, taking a seat and propping his staff on the table. I am Ahmed Gandeth and I have much to tell you and Colonel Galloway.

Then begin, Mr. Gandeth, Dr. Mints said.

There are many tales, however, and I do not know where to start.

In that case, start at the beginning, but keep it brief, Galloway said.

All is well, Gandeth said. At first, I should state that I am actually older than I appear. My tale begins in the year 1024, when a brutal Saxon earl named Renwald desecrated the village my partner Judiyaba and I lived in, which is now part of what you call, Mahabad, Iran. I was given the Foe-Clever, my staff, and my horse, Cloud to follow Renwald and his Saxons, who were allied to the Turks and Orcs. In route I met and befriended, Earl Frode of Bebbanburg.

Which is now Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland, Dr. Mints said. Being born in Bristol, England, he knew the landmarks and history of his native country quite well and wanted to ensure that Galloway comprehended what they were speaking of.

The sage then told the military officer and scientist of his adventure with Frode of Bebbanburg including the battle in Jerusalem. He then told him of seeing Judiyaba’s spirit on Calvary Hill, which was why he was able to endure for nearly a thousand years. Gandeth explained how he and Frode managed to rally many knights and Saracens to their campaign to save the Holy Lands from the Turks and Orcs, which lasted until the actual Crusades began. He said that after many adventures with Earl Frode, the knight was killed at Antioch in 1095. Though he lost one of the closest friends he ever had, Gandeth lived on, and continued his campaigns, mostly in the Middle east and Northern Africa, throughout the years, from the other Crusades to the Barbary War, to the British invasion of Afghanistan, to the World Wars, to the Soviets invading Afghanistan, to the present crisis in the Persian Gulf.

Damn, you have been around, Galloway said, impressed.

Indeed, I have, Colonel Galloway, Gandeth said. And with my case in point, I have a feeling that the chosen one Judiyaba mentioned will soon be revealed. There is no doubt that one of the terrorists blown up from your tank blast, will return as the Dark Warlord of Hell.

Are you saying that Saladin will be back from the dead, Galloway intoned, disappointed because he thought the blast from M1A2’s gun would have certainly killed the worst antagonist he or any other soldier in his command dealt with.

Possibly, Lieutenant Colonel, possibly, but whoever it will be is most likely going to adapt a new name and persona, and therefore we have no way of knowing if it was Saladin.

Even so, Ted is right, we should start preparing to stop this ‘Dark Lord’, whoever the hell he is, Dr. Mints said. As for that ‘chosen warrior’, I think he will be revealed about the time our enemy is.

I have a feeling you are stating facts, Dr. Mints, Gandeth said. But how will you do that.

Actually, I have a suggestion, the scientist stated. That secret council you work with, Ted, the Jugglers, they authorize campaigns that are not to be on records. Ergo, we can use them to permit all fifty states to establish top-secret armies of citizens that will combat the dark lord, his army and all their associates. Everyone who is not in the regular army should be required to join.

That sounds like it will work, Galloway said, then coming to think with humor. Just remember to be careful about mentioning the Jugglers in public.

Oh, sorry about that, the scientist said, laughing, there are few people hear to drop eaves anyway, so don’t worry.

The trio laughed.

I have kept secrets for almost a thousand years, Gandeth said. I will not mention it to anyone. But you should know that when the time comes said warrior will still be a child. Also, the dark lord will have many children in his service, and would deploy them to schools, particularly the one the chosen one attends.

In that case the soldiers can begin training at the age of thirteen, Dr. Mints said. Only the older more experienced ones that are eighteen and over will participate in combat more often, and the younger ones will only fight in defense and be only in the missions as back-up.

Are you sure that is wise, Herman, Galloway said. International law keeps people under eighteen from participating in military campaigns, and it would be hard to find a negotiation.

Dr. Mints thought a moment, knowing that Galloway had a point. He took a moment considering excuses to explain why they were with the militias. Moreover, he realized they would often have to miss school, and they would therefore need to keep up with their studies.

We could say that the kids are from a rich school that could afford to send them on exotic field trips, he said, when he concluded. We can also say that they are rich enough to enroll in a foreign college. Or we can just say that they are rich enough to take a vacation in such places. The young soldiers will also do police work in school when they are not deployed, so as we can insure, they are protected from the dark lord’s armies.

"And since it is going to be a Covert Militia no one will know they are on a military campaign, Galloway said. We just might be able to pull this off, if we can explain why some of them aren’t in school."

We’ll say that some of the older warriors are their tutors. Because when you think about it, Ted, in the Middle-Ages, knights usually began their training when they had just begun adolescence.

Galloway nodded, as did Gandeth who lived during the era Dr. Mints spoke of.

The last thing you should know is the chosen warrior has a state that keeps him from developing at a normal rate, Gandeth said. We should seek out someone under such circumstances where he has been scorned by people his whole life. He would also be someone who recently suffered a severe wound.

Then we’ll look for someone who went through such circumstances, Galloway said. But it won’t be easy.

It is actually quite easy, Colonel Galloway, Gandeth said. He would have lost someone he loves to the dark lord.

With that we will watch for a teenager attacked by the dark lord, Dr. Mints said.

For now, we will start organizing the Covert Militia, Galloway said. That’s what we’ll call it, but it will take a few years, I’m sure.

That is probably how long it will take the dark lord to become a massive threat, Dr. Mints said.

And while you are getting your secret army ready, I will rally the Mujahidin, the Kurds, and all our Middle-Eastern allies, Gandeth said. I will return to check your progress and inform you of mine.

Then I think it is time to get started, Dr. Mints said, and the trio adjourned.

Chapter 1

Forming the Band

Camelot Park

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.

1995

The Saturday morning sun, shined through every bedroom window facing eastward, and John Colin Stamper, Jr., woke with a yawn. He dressed in jeans, a Metallica tee-shirt, Nike sneakers, and a St. Louis Cardinals ball cap, and descended the stairs of his family’s Colonial Style house to the kitchen. He placed a pair of Eggo waffles in the toaster, got out a plate and put an apple on it. Once he insured his parents were still too asleep to notice that he was up, Jack took a Diet Coke from the fridge, knowing that his father (who always fretted over his son’s addiction to sweets), would complain if he saw him with one. The waffles were done in a minute, and Jack then ascended the stairs to the den, to watch MTV’s top twenty video countdown. Mystical, his beagle, settled himself on the couch next to him.

Jack Stamper, as his friends always called him, turned the television on. He mainly watched it for rock videos, but liked some rap, but muted pop videos. People in school would often taunt him for favoring rock music and was often told the bands he liked worshiped Satan. Jack dismissed that, deeming they needed to relearn things about music.

As Jack pondered over the teasing, he recollected how two years earlier, a similar scenario began. The Stamper family moved to Atlanta from Smithville, Tennessee, just before school began, and Jack’s fifth grade teacher kept a snake in the classroom for scientific purposes. Upon seeing him feed the snake a live rat, and remembering an experience where he was bit one, Jack’s fear became visible to the class, and they started teasing him about it. It seemingly spread throughout the school overnight, and it succumbed to where everywhere Jack went in school and in his neighborhood, people ridiculed him for that.

Even so, Jack had quite a lot of friends, but it was hard for him to believe because many of them, such as the Dawson brothers, had other friends that weren’t always nice to him. One of the foremost of them was a football aficionado named Brett Markinson, who told people who did not attend their elementary school and threatened to break one’s foot if they did not imitate a mouse. Another chief contender was Chris Lamb, leader of the Block Street Gang, who terrorized Atlanta. Often when Jack was out riding his bike on pretty weekend afternoons, he would encounter Lamb in a car with one of his cohorts, who would pursue and taunt him at every turn in the neighborhood. After the first time Jack encountered Lamb, his parents insisted he no longer carry the water gun he always carried when he went riding, claiming that was the reason. Jack reluctantly consented knowing that he would have been ridiculed if he never carried it. The reason Jack carried the water guns, was because in his family’s old neighborhood in Smithville, bullies would often attack him with water guns, and he would therefore be able to get them back. When they moved to Atlanta people would often ask Jack why he carried the water gun, and since he relinquished it, they would ask why, and for each time he gave them the same answer, It’s complicated.

It was clear that most of the tormentors, thought was delusional because of some of his proclivities. Jack, however, liked to think of himself as one of the protagonists of his favorite books and movies. If not, he saw himself as a noble knight or honorable samurai, only in modern America, a dying breed of hero.

Bobby Sullivan was another one of the people who constantly agitated Jack, because his impersonation of rats and mice was the most authentic. Having also lived in Smithville and moved to Atlanta a year after Jack and his family, Sullivan knew many ways to torment him, and encouraged others to do the same. Things worsened because the teachers in Jack’s classes concluded that Sullivan had harassed people his whole life and simply told him to ignore it, which did not help, because when he tried to leave the antagonist would follow. Worst of all, the faculty concluded that because Sullivan came from a divided family, there was nothing they could do and would not try to stop him when he picked on Jack or anyone else. Sullivan came to be disliked by many other kids, because his mother convinced him that hygiene was a waste of time, and he thus rarely bathed. When mentioning Sullivan in a conversation Jack would refer to him by his surname, as he did with Lamb and other people who teased him, and when mentioning teachers, he left off prefixes, to his parents’ dismay, who assumed he addressed them that way. Fortunately, however, none of Jack’s other friends knew Sullivan, and therefore they did not taunt him about him.

As Jack changed channels during commercials and when they played videos for songs he disliked, he brooded over how for nearly a year he felt contempt for the Dawson brothers, Ben and Drew, and would attack them with the water gun whenever he saw them. Because of Asperger syndrome Jack could not tell when people were joking or trying to agitate him and tried to tell them they could do that with anybody but him. He was all the same eager to find atonement. Ben and Drew had liked taunting and mimicking people their whole lives, and when Jack and his family moved to Atlanta, they did not consider that their ideas of friendship might not appease him because they were accustomed to friends who felt the mutual. Jack, for his part, had always been used to friends interested in engaging in the same pastimes and watching the same shows as he, and did not consider that his new friends would be different. Having played basketball since they were five, Ben and Drew often had games or practice at the same time Jack wanted to spend time with them. They were also not always interested in watching the same shows as Jack in the afternoon after school. Ben and Drew were also unaware that Jack had Asperger’s syndrome, which is part of the autism spectrum, and therefore change was difficult for him. Having Asperger’s gave Jack a bad habit of forgetting how well-meaning one is once they do too many things that irritate him. With the aid of their mutual friends, Brad Marsh and Lee Daniels, however, Jack was able to reconcile with the brothers, and came to think of them as two of his best friends.

Things were not perfect, however, leastways with Ben, who would occasionally try impersonating his voice. Jack would tell him he did not like it, and Ben would deny that he was, although he only heard him use that voice in his presence. Ben would also answer the door when Jack came to their family’s house, by roaring like a wild animal. He would repeatedly say Jack’s name in a high voice and act as if he never did and would tap his shoulder as if he wanted something and then act as if he did not, saying it was someone else. He would ask Jack if his intent was to do something, and if he said yes, he would say, No you’re not. He claimed that his friends that annoyed Jack were on their way over, and blamed his bodily functions on him, yet this usually only happened in the presence of certain people, particularly Markinson, who would constantly tell him how to play video games. The football fanatic would remind Jack of embarrassing moments or times he did things he was not proud of, such as a summer earlier at E.S.P. which stood for Extended School Program, but to Jack Extended School Prison, where a supervisor got tired of him imploring to get people to stop imitating mice, and had them all circle around them doing so, causing him to scream with fury. Other examples are during the last school year when Jack’s private area itched at a time where students could not leave the classroom, and he tried improvising as best he could, and in fifth grade, while being teased and unable to take it anymore, he knocked the wind out of a kid who was merely being friendly. Aside from all that, Jack did what he could to forgive Ben and Drew for the times they annoyed him and forgive himself for being rude to them. He wanted to think of them as great friends, and try saying the same about Markinson, but he knew that would be harder. On the light side of things, the Dawsons, most often Drew, would assist Jack in his attempts to change the subject, and get the teasers to leave him alone, which he deeply appreciated. He was extremely grateful to Drew, when he told him, that he, his brother, and Lee were getting together with people who often teased him and did not want Jack to feel insane.

Jack’s mother, Emily Ledford Stamper, was also helpful in him coming to terms with Ben and Drew, reminding him of the good things they did. Jack told her that he still missed his carefree life in Smithville and liked being the way he was. Emily assured him he could still be like that in most ways, only take interest in what his new friends did, which is why he tried out for basketball, in order to spend more time with the Dawsons in an attempt to make up for what happened, and barely made the team, rarely getting to play. Jack had to retain three of his past affinities, however. He wore a ball cap, or some other kind of hat, wherever he went, and only removed it for sleep, bathing, and when he was forced to. He had to watch The Simpsons, his favorite show, to escape the wear and tear of the day. Last of all, Jack continued purchasing action figures, albeit only to display on shelves in his room, but he did occasionally play with them, along with Jason and his friend, Taylor Foreman, though they did not often want to play the way he did, and insulted his characters.

With the Dawson brothers as his friends again, Jack was coming to be friends with many other people, which was also a result of his friendship with Heather Bennett, Crown Princess of Atlanta, and her cousin, Princess Erin De Soto of Savannah. Many of which were pretty girls, including Countesses Meredith Brockwell and Ashley Simmons, the former an orphan adopted by the Atlanta monarch family, and the latter originally an Australian who was held back by her inconsistent size due to Hobbit ancestor. Others were a Chinese orphan who lived with the monarchs, named Charlotte Woo and Lady Jessica Channon. For that reason, Jack was eager to spend the weekend with those people, because every other one that month of October he was talked into doing stuff with the three people he saw every day. The first weekend they convinced him to go spend the weekend at his grandparent’s house in Augusta, and the next, which was Lakewood Middle’s fall break, they talked him into going to Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and each time the CDs in his walkman began to skip causing him to shout profanities, angering his parents and brother, Jason. Jason also constantly begged Jack to let him listen to it, when he was not done with it. His parents would say that it was too loud when it worked right, and acted as if they did not care, making Jack feel like a nuisance. The same was true when Jack would speak during dinner, his voice would raise and his father would waive his hand up and down, annoying him. The part that was hard for Jack was when he would try talking to his grandparents about how bullies such as Lamb, Sullivan, Markinson, and the Block Gang, in hopes they would at least show empathy for him, but his father interrupted saying, John Colin is learning to ignore these people, making him feel deflated. The toughest for him though was Jack tried inviting one of his friends to accompany them on the Gatlinburg trip, but was unable to because they already had plans. Moreover, on the hiking trails Jack tried to be careful due to a knee injury and operation that occurred six months earlier, that impeded his gait, but his father constantly told him to walk faster, to his chagrin.

People always talked told Jack he could not be treated different because of Asperger’s but he didn’t want to bet treated different or special he just wanted to be treated like he was normal.

Even so, that happened weeks ago, and Jack wanted to endure. For that he tried to see what videos were on the countdown, and changed if it was one, he disliked, or would mute if he disliked the song, but enjoyed the video’s content. Eventually he heard several artist talk about how they wished to be professional musicians since they were children, and that made Jack realize that he had played guitar since he was six, and often played while singing to himself about what he was thinking, most often about experiences during the day or his favorite books and movies, as well as ones he had recently read and/or watched. Having a unique imagination that worked in mysterious way, and a knack for creatively expressing himself, he would be an outstanding songwriter. In conclusion, Jack chose he would look into starting a band, which would play mainly guitar, based hard rock, but would often use the influence of other musical genres. Aware that Bradford Lawrence Marsh, III, his oldest friend, had played drums and other percussion instruments as long as he played guitar, Jack picked up the phone and dialed his family’s home phone number. After three rings the phone was answered by a woman Jack had never known as ‘Ms. Marsh’.

Hey, Anne is Brad up yet? he asked.

Actually, he is just now getting out of the shower, Jack, Anne said, sweetly. I’ll go get him.

He heard Anne’s footsteps for a moment, along with her telling Brad Jack was on the phone, as she handed him the receiver.

Hey, dude, what’s up, Jack would recognize Brad Marsh’s unique, deep voice if it was him who called.

Brad, the reason I am calling is because for one thing, you and I have not got to spend time together with our friends on the weekend all month, and the other is I was just watching this thing on MTV, where these rockers were talking about how they wanted to be professional musicians since they were kids, and some had already begun when they were our age. Well, that made me think that you and I have played guitar and drums since we were six, and we sound great together. So, I think we can start a band, I can play guitar; you can play drums and percussion.

Yeah, that’s a great idea, Jack, Brad said. But which one of us will sing?

Jack thought a moment. He mastered the difficult talent of singing and playing guitar a year after he learned the instrument and could now do so as if he were flicking a light switch. Brad was also an outstanding singer, and he had a feeling that his friend would want to do so, too.

We can both sing, Jack said when his mind was made up. No one said we can’t do that.

Yeah, that’s true, man, Brad said, showing accordance.

Now we just need a bass guitarist, and maybe another guitarist. Jack thought about asking James Hale, who he called Bubba. He was a year older than Jack and was in his first guitar training class in Smithville before he moved to Atlanta. Bubba had not been available much lately because he was in some after school program, he was not allowed to talk about that often went out of town. The only information he gave Jack and Brad about it was they would probably know soon enough. Jack brought his mind back to the status quo.

And a keyboardist won’t hurt either, Jack, but I think we should focus on finding people we know who play instrument. Brad tried to think of someone he knew who played such instruments. You know, Ben and Drew have played guitar and bass since they were eight. We can invite them into the band.

Jack considered his earlier brooding and consented that that was the best way to patch things up with them, for the times he let his inner sociopath get the better of him. He then continued the conversation.

Good idea, Brad. I’ll meet you at their house.

Cool, man, get your guitars and amps and I’ll set up my drums in my garage so we can practice.

With that, Jack hung up, went to his room placing a Fender Stratocaster electric and Washburn acoustic in a case designed to carry two guitars. It had a strap to carry it over ones back, thus making carrying it easier for him to transport on his Trek bike. The bike also had an affixation that allowed him to carry the miniature Marshall Amplifier. Though uncertain of how Ben and Drew would respond to the offer of being in the band, he was particularly glad that it would include his oldest friend. He could not see himself in a band without the short, stocky auburn-haired kid of Romany decent.

The Dawson family’s two-story home was located in the center of Camelot Park, and for that they were acquainted with nearly every family in the neighborhood, particularly those that lived on a street called Regency. Jack began peddling that way, with Mystical following, once he had his equipment secure on the bike. Coincidently, the Stamper and Marsh families lived on opposite sides of the neighborhood, Jack’s family to the east, Brad’s to the west. Ergo, Jack and Brad would arrive at their family’s house simultaneously, giving the former relief that it meant, Ben would be less likely to do what he called, his roar thing.

They set the kickstands on their bikes, leaving them by the garage, made way to the front door and rang the bell. David Dawson answered the door thirty-seconds later, greeting the boys as they did the same.

Drew is in the shower, and Ben is just getting something to eat, come on in, he said, and they obliged, each saying, Thanks, Mr. Dawson.

They settled themselves in chairs and on the sofa in the living room, around a coffee table in front of the television, talking to Ben, wearing a blue polo shirt, jeans, and wire-framed glasses, who petted Mystical and asked what they were up to that pretty Saturday. Jack and Brad clarified that the reason they came was an offering for Ben and his brother and preferred to tell them so when he was dry and dressed. Drew, in a Guns ‘n’ Roses tee-shirt and jeans, joined them with a bowl of Wheaties ten minutes later, greeting Jack and Brad, and petting the beagle. Seeing the way Drew was dressed, and observing that his long brown hair and no glasses were the only ways anyone could distinguish him from Ben, gave him the perception that he would make an exceptional addition to the band, along with his brother who also looked much like a rocker.

Well, dudes, the reason Jack and I are hear is we’re putting together a hard rock band, Brad said. Jack plays guitar, I play drums and percussion, and we both sing.

We are looking for a bassist, and maybe another guitarist, Jack said. You know I have been very eager to make up with you guys for the time I was such a jerk, so if you are interested, Brad and I would be more than glad to have you in the band.

His idea, Brad added, jovially.

Yeah, that sounds fun, Jack, Drew said. We’re in.

But we still need to decide which of us will play guitar, and which will play bass, Ben said.

I got a quarter you can toss to decide, Brad said, laughing and handing them a quarter.

You can of course take turns, Jack suggested.

That can get confusing, though, Ben said.

You’re right, Ben, Jack consented.

Drew took the quarter from Brad. He declared if he won, he would play guitar. Ben agreed, and Drew tossed the coin in the air, and it landed on heads. He then gave the quarter back to Brad.

You know, Jack, I also play banjo and sitar, Drew said. I know we’re going to be a rock group, but do you think we can try incorporating those instruments to it.

It won’ hurt, Drew, there is no rule saying they can’t use them in rock and roll.

I know you and Brad said that you are going to be the singers, Ben said. But Drew and I are also good singers, so can we.

We don’t know if either of you can sing as good, Drew said, as a jest.

Drew, you have heard us sing before, Jack said, calling his bluff.

I was just joking.

I know that, so was I, Jack said. And you know what, we can do like the Beatles, we can all sing, which is another good thing about rock; there is no rule that says a band can only have one or even two singers.

He has a point, Drew, Brad said.

And I’m sure we can take the mics off the stands once in a while.

I don’t see a reason not to.

But one more thing, Jack, can I play lead, Drew asked.

Well, since we both know every chord, can both play solos, and sing while playing, we can take turns playing rhythm and lead, Jack said.

That’s not a rule, Brad said.

The brothers each nodded, showing they consented.

You know Lee has played keyboard instruments since he was six, Drew said. We can ask if he is interested.

That sounds cool, Drew, Jack said.

You see, I was setting my drums up in my garage so we can practice, Brad said. You two can come join us whenever you’re ready.

Well, Drew and I are going to do some errands with Brett at the mall, Ben said. We said we’ll meet him at three. We’ll play with you until then.

That sounded like a good idea to Jack, but he had a qualm when Markinson was mentioned, and hoped that if he saw him, would not taunt him. Even so, he would do what he could to not let it bother him. Luckily, things usually would only get out of control when there were more people than Jack, Brad, Ben, Drew, and Lee. If offered