Cletus's return

James and joy were sitting together with Dominic when they heard a knock.

"Who is that?" James asked while approaching the door with caution.

"Cletus your friend." He said as James recognized his voice. He opened the door and before him stood Cletus who looked a bit rough with Ashra.

"Welcome back Cletus, we have all missed you." He said as he hugged Cletus tightly.

" I have missed you too friend." He replied with a voice filled with emotion. They then let go of each other and they went into the house and Joy ran to hug him as she shed tears of joy.

"It is okay, don't wet my clothes with your tears." He said jokingly as she let go of him and playfully slapped him.

" Look at you, it has been ten years since we last saw you." She said with an excited voice.

" You know service has not let me return here but here I am with all of you." He said with a proud smile as he looked at Ashra who smiled back and squeezed his hand.

"You look hungry, let me bring a big meal for you and your woman to eat." Joy suggested as she went inside.

" Thank you very much Joy, I need that." He said as he sat down. Dominic then came to James's feet and climbed to his lap.

"Is that Dominic my godson? You look so much like your mother. I am so happy to see you." He said as he took him from his father's lap and gave him a gold necklace.

"That is your uncle Cletus. I told you about him remember?" James asked as Dominic nodded in agreement. Cletus then put the necklace on his neck and James gestured for him to leave for his room which he promptly obeyed.

Joy then came with his food and put it on the table as he thanked her for the food. She and Ashra then started talking.

"How has your campaign in the valley of Hurk been going?" James asked him.

" Well, bandits have been on the rise for the past months than ever. I am really confused." He said.

" Do you think that this could be one of Benard's plans to enter Fadian?"

" I think so but it could just be due to the fact that a lot of people move to Fadian from there because of Benard's control of every other entrance to Fadian." He replied.

" Okay I can also see that possibility. And Benard has been seriously raging against Fadian. He has been sending letters threatening the king of Fadian and his people."

" Benard is really dangerous, you must be ready for anything or Fadian will be his for the taking."

" Is there any update on the Dichanians concerning our offer to become allies?"

" Well I would say that they are divided, for now we will wait."

" Okay, I hope the people will unite and realize how the Snake army is using them."

" Many of them know that they are being used but allow it because of what they have to gain. They don't want to loose the benefits of supporting Benard just like the men of Bawsi behaved."

" I believe that they will see the light and come out of that darkness one day."

" Hopefully James they will. I hope you have heard that Stanley who controls many of the bandits in the desert has formed an alliance with Benard."

" That is very strange, the two of them hate each other so much."

" Yes it is and that is why we should be more wary of Benard. Stanley's men are brutal and Stanley is not a joke."

" We will be ready for them and their men." James said as he helped him to carry his food as soon as he was done.

"We have to prepare for the festival of lights tommorow. That was why I came back here." Cletus said as he signalled that he was on his way out.

" Oh Cletus I hope I will see you in the ceremony ground tommorow? " Joy said as he opened the door.

" Sure I will be there to celebrate." He said as he put Ashra on the horse and they both disappeared into the darkness as James watched.

As Cletus was leading the horse, he noticed some movement in the woods. He then put himself on high alert as they moved through the narrow road. He then told Ashra to be quiet as she tried to talk to him. The two of them were still moving as a man jumped from a nearby tree and landed in front of Cletus while brandishing a sword.

"Good evening my friend, we have been waiting for you." The man said as more men came out from the woods and surrounded them.

" We are not friends and who are you?" He asked as he drew out his two pickaxes.

" We are Benard's men and we just want to show what Benard would do to you when he strikes." The man said as they advanced towards them.

" Where is your master or is he scared of showing his face?" He bellowed at them.

" He is here somewhere but it is none of your business." He said with an evil smirk as Ashra threw a dagger at the man in front of them and it hit him in his right eye. Immediately, Cletus threw one of the axes at the Snake soldier behind him and climbed on the horse and urged it on as it kicked the man in front of them away.

"Get them!" He screamed as he grabbed his eye. Cletus then brought out his bow and arrows as he gave Ashra the reins to handle. He then started to shoot at the Snake soldiers as soon as he was well balanced on the horse. He then saw that they were throwing their weapons at the horse so that it could be weakened.

"Ashra enter the woods right now!" He said with urgency evident in his voice. She immediately led the horse into the woods as they continued to move in the cover of the woods as the Snake soldiers were still chasing them but they couldn't attack the horse properly anymore because of the bushes. Suddenly, a man jumped from a tree and threw him off from the horse. Ashra wanted to stop but he told her to run away.

He immediately brought out his axe and whacked the man who brought him down on the chest and started running deeper into the forest. He then hid behind an abandoned hut as he was very tired.

"We must find him, nobody must know that we have arrived here or we are dead." One of the men said.

" He can't be far-off, I am sure of that. But look at that hut over there, some of you should continue the search while we check inside the hut for him. Cletus then controlled his breathing as they approached the hut as he stepped away from the hut and hid behind a tree. One of the men went to the back of the hut as he inspected the area. Immediately an idea came to his head and as soon as the man left the back of the hut and went inside to meet the others who were inside and were drinking and eating their spare food. Cletus then made a fire and as soon as he made the fire, he cut off a small tree which fell on the hut and because of how weak the hut was, it collapsed. Cletus then threw the torch at the hut which led to an explosion and one of the men ran out of the hut while screaming and Cletus knocked him out with a piece of wood and dragged him away from the scene.

After hours of walking, he finally got out of the woods and saw a small house ahead and went ahead to knock at the door and as soon as the door opened, he was met with the face of an old woman who seemed scared because of his magical eye and his scary face.

"I come in peace ma. May I stay at your place for the night?" He asked politely with a smile.

" What brings you here in the first place?" She asked suspiciously.

" I was being chased by Snake soldiers and I have managed to escape." He said as he showed her the Snake soldier he captured.

She then allowed him in as he requested for a rope which he used to tie him up. He then thanked the woman who helped him dress some of the scratches he sustained from falling from the horse and went to sleep in the room she prepared for him.