THE HOME STRETCH

“Sir! We have a problem!”Came an alarmed voice from the watch tower. There was commotion in the room as Sleek the intricate made his way swiftly toward the wide-screen at the front of the room.

“Look who we have here!”

“Oh-oh! He’s coming our way!” Came a wary exclamation.

“What’s the guardian’s position?” Enquired Sleek, his tone oozing great urgency.

Almost immediately, the guardian flashed into the room exasperated and wearing an alarmed look on his face.

“Where is everyone else?” Barked a furious Sleek!

“Mission aborted sir! Our…our…we capsized…our boat drowned…Oh! It was horrible! The fore for…fff!” The guardian struggled to speak.

“Now, put your mouth in order or I will capsize it and you besides for sure!” Retorted an irritated Sleek authoritatively.

There was dense silence in the room as the guardian swallowed hard, his body shaking uncontrollably.

“We were on course. The confusion tactic had worked so well before hell broke loose. The herald was falling into a lapse when all of a sudden it seemed Alpha opened his eyes. The next thing we knew he had agreed to conduct the procedure. We exchanged some nervous glances, not sure what to do next. Then he saw us! He suddenly hurled a swarm of locusts at us throwing us into such unprecedented panic.

“The water current was tremendous and swirling. The hippopohotomous! Hippohorrotettanus I mean!! Such savage monsters descended on us like they were on pay!”

“What are you talking about?!” Interjected a stern-faced Sleek.

“Hippopohoto…hip-hippotrohoto…hipporot…hipsosohotot…The he…he…he water animals-creatures!”

The room was threatening to explode with laughter as the visibly traumatized guardian struggled to come to terms with his ordeal.

“I heard the spine chilling cries of my team members. I must have been at the climax of my predicament at the same moment the procedure was underway. The current had already overwhelmed me and I was going down fast. For one moment, one right fleeting moment, I thought my eyes saw what seemed like someone’s face somewhere under the cold water. A reflection of his face rather. It shone with the radiance of the sun. It was a vivid fleeting moment. The water-life underneath resounded with  much joy and glamour.That explains how come I’m here. I reached out; I knew it was my life-line.One that was clearly undeserved.”

The room went eerily still. The guardian seemed absorbed in a trance.

“I remembered my childhood, when my heart knew no rebellion. Only innocence. I longed for that. At the brink of death, I saw the difference so clearly only we were worlds apart. I just can’t come to terms with how much time I have wasted. I know I’m in his hands though. All I need to know.”

“Oh yeah?” interjected Sleek, his cold-blooded eyes riveted at the guardian’s tear soaked face as nervous glances changed all across the room.

“It is so late to change anything I know…” With one vicious swing of his arm, the guardian’s lifeless body slumped onto the ground as the focus turned on the startling phenomena on the giant screen eclipsing the better part of the wall. No one moved.

It was the image of one dressed in a royal sparkling robe that reached down to his feet. He had a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, with penetrating eyes that shone like a blazing fire. He stood next to the riverbank, a few feet from the herald, with feet like bronze glowing in a furnace, his face shinning like the sun in its brilliance: The epitome of Majesty!

“Shall we go take him out?”Retorted a mean looking mercenary standing next to Sleek, his ugly shaped lethal weapon firmly cocked in his hands.

Suddenly, what seemed like the sound of a mighty rushing wind rend the air. It was the roar of a warrior, reminiscent of a war jet. The ground shook violently. As they watched, what appeared like a miniature air jet circled above him, the sky wide open. It was the shape of a gentle bird, the mystery of the roar and the bleat in one! It rested on him as the watchful herald saluted in resonance. A silver inscription was embedded on it. “All knowing-All powerful-All present.” His focus was steadfast, like one captured in a Blazing Trail.

“I present to you Alpha the Majestic. He is before all things; in him all things hold together!” Thundered a deep voice from the sky.

***

Sleek the intricate was up in arms as he concluded his hurriedly convened brief at the drawing board. His units were mapped out across Alpha’s route.

“No mistakes and definitely no room for childhood memories of innocence on this one! We must decisively intercept him. We shall all convene at 40 Degrees for the grand finale. We cannot allow him to go beyond that mark as from then on he would be fighting from a winning position. I don’t have to remind you he likes being before all things! Remember your primary goal is to freeze him on his trail before 40 Degrees. You all just saw the latest development. He’s armed and dangerous. If he succeeds in passing this baton to his trail of followers, the plot thickens for all of us. Be careful! This brief is over.”

***

40 DEGREES LATER

Alpha the Majestic was visibly exhausted as he blazed his trail at 40 degrees. Sleek walked boldly towards him, his robust demeanor creating a sharp contrast to Alpha’s frail frame.

“We finally meet! Guess what! I was expecting you. Your resilience is breathtaking I must point out. How is Michael?!” Alpha remained still.

“I know just how hungry you are. You don’t have to keep it at the straight and narrow. This is clearly not the environment under which you want your mission to run.It’s too restrictive. We have options. You and I know there will be no reinforcements coming your way any time soon. You are deserted…at my mercies. Be reasonable. How about some fruit salad? Never mind. We will keep it free of forbidden fruit elements. Cooperate and I will safely navigate you through the crisis. Just let me help you. All you have to do is do as I tell you.

“You know you are fighting a losing battle. Your trail of helpless grasshoppers do not stand a chance with me, not with their constant self-preservation,self-seeking and craving nature. You are unable to pull through. How do you suppose they will make it?

“Hold it right there!I have pulled through, Sleek.” Interrupted Alpha,catching an unsuspecting Sleek off guard.

“They will pull through, each one of them. For not a single onslaught from you shall prevail.” His voice was like the sound of rushing waters. “It has been a long road correcting what went wrong two centuries back thanks to your fruit salad antics! I’m making things right and that’s not information! I am in charge here!You have no chance of staging a second upset! My trail is blazing on to victory.”

As he spoke, a magnificent light shone brilliantly around them. An awe-inspiring city surfaced before them. It was a breathtaking scene, radiating the glamour of refined gold in a glass essence. Its wall was made of a red, iron bearing Chalcedony. Jasper, Sapphire, Emerald, Sardonyx, Carnelian, Chrysolite, Beryl, Topaz, Chrysoprase, Jacinth and Amethyst was the glamour that adorned its foundations. It was a dazzling sight, the glory within and around spectacular.

“Welcome to the home stretch. The past, present and future united in a formidable display at consummation. A race with a ready secured victorious end.For this glorious prize,revealed to them in my wisdom,they will successfully resist your snares though they be many and intricate. It’s the sound of victory. The pomp of the prisoners and captives in freedom, the sweet aroma of the healing balm, gently massaged on the wounded hearts. It’s the rumble for victory, and the course setting light to destiny.”

Sleek turned to leave, then paused for a moment. “I’ll be back.” He sorely grumbled.

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