If David Eddings had watched me today

It was dark and early, but that did nothing to dim Adam's elation. It was cold, but the fire in his heart could not be quenched. Adam had finished his novitiate study of the human mind, and after what he considered to be an excessively long period of examination, he had been accepted to one of the finest academies in the land. There he would learn the skills he would need to stem the flow of the not-so- secret Zemoch invasion.

He would need to travel more than 70 leagues this day to arrive at the designated spot. There he would serve the God of masonry for three full days, erecting various structures, of such curious and advanced design, that they could only come from the Gods. He had been obliged to leave his sweet Lisa, but not even this could dampen his spirit; for she loved him, and would be there when he returned.

He was intrigued by this chariot that had been provided for him by Preston, one of the younger Gods of masonry. It had small devices around the rein sphere. These devices told him that he would span nearly 25 leagues every hour. Though Adam saw the world whizzing by him at great speed he still had trouble believing that such a velocity was possible.

To his right slept a young Cherek warrior, his companion in today's sacrifice. He held the same fascination that all Chereks had for his newly acquired facial hair and he wore it with pride. Normally Adam would have done the same, but in preparation for his rapidly approaching training, during which facial hair was forbidden, he was well shaved.

Adam began to be disturbed. Despite his elation at his good fortune to be so favored by his nation, his wife and the Masonic God he currently served, it was still early, and with no friendly conversation from his young Cherek companion, he began to feel drowsy. He had taken long trips in carriages and chariots before. But this one was different. The wheels were not the wooden constructions that he was used to, conveying immediately to the backside of the driver the presence of each and every pebble and rut of the road. They were made of some curious concoction that resembled pitch but was tougher, yet soft enough to deaden the pounding of the road. The seat was of leather but so obviously filled with vast amounts of goose down as to be soft yet firm.

It was then that he discovered another wonderful yet terrifying feature of this strange chariot. Upon massaging certain oddly marked spots to the right of the reining circle, the many captive spirits would magically serenade him, their songs seemingly coming from nowhere and yet from all around him. These spirits had strange names, like Metalica, Evanescence, and Shinedown, but they provided exciting melodies with strong pulsating rhythmic tones, like musical lightning, that served to keep Adam awake and alert. In time he found that they repeated certain refrains and he was able to sing along.

He was not alone on this road. Many of these strange chariots roamed the grand causeway as well. One driver in particular felt the need to lower her velocity to a speed below 7 leagues per hour when the signs by the side of the road clearly indicated that 15 was a perfectly safe and respectable speed. As destiny would have it, these signs were also accompanied by signs prohibiting the passing of such individuals. Adam gritted his teeth, and growled a curse to Gee-em the God of little old ladies in Cadillacs.

He looked out the portal of the speeding chariot, and beheld deep, well vegetated canyons. Surely there would be some "Rebels" in those small valleys that needed to be hunted down, but that was another activity, and a totally different genre, and it was not to interfere with his sacrifice to the younger gods of Masonry this day.

And so, singing energetically along with the imprisoned souls of this, the strangest of chariots, Adam safely completed his journey of 70 leagues in less than 3 hours. He exited the chariot, firmly donned his protective gauntlets and armored helm to began this week’s sacrifice.