CHAPTER 1

A Sleepless Dawn

Never feed a dinosaur something that smells like you.They get the wrong idea. Ten thousand two legged dark reddinosaurs clawed the ground inside the northern cavernsof the volcano ne'Venge and they were hungry. Their ridersprepared for war by donning scary looking orange and blackarmor. Dyed green from birth, the nine foot tall giants stunklike volcanic ash.

Crexor, general of the Nephilim, grabbed the reins of hismighty carnotaur. It reared up and roared. At his commandthe vast horde rode with him into the night. He promised hissupernaturally sinister giants they would conquer the KnownLands, but Crexor also had a secret plan. He planned to liveforever and needed the flaming sword from the Garden ofEden to do it.

* * *

Jerad could not sleep. He tossed and turned in the predawnhours of his twelfth birthday. Today Grandpapa Adam wouldtake him on pilgrimage to see the Sword of Fire guardingthe Garden of Eden. Jerad had waited years for this day andnow dawn still seemed so far off. He stared at the red brickbedroom wall and then at the wood beams in the ceiling. Herolled left. He rolled right. Finally he sat up and kicked off hiscovers.

Jerad was a stocky, strong kid with short blond hair. Afterslipping on his favorite brown pants and blue shirt, he walkedto his third story window. From there he could see the fortresscourtyard. In the light of the full moon he could see mistrising from the ground watering the whole valley. All sorts ofwild dinosaurs (saurs for short) roamed everywhere on thefrontier of Seth's Land of Neer. But it was quiet at the moment.Too quiet.

* * *

Miserable. Methu felt miserable. He could barely movewithout searing pain. Methu stared at the dying embers oflast night's fire. His left arm still felt hot from the brandingceremony. Each firstborn male heir of Cain got Cain's "mark"burned into their left forearm on the eve of their twelfthbirthday. It looked like a big X.

Methu wasn't looking forward to dawn. That meant thetrial. A trial always came the day after the branding. What abirthday present. He looked at his arm again and gingerlytouched the singed flesh. Ouch.

Methu's greasy haired father, Mehuja, called it a mark ofhonor. Not that he saw his father much. Beyond his father'sfierceness with a branding iron, Methu didn't know him at all.At the moment, his father's hunting caravan camped high upin the mountains in the land of Nod. Food was hard to find.Nothing liked it up here in Cain's Land of Nod but the rocks.

* * *

Jerad grabbed his slingshot and ammo. No one walkedunarmed in this wilderness even when at home. He decidedto head for the four story fortress tower in the center of thecourtyard where his dad usually prayed. Dad prayed threetimes a day: at dawn, noon, and dusk. Jerad understood hisdad spoke to God, but he wondered if God ever spoke back.Grandpapa Adam and Grandmama Eve walked and talkedwith God in the Garden of Eden, but that was centuries agoand not everyone believed their tales of Eden. As for Jerad, hewasn't sure what to make of it all.

While crossing the center of the fortress courtyardJerad heard the dreaded sound of wings flapping.Rhamphorhynchus! Four hungry saurs with razor sharp teethflew straight for him. He fired his slingshot and hit one rightin the head. He clipped the second saur in the wing. The thirdone swooped down trying to bite him. Jerad rolled on theground and took it out with another hit. He went for anotherstone to kill the fourth one and came up empty! He was out ofammo.

The last hungry saur dove at him. This was going to hurt.Then he heard a swooshing sound and watched an arrow nailthe vicious thing to the ground. Jerad looked up at the top ofthe fortress tower and saw his dad lower his bow.

"Tell me again why we live out here?" Jerad called outwhile dusting himself off. He wasn't mad. This was just life.

"The dominion mandate: God's command to fill theearth and subdue it," Jerad's father, Mahalalel, replied as helowered his bow. Each firstborn male of a generation starteda new village at age sixty. Mahalalel had founded his village ofEl-Denn seventeen years ago. After clearing forest land andplanting farm fields, he built this stone fortress to protect hisgrowing family. A narrow subterranean tunnel to the northerncliffs provided a way of escape should the need arise. Only heand his wife, Lorilalel, knew how to open the secret passage.He hoped he would never need it and he never did.

"When is Grandpapa Adam going to get here?" Jerad askedwhile springing up the steps toward his father.

"I suppose as soon as he wants to. Are you ready to go?"Mahalalel asked with a smile as the first ray of dawn brokeover the horizon.

"Yes!" Jerad laughed. Was he ready? He had been ready forthis trip his whole life and all night and it all took so very long.

"Go help Mom until he gets here, please. I'll be there after Ifinish my prayer time."

"Ok," Jerad mumbled as he ambled back down the steps.He was in a hurry to go see the sword, not in a hurry to help.

Jerad's mom missed the morning sunrise as usual. Shetypically had no time for such things if the family hoped toeat breakfast. The twelve kitchen fireplaces were lit, dozensof servants were busy, and the food was coming togethernicely. Lorilalel sat down for a moment. Her back ached as herunborn child kicked for the last time before settling into a longnap. She just knew she was having another daughter. Jeradwalked in and plopped down in the middle of everything.

"Morning, Mom."

"Good morning, Jerad. Did you sleep well?"

"Not a wink. When's Grandpapa Adam going to get here?Dad doesn't know."

"I suppose when he wants to. You know the `First Made'man; Adam does what he wants in the time that he needs."

"I hope he gets here soon," Jerad stood up and drew outan imaginary sword and waved it around. "I want to see theburning blade. Does it catch the Garden of Eden on fire?"

"I don't think so. The cherubim take care of the sword dayand night. They never need rest." Lorilalel thought about that.How could anything just go on and on anyway? Then shemoved on to more pressing matters, "Please check on yourbrother and bring me your sister."

"Aww ... ok," Jerad grumbled and mumbled his way tothe bed chambers of his siblings. As the oldest he got his ownroom on the third floor. But being the oldest meant moreresponsibility. His ten-year-old brother, Terad, was cool mostof the time, but baby Lelai was a big pain.

Of course Lelai was crying. A stinky smell filled the air.So, he went to Terad's room and unceremoniously pushed hisbrother out of bed. Then he waited impatiently while theirnew nanny, Taya, changed Lelai's diaper in the baby's room.After scooping up his wailing sister, he nearly sprinted back tothe kitchen.

"Here she is," Jerad said as he handed his sister over to hismom. The baby stopped crying instantly. "Can I go now?"

"As soon as you set the water pitchers on the tables you cango."

* * *

Methu woke up drenched by a big bucket of water. Heinstinctively grabbed his boomerang in self defense.

"Rise and shine trial boy," laughed Deli. Methu's motheralways liked a joke at someone else's expense. Methu did notfind it funny and his forearm still ached. Now his ragged blackhair was soaking wet for the first time in ages. He was a thin,wiry kid for his age and wore what he always wore: a raggedred shirt, black pants, and a worn out backpack to hold hisboomerang.

"What's for breakfast?" he asked.

"I ate the last of the frog bread a few minutes ago. Bringme back something if you find anything," Deli demanded. Shelicked her fingers and then went back to sleep.

As Methu left the tent, he noticed Sheli sleeping. She wasmother's favorite and as a big sister always bossed him around.Sheli liked to scare him with stories about velociraptors. Thatgave him an idea. He tiptoed over and carefully tied her longunkempt hair to a tent peg. He got ready to scare her whensomeone grabbed him by the neck and tossed him headlonginto a wagon.

"Hey!" Methu sputtered half upside down.

"Be quiet!" hissed Mehuja, "we're going to ask Cain aboutyour trial."

Methu sat up with arms crossed while Mehuja saddled up arather sickly looking four legged tenontosaurus about the sizeof a huge horse. His father whipped the saur to get it moving.The saur's yelp scared Sheli awake. She struggled to stand butcouldn't much move.

"I hope raptors eat you for breakfast!" she shrieked andthen began to cry. Strangely, Methu didn't find his joke thatfunny after all.

CHAPTER 2

Unexpected Absence

"Do not."

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

Terad and Jerad argued back and forth about whether ornot Cainites ate wolf meat.

"Knock it off," whispered their irritated mother. Breakfaststarted out ordinarily enough for the few hundred peoplegathered there. Dad had opened the meal with a prayer ofthanksgiving. But conversation had quickly turned to Adam'sunexpected absence.

"It's not like Adam to miss a meal," said grandpa Kenan.His dark clothes matched his dark shade of skin.

"I think he's in trouble," great-grandpa Enosh replied. Hislight skin tone nearly matched his off white shirt.

Jerad wasn't actually sure how many relatives he had. Withsix generations still living from Adam to himself, and newuncles and aunts and cousins born every year, it was hardto keep up. He pushed back from the table satisfied but notstuffed. He had never known real hunger. Not that he noticed.As long as food showed up on his plate, he didn't think muchabout it.

Suddenly the large double doors pushed open and all eyesturned toward a man standing in the doorway. The broadshouldered man wore a cloak and hood of dark green. He leanedwith both hands on a long white staff. Seth, son and legal heirof Adam, pulled back his hood revealing his middle brown facecomplete with bushy red hair and beard.

"I can't find my father!" Seth announced to the hushedcrowd. He walked in the room absentmindedly spinning hisstaff. The eight foot long white gopher wood stick was hismost prized possession. His father Adam had carved it for himcenturies ago. It served as a symbol of Seth's authority over allthe Sethite clans. One side read: "Love the Lord." The otherside read: "Defend the family."

"Let's split up to find him," Seth continued. "Kenan, takeMahalalel. Enosh, come with me." All the elders agreed. AfterLorilalel closed the meal with a prayer for blessing, everyonewent to the stables.

"I'm going to help find Grandpapa," Jerad declared as hewatched the men gather their dryosaurs at the front gate.

"You better ask first," replied Terad.

"Duh! I'm not about to get in trouble today of all days,"Jerad retorted as he ran up to his father. "Dad, can I go withyou? I want to help!"

Mahalalel leaned back in his saddle and gave it a moment'sthought. Jerad was about to go on pilgrimage and provehimself a man but he was also twelve.

"Sorry, Jerad, it's too dangerous."

"But Dad, I bet you would let me go after my pilgrimage.What's the difference?" Jerad asked as he impulsively grabbedthe reins of his father's saur.

Mahalalel understood Jerad's frustration. The wholemorning was going completely wrong for the boy. "Pilgrimageis not just a sightseeing tour through the wilderness."

"But Grandpapa Adam and I are supposed to go alone onpilgrimage and now you're taking half the village to find him."

"Precisely! We don't know what to expect. What couldkeep him from doing anything?" Mahalalel was now fullyconvinced in his own mind. He would not risk his heir. Jeradsaw the look in his father's eyes and knew not to ask again.Father's yes was yes and his no definitely no. Mahalalel tookthe reins back from his son and joined the search parties.

"We ride hard and fast," shouted Seth, "Adam must befound today!" Guards opened the twenty-foot tall gates andthe two search parties headed out in a cloud of dust.

Jerad sprinted past Terad toward the inner courtyard.

"Where are you going?" asked Terad.

"To the tower!"

"Wait for me!" Terad followed Jerad up the steps to the topof the tower. They watched their father's search party gallopdown the dirt road toward the village of El-Denn and beyond.

Both boys knelt and prayed that Grandpapa would befound safe and sound. Terad seemed more into it than Jeradfelt at the moment.

Their mother quietly came up behind them as the two boysfinished and stood up. "They won't be gone long. You'll see,"she said as she hugged them both.

Jerad and Terad looked at each other. Mom was soemotional. But neither boy left her side until their dad waslong out of sight.

CHAPTER 3

A Slippery Slope

As he rode in the wagon Methu looked up at the clearblue crystal sky totally bored. He wasn't looking forward tothe Council of Cain in the city of Enoch. It wasn't much of acouncil really. From what he heard, great-great-grandfatherCain just ordered the elders like his dad to do stuff. Hewatched his father sip something made of rotten grapes. Itmellowed the guy as the bumpy journey progressed. Soonhis dad was humming some tune and laughing at everything.That's just great, thought Methu, he's nuts, too.

* * *

"This has got be the worst day in the entire 472 yearhistory of the world!" Jerad whined bitterly to Terad afterlunch. At the moment they were hiding from their mom andtheir wailing sister. Neither wanted additional chores.

"Yeah," Terad agreed trying not to be too jealous of hisbrother's pilgrimage.

"C'mon, let's go swimming," Jerad suggested as he got upwith an air of foolish resolution.

"Mom won't say yes to that one, Jerad."

"Then we won't ask her. Besides, Dad let's us go all thetime."

"Only when he comes along, Jerad," Terad had that highand mighty tone a younger brother gets when he knows he'sright.

"Then you have to come. Or, it will be your fault ifsomething happens to me."

"Jerad, that's not-"

"Oh c'mon, Terad. There's nothing else to do."

Terad thought it over and decided to go swimming. Atleast it beat extra chores.

* * *

Mehuja arrived at the city of Enoch fairly drunk. Built overa tributary of the Tigris River, the sprawling city was a fortressof grim and gray stone. As long as he could remember, all theCainite clans, except those permitted in the hunting camps,lived in this miserable place. "All-father" Cain would not allowanyone to move out. He said it would be easier to defend ifthey all stayed together. The buildings were just high enoughto cover the streets in perpetual shadow. Nothing grew here;nothing healthy at any rate.

They finally stopped at the six story stone palace of Cain.Mehuja watched Methu jump out of the cart. Then Mehujatried to do the same. He managed to step off, get tangled ina wheel, and crash to the ground. His son started laughingat him. "C'mon little boy. Time for the trial of your shortmiserable life!" Mehuja shouted as he reached for his bottleof vine juice. He found it empty so he chucked the bottle atMethu.

Methu ducked, grabbed his boomerang, and sprinted off.He knew better than stick around an angry drunk man.

"Come back here!" Mehuja started after him but trippedand did another face plant into the dirt.

Methu ran until he was out of sight of his father. What aloser, he thought. He was hungry and there was breakfast tofind. Methu wandered the city streets of Enoch. He stole alittle food, but as usual it did not satisfy.

* * *

Jerad and Terad waited in the bushes for a stegosaurus toamble by and then hiked to the swirling canal pools. TheirDad and his kinsmen had dug the canal from a tributary ofthe Gihon River to the village of El-Denn. But they had madeseveral engineering errors where they connected the tributaryto the canal. The false starts had created a couple of swirlingwhirlpools with steep banks. Of course the two boys enjoyedjumping in heedless of the danger. They swam for a long timeuntil Terad began to tire.

"Jerad, I'm hungry."

"So?" Jerad scrambled past Terad toward the top of thebank.

"So ... what if they found Grandpapa by now?!"

"Good point. Just one more jump!"

"Ok, fine!" Terad raced past Jerad to the top, slipped, andtumbled backwards off the bank into the water twenty feetbelow. When he did not come up for air, Jerad dove in andfound his brother floating unconscious underwater. A franticmoment later and they were both ashore. Terad sputtered andcoughed. A nasty gash bled from his forehead.

"You hit a rock?" asked Jerad.

"I don't know ..."

"Don't tell Mom, ok?" Jerad wrapped Terad's head with hisown shirt.

"What?"

"Don't tell Mom. We don't want to get in trouble!"

"We?" Terad gingerly touched his bleeding forehead.

"Yes ... `we' because `we' both went swimming,remember?"

"Because you ..."

"Because `we', you mean. C'mon let's go." Jerad tried to helphis brother up. Terad stood for a second and then collapsedinto unconsciousness.