VOW OF SECRECY

"...relics and churches, paintings and sculptures and holy places, were all just tools, all serving the same purpose: to bring a seeking soul into awareness of the divine."

― Sam Cabot, Blood of the Lamb: A Novel of Secrets -

The next day. Early morning before sunrise.

The sun was yet to rise over the Eastern horizon, the morning star and a collection of several thousand uncountable stars littered the night-morning sky. Dew littered the few shrubs, sparse glass on the ground in this mostly dry landscape. And the sound of birds waking from their sleep could be heard all around from the tall trees.

Buluhani Ashraf reported to the base, which was the designated meeting point for the Red Scorpions mercenary group.

The base of the Red Scorpion was located outside the town of Casal Maen or popularly known in Arabic as Bayt Dajan. It was a one-story, flat-roofed building constructed out of sun-dried, hand-molded mud bricks. With eight rooms, four on the ground floor and the others on the first floor. This is where their affairs were conducted, and weapons were stored.

The caretaker of the building had not opened the front door yet, he slept in one of the back rooms on the first floor. Buluhani Ashraf moved to the wall of the back rooms, he listened carefully. He heard the caretaker reciting the last verses of the Fajr (dawn) prayer. Not wanting to disrupt him, he decided to wait for him to finish up the prayer before asking him to open the main door on the ground floor.

When the caretaker finished his Fajr prayers. He opened the front main door, he saw the silhouette of Buluhani Ashraf standing outside looking in the direction of Bayt Dajan.

Even if it was dark, the figure and height of Buluhani Ashraf were unmistakable.

"Sabah al-khayr Buluhani!" The caretaker warmly greeted him.

"Sabah an-noor Hassan." Buluhani answered.

The caretaker was named Hassan but the majority of Red Scorpion members just addressed him as the caretaker. On his first day, Omal Talib introduced all members of Red Scorpions to him. That's how he came to know that the caretaker was named Hassan.

"Come in. You are very early today, what is going on?" Hassan the caretaker asked while inviting him inside.

"Didn't the boss Omar tell you?" Buluhani Ashraf was surprised to know that the caretaker was in the green about today's mission.

Normally he was the first person besides the boss to know of the day's affairs, and also go ahead to avail or procure for the members the needed logistical items.

"By the time I came back yesterday night. The boss had already left." Answered Hassan.

"That explains it. In short, we have a mission this early morning, we are escorting a client to Jerusalem and back. That is what he told me." Buluhani Ashraf decided to give him the summary.

"All of you or just some?" Hassan asked.

"From what I heard, it is all of us. Jerusalem is far and we need all the manpower at our disposal." Buluhani Ashraf explained to him.

"Eehh, this complicates things for me, everything is at short notice," Hassan murmured to himself.

Hassan opened the wooden windows before turning to Buluhani. "Settle down, let's wait for the boss and the others to arrive then we can see the way forward."

"Alright." Buluhani Ashraf agreed with him.

"Can I get you some tea as you wait for them?" Hassan asked.

"Thank you, but am fine. My wife served me something before I came left home." Buluhani Ashraf replied.

"Lucky you with wives," Hassan replied. Buluhani had heard from Omal Talib that Hassan lost his wife during the war, and he vowed not to remarry or father children.

Before sunrise. All the members of Red Scorpions had assembled in the main room of the building. Oil lamps were placed in the four corners of the room to provide light. There were two chairs, with a table before them. Omar Talib occupied one of the chairs, and the other chair was reserved for the client who was yet to turn up.

The remaining 21 members sat cross-legged on the floor carpet, conversing amongst themselves. As they faced the two chairs in front of the room.

"Boss!" A Red Scorpion member called Amir raised his hand to get the boss's attention.

"Yes Amir, what is the matter?" Asked Omar Talib.

"Boss, what can you tell us about this mission besides escorting this client to Jerusalem and back?" Amir asked.

This question captured the attention of all the 21 members seated on the floor. They stopped their conversations and looked at Omar Talib, to hear what he heard to say.

Speculations were going around about the client. Some said it was a loaded trader transporting his goods and needed protection, while others speculated that it was a rich many with many enemies and who feared for his life on the road. A minority of them were of the view that it was a friend of the army commander Saladin with a deep-seated grudge against the Knights Templar and he wanted to use them to pursue his vendetta.

"That's a very good question, Amir. Let us be patient for a little while, the wealthy client Abu Bin Zayyid is about to arrive. Then I will share everything with all of you, but I told each of you a summary yesterday night." Omar Talib answered.

"Patience pains but pays." Omar Talib said while looking at Amir.

'ABU BIN ZAYYID!' Hearing this name. It rang a bell in the head of Buluhani Ashraf.

He was never going to forget the first time he heard of this name. It was in the evening when he and his bandits ambushed a lone traveler on the road to Bayt Dajan. Unfortunately, with the help of witchcraft, the lone traveler went on to kill all his men; Farouk, Amuza, and Zamilu. This name brought back all those bitter memories and the shame of failing to protect his men when he ran away to leave Zamilu.

Some nights. He could wake from nightmares in which he could see the lone traveler killing his men all over again before turning to kill him last. In the dream, the demonic traveler was laughing while plucking out Buluhani's eyes, heart, and intestines. In the dream, when the pain and horror were too much, he could wake up panting, sweating, and frightened to the bottom of his heart. Sleep could fail him for the rest of the night.

'No way, it cannot be him. That lone traveler did not look rich at all, he was even walking instead of riding a horse or camel. It must be another person with a similar name.' Buluhani Ashraf encouraged himself.

**

Abbot Jeromy looked at the money Brother Philemon had counted with a look of excitement on his face.

Altogether, it was 112 gold coins, 207 silver coins, and 54 bronze and copper coins of various currencies. Unlike Philemon who had a challenge with working with different currencies, Abbot Jeromy was very comfortable with it.

In his mind, he was already seeing what this money was going to do. They were going to build a better and more captivating shrine to the Virgin Mary, and hire a first-class sculptor from the Vatican or Milan to design the best statue of the Holy Mother.

Thinking about this. It made his heart race with happiness and uplifted his spirit to heights of joy he rarely experienced. This was going to be his endearing legacy for all generations.

Unfortunately, the new Pope Celestine III had passed an edict in May 1191 AD compelling the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and its various money-making entities to send a tenth of their income or offerings to the Vatican to support the Holy Crusade mobilization in the Christian world. This distressed him greatly.

When this money destined for the Vatican was deducted. They were going to remain with a shortfall, making it harder to raise the money for the building of a shrine for the Holy Mother in his desired timeframe.

"Abbott." Brother Philemon saw that he was too quiet as he looked at the money, could he have made a mistake?

"Yes, Brother Philemon." The Abbot answered.

"Is everything ok, you look worried?" Brother Philemon asked, but he feared to ask directly if his summation was not in order.

"Uh, oh yes, it is in order. You have helped me greatly." The Abbot said.

"That's good to know. It is my pleasure to help out." Brother Philemon responded with a big smile on his face.

He was happy to be of service.

"Abbot, the Knight Yosef Gideon passed by yesterday evening, wanting to know if you are back and when you can meet him. He sounded impatient." He told the Abbot.

"What did you tell him?" Abbot asked Brother Philemon.

"I told him you were not yet back, but you were about to return. Also told him to be patient for a little bit." Answered Brother Philemon.

"You did well Brother Philemon." Said the Abbot when he heard what he had done.

"I don't know what devil possessed Master Balian of Ibelin to request for the pilgrim treasure and Holy Relic, they have been safe in this church for many years." Abbot Jeromy voiced his frustrations with handing over the pilgrim treasures.

"Abbot, I can understand when you talk about pilgrim treasure, but what is this I hear about the Holy Relic?" Brother Philemon asked.

"From what I know, Saint Helena. The mother of Emperor Constantine I came to Jerusalem in 326 AD and collected the Holy Cross relic as plus some other items of our Lord." Philemon said while waiting for the Abbot to answer him back.

"The Holy Relic, am talking about is not the True Cross or any of the other relics you have grown up hearing of. This relic is a highly confidential secret of this church which we have kept for very many centuries. Not even the Vatican is aware of it, otherwise, it could have been taken away with Saint Helena or the following monarchs of the Empire." Abbot Jeromy told him. "It's known to only the higher hierarchy of this church and a few illustrious Knights Templars in the Holy Land," Abbot added.

"Before, I reveal it to you. You will have to swear vow secrecy on the Holy Bible." Abbot Jeromy emphasized.

"If the secret of the Holy Relic is known to the whole church or the Order of Knight Templars. It will throw the world as we know it in deep turmoil, and conflict but also change history as well as the future of mankind." Abbot Jeromy said.

"What! … You mean it is very sensitive like that?" Brother Philemon asked in surprise.

"Young man, this is not a joking subject. Otherwise, you could have heard of it in your theological classes." Abbot Jeromy said in a stern voice.

Abbot Jeromy looked at him with his piercing eyes and said. "You must have heard of the saying, 'heavy is the head that wears the crown."

"Yes, Abbot." Brother Philemon replied.

"Good. There are some things in the church, and government that we have seen fit not to reveal to the masses for their good plus the stability of the world. This is one of them." Abbot emphasized the importance of sealing certain issues from the public.

"Under normal circumstances. You were not supposed to know about this issue until you reached my position. But these are not normal times, I need you to work with me on this." Brother Philemon's heart began beating at a quick pace when he heard this.

Never, had he imagined that he was going to come in contact with the most revered and highly confidential secret of the church of Holy Sepulchre. Not even the Cardinals, Arch Bishops, Fathers, or even the Pope had access to this secret, but he a mere Brother in a monastery and church was seen fit.

'Awesome, am indeed very blessed. Too bad I cannot tell anyone about it.' He thought.

The Abbot woke him from his thoughts, "Brother Philemon, are you willing to take the vow of secrecy on the Holy Relic of the church?"