The path leading to the entrance was filled with beautiful twinkling gems. Mboya hesitated a little before walking tardily towards the closed entrance. He was fearful but was delighted being in such a beautiful place. His heart palpitated with mixed feelings.

When he was about thirty feet from the entree, the large wooden door that closed the threshold opened revealing bright light from within. Mboya who did not expect this squinted before covering his face with his palm. He stopped suddenly, wondering what was happening still covering his face.

"Just walk in Mboya."

A loud voice echoed in the air making Mboya's hair stand on end. He shuddered a little before charging into the castle hyperventilating.

Immediately he went past the doorway, the large wooden door closed behind him and the light vanished without trace revealing a long beautiful large corridor. The floor was made of stones of different splendor arranged in such a way that they formed beautiful flowers of different kinds. The the walls were painted cream with ancient drawings. On the ceiling hung narrow cylindrical tubes that emanated white light from within. At the very end of the corridor was a white door. The architecture of the corridor alone was top notch.

The middle aged man walked softly towards the other door looking at his surroundings with awe. This was the most outstanding structure he had ever seen. He saw different paintings of people doing different things on the walls.

Just before he reached the door, his eyes caught a painting that was nearest to it on his right.

"Ochieng'"

As he was looking at the painting, he saw a familiar man viciously fighting a dark robust creature. The creature had a human physique but the head resembled hyena's with tongue as long as giraffe's but looked exactly as a snake's tongue. The face of the animal looked extremely venomous. Its red eyes made its onlookers shudder for no good reason. Even Mboya who was just looking at it from the painting felt chills run down his spine. The familiar person who was around 1.6 metres looked small in front of the 3 metres tall creature. Even though things were stationary in the painting, it was clear that the fight between the two was flagitious.

"Has Ochieng' met that creature anywhere before? Can it be a Black Fiend? Aren't the Ordainers kept from these creatures by the One from above until their three main powers are fully activated?"

Mboya was bewildered by what he was seeing. The familiar fellow he was seeing in the painting was without question Ochieng'. Paintings were normally used by painters to evince their thoughts and what they had seen. Since the painter had painted Ochieng' in a fight with that stranger, maybe he had seen that happen, the reason why he did the painting.

"I should ask Ochieng' about it once I am from this place...Ehe?!"

He was mumbling but suddenly saw something strange again petrifying him on the spot. He even heard his heart beating as he widened his eyes in astonishment.

What did he just see?

He was mumbling things when he saw the creatures within the painting move. It started by a slow movement before fast movements followed. He then heard sounds coming from the very painting! It was like a screen had been placed before him.

Pi! Pa! Pu!

Ochieng' was intensely fighting that huge creature. Mboya was looking without blinking his body still stiff from shock. Even the corridor shook a little just from the waves made by the loud sounds that came from the battle.

Thud!

Mboya was already shocked to the point that his eyes were looking at the painting but seeing nothing. The sounds were loud but he was not hearing anything. He was waken from that state when a loud thud resounded. When he looked, he saw Ochieng's lifeless body lying on the ground and the beast stepping on his belly thumping its chest with delight.

"I never knew I could kill an Ordainer in this life. My journey here was not wasted after all."

The beast roared before picking up Ochieng' and walking away. He carried Ochieng' casually like a chick. It was as if Ochieng' had no weight at all. As soon as the beast disappeared, the painting disappeared as well. It was as if it was never there in the first place.

"Ochieng'!"

Mboya realized he was shedding tears. He thought he was in a dream but when he pinched his right thigh and felt some pain, he knew he was not dreaming.

"Is he really dead?"

Without knowing, he had started crying tears welling down his coa.r.s.e cheeks uncontrollably. He did not know this Ochieng' before but ever since he learnt that the latter was an Ordainer, he had had a deep respect and love for him. Since he also knew the very responsibilities of an Ordainer, he more than anyone wanted to ensure that no harm came to Ochieng'. But, here the young man died just before his eyes. How could he even maintain his cool?

"Since this was a painting, it might not be true that this has happened. It must be a message from someone, " after crying for sometime, knowing that there was no medicine for cries, he decided to think things out," but who can this be? And why in this place?"

He was still baffled when the door he was standing next to opened. Without a second thought he dashed into the other side. After seeing the 'death' of Ochieng', he wanted to know why he was here more than ever.

He only got into a dark room surprising him. He was wondering what to do when the room lit up. It turned out to be a large reception room. At the center of the room sat a young lady in white robe. In front of her was a large furbished desk with huge books on it. There was a cup of tea on the desk. The fragrance of the tea covered the whole room. The lady herself was immersed in a small book and did not even recognize the presence of Mboya who was looking at her confusedly.

All of a sudden, the young lady put the book on the desk and lifted her head to look at Mboya.

What he saw made his jaws drop! For the first time he was seeing a real beautiful lady. Even Apeleka who looked like a supernal queen paled in comparison to this young lady. He even started feeling uncomfortable standing there.

"You must be Mboya Ogw.a.n.g, right?" She asked with a smile heightening her beauty with those tiny dimples on her rounded cheeks.

"...Yes." The man answered with a wobbly voice.

"Welcome to the skies where Saints dwell."

The young woman walked towards Mboya, extended her right hand to greet him. He was amazed when he got the opportunity to see the whole lady's figure. She was outstandingly gorgeous. He nevertheless greeted back without a single word.

"You mean I am in the sky at the moment? And who are the Saints? " Mboya asked astounded after some time.

"Follow me."

She waved at him instead of answering. The middle aged man followed without question. The young lady opened a door that was just behind the chair she sat on a moment ago. The door was as large as the two he had crossed before he got here. It led to a larger room.

The room was equipped with beautiful furniture and flowers. The scent within was extremely pleasant. The walls were dazzling. In one of the chairs sat a man in his late forties taking wine. His expression while drinking the wine showed how tasty it was.

The man said something to the woman in another language Mboya did not understand. She immediately left leaving Mboya and the man alone in the resting room.

"Please sit down."

The man said in Lu language pointing at one of the chairs directly opposite but closest to him. Mboya did just that. After greetings where Mboya learnt that the man was called Lokasa Nonka and the lady before Nyambura Nyaki, he was poured for a gla.s.s of wine.

He stretched his back in enjoyment as the wine flowed down his gorge. This was the finest and tastiest wine he had ever had.

"How is it?" Nonka asked with a grin.

"It is great."

"It is made of divine energy and fruits that grow in Paradise where the One from above lives. It is poured every month into a jar found in the holy altar in one of the rooms of this castle by the One from above whenever he visits us." Nonka said the smile on his face never dissipating.

He was humble from the moment Mboya set his eyes on him and was still the same even when he was talking about the origin of the wine.

"Nyaki told me that I am currently in the sky and here is the dwelling place of the saints, I don't understand." Knowing that he could not know even a thing about the source of the wine, he decided to ask what was important to him.

"You are of course in the sky above the clouds you see when you are in Lu land. This place was built by one of the people who help the One from above in his day to day activities. We are Saints, initially humans. We were righteous people while living on earth and so when we almost died, instead of letting us go, the One from above elevated us here to serve him. In exchange for our loyalty, he gave us a life of peace and happiness and most importantly, made us immortal. We never age and that is why you may see us different in age, just because we remain the same way we were when we were elevated as far as appearance is concerned."

Mboya nodded his head in understanding. He could not believe he could visit such a place in his lifetime.

"So, is it because I am righteous that I am here?" He asked looking at Nonka expectantly.

"Of course not. The reason why you are here is of great importance. It is concerned with the fate of Ochieng', who is to save mankind... but I did not say you are not righteous, that is decided by the One from above himself." Nonka seriously said.