Awaken His Eyes: The Awakened Book One

by Jason Tesar

  “Colonel. These men asked to speak with you. They are unarmed.” The soldier stepped to the side, his escort duty complete, and watched the men cautiously.

  “What do you gentlemen want?”

  One of the robed men stepped forward, bowing his head. “Are you the governor of Bastul?”

  Lemus was silent for a second, not expecting to have to answer questions. “Of course I’m the governor! What do you want?” he repeated in a louder voice.

  “I apologize, sir. I just want to be sure that I’m dealing with the highest authority in the city.”

  Lemus nodded his head for the man to continue.

  “We are looking for a man that we are told lives here. He goes by the name Saba.”

  Lemus laughed. “He did live here, but he was escorted off the premises a few weeks ago. What do you want with him?”

  “Our employer wishes to speak with him.”

  Lemus smiled. “Sounds like trouble. Well, I’d be happy to help you find that meddling old man. He has many friends in the area, but the captain of the guard could probably steer you in the right direction.” Lemus turned to the men’s escort. “Take these men to the captain. Make sure they have everything they require.”

  “Yes, sir,” the soldier replied.

  The two robed men bowed their heads to Lemus. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

  Lemus nodded his head and watched as the escort led the men out of the room. When they entered the hallway, Lemus noticed Maeryn standing to the side, holding a tray. “Bring her in here,” he said to his guard.

  “Yes, sir,” came the reply.

  As Maeryn came into the room, she moved through a shaft of light next to the doorway. For a split second, Lemus could see the outline of her bare skin through the fabric of her tunic. Just as quickly as it appeared, the vision vanished, leaving Lemus in a state of shock. Had it not been for her, he might not have asked to take over Adair’s responsibilities.

  “I thought you might like something to eat. You’ve been working all morning without a break.” Maeryn set a tray of sweet bread on his desk, on top of the papers he should have been working on.

  Lemus stared at the bread and then eyed Maeryn suspiciously. “Thank you. I was starting to get hungry.” He continued to stare at her, but was more than a little distracted by her bright blue eyes and fair skin. She was so different from any other woman he had seen. “What’s wrong now?” he asked, when he came to his senses.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Why the sudden change of heart—bringing me something to eat? I suppose it’s poisoned and you’re trying to kill me.”

  “No,” she protested.

  He interrupted what she was about to say. “I have spies everywhere, and if I even hear a whisper of a rumor about you trying to harm me, I won’t wait for the jailers to carry out your execution. I’ll kill you myself.”

  “No. Of course I wouldn’t try anything. It’s just …” she trailed off. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately.”

  “About what?” he asked, interrupting her again.

  “I’ve really … it has been difficult for me to adjust to being without Adair. But all that has changed, and I want to start over with you. By law, you are my husband now, and I will respect that. My former husband abandoned me for some reason and left his responsibilities behind. Those are not the actions of a respectable man of Orud. I know that now. Anyway, I thought you might be hungry.”

  Lemus continued to stare at her for a moment, looking for signs of deceit. He considered himself to be a good judge of things like that. But instead of lies, he saw only beauty. “It’s good that you have finally accepted the truth. Adair was a coward and did not serve the Empire well. I have much work to do, so if you will excuse me,” he said, motioning for the guard to open the door. “Thank you for the bread.”

  The soldier closed the door after Maeryn left and returned to his guard position. It was silent in the room for a moment as Lemus inspected the slices of sweet bread arranged on the tray. “Come here,” he commanded the soldier.

  “Yes, sir,” replied the guard, coming quickly to Lemus’ side.

  “Eat this,” Lemus said, handing him a slice of bread.

  The soldier hesitated, unsure of whether or not this would violate any rules of conduct.

  “Go on,” Lemus insisted.

  The guard took the piece of bread from Lemus’ hand and stuffed the whole slice in his mouth and chewed quickly.

  After the guard swallowed the bread, pretending not to enjoy it, Lemus rose from his chair and stepped back. “How do you feel?”

  “Good, sir.”

  “How is the bread?” Lemus questioned further. “It’s alright, you can tell me.”

  The guard was visibly uncomfortable with the whole situation. He finally answered. “It’s good, sir … very sweet.”

  Lemus stared at him for a moment, expecting the soldier to drop dead at any time. When nothing happened, he sat down at his desk and greedily ate the whole plate of bread.

  * * * *

  Maeryn had been nervous all day, hoping that her words had done the job. She was certain they had the moment she left Lemus sitting at his desk, but as the day wore on, she began to lose her certainty. As night fell, she prepared herself for bed in one of the spare rooms at the end of the hall. Lemus had long ago confiscated her bedroom and claimed it for his own. She combed her hair and braided it loosely. A small part of her really wondered if Adair had left on purpose. But just as quick as the thought came, it vanished in the face of logic. That’s impossible. He loved us very much. It was the Empire that took him away. Maybe they didn’t know where he was, but they were definitely responsible for his disappearance.

  Suddenly, Maeryn was aware that the door to her room was open. She turned to see Lemus standing in the doorway. He looked startled, as if he had been watching for a while and had just been spotted. If that was the case, he tried not to show it.

  “You shouldn’t sleep in here anymore,” Lemus said, walking forward a few steps.

  “But I thought you said—”

  “Never mind that. Wouldn’t it be nice to sleep in your own bed again?”

  She doubted that Lemus cared about her quality of sleep. She had prepared herself for this moment and knew exactly what to do. “Yes. I miss sleeping in my own bed.” She rose to her feet and followed Lemus to the master bedroom. When she entered the room, he closed and locked the door.

  Maeryn smiled inwardly. I’m not going anywhere. If anyone is setting a trap here, it’s me.

  When Lemus turned around, Maeryn was standing close. She reached up and placed her hands gently on his face. He instinctively bent down and kissed her. Maeryn felt like she would vomit, and took a deep breath to clear her mind. I planned for this to happen.

  Lemus walked her over to the bed and sat her down. When he began to take off his tunic, she started to panic. Can I really do this? The question hung in her mind, waiting for an answer. She took another deep breath. Of course I can; I have to. I have no other choice! It wasn’t any comfort, but it worked. She watched Lemus pull off his tunic and untie his loincloth. He was skinny and looked even more repulsive without his clothes. Somehow the whole scene was funny, and she was able to think more clearly when she concentrated on the humor and nothing else.

  This is just the first step. Win him over tonight and you’ll have him. You’ve got a baby to think about now, a baby that needs a safe place to live. Eventually he’ll grow comfortable with you, and that’s when you’ll make your move.

  CHAPTER 16

  Saba turned from the western road and headed northeast into the hills, making his way on foot as the sun began to set. The outskirts of Bastul were populated by farmers who were attending to various tasks outside, trying to make the most of the daylight. Most of these hardworking people waved to Saba as he passed along the road, and he couldn’t help but think of the contrast in lifestyles between the city and country folk. These farmers worked from sunr
ise to sunset, sometimes even longer. But within the city, the workday had already ended hours ago so that the citizens of Bastul could enjoy baths and leisure time before their evening meals.

  The small dirt path wound through the foothills for a short distance before cutting into a deep canyon dividing the mountain range. The setting sun cast strong shadows that separated the canyon into areas of intense orange light and patches of complete darkness. By the time Saba had climbed out of the canyon and into an area of rolling meadows, the sun had dropped behind the ocean. Saba turned off the road and followed a walking path between fields of mature lettuce and cabbage, ready to be harvested.

  Just as expected, Trenus was still outside, washing the soil from his hands at the well. It was difficult to see in the fading light, but he was a short, sturdy man, with light brown hair. His clothing, like all country folk, was similar to what a slave might wear. His tunic, now stained with dirt from a hard day’s work, was not made of white linen, but of a coarser, thicker material that could stand up against the harsh lifestyle. His sandals were not really sandals at all, but boots that covered his feet completely and laced on the top of the foot. Trenus waved as soon as he caught sight of Saba. It took a few minutes before they were within earshot of each other, and by that time he had finished washing his hands.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  “Starving. I’ve been walking most of the day.”

  Trenus smiled. “I’ve got a stew going. Come inside.”

  The main house was a humble wood building with tiled roof and walls plastered on the inside. The layout was a departure from most houses in this region. There were only a few doors off the main living area, and it contained a limited amount of practical furniture. Obviously, Trenus had built this place for function only.

  “Have a seat.” Trenus pointed to a table on the opposite side of the room. It was situated only a few feet from the stove, upon which a pot of stew simmered.

  “Thank you,” Saba replied, slumping into the chair, grateful to be off of his feet. Once he caught his breath, he looked around the room. He had only been here for an hour a few days ago to drop off his belongings before he went back to the city to check on Maeryn. He felt bad now at barging in on Trenus, though it didn’t look as if it hindered his life one bit.

  “What does that look mean?” Trenus asked, looking back at Saba while stirring the stew.

  Saba decided to give him an honest answer. “This place needs a woman’s touch.”

  “Yeah, I know. Maybe someday it will have that. But for now, I kind of like it.”

  Saba nodded his head. “I must say, it is … efficient.”

  Trenus laughed. “That’s one way to say it.” He brought two bowls of steaming food over to the table and set them down. Pulling back his chair, Trenus was about to sit down when he realized that he had forgotten the spoons. “Oops,” he said, turning around to grab those as well. “I’m not used to entertaining company.” He handed one to Saba.

  “That’s quite all right. Thank you, by the way, for letting me stay here.”

  Trenus waived his hand in dismissal. “Never mind that. Tell me how it went, though it seems obvious by your quick return.”

  “I only made it as far as the market district before I was spotted.”

  “Soldiers?” Trenus asked. “And they let you go?”

  “Yes. I think I’ve worn out my welcome.”

  The room was silent for a few minutes as the men began to eat their food.

  Eventually, Saba looked up, wiping stew from his beard. “It looks like I will have to find something else to do.”

  “Well, you know you’re welcome to stay here as long as you need.”

  “Thank you. I guess I’ll unpack my things tonight.”

  Trenus pointed at a door to the right of the stove. “That’s my only empty room, and it’s used mostly for storage, so you’ll have to forgive the mess.”

  “I’m sure it will be just fine. Thank you.”

  Several minutes passed before Trenus got up to refill his bowl. He offered to do the same for Saba, but the old man politely refused. “I’ve got so much on my mind that it has ruined my appetite.”

  “Are you sure it’s not the stew?” Trenus asked, his face wrinkling into a smile.

  Saba couldn’t help but laugh. “No, it’s not the food. Actually, you could probably make quite a living in the city selling your meals.” Saba suddenly felt relieved. Trenus had a way of lightening the mood that made for easy conversation.

  “So,” Trenus began, “even though we’ve been acquainted for years, I still don’t really know much about you.”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “I’ve never asked you how old you are.”

  “No, you haven’t,” Saba replied with a smile, trying to match the man’s sense of humor.

  Trenus laughed before rephrasing his statement into a question. “Okay. How old are you?”

  Saba looked down at the table. “Actually, I’m not sure.”

  “What do you mean? It’s a simple question.”

  Saba looked up and smiled. “Yes. For most people, it is a simple question. But I’m one of the exceptions.”

  Trenus took his seat and began to eat from his second bowl of food, still carrying a puzzled look on his face.

  Saba decided to make the attempt to enlighten him, though he was hesitant about sharing this information. “I’ve actually never told anyone this before.”

  “Well, I’m honored,” Trenus replied. “Please, continue.”

  Saba leaned back in his chair and crossed one leg over the other, settling into a comfortable position. “My first memory is of waking up inside a small, tent-like structure. I found myself lying on a bed of animal skins, clothed in a soft leather robe. There were no other people in the tent, so I just lay there, taking in my surroundings. Hours must have passed before I tried to sit up. It seemed like something I should be able to do, but when I tried, my body wouldn’t respond.” Saba looked up at the ceiling, trying to recall the details. “A few minutes later, a young woman came into the tent. She had long black hair and tanned skin, and she was dressed the same as myself. I immediately wondered if I was an elder of this woman’s tribe. I only thought of being an elder because I could see my own hair, which was already white at that point, reaching down to my waist. Indeed, she moved about the tent as if I was supposed to be there. I don’t know why, but I felt compelled to get her attention. Without the use of my body, I felt frustrated. For some reason, it took a long time before I realized that I could try speaking. I called out to her, but my words only came out as a grunt. When she heard me, she spun around, startled. She looked at me as if I was a ghost, and her skin became pale. Once she got the courage, she ran out of the tent, screaming at the top of her lungs. What shocked me more than my encounter with this woman was the fact that I knew she was screaming a foreign language, but I understood every word. She kept saying, over and over, ‘He is awake. The old one is awake.’”

  Trenus set his spoon carefully into his bowl and leaned back in his chair. He had completely forgotten about eating and was now staring at Saba with his full attention. “How long ago was this?”

  “Twenty years.”

  Trenus’ eyebrows shot up. “You were already an old man back then …” he trailed off, trying to make sense of the story.

  “I can see that if I tell you the whole story, you might end up more confused than me. So I’ll try to skip to the point. Apparently I had been living with these people for some time. They were a nomadic tribe, following herds of wild animals and living off of what they hunted. I asked them how long I had been with them, but they didn’t seem to understand. I asked them if they understood the passage of seasons and if they did, to make a mark in the dirt for every full cycle that I had been with them. The younger people all looked to an old man who was the elder of the tribe. He began to draw lines in the dirt.”

  “How many?” Trenus blurted out.

&nb
sp; “Nearly one hundred.”

  The room was silent for a while before Saba spoke again. “Of course, his answer would be impossible. I don’t think he understood my question. Although they understood seasons, they had almost no knowledge of past generations of their own people. They concerned themselves only with the present. So … as you can see, I’m not sure.”

  “And you have no memory of anything before?”

  “Nothing,” Saba replied.

  After minutes of silence, Trenus shook his head. “I’ve never heard of something so strange.”

  Saba lifted his hands and shrugged his shoulders. “I agree with you. But that’s all I know.”

  “What brought you to Bastul? I assume that all of this took place somewhere else?”

  “Yes, it did, in another country,” Saba replied, answering Trenus’ last question first. “I began having dreams about a place that I had never seen. The dreams compelled me to search. I kept moving, staying with different people until the terrain around me matched what I saw in my dreams.”

  “And that place was here?”

  “Yes, in Bastul.”

  ~

  After the meal, Trenus helped Saba move his belongings from the barn into the spare room. Trenus insisted on doing most of the work, handing a candle to Saba and telling him that lighting the way was all that was necessary. The work was completed in under an hour, and when the last crate had been moved, Trenus bid Saba goodnight and headed to his bedroom.

  Though he had walked for almost an entire day, Saba knew that sleep would not come easily. His mind was still racing with worry about Maeryn, so he decided to unpack his essentials and spent several minutes just trying to make heads or tails of how the soldiers packed his things. He finally located his clothing and laid it out in piles on the floor, as there was no chest to put it in. In fact, there was no furniture in the room at all and Saba laughed to himself about what he would do for a bed. His belongings were either packed hastily in wooden crates or thrown into linen bags, and he knew that unpacking everything was too ambitious a project for one evening. Instead, he grabbed the nearest bag and began to untie the top. It rustled as if it was filled with paper, and after opening the top and removing a few handfuls of its contents, that guess was confirmed. There were papers and writing utensils and even a book. Saba realized that this bag contained everything that used to reside on his desktop in his bedroom. Several of the papers were smudged with half-dried ink from the tips of the writing quills. Luckily, Saba was in the habit of corking the inkpot after every use, or this whole bag would likely be a dripping mess.