by Jason Tesar
“That’s enough!”
Ukiru’s voice stopped the attackers and they slowly backed away. Ukiru approached and stood over Kael, glaring at the defiant young man. After a long moment of silence, he said, “Take him to his room.”
Kael felt his arms being lifted as two monks began dragging him. He could see all of his fellow students watching in disbelief as the men removed him from the training area. Even though he had taken several hard blows, Kael didn’t feel very much pain. He decided that it would be best, however, to let the monks continue dragging him as if he couldn’t walk. When they reached his room, the two men laid him down on his bed and left without saying a word. Kael rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t remember now why he had done what he did. He only knew that it was important at the time. An appropriate emotion might have been regret, or even anger, but he just felt numb. One day those buried emotions would probably come rushing to the surface, but for now he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
~
When he awoke it was to the sound of the others returning from their meditation the following morning. Loud footsteps pounded down the hallway as each of his fellow students came back to their rooms for a change of clothes before breakfast. Kael looked down at his own body, still dressed in the dirty clothing from the previous afternoon. A soft knock at the door came as a surprise to Kael, who rarely had anyone else in his room. Not lately, anyway. Usually, the others would gather in Soren’s room if they wished to socialize.
“Come in,” he called as he sat up.
The door opened and Ukiru stepped inside, carefully closing the door behind him.
Kael, who was so willing to defy this man yesterday, now trembled at the coming confrontation.
Ukiru walked over to the bed with a calm look on his face and carefully sat down next to Kael. “Are you hungry?”
The question seemed out of place. “Yes,” Kael answered, not noticing his hunger until Ukiru mentioned it.
“You may come down to breakfast after we are finished talking.”
“Okay,” Kael replied, still unsure of how to read the man’s body language.
“Are you hurt in any way?”
“No. They’re just bruises. They’ll heal.”
Ukiru took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “What were you doing yesterday? I was trying to teach you all how to stay out of danger, and you ran straight into it. I don’t understand why you disobeyed me.”
Kael wanted to explain everything to him, but how could he? How was he supposed to tell his mentor of seven years that his methods are wrong? What words could he possibly use to explain what was impossible to prove—that he just knew something was missing? “I don’t know,” he mumbled instead.
Ukiru was obviously hoping for more of an answer and waited for Kael to elaborate. When nothing more was said, he stood up and walked over to the window. “You want to know what I think? I think that you still look back to your old life and wonder what would have happened if you had never come here.”
Kael shrugged his shoulders, not really agreeing, but not necessarily disagreeing.
Ukiru continued. “This world rejected you, and you were nearly dead when I found you. By the authority of the All Powerful and the direction of our High Priest, I saved you from that life and gave you the opportunity of another. This life,” he motioned with his arms, “is a blessing. It’s a chance to see what the All Powerful may accomplish through us. But I don’t believe that you have given yourself wholly to it, or to him.”
Ukiru spoke truthfully. Kael realized in that instant that he hadn’t. Hadn’t fully given himself to the training. Hadn’t given himself fully to the god that Ukiru so often spoke of. As soon as Ukiru mentioned the All Powerful, Kael felt a twinge of uneasiness. He had never been able to reconcile his religious instruction with the concept of a single god that he had learned from Saba all those years ago. Maybe my former life is really holding me back. “Sometimes I feel like I’m just going through the motions, like this whole place is just one big exercise.”
“Exactly!” Ukiru spoke, suddenly looking encouraged. “Isn’t that what life is, a preparation for what is to come when we die? But that doesn’t mean that we should walk through life as though our actions don’t matter. They do matter a great deal. This life is where our character is shaped and we become who we are supposed to be. I think that you are holding back in many ways, that you are keeping a small part of yourself reserved. You must trust that the All Powerful can do great things through you if you surrender yourself completely to him.” Ukiru paused to look more directly at Kael.
He’s trying to make sure that I understand.
“The humorous part about all of this is that, even though you are holding yourself back, you are still the most talented of all the boys here.”
Kael frowned. “That’s not true.”
“Why do you disagree?”
Kael looked to the window and let his mind wander through all of his years of memories at the monastery. In every subject, whether in the classroom or the arena, Kael knew that he excelled. He wasn’t always the best, but he was always near the top of his class. “Soren beats me every time in war strategy.”
“Yes, but that is only one area. In the years that I have known you, I have seen glimpses of absolute perfection in individual combat that the others cannot even touch. Just think of what you could become if you would only trust my instruction.”
Kael looked down at the bed and fumbled with the edge of his blanket.
“Please trust me. It is the only thing holding you back.” Ukiru stretched out his hand and waited.
Finally, Kael grasped it firmly. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
Ukiru smiled. “No words, only actions.” It was a saying that he was fond of, and Kael thought it was appropriate for the situation. “Now, it is time for breakfast,” Ukiru said, walking to the door.
“I’ll be there as soon as I change my clothes.”
“Very well,” Ukiru said before quietly leaving the room.
Kael lay back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Ukiru was right. He had been holding a part of himself back, following all of the rules, but never really giving himself to his studies. Especially during meditation, when they were all supposed to focus their thoughts on the All Powerful, he always felt like it was make-believe. Maybe I’m the one who’s fake!
He knew that there was only one more year until their pilgrimage, and he decided to forget about everything that had just happened. He knew that he had to push aside his feelings of mistrust and forget about the combat methods that he was developing on his own time. He could now see how all of these things were clouding his perception. One more year. I have to see what I’m capable of.
Another knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. “Come in.”
Soren’s faced peeked around the door. “How are you doing?”
“Fine,” Kael replied.
“Are you coming to breakfast?”
“Yeah, as soon as I get changed.”
Soren walked into the room and smiled. “You’re still wearing your training clothes. You didn’t have time to change since yesterday?”
“No,” Kael replied with a laugh. “I fell asleep as soon as I got back to my room.”
“Oh,” Soren said, searching for the right words. “What happened yesterday?”
Kael exhaled loudly. “I’m not sure. I guess I just got frustrated with retreating. I didn’t think that running was the best way to deal with eight enemies, but I guess I was wrong, huh?”
“Yeah. But it sure was a good show,” Soren said with a mischievous smile. “You were amazing. I’ve never seen someone move that fast before. You must have defeated a dozen of them before they got you.”
“Nine, actually.”
“They looked like they hit you pretty hard,” Soren stated, but it was more of a question.
Kael pulled his shirt off and showed him the bruises that were still forming on his
back.
“Oh yeah,” Soren said, “those’ll be good ones in a couple of days.”
“Oh well,” Kael offered, “you always say the best lessons are the ones you learn, not the ones that you’re taught, right?”
“That’s right,” Soren replied, walking over to the door. “I bet you’ll never forget this one. Anyway, you’d better hurry before Jorn eats all the food.”
“Okay, I’ll be there in a second,” Kael called to the retreating footsteps.
* * * *
The air smelled clean and fresh following the recent storms that had passed over the city, washing everything with three days of rain. The bright sun was out now, drying the soil. Maeryn sat on the steps of the garden and watched Aelia play in the flowers with one of the servant girls. Nearly seven years old now, she was looking more and more like Adair every day. Lemus had no suspicions about the child’s origins. Once he believed something, he never again questioned it. His stubbornness was a large part of his detestable personality, but it had a positive side.
The sound of rushed footsteps brought her out of her thoughts as Lemus entered the garden from the courtyard on the opposite side. He strode across the groomed soil in a hurry. Maeryn hoped that he would ignore her and keep walking by, but to her disappointment, he stopped in front of her.
“Come with me,” he commanded.
Maeryn looked to Aelia, who was oblivious to anything but the clump of newly picked flowers in her dirty hand.
“She’ll be fine,” Lemus added, hurrying up the steps and into the house.
Maeryn rose to her feet and tried to keep up with Lemus’ pace.
He stopped at the nearest room and motioned for Maeryn to follow. Once the two were inside he shut the door. The dusty room was strewn with books and papers. Several pieces of furniture were piled on top of each other in one corner. Adair had used this room to store things that he didn’t want elsewhere in the house, and it looked as if it had not been entered since then.
Lemus was visibly angered. “Years ago, you mentioned a man who trained birds to fly between cities. Where can I find him?”
“Oh,” Maeryn said. “That was such a long time ago. I’m not sure if he still lives in this region.”
“Well, where did he used to live?”
Maeryn had to resist the urge to ask why he needed this information. When he was in a mood like this, he needed to feel important. She decided that it was best to just answer as soon as possible. “His name was Cornelius. He used to perform tricks with his birds in the City Square to earn money. That was the only time I saw him.” It was the most direct answer she could think of.
Lemus nodded and his anger seemed to be pacified slightly.
After a moment of silence, Maeryn thought it was safe to ask a question. “What’s wrong?”
Lemus looked up from staring at the ground. “I sent out the census report last night. I used one rider as a decoy and a second rider to carry the report. The decoy left the city at midnight and rode to a checkpoint beyond the city limits where he was to wait for the second rider. The report left shortly after that, but the rider never made it to the checkpoint.”
“Oh my!” exclaimed Maeryn, truly surprised but exaggerating for effect.
Lemus’ countenance changed, as he enjoyed laying his burdens on Maeryn. She had worked hard to get to this point and now that she had gained his confidence, he spoke to her about everything. It made him feel important to impress her with the difficulty of governing the city, especially all of the problems he had to deal with on a daily basis. “We haven’t even found his horse yet.”
“Do you think it could be the rebels?” Maeryn asked, playing ignorant.
Lemus barked out a laugh. “Of course it’s the rebels! Who else would have the nerve to do something like this? I can tell you one thing, though; this won’t carry on for long. They have grown from an annoyance to a menace, and I will put a stop to them.”
That’s what you’ve said all along. Since the attack on Lemus’ ships in the harbor, Maeryn had kept the rebels well informed of his plans for counterattack. It was because of her intervention that there hadn’t been any major confrontations since that night. “What will you do?” she asked instead.
“I will see this bird-man of yours and find out if it is possible to send my report that way. Now that the rebels know the state of my forces, I will have some reorganizing to do. It will take much thought and patience, but I will dedicate my time to finding every last one of these vermin and exterminating them. They have sought to undermine the Empire and they will receive a just punishment.” Lemus opened the door and walked confidently down the hall, not bothering to say goodbye or even to thank Maeryn for her time.
Maeryn, pleased to be rid of Lemus, walked back to the garden and resumed her position on the front steps. Aelia was leaning over the low wall surrounding the fountain and was running her hand through the water. One of the servant girls was trying to convince Aelia to come away from the fountain, but the gurgling water proved more interesting than anything else at that moment.
Maeryn watched her daughter play and felt a sudden pang of guilt. Aelia had no idea about the circumstances surrounding her birth. As far as she knew, life was normal. She had a father and a mother who loved each other, and her life was happy. That was how Maeryn intended to keep it. It would do more harm than good to tell her the truth—that Lemus was not really her father. All of the other horrible things that Lemus had done would go unmentioned as well. But what bothered Maeryn more than anything was the knowledge that Aelia had become a tool of her deception. If it had not been for her birth, Maeryn was sure that none of this would have worked. She had used Lemus’ love for Aelia as a way to secure her own safety, and was now using that safety as an inroad to do whatever she could to strike back at the Empire she had come to hate. That was the bottom line, and it hurt to think about. Maeryn tried to shrug off the painful thoughts. It won’t do any good to think about that now. This is your life, and you must live it. One day, when Lemus has been brought to his lowest point, you will destroy him, and then you will be free.
CHAPTER 21
Saba sat in the corner of the cell that had been his home for many years now. His hair and beard, which had been shaved before his encounter with the cloaked man, now hung well past his shoulders. His body was thin and weak from inactivity and lack of proper nourishment. The guards only brought one meal a day, no longer concerned with keeping him unharmed. He tried his best to move around the cell and stretch his limbs every day to keep his body from becoming completely useless, but there was only so much he could do.
For all the years he had spent in this prison, there were only two things that occupied his time—the coming of his meal brought by a guard at dawn and the thoughts in his own head. The latter proved to be the more exciting of the two lately. When the cloaked man, or the being that was contained in his body, searched Saba’s memory, he brought images and sounds out of a place where they had been forgotten. Most of them were quickly forgotten once again, as Saba was unable to hold on to memories that had no connection to his present life. But a few lingered with him still and had actually grown more vivid with the passing years.
One such memory was an image—the symbol on the shaft of the arrow that Adair had given to him so many years ago. The symbol that took him to Orud, where he was captured. All he had to do now was close his eyes and the memory came instantly to him.
Saba stared at his own hands, the skin smooth and healthy. In his hands he held a scroll. The edges of the discolored parchment were ragged, as if from crude construction or many years of use. On the page in front of him was a sketch, drawn in the same ink as the surrounding text. Nine winged creatures, with vaguely human bodies, formed a circle with their arms and wings outstretched.
The scroll was gone, replaced by a bundle of leather. His hands reached down and placed the bundle into a small stone sarcophagus before placing the heavy lid over the top.
Now he was
moving through a cave with a rough dirt floor and arched stone ceiling of stalactites. The tunnel of the cave widened as it turned around a bend and stopped at a wall of water. It was the backside of a waterfall. Saba ran toward it and jumped. For a second there was a muffled roar of water, until Saba’s falling body emerged from the waterfall into the sunlight. He continued to fall a short distance until he splashed into a pool of water. Swimming back to the surface, his head broke free and he drew in a few quick breaths. All around the pool was dense vegetation and a forest of a bright green color, suggesting regular, heavy rainfall. On the bank of the pool stood three men of a primitive culture. Each brown-skinned native wore only a loincloth and carried a short spear. They were barefoot and had no adornments aside from the white bones that pierced their noses. Saba swam in their direction as one of the men waved his hand, beckoning him to come closer. Just as Saba reached a shallow area where his feet dug into the soft sand, he stood up and looked behind at the waterfall.
Saba opened his eyes and was confronted by the drab jail cell once again. No matter how long he dwelled on the memory, he couldn’t make it tell him anything else. It started with seeing his hands, and ended with the waterfall, no matter how many times he revisited it.
* * * *
Kael stood in calf-deep grass, which was now green from the spring rains. The breeze made the grass sway and ripple like ocean water. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as the sun beat down on his body. He stood firm on the ground with his arms extended, holding a bow stretched taut and ready to fire. A few paces away on his left, was Soren. And on his right, Jorn. All of the students were standing in a line and each held a bow, waiting for the command to loose their arrows. Kael closed his eyes and imagined his surroundings, trying to recreate the strange event that had occurred on the bluffs and again during his encounter with the monks. Since then, he attempted to bring back the sensation at the start of each exercise, but it had proved elusive. It was like trying to train a muscle that he wasn’t even sure existed. He steadied his thoughts and concentrated on his breathing. In his mind’s eye, he could begin to feel the grass waving in the breeze as if each blade were a hair on his arm. He could feel the targets made of hay and canvas lined up in the field in front of them. Each student had his own target set at varying distances, based on the limit of each student’s skill level. Kael’s own target was set at almost twice the distance of the others, next to Soren’s.
