Zealot

by Joshua David Smith

  A few more moments passed before Kanii finally boarded the ship, a time which seemed like an eternity. Then a rope was thrown down to Zackarius who caught it on the first try. He clung to the rope as they pulled him on board and wrapped him in blankets.

  Looking around, Zackarius saw some of the soldiers still holding up their shields as they were not yet out of archer's reach.

  Immediately they made way, rowing until the arrows stopped flying before switching to full sail, hoping that they would not crash into an anchored ship before officially exiting the harbor. But as far as Zackarius was presently concerned, that was an issue for the captains.

  Cheers went up around the ship, cheers of survival, and the mission's success. It was impossible at this time to know how many had survived, as aside from the twenty eight people who were aboard, and the Praetor with Eleven on the Andromeda, no one would be able to tell how many men or ships made it out until morning. Also virtually nothing could be seen due to the weak moonlight, making it impossible to gain proper bearing of the fleet. No, all of that was a discovery for the new day, but for right now the exhaustion caused by the waning adrenaline rush, beckoned Zackarius to sleep.

  As Zackarius found a place to lay his head, Kanii approached before crouching down beside him. She spoke gently as she handed him a few extra blankets to help prevent frostbite, “Quick, wrap yourself in these; if you don't get warm soon you could loose a few of your extremities, or your heart might give out on you in your sleep. I've seen both."

  After Zackarius did as Kanii had indicated, she finished, "You fought well today; now get some rest, you'll need it.”

  Kanii then rose, but before she could turn to walk away, Zackarius replied, “You know, maybe you're meant for this noble stuff.”

  “What do you mean?” Kanii inquired.

  Zackarius went on, “Well that speech you gave earlier...”

  Kanii cut him off, “What about it?”

  “Well I'm just saying, it wasn't the type of speech I would expect to hear from a backstabbing pirate,” answered Zackarius with a smirk, his teeth chattering once or twice.

  After a quick chuckle, Kanii responded with a wink before moving back to join the other captain.

  As the Andromeda's once not so noble pirate captain walked away, Zackarius laid down, closing his eyes as blood trickled down his face from unclosed fresh wounds, allowing unconsciousness to snatch him away under the starlight.

  Chapter 9

  415 days before day 1

  The sun began to fall behind the rolling hills; hills which continued on and on without end. Yellow grassy fields which also stretched as far as the eye could see, rippled like the sea's tide as the gentle breeze flowed over the tops of knee high grain stalks, broken up only by the occasional tree, large rock at the base of a hill, or colorful patches of pink and violet flowers which pleasantly dotted the landscape. The tall golden colored grass also complimented the color's being painted across the sky's canvas; the bright oranges and reds that now began to reflect beautifully off of scattered clouds which flitted here and there across the sky.

  Salius slowly placed down his book, and after scanning the scenery, he leaned back to lay down upon the grass, gazing up at the sky, hoping to capture every moment, every small ray of light which contributed to the sun's masterpiece. After a few moments he closed his eyes, fully at rest due to the beauty of the world which surrounded him. As his eyes closed, Salius' mind began to wander. He tried to picture what it would feel like to run across the landscape, to walk, to jump, to explore the world around him, or even to dance along with his younger sister Valecia, who went about in a joyful way when hearing a musical melody. But the sad truth was that Salius had been a cripple for far too many years to remember what such things were like, things that other people took for granted. Still, Salius tried anyway, torturing himself with the pursuit of a memory of something he would never have again; the ability to walk.

  As his mind began to turn to horrific memories of the accident which happened over ten years ago, Salius was interrupted by his mother as she came up behind him with the wooden wheeled chair that his father had fashioned for him many years before, “Son it's time for supper... Oh, which book are you reading?”

  Salius answered as he pulled himself onto the chair with the help of his mother, “A King's Charge.”

  His mother responded as she began to turn the chair around before pushing Salius on toward their home which sat on a small hill overlooking the farm, not far away for those who could walk, “That's a good read, it's one of my favorites, not very practical though... well unless you were a king; then I suppose it would be very informative, useful even.”

  Salius' mother was unusual in the sense that she was one of very few peasants born who had the ability to read and write. In fact it was not just unusual, it was downright unheard of. A farmer's wife who could read and write, practically a circus act; at least so the locals thought when they learned of her talent.

  His mother was taught the skill by her mother, as Salius' great grandfather was a tragic story of what becomes of a wealthy Lord who loses everything due to uncouth misfortune. She then taught Salius how to read and write the Imperial Standard, and due to the fact that he usually had nothing better to do, Salius often passed the time by reading and rereading the many books which his mother had inherited from her grandfather, the books which now occupied a small study that his father had built for his mother as a wedding gift over two decades ago.

  The twenty one year old, dirty blonde haired boy named Salius had a truly bizarre feature; a light green colored left eye and a deep blue colored right eye. This color scheme was so unusual, so odd and out of place, that often when people saw him their first reaction was either that of disgust, curiosity, or sometimes even fear.

  For more than one reason Salius was often avoided whenever he made an appearance among the small farming community which his family was a part of, or the townspeople in Minos, the nearest town in the area; and those who knew of him often simply referred to him as the cripple.

  Replying to his mother, Salius teased, “Well, I can see you've already resigned me to lesser fortune. How do you know I won't be a king?”

  Salius' mother laughed before returning playfully, “Forgive me your highness, I was not aware of your noble bloodline.”

  “You are forgiven,” answered Salius with a mock regality.

  As they neared the fairly large wooden house, Salius' dark haired, blue eyed mother who was originally from Haaren spoke to Valecia, who had just emerged from the front door, in her light Haaren accent, “Fetch your father and brother will you, supper's ready.”

  “Yes mother,” said Valecia as she flitted away toward the other side of the farm.

  Salius' mother then continued to push Salius up a small ramp and onto the wooden porch. Upon passing two rocking chairs as they crossed the neatly constructed platform, they came to the front door before continuing to enter the house.

  Many fine works of craftsmanship could be found in the home, and all over the farm as Salius' father happened to be a skilled carpenter. Why the man had chosen to resign himself to life on the farm in spite of his talent, miles away from a small town called Minos in landlocked West Librium, was anybody's guess. Salius had often tried to understand his father's reasons for rejecting carpentry, a higher class of profession than working the fields, but try as he might he had never been able to ascertain the true reason.

  Salius didn't mind living in the country, and he didn't mind the endless grain fields of West Librium; West Librium being one of two major farming hubs that provide the Empire with a majority of it's grain. Of course Salius had never been anywhere else either, so he couldn't truly make a determination as to what he did or did not prefer. No, Salius had never experienced the forests of Ameritus or Haaren; he had never been to a city like Kingsgate which was so vast you couldn't reasonably expect to walk across it in one, two, or even three days. He had never seen the snow of the North land
s, which after it fell across the landscape, Salius was told, appeared like white sand had fallen from the sky, covering everything, making the whole world around you the purest white. But of course Salius had never seen sand either; the thing called sand, Salius found, was often times directly associated with the ocean, another place, another thing, which he longed to see and experience.

  Before the others had arrived, as Salius was pushed up to his place at the dining room table, he spoke, “Mother?”

  “Yes,” she replied.

  “Tell me again what the ocean is like.”

  His mother glanced up at Salius with a gentle smile after placing a large loaf of sweet bread onto the table, before leaving to fetch the pot of stew. After placing the steaming, delightful smelling stew onto the rectangular table, she sat at one of the ends before giving answer to Salius, “Well, it's beautiful. It's truly endless, like the grain fields, going on and on, as far as your eyes can see. On some days, depending on the winds and where where you are, the sea can be furious , it's powerful waves rising many feet taller than a man, threatening to bring the whole world to heal. Then, on other days, the sea rests calm and still, like a person who falls asleep, or lays back to rest; so dangerous, and yet so... wonderful... serene. Sometimes, in certain places when the sea is most still, at night you can look down to see the moon and stars reflected in the water, like a mirror, an endless mirror which grants you such vision that it can almost, with a little imagination, appear as if you are swimming or sailing through the starlit sky.

  “I very much enjoy the rocky coast, especially when the seas get more violent, as you can hear the waves crashing up against the rocks with a powerful sound, like thunder echoing through the air. Such things make you feel very small compared to the ocean's sheer power and might. Then, there is nothing like feeling the spray of the sea splash up against your face, as you ride upon a sea vessel while it breaks the swells which strike aggressively at the bow before washing over the deck. And, above all else, I will always miss the ocean's pleasant but haunting scent.”

  Immediately after Salius' mother had finished, the rest of their family began pouring in, moving to take their places at the table. Salius' brother Leonidus, younger than Salius by only a year, teased his seventeen year old, soon to be married sister about her fiancee. Valecia punched Leonidus on the shoulder in retaliation, launching back an accusation that truthfully wasn't even a little relevant, before officially deciding to sit down beside her older brother, who was clearly amused at the brief outburst.

  Salius' father walked toward his wife after making his entrance behind the other two. To his left, Salius then heard his father whisper to his mother, “Smells wonderful.”

  After leaning over to kiss his wife on the forehead, Salius' father turned before walking over to the other end, taking his place at the head of the table which sat on Salius' right.

  Leonidus, sitting directly opposite of Salius, then exclaimed, “Let's eat.”

  Salius' father grunted his approval before moving to fill his bowl with stew while also reaching for his portion of bread as it was passed around.

  As they all began eating, Salius' mother spoke, “Did you boys get the plow fixed today?”

  “Well, yes and no; we fixed the first problem, but upon closer inspection, father found another broken metal piece which needs to be replaced.”

  “The good news,” Leonidus' father continued after his son, “is that the Minos smith should have the part readily available.”

  Salius' mother responded, “I see, well, there are some things I could use from town too. How about we make a day of it?”

  Valecia's eyes lit up immediately at her mother's proposition, as a family trip into town was always a unique and special event. Salius himself had only gone with them a handful of times, as transporting him back and forth was difficult due to his condition, but each of those times, to him, was a treasured adventure. Although Salius was continuously puzzled as to the reason behind his father always referring to Vasily as the smith, especially considering the fact that Valecia was soon to be married to the man's son; that of course being the other, and perhaps main reason behind his sister's present look of glazed excitement.

  Salius grinned as he teased, “Careful sis, you're drooling.”

  Leonidus laughed after moving his thumb up to Valecia's face making a comical motion as if trying to wipe the imaginary drool from her lower lip in continuation of his older brother's subtle joke. Valecia immediately swiped his hand away saying in annoyance, “Oh come on you guys, grow up. I'm just excited is all, it's been awhile since we've been to town.”

  “You mean it's been awhile since you've seen him,” said Leonidus in reply.

  Salius' mother then chimed in, “Alright that's enough boys, leave your sister alone.”

  Salius' mother then glared at her husband as he chuckled a little before pretending to be serious, “Yeah, listen to your mother... Anyway, it sounds like a good idea, I don't see why not. You care to watch over the farm while we're away Salius?”

  “Sure,” answered Salius.

  “Good, then it's decided, we'll head for town early in the morning.”

  After some conversation and a little more frivolous banter, Salius left, heading for his room full from the evening meal, ready to put an end to another typical day on the farm. Then, shortly after closing his eyes, sleep befell Salius as he laid down to rest.

  Chapter 10

  414 days before day 1

  Salius simply enjoyed the early, brilliantly sunlit morning, as the cool autumn breeze pleasantly blew his less than shoulder length hair back and forth while he sat upon the front porch in his unique chair. It never snowed here in the southernmost parts of West Librium but the winter still brought a definite chill before it's passing; and as autumn was the harbinger of winter, it often carried a certain windchill of its own, a windchill which warned of winter's expected arrival. Today was warm enough, but as Salius looked out over the peaceful landscape, he could already see and feel the signs of change all around him.

  The leaves on some near and distant trees had altered color some time ago from lively summer green, a change which signaled the harvest.

  Fortunately Salius' father and brother finished harvesting early this year, making up the loss from last year, putting everyone in high spirits. So it made sense for them to make a trip into town earlier this morning, even though it was not necessary to have the main plow fixed until the end of winter. It was a well earned break, and Salius didn't mind being left behind. Even though he enjoyed leaving the farm as often as he could, which was a rare opportunity at best, he was content with staying behind today and reading his book. Besides, Salius enjoyed the quiet, and the undisturbed peace which nature provided. The truth was that Salius often wondered how people who lived in the city could think and appear so sane; with people surrounding them at all times, the constant noise, and never ceasing social interaction as one went to and fro about his or her business. To him the prospect seemed maddening, until he remembered a painful lesson which he had learned over nine years ago; a person can adapt to anything, and anything can become normal.

  Suddenly as Salius looked about, admiring the scenery, finding enjoyment with his own thoughts, he saw a man far off in the distance begin to approach, making way through the tall yellow grass at a brisk pace.

  Salius was curious, apprehensive even, but not afraid, as occasionally, rare though it was, a traveler would stop by the farm for water, a meal, or maybe someplace to sleep for the night. Generally they would entertain with stories or current world events as they dabbled in politics and religion. In Salius' experience it was quite a treat to host a traveler, and as the man neared he breathed a sigh of relief upon verifying that his previous assumption, that the man was indeed a traveler and not an Imperial soldier, was correct. He had decided it was an obvious truth back when the man was too far off to identify, as Imperial soldiers traveled in packs, not alone.

  As the man neared, clo
se enough for his voice to be heard by Salius without needing to shout, he began, “It is a beautiful day. I've always loved the endless fields of West Librium, it reminds me of home.”

  Salius responded, “And where is home stranger.”

  “Far away from here, and yet, not that far,” the stranger replied pleasantly as he stopped just short of the porch upon which Salius sat.

  “I see, well welcome, I am Salius, son of Fasius, and you are...”

  “Forgive my manners, I am Claudius, son of a man I never knew,”answered the stranger with a polite hand gesture before continuing, “Do you mind if I take a seat?”

  Salius gestured his approval. Then, as the man who called himself Claudius briskly stepped up onto the deck before moving to take a seat, he said, “Don't worry, I won't be long, I have places to go, things to do; I just stopped by to rest my feet, and hopefully have a little human interaction before resuming my journey."

  “Very well then. Tell me, where are you heading, and what is it that you do?” asked Salius inquisitively.

  “Far away from here,” answered Claudius not bothering with the second part of Salius' question.

  There was a time of silence which followed Claudius' response as he sat appearing perfectly contented with the view.

  After a few minutes, Salius broke the silence, saying, “You are a mysterious one aren't you?”

  Claudius replied with a smile, “You aren't the first one to say that about me and you won't be the last.”

  After a few more moments passed, Salius spoke again, this time with a subtle but friendly rebuke, addressing the man's willing lack of conversationalism, “A good conversation has at least two contributing members, don't you think?”

  Claudius laughed before returning with, “True, but sometimes the most truthful and meaningful interactions are carried out with few words, are they not? I do not recall myself saying I wanted lengthy conversation, but if I did, then you have my apologies.”