by Milo Woods
/ / / / /
The company continued walking northeast, eventually reaching Fort Zan. Once there, Seeko received new clothes. He received an Irenic tunic of white and blue—so that he blended in, they told him. They also gave him gray breeches and brown boots.
He looked at his old Earth clothes. His worn jeans, his baggy sweater, his broken headphones … His old life was gone now. He would never see his parents, or Winona, or anyone again. He would never drive a car, use a phone, or use anything even remotely similar to electricity again—at least from what he’d seen thus far on this planet.
No. Kazuma was right. His mopey attitude was going to kill him far faster than any monster would. He had to make the best of this new world. This was his life now. He rubbed the scratchy Irenic tunic. This backward, war-torn world was all he had now.
This was what he had wanted when he came though that portal. He was a hero-in-training to Kazuma, and maybe that was why he was here.
Kazuma entered the changing room with a short-sword to hang on Seeko’s hip. Seeko was still looking at his old clothes when he entered.
“I bet your family misses ya,” Kazuma said.
Seeko hung his head. “They’re probably dead by now,” he said, a tear coming to his eye.
“Don’t think that. They’re fine, I’m sure.”
“When I left, Earth—my planet—was being destroyed by demons. That was almost two weeks ago. At least you have magic here.”
Kazuma closed his eyes and began a prayer. “Ava will protect them,” he said once he was done.
“They weren’t even my real family,” Seeko said. “I was adopted.”
“Even so, they raised ya. They’re spending every day looking for ya and—”
“But they’ll never find me! I’ll never see them again, Kazuma!” Seeko kicked at the desk holding his old clothing.
Kazuma said nothing.
“Sorry. I’m sorry. I know I’m stuck here now. And … I’m going to be … a hero.” He hoped Kazuma didn’t notice his voice crack when he said that.
Kazuma smiled. “That’s the spirit!” He handed him the sword.
“I don’t know how to use a sword.”
“It’s more for looks. If ya look like one of us, the company will be less likely to be attacked by stray demons. It’s our job to protect you anyway. Ya shouldn’t even have to draw the weapon.”
“I hope not. I wouldn’t even know which side to grab.”
Kazuma smiled. “You’re hopeless. I hope we can shape ya into something because if we can’t … Arani protect us.” Kazuma slapped his head to emphasize.
“You’re sort of a jerk, you know?”
Laughter was Kazuma’s response.
/ / / / /
It took Seeko awhile to notice the town drawing nearer to the company. He had already been through so many other towns and had figured this was just another quick stop. Kazuma had a slight smile on his face, letting Seeko know they had finally reached their destination: Asilis.
The city was built on the side of a hill, allowing Seeko to view the rows of buildings leading up to a large castle enclosed with walls. If Kazuma’s smile hadn’t given it away, that would have. Seeko exhaled in relief as he scraped his boots forward.
My feet are on fire, Seeko thought. There is nothing left of them but ash and dust. He had never walked so much in his life before.
“We have reached Asilis, capital of the Irenic Empire,” Kazuma said. It had taken twenty days, but Seeko had made it. He rejoiced, promising to treat his feet the first chance he got.
Citizens stared at the company as they ascended through the town, passing row upon row of red stone buildings. The road was well paved and led to a gate atop the hill. Seeko looked at the faces following the group. The people were sad and scared, looking at Seeko with hope or despair.
It wasn’t long before Seeko found himself inside a courtyard. Looming ahead was a huge castle made out of the same crimson stone as the buildings below. The intimidating structure made Seeko nervous, until he compared it to the skyscrapers back home.
He brought his attention back to ground level and saw the soldiers split to either side, leaving Kazuma and Seeko standing alone on the path. Kazuma got down on one knee, bowing. Seeko quickly brought his attention forward as a man in ridiculous robes walked toward him, flanked by two guards on each side.
“Uh …” Seeko just stood there, not knowing how to respond to this.
“Get down!” Kazuma whispered.
Seeko then noticed the crown on the man’s head and quickly knelt. So … this was Emperor Physis?
The man raised a hand, speaking in a smooth baritone. “Rise, Captain Kazuma. What news does Grama Company bring on this fine day?”
Kazuma rose and cleared his throat. “M’lord, Irris remains ours. In addition, we have the prophesied one.” He gestured to Seeko.
Emperor Physis smiled. “So you do, so you do. This is fine news for the Irenic Empire. We have many things to discuss, and then we need to get Grama Company back to Irris.”
Kazuma shifted uncomfortably. “M’lord? May I have a word with the boy?”
“You will have time for that, Captain. For now, you are dismissed. Head to the barracks; I’ll call for you later.”
Kazuma saluted and whistled to his soldiers, and soon the courtyard was empty save for Physis, Seeko, and his four-man guard.
“Rise, boy,” Physis said.
Seeko obeyed, fidgeting as he did so. He avoided the gaze of the emperor, instead watching his feet.
“Come with me,” the emperor said. “We have things to discuss in private.”
Seeko finally raised his eyes and looked into the emperor’s. He recognized those brown eyes. Suddenly, another vision besieged him …
I am sitting on a small cushion, crying. A man walks into the room and approaches. I look up, into his eyes. Brown eyes! This man is special. He reaches for me and picks me up. I stop crying and calm down as he sings a song to me …
“Boy! Are you listening? Get up!”
Trying to ground himself back in reality, Seeko found himself in the arms of a guardswoman. The emperor was nearby, yelling at him.
“What is wrong with you?”
Seeko looked into Physis’s eyes. Could he really be his father? Brown hair streaked with gray, large nose, strong jaw. Seeko had never met his real father …
“I’m sorry,” was all Seeko could say.
“Hmph. Let’s go. Follow me if you can walk; otherwise, have Tenumi help you.” The emperor walked into the castle.
Seeko shrugged off the offer of help and followed the emperor inside. As they walked, Seeko tried to read the man, but found it impossible. Did Physis actually care for Seeko, hiding it behind a carefully constructed mask? Did he know more than he let on?
He led Seeko through the halls and soon they found themselves looking into a small room. Bookshelves lined the walls and a messy desk sat in the center of the room. The emperor and Seeko entered the room and the guards stationed themselves outside the door as the emperor closed it.
The emperor sat behind the desk and motioned for Seeko to sit opposite him. Seeko obliged.
After a moment, the emperor spoke: “So, what exactly was that little panic attack down there?”
This man intimidated Seeko. Was it because he did not want to be chastised by his “father”? “I don’t know exactly. It’s only happened to me once before.”
“You cannot do that in front of me in public. It is dishonorable …” The emperor paused. When he spoke again, his tone was fairer: “But we are not here for that. I assume you have questions? Ask away.”
“How did I get here exactly? Where is here? There’s so much I don’t understand and …”
Physis nodded. “I believe you came here, to Kismetia, through a portal created by Arani.”
“What are you talking about? Arani?”
“The gods are very hard to understand sometimes, but they sent you to save us from the d
emons. Life Goddess Arani has a plan for you, hero. It was foretold several years ago that you would descend to us from above Irris and save us from the demons. You landed near Irris, correct?”
He knew for a fact he hadn’t been sent here by some god. “Yes, but—”
“Then you must be the hero.” He eyed Seeko up and down. “You don’t look like much of one. Do you know any way to take out the demons? Are you a sorcerer, perhaps, or do you have an anti-demon weapon?”
“Sorcerer? What?”
“You know how to call on magic, correct?”
“Magic? Uh … no?”
The emperor sighed. “You have no magic? Well, can you at least fight? For your life, if need be?”
“I have no idea how to fight.”
“Arani save us. You are no hero!” The emperor shook his head. “Well, we will just have to make you one. You’re all we have, after all.”
So, Kazuma was right: he was to be a hero. “Is that why I’m here? To save the Irenic from the demons and the Halcyon?”
“Why else would you be here?”
Seeko didn’t know. He wanted answers to his questions. He wanted answers to the memories that were just returning. “I have questions … about you,” Seeko said after a while. “Do I know you? Have we met before?”
“How could we have met before? Perhaps in a different life or in a vision from the gods … But I’ve never seen you before today.”
Maybe Physis was playing dumb. “Okay. So, what’s the plan to make me into a hero?”
The emperor rose. “We will train you over the next few months in archery, swordsmanship, and magic. The prophecy is somewhat vague on how exactly you will save us; I will research the matter in more detail.” He placed a hand on Seeko’s shoulder. “You may become a hero yet. I’ll check on your progress periodically. Come now, I’ll have Tenumi take you to your quarters.”
Physis guided Seeko outside the room and soon they were in the hall again. The emperor motioned for one of his guards—the woman, Tenumi—to lead Seeko in one direction while he and the other members of the guard headed in the other direction. Seeko watched him leave, and then followed Tenumi, wondering the whole time about both his future and his past.
4: Mori
11 Mir, 112 AV: Day 20
Seeko popped up in bed the next day when the sun rose. His room was small, but one wall opened to a balcony that faced east. Unfortunately, this made the rising sun his alarm clock in this world. He shuffled to the balcony and pulled the curtains closed, then flopped back to bed.
A knock on the door stopped him from returning to sleep. The guardswoman from yesterday, Tenumi, opened it and poked her head in. “Are you ready to begin your training?” she asked.
“No.”
“Hurry up. You have a busy day today.”
Seeko forced himself off the bed and slipped into his Irenic tunic. When he finished, Tenumi led him to a large training ground outside the keep. Even at this early hour, soldiers were training all around him. He heard the clash of metal on one side of the area and the twangs of bowstrings on the other.
“This way,” Tenumi said.
She led him past the trainees and into a smaller courtyard. This one was empty. “I am going to teach you how to use magic,” she said once they had stopped. Seeko was skeptical, but knew he had already seen magic done by Kazuma.
“Magic is split into four elements: fire, water, wind, and earth,” Tenumi continued. “Each person has access to one of these four elements. They access the magic through their soul, their spark. Magic is a powerful tool, but most of us are not very skilled in it. As we use it, we tire, and your spark dims as you use more and more of it. If it goes out, you will die.” She raised a finger. “But using it is the only way to train it, like a muscle. A very powerful muscle.”
“So there is a spark in me as well?” Seeko asked as he stifled a yawn.
“If you are sentient. You are a sentient being, are you not?”
He furrowed his brow. “Very funny. So, what do I do to use magic?”
“Just reach inside yourself and find the spark. Call upon the magic and it will come to your beck. The only trick is you will only be able to enter the spark from one ‘side.’ This side will determine what element you can use.”
“Okay, so I just reach inside myself? Sounds easy.” Seeko took a deep breath. He stood there for a moment, concentrating on nothing in particular. “So … what exactly do I do?”
Tenumi sighed. “You’ve got to feel the spark within you and reach for it,” she said.
“What spark?” Seeko asked. “There is no spark!”
“No no no. Close your eyes. Visualize a spark in your mind. Is it there?”
“Yes, but how does that have anything to do—”
“Okay. Until you can actually find yours, you will just have to pretend. Reach for the spark. Try to touch it.”
“I don’t understand. How can I reach for something in my head?”
“No! You don’t.” She shook her head. “This is why you’re hopeless.”
Seeko struggled with it for a while, listening to Tenumi’s coaching. He never reached his spark, however. He had trouble just listening to Tenumi. She was intent on bringing Seeko down, making him feel worthless. And she succeeded.
After finishing his training in magic, he was pulled into archery training. Tenumi led him back into the large training courtyard, and then left, leaving Seeko alone, but not for long. Soon an older man stood in front of him, healthy and intimidating and holding a bow in each hand. He gazed at Seeko and shook his head in disappointment. Seeko didn’t care. He was already used to their lack of faith after Tenumi’s training.
“I’m Raltz, but you will call me ‘sir,’” he said with perfect confidence.
“Yes, sir,” Seeko replied in a slightly annoyed voice.
Raltz threw a bow at Seeko, who clumsily caught it. “You will be learning how to use this.” Raltz strode to a rock that marked the firing line, nocking an arrow as he walked. He drew back his own bow and, after a few seconds, fired. The arrow flew through the air before hitting its target, dead center. “Now it’s time to see what we have to work with.” He held out an arrow to Seeko.
Seeko grabbed it out of his hand. “Alright, I’ll try … sir.” He stood next to Raltz and drew back the bow, struggling to pull the string. He had no idea how to aim it, so he guessed where the arrow was going to go. Seeko let the arrow fly, but it fell slightly short.
“Well … that’s fixable,” Raltz said as he looked back to Seeko. “A little training and some hard work.”
A compliment? Maybe he didn’t completely suck at this.
“Again! Fire the bow!” Raltz commanded.
This time the arrow hit the target.
Raltz nodded. “So you’re not absolutely useless. That’s a start. Again!”
“Enough!” yelled Raltz after maybe two hours. “You’re done for today.” Which was good, for Seeko’s arm burned from pulling back the bowstring.
Seeko looked over to see Kazuma standing next to Raltz. “Kazuma, what are you doing here?” Seeko asked.
“Still with the questions? I’m here to get ya.”
Seeko ran over to meet him. “Finally, I need a break.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he said as someone in blue and white robes walked up to him. A puzzled look crossed Seeko’s face as the man placed a hand on Seeko’s arm.
“Wha—” Seeko cut his words short as he watched water seep from a pouch on the man’s side into Seeko’s hurting arm. It flowed like a snake into his arm, and soon the pain died away, leaving Seeko in awe. “Thanks,” he said, looking at his arm. The healer acknowledged the thanks and left with Raltz.
Kazuma looked away, placing hand on hip. “I’m here to teach ya how to use this,” Kazuma said as he pulled out his sword, “at least until I leave.”
Seeko groaned, walked over, and reached for the sword, but Kazuma pulled it away.
“This is mine. Besi
des, we’re starting with wood.”
Seeko slouched as he suddenly wished Kazuma hadn’t shown up. Kazuma led Seeko to a training area that appeared to be empty. Seeko looked around at the dummies and training equipment and wished for his training to be over already. He was not looking forward to this. He looked over at Kazuma, who was now only wearing an undershirt and pants.
“Grab a training sword and dress down.” Seeko did as told and stood, facing Kazuma. “Ya start with a basic stance for wielding your weapon.” Kazuma held out his sword in both hands, facing Seeko. “Hold your sword in front of ya like this.”
Seeko followed his example, trying to match his position.
For the next few hours, Kazuma taught Seeko basic sword handling. By the end, Seeko was slumping, barely holding his sword up. His hair was drenched and his muscles burned. Kazuma lowered his wooden sword.
“That’s enough for now,” Kazuma said.
Seeko dropped to the ground, holding onto the sword for support. He breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Kazuma gather his stuff together and move to the door.
“Get your things and head to the bathhouse.”
Seeko nodded, but Kazuma left without looking back. Heat overwhelmed Seeko as he walked into the male half of the bathhouse. The room was large, with two long tubs leading down to the opposite wall. He stepped onto the red tile, thinking how this was the nicest thing he had seen so far in this savage world. Soldiers lounged along both tubs, alone and in groups. Seeko found a spot separated from the rest and slid in. Soldiers stared as he got in, apparently curious about their hero. Seeko looked around, afraid he had done something wrong, but soon the others went back to what they had been doing.
Seeko lay back and listened to the people murmuring around him. Most of the conversations were about him and his laughable training. He closed his eyes and pursed his lips. Why were the soldiers mocking their hero? It was not his fault … was not his choice. He heard a nearby splash and opened his eyes. Kazuma was near his side.
“How ya feel? Hope it’s not too bad because ya have a long ways to go,” Kazuma said as he sloshed over to Seeko.
