For a long while after the music stopped, no one moved. Finally, they all seem to come to their senses, and everyone rapidly prepared themselves for bed, though no one spoke.
The group separated early the next day, much to the regret of the young people. However, they continued at a good pace: the idea that their destination was approaching gave them renewed strength and energy. Chance smiled upon them, and at around midday, they came across a carpet merchant who was headed to Shinozuka. So, they ate their lunch in the cart as they continued their travels.
The four friends were exhausted, and didn’t speak much. The merchant would occasionally exchange a few words with one or another of them, but he didn’t seem very talkative himself. He simply wanted to know what they intended to do at the capital, and if they had ever been there before. They replied that they were maggs and their protectors, and they simply wished to visit the city. The route was very agreeable. Jeremy, Emily, and Gwenn slumbered, lulled by the regular sound of the horse hooves and the wheels on the ground.
Glaide took the opportunity to ask the merchant for something to write with, so he could bring their map up-to-date. He added the spot where they had encountered Baras, and the race they had had with Boaret. Then, he spent a long time studying the map. The Known Lands were vast, and exploring them tempted him. But for the moment, he had other priorities, and he was impatient to arrive in Shinozuka.
He asked the man how much longer it would take to reach the city, and he replied that they would arrive the following day. “Tomorrow,” thought the young man. “Already... It will have taken us ten days to make the trip. We were lucky to come across all of these people: they helped us gained an incredible amount of time! Still, when I think what that same amount of time would have represented on Earth... A week of classes, the weekend; it’s so much time, though it seemed so fast here, since we can do nothing but keep moving.”
Night fell, and the man offered them something to eat. They had fresh meat, cooked over the fire – by someone with much more experience than them – and it turned out to be excellent. Everyone woke early in the morning, because the merchant was eager to arrive in Shinozuka. The group returned to the road just as the sun rose on the last day of their journey.
Soon, the scenery began to change: the route became paved, and traffic increased as several routes joined each other, forming crossroads. The merchant wanted to arrive quickly in the city, so the teens – who now wanted to take their time – thanked him and parted ways. They began walking at a tranquil pace.
“There are certainly plenty of people about,” observed Jeremy.
“Indeed,” confirmed Glaide.
“I hope there isn’t too much of a border control. We have rather too much money to be simple vagabonds...”
The number of travelers increased from minute to minute. The young people had never imagined there could be so many people on a single road! They had imagined all the roads being much like the one they had traveled to get there: dirt paths on which one rarely passed anyone. They had never imagined that there would be such masses passing through the same channel.
As they traveled and listened to the conversations around them, they began to learn more about the place where they found themselves: this route carried the name “The Way of Hope”, which had something to do with an army that had traveled it long ago to bring aid to the human city of Shinozuka. It was about then that the four friends noticed a boy and a girl of about their same age who were speaking with another traveler, who stood near a cart with a broken wheel. The four approached and caught some of the conversation.
“But how will we ever continue on our way?” lamented the man.
“It seems to me you’ll have to have a new wheel, and the tools to put it on with. We have nothing with us, but we could go to the city, get them, and bring them to you,” proposed the girl.
“You would do that?”
“Of course! Isn’t that the purpose of a magg and her protector? To help others?” asked the young man.
“Thank you! Thank you so much! I’ll wait for you here.”
“So then, until later,” they said, leaving at a run.
The four friends paused, mouths open. A magg! Of course! They’d never thought of it before, but they weren’t the only ones!
“Hey, did you see that? A magg and her protector,” said Gwenn enthusiastically.
“It’s true! It’s so exciting to see more of us,” added Emily.
“There should actually be many people like us; we ought to cross paths with a few in Shinozuka.”
“I hope so. I’d love to talk with them – I’m sure they know Galadria like the back of their hand. They could give us advice...”
Jeremy nodded, saying, “There is one thing that annoys me a bit, though. Did you see what they did? As the Guardian said, we’re supposed to help the inhabitants of the Known Lands. However, until now we haven’t really done much along those lines...”
“True,” agreed Emily. “But then, our situation isn’t exactly the same as theirs, either: we come from a different world, and a god seems to be hunting us down to kill us by any means possible. That’s certainly not very typical!”
They all laughed cheerfully.
“Seriously, though,” continued the young woman, “It’s true that we should bring help wherever it’s necessary, but what this magg and this protector are doing will take time, and that is something we don’t have enough of. In the best case scenario, we could help the people who pass us, or who we meet on our way, but we can’t do much more.”
“Those two should do things like that; they were born to this,” declared Glaide, wisely. “We, however, are completely lost. We need to learn how to live here before we become too concerned with our responsibilities. We have to understand this world, seeking to train ourselves, among many other things. Only then can we act and destroy the hordes of Baras.” The words of the young man were followed by a great silence. He noticed it, and turned towards his friends; they looked at him with wide-open eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter.
“But what’s with you guys now?” exclaimed the adolescent.
Trying to catch her breath, Gwenn replied, “Did you hear what you just said?”
“Huh? But what did I say that was so amusing?”
Between bursts of laughter, Emily tried to imitate her friend, making her voice deep, her face serious, and repeating the words of her friend.
“...Only then can we act and destroy the hordes of Baras...” She stifled another chuckle.
“We have to get to know this world, to continue our training...”
She broke out in laughter yet again.
“That sounds like something straight out of an old movie, Glaide,” exclaimed Jeremy.
“Bah,” responded the young man, his pride injured.
They continued to laugh for several minutes longer, not able to stop themselves. Glaide decided he’d have to take it good-humouredly, and he was happy that his friends were so energized, even if it was at his expense.
They had made mild progress during their discussion, and the route was now very full; there were chariots, animals, and plenty of people who didn’t know each other, but nonetheless struck up conversations like old friends. An almost palpable gaiety surrounded the young people, so much so that smiles finally imprinted themselves across their faces. The day was warm, but not scorching, and there wasn’t a single cloud on the horizon. Yes, everything was going decidedly well.
Glaide, though, couldn’t prevent his thoughts from returning to the dangers that could erupt from one moment to another. Was there any sure place in this world? A place where his presence would put no one in danger? He, who had never liked to find himself on center stage, was now the one in charge! The idea made him smile. “At any rate,” he thought, “leaving is not such a scary thing. Sure, at first it will be difficult, especially for my morale, but afterwards? The people are kind and welcoming, and it will be enough for me to find a school for martia
l arts. Oh no, a school! I hadn’t thought of that! If I leave the others, I can’t stay and learn Iretane. That’s another big problem to deal with...”
Jeremy, Gwenn, and Emily all noticed the young man’s face, contorted with worry.
“So hey, what’s happened to you all of a sudden?” asked Jeremy.
“It’s nothing. Forget about it,” Glaide responded.
His friend pouted with displeasure. “I’m disappointed, Glaide. Very disappointed. Don’t you have any confidence anymore in your old friend?”
“No, it’s not that! But...” Glaide turned towards Jeremy, who offered him a great mocking smile.
“You’re just teasing me!” exclaimed the teen with a burst of laughter, soon followed by his friend.
Yes, truly, it was a beautiful day...
It was then that the road began to climb, slowly. It curved around a small hill, and just as the young people completed the climb, Shinozuka appeared suddenly before their astonished eyes.
Chapter 13
SHINOZUKA, the long awaited city. It was immense, so much so that the teens barely succeeded in making out the walls on each edge. They quickened their step. The closer they drew to the city, the more gigantic it seemed. It was entirely surrounded by walls of white stone. The door that they approached seem to be the main one. The north and south edges of the plain in which Shinozuka had been built were closed in by tall mountains, so much so that the city seemed to be cornered by them. To the east side, an imposing – though still crossable – hill appeared, though no roads seemed to head in that direction.
The flux of travelers entering and leaving seemed to be continuous and regular. No one else paid any attention to the architectural masterpiece surrounding them, starting with the wooden door, covered with strange inscriptions that the young people couldn’t read. The writing was etched into the wood, and seemed to date back hundreds of years. The wall itself was punctuated with towers much larger than those of Rackk, that could each hold dozens of men.
The most impressive things, without contest, were the two statues flanking the entrance. The first was a man holding a katana at his side, and gazing resolutely towards the horizon. The second was a proud warrior brandishing a gigantic battle axe, a benevolent smile upon his lips. The two were of an immaculate white material, and they inspired respect in the young people, who found it difficult to drag their eyes away from them. Before all of this majesty, they could do nothing but stare in admiration and in silence, as the noise around them amplified unceasingly. “In the end, the journey was long and rough, but well worth it,” thought Glaide.
Then, they entered. The city differed from Rackk and Adrish in only a few ways. In fact, the only real difference was in its size. Its dimensions were truly impressive. However, when they thought about it, the teens had to admit that Shinozuka, compared to cities they had passed through on Earth, was really only a medium-sized city – a small one, even – with its inhabitants numbering in the thousands. But then again, the walls didn’t allow for infinite growth. Plus, reasoned Glaide, the many, smaller cities of Galadria were much preferable to so many massive metropoles, as the destruction of a place such as the latter would prove itself incredibly disastrous, both in the loss of human lives, and in damage to the economy.
The ambiance of the city was very lively, though as the four friends moved deeper into the city, the number of people around them diminished, with everyone leaving in their own direction. They had all the time in the world to look about them at their surroundings, and to observe that the size of the city was in part explained by the fact that there were no blocks of apartments or flats. Only individual homes existed, of a more-or-less large size, so that the people living here didn’t seem to crowd in on each other, but lived in harmony with the rest of their neighborhood. Furthermore, there were none of those sordid and dark alleys; sunlight infiltrated every part of the city, flooding all of it. The four friends again had the opportunity to admire the architectural style of Galadria: an artistic blend of oriental styles for the facades and roofs, with a more western style for the doors and windows.
An immense tower that they had noticed from far away rose up off to the right, dominating everything with its height. The home of the king, they thought to themselves. The stones that composed the building were evenly sized and smooth. They appeared well-maintained, despite a few marks that revealed how ancient they were. The tower was visible from everywhere in the city, and the young people decided to head there, though they first needed to find an inn. Using the tower to keep their bearings, they moved farther into the bowels of the city. However, after twenty minutes, they realized that it was even bigger than they had thought, as their reference point didn’t seem to be coming any closer. They knew, though, that they had indeed moved some distance, because another tower appeared in their field of vision. Situated deeper into the city and to the left, its stones were black, and its roof pointed. From its appearance they couldn’t divine what it housed, so the four friends decided to ignore it for the moment. The paused to ask a passerby for some information.
“Excuse me,” began Jeremy.
“Hello! What can I do for you?” The man spoke with a strong peasant accent.
“Umm, yes, well,” continued the young man, “we’re new here. It’s the first time we’ve come, and we’d like to find some place to pass the night.”
“A good inn? There is an excellent one just a little ways from here. The inn is called ‘The Enchanted Minstrel’.”
“Thank you so much.”
“It’s just there, at the end of the street.”
Just as the man was about to continue on his way, Glaide called out, “Wait, one last thing, please.”
“Of course!”
“Do you know where some sword fighting schools are located?”
“Of course! There are many here. Do you know the name of the one you’re looking for?”
“Yes of course. The school of Iretane.”
The man thought for a moment, repeating the name under his breath. “Iretane, Iretane... That sounds somehow familiar...” Then he raised a finger in the air in an ah-hah motion, with a big smile on his face. “Of course, Iretane! You’re certainly not looking for the easiest one! There is only one master representing that school, so it is lucky that you came here!”
The faces of the young people lit up, then darkened just as quickly as the stranger added, “Yes, this is the only village where that is taught. Or at least was taught. I’m sorry, but I have bad news for you. It’s now been four or five years since the man teaching that technique left. He didn’t teach many people, and all of his followers left, too. I heard that there had been some kind of a tragedy, and he decided to travel. I didn’t hear the whole story, but I’m sure that he isn’t here any longer. I’m sorry, but there is no longer anyone teaching Iretane in this village, or anywhere else, for that matter. If you want to learn it, you’ll have to find this master, and good luck – few people, if any, know where he went. Perhaps he’s taken up residence somewhere or another, or perhaps he has become content to just wander. I don’t know.”
However, the last of his words never reached the ears of the teens. All four stared off into thin air, not reacting.
“Right, so fare thee well, my friends.”
“Yes, goodbye,” responded Glaide absently, as the man left.
“Damn,” cried Jeremy. “What are we going to do now?”
“Wait, wait, don’t get all upset. We’ll come up with a solution,” Emily said, calmly. “We have to keep our wits about us.”
“We should go to the king immediately,” declared Glaide, his face somber. “We have no time to lose. We must forget all of the plans we’ve made; everything has changed. The inn can wait. We need help. This city is the only one besides Rackk where someone knows who we are. Our journey still was not in vain – far from it.”
The teens began to run, so that they would reach the tower as soon as possible. Despite the enormous problem now
facing them, Glaide was at least reassured on one point: if it came down to it and he had to leave, the question of his education would still be resolved. He would have to search, of course, but at the very least, there still remained a chance of continuing to learn Iretane. It would be harder for Jeremy though. The young man let his line of reasoning stop there: leaving wasn’t on the agenda for the day, and he had no desire to travel at the moment anyway. After all, he and his companions had spent almost an equal amount of time on the road as in villages up until now.
Chapter 14
BY a happy accident, the young people found that the entrance to the tower lay directly in front of them. It was immense, as seemed to be the norm in this city, and entirely constructed of massive stones, with great, sculpted columns at its edges. Two guards, armed with halberds, stood before the building. The four friends, as they approached, hoped against hope that this was the place where the king lived, as they had supposed.
The men near it paid the young people no heed. They group took a few more steps until they were even with them. It was only then that the youngest of them looked at them, saying in a loud voice, “Halt, who goes there? You stand before the residence of the Lord of the Known Lands, His Majesty, Rozak the Third.”
“Umm, hello. We’re four wanderers, and we have important information and questions for Lord Rozak the Third,” declared Emily, with an adorable smile.
The man seemed to be trying to decide if she was teasing him. However, the serious looks on the faces of the other three seemed to convince him that she wasn’t joking.
“I’m sorry, but the king is accepting no visitors. He is in a meeting with the leaders of the cities of Galadria.”
“Tell me,” asked Gwenn, “Do you know the people who are present at this meeting?”
“I don’t, no, but my friend here does,” he said, indicating the other guard.
“Yes, I do. Why?”
“In that case, you’d know that one is missing,” continued Gwenn.
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