Dawn of Man (Thanos Book 1) (9 page)

Ahnon looked around the room, seeing everyone staring at him. “I’m not talking to any of you! Do you know how rude that is listening to a private conversation?” Ahnon yelled, and everyone started eating.

Vilarius stood. “Ahnon, can you please calm down?” he asked.

“I don’t want to.”

Vilarius shook his head, looking at Ahnon. Then he looked at Jedek. “Jedek, take your sho-ka upstairs, and you two take a nap.”

“I don’t want to take a nap, and I don’t have to,” Ahnon said.

“Fine. Watch Jedek take a nap,” Vilarius said in shock.

Ahnon pulled his sire’s chair back. “Come on, Jedek. We can let our worms out and crawl on the floor and play together,” Ahnon said as Jedek stood up, trying not to laugh.

As Jedek walked past Ahnon, he turned and followed. “What is it with you about bugs and worms today?” Vilarius yelled.

Ahnon spun around. “Oh no! It took me almost three hundred years to find out what I learned from two ten-year-olds today. I’m not telling you,” Ahnon said in a sassy tone and turned around, following Jedek out of the hall.

Vilarius looked at Kenna, who had her head on the table with her arms covering it, trying to hide. “Theobald, do you know what in the abyss he is talking about?” Vilarius asked.

Theobald was trying not to laugh as he leaned to the king’s ear. “Sire, I believe you once told me girls were full of troll buggers, and Eira said boys are nothing but hobgoblin spit,” he whispered.

The king came close to hitting the floor laughing but stopped. “I’m going to my state room. Please enjoy the rest of the meal,” he forced out in a voice several octaves too high and took off running up the winding staircase. Theobald took off after him but didn’t make it out the door at the top of the stairs before he started laughing.

They both collapsed laughing on the floor when they reached the state room. When they would stop, one would yell, “Bugs!” and it would start over again. Neither knew how long they stayed on the floor before climbing into chairs.

Vilarius looked over at Theobald. “You do realize Ahnon wasn’t using components with Kyros, don’t you?” he asked.

“Yes, sire, I know. I’ve seen him do that several times,” Theobald admitted.

“How many spells can you do without components?” the king asked.

“Just one: light,” he answered.

“Same here, but I’ve tried,” the king admitted. “You don’t think Ahnon will try to teach that to Jedek, do you?” he asked, a little worried.

“Only if Jedek is ready for it,” Theobald assured him.

The king looked over at Theobald. “By the Gods, did you feel his power? I thought my skin was on fire as Ahnon used his magic,” the king declared. Theobald nodded in agreement. “What do you think about what Ahnon said about the assassins going after Kenna?” Vilarius asked.

“I trust his judgment and not because he would raise me to the ceiling,” Theobald admitted.

Vilarius sprawled out in his chair. “It’s going to take Kyros a month to get home with Kenna. I think I’m going to ask him for her to stay here, and he can come back with his household for the wedding in two years. We can protect her here better than he can.”

“Kyros would sacrifice her in a heartbeat to save his skin,” Theobald said.

“Yes, I know, but we need those islands Kyros is giving us and the trade Fantshu is giving us with this wedding arrangement.”

“Then keep her here, sire,” Theobald said.

“Well, it will give Eira a small girl to dote on till we have our own,” the king said, standing. “You think I should have Ahnon ask if Kenna can stay?”

Theobald busted out laughing, sliding out of his chair on the floor. “Yes, and tell him Kyros let some of his worms out,” Theobald choked out. The king dropped down beside him, laughing.

Out in the hall, the two guards standing by the door could hear the laughter. They fought hard not to join in, but the giggles slowly started, and then the two were leaning on the wall.

Chapter 6

Walking across the courtyard from the housing wing to the state wing, Jedek looked behind him and saw the ever-present Ahnon. It was rare that Ahnon let him out of his sight, and even then, he was never too far away. Not to say Jedek didn’t complain about this, but Ahnon assured him in time he would give him more space. Jedek smiled weakly at Ahnon and turned back around, heading to the great hall. The king, his dad, wanted both of them in the state room above the great hall after breakfast. Looking at the east wall, Jedek noticed the second sun wasn’t even showing over it yet.

“An early start every once and a while won’t break your legs, sire,” Ahnon said.

Jedek sighed. “Easy for you to say. You didn’t have someone pour water on you to wake up.”

“Well, the butler asked you to get up; then your mother and I warned you twice, sire,” Ahnon said.

“Ahnon, it was a whole pitcher of water!” he cried.

“You’re awake,” Ahnon said as Jedek turned around and scowled at him. “A warrior must learn when to move and not be told.”

The scowl fell from his face. “That was acting like a baby, wasn’t it?” Jedek asked.

“Moderately so.”

Jedek turned around, looking at the ground as he walked. “I’m sorry, Ahnon,” he mumbled.

Ahnon grabbed Jedek’s shoulder, stopping him. “For what?” he asked, spinning Jedek around to look at him.

“For you having to pour water on me, showing me I was acting like a baby,” he mumbled.

Ahnon gave a soft chuckle. “Sire, don’t think you are the first or the last to have water thrown on them to wake them up.”

Surprise showed on Jedek’s face. “You mean you had water thrown on you?” he asked.

“Quite a few times, among other unpleasant things. You could say I was a hard learner,” Ahnon said. “Several times I just laid in the wet bed,” Ahnon admitted. “You came to the conclusion I didn’t the first time.”

“That can’t be right, Ahnon. You’re the best warrior there is. I’m just a small boy.”

“No, sire, you’re a young man. Two weeks ago, what did you do when we were attacked?” he asked.

“What you told me,” Jedek answered.

“Exactly. A small boy wouldn’t have. He would’ve tried to run and hide, getting everyone killed.” Jedek just stared at him as he realized the implications. He was so scared to tell Ahnon he wanted to run and hide.

Jedek took a deep breath. “Ahnon, I want to tell you something, but please don’t tell anyone,” Jedek pleaded.

Ahnon tilted his head to one side and smiled. “You were scared and wanted to run and hide,” he said.

Jedek gasped, jerking back from Ahnon.
How could he know,
he thought.

“Sire, to be scared is normal. How you react to it defines who you are. You can run from what scares you, endangering yourself and others like a child, or hold your ground, facing it too see how to handle the threat, trying to survive. I’m not saying you should never run, but if you do, think it out first.”

Jedek thought about what he said and smiled. “You’ve never run, have you?”

“Of course I have,” Ahnon said, shocking Jedek. “If I can’t win, I’m not staying, and just for the record, I almost took you and left garden,” Ahnon confessed. “If Karme would’ve been a little better, I would have.”

Jedek was stunned to the core. “You would’ve run?” he mumbled.

“My life is protecting you, not killing the assassins sent after you. I should’ve taken you and left, but we both know what would’ve happened.”

“Yeah, Karme and Kenna would’ve died,” Jedek said, looking at the ground fighting a lump in his throat.

“I felt confident you were in no danger, but I still put you at risk, and for that, I apologize. I just couldn’t let your future wife get killed.”

Still just not liking the sound of that Jedek looked up at him. “You know, I kind of like her, but this wife stuff really stinks. I mean, she likes playing with our boats and my other toys. So why do I have to get married to her? Can’t we just, like, be friends?” he asked.

Ahnon’s face split into a grin. “Sire, you’re talking to the wrong person for this. I’ve never been married, and you’re the only friend I’ve ever had.”

“Thank you, Ahnon. When are you going to teach me how to fight instead of reading, writing, and math? When am I going to learn swords and magic?” he asked.

“Learn to use this,” Ahnon said, touching Jedek’s forehead. “Then, I will teach you to use this,” he said, touching Jedek’s right bicep. “The mind is what wins a battle. I’m not saying brute strength doesn’t contribute, but a smart person trained to fight will beat ten thugs any day. The mind controls the body, not the other way around.”

“Oh okay,” Jedek moaned.

“Head up, young sire. If you keep on the current path, I will introduce you to magic soon.”

Jedek jumped in the air. “Alright, that’s fairy hair!” he yelled. Ahnon wanted to ask about fairy hair but decided not to. Finished with his celebration, Jedek looked at Ahnon. “Karme isn’t that good of a sho-ka, is she?” he asked.

“She wasn’t ready, but she did fight five kytensa and win.”

Jedek moved over, standing almost on Ahnon’s toes. “You killed two of them,” he whispered.

“Thank you for not telling anyone,” Ahnon whispered back. “To answer your question, she wasn’t ready. She has the heart, and I hope she starts making up for her shortcomings.”

“Thank you for saving them. I really like having Kenna as a friend. You’re the best, but you don’t like playing in the dirt. Then when I play in the dirt, you scrub me down right after I quit. What’s the point in getting dirty if you’re just going to get me clean again?” he asked.

Smiling as he gave a slight bow of his head, “Sorry, sire. I have an aversion to dirt.”

Tilting his head as he furrowed his forehead, Jedek asked, “Aversion?”

“A dislike,” Ahnon explained. “I don’t mind getting dirty, but I don’t like staying that way, sire,” he said.

“Well, play in the dirt with me, then both of us can get clean later. I’m telling you, Ahnon, you don’t know what you’re missing,” Jedek informed him with a serious face.

Ahnon reached out and hugged Jedek, taking him by surprise. “Sire, you may be right. After we find out what the king wants, let’s go and find some dirt,” Ahnon said, grinning.

“You mean it?” Jedek said with his face shoved in Ahnon’s chest.

“Yes, sire, I mean it.”

Jedek looked up at him. “Can Kenna come with us?”

“What about the bugs?” Ahnon asked with a straight face.

Jedek looked down. “I don’t think she has any,” he admitted. “That’s what all the other boys told me. That’s one reason I don’t play with them anymore.”

“There’s more than one reason?” Ahnon asked.

“They’re kind of mean,” Jedek said. “They made Kenna cry the other day. I thought Michi was going to start chopping little boys up.”

“I wondered what that was about,” Ahnon muttered.

“They treat us different, Ahnon, and a lot of what they are telling me isn’t true.”

“Bugs?” Ahnon asked.

“Yeah, I don’t think girls have bugs, but they can be a pain,” Jedek told Ahnon, letting him know to still watch out for girls.

“That is the way of life, sire,” Ahnon said. “Believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see.”

“Huh?”

“Rumors are rarely true, and people put on false faces to hide what they really feel,” Ahnon clarified.

Jedek looked away, thinking about that for a minute. “That’s weird but true,” he admitted.

“Come, sire. Let’s see what the king wants,” Ahnon said, turning him around.

Jedek burst into a sprint. “I can beat you to the door!” he yelled. A gust of wind brushed past Jedek, and he looked up to see Ahnon standing by the door a hundred paces away. Stunned, Jedek slowed then came to a stop with a dumbfounded look on his face. “That’s cheating,” he moaned.

Ahnon looked around. “You didn’t say how to get here—just to get here,” Ahnon pointed out. “There were no rules, so how could I cheat?”

“You were supposed to run,” Jedek complained.

“I did run. You didn’t say to run like you.”

Jedek stomped his foot. “You’re supposed to know that!”

Ahnon feigned shock. “I didn’t know, sire. You just bet me that you could beat me to the door.”

Jedek walked over with a grumpy face. Ahnon opened the door to let him in. “That wasn’t fair,” Jedek said as he walked by. Ahnon followed him in then picked him up, spinning him around then holding Jedek to his side. “Hey, what are you doing?” Jedek asked.

“Hold on tight,” Ahnon said, and Jedek wrapped his arms around his neck, grinning. “Take a deep breath and hold it.” Jedek obeyed. Ahnon looked across the great hall to the center staircase several hundred paces away and forty feet up to the balcony door to the state hall. Jedek followed his gaze, and excitement built in him.

Suddenly, Jedek felt like he weighed a ton as Ahnon leaped into the air, bouncing off the south wall, flying over the tables and chairs, almost touching the ceiling. Then Jedek noticed his stomach felt tickly as they plummeted toward the floor. Jedek wanted to scream but was holding his breath, so he just held on tighter as the room blurred in his peripheral vision.

They hit the floor, and at the same instant, Ahnon kicked off, and Jedek was heavy again then felt light as they headed toward the upper balcony on the staircase. Ahnon landed on the balcony, sliding toward the door and skidding to a halt a foot from it. Ahnon looked down at Jedek. “You can breathe now,” he said, grinning.

Jedek blew out his breath in Ahnon’s face, yelling, “That was absolutely great!” Hearing something clatter behind him, Jedek turned his head. The guard on the balcony had dropped his spear and was looking at the two who seemed to appear out of thin air beside him. “It wasn’t cheating, Sergeant. I just didn’t tell Ahnon we had to walk up the stairs,” Jedek said.

Suddenly, another gust of wind hit the balcony, and Michi was standing beside them, holding Kenna. “Really, it’s not cheating, Sergeant. They did it, so we could too,” Kenna said in her small little voice. The guard nodded so fast his helmet slid over his eyes.

“Don’t make me blind, please! I won’t tell!” he screamed.

Ahnon reached over and lifted the man’s helmet. “I think that would be cheating if I made you blind,” Ahnon said, letting Jedek down.

“Surely, that would be cheating,” Jedek said, opening the door. Michi let Kenna down, and she ran through the door.

“I can beat you, Jedek!” she yelled, running for the state room, hair bouncing everywhere.

“No, you can’t!” Jedek yelled and took off.

Ahnon looked at Michi. “We have to play in the dirt today.”

Michi froze. “What?” he asked.

“Jedek is going to play in the dirt and wants Kenna to join him. He tells me it’s the best thing ever,” Ahnon explained though he still wasn’t convinced.

“My sire just got that dress, and you want her to play in the dirt in it?” Michi asked.

“Let her put an old one on,” Ahnon offered.

“Ahnon!” he yelled. “It’s a new dress! Do you have any idea what a new dress takes?!”

“Well, yes I do,” Ahnon said matter-of-factly.

Michi looked at him with stern eyes. “Well, I didn’t! Do you know there are darts in a dress?”

Ahnon nodded. “Yes, they’re to form it to the body,” he said nonchalantly.

“Well, I didn’t know that!” Michi yelled. “I heard the dress maker say, ‘Sharpen the dart,’ and threw him up against the wall, holding a knife to his throat. I threw a binding spell on his assistant while I searched him, getting stuck with a hundred pins. The whole time, I’m telling him if he even thinks about hurting my sire, I’ll kill his entire bloodline!” Michi ended in a full bellow, “And you want her to get that dress dirty?”

The kids ran back over, hearing the yelling.

Ahnon wanted to laugh, but he easily held it. “I’m sorry, Michi,” was all he could think to say.

Kenna hugged Michi’s waist. “The dress maker peed, making a big puddle on the floor,” she said with a grin, looking at Ahnon.

“I’ve never felt like such an idiot in my life,” Michi growled.

Ahnon grinned. “Well, the dress does look great,” he offered.

Kenna looked up a Michi. “The dress maker tried to leave after that, and Michi told him if he left before the dress was finished, Michi was going to throw the dress maker and his assistant out the window,” Kenna said with a smile.

Michi shook his head. “The queen came in during that. Turns out the man’s the royal seamstress,” he told Ahnon, causing Jedek to hit the floor laughing.

“Well, what did the queen say about it?” Ahnon asked.

Michi shrugged. “Don’t know? I told her what happened, and she collapsed on the floor laughing. An hour later, the king came in and carried her out, still laughing,” he said in an annoyed tone. “And you want her to get this dress dirty. Have you lost your mind?” Michi popped off.

“We can wash it later?” Ahnon offered.

“Do you know what it takes and how long to fit a young princess for a dress?”