Rise of the Red Harbinger (40 page)

“There are already too many questions. We shall address that later.” Baltaszar huffed. “As I was saying, in the second letter, your father informed me that he was leaving for Khou’s village in the Never. It was after your mother was taken and the house had burned down, and Joakwin feared that you would become a target once people noticed that you bore the Descendant’s Mark as a boy of only three years old.”

What?
“My mother was killed in that fire, not taken!”

“Oh no, Baltaszar. Your father made that very clear. He detailed the events of that night quite specifically. Your mother was taken. Her captors would have taken you as well and would have killed your father, only the house spontaneously caught fire and blocked their path. Your father was in the room with you. He wrote that he saw the Mark appear on your face the moment the house caught fire. That was how he knew that you had caused the fire. But he never mentioned that there were two of you.”

“Likely to protect Bo’az. Why wouldn’t he have told me that she was taken? This whole time I thought she was dead.” Tears started to form in the corners of Baltaszar’s eyes, but he gritted his teeth until the emotion dissipated.

“Think of your father. I am sure you already know.”

“Yeah. He knew I would want to leave Haedon to find her.”

“More than that, Baltaszar. If he had told you the truth, it would have contradicted all of his efforts to protect you. He would have had to explain too much, and he brought you to Khou’s village to avoid exactly that. The people there are not Ashurians. Vitticus Khou started that village to give certain people refuge. Foreigners with no prospects in Ashur and ostracized from their own nations. You would be surprised at how many people in this land, no matter how nice they seem, are quite cold to those of different backgrounds and colors. We as Descendants experience that regularly. You asked why your father would align himself with Khou. That is why. Joakwin was not Ashurian either. I do not like to share this with others because so many have departed in the name of exploration and never returned. But, your father and Rhadames Slade are proof that there are other lands out there beyond the seas. Joakwin and Slade both came from the nation of Semaajj. And the truth is, there are likely scores of other nations out there of which we are not aware.

“Once your mother was taken, your father did not have many places to which he could turn. I could not justify his staying in the House of Darian without the Mark on his face. Khou was his best option.”

Baltaszar’s eyes narrowed. “Khou was the one who killed him in the end. I highly doubt that he was my father’s best choice.”

Marlowe looked directly into Baltaszar’s eyes once more. “I knew Vitticus Khou while he still governed the City of the Fallen. That was not in his character to act in such a manner. You said before that your father shouldered the blame for fires–which you later realized were of your own doing. If Khou carried out Joakwin’s execution, it is because Joakwin forced him to do so.”

“How would you know? You had no idea of my father’s doings for the past fourteen years. You just said so.”

“That might be so, but Vitticus Khou personally determined the fates of criminals in the City of the Fallen for decades.
Decades.
Do you know how many men he had hanged or killed in any manner during that time?” Baltaszar shook his head. “None. Khou was not a killer. Even to murderers. He believed in the good of all men and that anyone could atone for sin. No, Vitticus Khou did not have your father executed because of personal reasons. If you would like to direct your anger to someone, blame your mother’s captors. Or even your father. Those are the parties responsible for your father hiding in that village. That is why we ended our correspondence in the first place. I responded to his letter, urging him to bring you here. I never got a response. I am sure that you know just how stubborn your father was. I could not reason with him, so I stopped trying and just let him be. I hoped that at some point, he might see for himself that he was wrong. His death hurts me a great deal more than you realize. For the past seventeen years, I have always held out hope that we might see each other once again. That we might resolve our differences.”

Baltaszar snorted out a breath. “Yeah. At least you knew who my father really was. I’m his son and I had to discover all this from someone else. After he died. I don’t really want to think about him right now. Tell me about my mother. Might she still be alive?”

Marlowe sighed and paused for a few moments. “One thing I shall never give you, Baltaszar, is false hope. Your mother, Raya, was abducted fourteen years ago. I find it highly improbable that she would still be alive. I believe the only person who might have knowledge of her would be her brother–your uncle. But that will also prove difficult. Hugo Hammersland has not been seen in the Port of Granis, or anywhere in Galicea, since your father left for the Never. Hugo bore the Mark, but never actually came to the House. He had two daughters, near your age, I believe. But we know nothing of that family’s whereabouts any longer.” Baltaszar squeezed his temples with his fingertips. “I apologize, Baltaszar. I imagine you came here expecting better news. It is truly disappointing about your mother and uncle, especially considering the prestige of their lineage.”

Baltaszar looked up and stared at Marlowe. “What do you mean ‘prestige’?”

“Well, at least this is something uplifting. Your mother’s family directly descends from Arild Hammersland. He was one of the first Descendants to bear the Mark. It is said that the Orijin communicated with him regularly. Arild eventually penned
The
Book of Orijin
, directly from the words of the Orijin. I assume that if you are not familiar with Arild Hammersland, then you know nothing of
The
Book of Orijin
?” Baltaszar shook his head. “This book is one of the most sacred of our time, especially for Descendants. Anyone who resides here is required to read it and understand its message. You will do the same in your time here.”

Baltaszar snickered. “I believe that our definitions of uplifting might differ. I left Haedon because my father died and a stranger told me that the House of Darian was the best option for me. I left behind my brother and a girl I’d hoped to eventually marry. You’ve just informed me that my mother was kidnapped and that I have no chance of finding her or any of my other family. What difference does my ancestry make if I will never find my ancestors?”

Marlowe held up his palm. “I understand that you are frustrated. I was merely trying to help you see a piece of light in an otherwise dark story.”

Baltaszar took a deep breath. “I appreciate your efforts, I truly do. But the truth of it is that the only family I have left is Bo’az. Once I have gotten settled here, I would like to return to Haedon. I need to ensure that my brother is safe and I would also like to sort out a few affairs.”

Marlowe did not attempt to suppress the annoyance in his voice. “Why is it that you pups come here and then rush to leave? This is your home now. We are your family now. Everyone you meet here is your brother or sister.”

Baltaszar now grew annoyed. “I was not asking for your permission. I am telling you that I need to go back for a few days at most. There are people there that I must see. Believe me, I have no intention of staying in that blasted village. Once everything is in order, which should not take very long, then I shall return. You are right; this place will be my home and my family. But for me to fully accept that, I must be able to have closure with what I’ve left behind.”

“Very well. But before you leave, you must be acclimated here. We provide schooling for all Descendants and you will be no exception to that. Your case is different than others here. Most Descendants who come here understand the nature of the House and the history of this world. I will not object to your request, but I ask that you complete your reading and study of
The Book of Orijin
before doing so. It would be appropriate to at least be familiar with your ancestor’s contribution to the world.”

Baltaszar waited a few moments to consider.
How long is that going to take? I need to get back. What if Bo’az needs me? What if Yas is waiting for me?
“And once I have finished reading
The
Book of Orijin
, you will not object to me leaving?”

“I believe that you will come back. You did not have to come here in the first place. It took a great deal of faith for you to make this journey, so I shall reward your faith with faith of my own. Once you have completed your reading, I will grant your request.” Marlowe arose from his seat and walked to the door, beckoning Baltaszar to follow.

Baltaszar hesitated to rise. “But…”

“I know you have many questions. We have nothing
but
time to address them. Believe me. However, I do not have the time to discuss it all at once. You will have several opportunities to meet with me. My word is my bond.”

Baltaszar stood reluctantly, “Very well.”

“Now go with Lincan. The two of you will share quarters. I have a feeling that the two of you shall get on quite well.” Lincan sat on a bench across the room from Marlowe’s office, leaning back against the wall with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes as Baltaszar and Marlowe walked out of the office. “Lincan, show Baltaszar to your quarters.”

By the time Baltaszar and Lincan reached their quarters, the room had already been furnished with an additional bed and cabinets for Baltaszar. Baltaszar hadn’t really thought about it until now, but he’d expected the room to be more spacious. “It isn’t much, is it?”

Lincan scratched his head. “We don’t spend much time in our quarters anyway. Days here tend to be busy. Don’t get me wrong, we have plenty of time to relax, but our days are filled with education, work, duties, and every so often we get to go on missions if Marlowe thinks we’ve earned it.” He sat on his bed and leaned against the wall.

Baltaszar sat on his own bed across the narrow room from Lincan and faced his new roommate. “Do you like it here?”

Lincan smirked. “It’s better than where I came from.”

“Where’s that?”

“Fangh-Haan. Southeast. I know you don’t know much about geography and all, but my nation doesn’t look favorably on Descendants. My parents were lucky that we lived in a fishing town. Once I developed the Mark, I was basically confined to our boat. My parents told people that I fell over and drowned on a fishing trip. They faked my death and hid me just to keep me alive. Once I was old enough to travel, they snuck me out of Xuyen, my home town, and had me sail off to the Wolf’s Paw.”

“They sent you off and left you to fend for yourself?”

“For a while. They had to put all their affairs in order. And then even when they did arrive, it took them about two extra weeks because they didn’t know where to find me. Five islands make up the Wolf’s Paw. Luckily I was on the second one that they checked.”

“Man. That’s rough. At least for me, people just looked at me awkwardly all the time. I never had to think about running away. Then again, I didn’t think there was even a rest of the world until about a week ago.”

Lincan smiled. “You really thought that? It hurts my head to try and imagine how you could think that way.”

Baltaszar shrugged, “I know. It sounds stupid. And I feel stupid knowing that I thought that way, having seen so much now. But my life was pretty simple. And busy. I guess I just never really had the time to give it much thought, you know? The funny thing is, every single person in Haedon acted as if it was the only village that existed and that there was nothing beyond the forest.”

Lincan scratched his head roughly. “So they don’t want to be found then. They’re all there because they want to be away from the rest of the world.”

“Well that becomes incredibly obvious when you’re on the outside of it all.” Baltaszar glanced at the wooden door of their room. “You said that they keep us pretty busy here? Why is it that we’ve been able to sit and talk like this? Or is this not going to last much longer?”

“We were out on missions – all of us that you met at that inn, The Colored Road. The other three – Desmond, Badalao, and Marshall – had been in Marshall’s village looking for something, but the mission was cut short because Adria and Gunnar were taken. I was already in the City of the Fallen, looking for some items to help with my healing manifestation. I got bored and went to grab a few pints. Ladies tend to be attracted to that place–the type of ladies that love to get a little drunk and crazy, especially with Descendants.

“Anyway, Marlowe gives us a small grace period to relax when we return from missions. That way we don’t have to overexert ourselves as soon as we return. I assume since you just arrived here, he’s allowing you the same privilege so that you’re not overwhelmed. Don’t worry; he will have certain expectations of you soon. Enjoy this while it lasts.”

Baltaszar nodded, “Got it.”

“Do people call you anything? Or do I have to say Baltaszar every time?”

Baltaszar smirked. “Back home they called me ‘Tasz’. Well a few people did, anyway.”

Lincan contemplated. “Tasz works. Or do you prefer ‘Balt’? I could call you Balt from now on.”

“Tasz will do just fine. What about you? ‘Linc’ or ‘Can’?”

Lincan glared at Baltaszar with a somewhat suppressed smile. “Linc.”

“How long have you been here?”