The Awakened: Book One (20 page)

“Very good.  Perhaps tomorrow we will not be as distracted.”  Ukiru’s gaze landed on Horace and Donagh who quickly became serious.  “Before we have the morning meal, your servants will show you to the washroom.  We will assemble in the dining hall in fifteen minutes.”  After Ukiru left the room, Donagh and Horace finished laughing at their joke.  All of the boys filed out of the arena, following their servants down the covered walkway.

The washroom was located on the first level, off the hallway between the dining hall and the sleeping quarters.  There were several stalls of toilets off to the right side of the room, as well as a circular fountain in the center for washing face and hands.  Kael didn’t need to relieve himself, so he walked over to the fountain.  Water gurgled from a short pedestal in the middle, spilling over the side where it filled the basin.  He leaned over and noticed holes on the inside of the basin, a few inches from the rim.  The water level was slightly above the bottom of these holes, causing the water to drain out just as fresh water from the pedestal replaced it.  He dipped his hands in the water and was surprised to find it warm.  It felt soothing and he immediately splashed some on his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.  Jorn was the next one to come to the fountain and was surprised at the temperature of the water as well.  Just as the boys began to talk about it, a voice came from the hallway.

“You’re curious about the water?” Ukiru stepped from the hallway into the washroom.

“Yes,” both boys answered at the same time.

“This monastery was built hundreds of years ago in this location for just that reason.  All around us, the land is alive with heat.  In some places, steam comes from holes in the earth.  Our predecessors channeled that heated air and brought it to these buildings.  There are vents throughout these rooms and even in your bedrooms where the heated air comes through to fight back the chill of the winter months.  One area, which you will see later this evening, has steaming water coming from the ground, which was made into a bath.”

The rest of the boys were finished and had started to gather around the fountain to hear Ukiru.  “Finish washing; the meal is ready,” he said and left just as suddenly as he arrived.

Kael was already finished and followed Ukiru back to the dining hall.  When they arrived the table was already set with food.  Each place at the table was set with a cup of tea and a steaming bowl of a thick grayish substance.  Kael sat down at the same place he sat the previous night.  One by one, the rest of the boys came into the room and followed his example.  Horace and Donagh sat together and started to grab for their food before everyone was seated.

“Wait,” said Ukiru.  “We will have a moment of silence to thank the All Powerful for providing this meal and all the things that surround us.  Ukiru closed his eyes and most of the other children did as well.  Kael looked around at each face until he stopped at Soren, who winked at him and smiled, refusing to close his eyes.  Eventually Ukiru opened his eyes and cleared his throat.  “Let us eat,” he announced and proceeded to lift the steaming bowl to his lips.

The gray substance in the bowl appeared to be mashed oats and grains.  Kael thought it tasted bland, but was thankful to have something in his stomach.  He hadn’t yet gained all his strength back from his time in prison.

After breakfast, Ukiru rose from the table and led the boys out of the room.  They walked as a group down the covered walkway and entered the square building that Ukiru said would serve as their classroom.  The desks and chairs were still arranged just as they had been the previous day.  Ukiru motioned for everyone to take a seat before he addressed them.

“This is the study,” he began.  “Every morning after breakfast, we will meet in this room.  Here you will learn everything from history and astronomy to arithmetic and the arts of war.  Some subjects, of course, will require you to have obtained a certain amount of knowledge beforehand.  So we will start with reading, writing and speaking.  These three skills form the basis of all knowledge.  How can we learn or communicate what we have learned if we cannot read, write, or speak?”

“But we already know how to speak,” answered Horace.

“Ah yes!  But to speak and to communicate are altogether different, aren’t they?”

Horace squinted.

Ukiru quickly spoke a sentence in a foreign language.

All of the boys looked at each other in confusion.

“You see…I have spoken, but I have not communicated to you what I wished to communicate.  What I said was—cry in the classroom so that you may laugh on the battlefield,” he repeated.  “It is a saying where I come from.  It means that if you train hard in the arts of war, so hard that all your tears are shed in the classroom, then when it comes time to go into battle, you will be fearless in the face of your enemy.  You will laugh at how easy it is compared to your training.”

Ukiru turned toward Horace.  “You see, speaking is not the same as communicating.  Once you have mastered these three skills, you will have the foundation that will be needed in the future.  Some of you have already had a great deal of instruction, while others have had none.  Nevertheless, we will all start at the same place and we will learn together.”

As the sun peaked in the sky, the boys’ stomachs began to growl.  Everyone filed out of the study room and returned to the dining hall where another meal had been prepared.  Breads, cheeses, and meats adorned the table, accompanied by a large pitcher of water.  The boys ate greedily as they all seemed to be adjusting to their new surroundings with ease.

After the midday meal, the boys were dismissed for a period of one hour.  Ukiru told them that they were free to do anything while their food settled in their stomachs, but they must assemble in the arena afterwards.  Donagh and Horace went back to their rooms to sleep, while Berit left in the direction of the library.  Kael left the dining hall in search of the meditation area by the lawn.  When he got there, Coen was already seated in the middle of the rock garden.

“You can sit next to me,” he offered with a smile.

“No thank you,” Kael replied.  “He said there were other spots around here; I think I will go look for another one.”

Kael turned around and started walking back to the dining hall when he noticed a narrow path to his right.  Part of his free time was gone already, so he decided to tour the place by himself and get a better feel for his surroundings.  He took the path and found that it curved around the main building through a thick stand of trees and stopped in the front courtyard.  A wider stone path ran from the front of the building through the courtyard and out the front gate.  Kael followed it and found himself outside of the stone wall which surrounded all of the buildings.

A dirt path broke off from the main thoroughfare and ran to the south.  It wasn’t a constructed path like the others around the monastery; it was simply an area where repeated foot traffic had worn away the ground cover.  Kael took the path and followed it as it swung to the east for a while, running parallel to a ridge that obscured his view of the horizon.  Eventually, the path turned south again and began to climb the steep ridge.  Kael thought that his time was probably getting short, but now he was curious to see what was beyond the ridge.  It took him a few minutes to reach the top of the path and he was breathing heavily by the time he made it.

To the south, as far as the eye could see, the ocean glittered in the midday sun.  Kael was surprised by the sight, expecting to see only land and perhaps a few mountains.  The path descended from the top of the ridge to a rocky area which marked the edge of a cliff.  Kael stood on the rocks and looked down at the water, hundreds of feet below.  Until this moment, he wasn’t aware of how much he missed the ocean.  He would have to come back to this place when he would have more time to enjoy it.  Reluctantly, he turned around and followed the path back to the monastery.  He tried to walk quickly, even running in places, until he came to the arena.  He was almost sure that he had been gone more than an hour, but when he entered the building, there were only a few monks waiting.  Within minutes, Ukiru walked into the building, talking with Narian and Rainer.  A few minutes later, Coen walked in and came straight over to Kael.

“Did you find your meditation spot?” he asked as soon as he was within earshot.

“Yes,” Kael answered with a smile.

One by one, the others came into the building.  When all were present, Ukiru directed the group over to a section of the arena with a polished wooden floor.  “Each day after the midday meal and your time of rest, you will all come to this building.  Here you will be trained in the practices of war.  As priests of the All Powerful, you will be persecuted and attacked for your positions of authority.  You must all learn to protect yourselves against those that would wish to harm you and rebel against our god.  These practices are an ancient art, recorded thousands of years ago and handed down from generation to generation among his faithful servants.  As the classroom learning will shape your mind, these practices will shape your body so that your whole being will be a perfectly tuned instrument for the All Powerful.”

Kael drew in a deep breath and shifted his weight in anticipation.  After a morning of sitting in chairs and listening to Ukiru speak, he was ready to stretch his muscles and use his body instead of his mind.

“Everyone gather around me in a circle.”

The boys drew near and Kael could tell by their expressions that they were also excited about the opportunity to train as warriors.  When all of the children had gathered around, Ukiru continued speaking.

“All of the stances and positions that you learn during the morning’s meditation will be applied to the afternoon lessons.  Each position is either an attack or defense posture that will be the basis of your training as a warrior.”

As the afternoon advanced into evening, Ukiru explained each stance and its use in warfare.  All of the positions, whether attack or defense, were modeled after some animal which demonstrated an ability in nature to defend itself against or advance upon an enemy.  All of the boys seemed to prefer the afternoon to the morning, except for Berit, who kept quiet the whole day and didn’t show a preference for anything in particular.

When the sun began to slip below the mountains to the west, Ukiru ended their activities and led them back to the dining hall where, once again, the table was set with a meal.  The boys ate quickly to replenish the strength expended during the afternoon.  Already, some of them were making friends, joking and laughing during the meal.  Kael didn’t talk to anyone, but sat back and watched the way people interacted with each other.  His thoughts drifted back to
Bastul
where his mother and Saba lived.  He hoped that they were well and worried for their safety, having to live with such an evil man as Lemus.  Most of all, he wondered where his father was and if he had returned while Kael was away.

When the evening meal concluded, each one of the boys was escorted to his room for the remainder of the night.  When Kael got to his room, he immediately crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin.  Voices drifted to him from down the hall and Kael realized that not everybody was exhausted. 
Oh well.   I’ll be well rested in the morning and they won’t be able to keep their eyes open.

Chapter 13

Kael arrived at
the arena
after Coen and Berit, but only had time to say a quick “hello” before the other boys arrived.  Ukiru wasted no time and immediately began the morning’s exercises.  Just as Kael suspected, Donagh, Horace, and Rainer looked as though they hadn’t slept at all.  During one of the seated positions, Horace actually fell asleep, much to the amusement of the entire group.  Ukiru, however, took exception and considered the lack of attention a lack of respect.

“I understand that all of you will need time to adjust to your new life, but I will not tolerate this behavior,” he directed to the whole group.  “All of you arrived at your rooms in plenty of time to get a sufficient amount of sleep.  It would be wise for you to use that time for its intended purpose.”

Kael’s heart beat loudly in his chest and he felt his face get hot. 
It’s not fair that the rest of us are scolded for their mistake!
  He kept his mouth shut, wanting Ukiru’s anger to pass as quickly as possible.

When they resumed their exercises, Rainer kept his face toward the ground, trying to hide his snickering mouth.

Each day of the week continued in the same fashion, with Ukiru familiarizing the children with the daily routines.  He explained that their real training wouldn’t begin until the start of the following week.  In the meantime, the boys had fun acquainting themselves with their surroundings.  For six days, they repeated the pattern until the morning meal of the seventh day.