The Awakened Book Two (20 page)

Two hundred yards…this is going to be quite useful!

Chapter 13

The morning sunlight shone bright through the surrounding foliage which held the vibrant colors of spring. The soft, but steady sound of the water lapping at the shore reminded Maeryn of
Bastul
. She used to stand at the railing of her balcony and watch the sun rise over the eastern horizon to reflect brilliantly off the numerous buildings and ships near the bay. She felt a deep sadness at the loss of her beloved city, but those feelings were confounded by her other memories of that time, unpleasant things that she wished to forget. It all seemed so far away, and with any luck, it would stay that way.

She stood now at the sandy shore of a secluded bay and watched as the procession of former slaves made its way down to the slave ship anchored just a few yards from the dry ground. The morning had been filled with tears, both of happiness at the realization of their freedom and sadness at their parting with each other. Unfortunately, Maeryn and Aelia would not be accompanying their friends to
Orud
. There would be no valid excuse for them to be aboard a slave ship. Instead, the others would make the journey days ahead, while mother and daughter would wait and allow distance and time to separate them from the slaves they had helped to escape.

The fewer suspicions, the better.

It took hours to load everyone aboard the ship. It was awkward seeing so many bodies in so little space, but appearances were important at this stage of their plan. The man that brought Maeryn back from
Bastul
was apparently in a position of authority as he commanded the crew of the slave ship. Though he wouldn’t be traveling with his men, he instructed them nevertheless. And, after instructions to the crew, he turned to address his pretend captives.

“All of you must listen carefully.” Immediately, the joyous expressions inspired by the first taste of freedom fled from all the faces. “When we arrive in
Orud
, it is critical to our success that you appear as anyone would expect. For some of you younger ones, you didn’t directly experience the horrors of capture and transport to this Empire. Therefore, you must learn from your elders. I know that living on the run from
Bastul
hasn’t been easy, but it is much different than the experience of a new slave. For the older ones among us, this is the only time when I will recommend that you remember your experiences. Relive them and let your grief show. Use this time before we reach
Orud
to get back into those feelings. We must put on a show and appear no different than any other slave ship. I don’t want to see any smiling or hear any laughing. If you are tempted to feel anything other than downtrodden, think of this. Our mission is not complete. If we are caught, we will all be executed. More importantly, our cause may be compromised. From the time you set sail, until the time you reach your assigned post, there will be no more friendly interactions. You will be treated as slaves and will address the crew as masters. We cannot afford to waste the years of effort and progress that have brought us to this point. The next weeks will be difficult, but you have all endured worse in the past, and I beg you to hold fast to what you know, that your freedom is within your grasp.”

When he finished speaking, the crowd was silent. There were no more words to speak as all were deep in thought. Maeryn watched Aelia wipe the tears from her eyes. Maeryn’s own eyes were surely red, but without tears. The time for mourning was over, and they needed to look ahead to the task that lay before them.

After much waving and shouted farewells, the anchor was raised and the slave ship was rowed out of the bay. When it reached the open sea, the sails were raised and the wind took hold. From the narrow view of their
hideout
, Maeryn, Aelia, and the Resistance Captain watched the slave ship disappear from view. Though she had been preparing for this moment for such a long time, Maeryn still felt unprepared for the gravity of the situation. This was a turning point in her life and she would never again be the same. As Aelia held tight to her side, sobbing, Maeryn was keenly aware that something momentous had just occurred and she was now on the other side of it.

* * * *

Kael cinched down the strap holding his knapsack to the saddle. All of his belongings were now secure and attached to his horse. Stepping back, he surveyed the rest of the General’s brigade that would accompany him and Dacien to the capital city of the Empire. Ajani, who was always close-by these days, waited by his own horse as Kael walked down the length of the small column. The spring sunshine warmed his skin and seemed to intensify the smells of the city. Horses stamped, their tails whipping back and forth. Men yelled instructions to each other along with the occasional crude joke. In all, only twenty-two soldiers and eight slaves would be making this journey, including Kael, Dacien and Ajani. However, Kael refused to refer to his dark-skinned friends as slaves.

Whatever questions there were about the purpose of this trip, Dacien knew that the southern region couldn’t spare many soldiers, let alone its newly appointed General. He chose only the minimum traveling guard to accompany him as the surrounding cities would need all the hands that could be spared to help rebuild.

After a quick status check, all men signaled a state of readiness. The column moved slowly through the city to the northern gate, the horse’s hooves ringing loudly on the stone streets. The citizens of
Leoran
lined the streets and waved goodbye to the soldiers. After exiting the northern gate, the men rode along the bridge connecting the city to the surrounding shore. It was a beautiful sight to behold as sunlight reflected on the glittering lake surface, throwing tiny flashes of light across spear tips and helmets. For all the times that Kael felt at peace with being alone, this was one of the moments when it was amazing to feel part of something important. There was a sense of power and majesty riding with the General of the Southern Region of Orud. Before they reached the mainland, the quaking leaves of the nearby forest could be heard. The majestic sound combined with the gleaming color of new growth, made for an awe-inspiring moment.

The first day of travel brought them to the eastern edge of the forest where they stopped earlier than normal. It would take more than a day to cross the plains that awaited them and Dacien didn’t feel hurried. The evening passed slowly as all the men adjusted to a night outdoors, which hadn’t occurred for most of them since the previous autumn.

Kael woke early and helped break camp, while others prepared a quick breakfast, after which they continued on with their easterly trek. Kael had spent the first day at the back of the column with the slaves, but decided now to ride up front with Dacien. He invited Ajani who declined for fear that it wasn’t appropriate for a slave to ride in front of soldiers. Kael tried to change his mind, but to no avail. After several minutes of discussion, Kael conceded. In the end, Kael realized that it was for the better, as he had some issues to work out with Dacien.

“How long will it take to reach
Orud
,” he called to Dacien as soon as he was within earshot.

Dacien looked back to acknowledge, but waited until Kael was closer to respond.

“It would only take a few weeks if not for the mountains that we will have to cross. The second half of our trip will be slow.”

After minutes of silence riding in parallel with his friend, Kael spoke. “I uh…” Kael stuttered, trying to think of a way to start the conversation that he knew needed to take place.

“We need to talk,” Dacien replied, sensing the difficulty.

“Yeah,” Kael breathed. “I’ve…never really…told you anything about myself.” The words were forced and Kael knew that it sounded just the same.

Dacien looked over. “I had hoped that you would tell me in time. After all, you know everything about me.”

Kael realized that it was true. He had been a good listener to Dacien, but had never offered anything from his own life. In that moment, he realized how difficult it must be to befriend someone who doesn’t respond.

“I’m sorry; it’s just difficult when…” Kael trailed off.

Dacien waited patiently.

“I guess it’s difficult when you have something to hide,” Kael blurted out.
Oh well, you’re committed now aren’t you!

Dacien’s eyebrows raised. “What do you mean?”

“It’s kind of a long story,” Kael offered, trying to buy some time to figure out how to tell him.

Dacien let out a laugh that caused some birds to take to flight from a nearby tree. “How about a month?” he asked, spreading his arms out to either side. “Will that be enough time?”

Kael smiled, glad to have the mood lightened. “Alright… Perhaps I should just start at the beginning.”

Dacien nodded.

Kael was tired of keeping his life a secret. Did it really matter what people would think of him? After all, most of his childhood was a series of accidents, things that happened to him. He had no control. What would Dacien do when Kael told him of his involvement with the man who had led the invasion of the Southern Region?

Oh, who cares! Here goes nothing…

“My real name is Kael Lorus, son of Adair Lorus, the Governor of
Bastul
. My mother’s name was Maeryn.”

Dacien didn’t even blink.

Kael swallowed, then continued. “When I was young, my father disappeared and no one could figure out what happened. My mother feared the worst, but she never really got any answers. So, after weeks of nothing, the council reassigned the governorship to a wicked man named Lemus.”

Dacien smiled, not out of pleasure, but out of understanding.

“Lemus became my father, but I never acknowledged him as such. He was cruel to us and life became very difficult. One day, I heard screaming coming from the garden. I ran toward the sound and found Lemus standing over my friend Ajani.” Kael motioned to the back of the column and Dacien nodded, finally understanding.

“Ajani was covered in blood and Lemus just kept pounding on him. So I grabbed a pitchfork from the shed and attacked him.”

When Kael paused, Dacien jumped in. “He used to have this bad limp that he would never speak of.”

“Yeah…I did that,” Kael replied proudly. “I ran it right into his upper leg. That got his attention on me and saved Ajani’s life, though you can see that his scars exist even to this day. I’m not sure what kind of life he had after that. Anyway, Lemus turned his attention on me and knocked me unconscious. I woke up in the
Bastul
prison and was held there for days without food or water. I was ten years old. Lemus came by to torment me. I think he was trying to decide what to do with me. I can’t even imagine what my mother must have been going through at the time”

As Kael’s words began to flow, Dacien’s attention peaked. Kael continued his story throughout the day, telling of his time in the northern prison and the first few days at the monastery. When the sun neared the western horizon, the General’s group stopped and pitched their camp in a slight depression in the plains east of
Leoran
. They set up quickly and lit fires to cook the evening meal. Kael felt a sense of relief in sharing his experience with Dacien, but was now anxious to finish his story. He knew, however, that their trip would last many days, and so he bid Dacien a good evening and went to eat with Ajani and the others.

In the following days, Kael continued to ride with Dacien and tell him of his unusual upbringing and the other boys that were his friends. Kael paced himself and tried to be thorough, while Dacien listened intently, never having heard such a story in all his life. After a week and a half, they began to see the
Anod-Kem
mountain range on the horizon. It was an ominous sight, in spite of the well-maintained and traveled roads leading through the passes, all the way to the city of
Orud
. As they reached the foothills, Kael’s story reached the end of his time at the monastery.

“So what happened next?” Dacien asked.

Kael ran toward the edge of the cliff and jumped, arms spread out. For a second he felt weightless, but the moment passed in an instant. Suddenly, he plunged through the fog and felt a heavy sickness in his stomach. The wind raced past his ears, blocking out everything with a roar. Sightless, deaf, and unable to scream from the terror that gripped his heart, Kael knifed through the thick air into nothingness.

He wasn’t prepared for this moment, even though something inside him had told him to jump. But as he had trained himself to do over the years, he closed his eyes and calmed himself. As the wind rushed past, he struggled to block out the images that threatened to control his mind, images of his splattered body strewn across the rocks below.

A warming sensation came over him now as he began to feel the nothingness of his surroundings. Slowly, the nothingness turned into swirling air currents and jagged protrusions of rocks and they moved past him at incredible speeds. Farther down, and approaching quickly, the surface of the water swayed in its endless motion.