The Awakened Book Two (25 page)

The men raised their bowls to Dacien’s words and continued eating.

“I imagine you all miss your city as well?”

Nods of affirmation could be seen all around. “None of us have been this far from
Leoran
before,” one man stated.

“Well,” Dacien replied. “It is for a good purpose. Be thankful that your home still exits. Mine is destroyed and I don’t know if the Emperor will ever support such a costly rebuilding. But you men…your home stands proud. And you travel to the capital city to support the defense of this Empire. Your mission is important and when it is accomplished, you will return to your families and friends.”

“Thank you, Sir,” one man replied. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to try to get some sleep.”

“…of course. We all should,” Dacien said as he rose to his feet. “Good evening.”

“Good evening,” came several echoes as the group dispersed.

The next day, travel resumed as usual, with Kael and Dacien in the front. For the first few hours, conversation was difficult as they moved over terrain that alternated between rocky and sandy, with the occasional forest to navigate. Just before midday, they began climbing into yet another mountain pass where the land was more stable.

“So how was your reception at the fortress city?” Dacien asked finally.

“Uncomfortable.”

“I can imagine.”

“I’ve never felt so out of place in my life. Matsuri led me right up to the city gates. We were met before we got within a hundred feet. Matsuri began to speak rapidly with the guards. I couldn’t tell if it was the just the language, but every word sounded harsh and intense. Finally, after much negotiating, we were allowed in. They eyed me suspiciously the whole time.”

Dacien laughed. “I can picture you in that moment.”

“Well it wasn’t funny at the time. I had the feeling that I could end up defending myself against a hundred angry men at a moment’s notice. But that never came to pass. They were cautious, but respectful.”

“We traveled through the city to Matsuri’s home, as the custom was to first seek out one’s father. It was the father who was responsible for delivering the child’s message to the elders. I wish I could describe the city to you, but it is forbidden. It is the most beautiful and peaceful place I have ever seen.”

“What did Matsuri’s father think of you?”

Kael shook his head. “At first, not much. He was angry with Matsuri. They spoke for a long time. In the end, I think Matsuri lied to him. From what I could gather, he convinced his father that it was better for someone like me, who had somehow managed to learn their ways, to be within the city and not out spreading their secrets, or something to that effect. So in the end, they came to accept me. But not easily. Once Matsuri confessed his defeat in our fight, everyone in the city wanted to fight me, as a way of restoring their honor. I wanted nothing to do with it.”

“They wouldn’t accept that, would they?” Dacien pried.

“No. In fact, I suffered many beatings trying to keep from fighting Matsuri’s people. But in the end, I decided that the quickest way to reach an understanding with these people was to fight their best warrior.”

“Did you lose?” Dacien asked.

“I wanted to,” Kael replied honestly. “I was trying really hard to stay as unnoticed as possible.”

“But…” Dacien prodded.

“But I never lose,” Kael replied flatly. It wasn’t conceit or pride, it was a fact, and Dacien seemed to accept it as such.

“Anyway, things were different after that. They seemed to accept me as one of their own.”

“Oh, come on,” exclaimed Dacien. “You can’t just leave it at that. Tell me what happened.”

“No,” Kael insisted. “I am not trying to glorify myself. We’ve experienced battle together and that should be enough. I am simply trying to recount my life, so that you will know that I have nothing to hide, that you can trust me.”

Dacien slowed his horse. “I do trust you.”

“No you don’t,” Kael contended. “You’ve always been suspicious of me. That was the issue in
Leoran
, though you wouldn’t ever say it.”

Dacien stared into Kael’s eyes and finally looked away, as though someone had just spilled his secret. “I’m sorry I interrupted. Please continue.”

The lack of Dacien’s denial told Kael that he had guessed right. He always tried hard to read people, but it wasn’t one of his strengths. But in this case, he was right. “Altogether, I spent four years there…three of which were the best years of my life.”

“Why only three,” Dacien asked tentatively.

“Well…it all started when I fell in love with a girl.”

Dacien’s eyebrows shot up and he whistled a quick and simple melody.

“Yeah,” Kael replied. “At the monastery we were constantly told that women were a powerful distraction, capable of beguiling a man that would otherwise have been impervious.”

Dacien tilted his head. The look on his face said that he agreed.

“In all my years at the monastery, I never met or talked to a girl. Then, aboard the merchant vessel, we were surrounded by women at every port. But all they wanted was money. They would laugh and pretend to like you, but there was nothing real about it.”

“Then I met Suriku and everything changed. She was completely different. She was innocent and shy at first. But I was patient. Eventually, she too came to be comfortable around me. I tried hard to learn her language so that I could talk to her. Over the next few years, we grew very close and spent much time together.”

“But when the elders saw that it was more than a friendship, they confronted us and refused to let us see each other anymore. Apparently, the elders had grown more and more interested in pleasing their newly appointed King. If there was such a thing as royalty in the fortress city, Suriku’s family was it. Her father was one of the elders and was descended from a long lineage of elders. They had been trying for years to arrange a marriage between the King and their princess, Suriku.”

“Wow. You sure have good taste,” Dacien interjected.

“Yes I do,” Kael confirmed. “So my last year at the fortress city was miserable. I couldn’t even see her. The situation angered Matsuri to no end. It was precisely the kind of thing that he hated about his people, the kind of thing he wanted to change. Arranged marriages and vying for the King’s good will, these were evils that he believed his people could overcome. Later that fall, the King came to collect on what had been promised to him. The elders were pleased, but Suriku couldn’t stop crying. Matsuri was furious and couldn’t stand the situation. It burned inside him.”

“The King took Suriku with him and prepared to leave the city, but Matsuri chased after him.” Kael paused, the emotional pain too deep for words. It had been two years, and still felt as though it happened yesterday.

Dacien saw that this part of his past was difficult. He waited patiently.

When Kael continued, his words were softer and quieter. “He tried valiantly and slew five men, but there were just too many. The King’s men ran him through with spears. The King immediately protested to the elders, wanting to know the meaning of Matsuri’s actions. It was in this moment that the elders chose the fate of their people. They actually apologized to the King for this outrage!”

“I ran to Matsuri, but he was already dead. Then I heard yelling and realized what I had done. The King was arguing with elders, stating that they pretended to keep their ways sacred. Yet they allowed a white man inside of their city. He then promised to return in the spring to allow his new bride to see her family, and threatened to bring his armies with him if I wasn’t exiled. The elders quickly apologized and promised that it would be as he asked.”

“I sat in the dirt, with Matsuri’s body in my hands, and watched the woman I loved be taken away by the King. After the funeral, the elders wanted me to leave immediately. I wasn’t in much of a mood to argue. Matsuri was the reason I had come, and he was dead. Suriku was the reason I wanted to stay, and she had been promised to another man. So I packed my belongings to leave that night.”

“As I was leaving, an old man called me over to his front door. He was a master blade smith and former elder that I had become friends with over the years. He invited me into his house for a moment, wishing to say goodbye. He was a man of great wisdom and I had come to enjoy our conversations. He told me that the elders no longer concerned themselves with the old ways and had corrupted themselves with the King. He apologized to me and stated that Matsuri was a true warrior and would have been greatly respected if he had been born in a previous generation. Then he gave me a gift, a ceremonial sword that had been in his family for many generations. It was held in a wooden case, wrapped tightly with silk fabric. I didn’t understand, but he just patted me on the shoulder and said that he knew I hadn’t tried my hardest when fighting their best warrior. ‘You wanted him to feel good about himself,’ he said. I protested, but he insisted that he had never seen such a warrior in all his life. ‘This sword has great sentimental value and this city is no longer a place of honor,’ he said. ‘As long as you carry it, I know that my ancestors will be pleased.’”

Dacien pointed to Kael’s saddle. “Isn’t that the one you used against the Syvak warlord?”

“Yeah,” Kael replied hesitantly. “I ruined it in the process. It was clearly not made for combat, but I had no other option.”

“Somehow I think the old man would be pleased to know that his old relic had drawn blood.”

“Yeah,” Kael smiled. “I suppose you’re right.”

Dacien grinned. “I know a skilled bladesmith in
Orud
, the best in the Empire. I’m sure he can fix whatever damage was done.”

Kael nodded silently.

“So then you left the city?”

“Yes. I wandered for a while, then made my way to a port city. I thought I would try to find another merchant ship. And I eventually did, but it wasn’t the same as when I sailed with Matsuri and the Captain. I spent the next two years traveling. It was lonely, but I saw many amazing things, places that have never been put on any map. Eventually, I began to feel like something was terribly wrong. I had no place to call home and no friends. I tried many things to keep from feeling empty, but nothing worked. It was then that I made up my mind to return to
Bastul
. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of returning to see my mother before this point. She had, most likely, agonized over my disappearance. But the thought hadn’t occurred to me until then. Lemus was no longer a concern for me. I thought briefly about what the consequences of my return would be, but I knew there was nothing he could do to me that I couldn’t prevent. And so I made my way back to my home.”

“I set sail from Nijambu in the south. The Captain misjudged his bearings and we didn’t sight land until we were well north of
Bastul
. He didn’t think I was paying enough for him to turn around, so I purchased a horse and left the ship with more than two weeks of travel between me and
Bastul
, while the Captain continued on to
Orud
.”

“Then I made my way south along the eastern coast, where I saw the Syvak ships leaving the river and entering the ocean. And I guess you know the rest of the story from there.”

Dacien nodded and was silent for a few moments, searching for words. “You have seen many things my friend. Amazing and unfortunate things.”

“Now all I want is to have somewhere to call home. But it seems even that is being taken away.”

“That’s what we’ve fought for, Kael. And that’s why we go to
Orud
. It won’t be taken away, not while men like us are willing to fight. You have a gift, and now a worthy cause to put it to use.”

Kael smiled in return.

Chapter 18

Kael, Dacien, and their traveling companions, descended from the
Anod-Kem
Mountains to see the plains of
Orud
stretched out before them to the north. It was fertile land with crops as far as the eye could see. It was nice to see signs of civilization as they picked up a paved road and followed it toward
Orud
. As they traveled, citizens waved to them from the fields as they planted their crops. As with most Orudan cities, the surrounding territories were typically used to sustain the city itself with the base essentials, various grain crops and livestock, and
Orud
was no different. In fact, it was the model for all other cities to follow.

The city sat on a narrow stretch of land that ran north and south. To the east and west were massive bay areas supporting the fishing industry, as well as a multitude of trade vessels. With one port to the east and one to the west,
Orud
was naturally positioned to be the trade center of the region.

Circular in shape, the city walls stretched for miles. Dacien led them through the outskirts and up to the city walls, where the guards questioned them about the nature of their travel. Once past the gate, the surroundings immediately took on an urban feel, much like
Leoran
. And just as that city had a relationship with the water, so too did
Orud
. A wide channel ran through the middle of the city and connected the east and the west ports. It was an ingenious solution to the logistics of trade, which allowed
Orud
to heavily tax merchant vessels for a short journey through the city to the opposite bay, when it would have taken months to sail around the northern and southern landmasses that comprised the Orud Empire. The city’s position allowed this concept to be applied to land as well, with the main thoroughfare running through the city’s northern and southern gates. Kael marveled at how the design of everything within and without the city, only reinforced its dominance and people’s reliance on it.