《Dark Wind, Icy Snow - (RyuTar, YinYuan) [BL]》
RTYY 001 - Prologue
He pressed his forehead against the hard, cold, stone floor, trying his best to hold his ragged breath inside his chest.
He wished he could look more composed, more collected, more self-confident, all aspects that could only help his cause. Instead, he could hardly stop his hands from trembling, the agony burning his chest threatening to steal his breath away, breaking his heart piece by piece, while he humbly prostrated himself in front of those who had coldly orchestrated the monstrosity that was the cause of his suffering. He wished he could unsheathe his sword and run them both with his cold, hard blade. But he also knew that, even if he were able to do so, which was obviously not the case, not even bathing in their warm blood would ease his desperate, smothering pain. And so he did his best to blindly trip over his own deafening suffering and focus on the only thing he could do to make sure that not everything was lost.
¡°I have consulted with the Jundai of the Temple. None of them has ever heard of such an unspeakable deed,¡± the woman offered with a small, hushed voice, feigning a fear and concern he was sure she did not feel. ¡°They all share the same opinion. This is a bad omen, my Lord. A curse sent by the Heavens to punish some horrible offense that we are yet to uncover,¡± she persisted, making him grit his teeth in an attempt to hold his raging emotions under control. ¡°They all spoke of unfortunate records of Tien¡¯Elhar getting sick, or even dying after their Heinin¡¯s untimely demise. But this ¡¡± she squeezed out with sickening tone. ¡°I fear what other disasters may befall our beloved Empire should such an accursed blood be permitted to live on.¡±
¡°The child¡¯s birth was foreseen by the Temple¡¯s Varsen. It was foretold that he is to become a great warrior, one that will lead our Empire¡¯s forces to victory against our worst enemies,¡± he urgently reminded them, the soft sound of the young woman¡¯s voice that had told him those same exact words seven years ago, her proud, gentle smile as she said them, haunting his memory.
The tongue inside his mouth felt swollen and heavy. The wrecking pain inside his chest made his voice sound distant to his own ears, but he forced himself to go on, not daring to raise his head, hoping his arguments remained relatively coherent.
¡°How can such a child be cursed? How can he be punished for the choices of those around him? How can the Temple be wrong about such a bright future?¡± he added, knowing he was now risking everything, including his own life.
There was no way they would ever admit the possibility of the Temple being wrong about that, or anything else for that matter. Which meant that they would either have to agree with his request or kill him where he stood, and pretend that conversation had never taken place.
¡°A warrior?¡± the woman in front of him sneered. ¡°All the more reason to solve this matter right away. Who¡¯s to say that this warrior of yours doesn¡¯t turn against us in the future? A fatherless and motherless child, with no one to guide him towards the righteous path. It is true that a strong power can be a blessing. But it can also become a deadly curse in the hands of the wrong person.¡±
¡°My El''Dai makes a valid point, child of Zai,¡± the man declared, finally making himself heard, his smooth, indifferent voice filling the huge hall. ¡°We have enough enemies outside our borders as is it is. The possibility of deliberately raising a potential enemy inside our own walls is hardly worth the risk.¡±
¡°I will personally make sure that does not happen! You have my word!¡± he quickly declared, his warm breath caressing the cold surface of the floor right in front of his nose and, for a moment, everything went silent.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°You?! Are you proposing to take him in as part of your family?¡± the man asked.
¡°Preposterous!¡± the woman immediately interjected. ¡°The child has his own birth right to inherit! He cannot abdicate unless he is permitted to do so!¡±
And there it was, he thought bitterly. The importance of the balance of power raised above everything else. They would rather kill an innocent child than have him find a new home, if that meant that his new home could eventually become more powerful with his presence. Even if that new home had been flawlessly loyal to the Empire for hundreds of years.
¡°I am aware of his inheritance. And, with your permission, I will relinquish my own birth right and follow him in order to make sure he is guided towards the righteous path,¡± he declared once more and quickly added before his decision could be contested. ¡°I have younger brothers that can easily take my place. Zai will not be left unprotected. And I swear to you that I will make him the best warrior our Empire has ever seen. A warrior that will be honored to serve our Empire in its time of need,¡± he reiterated as vehemently as the pain leaving a bitter taste in his mouth would allowed him.
¡°And are we to trust your word? And deliver such raw, untamed power into your hands to do as you please?¡± the female voice asked and he cringed inwardly at the sound of those words.
If they were going to start doubting his personal intentions now, then there was nothing he could do to try and fix things as they stood. A voice in the back of his head told him that he should take offense at the sound of that bitch¡¯s words, but he just felt too broken to be able to react according to his own station.
¡°It is true that the child has shown some potential but, in the long run, he may very well become a threat, not only to our Empire but also to the Imperial Family. Which can be easily avoided right now. I even dare say that it may actually be the merciful thing to do, since the poor child is left all alone to fend for himself,¡± she added, her voice softening to a saddened tone.
He almost bit his tongue before he allowed the words to fall from his mouth. Would the young, gentle woman from his memory agree with what he was about to do?
¡°If you fear he may become a danger to the Empire then I ask that you order him to undergo the Hinhir, so that the Honorable El''Dai¡¯s fears may be eased.¡±
She sucked in a sharp breath and the sound of someone uncomfortably shifting on his chair reached his ears.
¡°Do you truly wish to spare him? Or are you seeking some concealed, cruel opportunity for revenge?¡± she asked, irony dripping from her every word, and his ears buzzed painfully, nausea rising from his stomach, leaving his mouth watering.
¡°What if the child does not survive?¡± the male voice inquired, the same indifferent tone.
¡°Then all our problems will be automatically solved. But, should the child survive, I ask that you deliver him into my care.¡±
¡°Won¡¯t he be completely useless by then?¡± the woman interjected poisonously. ¡°There is no way you will be able to deliver the invaluable warrior you have promised us then.¡±
¡°That may be so. But at least his Province will have a Governor, after being abandoned and neglected for so long,¡± he threw in, a last sliver of hope at trying to tilt the balance in his favor, and the sound of a heavy sigh made him hold his breath.
¡°So be it. Let him undergo the Hinhir. But let him keep the daitai he inherited from his mother¡¯s blood. That way, should he survive, he won¡¯t be completely useless.¡±
Still kneeling on the cold floor, he pressed his forehead even harder against the smooth white stone, his eyes stinging with unshed tears, his fists so tightly clenched that his nails bit into the palms of his hands. For a moment his voice got stuck to the back of his throat, forcing him to swallow before he dared try to speak again.
¡°Thank you. I will not fail you. You have my word.¡±
RTYY 002 - Hurt and Confusion
Arc 1 - The Snow Kneeling at His Feet
He felt sick to his stomach ... again.
Somehow, after an endless time of mostly lying on his back, to the point that his skin was riddled with painful pressure sores, he was now standing up, his legs shaking like dying leaves in the wind. His wrists hurt, a pain that spread like fire up his arms and shoulders. And the sounds around him were too loud and confusing. He tried to open his eyes but the mere attempt to unglue his heavy eyelashes made him want to throw up. And he knew, better than anyone, that throwing up would only bring him more pain and make him even more weak than he already was. They rarely fed him and, even when they did, most times he could hardly eat. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time he¡¯d eaten but he couldn¡¯t risk throwing up any rests of food his stomach might still contain.
¡°Is he the one?¡± a voice asked, echoing all around him, making his head ache. Someone else was there, which meant that soon enough he¡¯d be cut and bled, if nothing worse.
¡°Yes, my Lord. He was exactly where we were told he¡¯d be. I¡¯ve checked the markings myself,¡± another voice answered, which was strange. Normally he¡¯d hear her voice, welcoming them and explaining them the rules, always the same rules. And even though she too had called them ¡®my lord¡¯ or ¡®my lady¡¯ her voice had never held that heavy tone of fear and respect.
¡°I see ... He is truly an aberration. A miracle they didn¡¯t kill him at birth.¡±Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
¡°He¡¯s probably the child of some whore. The woman that was selling him seemed to know exactly what he is. She probably knew from the moment he was born and intelligently decided to change businesses and live exclusively of the incoming she got from him,¡± the respectful voice replied.
¡°From what I heard she was living a good life. Have that been taken care of?¡±
¡°Yes, my Lord. Not only that. We have traced all those who had been in contact with him before and took care of them as well.¡±
A deep sigh echoed around him.
¡°He¡¯s clearly heavily drugged. He¡¯s useless this way. Put the qinrien on him and give him plenty of water to drink. If he refuses to swallow it pour it down his throat. I want him clean as soon as possible.¡±
¡°Yes, my Lord.¡±
¡°And get someone to wash him. His foul stench is turning my stomach inside out.¡±
¡°Yes, my Lord. Right away.¡±
¡°Chose wisely who you charge with his care. Make sure they are ... expendable.¡±
The confusing sounds mingled inside his foggy mind. He was in so much pain ... But at least they had stopped. They weren¡¯t moving anymore. He had the sickening feeling they had been moving for a long time. Or maybe they hadn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t really tell. The only thing he knew was that, if he could only make himself forget the burning pain in his arms, he now felt much better than before. Right then all he wanted was to lay down and sleep. The gentle face of a young girl he had almost completely forgotten popped in his head, like it always did whenever he felt miserable and alone, and the soft music that she gently hummed lulled him back to sleep.
RTYY 003 - Rattling Chains
Ice-cold water made him take a sharp breath and he struggled, hoping to escape that cold torture. Trying to move only brought him pain. His arms, which he¡¯d blessedly became unable to feel, now hurt with a vengeance, as if sharp needles were running through his vein.
Several harsh things were scrubbing against his body and he tried his best to open his eyes. The world that surrounded him was blessedly dark and empty, except for the flaring blaze lit at a corner, and he immediately tried his best to look away from it. More cold water was thrown over him and the harsh things scrubbed him some more, making his sensitive, broken skin burn.
There were people around him, he concluded by the blurry silhouettes that surrounded him, and they were scrubbing him raw, the hard cloths tied to the ends of long sticks. Pressing his lips together he did his best to remain silent. In his memory a gentle but weary-looking girl presses her dirty index finger to her pale lips and silently tells him not to speak, not to cry, not to whisper and, up till now, he¡¯s only went against her request once in his life.
Once the people surrounding him were satisfied someone walked closer, a man, he could now see, with dark hair and dark eyes, and a hard, serious expression on his face. Grabbing his chin with cold, sharp fingers, he forced him to tilt his head back and pressed a brown bowl against his lips.
¡°Drink!¡± he commanded and, even though whatever filled that bowl stank dreadfully, he had no other choice. Either he drank it or he¡¯d probably choke on it. The gooey thing tasted even worse than it smelled and his empty stomach immediately rebelled against it. He gagged and forced it down, trying his best to breathe. Once the bowl was empty and was taken away he almost threw up, but the man that had fed him that awful thing quickly pressed his hand against his lips and tilted his head back again.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
¡°Don¡¯t you dare spit it out! Or I swear I will scoop it from the ground and feed it back to you again!¡±
His eyes burning with unshed tears he made his best to swallow everything down again. The man waited until he was sure he wouldn¡¯t throw up and finally released him.
He gasped for air and coughed, the shaking movement hurting his arms and shoulders, but managed not to gag again.
Now that his mind was a bit more clear he could finally see that he wasn¡¯t in that small, richly furnished, bedroom anymore. In here there was no bed, no red satin drapes, no scented candles or incense. All there was were dark walls and the rough floor beneath his bare feet. His arms were pulled up, above his head, and every time he so much as breathed a bit deeper he could hear the rattling sound of chains. If his clothes had always been scarce and rugged now they were simply gone, and the air that touched his naked skin was cold and moist, and smelled of something putrid and rotten. He had no idea of how he¡¯d gotten here but, then again, he normally had no idea of much of anything. The only things he had been sure of were the existence of the immutable bedroom that used to surround him and of the consecutive passage of days, one after the other.
¡°I¡¯ll come back again at night and feed you another bowl. We have to get ride of those drugs as soon as possible! At least it would seem you¡¯re able to understand human speech. The Lord will be pleased to know that. Until then try and rest,¡± the man told him coldly and turned to leave the small dark room.
What wouldn¡¯t he give for a night¡¯s rest, he thought pressing his lips together, trying to endure the blazing pain in silence. If only they would allow him to lay down. He couldn¡¯t tell how many times he¡¯d wished they would let him up but, right now, all he wished for was his hard, cold bed.
RTYY 004 - The Scream of Death
The sound of footsteps woke him from his slumber.
After what felt like endless days of wandering lost in a foggy world of distorted figures, followed by a few more of being so sick he¡¯d been sure he¡¯d most definitely die, his mind was finally clear now, in a way he couldn¡¯t recall experiencing in a very, very long time. Sounds, smells, the things he saw, they all made sense for a change, they all had a logical meaning and reason. The inconvenience was that nothing in the new world that surrounded him was remotely pleasant or interesting to see or feel. At least his arms had stopped hurting, if he still had any arms left, that is. His neck hurt so much that he couldn¡¯t force himself to raise his head to check if they were still there, stretched above his head, chained to the dark, damp, stone ceiling of that small, dark room.
The same man that had visited him several times before entered the small prison cell and, with a flick of his fingers, lit all the lamps that, with time, had been brought in to help him slowly adjust his sensitive eyes to their brightness, since he¡¯d spent most of his life locked inside a dim-lit bedroom. This time, however, he didn¡¯t bring anything to shove down his throat, be it those detestable concoctions or the thick, cold porridge they¡¯d been feeding him with. Grabbing his face with hard, painful fingers, he turned his head from one side to another with a severe but analytic expression.
¡°I believe his clean enough, my Lord,¡± he declared, releasing him, making the chains that held him in place clang in protest, and only then did he notice the other man, waiting in the back, by the sturdy-looking metal door of his small prison.
Richly dressed in a knee-length, dark-red velvet frock coat, the soft red brocade gleaming in the golden light, he looked a bit younger than the first man, his dark, long hair braided at his temples and pulled back to show a face of delicate proportions.
This was hardly the first time he saw someone this beautiful. In fact, many of the faces that swam in his now clear mind, from what fragmented memories he¡¯d been able to hold on to, were of equally beautiful and rich-looking people. The difference being that now he was able to pay attention and register many other smaller details, like the golden earring dangling from one of his ears, or the fiery stone that glistened on the gold ring he wore around his right index finger.
¡°I see. You¡¯ve done a wonderful job,¡± the Lord commended, giving him a cold, appreciative look. ¡°We can finally see if the legends are true,¡± he added with a smile he knew all too well and that made his heart skip in beat. The first man simply nodded and signaled towards the door, from where more people started pouring into the small room.
Bound to each other by their wrists and ankles with a thick rope, they looked rugged and filthy, their backs bent, their hairs disheveled. Some were even skinnier than him and they all looked gaunt and tired, as if they could collapse at any moment.
¡°Sit!¡± the man ordered once they were all inside and they obeyed, dropping to the floor where they stood, their eyes empty and vacant. They were mainly older men, a few women and a two smaller children, and none of them uttered a single word or complaint. Like him, they all wore plain, metallic collars around their necks with a single, small green stone studded on the front.
Once he made sure they are all sitting as commanded, the man turned to the Lord, now standing on the opposite side, and received a small, discreet nod. Walking to the door he accepted the glass cup and a the small sharp dagger that were offered to him by another man, and made his way back into the cell and straight up to him.
Seeing the dagger in his hands he immediately knew what would inevitably follow. They were going to bleed him, like so many others had done before them. And yet, even though he¡¯d been cut countless times, his heart still beat anxiously faster, probably because now, for the first time in a long time, he was completely aware of what was being done to him.
¡°Now, don¡¯t move. And don¡¯t utter a single word. If you do the qinrien will render you unconscious, and I must warn you, it is not a pleasant sensation!¡± he added with a deadly threat in his eyes.
He didn¡¯t know what a qin ¡ qin-something was, he had never heard of such a thing before, but he had no intention to learn about it now. And so he did his best to remain silent, pressing his lips together as the man slid the sharp blade across his chest. The pain was burning hot, as hot as the blood that dripped from the recently opened wound, sliding over his skin. The cold of the glass pressed against his chest to collect his blood made him shiver, and the man simply held it there, until it was practically full to the brim.
¡°My Lord, are you sure you want to stay? Maybe it will be safer if ¡¡±
¡°I want to see it with my own eyes,¡± the Lord replied, stretching his hand, waiting for the man to hand him the glass. The man immediately obeyed and, taking the glass to his lips, the Lord gave its contents a long sip.
¡°Hum, sweeter than I expected ¡¡± he commented, returning the glass, from which the other man also took a sip.
¡°You¡¯re right, my Lord. And see. The effects are instantaneous,¡± he declared, pulling his sleeve up where a deep cut was quickly healing itself, the open gash closing and mending until even the scar was gone. ¡°I deliberately cut myself this morning so I could test its efficacy.¡±This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The Lord nodded approvingly.
¡°Well, no wonder that woman made a small fortune at his expenses.¡±
The man agreed and made his way to the people sitting on the floor. Grabbing their faces with those iron fingers, he forced them to drink his blood as well, but not all of them. Only one of children was made to drink it. And the same happened with the men and women. By the time he was finished only roughly half of the haggard prisoners had drank his blood. And yet the effects were immediate, color returning to their faces, their scrapped knees and wrists immediately healing themselves, one of the men¡¯s broken nose mending itself.
Returning the now empty glass and the dagger to the man still waiting by the door, he sent him away, instructing him to close all the doors on his way out. Only after everything was silent again did he return his attention to him.
He wished he could to step back when he walked up to him, his expression dark and threatening, but his bare feet barely touched the ground, and so stepping anywhere was completely out of the question. He almost recoiled, when the man touched his green ring to the collar around his neck, but then a snapping sound echoed and the collar became loose. The man took it away, the cold, damp air touching his sensitive skin for the first time after so long, and took two steps back.
¡°Now, scream.¡±
He looked at the man standing in front of him unable to understand what he meant.
¡°Scream!¡± he repeated in a threatening command and his eyes widened in confusion and disbelief. Did he mean he wanted him to scream?
The gentle face that comforted his dreams immediately popped in his mind again, softly shaking her head, pressing a dirty, warm finger against his lips. Don¡¯t speak, never speak, was what those soft brown eyes always told him. Be as silent as possible. Don¡¯t utter a single sound. And so, like he¡¯d done so many times before, he pressed his lips together and remained silent.
¡°Hum, are you sure he understands normal speech?¡± the Lord asked in a doubtful tone, making the man blush slightly from anger and embarrassment.
¡°I am sure, my Lord!¡± he stated vehemently and, turning to him, slapped him hard across the face, making the chains rattle again and leaving his cheek burning. ¡°Scream! Or I swear I¡¯ll do my best to give you a reason to do so!¡±
Pressing his lips together even harder he closed his eyes and received another hard slap. Pain, like so many other unpleasant things, was hardly a stranger to him. The difference was that now he could feel it without the dulling sensation of being floating somewhere else, lost inside a thick mist. The third slap split his lip, filling his mouth with the nauseating taste of blood, and yet he refused to utter a single sound.
¡°Enough. You¡¯ll damage his face too much. No one likes to purchase damaged goods, and a beautiful face is always a good selling point, even when selling a weapon,¡± the Lord calmly stated. ¡°Get the branding iron, that should give him enough encouragement.¡±
The sound of steps filled the dark world he¡¯d closed himself in, his stomach turning at the sound of those words, his heart racing. He didn¡¯t know what a branding iron was but, by the sound of it, he wished he would never have to know. The smell of burning oil filled the air and, a few moments later, the sound of more steps, this time coming closer.
¡°Not his back or his face,¡± the Lord instructed and then something was pressed against his thigh.
First all he could feel was a hard block of ice pressed against his bare skin, but then the deep cold sensation quickly turned into a searing, burning pain the likes he¡¯d never felt before. His eyes snapped open, as he tried his best to step away from that maddening pain, the tips of his toes scrapping against the rough floor, the chains above his head rattling like crazy. And then he just couldn¡¯t hold it back any longer, his lips parting as a deafening, desperate scream of pain rose from the depths of his heart. A circle of numerous, bright red symbols appeared on the floor beneath his feet and spread all over the small chamber, climbing over the walls and covering the ceiling. And other, equally desperate voices, joined his own, as the people sitting on the floor grabbed their heads, screaming and trashing around, their eyes almost popping out of their skulls, until they were bleeding from their mouths and noses.
Once he is out of air he made his best to shut his mouth again, still gasping, heavy tears rolling down his face. The worst of the pain was gone, since the branding iron had been taken away, but his leg still hurt, still burned, and the smell of scorched flesh was simply nauseating.
Through his blurry vision he saw the man kick and turn the bodies of the people sitting and lying on the floor. Some looked as if they¡¯d been terrified to death, their eyes wide opened, their mouths gaping, their expressions distorted as blood covered their faces. But others were clearly alive, crying and sobbing in fear, cowering against the wall and against one another.
¡°It is as you predicted, my Lord. Like us, the ones that drank his blood survived. All the others are dead, no matter the age or gender.¡±
Stepping forward for the first time the Lord approached him and looked him straight in the eye, a smile of contentment on his lips, even though his dark eyes glowed coldly.
¡°Dear boy, you¡¯ve just made me the richest man alive in this damned, forsaken Province!¡± he declared and turned around, making his way to the door. ¡°See that his wound is treated. I don¡¯t want it getting infected. Put the qinrien back around his neck and clean this mess. I¡¯ll send someone down to take out the trash,¡± he added and swiftly left the room.
¡°Yes, my Lord,¡± the man replied and, while he was still trying to catch his breath, tears sliding down his face, the man opened his hand, a fiery knife appearing on his palm, and swiftly and quickly cut the throats of all those who had somehow survived. In no time at all no one was left moving, no one was breathing, except the two of them. A pool of dark blood slowly spread over the stone floor, covering his toes, the scent of it making him want to throw up. Still he didn¡¯t dare utter another sound, not even when the tight, cold collar was returned to his neck. The feeling of the thick blood covering his feet added to the fact that he was still bleeding from his wound, left him light-headed, the dark room and those cruel dark eyes spinning around him, until everything went black.
RTYY 005 - A Horrible Box
He was so weak he could hardly open his eyes anymore.
After what had felt like endless days of silent solitude, except for what he suspected were daily visits from someone who would always shove some kind of porridge down his throat in order to feed him, suddenly five men, including his main caretaker, had barged into his cell, carrying silvery trays packed with empty bottles.
They had been urgently bleeding him since then, to the point where he could no longer hold his head up and his vision was filled with dark spots. He¡¯d known the instant they¡¯d come in that something had happened, their fearful faces unable to hide it, their eyes almost panicking. Even his cold caretaker had been unable to mask it, his hand shaking when he cut his leg.
¡°This will have to suffice! Take it upstairs and distribute it amongst the men. Everyone has to have some. Make them dip their fingers in it and lick them if you must!¡± the man ordered and the other four rushed out of the room, carrying the trays with the bottles now filled with his blood. ¡°Get in here! Get him down!¡± the men kept shouting and other two men immediately obey.
The rattling of chains echoed in his mind like a sound from far, far away. His feet, ankles and knees hurt when they were forced to bear his weight again, but no matter how weak or faint he felt his knees stubbornly refused to buckle.
They dragged him somewhere, the skin of his bare feet scrapping against the hard stone until it cracked open, and then ice, cold water was poured over his head.
¡°Wake up! Don¡¯t you dare faint!¡± the man barked in his ears and, half-unconscious, he forced his eyes open.
The light was so bright that it hurt his eyes and he knew he was about to fall, but the two men held him up, pulling his numb arms around their shoulders. His hands were swollen, bloody and an unhealthy dark-purple color, but at least they were still there.
¡°Take of his qinrien and put him in the box!¡± a voice commanded, a voice he knew belonged to the Lord.
¡°But my Lord, won¡¯t that damage his back?¡±
¡°Like I care!¡± came the immediate reply. He too seemed to be panicking about something. ¡°If we manage to pull through this then there will be more than enough time for him to heal. If not, just crush him inside the box! This way no one will be able to identify him for what he is! Or do you want to be tortured to death by the zintien??¡± he demanded and more than one gasp echoed around him. ¡°And how in the world did they find us? And it had to be that fucking ZaiWin! Put him in the box!!¡±
Like before the man removed his collar and then he was dragged again, out of a door and up some stairs. Suddenly they were outside and he couldn¡¯t help squeeze his eyes shut when faced with the bright, white, painful light of day. The wind that touched his face smelled of metal and sweat but, even so, it felt incredibly good. How long had it been since he¡¯d felt the wind caress his skin? Or felt the warmth of the sun? Eyes burning from the intense light, tears rolling down his face, feeling dizzy and sick, he still forced his eyes open, and the blue, bright sky above his head stole his breath away. His heart beat faster in pure joy. How long had it been ¡ and who knew how long it would be before he¡¯d be able to look upon that glorious vision again. Blinking, he made his best to keep his eyes open for as long as he could bear.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Ignoring the large, black, rectangular, metal box that awaited him just a few steps away, he kept looking at the blue sky until the last moment, when he was shoved inside the box, the door closed on his face. And then he was surrounded by darkness again. His burning eyes felt relief but he couldn¡¯t help feeling sad at the loss of that vast sky.
Obviously made to keep one single man standing, the box was small and stuffy, tinny holes opening slightly above his head in order to make sure that whoever was put inside it wouldn¡¯t suffocate to death. There were probably holes on the metal at his back as well, since he could feel the fresh air against his naked skin, but the box was so small and his feet hurt so much that he didn¡¯t dare try to turn around. Inside it he couldn¡¯t sit, or kneel, or raise a hand, even if he could feel them enough to move them, and so he leaned his forehead against to cold metal and took a deep breath.
The sound of voices and shouted commands and orders told him that he wasn¡¯t alone. In fact, enclosed by all that darkness, he could clearly feel all the people surrounding him, smell their sweaty odors, almost taste their fear and anxiety in his mouth.
Something was about to happen. Something that had left all those large, scary-looking men frightened. Something that would probably end with him being killed, crushed, he couldn¡¯t tell how, inside that tight, dark box. He wondered, like he used to wonder when he was a child, if dying would be a hard thing to do. Everyone he¡¯d met, and that he could recall, had feared death more than anything else in the world. Even the gentle girl that had held him in her arms, trying to keep him warm, had feared death; had feared that he would die, or that she would die and leave him alone to fend for himself. Which had eventually happened. But then, who had actually been worse? She, who had died, or him who, against all odds, had survived to live through all the ensuing pain? Surely dying couldn¡¯t be as bad as living.
The sound of shouts filled the air and woke him from his feverish slumber. He felt so weak that even breathing felt like an impossible task. The heavy, smothering smell of spilled blood only made things worse. That and the fact that, with time, the metal box, after standing so long under the bright sun, had almost turned into a baking oven. The sweat that covered his body burned like acid on his open wounds, stinging his eyes, the heat making even harder to breathe. And then words he could no longer understand were shout right next to him and the sound of metal grinding against metal filled his ears. It didn¡¯t take long until he felt the pointy metal spikes that were suddenly pressed against his back, forcing him to glue himself against the front part of the box in to try to escape them. But, as the grinding sound continued, the available space inside the box quickly diminished.
He bit down his lip when, unable to escape them any further, they pierced his skin and kept burrowing into his flesh. So this was what they had meant with crushing him to death. Fresh blood poured down his back, blood he couldn¡¯t afford to lose, and his voice cracked in a despairing scream, the pain almost driving him mad.
The box around him immediately glowed bright red and, from all around him, shouts of horror filled the air ¡
RTYY 006 - The Demon General
Straddling his black stallion, Nox ZaiWin averted his gaze from the battle taking place at the bottom of the hill right in front of him, and turned to look at the man that had rushed up the dirt path, respectfully bowing as he reached him.
¡°We have successfully breached the fortress, Calzai!¡± the man informed and he nodded in appreciation.
¡°As expected. Nothing but a bunch of mercenaries,¡± the man mounting the horse next to him snorted with contempt. ¡°It will all be over soon. We¡¯ll be able to go back to that last inn just in time to have that wonderful pie for dinner again.¡±
He sighed and shook his head in silent condemnation. With almost twice his age, ZenTar was one of the very few people he truly trusted to guard his back. They¡¯d been together since he could remember and, as such, he was always a bit more condescending towards his easygoing nature. On the other hand, carefree as he might sound, his sword was at least as deadly as his own, if not more.
¡°Remind the men that none of the salves are to be hurt or killed! I need them alive!¡± he reinforced and the man that had brought him the news bowed again and rushed back down the hill.
¡°Wasn¡¯t this Lord supposed to be a dainin? All I see are men blindly hacking around with their swords ¡¡± ZenTar criticized and he sighed silently.
¡°Must you always wish for a bloody battle?¡±
¡°All battles are bloody, in case you haven¡¯t noticed. I only wish for an interesting battle. This is beyond boring!¡±
The words had just left his mouth when a breathtaking, shattering scream filled the air, a violent blast of wind suddenly whipping their clothes and hair. The impossible number of bright red markings that spread all over the fortress¡¯ wall left all those waiting with him a top the hill gaping in disbelief. And, while they stared, the markings kept spreading, covering the outer wall and pouring into the field bellow. The desperate screams that followed filled the air as if the end of the world was upon them and everywhere men tumbled to the ground, grabbing their heads between their hands, trashing and screaming until they were finally still and silent.
¡°Wait ¡¡± was all he could hear ZenTar say, and then he too was atop that wall, enveloped by a misty cloud of darkness. The red markings beneath his feet were already fading away, but he didn¡¯t spare them a second glance. Silent and swift like a breeze he quickly made his way through the men that defended the wall, killing all who stood in his path, his blade of darkness cutting the air around him, flying back and forth, slaying lives before they could even realize what was happening.
¡°It¡¯s the Demon General!! It¡¯s the Demon General!!¡± someone shouted at a distance and the sound of screams filled the air again, as panicking faces looked at him before they turned to run away as fast as their legs would carry them, some even preferring to jump from the wall to stand in his way. Yet, none of that held his attention for more than a split second, his gaze fixed on the dark box placed at the top of the wall, just a few steps away from him. Whatever it was, whatever had just killed hundreds of his men, had originated from inside that box, and he¡¯d be dead before he¡¯d allow them to use it again.
¡°Do it now! Kill him!!¡± a voice barked, making him avert his gaze but, contrary to what he¡¯d expected, the man that had given the order wasn¡¯t looking at him, but at the box where another man frantically started turning a metal wheel.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
Now that he gave it a closer look he recognized the box for what it was, a torture mechanism built to inflict unbearable pain and, eventually death.
Taking a deep breath, he exhaled and appeared like a deadly cloud of smoke right beside the man turning the wheel. With nothing but a whisper his sword cut his throat and proceeded to kill the other five men now surrounding him, followed by another seven a bit farther away, until they were all dead or running away, and the box was standing like a lonely dark mark at the top of the wall.
Calling his sword back to him, he allowed it to fuse back with his blood, and the dark mist that had surrounded him finally cleared, his clothes settling back down, the few locks of hair that had escaped his long braid falling over his forehead.
Now that he¡¯d stepped into the battlefield his men, including ZenTar, would also unleash the powers of their daitai, the holly markings they had been blessed with since birth. It wouldn¡¯t be long before the battle was over.
Looking at the box standing right beside him ZaiWin tried to feel the presence of whoever was inside it. He had never seen such a huge extension of markings covering the ground like that before. Whenever a dainin chose to cast their markings on a specific area it was always in an organized, circular form, never like a chaotic mantle, and he¡¯d never met anyone able to affect such a large area, he considered, looking down from the wall. Whoever was inside that box had been able to stretch their area of influence all the way to the ground. And, not only that, the men surrounding him, even though they were the closest to the box, had remained unharmed, while his men, down there, had dropped dead where they stood. He had heard rumors that the Demon Clan held a different kind of magic, that it was more savage, more deadly. They had probably locked one of them in that box and tortured him into obedience, he guessed looking at the box again.
¡°Are you out of your freaking mind??!¡± a voice stormed and he sighed, already backing away from the box. ¡°And get away from that thing!!¡±
ZenTar was on him in two wide strides and promptly made a point to pull him back, protectively placing himself in front of him.
¡°It stopped.¡±
¡°And are you a fucking Seer now? Able to know if it will become active again at any moment??¡± ZenTar replied and he sighed again. ¡°I swear!! One of these days I will kill you myself, with how much you¡¯re always doing your best to drop dead at every turn!¡± he went on, in full scolding mode, which he, and the other men around them, pointedly ignored.
¡°Whoever is inside it is probably dead,¡± he guessed with a displeased tone and ZenTar pointed all of his seven flying flame daggers at the box.
¡°It better be! Or I¡¯ll kill it myself!¡±
¡°You most certainly will not!¡± he immediately countered and, with a wave of his hand, the fire on all seven daggers disappeared as if blown away by a cold gust of wind, and they all fell on the stone ground at his feet, no more common than any other daggers. ¡°Have you forgotten why we came to this wretched place? What if the one inside it is one of them? What if it¡¯s their freaking prince? Do you want to start a war on account of a bit of unrestrained power?¡±
ZenTar crossed his arms and averted his gaze less than pleased.
¡°What if it lashes out again?¡±
¡°We¡¯ll restrain it. If they¡¯re still alive, that is,¡± he added doubtfully. ¡°I believe we¡¯re more than able to do it.¡±
ZenTar grunted something unintelligible under his breath and he couldn¡¯t blame him. The truth was that he wasn¡¯t so sure that he¡¯d be able to contain such an immense surge of power. With some luck, whoever was inside it was either unconscious or dead.
¡°Fine. Open the box,¡± ZenTar ordered one of the other men and the rest formed a circle around it, taking on defensive positions, expecting the worst.
The grinding sound of metal as the man slowly turned the wheel made them grimace, leaving their nerves on edge, the suspense transforming into an increasing apprehension with every passing moment. A loud clang told them that the door had been unlocked and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help take a step forward, peering inside as it was slowly opened.
RTYY 007 - The Bloody Brat that Knelt at His Feet
It was so hot in there that he could hardly breathe. Or maybe that was because he was practically crushed against the metallic wall of the box, the spikes stabbing his back threatening to pierce his lungs.
The sound of the creaking metal made him expect the worst, a certain end. At least he wouldn¡¯t have to feel that pain for much longer. If he had enough strength left he¡¯d even press back, so that everything would be over sooner. But, unlike what he¡¯d expected, the spikes didn¡¯t slide deeper into his flesh, on the contrary. They were agonizingly pulled back.
Biting down his lip until it bled, he made his best to endure the excruciating torture in silence, the image of what had happened in that small dark room when he¡¯d screamed still terrifyingly present in his mind. And he¡¯d screamed again ¡ The thought of it, and of what had probably happened to those outside, turned his empty stomach upside down.
A loud clang echoed inside the box and then the door was opened.
Fresh, blood scented air filled his nose and he stumbled outside, almost falling, but his knees refused to buckle. Legs shaking, his feet hurting, his back burning, he staggered blindly and dizzily beneath the bright light of the sun. The sound of voices and gasps of surprise reached his ears. Words like ''kid¡¯ and ¡®child¡¯ echoing meaninglessly in his tired, feverish brain. The pain ¡ the pain was so intense, so unbearable, that all he wanted was to be able to drift into one of those foggy dreams from before and simply forget. At least back then, no matter what they did to him, everything was washed a way by that white, misty haze.
A dark shadow stepped towards him and he immediately stumbled back, looking around, or trying to do so, unable to focus his blurry vision. That¡¯s right! There were people around him! People he had to escape from as soon as possible! Escape before they could grab him and tie him up, and hold him somewhere where they could bleed him to death.
Mindlessly turning left and right, he tripped on his bare feet and almost fell again. He didn¡¯t know why or how he was still able to stand. And then, amongst all those unknown dark shadows, he saw what could only be called a monster. His heart immediately broke into a panicking beating, threatening to crush his chest and break free from its prison of flesh and bone. Whatever it was it was huge, the darkness it was made of restless like a dark cloud of wind, the cold, deadly feeling emanating from it freezing what little blood he had left, running through his veins.
He stepped back, wanting to escape it, not knowing how he¡¯d be able to accomplish such a feat. Something deep inside him, a kind of instinct he¡¯d never felt before, told him he had to escape now or he¡¯d be forever doomed. Somehow, simply looking at that monster made of darkness was worse than any pain he¡¯d ever had to endure, worse than death itself. The subjugating force pouring out of it in thick waves was enough to shatter his entire being.
Suddenly his knees finally gave in and he fell on them, hard, the shock of the fall echoing through his entire body all the way to his head. He could hear shouts and angry voices at a distance, and when he raised his head the monster was right there, in front of him, threatening to devour him. Had it caught up with him? It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d had any hopes of escaping it, he thought in resignation when two bright blue eyes the color of the sky above his head stared down at him. He felt so hot, so sick, so ill that even the pain in his back seemed to have faded away. Closing his eyes he took a deep, ragged breath and bent forward, wishing for nothing more but a good night''s sleep, and pressed his forehead against the booted feet of the one standing right before him, waiting to devour him.Stolen story; please report.
¡°Nox!!¡± the fearful shout that pierced through ZaiWin''s mind was registered an instant too late.
The moment that child¡¯s forehead touched his feet it was as if someone had glued his boots to the ground, making it impossible for him to move. The bright, silver circle of markings that surrounded them effortlessly threw everyone else back, including ZenTar, who, having fallen on his butt, quickly sprang to his feet again, trying his best to reach him, but clearly unable to breach the bright, beautiful array of sacred markings now covering the ground.
Eyes widening in disbelief, heart drumming painfully in his chest, ZaiWin looked down at the scrawny, bloody, naked child kneeling at his feet and, as he¡¯d already guessed, although he still couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes, his blood-covered back started to glow as well, until a pair of beautiful, bright silver wings rose from the mass of blood , the markings forming them glistening delicately under the bright sun. Immediately his entire body started to burn, from his back all the way to his shoulders and down his arms, forcing him to bite the interior of his mouth to withstand the burning pain in silence.
The gasps of disbelief that surrounded him, and the sound of men reverently kneeling, made him curse. And then the frail wings of light on the boy¡¯s back dissolved into a thin silvery dust that simply disappeared, as if blown away by some unseen breeze, the array beneath his feet contracting around the child that had cast it until it was gone as well. The bloody body at his feet fell to one side, the boy clearly clearly unconscious, his breathing labored and ragged and, for a long moment, that was the only sound that filled the air.
When he tried to step back his legs shook, the world tilting dangerously, until a supporting hand held him firmly by an arm.
¡°Are you okay ¡?¡± ZenTar¡¯s familiar voice whispered, carefully, and he nodded, still looking at the child at his feet.
¡°A Celestial ¡¡± someone murmured, his voice filled with respect and devotion, and similar whispers immediately followed.
Suddenly panicking ZaiWin looked at ZenTar, silently searching for help, and received a curt nod in reply.
¡°Can you stand on your own?¡± ZenTar whispered, to which he nodded in reply, and then he was gone from his side.
He heard him talk to the other men, ordering them to stand up, rounding them up, commanding them to shut their mouths and wait for him by the main entrance of the fortress; threatening them with a painful death should they utter a single word about what had happened until he met with them again. All of that useless, he knew, still looking at the child. Nothing in the world, no amount of threats or killing, would ever be able to keep something like what had just happened a secrete. Even if they were to kill every man alive in that damned fortress.
He couldn¡¯t say how long he stood there, looking at the boy, before ZenTar returned to his side.
¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked, that apprehensive, worried tone still permeating his voice, and he simply nodded.
With a sigh ZenTar knelt down and was about to grab the boy when, as if by magic, his body was finally released from the immobilizing spell that had held him in place.
¡°Don¡¯t!¡± he commanded with more fierceness than he¡¯d intended. ZenTar looked up at him, unable to understand, and he sighed again, forcing his still shaky legs to bend. ¡°Don¡¯t touch him. You can¡¯t touch him ¡¡± Even though he didn¡¯t want to say those words they still left his lips and, with a new sigh, he grabbed the boy, picking him up, and, with unsteady steps, finally made his way down of that damned wall.
RTYY 008 - Pale Silver Wings
ZenTar led him into the Fortress and up to an empty bedroom, before quickly leaving him again. By the size and luxuriance of place it had probably belonged to the Lord of the Fortress, ZaiWin guessed, laying the boy on the large bed, over the white satin covers. The blood still flowing from his open wounds quickly dyed the white fabric red and he couldn¡¯t help think how he looked even smaller and more insignificant, simply lying like that.
With a sigh, ZaiWin dropped to a chair beside him, feeling as if he¡¯d just ran ten laps around the entire damn complex. He hadn¡¯t felt this spent in a long time, reminding him of the heavy, harsh training he had been forced to endure as a child.
A soft knock on the door made him groan but he still forced himself to utter his permission to enter. He wished they¡¯d just leave him be, so that he might get some well deserved sleep.
¡°Calzai,¡± the middle-aged man muttered, bowing respectfully at the waste. ¡°ZenTar-lor instructed me to pay you a visit,¡± he informed and ZaiWin noticed the black bag the man was carrying, where a single silver star shimmered, identifying him as a healer.
¡°Henniner,¡± he replied the greeting with a single bow of his head, knowing that he should stand to welcome him but feeling simply to tired to bother with such subtleties. ¡°Please, come in.¡±
The man bowed again and closed the door behind him, crossing the room towards the bed. Like all the men that had incorporated the small army he had assembled for that mission, he wore plain brown pants and tunic, and none of the symbols that would have, otherwise, been embroider on his mantle, identifying his position. Already a middle-aged man, with short dark-brown hair sprinkled with white, his equally brown eyes couldn¡¯t help widen in disbelief at the sight of the naked boy laying on the bed.
¡°My ¡ my ¡ Lord ¡ are you certain I am ¡ qualified ¡ to ¡ treat this ¡ person ¡?¡± he stuttered, fear heavy in his voice, and he couldn¡¯t help sigh. So it was already spreading like fire ¡
¡°Either you treat him or he will die. I really don¡¯t care either way.¡±
The man swallowed hard and nodded, approaching the bed, his hands shaking when he placed his black bag beside the unconscious, feverish boy. Like before, when ZenTar had tried to pick him up, the mere thought that someone else was about to touch him was enough to make his blood boil, the still burning markings covering his back coming alight with a vengeance, but this time he was able to suppress it somehow, the annoyance at the entire ridiculous situation making him want to destroy that pompous bedroom.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The healer worked as fast and as delicately as it was humanely possible, as if he were afraid he might cause the boy even more pain which, looking at the dreadful state of his back, would probably be impossible. Looking at the poor man¡¯s tense face it was clear that he wanted to be in that bedroom, in that situation, as much as he wanted. And yet, the mere possibility that the boy might die while under his care was more enough to make him perform to the best of his abilities and knowledge.
Once he was done the boy¡¯s back had been cleaned, his wounds dressed, clean white bandages wrapped around his chest. The nasty burn he had suffered on his thigh had also been tended, a dark-green pasty-like substance with a herbal scent spread over the reddened, blistered, sensitive skin. Other cuts had also been taken care of, like the one on his leg and the one on his chest. Now that he was a bit cleaner, ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help notice the scars and marks of many other, much ancient wounds.
¡°What about his arms?¡± he found himself asking, even though he hadn¡¯t planed to do so, and healer released a deep breath.
¡°I¡¯ve pressed all the opening points and massaged them with fire oil so that the blood flow is returned to the limbs. Unfortunately I am not familiar with the art of needle healing,¡± he added, lowering his head in silent apology; which was obvious, since only those attending the Imperial Family were able and authorized to learn and practice those ancient techniques. ¡°I have done all I can.¡±
¡°And you have done more than enough,¡± he told the man who finally gathered enough courage to look up at him.
¡°Is there anything I can do for you, Calzai?¡±
¡°No. I appreciate your concern.¡±
The healer bowed, clearly not wanting to postpone his departure more than necessary, and quickly left the room.
Taking a deep breath, ZaiWin looked at the boy, now practically dressed in white bandages. His fever seemed to have broke a bit and he looked more at peace, more relaxed. And yet, now that his back had been cleaned from all that blood, even with all the bandages dressing his many wounds, the pale markings on his skin were undeniable, the delicate symbols mirrored on each side of his back, forming what looked like a beautiful pair of wings.
Holding his head between his hands he took a deep breath trying to settle his nerves. And the angry voice of a woman filled his head, as her bright-blue eyes stared angrily at him.
¡°Nothing is yours! Repeat it!! Nothing is yours! Not the clothes you wear! Not the air you breathe!! Do you understand me??¡±
RTYY 009 - A Paper Bird
Feeling sad and alone, he sat on the doorstep, watching the other children play and laugh. Their fiery red hair glowed in the sun as they took turns kicking a bright-yellow ball with small bells attached to it, its beautiful chiming song filling the air. They never allowed him to join them on their games. They called him names, like dirty-head, and mud-boy, and if he didn¡¯t ran fast enough, they¡¯d beat him and kick him until he was really covered in dirt. This time even Ren-har had joined them, and so he had thought that maybe she, who had always been nicer to him, would allow him to play as well. But she had just stood to the side, looking miserably at him, while the others cruelly chased him away.
¡°And here is our Lor-her!¡± a voice boomed from his back, making him jump to his feet and quickly turn around. The bright smile that greeted him and the equally bright green eyes that looked down at him allowed him to relax. ¡°Sulking again, I see,¡± the young man that had spoken noted, and he crossed his arms, averting his gaze with a pout.
¡°Am not! And I¡¯ve told you not to call me that!¡±
¡°But you are a Lor-her, are you not? And besides, you¡¯re clearly about to bawl your eyes out! Have they bullied our Lor-her again?¡± the young man asked in a mocking tone that only made him angrier.
¡°I am not!!¡±
¡°Sure you are! Are those tears I see gleaming in your eyes?¡±
Just to be sure he scrubbed his eyes hard before turning to face him.
¡°What tears?! You just wait and see! When I grow up I¡¯ll make you cry a thousand times harder!!¡± he threatened and the young man laughed, his warm voice filling the air as he squatted down to stand closer to his height.
ZenTar was always like that. Always annoying to the point he wished he had the height and strength to beat him at least as hard as the other children beat him. But, somehow, even though he always made fun of him, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to completely dislike him.
¡°I¡¯ll hold you to that promise, then,¡± ZenTar stated and, with a wondering expression, fished something from inside his military coat, which immediately perked his attention. ¡°Now, let¡¯s see ¡ where did I put it? Ah! Here it is!!¡± he exclaimed, happily producing a small paper bird. It was painted green and yellow, and the even smaller beak was bright red. ¡°I heard someone say that our little Lor-her had learned to control his first wind daitai, and then saw this small thing selling at the market, and wondered if our Lor-her would like to have it ¡¡± Looking at the paper bird it was all he could do not to try and snatched it away from his hands. ZenTar also looked at the bird and scratched his chin pensively. ¡°But now that I look at it, this is hardly a toy worthy of our Lor-her ¡ I am sure you have other, much more beautiful toys to practice on.¡±
¡°No! No! I want it!¡± he quickly declared, eyes pleading, and ZenTar couldn¡¯t help laugh, ruffling his dark hair.
¡°You really want it?¡±
¡°I do! I do! Please give it me!!¡±
With a smile, ZenTar placed the little bird on his hands and simply watched as the child in front of him looked at it with bright, delighted eyes.
¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try it?¡±
¡°Hum ¡ what if I can¡¯t control it and it falls down? It will be ruined, then ¡¡± he replied with a sorrowful expression that made ZenTar ruffle his hair again.
¡°You know, birds are supposed to fly. If you keep it locked in your hands just because you¡¯re afraid it might fall, won¡¯t it be miserably sad? If you¡¯re afraid it may fall, just make sure that won¡¯t happen.¡±
The child looked doubtfully at the bird a bit longer, but suddenly his expression changed. Holding the small paper bird on the palm of his hand he fixed his gaze on it, focusing the best he could. The gentle breeze that surrounded him, blowing his dark hair, became stronger, and he frowned, pressing his lips together, doing his best to control the air flow. And then it caught the small bird¡¯s wings and it flew straight out of his hand, shooting towards the sky, its bright colors glowing in the sun.
He played with it the entire afternoon, even long after ZenTar had left him, returning to his military practices. And, by evening time, he was already able to make the small bird turn left and right at his will. He was so focused in commanding it that he didn¡¯t even notice when one of the other children approached him. Older and taller than him, he quickly snatched the little bird when he tried to make it safely return to his hand. Looking up, he was almost blinded by the way the setting-sun reflected on his fiery hair, and then his gaze fell on the paper bird, firmly locked in his hand.
¡°Give it back!¡± he immediately demanded, stretching his hand, but the other boy ignored him, turning the bird from one side to the other, studying it curiously.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°It¡¯s a bird. And it¡¯s mine. Give it back!¡±
¡°A bird?! This paper thing?¡±
¡°Give it back!!¡±
The boy looked at him, his clear-green eyes turning cold and evil, and held the paper bird just above his head.
¡°You want it? Come and get it. That is, if you can. Mud-boy!¡±
He stretched his arms and legs to his best, and jumped as high as he could, but every time it looked like he was about to grab it, the other boy would simply raise his arm a bit higher and place it out of his reach again.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°Please give it back!!¡±
¡°You¡¯re so useless, playing with paper toys like some poor kid! So you managed to conjure some wind! What a stupid thing! You want to see what it means to control a real daitai?¡± he asked, holding the bird in his hand, and immediately a bright flame jumped from his palm, transforming the green paper bird into a pile of ash in a blink of an eye. ¡°See? Now this is a useful daitai. You¡¯re such a loser! Your stupid daitai is only good to blow off candles!¡±
For an instant he could only stare at the other boy¡¯s now empty hand. And then rage took over him, and he launched himself onto the other boy, screaming, clawing and kicking as hard and as best as he could. Of course, with almost four years of age over him, the other boy simply pushed him back and he immediately fell on his butt. Still the burning anger inside him had yet to subside, and so he quickly scrambled to his feet, and jumped to attack him again.
¡°What¡¯s going on here??¡± a loud, hard voice asked, and the two boys were immediately frozen in place, taking a step back and lowering their heads. ¡°FeiWan?!¡± the voice persisted and the boy next to him shuddered.
¡°He started, mother! Attacking me for no reason at all!¡± he quickly replied, to his indignation.
¡°Not true! He burned my bird!¡± he accused back.
¡°Bird?! What bird?¡± the woman asked, a cold frown marking her otherwise perfect porcelain face.
¡°A paper bird, mother. It was flying around, so I grabbed it and burned it before it could dirty our garden,¡± FeiWan promptly replied.
¡°It wasn¡¯t just flying around! And it wasn¡¯t going to dirty the garden! It was my bird!¡±
¡°Enough!¡± the woman demanded, rising her voice, making both boys shudder again since, in the middle of their heated discussion, they¡¯d completely forgotten in front of whom they were fighting. ¡°FeiWan! Get inside, right now! I will deal with you later!¡± the woman commanded and the boy obeyed without even looking back. ¡°You! You dirty thing! I¡¯ll pay your mother a visit!¡±
And those were the worst words anyone could say to him.
He¡¯d rather be beaten to a pulp than being dragged by that woman all the way to the isolated Pavilion where he lived with his mother and a few house servants. Even though he knew it would be of no use, he still apologized and pleaded with all his heart and soul, promising never to do whatever he had done wrong again. As expected nothing worked, and the firm, cold hand that squeezed his shoulder, forcing him to walk in front of her, didn¡¯t released him until they reached the White Pavilion.
As the name said, all painted in white, without any of the usual riches and sumptuous decorations, the White Pavilion stood like a lonely white flower at the back of the Palace grounds. Presently lacking in servants, its small gardens were mostly wild, the path leading to the front doors unkempt. At the sight of them the servant girl guarding the plain, white entrance silently rushed inside and so, when they finally reached it, his mother was already waiting by the entrance to welcome them.
Dressed in a simply pale-pink gown, her black hair tied up in a bun of braids, she elegantly knelt down, bowing and touching her forehead to her pale, delicate hands.
¡°Greetings, noble Janwan-lar,¡± she humbly murmured and he couldn¡¯t help feeling a weight crush his chest at the sight of his mother, prostrated like that, in front of that arrogant woman.
¡°Hum! Greetings, NimTar,¡± the woman replied in return, rudely using her birth name, despise dripping from every word out of her mouth.
¡°I came all the way here to return this filthy child to you!¡± she declared and NimTar bowed even deeper as if she wished her head could go through the white, stone floor, making his eyes burn with tears.
¡°The child is still young and ignorant of many of the formal proceedings. I ask that the noble Janwan-lar may be lenient and forgiving of any offense he might have caused you, or your family.¡±
¡°Offense?! I caught him viciously beating FeiWan-her!¡± she declared and his mother shuddered, her forehead still glued to the floor. ¡°And all because of some insignificant paper bird! You clearly don¡¯t put any effort in disciplining this wild child! Should I take this burden from your incompetent hands?¡±
¡°Janwan-lar, please rest assured. I will punish him accordingly. And he will recognize and apologize for his wrongdoings to the noble El¡¯Gin.¡±
Snorting she finally released him, pushing him forward, making him stumble and almost fall on his knees.
¡°I will be waiting for an adequate apology,¡± she declared and, without another word, spun on her heels and climbed down the white stairs, her orange, fiery gown trimmed in gold glistening like a living flame with each step she took.
Finally rising her head, NimTar gestured the servant girl to close the door.
¡°I am sorry, mother,¡± he pleaded the minute they were alone and she grabbed his hand, her fingers as cold as the stone floor under his feet.
¡°Did he take the bird from you?¡± she asked and he simply nodded.
¡°And burned it. It was mine and he burned it,¡± he sobbed, still feeling sorry for the beautiful green and yellow bird, but the slap that heated his cheek cut off his sobbing midway.
¡°Stop crying! And how many times do I have to tell you that nothing in this place belongs to you?¡± she scolded him and he couldn¡¯t help stare at her in angry indignation.
¡°But it was given to me! So it was mine!¡±
Another slap, this one harder, left him staring at the naked, white wall at his side.
¡°Get it through your thick head already! Nothing is yours! Repeat it!!¡± she demanded, grabbing his arms and shaking him as if that could force her words to sink deeper into his memory. ¡°Nothing is yours! Not the clothes you wear! Not the air you breathe!! Do you understand me?? Say it!¡±
¡°Nothing is mine ¡¡± he obeyed, tears sliding down his face.
¡°That¡¯s right! Not even your life is yours! Much less a stupid paper bird!! And tomorrow you will kneel to Wen FeiWan and apologize like I¡¯ve taught you, do you understand?¡± he nodded. ¡°Say it!¡±
¡°I understand, mother ¡¡±
The arms that surrounded and squeezed him almost stole his breath away.
¡°What am I going to do with you ¡? When will you learn ¡?¡± she whispered into his hair, kissing it and then holding him tight again, as if fearing that someone might barge in and tear him away from her arms.
¡°I¡¯m sorry ¡¡±
She squeezed him some more and didn¡¯t let go for a very long time.
The next morning he made his way to the Red Rose Pavilion, knelt down and bowed in front of the richly carved doors as primly and properly as he could until midday, as an apology for the capital offense of having assaulted the young El¡¯Gin.
RTYY 010 - How About We Kill Him?
¡°How are you feeling?¡± The sudden voice, though familiar, still startled him. ¡°Not good, if you didn¡¯t even noticed me coming in,¡± ZenTar concluded with a worried expression.
¡°How are things outside?¡±
¡°As you¡¯d expect. No one is speaking openly about what happened, but I could bet my sword that everyone has heard about it. There¡¯s also some confusion regarding some ¡ obvious small ¡ discrepancies?¡± he ventured, peering at the bed, and Nox ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help smile sarcastically.
¡°Small?!¡±
¡°Well, are we really sure he isn¡¯t one of the Demon Clan?¡± he asked, hopelessly hopeful. ¡°As to be expected our men did find a bunch of them being held downstairs, in some kind of dungeon, all tied up and ready to be shipped out who knows where. The rumored prince is also among them, so that¡¯s a good thing,¡± he added and took another peek towards the bed. ¡°I mean ¡ there are so many things wrong with this picture that I don¡¯t even know where to begin.¡±
¡°I wish I could tell you you¡¯re right and simply ship him away with the rest of them.¡±
¡°Hum ¡ he is a he, right?¡± ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help stare at him with a critic expression. ¡°I mean ¡ have you ever even heard of ¡ something like this?¡± He shook his head.
¡°And believe me. I have read a lot on the matter.¡± If nothing else, so he would be able avoid the exact situation he currently found himself in.
ZenTar sighed and a cold smile stretched his lips.
¡°How about we kill him? Dispose of the body and be done with it? We can say that what the men saw was in fact one of the Demon Clan, and that poor bastard was dispatched back home with the rest of them.¡±
¡°Nothing I haven¡¯t thought about,¡± he confessed, coldly looking at the boy sleeping on the bed. ¡°It¡¯s not like I accepted the pledge or made any vows. It probably wouldn¡¯t kill me right there and then,¡± he added grimly and ZenTar¡¯s face paled.
¡°Oh, shit! I forgot about that!¡±
¡°At least I¡¯d have a chance, right? Since I¡¯ll be dead either way.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.
¡°We can always cut off the wrong parts and dress him like a girl.¡±
¡°Is that suppose to get me killed sooner or later?¡± he countered and held his aching head. ¡°Like this, with some luck, I¡¯ll simply become their laughing stock. The fearsome Demon General that was paired up with a defective, clearly abnormal Celestial.¡±
ZenTar leaned forward to closer inspect the boy¡¯s face and that mere gesture was enough to heat the blood running in his veins.
¡°He¡¯s what? Thirteen? Fourteen? They shaved his head. But his eyebrows are white.¡±
¡°Well, the Heavens truly know what they¡¯re doing. We¡¯re both freaks of nature.¡±
¡°You stop that nonsense right now!¡± ZenTar scolded him in the the same exact tone he used to chastise him when he was a child, and he couldn¡¯t help smile. ¡°Instead of spewing shit like that, you¡¯d do better occupying that head of yours with trying to find a way to get yourself out of this mess alive!¡±
¡°As if that were even remotely possible. This damned brat will be like a bright sign, reminding them of everything they¡¯ve tried so hard to ignore and that I¡¯ve tried so hard to make them forget. I still think my chances will be better if we simply kill him. Like I said, with some luck, I won¡¯t drop dead where I stand.¡±
¡°How can you joke with something this serious?¡± ZenTar grunted and he sighed, allowing his tired eyes to close.
¡°Do I look like I¡¯m joking?¡±
¡°No. You do look like shit, though ¡¡± he replied after a short silence. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right? From what I heard this ¡ kind of ¡ thing takes its toll, to the point where it can throw one in bed for more than just a few couple of days.¡±
¡°I¡¯m fine. I just feel tired ¡¡±
ZenTar sighed and sat on a chair, on the other side of the bed.
¡°Rest then. I¡¯ll keep watch and wake you up if he so much as stirs.¡±
He nodded.
¡°Don¡¯t touch him, though. I can¡¯t really explain it but ¡ my blood seems to heat every time other people try to touch him. My markings too, get annoyingly unstable. I almost tore that healer to shreds a good dozen times. It¡¯s kind of worse with you.¡±
¡°Damn ¡¡± ZenTar breathed, scooting his chair farther away from the bed.
¡°I¡¯m just too tired. I need time to find my balance again. That¡¯s all,¡± ZaiWin added without even opening his eyes, and he was sound a sleep in the next instant, which only went to show just how tired he really was. ZenTar had known him since he was a child and, as far as he could remember, the last time he¡¯d seen the small Lor-her sleep this heavily he¡¯d been no more than an eight-year-old kid.
Authors Note: About Names and Language ...
The Sacred Language
Delivered by the Gods to the first Emperors of the three Empires (Wen, Sen and Ran), it can¡¯t be considered a complete language in itself, but more a set of terms that were supposed to be used only in certain, holly settings. The words are always short (composed by two to four common letters) and have their own writing system, where each word is represented by a specific character called daitai, or marking in the common language. The association of two or more words makes for more complex meanings (daitai = dai (light) + tai (mark), making a mark of light or a holly marking).
All Dainin, or gifted ones (dai (light) + nin (person / human)), possess at least one daitai imprinted on their backs, from which they can draw power to be used on their daily tasks.
The sacred language is also used on the names of the Empires (Wen (sun), Sen (star), Ran (moon)) and their Provinces.
Even though that wasn¡¯t its initial purpose, with time, the sacred language started to be used as a way to distinguish between social classes as well. As such one can consider six classes of citizens clearly separated by their birth names:
* The Royals, meaning the El¡¯Dur (Emperor), the El¡¯Dai (Empress) and the Emperor¡¯s descendants in a position to inherit the throne. They always have three sacred names, the name of the Empire and two sacred given names, like Wen FeiWan, one of the El¡¯Gin (Prince), in a position to inherit the crown. Wen meaning Sun, the name of the Empire, and FeiWan from fei (raging / angry) and wan (fire). Only the Empress has the right to use the name of the Empire as her family name, the Queen (Dailar) and the Emperor¡¯s Concubines (Janwan) must keep their original Province¡¯s names.
* Nobles in a positing to lead their Provinces, or to inherit the right to do so, also possess three sacred names. The first one being the name of their Province (working as a family or clan name) plus two given sacred names. For example, Zai MinTar, the Governess of the Province of Zai.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
- The exception to these two rules are the Celestials (Tien¡¯Elhar) who also adopt their Chosen One¡¯s Province¡¯s name, even though they will never inherit it or govern the land, like Zai HaeTai, the name of Zai MinTar¡¯s Celestial.
* Other Nobles, that are not in a position to inherit their Provinces or their family¡¯s lands will only use two names, like ZenTar (zen (silent), tar (wind)), which doesn¡¯t mean that in the future they won¡¯t be able to take on their Province¡¯s name and become a legit successor.
* Following the same logic, people from normal families, with lands and/or businesses to run, will have three common names, a family name and two given names, like Rain BlueSky, where Rain is the family name. These are considered proper, honorable citizens.
* People who have left their families, for example to serve in the army or in the Palace, only keep their two given names, like HardRock. Which doesn¡¯t mean that they won¡¯t be able to take on their family name again, should they choose to return home and dedicate themselves to their families'' businesses.
* Homeless people without families and criminals only have one name, like Snow.
A sacred name can be granted to a common person through merit, which will sometimes happen to those in the military service. In these cases they can be granted only one or two sacred names, according to their accomplishments.
Likewise a person can be stripped from their names, should they, for example, commit a crime and be condemned to prison.
Names and the use of the sacred language are directly related to honor and pride, reflecting one¡¯s position inside society and determining the way other people look and behave towards them.
To make things easier, at the end of each chapter I will add the translation to the common language of any sacred names used.
Hopefully I didn¡¯t make things even more confusing ¡ :P
RTYY 011 – A Common Name
Arc 2 - The Dark Monster Before His Eyes
He woke up with a startle, his head still ringing from all the shouting, his mouth still tasting of blood but, in the next instant, all that was gone.
It was silent in there, wherever there was, and the light was comfortably dim, sparing his sensitive eyes. More than that, he couldn¡¯t recall having ever lain on such a smooth and comfortable surface. The bed where he¡¯d spent his days had been hard, the mattress made of dry straw, the covers of cheap cotton or stinging wool, the red satin drapes hanging around the bed trying to give the room a lush, distinct air, since nothing else would.
His body too, lying on his side, didn¡¯t hurt as much as he¡¯d expected it to and, as he tried to take a deep breath, he noticed the bandages wrapped around his chest. He made a gesture to touch them but his arm hurt, refusing to move. Only his fingers twitched in response. Well, at least he could feel them again, he thought with a sigh of relief, hopping that meant he wouldn¡¯t lose them after all. Even his feet had been tended to, he noticed, feeling his movements comfortably constricted.
His throat was dry, he realized, swallowing hard, which immediately made him aware of the collar around his neck. So he was still a prisoner, he concluded, tilting his head back so he could better see what his new prison cell looked like.
The bright-blue eyes that silently stared back at him made his heart stop for a split second. Eyes the color of the sky but that glowed as cold as ice. He had completely forgotten the dark, huge monster he¡¯d seen before. And now it was right there, sitting in front of him, towering over him, ready to swallow him whole.
¡°You¡¯re finally awake,¡± it said, in a deep, dark voice that sounded more like a death threat, and he wished his battered body could manage enough strength to move, so he could spring out of that bed and make a run for his life. As far as he could tell, beside the collar around his neck, no one had chained or tied him up ¡ yet. That he would lose this opportunity to escape was beyond mortifying, it meant certain death.
¡°What is your name?¡±
Shuddering, he wished he could at least look away from that monster. That gaze was like a very hard rock weighing on his chest, making it hard to breathe, making it impossible to move.
¡°I think you¡¯re scaring him,¡± another voice said, sounding a bit more gentle. ¡°Maybe he can¡¯t understand us ¡?¡±
¡°He can,¡± the monster replied with complete certainty.
¡°Maybe he¡¯s afraid of the qinrien. Who knows what those men did to him,¡± the other voice suggested and the monster seemed to consider his words for a brief moment.
¡°You¡¯re not suggesting we take it off, right? He won¡¯t kill me. But I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be so lucky.¡±
¡°Of course not!¡± the other voice urgently denied, much less gentler now. ¡°I still want to live to an old age!¡± he went on and suddenly his face too, was in his line of sight.
He, at least, looked like a normal person, probably the same age the Lord had been, though he had none of the frail beauty and grace of the other man. His eyes were dark-green, a rare color amongst the common people, and the smile he plastered on his face was clearly fake, and was obviously there to try and make him lower his guard.
¡°Kid, you can talk, you know? The qinrien won¡¯t hurt you unless you scream. Do you understand?¡±
The qin-something again, he thought, and the feel of the collar around his neck made him swallow. Were they talking about the collar? And it was supposed to hurt him how? Thinking back it was true that the Lord had ordered it off on the two occasions he had wanted him to scream ¡ The other man too, had told him that it would render him unconscious should he utter a single sound. So it was there to silence him, he concluded, firmly pressing his lips together, his lower lip hurting from where he¡¯d bitten down on it.
¡°I think you just made it worse,¡± the monster concluded and, grabbing him by an arm, roughly pulled him up, forcing him to seat.
¡°Careful! You¡¯ll reopen his wounds!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t they say they¡¯re sturdier and more resistant than normal people? He¡¯ll be fine. And if he dies, well, I had nothing to do with it.¡±
The nicer man sighed and moved away.
His back burned at the sudden movement, making him gasp before he quickly pressed his lips closed again. And yet no amount of pain could ever be scarier than the endless darkness looming right before his eyes.
¡°Your name! Talk or I swear I¡¯ll feed you to the dogs!¡±
The hand around his arm squeezed him until it was painful but the word dog left a different cold fear in the pit of his stomach. He hated and feared them probably as much as he feared that monster, with the difference that he knew first-handedly what a wild dog could do to a small, defenseless child.
Lips quivering, he opened his mouth and tried to use his voice to speak, which he hadn¡¯t done in a very long time.
¡°Snow ¡¡± The word broke halfway out, his throat too dry, his lips cracking with the movement, making his mouth taste like blood again.
The hand released his numb arm and the darkness pulled back, giving space to the other, nicer man, that gently pressed a cold glass of water to his parched lips.
¡°Drink slowly.¡±
Snow tried to obey and tried not to spill. Who knew when he¡¯d be offered water again? But, even so, his lips wouldn¡¯t move the way he wanted them to, and the precious liquid still dripped down his chin and onto his legs.
¡°A common name,¡± the man offering him the water was saying. ¡°As we thought, no one registered him.¡±
¡°Who in his right mind would? It¡¯s already amazing they didn¡¯t kill him at birth. They probably thought they¡¯d stroke gold when the local Seer announced his birth. Probably intended to sell him for a good price to the Finders. And then he came along. That they didn¡¯t kill him on the spot is a miracle in itself,¡± the monster repliedStolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The other man gave him a sorrowful look and nodded. When the water in the glass was all gone, even though half of it had been unfortunately wasted, the glass was taken away and the dark monster occupied his entire vision again.
¡°Where did you come from?¡±
Blinking and trembling from the sheer intensity of him, Snow simply shook his head.
¡°You¡¯re terrifying him, you know?¡± the green-eyed man asked.
¡°How come? I haven¡¯t done anything to him ¡¡±
¡°Still, just look at him ¡ He¡¯s shaking like a leaf.¡±
¡°You and that bad habit of yours, pitying everything that looks small and frail. Do I need to remind you that this little leaf of yours murdered one-hundred-and-twenty-seven of our men in one breath?¡±
At that Snow¡¯s eyes widened in shock and disbelief, filling with tears as he pressed his lips tighter again.
¡°You can close your mouth all you want! Now is a bit too late for that!¡± the monster almost growled at him, his anger making him look even darker, even more terrifying.
It wasn¡¯t as if he could help it. It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t tried to hold it in. After what had happened in that dark cell he had tried his best ¡ he really had ¡ He had never wanted to harm, much less kill, anyone. He hated the mere thought of it. The sight of people dying, the pungent scent of blood, their vacant, cold eyes staring back at him. He wished he could undo it. All of it. But he knew better. And he also knew that there was no use trying to explain any of that.
¡°So answer me! Where did you come from?¡± Lips pressed tightly shut Snow shook his head again. ¡°What does that mean? You don¡¯t know or you don¡¯t want to say?¡± the monster asked again, his voice sounding harsher with every passing moment, and he forced his lips to part again. Anything but being thrown to the dogs ¡ he¡¯d rather die right there and then.
¡°Don¡¯t ¡ know ¡¡± his voice cracked again and the monster seemed to grow angrier.
¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t know??¡±
He cowered at the sound of that large roar and the other man stepped in again, bravely placing an arm around the monster¡¯s shoulder.
¡°Calm down. Do you want him to answer or faint from fear?¡± The monster growled some more but went finally quiet. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. He won¡¯t bite you,¡± the green-eyed man joked, but the monster¡¯s bright blue eyes were still fixed on him, a constant looming threat. ¡°My name is ZenTar. You can call me Zen. And your name is Snow, right?¡± The boy nodded, still clearly afraid, his pale eyes looking like large, round moons. ¡°So, Snow, can you tell us how you came to be here?¡± he asked, as gently as possible, keeping that fake smile on his lips, and Snow lowered his head trying his best to bring some order to his foggy memory.
¡°Men ¡ came ¡ Took me ¡ away ¡¡±
¡°Men? All right. Where were you when they took you?¡±
A frown marked his forehead.
¡°Bed ¡¡± was the only word he could think of.
¡°Bed? Were you sleeping?¡± Snow shook his head. ¡°You were awake, then. Were you sick?¡± He shook his head again. ¡°But you were in bed,¡± ZenTar wanted to make sure and received a nod as confirmation. ¡°Was the bed in a bedroom?¡± Snow nodded again and, at the word bedroom, fragmented memories floated back to the surface.
¡°Green ¡ walls ¡ Brown covers ¡ Dark ceiling ¡ Red drapes ¡¡±
¡°Windows?¡± ZenTar asked and the boy shook his head.
¡°No windows ¡ no light ¡ one candle ¡¡± he whispered.
¡°I see ¡ And how long were you in that bedroom?¡± He shook his head and then looked up at the monster, startled, recalling how angry he¡¯d been the last time he¡¯d answered like that.
¡°Don¡¯t ¡ know ¡¡±
¡°A long time?¡±
¡°Long ¡ long ¡ time ¡¡± he confirmed.
ZenTar seemed to ponder for a moment, his expression turning cold and serious for a moment, before he returned that fake smile to his face and looked down at him again.
¡°Were you alone, Snow? In that bedroom?¡±
¡°Some times ¡¡±
¡°And the other times?¡±
Another memory popped into his head.
¡°JanHai ¡¡± he blurted out and ZenTar frowned, making him wonder if he¡¯d said something wrong.
¡°JanHai?! A woman? Was this the name of the woman staying with you?¡±
¡°Some times ¡¡± he repeated, fearful of what they might do to him, and the black monster sighed.
¡°Obviously a fake name. Women of the night will frequently adopt noble names, even though being caught doing so is punishable by death.¡±
¡°Why, my dear Calzai, you¡¯re surprisingly knowledgeable in the most unexpected areas,¡± ZenTar mocked and received a deadly glare in return. ¡°Can you remember any other names, Snow? Strange names like JanHai ¡¡±
The boy made an effort to recall something else, any other name, any other word.
¡°Wei ¡¡± he finally whispered.
¡°Wei? Only Wei?¡± He nodded.
¡°Another woman?¡± the monster asked but he didn¡¯t know how to answer that.
¡°It could be a man. A Nobleman. Or maybe ¡ the Province?¡± Snow tried his best but he still couldn¡¯t tell which. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll look into it, anyway,¡± ZenTar decided with a sigh, and then the monster was leaning over him again, those bright blue eyes boring holes into his soul.
¡°Are you a Celestial?¡± his thundering voice asked but he could only look up at him, unable to move, almost unable to breathe.
¡°I believe you¡¯re asking the wrong question, Nox.¡±
¡°You have got to be kidding!¡±
Ignoring him, ZenTar leaned forward as well.
¡°Snow?¡± the gentler voice called him, and it took his entire willpower to avert his gaze from those blue eyes and look upon the other man¡¯s face. ¡°Do you know what a Celestial is?¡±
Still blinking, he shook his head and then thought it was better, and safer, to use his own words to answer.
¡°I don¡¯t ¡¡±
The sound of a cold, cutting laughter made him cringe, because there was nothing happy or funny about that sound.
¡°I can¡¯t believe this shit! I feel like I was forced to adopt a damned, dumb pet and will be put to death for doing it!¡± the monster growled again, his blue eyes looking even more savage, even more dangerous, and Snow cringed again.
¡°Now, now, don¡¯t be like that. We¡¯ll find a way. You¡¯ll see.¡±
¡°Yeah I¡¯ll see! I wonder if they would let me live if I offered him as a sacrifice to the Temple! As atonement or something. You know? Like when people offer livestock to be burn in the holy fire in hopes it will cure a disease. Since I won¡¯t be the one doing the killing I¡¯ll probably survive, don¡¯t you think?¡±
¡°Well, yeah, probably. If you can manage to stay alive for that long ¡¡±
¡°And then there¡¯s that,¡± the monster grumbled and Snow did his best to act as if he hadn¡¯t just heard them discuss his impending death. Well, it wouldn¡¯t be all that bad, he thought, lowering his gaze. If they only wanted to kill him, that is. It could be worse. Much, much worse, as he very well knew.
RTYY 012 - An Impossible Command to Obey
Snow spent the next three days in bed, but not because someone had chained him, or drugged him. In fact, besides the collar around his neck, no one had even tried to touch him, much less restrain him.
The only visit he got was the nice man that always carefully tended to his wounds, changing his bandages and applying all sorts of smelly ointments on his shoulders and arms. He would also bring him food, which always filled the room with a delicious, mouthwatering scent. Because he¡¯d spent so long eating only once a day, the food the man brought him was always light, mainly soups and broths the likes he had never tasted before. Above all they were always amazingly warm, and he couldn¡¯t help the tears that filled his eyes the first time the delicious liquid filled his mouth. It had been a long, long time since he¡¯d had a hot meal.
On the third day, once he was left alone after his midday meal, Snow finally dared try to get up. His arms, although still bruised and blackened, were mostly functional again. Only his fingers felt slightly numb. And his scrapped feet didn¡¯t hurt anymore. Only his back and the burn on his thigh still made him wince every time he moved, but the pain was nothing compared to what he¡¯d been through in so many other occasions, certainly nothing that would prevent him from getting up now that he was apparently allowed to do so.
A sharp pain coursed through his joints the moment he placed his feet on the ground, forcing his scrawny legs to support his weight. He tried to walk and immediately fell on his knees. Gasping for air and holding onto the bed for support, he pulled himself up and tried again. Legs shaking, threatening to fail him, he finally managed to make his way to the window that gifted that bedroom with precious light. It was thanks to that window that, for a change, he could tell exactly how long it had been since he¡¯d been brought to that place. Neither the previous small, dark room, nor the bedroom where he¡¯d spent so many days, had had any windows or offered him any way to accurately count the time.
Blinking, his eyes burning from the bright light, he tried to look at the world outside, but all he could see were white spots that left him mostly blind. With a disinherited sigh he turned his back to the window and forced himself to walk all the way to the other side of the bedroom.
There had been a time when he¡¯d been able to run and jump, he recalled. A time when he¡¯d been able to play under the sun and look up at the sky. It wasn¡¯t as if he¡¯d been born with a weak, sick-stricken body. His present state was, without a doubt, the result of the many years he¡¯d been locked in that room, mostly tied to a bed. And so there was only one thing to do - make up for lost time. If he walked enough he was sure he¡¯d eventually regain his lost strength. Even his eyes, they would surely grow accustomed to daylight if he stopped cowering from it.
Still Snow made sure to be obediently lying in bed, by the time the nice man brought him dinner. Besides the delicious vegetable soup he carried there was also a soft loaf of bread.
¡°It¡¯s been three days. I believe we can try and feed you something solid,¡± he informed, placing the tray he¡¯d been carrying over his legs, and the boy couldn¡¯t help smile, anxiously grabbing the bread and biting a big chunk out of it. ¡°Don¡¯t rush it! Slow down. Take the time to chew it or you won¡¯t be able to swallow it,¡± the man kept on fretting but the boy ignored him completely, wolfing down the loaf of bread in three large bites. Sighing, the man sat down on the chair placed by the bed to patiently wait until he was done with his meal. ¡°If you get sick again the Calzai is going to kill me ¡¡± he muttered and was once more ignored.
The following day Snow went back to his walking practice the moment the nice man left his room in the morning. His legs ached. In fact, everything ached. It was only that his legs ached more. But, compared to all the other pains he¡¯d endured during his life he could almost say that this ones actually felt good.
Maybe because, when compared to the day before, his steps had become much more firm, his ankles less shaky. Walking from the door to the window and back again, he would force himself to look outside at every turn. Of course, every time he did so, his eyes would fill with tears to the brim, his sight blurring, but he didn¡¯t care. After repeating the same routine a few dozen times he was finally able to distinguish the pale, yellow road from the green color of the hills that it crossed, as well as see that there were specks of red and yellow ornamenting the endless greenery.
When midday approached he quickly slid into bed again, to wait for the nice man. After eating his meal, that today had included two loafs of bread, and after having his wounds checked, Snow immediately went back to his practice, the moment the man closed the door on his way out.
It was his ninth time coming and going from the door to the window when the sound of voices coming from outside captured his attention. Looking down and blinking his tears away in an attempt to focus his vision, he saw a small mass of black shadows being admitted into the Fortress. More dark shadows came out to meet them, their voices echoing in the usual silence, and then they were all gone.
That¡¯s right, he thought, looking at the door. No matter how well fed he was, or how well the nice man treated him, even giving him the soft clothes he now wore, he was still a prisoner. And he was more than certain that none of those good things would last for long. Sure, it had been four days since he¡¯d last seen the huge black monster and the man with the cold smile, but he was sure they were still around, somewhere. Right now they were probably too busy to pay him any attention but, when whatever they were doing was done, he was sure they¡¯d turn their attentions to him again. He had to get out of that place before that, as soon as possible. And maybe the commotion downstairs would help him go unnoticed.
Having decided what had to be done, he made his way to the door and turned the doorknob, guessing that it would be locked. His heart jumped when the door actually opened. The corridor outside was wide, the big, square stones paving the floor white. Blue flames burned silently in their burners, lighting the place but not so much that his eyes would tear up. And big, heavy-looking paintings ornamented the walls, depicting landscapes that left him standing there, head tilted back, gaping at them more than once.
Walking down the corridor, he eventually came upon a large stairway that curved gently towards the lower floor. Now, walking was one thing. Stairs an entire different matter.
Looking down and anticipating the pain that would surely result from falling and rolling all the way to the ground-floor, he focused his strength on his legs and hands, grabbing the handrail with numb fingers as if his life depended on it. It took him way too long to climb down all those stairs, during which time his heart kept on beating faster, since he was sure that there was no way that someone wouldn¡¯t suddenly appear and catch him right in the middle of his escape attempt. And so he couldn¡¯t believe his luck when he finally reached the ground-floor unnoticed.
Now things got a bit more tricky, he thought, looking left, then right and then left again. He knew nothing about the layout of the Fortress and he¡¯d been unconscious when they¡¯d brought him in.
With a sigh he turned left, his legs shaking more than before from the effort of climbing down all those steps, but he refused to be defeated by something so small and unimportant as that. He was going to get out of that place! He was going to get his freedom back! And then, and then ¡ Then he would ¡ he would ¡
The sound of voices broke his scattered thoughts and he immediately hid behind one of two tall, porcelain jars flanking a large, open door.
¡°We finally caught them, Calzai,¡± one voice was saying. ¡°They were trying to board a boat and escape down the river, south of here.¡±
¡°Was the Lord of the Fortress amongst them?¡± asked another voice and Snow couldn¡¯t help shiver, recognizing it immediately. That was the dark voice of the monster.
¡°He was. But after ordering his men to delay us he jumped into the river and was mauled to death by a huge crocodile. We only managed to recover part of his torso,¡± the same man promptly informed. ¡°We were able to capture his right-hand man alive, though.¡±
¡°I see. So, you¡¯re this right-hand man, then,¡± the monster spoke again, his voice growing darker and colder with each word.
¡°My Lord, please have mercy!¡± someone begged and a loud thud followed by a even louder groan cut the man¡¯s pleading words.
¡°You¡¯ll address the Calzai by his title!¡± the man from before instructed severely but was only answered by more pained groans.
¡°That will be enough, LaoTar. Take the others below and then make sure you and your men get some rest. We can deal with this piece of trash.¡±
¡°Yes, Calzai!¡± came the immediate reply and the sound of movement and footsteps, mixed with curt orders to get up and move, filled the room. Snow leaned as much as he could against the wall, praying that no one would notice him, wishing he could become as thin as a sheet of paper. And then a group of men exited the room. He didn¡¯t recognize any of them, but he could easily tell by their clothes who were the men under the monster¡¯s orders and who were the recently captured prisoners.
He silently released a sigh of relief when the last man walked by him and didn¡¯t see him, hiding behind the huge jar. White, painted with large red flowers, it towered over him by at least one head.
¡°Well, now,¡± the voice of the monster filled the room again, dripping with malice, making a shiver run down his spine. ¡°Since you were the Lordling¡¯s right-hand man I am sure you know all about his deals with the slave traders, right?¡±
¡°Yes, my Lord ¡. I mean, Calzai,¡± the man quickly corrected, his voice full of fear.
¡°And I am sure your dying to tell us all about that.¡±
¡°Yes, Calzai! I am humbly at your service.¡±
¡°Good, good. And what about the one inside that box?¡±
Snow¡¯s heart skipped a painful beat. The one inside the box ¡ was him, right?¡±
¡°Tha ¡ tha ¡ that I wouldn¡¯t know ¡. Calzai ¡¡± the man stammered and everything around him seemed to grow a shade darker, as if the bright blue flames that brightened the corridor had lost part of their natural glow.
¡°Oh really? And here I thought I¡¯d seen you before, at the top of that wall, shouting in a panic, ordering them to kill him.¡±
¡°I was only following orders, Calzai! Please show mercy!¡±
¡°Where did he come from?¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t say, Calzai! The Lord appeared with him one day, saying that he had found a rare treasure! He told us he was from the Demon Clan! That¡¯s all I know, I swear!¡±
¡°You really think he¡¯s from the Demon Clan?¡±
¡°Wha-wha-what else could he be? He has their hair color, has he not?¡± the man quickly argued, stumbling over his own tongue.
¡°Then why kill him, when all the other prisoners were spared?¡±
¡°Tha-tha-that ¡ I couldn¡¯t ¡ tell ¡¡±
For a moment the room went completely silent except for the ragged, panicking breathing of the prisoner.
¡°Your Lordling wouldn¡¯t have ventured outside his Fortress on his own. I¡¯m sure you went with him, did you not? On this trip to hunt for profitable treasures,¡± the monster added, sarcasm dripping from his every word, and the other man stammered again.
¡°I ¡ I ¡ did, Calzai ¡¡± he practically whispered.
¡°What¡¯s the last city he visited before returning to the Fortress?¡±
¡°Weiin ¡¡±
Another moment of silence. So Wei was a city after all, Snow thought, trying to remember anything else from his time locked in that room, but nothing came back to him except for thick, white mist.
¡°Last question,¡± the monster announced. ¡°How did you all managed to survive the array that killed my men? You were all up there, much closer to him, and yet none of you dropped dead.¡±
¡°Ca-cal-zai, I beg of you ¡¡±
¡°Answer me!¡± the monster growled, making Snow cringe, waves of darkness pouring out the open door and into the corridor.
¡° ¡ blood ¡¡± came the whispered answer and his heart almost stop.
¡°Blood? What do you mean?¡±Stolen novel; please report.
Panicking Snow looked around, quickly searching for a door, a window, something that would allow him to leave that place. Now that they knew, now that that word had been spoken, they would never let him go! He¡¯d be a prisoner again, made to bleed until he fainted, over and over again, unable to live and unable to die.
Before he had thought that lying on that bed was all he would do for the rest of his life. Then, when they¡¯d finally taken him from that bed, things had gotten even worse. But not now! Now things were actually better! He was finally able to walk on his own! And he hadn¡¯t been poked, cut or tortured at all in last few days! They had even given him normal food to eat and normal clothes to wear! Before, lying on that bed, he had been able to force himself to conform with his fate. But now ¡ now he wanted to be free! He wanted to get out of that place, run away from all of them! And where was the damned door leading outside? Maybe he should run, he considered, his mind spiraling. Make a run for it! But his shaky legs immediately told him that that was impossible. Not yet! Maybe in a couple of days ... Days he didn¡¯t have! Not anymore! Not after that accursed word had been spoken!
¡°Zen ¡¡±
¡°I know,¡± came the soft reply, followed by a long silence.
¡°Snow?¡± The soft sound of his name coming from right beside him made him jump back and lose his balance. Trying not to fall, he held onto the only thing his hands could reach. The tall jar tilted forward and fell, shattering in hundreds of shiny pieces of porcelain. The thunderous sound alone was enough to leave him half-deaf. Staggering back he couldn¡¯t avert his gaze from all those tiny pieces.
¡°Snow?¡± came the voice again but, when he turned to look at him, all he could see was a large hand reaching out for him, trying to grab him.
ZenTar stopped moving, his hand midair, when he saw the boy take a shaky step back. More than his obvious desire to avoid him, what held him back was the look on his face. His pale, icy eyes stared threateningly, straight at him. A look he¡¯d seen all too often. A mix of fierceness and utter desperation. The temperature of the air around him dropped considerably, becoming as cold as a winter evening, turning his breath into white mist. And the pressure that surrounded him made his daitai burn as his entire body unconsciously readied itself for battle. Still the boy in front of him kept his mouth firmly shut, biting down on his lower lip to the point of drawing blood. And no markings appeared on the floor or walls, like before.
¡°Snow?¡± he tried again, crouching down in hopes of looking less intimidating. ¡°Everything¡¯s all right. Just take a deep breath, okay? I¡¯m really sorry I startled you.¡± The boy took another step back, his pale eyes like daggers, clearly wishing he¡¯d drop dead where he stood. And since when could a Celestial emit such a murderous aura? Weren¡¯t they all supposed to be peace-loving, innocent-looking, heavenly-sent beings? ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you. I just thought you were going to fall,¡± he tried to explain and released a deep sigh when another, much darker presence, approached them.
¡°Cut the crap, brat! Don¡¯t make me go there and knock you out!¡± demanded an impatient voice right from behind him and the boy immediately jumped, transforming from a fierce animal about to pounce on his prey into a scared little mouse.
¡°You have such a foul mouth!¡± he complained, rising to his feet, and ZaiWin crossed his arms and avoided his gaze.
¡°And who¡¯s fault is that?¡±
¡°Not mine, for sure! You never heard me use that kind of language!¡± ZenTar argued.
¡°Yeah. Except when you¡¯re pissed.¡± The monster¡¯s blue eyes turned to him again, bright blue eyes that showed nothing but despise and contempt. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, come inside. No one ever told you that it¡¯s bad manners to eavesdrop?¡±
No. No one had ever taught him that, or anything much for that matter. No matter the case, however, he most definitely wasn¡¯t going to go anywhere with those two, he thought shaking his head.
¡°Have you gone deaf or something? Get inside! Because you won¡¯t like it if I have grab you and drag you in!¡±
Snow swallowed hard and lowered his head. So he was doomed, after all, he thought forcing his legs to move. The dark monster stepped to the side to allow him in and both men followed him, right behind him, making it impossible for him to escape.
His gaze fell on the man kneeling on the floor, bending forward, sobbing nervously. He recognized him immediately. The man that had fed him those horrible concoctions. The man that had burned his leg. The mere thought of it made his wound hurt and he couldn¡¯t take another step forward, not even knowing that the dark monster was standing right behind him. Images of the men, women and children that he¡¯d brought into his cell made his heart beat painfully. Men, women and children he¡¯d been forced to kill without knowing how. And then the others that the man now kneeling on the floor had swiftly and coldly murdered. He had always seemed so big, so dangerous, so frightening. It was strange and sad seeing him kneeling like that, his body beaten, his shoulders shaking in fear.
¡°You know him, Snow?¡± asked the one with the fake smile, ZenTar, and he simply nodded.
At the sound of that question the prostrating man quickly turned back, his eyes widening when he saw the boy standing right in front of him.
¡°Little Lord! Sacred Lord! Please have mercy! Please have mercy!!¡± he begged, dragging himself on his hands and knees, and Snow quickly stepped back, trying to keep the distance. His back clashed against something hard that threw him off balance, but then a large hand with surprising long, delicate fingers was on his shoulder, steadying him. He didn¡¯t have to look back to know who it was. In fact, he didn¡¯t want to look back at all. All his life he had feared and detested the touch of others. They always brought him pain and suffering, and he knew that this time, too, it wouldn¡¯t be any different. And yet, as long as he didn¡¯t look back, as long as he didn¡¯t face that dark monster, that hand almost felt good, offering him strength and support.
Stepping forward ZenTar kicked the man back, straight on his stomach, making him gag and throw-up, even though apparently there was nothing in his stomach.
¡°Know your place, scum!¡± he spat with despise and the man knelt down again, still coughing, still gagging.
¡°Mercy ¡ mercy ¡¡± he kept on repeating, over and over again.
¡°You were telling me something about blood?¡± the low voice behind him calmly asked and Snow¡¯s entire body went immediately stiff at the sound of that word. That¡¯s right! He had to escape! But the moment the idea crossed his mind, the hand on his shoulder squeezed him ever so softly, but enough to let him now that there was no way he¡¯d be able to leave that place.
¡°Yes, yes, Calzai! We all drank it! We all did!¡± the man replied in desperation. ¡°That boy¡¯s blood! It protected us! It healed us!¡±
Snow felt as if he¡¯d just died. He could already see himself tied to a bed again. Or maybe chained on some dark place. His blood flowing out of his body, filling cups and bottles without end. There was no hope whatsoever.
The wave of dark fury that enveloped him stole his breath away. The hand that had held him in place disappeared and, in the next moment, the monster was no longer behind him but in front of him, grabbing the sobbing man by his throat, holding him high in the air as if he weighted nothing. The man screamed, and kicked, and clawed at his hand, but nothing could stop that angry beast. Even ZenTar stepped back with a resigned expression on his face.
¡°You know? He can still be useful, show us around Weiin and so on. It would make it much easier to find the place where Snow was being kept,¡± he tried to argue but the monster didn¡¯t even look at him.
¡°This filthy piece of shit? Useful? I think not.¡±
The sound of bones cracking was followed by a deafening silence. When the monster finally let go of the man he fell at his feet like a broken doll and didn¡¯t move or talk again.
ZenTar sighed and then looked at the boy still standing there, pale eyes glued to the dead man lying on the floor in front of him.
¡°Don¡¯t be scared, Snow. He was a bad man, right?¡± he tried to rationalize and ZaiWin gave him a critical glare.
¡°How old do you think he is? You sound like you¡¯re talking to a six-year-old!¡±
¡°Are you an idiot?¡± ZenTar bit back. ¡°Don¡¯t you know how all Celestials abhor all kinds of killing and death? Do you want to damage his mind more than it already is?¡±
¡°Yeah, I know just how much Celestials hate killing,¡± the monster snorted ironically and then his blue eyes were on him again. ¡°Hey brat! Don¡¯t you dare become all weepy, crying on account of that piece of trash. He¡¯s dead and that¡¯s that! Good riddance! If you dare try to make up an excuse for what he did I¡¯ll spank ¡¡± Snow shook his head and then remembered that the monster normally became angry when he didn¡¯t reply in words.
¡°I won¡¯t ¡¡± he whispered, his voice raspy. ¡°He was ¡ bad ¡¡± he added, and the monster¡¯s eyes became longer, glowing coldly, as if he were smiling.
¡°See? The brat gets it!¡± ZenTar sighed again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s good that we¡¯re all here. Zen, sit there,¡± he demanded, pointing to a chair, and ZenTar gave him a suspicious look but, as he didn¡¯t receive any other explanation, and probably wouldn¡¯t receive one no matter how long he waited, he crossed the room and sat down as commanded. ¡°Good. Now, come here brat!¡± the monster went on, beckoning him to approach him and Snow obeyed. It wasn¡¯t as if he had any other choice, he thought, cringing when that large hand covered his shoulder again.
The monster pushed him towards ZenTar, now sitting right in front of him with a suspicious expression on his face, and then pushed him down.
¡°Kneel!¡±
The sudden pain that pierced his chest made him blink. The hand on his shoulder kept on pushing him down, making his legs shake, but he remained standing.
¡°Nox! What are you doing??¡±
¡°Shut it, Zen!¡± the monster practically growled and his blue eyes turned to the boy standing right in front of him. ¡°Is what I asked you to do something that hard?¡± he asked coldly, clearly annoyed, and the boy quickly shook his head. ¡°Good. Then kneel!¡± Snow nodded, unable to deny him, but his knees simply wouldn¡¯t bend. ¡°Brat! Don¡¯t test my patience! Or I swear I¡¯ll beat you up to the point where you won¡¯t be able to stand up! You¡¯ll be kneeling for an entire week!!¡±
Snow swallowed, beads of sweat sliding down his forehead, down his back. He wanted to obey. He really wanted! And not only because he was afraid of him. Even though right now he was more than terrifying, something inside him really wanted to obey his command. And yet, no matter how much he ordered his legs to bend, no matter how much they shook, weakening beneath his pressure, they still refused to obey him.
¡°Want me to break your legs? You¡¯ll be kneeling in no time!¡±
Snow shook his head, tears filling his eyes. His chest hurt so much he could hardly breathe.
¡°Nox ¡¡±
¡°Fine! Since you¡¯re unable to obey my command I¡¯ll help you!¡± the monster declared and a sharp pain to the back of his knees, added to the pressure of that heavy hand, finally forced his legs to bend. In the next moment the entire world was gone, lost in a deafening silence, and then everything went black.
ZaiWin looked down at the boy lying on the floor at his feet and nudged him with the tip of his boot.
¡°He¡¯s out cold ¡¡± he noted appreciatively and ZenTar jumped from his chair, kneeling beside him, placing a hand in front of his nose to make sure he was still breathing.
¡°You¡¯re such a beast! I thought we had agreed not to kill him!¡± he argued angrily and ZaiWin sighed.
¡°I didn¡¯t kill him, did I?¡±
¡°Are you satisfied, then? With this little test of yours?¡±
¡°Not satisfied at all! Taking into account how much of a freak he is, I had this little hope that he might kneel for just anyone,¡± he confessed.
¡°And you had to test it on me? What if he had knelt? Want to condemn me to death?¡± ZenTar countered angrily, to which ZaiWin simply shrugged.
¡°Do you seriously think they will spare you when they kill me?¡±
¡°Fuck you! I can always try and make a run for it, can¡¯t I?! Who are you to take away from me that small chance of survival?¡±
ZaiWin smiled and pulled an armed around the older man¡¯s shoulders.
¡°As if you¡¯d be able to leave me behind.¡±
¡°You¡¯re an obnoxious, conceited, self-important brat, did you know?¡±
ZaiWin smiled again and sighed, looking at the boy, still on floor.
¡°So he¡¯s the real deal ¡¡± he commented, suddenly serious, and
ZenTar sighed as well.
¡°Yeah ¡¡±
¡°Gods damn it! Why me? I never wanted any of this!!¡±
¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± They were both silent, for a while. ¡°What now?¡±
With a deep breath ZaiWin stepped over the boy and sat down on the chair ZenTar had occupied.
¡°I can¡¯t stay here.¡±
¡°Agreed. You¡¯d be like a sitting duck waiting for your execution.¡±
¡°I can¡¯t accompany the prisoners to the palace, either. They¡¯d murder me on sight. And I can¡¯t go home.¡± ZenTar nodded. ¡°NimRen ¡ NimRen is waiting for me ¡¡± he added with a sigh, averting his gaze. ¡°I promised her that I¡¯d find the damn prince and put an end to that shameless marriage arrangement.¡±
¡°You can hardly worry about that now!¡± ZenTar declared. ¡°You¡¯ve fulfilled your part! The Demon Clan is free. Besides is not like NimRen-lar is completely defenseless. I¡¯m sure she and her brother will be able to argue her cause once the prisoners reach the Palace.¡±
ZaiWin sighed again, the image of the young red-haired woman looking pleadingly at him, tears glowing in her golden-green eyes as she silently watched him leave, still fresh in his memory.
¡°Let LaoTar return to the palace in your place. He will accompany the prisoners and present a full report about how we freed them,¡± ZenTar suggested.
¡°Are you sure? LaoTar is your brother. They won¡¯t allow him to leave once he steps foot inside the Palace grounds.¡±
¡°But they won¡¯t kill him either. He¡¯s too useful alive.¡±
¡°He¡¯ll be a hostage,¡± ZaiWin argued.
¡°He¡¯ll be a spy,¡± ZenTar corrected.
ZaiWin remained silent, pondering for a moment.
¡°What if they do kill him? How are you going to live with that?¡±
ZenTar smiled coldly at him, a bitter, sour expression he¡¯d rarely seen on his face.
¡°Haven¡¯t I lived through much worse? Haven¡¯t you?¡±
Memories of a snow-white gown slowly soaking in bright red blood made him avert his gaze, as if that were enough to wipe those images away.
¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± ZenTar went on with a confident smile. ¡°My brother knows how to take care of himself. I¡¯ll talk with him.¡±
¡°But you won¡¯t force him. I want it to be his decision.¡±
¡°Fine, fine,¡± ZenTar sighed, waving one hand dismissively. ¡°So we¡¯re going to Weiin, then,¡± he guessed and ZaiWin nodded.
¡°We need to know where this brat came from. Besides, a certain Priestess is station at the Central Temple, there. There are a few questions I¡¯d like to ask her.¡±
¡°You¡¯re kidding, right?¡±
¡°Do I look like I¡¯m kidding?¡±
¡°That woman is a freaking menace!¡± ZenTar argued and ZaiWin smiled.
¡°Yes. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be delighted to see you as well.¡±
RTYY 013 - A Bad Escape Attempt
When Snow woke up the following day he was back in that luxurious bedroom, tucked beneath the soft satin covers. He could tell his wounds had been tended to by the soft herbal scent that still lingered in the air. And, to his surprise, they still hadn¡¯t chained him. There weren¡¯t any new cuts, either, he concluded, carefully checking his arms and chest. Frowning, he wondered about what exactly had happened. He probably hadn¡¯t recovered as much as he¡¯d thought, he concluded with a sigh, feeling rather embarrassed at the idea of having fainted just like that. More than embarrassing it had been extremely dangerous, he chastised himself. He had to be more careful, so he wouldn¡¯t place himself in such vulnerable positions anymore.
Sliding out of bed he couldn¡¯t help smile when his legs didn¡¯t shake as much. Over the small oval table, by the window, a tray with food awaited him. Freshly baked bread and cheese, a cup of tea that had, in the meanwhile, gone cold, and a small bowl with little round fruits he¡¯d eaten for the first time the day before. They were sweet and juicy, and he didn¡¯t waste time, stealing a handful of them and stuffing his mouth with them.
So he had been right, he thought while he ate. The man that normally looked after his needs had already come. Strange that he hadn¡¯t woken him up. Before, whenever he overslept, the man had always woken him up so it would be easier to tend to his wounds, especially his back.
Looking out the window he still had to blink, his eyes tearing up, but at least they didn¡¯t burn as much as before. From where he stood, by the table, the only thing he could see was a clear blue sky, but he never got tired or bored of looking at it.
After eating, he washed his face on the fresh water filling the basin next to the food tray and quickly made his way to the door. More hopeful than the day before, he tried the doorknob and sighed in relief when it turned. So they also hadn¡¯t locked him up ¡ Were they so certain that he couldn¡¯t escape on his own?
With the triple of the confidence that had filled his steps the day before, he made his way to the staircase in record time. Stopping at the top, he still took the time to focus on what he was doing, slowing down to make sure he didn¡¯t fall down the stairs. At least his legs were much firmer, his ankles didn¡¯t hurt as much.
Reaching the ground floor he didn¡¯t hesitate and turned right. The day before he¡¯d turned left and he¡¯d ended up in that large, intimidating room. The dark monster was probably there, he figured, recalling the way he had dominated the entire space as if it had always belonged to him. Besides, he didn¡¯t remember seeing anything even remotely similar to a door that would lead outside anywhere. So, this time, he decided to go the opposite way.
Walking down the wide corridor he passed a few half-dozen doors, all tall and dark-brown, with intricate designs carved on them. But they all looked alike, which meant they would probably lead to other rooms, not outside. Turning left he was faced with a dead end, two large double doors standing right in front of him. Now these looked different, he thought hopefully, turning the knob and pushing them open. His heart almost stop when a dozen or so heads turned to look at him. Quickly scanning the place he immediately knew that he¡¯d been wrong again, although this room did have tall windows leading outside. Maybe he¡¯d be able to escape through one of them, he considered. The problem were the men that, surrounding a large table, seemed to have been discussing something important before he¡¯d so rudely interrupted them. Well, at least the monster wasn¡¯t there, he concluded with a sigh of relief. Neither was the other one, with the fake smile.
¡°It¡¯s him ¡¡± someone whispered, making his heart jump, and he immediately faced the men now staring at him.
¡°Are you sure? But isn¡¯t he a male?¡± asked another voice.
¡°Who knows ¡¡±
¡°Who cares? All I know is that he killed my brother and many of our comrades!¡± a harsher voice accused, making him take a step back.
¡°They should have killed him right there and then!¡±
¡°Don¡¯t say things like that! What if the rumors are true?¡±
¡°How can they be? Have you ever heard of a Celestial murdering over one-hundred men just like that?¡±
¡°But didn¡¯t HeavyStone say he saw glowing wings on his back?¡±
¡°He must¡¯ve seen wrong, I tell you!¡±
¡°We could always check for ourselves ¡ I say he¡¯s nothing but another damned demon! Probably royalty or something, and that¡¯s why they¡¯re protecting him. I¡¯m sure the Calzai actually wishes he could kill him but his hands are tied by Palace politics. After all, we did come here the save an entire lot of them.¡±
Snow slowly took another step back. Maybe he should run, he considered, his heart already racing. Would his weakened legs allow him to run ¡?
¡°A murderer like him ¡! We¡¯d be doing the Calzai a favor, getting rid of such filth. We can always say that there was an accident. That he fell down and hit his head or something.¡±
Several heads nodded in agreement and Snow took another step back. He had been so excited about how he felt so much better, about how he¡¯d finally be able to run away, that he¡¯d forgotten that there were other people in the Fortress, besides the black monster and the other one. Not only that, as to be expected, they all blamed him for the deaths of their companions. And it wasn¡¯t as if he could apologize or deny it ¡
A few of the men stood up and others took a few steps towards him.
Maybe he should have just stayed in his bedroom, he considered bleakly, stepping back again. His gaze turned to the bright windows. What if, instead of running away, he ran towards one of them? Would the glass break if he launched his entire weight, which to be honest wasn¡¯t much, against it? It probably wouldn¡¯t, he concluded stepping back some more as the men slowly closed in on him. He¡¯d probably die from a smashed head. He¡¯d most certainly break a few bones ¡
¡°Hey kid! Why are you running away?¡± one of the man called out, startling him. ¡°We just want to take a peek at those markings of yours.¡±
Snow shook his head and backed away some more.
¡°We won¡¯t hurt you,¡± another assured, even though his eyes were full of hatred. ¡°They¡¯re saying you¡¯re this rare, special being. We just want to check it with our own eyes.¡±
Snow shook his head again.
¡°Don¡¯t be stubborn. Grab him!¡±
Snow spun on his heels and ran away as fast as he could ¡ or at least that¡¯s what he intended to do. The reality, however, was frightening different. And the moment he turned around, ready to try his best and dash out of there, a hot pain locked his leg in place making it impossible to move it, and making him fall head-first in the process, his thwarted momentum making him slide across the smooth floor. The loud sound and the shock of his body clashing against the stone floor left his ears ringing and a sharp pain on his wrist from when he¡¯d tried to brace himself. Still he didn¡¯t waste time, trying to get up, his lips tightly pressed together so that he wouldn¡¯t utter single sound. The hand that grabbed his ankle, pulling him back, almost made him gasp, and he kicked it as hard as he could, trying to get free. Whoever had grabbed him howled and cursed out loud but still refused to release him.
¡°You damned freak! Grab him!¡± he ordered and more hands held him down, pulling at his tunic and pants, trying to undress him, hurting his still tender back.
The sudden blast of wind that rushed past his face stole his breath away and, like the day before, the light from the flames silently burning on their holders seemed to grow dimmer. Screams filled his ears, making him cringe, but suddenly he was free again and so he quickly tried to get back on his feet.
¡°You damn brat! Are you trying to get more of my men killed?¡± a deep, angry voice asked, and Snow slowly raised his head, still on all fours, to look up at the huge, terrible monster standing right in front of him. His blue eyes looked really angry and so he quickly shook his head. Someone behind him was still screaming and sobbing and so, fearing what he¡¯d might see, he looked back. The men that had chased him had all stepped back ¡ no, they¡¯d all been thrown back and were still trying to stand up. All except one, who was rolling back and forth on the ground, grabbing a bloody wrist. The missing hand lay on a pool of blood just a few steps away from him.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Back on their feet the men huddled together, glaring at the monster in a mix of fear and defiance.
¡°Anyone else wants to lose a hand? A head, maybe?¡± the monster asked threateningly and the men immediately lowered their heads, the heavy silence falling over them, cut only by the one still screaming. Since none of the men made a single attempt to move, the monster¡¯s blue eyes turned to him with a cold, murdering glare. ¡°Get up!¡±
Snow immediately obeyed without a second thought and, when the monster took a step to the side, silently granting him passage, he obeyed that silent order as well, walking past him.
He was taken to a smaller room and ordered to sit on an armchair that was part of a set of dark-blue velvet couches, carefully placed around a small table made of black stone, where tiny silver mineral flecks glimmered, reminding a starry night. Like his bedroom and all the rooms he¡¯d see so far in that Fortress, this one had also been richly furnished and decorated, with velvet carpets covering the floor, a large dining table made of deep-red wood standing to a corner, and heavy blue curtains held opened by golden tassels. The windows were as tall as the ones from the previous room and, over the white stone fireplace hang a heavy-looking mirror framed in gold.
Still he couldn¡¯t relax enough to allow his attention to linger on the beauty and richness of the room. Enveloped in a cloud of dark mist from which he could only see his glowing blue eyes, the angry monster kept pacing back and forth right in front of him, leaving a trail of darkness floating in the air every time he turned around. They remained like that, him sitting in silence and the monster pacing the room like a caged animal, for what felt like a long time, and he couldn¡¯t help feeling sad.
He had never wanted anyone to die ¡ Not the men and women that had been brought to his cell. Not the men fighting that day, outside; men he hadn¡¯t even seen much less met. Not even the man that had hurt him and tortured him. He most certainly hadn¡¯t wanted the men from before to get hurt. Well, he had wanted to kick them, but only so they would release him. In the last few days he had finally understood why Sand had always insisted that he remained silent. Theirs had been a poor and quiet home. Sand had never uttered a single word. With time he¡¯d realized that it wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want to do so, she simply couldn¡¯t. And him, he had only spoken when there really wasn¡¯t any other way around it.
Pressing his lips together he couldn¡¯t help wince when they hurt from all the times he had bitten them.
The door opened and closed again, giving way to ZenTar who glared critically at the monster and then at him.
¡°What happened? Did you really cut off that man¡¯s hand?¡± he demanded, also sounding angry, and Snow couldn¡¯t help jump on his seat, not knowing how to answer that. That is, until he realized that the question hadn¡¯t been directed at him.
Looking at the monster he noticed he¡¯d stopped pacing and, releasing a deep sigh, he sat heavily on one of the couches.
¡°I suppose I did.¡±
¡°And why would you do something like that?!¡±
¡°You think I would have done it if I could help it?¡±
ZenTar green eyes widened in alarm and immediately turned to the boy.
¡°You¡¯re joking, right?¡±
¡°I wish,¡± the monster grunted back. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell them he was not to be touched?¡±
¡°Of course I did!¡± he replied angrily and took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. ¡°Fuck! I was wrong. We should have never allowed him to leave his room!¡± Snow¡¯s heart jumped at that.
¡°You think? No matter how loyal or how good at following orders they may be, the fact that he wiped out more than one-hundred me in one go won¡¯t ever change,¡± the monster added and sighed. Snow lowered his head. ¡°I too, was too shortsighted. Of course something like this was bound to happen. And? What were the damages?¡±
ZenTar took a deep breath and raked a hand through his wavy black hair.
¡°Some of the men are asking to be relieved from their duties. Mainly those who volunteered to join us.¡±
¡°Let them leave, then.¡±
¡°You can¡¯t be serious! You open this kind of precedent and soon they will all want to leave!¡±
¡°They volunteered to join us in defense of their lands. They have been following us since then, mainly out of gratitude. It¡¯s not like they officially belong to the army. They¡¯re mostly farmers and merchants.¡±
¡°That we spent many days training and numerous coin arming!¡± ZenTar argued vehemently.
¡°They joined out of their free will. If it is their will to return home, so be it. And can you blame them? Anyone with half a brain can see that this whole situation will result in a lot of spilled blood,¡± the monster argued with a sigh. ¡°They have women and children waiting for them back home. Some have lost brothers and friends just a few days ago. You place yourself in their shoes and tell me that you wouldn¡¯t be trying to murder me in my sleep, just to make sure that your loved ones would be safe.¡± ZenTar averted his gaze but didn¡¯t rebut him.
Snow looked from one to the other, otherwise keeping as still as possible. There was a lot he couldn¡¯t understand, but somehow he was completely certain that the situation that they were talking about was directly connected to him. Still, no matter how much he turned their words in his head, he just couldn¡¯t see how. Up until then he had always been the one standing on the bad end of things, always the one being tortured and held prisoner. How his small presence could mean any kind of threat to those strong-looking men was beyond his comprehension. Sure, he now knew he held some kind of ¡ deadly power. A terrible, horrible power. But he also knew that, as long as he kept his mouth shut, as long as he didn¡¯t make a sound, no one could be harmed by it. And even if he were a demon, like those men had said, he was still made of flesh and bone, easily chainable or killed. That they could consider him a threat to anyone baffled him completely.
¡°In any case,¡± the black monster went on. ¡°we¡¯ll have to leave soon enough. LaoTar will lead my army back to the Palace and leave it there. The last thing I need is to be accused of holding on to my military divisions in hopes to overthrow the El¡¯Dur at the first chance I get,¡± he added when ZenTar frowned, clearly disagreeing with his decision. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking but you know that I¡¯m right.¡±
¡°Let them say whatever they want!¡±
¡°And what? If rumors of treason start floating around the first thing they¡¯ll do is invade my Province and take over it. The people have suffered enough. They have finally managed to settle down and go on with their lives. They have nothing to do with this problem.¡±
¡°And you think that by surrendering your military forces you will stop them from doing exactly that?¡± ZenTar retorted, clearly unconvinced.
¡°That¡¯s another of the reasons why we have to go to Weiin.¡±
¡°You¡¯re going to ask him to help? Have you hit your head or something?¡±
The monster sighed and his eyes curved in what looked like a very cold, dark smile.
¡°As if he would ever be kind enough to help me just like that. No. I¡¯ll ask him to make a peaceful takeover.¡±
¡°You¡¯re surrendering your lands, then.¡±
¡°I¡¯m lending them ¡ for the time being. There¡¯s no other way.¡± ZenTar sighed and sat down, as if his legs had finally be drained from all strength. ¡°If you have any other solution that won¡¯t mean the massacre of thousands of people, by all means, I¡¯m all ears.¡± As no suggestions were presented the monster went on. ¡°And so, as you can see, it makes no sense to send the men who followed us from home to the Palace as well. They¡¯d do better going back to their families and readying themselves to defend their lands and homes should the need arise. They¡¯ll have to fend for themselves while I take care of this matter.¡±
ZenTar took another deep breath.
¡°I don¡¯t like any of it!¡±
¡°Do I look like I¡¯m enjoying myself?¡±
They both looked at the boy, sitting silently, his back very straight. They were blaming him for something, Snow knew even without any words being said. Their stares were cold and hard like sharp rocks.
¡°Fine,¡± ZenTar finally conceded, getting up again. ¡°I¡¯ll see to it. And make sure they don¡¯t return home empty-handed. Apparently the Lord of the Fortress had quite the collection of gold coins and other treasures. And since we won¡¯t be taking them with us to Wei, and I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t make a point to send them as a gift to the El¡¯Dur, they may as well be put to a good use. But you have to let me choose three other men to accompany us! I refuse to have to put up with you on my own!¡±
The monster wavered a pale, long hand dismissively, and ZenTar sighed again, before leaving the room.
¡°Now us,¡± the monster said, also standing up, becoming an impenetrable cloud of darkness that towered frighteningly over him, and Snow couldn¡¯t help recoil, leaning back as much as possible against the soft chair. ¡°There¡¯s something I have to make clear before I take you anywhere,¡± he declared and then the darkness was surrounding him, the strong hands of the monster grabbing his arms and pulling him to his feet. Snow opened his mouth to scream in fear but immediately closed it tight again. He was effortlessly picked up and thrown over a mass of blackness. Head hanging upside down, he tried to hold on to something, certain that he was going to fall head-first. His hands found a soft, firm fabric and clenched it with all his strength as his entire body swung nauseatingly every time the monster gave another step.
RTYY 014 - The Dark Monster has a ... Face?
Carrying him like that, as if he were a mere sack of potatoes, the monster took him down the corridor and then turn right. Suddenly the white bright light of the day was poured over him, forcing him to blink, his eyes tearing-up immediately. Blinking, he realized they were outside, the stones of the path right beneath his head sprinkled with small patches of grass. Outside!, he repeated to himself and his heart raced. Which meant that they¡¯d crossed the door that he¡¯d been searching for these past two days.
His vision blurring, he blinked furiously wanting to see more. He could feel the warmth of the sun on his back and behind. And the gentle wind that brushed his blushed face smelled sweet and fresh. Trying to raise his head he blinked again and saw a small patch of something red slowly dancing in the breeze. Flowers ¡?
The sound of surprised whispers and of people walking around told him that there were other men nearby, and he unconsciously held tighter to that moving mountain of darkness. A dark shadow covered him for a moment and then they were under the sun again and climbing something. The ground that he could see also changed and now was mainly brown dirt and small, lost pebbles.
Snow didn¡¯t know how long he was carried like that. Only that, by the time the monster finally stopped, even though he felt excited to finally be outside, he also felt dizzy and queasy, from being upside down for so long, his stomach pressed against his back. Blinking blindly, his legs shook when he was finally put down, and he wiped his eyes and face on the sleeve of his tunic.
¡°Why the fuck are you crying?¡±
He wasn¡¯t, he shook his head, even though more tears quickly filled his eyes. It was only that now that the mass of darkness had released him and stepped away from him the light of the sun felt even brighter. The monster tesked impatiently and, grabbing him by his tunic, pulled him closer. A familiar clicking sound filled his ears and then the metallic collar around his neck was gone. Fear immediately filled Snow¡¯s heart and he immediately shook his head, trying to step back, even though he had no illusions that the monster would let him go.
¡°What you did back then, do it again!¡± the heavy voice commanded and he bit down his lower lip and shook his head even more vehemently. ¡°I need to know how you do it! That red array! Do it again!¡±
Blinking tears away, Snow covered his ears and kept shaking his head. His chest was hurting again, making it hard to breathe, especially with his mouth shut, but there was no way he was going to open it. It was as if something inside him was about to break because he refused to comply with the monster¡¯s order, and yet he knew he¡¯d rather die than be the cause of more senseless death.
¡°Damn brat! Don¡¯t test my patience! Look around you! There¡¯s no one here but you and I! So just go on and try to kill me! Don¡¯t you want to be free? Don¡¯t you want to run away?? Kill me!¡± the monster shouted, the darkness expanding threateningly, a cold, dark wind whipping his face. But that order only made Snow bite his lip even harder, his mouth tasting of blood.
Yes, he wanted to be free! Yes, he wanted to run away from all of them! Yes, he wanted to kill him! He wanted to, but the thought alone was enough to make him gasp in pain. His swollen, bloody lips quivering he tried to shut them again, but now he couldn¡¯t do it anymore, desperately gasping for air. He felt as if he was going to die, and he wished he would die quickly and be done with it.
¡°Do you need me to hurt you? Do you need me to make you scream like they did? Is that it?¡± the cruel voice asked and Snow raised his head to look up at him, to look up at those hateful blue eyes that seemed to glow amongst all that darkness. Raising a shaky hand he tried to grab it, grab something, find something real, something solid, something human inside all that blackness.
¡°Stop ¡¡± he barely whispered between forceful breaths of air and pressed his hand against the monster.
A blast of cold wind almost scooped him from his feet, and then everything went deadly silent and still.
Blinking his tears away, Snow saw the blue eyes widen in a mix of horror and surprise, and then he could actually see him! Not a mass of wavering darkness but an actual man!
Even though he was clearly a few years older than him, he looked surprisingly young, his pale skin contrasting heavily with the black eyebrows that arched over his big blue eyes. He also had black hair, long and silky, tied in a single ponytail at the top of his head, the dark locks of hair that had been blown by the wind still floating midair. His lips were thin and a soft pink shade, and he was much taller than him. Overall he could have been handsome, even beautiful, if not for the cold hatred filling that bright-blue gaze. But he clearly wasn¡¯t some dark, immaterial monster either. And Snow couldn¡¯t help wonder what the others saw when they looked at him. Was he the only one who could see his monstrous appearance? Or did they all see it?
Recovering from his clear shock, the hand still grabbing him threw him back, hard, making Snow fall on the ground with a loud thud. His bottom hurt and so did his back, and the moment he stopped touching him it was as if the world had started to move again, darkness even heavier than before gathering around the monster, covering him like a heavy mantle and hiding him from his sight.
¡°If you ever do that again! I will tie a boulder to your feet and throw you into the deepest sea!¡± he roared and Snow couldn¡¯t help cringe, pressing his lips together again, afraid he might scream in fear. The darkness that surrounded him felt cold and deadly, as if it could smother him to death at any moment. Somehow, he didn¡¯t know how or why, he had made the monster furious. ¡°Do you understand me?¡± Snow nodded, quickly, wishing he could drag his trembling body back, away from him, but unable to move. ¡°Stop nodding and shaking your head like a mindless doll! Speak!¡±
¡°Yes!¡± he immediately replied, louder than he wanted to, but unable to resist his command.
¡°If you think that I¡¯m afraid of what might happen to me if I kill you, you couldn¡¯t be more wrong! So mark my words! Pull a stunt like that again and may the Gods help me, I will pull your heart out and feed it to the dogs!¡±
Snow cringed and hugged his knees, turning his body into a small, quivering ball. The word dogs only made him even more scared and he didn¡¯t dare move a single hair. Blinking his tears away, he did his best to stifle his sobs, pressing his bloody mouth against the soft fabric of his pants.
Raking a trembling hand through his hair, Nox ZaiWin looked at trembling human ball at his feet. He was scared to death, he realized, frowning annoyed. That damn brat! He hadn¡¯t felt this shaken, this furious, in a long, long time. And the sensation that still lingered after all his daitai had been suppressed sent a shiver down his spine and made him even angrier. He had to find a way to kill that damn brat as soon as possible, he decided. As if it wasn¡¯t enough that his mere existence had drawn a bright-red target on his back, the freak also had the ability to render him totally and completely defenseless with one touch! And he¡¯d rather die one-thousand deaths than to be that defenseless ever again!
¡°Shit!¡± he spat, his daitai still burning, responding to his fury. The mere thought of it brought bloody images back to his mind. His mother lying on a pool of her own blood, her long black hair spread over the white stone floor, her snowy gown quickly turning red, her blue eyes slowly losing their glow. And the cold, indifferent expression of the golden-haired woman standing at her side, looking down at his mother¡¯s body with hard, golden eyes; holding in her elegant, pale hand the dagger with which she had just stabbed her right in front of his eyes.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Covering his eyes with one hand, as if that could spare him having to see those images again, ZaiWin took a deep breath and tried to calm down. His daitai were wild and aggressive enough as they were. Losing his temper would only make him lose control over them. Another thing he¡¯d rather die than allow to happen again.
Another deep breath and he could finally release the tension that had filled his entire body.
Lowering his gaze, he looked at the boy. If he had had any doubts now there were none left. And yes, he understood what ZenTar had told him, that the boy could hardly be blamed, that he probably didn¡¯t know any better, that he was innocent. But, even so, he couldn¡¯t be allowed to live. And not only for his sake. It wasn¡¯t as if he felt particularly attached to his present life. But there were many, many other lives depending of him, lives that would be certainly lost if that boy were allowed to live, lives that he had sworn to protect. He¡¯d try and do things ZenTar¡¯s way. Try and find a way to kill him without risking his own life. But, if that didn¡¯t work, then so be it. They would die together and be done with it. Whatever the case the damn brat had to die and the soon the better.
¡°Brat! Get up! Let¡¯s go back,¡± he ordered and the boy jumped, startled, but still did his best to obey him. He had really scared the poor bastard, he thought, seeing as his scrawny legs shook, his shoulders trembling. Well, the damn brat had also scared him, so they were kind of even. And then he noticed his bare feet. ¡°Stupid brat! Why do you walk around with no shoes on? I¡¯m certain ZenTar provided something adequate for you.¡±
Snow blinked his tears away and wiped his face and eyes on his sleeve again. The bright light still stung his eyes but not all his tears were because of that.
¡°Are you deaf?¡±
He shook his head and cringed, as if expecting to be smacked, before he answered.
¡°No ¡¡±
¡°What about the shoes?¡±
¡°Too big ¡¡± he whispered back, not daring to speak louder than that.
¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so before? Do you want to throw the healer¡¯s job out of the window?¡± Snow quickly shook his head. ¡°Speak, you damn brat! I swear! I¡¯ll hit you every time you nod or shake your head!¡± he growled and Snow took a step back.
¡°No,¡± he quickly replied, his toes burying nervously into the dirt beneath his feet. The monster sighed impatiently.
¡°How old are you, brat?¡± he asked, changing the subject, and Snow was about to shake his head when he stopped himself, his neck going rigid.
¡°Don¡¯t know ¡¡±
¡°Do you know how long you were kept in Weiin? Were you born there?¡±
¡°No,¡± he replied.
From all the memories that remained lost amongst the hazy, white mist, Sand¡¯s gentle face was something Snow would never forget, that he¡¯d never allow himself to forget. Only her memory had granted him some measure of comfort within his agony.
¡°Do you know where you were born?¡±
¡°No,¡± he replied again and the darkness that surrounded the monster became more agitated. He was getting angry again, he knew, and so he quickly searched for something that might temper his anger. ¡°It was a house ¡ big house. A big room, too,¡± he whispered trying to put together bits and pieces of memories. ¡°There was a garden with water. A warm fire. It was really warm ¡¡± Especially when compared to the deep, biting cold that had came afterwords, he thought peering fearfully at the monster, hoping his answer had been enough to appease him. Within his memories the sound of screams echoed in his head and the smell of blood filled his mouth and nose, but that he didn¡¯t tell him.
¡°So ZenTar was right. You were probably born to some minor Clan. Only Clan houses are that big. And no Noble House would dare try and hide your existence.¡± Snow lowered his gaze. Had they tried to hide him? Why? Somehow it didn¡¯t feel like that at all. Sand yes, Sand had tried to keep him safe, to protect him, even though she had been the one in needed of protection. ¡°Well, no matter. We¡¯ll get to the bottom of it sooner or later,¡± the monster declared with a deep breath. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go back. And try not to cut your feet!¡± he warned in what sounded more like a threat, and Snow quickly obeyed, still wiping his burning eyes. However, no matter how blurry his vision got, there was no way he could lose that dark monster from sight. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving the Fortress in a few days. You¡¯ll be coming with us,¡± the monster informed him without even turning back to make sure he kept following him. ¡°Outside there are a few rules you mush follow no matter what. One. Erase those foolish ideas about running away from your head. You won¡¯t be able to hide from me. No matter where you may think to run away to, I will still find you. Having to waste time looking for you will only piss me off. And you don¡¯t want to pissed me off!¡±
Snow swallowed dry and, after what had just happened, couldn¡¯t help agree.
¡°Two. If you don¡¯t want what happen before to happen again, unless I say so, keep as far away from other people as possible. And that includes the other men in our group. If you need anything, if you see something, whatever it is, talk only to me or ZenTar. Hopefully I¡¯ll be able to restrain myself and not kill him.¡±
Snow wiped some more tears. It wasn¡¯t as if he wanted to get close to anyone anyway, he grumbled in his thoughts. In fact, all he wanted, was to get as far away as possible from all of them.
¡°Three. Never show your bare back to anyone unless I say so. So be sure to be careful when dressing and undressing yourself,¡± he went on, which made Snow frown in confusion.
Up till now he¡¯d been naked in front of many people and nothing had ever happened. Sure, when he¡¯d been tied to that bed, he had always laid on his back. But in that cell he¡¯d been completely naked and he was sure the Lord and the other men that had cleaned him had seen his back. And what could be so special about it anyways?
¡°Four. Whatever happens, never, ever scream like that again!¡± he commanded, this time stopping to look back, his blue eyes hard and serious, and Snow couldn¡¯t help frown, confused again. Hadn¡¯t he just threatened to kill him if he didn¡¯t scream? ¡°You¡¯re clearly unable to control it, right? That red array. That¡¯s the only reason why I didn¡¯t kill you where you stood, back then,¡± he added with obvious regret. ¡°So you need to understand this. No matter who it is, women, children even, whoever is standing inside that red area will die. People that haven¡¯t done anything to you, people that you don¡¯t even know, everyone will die. And there¡¯s nothing that anyone, not even me, can do about it. If you scream like that again, if you activate that red array again, I will kill you where you stand. Do you understand?¡± the monster asked, his voice as firm and cold as his eyes, and Snow nodded before quickly answering.
¡°I understand.¡±
Nox ZaiWin faced those pale, serious eyes for a moment, before turning around and resuming walking down the hill. If he didn¡¯t know any better he¡¯d actually believe all that crap about how Celestials abhorred death and killing. Looking into the kid¡¯s tearful eyes he had almost felt as if what he had meant as a threat had actually been received as a good thing.
They were almost back to the Fortress¡¯ gates when the soft sound of the footsteps following him suddenly ceased.
¡°What?¡± he asked, impatiently, turning back again to look at him. If the damn brat was about to throw a tantrum saying stupid things like he didn¡¯t want to go back, he was going to spank him blind. As to be expected the stupid brat was just standing there, blinking under the sun, looking at the Fortress with a scared expression on his face. ¡°Need me to drag you inside?¡±
Snow shook his head and took a trembling hand to his naked, reddened, neck.
¡°Collar ¡¡± he whispered and the blue eyes glaring angrily at him seemed kind of confused.
¡°You want me to put the qinrien back on you?¡± Snow quickly nodded with a hopeful expression on his face. ¡°Sorry. Not going to happen. You won¡¯t be able to walk around outside wearing it. It would attract too much attention. Only slaves and prisoners are bound by them. And since slavery is illegal I can¡¯t be seen walking around with a brat like you wearing one. In the same way, since we¡¯ll be traveling undercover, there¡¯s no way that we could be dragging a prisoner around. Something like that would only attract unwanted attention.¡±
¡°But ¡¡± he urgently tried to argue, the words forming in his mind but unable to make their way to his mouth.
¡°But nothing! You¡¯re not a child. They¡¯re your markings! Learn to control them!¡±
Snow shut his mouth firmly and lowered his gaze, the frown marking his forehead deepening.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
RTYY 015 - The Scary Animal Called a Horse
They crossed the Fortress¡¯ gate and the men standing guard there bowed respectfully to the monster, but glared coldly at him. And those were only the first of many similar glares Snow received.
When they had left he¡¯d been carried upside-down so he hadn¡¯t been able to see much of anything. But now, that he was walking on his own two feet, he could clearly see, even through his blurry vision, the way the other men stared at him, whispering amongst themselves, even stepping farther away from path. Some were openly hostile, others more fearful than anything. None of them looked remotely nice. That was until they reached a large wood shed. The smell coming from there was strong and different from anything he¡¯d smelled before, but not completely unpleasant.
¡°We¡¯ll have to ride, once we leave here. And since you probably have never even seen a horse you may as well get used to them,¡± the monster said, going inside. ¡°I will tie you to my saddle if you fall. And believe me, that will hardly make for a pleasant trip,¡± he added bleakly and another man rushed to meet them, bowing respectfully even though a bright smile stretched his lips.
¡°Calzai,¡± he uttered before straightening his back again and then playfully peered behind the monster¡¯s back. ¡°Is he the one?¡± he asked, looking excited, his bright green eyes glowing, and Snow unconsciously took a step back.
¡°Yeah. Brat! This is MenTar. He¡¯ll be riding with us as well,¡± the monster told him, stepping to one side, and Snow blinked, looking up at him. Somehow, something about those bright green eyes was strangely familiar, even though no one in that Fortress had ever smiled at him like that before.
¡°It is an honor to meet you, Tien¡¯Elhar,¡± he declared, bowing even deeper than he¡¯d bowed to the monster, and Snow took another step back.
The monster smacked the other man on the back of his head, even though MenTar was obviously older than him, and MenTar shot up straight again, rubbing his head with an indignant expression.
¡°How mean!! What was that for?¡± he contested loudly and the monster gave him a threatening glare.
¡°You know damn well!¡±
¡°And did you have to hit me so hard? I¡¯ll tell brother that you¡¯re bullying me again,¡± he complained but the monster ignored him. ¡°So how am I suppose to address him?¡±
¡°His name is Snow,¡± the monster replied and MenTar gaped, in complete astonishment.
¡°Snow? Only Snow?¡± he wanted to confirm, and as he didn¡¯t receive a reply that would deny it, he held his head between both hands, a panicking expressions distorting his pleasant face. ¡°We¡¯ll be cursed! We¡¯ll most certainly be cursed! Disrespecting a Celestial like this! Certain death and agony will befall all of us!¡±
Snow turned the word in his head. Celestial. This wasn¡¯t the first nor the second time people addressed him like that. And he couldn¡¯t help recall ZenTar¡¯s fake smile and his forced calm voice. ¡°Do you know what a Celestial is?¡±
The monster slapped MenTar on the back of his head again, breaking that endless torrent of dramatic, end-of-the-world-prophecies that were now culminating in certain doom for all of them, and MenTar released a loud ouch, rubbing his head again.
¡°Cut the crap. I brought the brat here so he can have a look at the horses.¡±
¡°Ah, yes. This way, then,¡± he happily replied, his face back to that bright expression as if nothing had happened and, turning around, he gladly showed them the way.
Snow blinked in confusion, unable to understand what had just happened. But then the monster was waiting for him to follow them and so he did, looking around suspiciously, fearing he might be attacked by a four-legged beast at any moment.
Unlike what the monster had said, he had seen horses before, when he was a child. But he¡¯d always done his best to keep as far away from their long legs and hard-looking hooves as possible. The men that proudly rode them had all dressed in fine, rich clothes, and such people never looked with kind eyes upon poor people like Sand and him had been.
Making a turn he immediately stopped in his tracks. MenTar was holding the reigns of one such animal, a black horse with even blacker eyes. Even though he¡¯d seen horses before, and although he¡¯d been much smaller back then, the horse in front of him still looked every bit as intimidating as what he remembered but, at the same time, incredibly beautiful. It was so black that it seemed to shine with every breath it took, and the soft snort that left his nostrils as it chewed on the bridle left his heart beating faster, he couldn¡¯t tell if from fear or from excitement.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.
Taking a step forward, the dark monster covered his entire view for a moment until his darkness surrounded the horse¡¯s head.
¡°Were you going to take him out?¡± he asked, gently caressing its front, and the horse happily nuzzled his chest.
¡°Yeah. I thought it better to work them out a bit, since we¡¯ll be leaving on a such a long trip in just a few days,¡± MenTar replied and turned his bright smile to Snow. ¡°You can touch him, if you want. I know he looks big and scary, but he¡¯s been trained very well. Unless our Calzai orders him too, he won¡¯t bite or kick.¡±
Snow took a step back, his eyes dropping to the horse¡¯s large teeth.
¡°Come here,¡± came the order and he looked up at those blue eyes that always stared at him with such cold distaste.
For a moment Snow tried to see the man hiding within that mass of darkness, but all he could see was a restless mass of black. The man called MenTar, however, had no problems standing right next to him. In fact, none of the men he¡¯d seen in the Fortress seemed to have any problems looking or interacting with him. Could it be that they really didn¡¯t see what he saw whenever he looked at him?
Taking a deep breath for courage Snow obeyed his command and, in the next second, the darkness surrounded him too, and he was suddenly lifted up. A soft gasp of surprise escaped his lips before he could firmly seal them shut, and then he was sitting at the top of the tall, four-legged beast. Panicking, he quickly held on to the first thing his hands could reach, and the warm sound of laughter filled his ears.
¡°Relax, kid. He won¡¯t drop you,¡± MenTar told him, looking up at him with an amused expression on his face, and Snow squeezed the front of the saddle as hard as his hands would allow him to. From the ground it hadn¡¯t looked so big ¡
¡°I¡¯ll take him out for a short walk,¡± the monster declared and then he was moving, and pulling the horse with him.
Snow clenched his teeth when the large body beneath him started to move, gently swinging from side to side. He squeezed his legs so hard that they were hurting even before they¡¯d left the shed. And then the warm sunlight was over him again, forcing him to blink and filling his eyes with tears.
¡°Straighten your back and relax your legs,¡± the monster coldly instructed him, slowly pulling the horse as he made his way around the shed.
¡°You keep that up and you won¡¯t be able to get up from bed tomorrow morning. Just feel how he moves and adapt your body accordingly. He¡¯s bigger and stronger than you, so don¡¯t try to go against him.¡±
They walked several times around the shed, Snow trying to listen and comply with his harsh demands. Eventually, he was able to relax a bit, though it wasn¡¯t as if he had any choice. His legs hurt so much that they were trembling. The moment he relaxed, however, he became even more aware of the horse¡¯s slow pace, of the warmth of its strong body, of the way it breathed. Pressing a hand against its smooth neck, he couldn¡¯t help smile. It was strange and amazing, the thought, that something this big was alive, and that he was being carried on its back.
It was past midday when the monster finally brought them back to the shed where MenTar awaited them, and Snow couldn¡¯t help feel a bit disappointed when he was grabbed again and pulled down from the saddle.
The moment he set his feet back on the ground, pain shot through his legs and back, making him wince, but he quickly ignored it, wanting to take another look at the horse, now that his eyes had stopped stinging. Who knew when he would have the chance to look at one from so up-close again? Sure, the monster had said that they would go on a trip and that they¡¯d have to ride all the way to Wei, wherever that was.
But Snow knew better than anyone that plans and promises were never trustworthy. And so it was best to take advantage of the present moment as much as he could.
Rising a shaky hand he pressed it against the horse¡¯s large neck and the horse snorted softly, turning its head to look at him. For a moment Snow almost stepped back, afraid he might bite him after all, but the black eyes staring at him didn¡¯t look threatening at all. With a smile, he petted its head and the horse nudged him gently, making him take a small step back, but he still couldn¡¯t feel threatened. On the contrary.
There was warmth in the black eyes looking at him, warmth the likes he hadn¡¯t seen in anyone¡¯s eyes in a long time, a kind of warmth that burrowed into his heart, making him sad and happy at the same time.
Chuckling softly, Snow bent his head and leaned his forehead against the horse¡¯s forehead and, for a moment, his mind was filled with bright, beautiful images of golden hills and green plains. The sky above his head was a bright blue and the wind rushing through his hair felt like a thousand caresses. He was running, he knew, running as fast as the wind, and he did so effortlessly and with a deep joy, jumping over silver streams of clean fresh water. The world was a bright, beautiful place.
¡°Thank you ¡¡± he whispered in the smallest of voices and the horse nuzzled his chest, snorting gently.
¡°I¡¯ll be damned,¡± said a voice, startling him, his head shooting up. He¡¯d completely forgotten the presence of the man and the monster standing right next to him. ¡°I thought he only did this shit with you,¡± MenTar commented with a surprised expression, and Snow quickly looked at the monster, fearing he¡¯d done something wrong again, but he¡¯d already turned around, making his way towards the door.
¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s past lunch time,¡± the monster told him without even looking back, and Snow softly caressed the horse one last time, feeling sorry for having to leave him, but still not wanting to risk angering the monster by defying his command.
RTYY 016 - The Unbreakable Cycle
Snow woke up with a startle and immediately tried to escape the hands holding him down. Just a few days ago the mere thought of being successful in such an endeavor was beyond ridiculous. But in past few days his arms and legs had become stronger, and so he managed to escape, rolling to one side, landing heavily on the carpeted floor. Ignoring the pain that echoed in his chest, he scrambled to his feet and dashed to the door. Now running was an entire different matter, and his ankles immediately protested, which he made a point to ignore.
¡°Grab him!¡± a familiar voice demanded in a high, panicking voice, and someone pushed him hard from behind, making him crash against the closed door he¡¯d been trying to reach. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt him! Don¡¯t hurt him!¡± the voice kept urgently repeating and two sets of hands grabbed him by his arms and pulled him back.
Snow struggled to the best of his abilities, trying to kick the men holding him, a thin sheen of sweat covering his forehead, until he saw the man standing to one side, with a terrified expression on his face.
¡°Please, young Lord. Please calm down,¡± the man pleaded, nervously squeezing his hands together, and Snow was so taken aback by his presence that, for an instant, he forgot to fight back. The men holding him, however, didn¡¯t waste their opportunity and quickly dragged him to a chair, forcing him to sit down.
¡°Please be gentle, please be gentle,¡± the man kept pleading and Snow looked up at him, anger boiling in his pale eyes.
¡°Please young Lord, please don¡¯t be mad. I didn¡¯t come here to harm you. Haven¡¯t I been good to you all this time? Caring for your wounds and bringing you food and clothes?¡± the man asked anxiously and Snow averted his gaze, pressing his lips together, doing his best to remain quiet. The monster¡¯s words echoed in his head. He couldn¡¯t lose control. Losing control would mean killing a lot more than just these three.
¡°I¡¯m not a bad man,¡± the healer went on, squatting down so he could look him straight in the eye. ¡°I have dedicated my life to helping and healing others. But, even so, there are many things that not even I, with all my knowledge, am able heal. My wife ¡ she is very ill. And I tried, and tried, but nothing seems to work. And then ¡ then I heard that your blood can make miracles. So ¡ won¡¯t you spare me some?¡±
The mere sound of that word sent cold shivers down his spine and he was immediately trying to get away again, trashing around and kicking the air. The men holding him pressed him down onto the chair and the nice man that had cared for him grabbed his arm with trembling hands, pulling up the sleeve of his tunic all the way to his elbow.
¡°Please calm down. I promise it won¡¯t hurt. It will be over in a second. Just a bit of blood and my wife will be saved,¡± he went on, grabbing a sharp blade, and quickly and swiftly cut his harm just above the wrist. Stolen novel; please report.
The pain made him cringe but, even worse than the pain, was the sweet scent of his own blood and the sound of it falling inside the jar the man pressed against his skin. The other two held him more firmly, so he couldn¡¯t move his arm, and Snow averted his gaze, gritting his teeth, eyes filling with tears. Not that the pain was unbearable. He¡¯d been through much worse. But he couldn¡¯t help feeling betrayed, that the man that had cared for him so gently would now do something like this.
¡°It¡¯s already closing,¡± one of the other men observed and the healer carefully slid the blade over his cut skin, reopening the wound once more. The sound of the his blood running became stronger again.
¡°This will save a lot of people, a lot of people,¡± he kept repeating, filling jar after jar, until Snow started to feel dizzy, his vision filled with small, dark spots. ¡°There, see? All done. Now let me take care of your injury,¡± he said, in the same tone of voice he¡¯d used every time he¡¯d come to tend to his wounds, and the familiar smell of herbs and disinfectant filled the room.
After cleaning it meticulously, the healer applied clean bandages, careful not to tie them too hard around his arm. Once he was done he tried to offer him some water but Snow refused to open his mouth.
¡°You need to replenish your fluids.¡±
¡°Leave him be! We have to go!¡± another voice urged but the healer still tried to offer him the glass of water again.
Feeling dizzy and light-headed, Snow turned his head the other way.
With a resigned sigh the man placed the glass on the small table at his side and stood up, carrying his black bag now packed with jars filled with his blood.
¡°Please forgive me,¡± he said, bowing at the waste before leaving the room, the other two men peering down the corridor before disappearing into the darkness.
Snow tried to pull his sleeve down but only managed to do so by the third attempt, his shaky hand refusing to obey him. As to be expected, nothing had changed. Nothing would ever change. And if he had ever thought that things could ever be different he¡¯d been a complete idiot!
Using the small table for support he forced his shaky legs to bear his weight. The room spun dangerously around him, his sight going dark at the edges. For a moment he thought he was going to fall, probably faint where he stood. But then he recalled himself that he had decided that he¡¯d never be that helpless again. This place, these people, he had to escape them all as soon as possible. The monster¡¯s words echoed in his mind and he pointedly ignored them, focusing his sight, and whatever was left of his strength, on the wavering door he had to reach.
So what if he killed him? If he remained in that place he''d soon be dead anyway. Maybe not right now. Maybe he¡¯d live like this a few more years. But the thought alone was enough to make him prefer to jump out of the window. If he¡¯d rather kill himself than return to being a prisoner, then he may as well risk it all and try to escape. The worst that could happen was he ending up dead anyway, and that was fine by him as well.
RTYY 017 - The Brat is a Freaking Menace!
¡°So? How did it go today?¡± ZenTar asked, pouring himself a glass of wine. He¡¯d spent the entire day running here and there, making sure everything was ready for their departure.
¡°Oh, it went great. The brat managed to completely suppress all my markings,¡± ZaiWin calmly replied and ZenTar immediately spat the mouth-full of wine he¡¯d just drank.
¡°Wha-What?¡±
¡°Exactly what I said. It was as if suddenly I was four-years-old all over again. That damn brat! I almost bludgeoned him to death!¡±
¡°But how? I¡¯ve never heard of anything even remotely similar to that.¡±
¡°That¡¯s what I want to know. Aren¡¯t Celestials supposed to make you stronger? All that the freaking brat managed to do up till now, besides killing my men, was leaving me as defenseless as a baby!¡±
¡°Well, knowing you, you probably threatened to kill him, right? Maybe that was a defense mechanism?¡±
¡°And that makes everything all right? The brat not only is a freak, he¡¯s a menace as well, in every aspect. We have to find a way to get rid of him as soon as possible.¡±
¡°I doubt that will be as easy as it sounds,¡± ZenTar sighed, sipping his wine.
¡°No matter how hard, it has to be done. I never asked for any of this damn shit!¡±
¡°Well, you know what they say. A Celestial is always sent to those who are in need of enlightenment.¡±
¡°In my case, to those that are in need of an early death! That is if that¡¯s even a Celestial!¡±
¡°You still have doubts?¡± ZenTar asked incredulously and ZaiWin averted his gaze.
¡°I agree he has some of a Celestial characteristics, but there are also many things that don¡¯t add up. He¡¯s a boy, for starters. And everyone knows that Celestials are always female.¡± ZenTar nodded in agreement.
¡°Girls with golden hair and golden eyes.¡±
¡°Which he clearly does not have. And then there¡¯s that array. When have you ever heard of a Celestial casting such a huge, deadly array? And I get that he was tortured into doing it. But still ¡ what exactly was that?¡±
¡°You didn¡¯t manage to make him do it again?¡±
¡°I tried my best, short of breaking his legs. And that¡¯s when I suddenly ended up as empty as shell.¡±
ZenTar took a deep breath, peering out of the window. The day was slowly dawning. They¡¯d lost another night of sleep.
¡°However, that incident apart, it looks like he obeys your commands.¡±
¡°Most of the times. But who¡¯s not to say that he doesn¡¯t do so out of mere fear? You said it yourself. I terrify him, even though I can¡¯t really understand why. It¡¯s not like I¡¯ve ever done anything to harm him. At least nothing I can recall.¡±This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
¡°Well, you¡¯re hardly nice to the poor kid either,¡± ZenTar retorted critically.
¡°Why should I be? This damned brat only came to make my shitty life even more shittier!¡±
ZenTar sighed and took a seat, sipping from his wine cup. He knew it was no use trying to argue that. That ZaiWin hadn¡¯t killed the poor kid the moment he realized what he was was a miracle in itself.
¡°Anyways, I¡¯ve finished all the needed arrangements. We can leave whenever you want. And I see you¡¯re already done with your reports,¡± he noticed, glancing towards the pile of papers carefully assembled over the table. ¡°Have you talked with the Demon Clan¡¯s CalDai?¡± he asked and, when he didn¡¯t get an answer, turned to look at him. ¡°Nox?¡±
ZaiWin blinked and stared back at him in confusion.
¡°What? What did you say?¡±
¡°I asked if you¡¯ve already talked with Demon Clan¡¯s CalDai. Are you feeling all right?¡± ZenTar added with a worried expression and ZaiWin nodded, waving a hand dismissively.
¡°Yeah, I just got lost in my thoughts for a moment. Yes, I¡¯ve talked with him and we¡¯ve reached an understanding. He has agreed to confirm my reports and to say that the one responsible for what happened was one of his kin, and that he died from the severe torture he sustained.¡±
¡°And you trust him?¡±
¡°I trust him more than I trust half the men stationed under me. You know how the Demon Clan works. They¡¯re mainly warriors and, unlike us, they revere honor and pride above anything else. I think he was even relieved, since now he won¡¯t have to feel like his indebted to us.¡±
¡°Well, that¡¯s probably true,¡± ZenTar agreed. ¡°And what about Wen NimRen-lar¡¯s situation?¡± Again there was no response and when ZenTar looked up at him he found ZaiWin frowning, an uncommon distant look in his eyes. ¡°Hey! Are you listening to me?¡±
¡°Yeah ¡ it¡¯s just that ¡ there¡¯s this annoying buzzing sound in my ears.¡±
¡°Buzzing sound?¡±
ZenTar tilted his head, trying to hear it as well. But then ZaiWin was suddenly walking in wide, rushed strides out of the door, as if he¡¯d suddenly remembered something extremely important.
¡°Hey! Where are you going?¡± Zentar demanded, jumping to his feet, running to catch up with him. ¡°What happened?¡±
¡°The fucking brat!¡± was the only reply he received, as he tried his best to keep up with his furious, storm-like steps.
ZaiWin opened the door to the bedroom where Snow had been staying with such force that it clashed against the wall, leaving a dent there. The heavy curtains were still closed, a single candle about to die out burning on a silver candle-holder placed on the table.
Taking a deep breath, ZenTar clapped once, and several small flames jumped from his hands, quickly making their way to their burners, brightening up the dim bedroom. The dim, empty bedroom, he concluded with one look. The large canopy bed was unmade, the satin covers thrown back, but there was no sign of the kid anywhere. Just to make sure, ZenTar peered under the bed and looked inside the large red-wood wardrobe, still filled with the Lord¡¯s rich and excessively adorned clothes.
¡°Fuck!¡± ZaiWin spat, his anger smothering the light of the flames, and ZenTar sighed.
¡°Calm down.¡±
¡°Calm down?! I warned the little shit that if he tried to escape I¡¯d fucking kill him!¡±
¡°Well, there¡¯s nothing here saying that he ran away. Maybe he¡¯s just somewhere else in the Fortress. It¡¯s not like it would be the first time he went wandering around,¡± ZenTar tried to appease him but the hard, flashing blue eyes that looked back at him told him that he¡¯d been completely unsuccessful.
¡°He¡¯s not in the Fortress!¡± ZaiWin growled, to which ZenTar raised and inquisitive brow.
¡°How can you be so sure?¡±
¡°Because ¡¡± his angry reply broke off half-way and a sudden expression of realization took over his face. ¡°Because ¡ I know ¡¡± he whispered, looking around as if he expected to see the kid standing right there, next to him, and then he was out of the door again, storming down the corridor.
¡°Nox! Damn it! Where are you going now?¡± ZenTar shouted, running after him once more, but, this time, there was no answer.
RTYY 018 - A Stolen Happiness is Worse than no Happiness at All
Nox ZaiWin climbed down the stairs three steps at a time and stormed out of the Fortress like a maddened shadow, startling the two men guarding the door that had been practically asleep at their pots.
Turning right, he made his way to the shed they had been using as a secondary stable, since the original Fortress¡¯ stables were hardly large enough to house all their horses. By the time they reached it, the sky was completely bright, even though the sun remained hiding behind the surrounding hills and would only make its appearance much later in the morning.
The sound of horses breathing and pacing filled the large space, but ZaiWin didn¡¯t even hesitate, going straight to the small stall where he¡¯s horse had been staying. And there he was, he thought, halting by the wood door, a wave of relief he refused to acknowledge washing away the dark tension that had overtaken his entire body.
Lying on a pile of fresh straw placed on the floor, was a skinny boy dressed in a white tunic that barely reached above his skinny knees. However, the moment he stepped into the stall, the black horse inside it snorted angrily and pawed the dirt beneath his hooves, placing himself protectively in front of him.
¡°Black, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± he demanded and the horse pushed him with its forehead, forcing him to take two steps back.
Behind him ZenTar chuckled.
¡°It would seem your horse has chosen a different master.¡±
ZaiWin frowned, unable to find it the least bit funny.
¡°Move it, you stupid horse! Or I swear I¡¯ll braid your entire mane!¡± he threatened and his horse snorted again, shaking its head, its ears turning left and right. ZenTar sighed.
¡°When will you ever learn that not everything can be solved with threats?¡± he asked and fished something out from inside his jacket¡¯s pocket, unwrapping it. ¡°Here Black. Want some?¡± he offered, placing a small brown-gold cube on his palm, and Black¡¯s ears immediately perked, its black eyes seeming to glow. ¡°That¡¯s right. Come and get it.¡±
¡°Candy?¡± ZaiWin asked, recognizing the small cube, and ZenTar smiled, shrugging.
¡°They had them stored in the kitchen. I just couldn¡¯t help it,¡± he replied, stepping back, until Black had followed him all the way out of the stall.
The moment his path was clear ZaiWin sneaked inside, crossing the small compartment to take a closer look at the boy. He looked like he was ¡ asleep, he concluded, hot searing anger burning his stomach. The damn brat! Making him run all over the Fortress, searching for him, when there he was, comfortably sleeping atop a pile of straw.
¡°See? He didn¡¯t run away, after all,¡± ZenTar said, entering the stall as well, while Black happily chewed on his candy outside.
Frowning, annoyed at how that had sounded, ZaiWin squatted down and harshly shook the boy awake.
¡°Hey, you damn brat! Wake up!¡±
Snow opened his eyes with a startle and immediately sat up, but his vision instantly went dark, the world shifting nauseatingly from one side to the other. Had he fallen asleep?? How could he have fallen asleep? All he had wanted was to get a bit of rest, after the tiring and almost impossible task of making from his bedroom all the way to that place. Once he¡¯d gotten there his legs had been so weak that he could hardly stand, much less mount a horse as had been his intent. And so he had sat down for a moment, just so he could catch his breath.
Blinking, trying to focus his vision, he saw a dense, black mass wavering dangerously in front of him. He had fallen asleep and now it was too late.
¡°What are you doing here? Making me look for you all over the place! Do you think I don¡¯t have anything better to do? Get up!¡± the dark monster commanded, reaching out to grab him, but Snow quickly slapped his hand away, scooting as far away from him as possible.
ZaiWin looked incredulous at his now reddened, aching hand, anger pilling up inside his chest to the point he wanted to shred the damn brat to pieces. But the moment he was about to lunge over him and grab him by his neck, ZenTar¡¯s warm hand on his shoulder pulled him back.
¡°Wait! Something¡¯s not right.¡±
ZaiWin¡¯s frown deepened. He couldn¡¯t care less! But then, when he actually looked at the brat, he couldn¡¯t help admit that ZenTar was probably right. The boy¡¯s pale eyes were fixed on him in a threatening, cold expression that promised him a very painful death, should he try to grab him again. Not that he believed that the damn brat could actually do it, but even when he¡¯d threatened him the previous day, the boy had never glared at him with such open animosity. His eyes seemed made of ice, filled with small crystal-like spots that shimmered like silver, making them completely inhuman. But, even though he was clearly trying his best to look dangerous and threatening, his breathing was too fast and labored, his small shoulders trembling, his arms shaking from the effort to keep himself in a upright position. And then he finally noticed, the small spot of blood that was slowly growing, tinting the sleeve of his tunic.
He moved so fast that Snow couldn¡¯t even see it. The next thing he knew his wrist had been grabbed and the monster was trying to pull his sleeve up.
¡°No!¡±
Even though Snow hadn¡¯t really shouted his voice rose well above his usual whispers and the air around them went suddenly ice cold, ZaiWin¡¯s fingers losing all sensibility as if he¡¯d just grabbed a block of ice with his bare hands.
¡°Quit it, brat! Even if you freeze me to death, I won¡¯t let you go! So do your worse!¡± he declared, harshly pulling his sleeve up, uncovering the bloody bandage tied around his arm. ¡°Shit! Who did this to you?¡±
Snow tried to pull his arm free from that iron-like grip but, no matter how much he pulled, those long, warm fingers wouldn¡¯t even budge. Well, it wasn¡¯t as if he would ever have the strength to fight him off, even if he were in his best condition, which was hardly the case. The world spun dizzily around him from exhorting himself too much and he felt himself fall. His forehead landed against something soft and that smelled unexpectedly good. It was a strangely familiar scent, but one that he couldn¡¯t quite pinpoint. In any case, that was hardly important now! He couldn¡¯t faint! He wouldn¡¯t faint!, he told himself, pushing against that soft surface, trying to straighten his back. His head felt like it weighted a ton.
The soft surface he was leaning on rose and fell at the sound of a deep sigh, startling him, making him want to pull away from whatever was in front of him even faster, but something hard and warm held his legs and, in the next moment, he was being risen from the ground. Shutting his mouth, he managed to silence a gasp of surprise, the sudden height making him dizzy, forcing him to lean his forehead again. For a moment he expected to be thrown over his shoulder again, like he¡¯d done before, but the monster simply sat him on his arm as if he were no more than a child.
¡°He looks really pale,¡± ZenTar observed with a worried expression when the boy closed his eyes, his breathing as labored as before.
¡°He feels really hot,¡± ZaiWin noted, his neck quickly warming up where the boy¡¯s forehead touched him, and ZenTar took off his cloak to cover him up. ¡°Shitty brat! Just you try and get sick now that we have to leave!¡± he grunted angrily but still carried him out of the shed in a slow, careful pace.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Snow¡¯s world darkened completely. He knew he hadn¡¯t fainted because he could still feel the swing of the monster¡¯s pace but, beyond that, he couldn¡¯t hear or see anything. He felt really tired and wanted very much to go back to sleep. Holding on to that sliver of consciousness was the best he could do. Even his thoughts went numb, his mind completely blank. The next thing he knew, he was gently placed on a smooth surface that invited him even more to relax and sleep. But when warm hands held his arm and pulled his sleeve up again, a flood of panic coursed though him and was finally able to open his eyes.
With a jerk he held his arm against his chest and frowned, glaring threateningly at the blue eyes in front of him.
¡°You¡¯re bleeding, brat! Let me see ¡¡±
He cringed back when that pale hand reached out for him again and quickly took a look around. He wasn¡¯t only bleeding. He was back in that detestable bedroom again.
¡°I¡¯m going to wake up the healer,¡± another voice declared and his heart immediately jumped one beat.
¡°No!¡± he urgently blurted out and a wave of ice-cold air spread around the room, freezing the door shut and making ZenTar, who was about to reach for the doorknob, jump back.
¡°Freaking son of a whore!¡± he let out with a startle, certain that should he have been touching the door his arm would have been completely frozen solid as well.
¡°Damned brat! Didn¡¯t I tell you to cut that shit out?¡± ZaiWin reprimanded him but the cold, accusing glare he received in return broke the torrent of threats he¡¯d been about to unleash on the boy. It was as if he was blaming him for something.
Hugging his arm against his chest, Snow pulled his knees up, closing himself into a small ball, trying to clear his feverish head enough to decide on what to do next. Maybe he should just scream, he thought bleakly. What if all the men in the Fortress dropped dead? All of them would probably bleed him like a pig if they got the chance. Now that he didn¡¯t have that metal collar around his neck this was his chance. Who knew when they would change their minds, and decide to put it back on him again?
ZaiWin sighed and did his best to control his roiling anger, even though he couldn¡¯t really tell what had angered him more, if the fact that the brat had dared to use his daitai against them, or the fact that someone had dared to go against his command and gone as far as to cut him.
¡°Brat! Let me see you arm,¡± he commanded in a calmer tone of voice and received another hard, cold glare in return. ¡°Fine. You choose. Either you let me see it or I knock you out and do as I please.¡±
Snow frowned but, although clearly unwilling, ended up stretching his arm over the soft covers. Darkness seemed to eat it whole as the monster carefully undid his bandages.
¡°Damn. That looks ugly,¡± ZenTar observed, peering at it over the monster¡¯s shoulder, and Snow made a point to avert his gaze. He¡¯d seen himself bleed plenty of times to know what it looked like. And no matter how much he was used to it, more than the pain itself, looking at the evidence that once more he¡¯d been helpless, unable to protect himself, opened an aching gape in his chest.
¡°So you don¡¯t want us to call the healer,¡± the monster wanted to make sure and Snow glared at him again. He never wanted to see that man again! ¡°Fine. Then let Zen go and fetch some clean bandages.¡± Snow frowned again. ¡°We all know your healing speed is above average but this cut is rather deep and you¡¯re already running a fever. Are you sure you want to risk getting it infected?¡±
Snow considered his words for a moment and ended up slowly nodding. He felt weak as it was. He definitely didn¡¯t want to get worse.
¡°Can you open it?¡± ZaiWin asked, peering up, and accepted the glass of water that ZenTar handed to him.
¡°Yeah. I just didn¡¯t want to make things worse by fighting back. Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do,¡± he added, making his way to the door and, placing a hand on the doorknob, heated it until the sound of cracking ice reached their ears. And then he was out of the room, in a fast, urgent pace.
Sighing, ZaiWin turned to the boy again. He was just a poor bastard, he thought, much like himself. No matter what he did or where he went, the entire world seemed to always be against him. Him included, he silently added, offering him the glass of water.
¡°Drink. You¡¯re so dehydrated that your lips are chipping again.¡± Snow pressed his lips together but didn¡¯t move a single muscle to accept it. ¡°You know, brat. You have to stop this shit! Making me repeat myself over and over again is truly annoying. Drink!¡±
Snow lowered his gaze and tried to sit up. Weak as he was the monster would probably pour the water down his throat if he didn¡¯t take it. And he had had his share of things poured down his throat to know that it was never a pleasant experience.
His good arm shook, since he didn¡¯t dare use his injured one, but then a large hand was holding him and helping him up, supporting him when he felt dizzy again. The cool glass was pressed against his lips and held there, allowing him to drink slowly so he wouldn¡¯t choke.
¡°Zen is right. You look like shit. How much blood did that bastard take from you?¡±
Snow¡¯s eyes widened at the dark, deadly tone with which he¡¯d uttered that question, and coughed, spilling water all over himself. So he¡¯d figured that out, he thought, panicking, his cut suddenly hurting even more.
¡°Are you seriously wondering how I know? You look as if you¡¯ve been dead for three days! And the wound on your arm as been cut over and over again, to make sure your blood kept flowing at a steady rate, right?¡± he asked and Snow couldn¡¯t help stare up at those blue eyes in silent fear and amazement. ¡°And then he even had the nerve to patch it up! Is that suppose to be some kind of atonement?¡± he growled, his eyes burning cold and deadly. ¡°I¡¯ll cut off his arm the minute ZenTar¡¯s men catch up with him!¡±
Snow shuddered as the dark mass in front of him grew even larger and denser. Reaching out a trembling hand he tried to find the man he now knew hid inside that blackness. His fingers touched something soft and he quickly held on to it, relieved that he¡¯d been right and that the man hadn¡¯t been completely consumed by the heavy darkness.
¡°It ¡ will save lives ¡¡± he did his best to whisper, his throat still dry, and the blue eyes looking at him became even more severe and angry.
¡°Are you saying you agreed to this?¡± Snow¡¯s eyes widened in horror at the mere thought. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought! So why are you making up excuses for him?!¡±
Snow squeezed that soft fabric harder. He could feel the warmth of the body beneath it. A warmth that could actually make others feel comfortable, like he¡¯d felt when he¡¯d carried him back. But the black darkness that always surrounded him was like a deadly storm, destroying everything around it, hiding that warmth away in a hurricane of sharp icy shards. He couldn¡¯t care less about what happened to the man that had hurt him. But, somehow, even though it didn¡¯t make any sense, he didn¡¯t want to see that darkness become even darker.
As if he would ever be strong enough to accomplish something like that ¡ Snow thought, releasing him and lowering his arm. He couldn¡¯t even save himself. What was he thinking? Trying to save that dangerous monster from himself. And why would he want to save anyone to begin with? He had to focus on himself, on getting free! Sure that monster had been keeping him alive, but he was certain that it wasn¡¯t out of the kindness of his heart. He must want something from him. And if he didn¡¯t, he would probably end up selling him to someone who wanted, like the Lord had planned to do.
ZaiWin looked at the boy sitting in front of him, head down, his scrawny body still unsteady, wavering like a leaf in the wind. He looked so small and frail he was sure he could squeeze the life out of him with just one hand. He recalled the small, gentle smile that he¡¯d seen on his face, when he¡¯d caressed Black¡¯s mane. Back then, he too had felt kind of happy. It was clear that the brat had had nothing short of a tough life, the numerous scars on his body more than enough proof of that. That even after all he¡¯d been through he¡¯d still been able to smile like that was nothing short of a miracle. But now all the light was gone from his pale eyes, the color drained from his cheeks. And the feeling that someone had just crushed the small seedling he¡¯d finally been able to plant, pissed him off beyond words, making him want for blood.
¡°Shit!¡± ZaiWin grunted, averting his gaze.
Damn that fucking link!, he thought, squeezing his fists. Even without him taking his vows it still tugged at him. And maybe he was being paranoid, but it felt like it was getting stronger by the day. He had to find a way to break it as soon as possible!
In any case, the latest events were proof more than enough that delaying their departure would only further unsettle the men, making things even more difficult for everyone. The rumors circling around the Fortress were as varied and colorful as rumors can be. And even though the divergence of opinions regarding the boy¡¯s nature would eventually work to their advantage, the fact that everyone agreed that he held some king of mystic power would eventually keep leading to situations like this. And he truly did not want to have to slaughter his own men.
Looking at the boy he silently sighed.
They would leave as soon as he was sure the brat was well enough to ride without falling of his horse, he decided.
RTYY 019 - Just Like That, his Heaviest Chain was Gone
When Snow woke up again it was so bright outside that, even indoors, his eyes teared-up forcing him to blink several times before he was able to focus his sight. He hadn¡¯t want to fall asleep, especially with that dark monster sitting by his bed, but in the end exhaustion had gotten the better of him and his eyes had simply closed, refusing to open again.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he sat up and winced when his arm hurt. There was a blanket covering him, he realized, but he didn¡¯t remember covering himself. In fact, in his stubborn attempt to stay awake, he hadn¡¯t even slipped between the satin sheets.
¡°If you¡¯re awake drink your soup,¡± a voice told him, startling him, and Snow peered behind the heavy ivory drapes hanging from the bed''s canopy.
As to be expected, there he was.
The dark monster was sitting at a table, a bunch of papers scattered in front of him. He appeared to be reading, even though from where Snow sat all he could see was a large mass of darkness.
Snow''s gaze turned to the bedside-table and he saw the pale-green porcelain bowl with a matching lid resting there. A silver spoon accompanied it. He knew it was made of silver just by its smell, and he immediately discarded the possibility of picking it up.
Scooting closer to the bedside-table, Snow removed the lid and took a deep breath when the delicious aroma filled the air. He¡¯d been hungrier than he¡¯d thought, he realized, carefully picking up the bowl so he wouldn¡¯t spill its precious content. His hands shook a bit but he still managed to take it to his parched lips.
It tasted amazingly and it was still warm, bringing him that wonderful comforting sensation. He¡¯d gone back to being fed soups and broths, he noticed, but right then he didn¡¯t mind it.
While he ate Snow took another peek at the monster. Had he been there the entire time? Frowning he couldn¡¯t decide if the idea made him feel restless or reassured him.
Three loud knocks startled him again, his gaze flying to the door, his heart beating faster in anticipation. But whoever had knocked on the door didn¡¯t wait for a reply, and Snow relaxed again when he recognized the dark-haired man that stepped into the room. Seeing him awake a fake smile immediately took over his face, his green eyes scanning him all the way from his head to his feet and back up again.
¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked, his voice soft and gentle, but Snow simply averted his gaze, refusing to reply.
ZenTar sighed at the rude manner in which he¡¯d just been ignored and made his way to the table where the monster kept reading.
¡°We¡¯ve caught up with them and dragged them back. The Henniner and two others,¡± he reported and Snow slowly put down his bowl at the sound of those words. ¡°They had this with them,¡± ZenTar went on, placing a black bag with a silver star on the table. Snow¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he immediately recognize it, and he couldn¡¯t help clench his hands into tight fists when the monster opened it to look inside. ¡°What do you want me to do?¡±
¡°Kill them. But be quiet about it. No need to stir things up more than they already are.¡±
ZenTar nodded and turned to leave, giving him another fake smile on his way out.
Snow just sat there, staring at the black bag.
He knew what was inside it. For years he could no longer count, more than the ropes that had kept him prisoner, that had been his heaviest, unbreakable chain. And now it was right there, within that monster¡¯s grasp. He also knew that the monster was aware that his blood was special and yet, for reasons he could not fathom, up till then, he hadn¡¯t tried to bleed him so he could try it out himself. Now, however, it was right there, within his reach, and Snow couldn¡¯t help fear that, once he first-handedly realized what his blood could do, he¡¯d be dragged back to being a mere blood supplier, kept alive but not allowed to live at all.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
¡°Drink your soup,¡± the voice commanded and his hands shook again but didn¡¯t move. Always undulating, the dark mass turned his way, blue eyes glaring coldly at him. ¡°Are you deaf now? I need you to regain your strength as soon as possible. We¡¯re leaving in two days time,¡± he declared and stared at him, for a moment, before his blue eyes turned to the black bag that was clearly the center of Snow¡¯s attention. ¡°Are you worried about this?¡± he asked, placing a hand over the bag, and Snow couldn¡¯t help flinch, certain that he was going to open it again.
Standing up, the dark monster crossed the bedroom and simply dropped the bag at his side.
Snow¡¯s eyes widened in confusion and disbelief.
¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Wasn¡¯t that yours to begin with?¡±
Yes. Yes it was, he thought, looking at the bag now resting next to him. But did that mean he didn¡¯t want it? The man that had took it from him had said that it could save lives. It could heal all kinds of illness. At the very least he had expected the monster to want to keep it, so he may use it in the future, when and if needed.
¡°Dispose of it whichever way you want. I couldn¡¯t care less.¡±
Snow lowered his head, squeezing the soft fabric of his pants, and shook his head.
¡°You don¡¯t want to? Want to keep it?¡± the monster asked in a surprised tone and Snow shook his head again. ¡°Damn brat! Speak up!¡± he demanded, raising his voice, and Snow flinched.
¡°I can¡¯t ¡¡± he replied in a barely audible whisper and the monster looked at him for a moment, as if trying to make sense of his scarce words.
"You can¡¯t get rid of it?¡± he tried to confirm but didn¡¯t receive a reply. ¡°Are you afraid of blood? You¡¯re such a freak!¡± he declared angrily and grabbed the bag again.
The air around them cooled down, the darkness surrounding him becoming heavier, and suddenly a black, cold flame enveloped the bag reducing it to cinders in a matter of seconds.
Snow¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Just like that, he thought, looking up at the blue eyes still staring at him. Effortlessly, without a second thought, he¡¯d gotten rid of his heaviest chain.
¡°You listen to me, damn brat! I am not, and will never be, interested in your blood, or in your power, or in anything that comes from you, you understand? As far as I¡¯m concerned you¡¯re merely a huge, royal pain in my ass, and one I have to get rid of before you get me killed. I never asked or wanted to be chosen by a Celestial and I fucking wish you had chosen someone else! Since what¡¯s done is done and there¡¯s no going back, until I find a way to permanently get rid of you, I will keep you safe. Which means you are not allowed to leave my side! If you do, I will restrain you, even if I have to stuff you back inside a box. Are we clear?¡±
Snow nodded, even though he wasn¡¯t clear at all about a lot of what he¡¯d said.
¡°Now drink your damn soup! Afterwords try those clothes on,¡± he went on, pointing a chair, and Snow noticed the small pile of clothes that had been carefully place there. ¡°Logically we didn¡¯t pack kid¡¯s clothes and the Fortress didn¡¯t have any either. So MenTar fixed them as best he could. They¡¯ll probably still be too big but there¡¯s nothing we can do about that, with how scrawny you are. We¡¯ll buy you new ones once we reach Weiin,¡± he declared and simply returned to the table, siting down to resume his reading.
Snow stared at the pile of clothes for a long while. He could see at least three tunics, two pairs of pants and a warm-looking cloak. Clothes, he tumbled the word in his mind. They were giving him clothes to wear. Real clothes, not some dirty rags. Lowering his gaze, he did his best to blink away his tears and went back to drinking his soup.
He spent the rest of the day in that bedroom, but so did the dark monster, his presence mostly as silent as his own.
ZenTar came and went a few times, reporting on how the preparations for the upcoming departure were progressing, always leaving with new instructions. But he never mentioned the healer or the other two men again.
Besides him, only a younger man came several times into the room, carrying broths, fruits and plenty of water for him to eat and drink. Though he could only eat a little at a time, from the time he¡¯d woken up until nightfall, he had a total of six light meals.
Once the night fell food was brought for the monster as well; a rich plate of roasted meat, potatoes and carrots, but Snow found himself unable to envy his meal. Something about the mere smell of it was just sickening, leaving him queasy.
The monster had just finished his meal when ZenTar returned to inform that some prince was seeking an audience and, to Snow¡¯s surprise, the monster simply nodded and ordered him in.
RTYY 020 - The White-Haired Prince
Sitting as upright as he could, Snow fixed his gaze on the door, fearing being seen by such an important person. After the last two incidents he¡¯d much rather hide somewhere where no one else might lay eyes on him and realize just how different he was. Being seen by a prince was one-thousand times worse. What if that prince demanded that he was to be delivered to him? Would the monster really be able to deny him? And why did he feel safer in that black monster¡¯s company? He knew they were all the same. And if he had believed just a little bit that this time things might be a bit different, that belief had been thoroughly shattered when that healer had turned against him.
ZenTar opened the door, offering passage to a tall, elegant man dressed in long, snow-white robes. The collar surrounding his elegant neck and the wide sleeves covering most of his hands, were printed with shiny silver patterns, the fabric of his clothes looking extremely light, floating around his feet with every soundless step he took. And yet, what really captured Snow¡¯s attention wasn¡¯t his exquisite, flowing clothes, or how young and beautiful his face was. What really captured his attention was the pure, white color of his hair and the pale-gray color of his eyes.
Unexpectedly the monster got up, crossing the room to welcome him, and bowed respectfully, which was amazing to see and, at the same time, extremely frightening. Because it probably meant that Snow had been right, and that the monster wouldn¡¯t be able to deny that elegant person, should he demand to take him away.
¡°CalDai,¡± the monster greeted him politely and the white-haired man elegantly bowed his head in response.
¡°Lun Calzai, Nox ZaiWin. We thank you for taking the time to receive me at such late hour,¡± the CalDai declared and the monster straightened his back to look him unceremoniously in the face.
¡°You have nothing to thank me for. I apologize for having to receive you in such inappropriate accommodations.¡±
The CalDai gave him a cold but polite smile and his gray eyes turned to Snow.
¡°We understand, since your guest has been injured.¡± His voice was soft and pleasantly melodic, but even so Snow couldn¡¯t help frown at the knowledge that he was talking about him. ¡°Like we spoke, may I approach?¡±
The monster simply nodded and the CalDai crossed the room in silent footsteps, almost looking as if he were gliding over the floor, closely followed by ZenTar and the monster.
Snow¡¯s frown deepened and he readied himself to jump out of the bed and dash to the door should that white man try to grab him.
With a cold but gentle smile the CalDai reached out his pale, frail-looking hand.
¡°My I touch your hand?¡±
Snow glared at the man and held his hands together as if to stop them from acting of their own accord and obey his request.
¡°Do it, brat!¡± the monster commanded and, although he really didn¡¯t want to, he ended up obeying.
The CalDai¡¯s hand was cold, even colder than his, his skin strangely soft and silky, but unexpectedly not at all unpleasant. His gray eyes bore into his, as if he were searching for something and, for a moment, he just stood there, staring at him. Finally a soft smile touched his lips and he gently released him.
¡°It is like we had told you. This child is not one of us.¡±
¡°Are you sure? Even though he has the white hair of your Clan?¡±
Snow instinctively took a hand to his head, feeling the small hairs growing there. He couldn¡¯t remember the last time his scalp had been covered with hair.
¡°He may look like one of us but his nature is not. Even his hair, as you pointed out, is more silver than white. There is no mistaking it. He is not one of us,¡± the CalDai vehemently declared and turned his gray eyes to Snow again. ¡°However, you will always be welcome amongst us, should you choose to leave Imperial lands. Ours is a simple way of life. I am sure that one such as you would enjoy it greatly.¡± Snow instinctively turned to the monster but the dark mass remained silent, his blue eyes looking distant and concerned. ¡°Well, it does not need to be right away. If that day ever comes, we will be glad to welcome you,¡± the CalDai added and turned to the monster at his side. ¡°As we discussed before, we will maintain what you have stated on your reports.¡±
¡°And what about the El¡¯Lin Wen NimRen?¡±
¡°It was never our intention to welcome an Imperial El¡¯Lin into our Clan. That was an one-sided proposal on Wen¡¯s El¡¯Dur¡¯s part, a clear attempt to make amends for any ill fortune that might have befallen us during our captivity. I will personally make sure that your El¡¯Lin remains with her family where she belongs,¡± the CalDai declared and the monster took a deep breath looking somewhat relieved. ¡°We hope that by agreeing to these terms our debt may be repaid.¡±
¡°It is. More than repaid. I thank the CalDai for his generosity.¡±
The CalDai nodded and, for a moment, looked as if he was about to say something else. But then he seemed to think it through and ended up simply bowing.
¡°If there is nothing else I will take my leave. My brothers and sisters are eager to start the trip that will eventually take us back home, and there are still a few things that need to be settled.¡±
The monster nodded in understanding and, like before, bowed respectfully at the waist.
¡°I wish you a safe and uneventful trip.¡±
¡°I wish I could wish you the same thing, Lun Calzai,¡± he simply declared and, without uttering another word, turned around and left.
Snow couldn¡¯t help sigh in relief when the door was finally closed again. Though that person was undeniably the most beautiful person he¡¯d ever seen, and although he had been nothing but polite and graceful, there was something about him that simply left his hair standing on edge.
His relief, however, didn¡¯t last long, and not even three heartbeats had gone by when another series of knocks sounded from the door, these ones in a funny rhythm.
ZenTar didn¡¯t waste time, opening it, and two other men stepped inside.
One Snow had already met. He would never forget the open smile that glowed on his face the minute his eyes landed on him, and the enthusiastic way he was waving at him made him frown suspiciously. The other, more serious one, he didn¡¯t know. And yet all three of them, including ZenTar, were strikingly similar in a way Snow couldn¡¯t quite explain.
For starters they all had the same rare dark-green eyes and the same common black hair, even though ZenTar wore his short, the dark strands falling in untamed waves over his forehead and neck, while the smiling one wore his hair longer, around shoulder length, the locks over his temples braided and tied at the back of his head. The more serious one had the longest hair, presently pulled and tied up at the top of his head in a ponytail that reached his shoulder-blades. The three of them also had more or less the same height, being intimidatingly higher than Snow as well. And, even though they were obviously different, and clearly wore different clothes, their bearing was still very similar.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°Hey Snow! How have you been? Feeling better?¡± the smiling one asked, the one called MenTar he now recalled, unceremoniously marching towards him; until ZenTar grabbed him by the back of his tunic, stopping him in place.
¡°Be quiet for once!¡± he practically growled and MenTar turned to him with an indignant expression on his face.
¡°What did I do now? I was just asking if he¡¯s feeling better! Isn¡¯t that the courteous thing to do when one falls ill?¡±
¡°Be quiet or I will smack you sillier than you already are!¡±
MenTar pouted, averting his gaze but, in doing so, found Snow again, and he couldn¡¯t resist giving him another huge smile, waving and silently mouthing: how are you feeling?
The dark monster completely ignored him, turning his attention to the third man, still standing by the door.
¡°LaoTar,¡± he greeted him and the man bowed respectfully at the waist.
¡°Calzai.¡±
¡°Is everything ready?¡±
¡°It is. We can depart on your command,¡± LaoTar replied in a very serious, official manner. ¡°As per your instruction we are leaving behind fifteen men to hold the fortress until it is decided who will keep it from now on.¡±
¡°It will probably be Wei, since they¡¯re the closest ones,¡± the monster replied and LaoTar nodded.
¡°Oh, the old fox will love it,¡± ZenTar added with a cold smile on his lips. ¡°A Fortress dropped on his lap with a gift-bow on top. What¡¯s there not to like?¡±
¡°At least, if he takes it, it will no longer be used for illegal purposes,¡± the monster sighed and turned to LaoTar again. ¡°As for your mission, this time ¡¡±
¡°I already know, Calzai,¡± LaoTar interrupted him, his expression serious and grave. ¡°My brother has already filled me in. I am more than willing to go.¡±
¡°They will probably arrest you on arrival.¡±
¡°They will not dare,¡± he immediately countered. ¡°They may keep me inside the Palace grounds but they will not risk harming me in any way. I may be on loan to you, but I am originally a member of the Zai Clan. And since my brother abdicated his position, I am the next in line to lead our Clan, at least until a new El¡¯Cal ascends the throne. They will not risk antagonizing the entire Zai Clan. And, in any case, keeping me in the Palace can work to our advantage.¡±
The monster sighed.
¡°You are right.¡±
¡°Of course he is!¡± ZenTar declared with a rare open smile that was strikingly similar to MenTar¡¯s, wrapping an arm around LaoTar¡¯s stiff shoulders. ¡°So stop worrying already. We have even decided how we¡¯re going to remain in touch. If anyone can do this that person is LaoTar. He is, after all, the more responsible and centered of us all.¡±
The monster sighed again but Snow¡¯s attention quickly shifted to MenTar who, released from ZenTar¡¯s hold, silently made his way to his bed, unceremoniously sitting down, forcing him to quickly scoot to the opposite side or he would have sat on his legs.
¡°So, did you try your clothes on?¡± he whispered in a voice as small as his and Snow¡¯s gaze inevitably fell on the pile of clothes left on the chair.
That¡¯s right, he thought looking back at the smiling man. The monster had told him that MenTar had fixed them for him. Still suspicious, but not wanting to look ungrateful, he nodded.
¡°And? Did they fit?¡±
He nodded again, even though, as the monster had predicted, they were all to big for him. Still, their fabric was soft and pleasant to the touch and, more importantly, they were warm, the warmest pieces of clothing he had ever wore.
¡°Good. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a master at sewing but I like to think I can manage,¡± he declared with a prideful air about him and then his gaze fell on his bandaged arm, his smile quickly withering away into a worried expression. ¡°Did you hurt yourself?¡±
Snow quickly pulled his arm away from his outstretched hand, glaring threateningly at him.
¡°Okay, okay! I won¡¯t touch it!¡± MenTar replied, raising both hands in the air. ¡°No need to glare at me like that. I though you Celestials were all supposed to be sweet and kind,¡± he grunted with a new pout, as if he¡¯d been unfairly deceived, and Snow frowned.
Again with the Celestial thing. By now he had no doubts that everyone around him believed him to be one of those things, and he couldn¡¯t help wonder if the Lord before them, and even the woman that had kept him for so long, had also shared the same belief. And yet, no matter how many times he had heard that word, he still had no idea of what being a Celestial really meant.
Sure, he had some strange markings on his back, he had had them since he could remember. Sand used to draw them for him in the dirt, her brown eyes alight as she conveyed to him in gestures just how pretty they were. But throughout the years he had met other people with markings similar to his. Though not everyone had them, there were still a lot of people who did. For instances, he was pretty sure the monster also had them, and ZenTar as well, probably even the other two. Those who had markings were able to do strange things, like the way ZenTar had been able to melt the frozen door, or how the monster had rendered the healer¡¯s bag to cinders. So he knew that him freezing his surroundings when he was scared, even the red array that had killed all those people, were not enough reasons to make him so different from everyone else. Of course, unlike the monster or ZenTar, he had no control over the things he did, but that was probably because he had never had the chance to learn how to control them.
In fact, the only thing ¡ the only thing that was different about him, as far a he could tell, was his blood, he thought, his heart beating faster at the mere thought. His damned blood that had been the sole reason behind all the pain and torture he had been forced to endure. But he still wasn¡¯t sure that that was enough to make him one of those things. By the way they spoke about Celestials Snow couldn¡¯t brush off the feeling that he wasn¡¯t the only one, that there were others like him in the world. So did that mean they all had a special blood like his? And if they had, had they been abused and made to suffer like he had as well?
Sweet and kind!, MenTar had said. Why he should be any of those things was beyond his understanding.
MenTar smiled and patted his leg over the covers, making him jump and almost fall off the bed with how fast he tried to avoid him.
¡°You¡¯re such a scaredy-cat!¡± he complained. ¡°You know? We¡¯ll be traveling together in just a few days! Me, Nox Calzai, Zen and a couple of other guys. If you keep up with this kind of attitude no one will like you.¡±
Snow frowned and averted his gaze. All the better, he thought, slowly sliding out of bed just to keep a safe distance from him. If only the entire world didn¡¯t like him, how wonderful it would be. Maybe then they¡¯d leave him alone, he thought leaning against the wall, trying to make sure the room stopped wavering back and forth around him.
Deep darkness covered his sight and a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
¡°What are you doing out of bed if you¡¯re still this weak?¡± asked a harsh voice and the hand led him back to the bed, making him sit.
¡°Because my dumb brother kept pestering him,¡± ZenTar replied and, grabbing MenTar by one ear, forced him to stand up.
¡°Hei! Ouch, ouch, ouch! Cut it out!¡± MenTar complained as he was dragged all the way across the room, and LaoTar silently opened the door so that ZenTar could throw him out. ¡°Gods damn it, Zen! My earlobe is going to stretch all the way to my feet!¡± he complained, rubbing his reddened ear with an offended expression on his face, and ZenTar frowned, pointing down the corridor.
¡°Beat it! Or I will throw you out through the window!¡±
¡°You¡¯re such a bully!¡± MenTar still argued and, peeking inside the room, smiled again when he saw that Snow was looking at him. Waving enthusiastically he jumped back just in time to avoid ZenTar¡¯s kick. Sticking his tongue out to his brother he finally turned around and walked away.
¡°Calzai, I will also take my leave,¡± LaoTar informed, bowing respectfully, and the monster nodded his agreement. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, brother.¡± ZenTar nodded and he too disappeared down the corridor.
ZenTar sighed.
¡°Are you sure you want to take my useless brother with us?¡±
¡°I am sure I don¡¯t want to send him to the Palace as well. Sacrificing one of you is enough. And since he was with us when it all happened, it will be safer if he doesn¡¯t return home right away. They are bound to issue an order to apprehend and question all those with high ranks that might have witnessed the events that took place. Even if he were to go home, he¡¯d end up being dragged to the Palace sooner or later. So yeah. I am sure I want to take your useless brother with us.¡±
ZenTar sighed again.
¡°Just try and be sure not to kill him ¡¡±
¡°That I can¡¯t guarantee. But I will certainly do my best,¡± the monster replied and ZenTar sighed yet again.
RTYY 021 - The Wrong Hair Color
The next morning a long line of men left the Fortress, some on horse back, some on foot, a few riding small wooden carts.
Watching from his bedroom window Snow couldn¡¯t help be amazed at how the Fortress had held so many people. And in the middle of the column of men slowly sliding up the hill, he could clearly detect a distinct group, their white hair reflecting the early morning light. Maybe he should have gone with them, he thought leaving his window to look at his own image in the mirror.
It had been a very long time since he¡¯d last seen what he looked like.
Back when he¡¯d been a child, one day Sand had returned home with a big piece of a broken mirror, the delicate jade frame around it cracked in more places than he could count. Even so she had treated it as if it were an irreplaceable treasure, carefully finding it a special place inside their small, poor house. Since then the broken mirror had decorated their dwelling, and Sand would frequently sit him in front of it as she patiently cleaned the dirt off his face.
Now he stood in front of a much larger, much richer mirror, its large golden frame wider than his arm, and no one looked twice at it. They would probably even leave it behind without a second thought when they left, Snow guessed, the irony of it making him sad.
With sigh he raised a hand to feel the short, spiky hair starting to cover his head. He could still see the scars marking his scalp but, soon enough, they would be completely covered.
When he was small Sand had kept his hair as short as possible, so it would be easier to wash and dry, especially in the winter. After that he couldn¡¯t really recall what had happened. Only that they would systematically shave his head from time to time. Most of the times, however, he would only realize that something was being done to him when the rough hands that grabbed him hurt him, the pain clearing part of the mist away. The Lord of the Fortress too, had made sure his head was shaved clean. Back then he had never been able to really understand why they found it so important to do that. Now he was starting to suspect that normal people did not have hair like his, he sighed, his shoulders slumping. At least amongst those white-haired men and women now leaving the Fortress he might have had a chance to go unnoticed, he considered. No use thinking about that now. No matter what that beautiful prince had told him, he knew there was no way the monster would ever allow him to simply leave and go with them.
Looking around, he searched the bedside-tables, opening the small drawers, looking inside, but they were all mostly empty. He then proceeded to look inside the dresser¡¯s drawers, but those were filled with undergarments and delicate-looking scarfs and matching gloves.
¡°What are you doing?¡±
Snow straightened his back with a startle, his heart almost jumping out of his chest. How come he always forgot about his presence?, he chastised himself with a frown. Sure he was mostly quiet, especially when he was writing or reading his papers. But to think that he could actually forget that there was someone else with him in that bedroom, when he¡¯d always feared and hated the presence of others no matter who they were, frightened him and made him angry at himself. He was way too defenseless! When was he ever going to learn?The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
¡°Are you deaf?¡± the voice insisted, quickly losing its patience, and Snow turned to look at him, at the compact mass of darkness still siting at the table. He blinked and forced his eyes the same way one might do to try and see beyond a sea of fog. But he couldn¡¯t catch a single glimpse of the man he knew hid inside all that darkness. Averting his gaze he touched his short hair again.
¡°Blade ¡¡± he whispered the word so quietly he thought the monster wouldn¡¯t be able to hear him.
¡°Blade?! What in the world do you want a blade for?¡±
Snow felt his cheeks grow warmer from embarrassment.
¡°Cut my hair ¡¡±
¡°Cut your hair? Isn¡¯t it too short as it is?¡± came the reply and Snow frowned, annoyed at him. Was he being serious or simply playing dumb?
The noise of the chair scrapping against the floor startled him again, and he couldn¡¯t help watch helplessly as the mass of darkness approached him. He cringed when it practically covered him, towering over him, making him feel even smaller than he already was. And then a hand landed on his head, a hand so big that it could easily grab his skull, making him turn his head right and left, back and forth.
¡°If you really want to shave your head you have to find a razor, not a blade. It¡¯s because they used blades, and dull ones at that, that your head is covered in these ugly scars,¡± he pointed out with a critic tone. ¡°In any case you should let it grow. It will protect your head from direct sun and cold.¡±
Snow looked up at him, at those bright blue eyes, in complete disbelief. Was he really being serious? Taking a step back to escape his touch he averted his gaze again.
¡°But ¡ the color is wrong ¡¡± he argued and the darkness forming the monster¡¯s body became more agitated as if his words had somehow made him angry.
¡°Screw that! Who said that it is wrong? You were born like this, were you not? If others don¡¯t like it all they have to do is look away!¡± he spat out in anger and went back to the table, pulling his chair with so much strength that it almost fell back.
Snow blinked, unable to understand what had just happened. Had he said something wrong?
Looking back at the mirror he sighed.
He had grown a lot taller too, since the last time he¡¯d looked at his own image, and although he knew he had finally managed to put on some wight, he still looked too skinny, his skin too pale. His silvery-white hair and pale, ice-like eyes didn¡¯t help his overall image at all.
In fact, looking at his own image, he could only recall the occasional corpse he would find, when he used to scavenge the heaps of garbage that piled on the river banks after the rainy season, hoping to find something eatable to take home with him. And yet, even though he looked gaunt and like someone who¡¯d been dead for a long time, somehow, after what the monster had just said, he no longer worried as much about his hair being different from everyone else¡¯s. Sure, it would probably attract unwanted attention. But he remembered that the cloak he¡¯d tried on had a large, heavy hood. Maybe he could simply pull it over his head, he considered, a small smile tugging at his lips. It would sure be nice to be able to have hair again ¡
RTYY 022 - The Bright World Out There
Though his eyes were burning and tearing-up again, he couldn¡¯t help smile when Black nudged him gently on the chest, lowering his head to obviously ask for some petting. Complying with its silent request, Snow blinked and looked around. The Fortress was deadly quiet, compared to the bustling movement of the day before. MenTar was strapping some bags to another horse¡¯s saddle while ZenTar was showing the monster a large sheet of paper.
They were standing outside, in front of the Fortress¡¯ main entrance, its large wooden doors now closed and locked, guarded by two men that, by the looks of it, were staying behind.
Still, even though the bright daylight stung his eyes, he didn¡¯t feel uncomfortable at all. He was wearing the softest and warmest clothes he¡¯d ever touched in his entire life. Sure, he had had to roll up his brown pants and the sleeves of his equally brown tunic were so long that covered both his hands, but he¡¯d never point out those small things as defects. His boots too, were warm and soft, and above all didn¡¯t have any holes in them, not even on their soles. And the dark-gray cloak strapped around his neck, though a bit heavy on his shoulders, reached all the way to his ankles promising to keep the cold at bay. Above all he was dressed, decently dressed for a change. And that mere fact brought him a reassuring sense of safety.
¡°We¡¯re ready, Calzai,¡± said another voice and Snow blinked again, turning to see two other men exiting the stables, each one guiding his own horse.
Instinctively stepping closer to Black, he wondered if they were going to make him ride his own horse as well. It was true he wasn¡¯t as afraid of them as he¡¯d been before and, after the monster¡¯s indications, he more or less had understood the basics of ridding. But he was far from feeling confident enough to ride one on his own, especially after the monster had told him more than once that he would tie him to his saddle if he fell down.
¡°Let¡¯s do this, then,¡± ZenTar sighed, folding his sheet of paper, and the next thing he knew the monster was standing right beside him, shadowing him from the bright sunlight.
Without a word, he grabbed Snow¡¯s arm, pulling him to one side, and then easily lifted him up like before, placing him on top of Black. Snow immediately held on to the saddle but, looking down, he didn¡¯t feel as scared as before.
Black shook its head, its soft hair brushing against his hands, and Snow gently caressed its warm neck. And then the dark monster was grabbing the saddle as well and, in one swift movement, straddled it behind him.
Snow went immediately rigid at the feeling of something pressed against his back, waves of darkness surrounding him on each side. He hated the feeling of being this close to other people, and the fact that someone was sitting behind him, where he could not see him, made things even worse. However, if the monster noticed his discomfort, he clearly chose to ignore it.
The hood of his cloak was pulled over his head, making him flinch.
¡°If the light hurts your eyes wear it up,¡± came a voice from behind him, echoing strangely against his back, and before he could say or do anything else, the monster grabbed Black¡¯s reins, making it turn around, and they were on their way.
Even though he felt tense and slightly distressed with his present situation, all that quickly melted away the moment they finished making their way up the hill. Ridding in the front, his view completely unobstructed, his eyes now protected by the shadow of his hood, he couldn¡¯t help gape in awe and amazement at the scenery that suddenly unfolded before him.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
In front of him opened a long extension of green fields flecked with the most amazing colors, patches of bright flowers slowly dancing in the breeze. And the air that reached his nose smelled fresh and sweet. In the horizon huge, tall mountains looked like an impenetrable wall of gray stone crowned with white. And between them a narrow blue river glistened under the sun, its waters looking like molten silver here and there.
Raising his head, he blinked when the sun hit his eyes but he still forced them open to look at the tall, open, blue sky. He had never felt the world was this big, this vast, this bright, and it all made his heart beat faster, a lump of happiness mixed with sadness squeezing his throat.
By the time they stopped for a short rest late that morning, however, his excitement and amazement had started to be tempered by an aching back. And when they sopped again, a bit after midday, his bottom and legs had joined his back in protest against the long ride. When the monster finally pulled him off the saddle and settled him down on the ground his knees shook and he couldn¡¯t hide the grimace that twisted his face. The heat was also in its peak and, although it was far from being as hot as a summer day, it was enough to leave him sweating, annoying droplets of sweat sliding down his back.
¡°Hey Snow! Wanna come and help me refill our flasks?¡± an excited voice asked him and the minute he raised his head he was immediately faced with MenTar¡¯s open smile. ¡°There¡¯s a small stream of fresh water just up ahead,¡± he went on, pointing towards the intended direction, and Snow took a peak at the monster that had already joined ZenTar in some kind of discussion. ¡°Come, come! You can always freshen up a bit!¡± MenTar went on, completely ignoring his indecisiveness and, juggling a bunch of skin flasks in one arm, grabbed his wrist with the other and pulled him with him.
Snow tripped and had to hasten his step to keep up with him. Looking over his shoulder he took another peek at the monster but, if he had noticed that he was being dragged away, he completely ignored it.
¡°Are you sure that that¡¯s all right?¡± ZenTar asked with a disapproving expression on his face as he watched his brother drag the stumbling boy away.
¡°I won¡¯t lie and say that it doesn¡¯t irk me a bit, but it is manageable,¡± ZaiWin replied, obviously choosing not to look back, as if that could attenuate his inner annoyance.
¡°Because the last time I even tried to touch the kid you almost bit my head off,¡± he pointed out in a complain and ZaiWin sighed.
¡°I told you I was unbalanced, back then. I¡¯ve been trying to work around it and I¡¯m getting used to this irritating sensation I can¡¯t describe. Besides it does piss me off more when you get close to him.¡±
¡°What the heck?! You really believe I¡¯d do anything to harm that brat? Knowing that it could put your life in danger?¡± ZenTar demanded in disbelief and ZaiWin sighed again.
¡°I know you won¡¯t hurt him. But this has nothing to do with what I know, and that¡¯s what makes it so damn annoying. I think it has to do with the fact that your daitai are stronger than your brother¡¯s, stronger than anyone else¡¯s around here.¡±
¡°Except you,¡± ZenTar added.
¡°That is debatable and you know it.¡±
¡°Hum, so what you mean is that the stronger the other person is the more threatened you feel when they¡¯re around the kid?¡± ZenTar tried to clarify, clearly ignoring his last comment, and ZaiWin frowned, visibly annoyed.
¡°I guess ¡¡± he grumbled and ZenTar couldn¡¯t help laugh out loud.
¡°Damn! You¡¯re like a jealous husband that can¡¯t stand it when another handsome man winks at his woman! If they¡¯re ugly you¡¯re fine with it. But if they¡¯re as manly as you, you immediately go into a fit of jealous rage!¡±
¡°Shut it!¡±
Still laughing, ZenTar clapped his shoulder a few times in a fake consolation.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promise I won¡¯t steal your woman.¡±
Slapping his hand hard, Nox turned around and walked away, his angry, fuming footsteps fueling ZenTar¡¯s laughter.
RTYY 023 - A Splash of Fresh Water
Snow looked at the small stream running fast at his feet and couldn¡¯t stop staring. The sound of the water as it jumped over small pebbles and stones was like music to his ears, the air smelling even fresher there. It didn¡¯t feel as hot near the water and the way it glistened and glowed under the sunlight was simply magical.
The sound of splashing captured his attention and when he looked up MenTar had already taken off his boots, pulled his pants up and entered the fresh stream, the running water reaching his knees. Smiling happily he bent forward and started filling the flasks, tossing them back to the patch of green grass right beside him once they were full.
¡°What are you doing, standing there? Take off your boots! The water feels great!¡±
Snow looked at his feet, at his beautiful leather boots the likes he had never dreamed he¡¯d ever wear, and bent forward to unlace them, carefully placing them where they wouldn¡¯t get wet. With a second thought he also took off his cloak, folding it neatly and leaving it beside his boots. The grass beneath his bare-feet tickled him and, following MenTar¡¯s example, he folded his pants up above his knees, but ended up just standing there.
¡°Come on in. The water won¡¯t bite!¡± MenTar insisted and Snow took a step forward, dipping his toes in the stream. The cold water made him shiver but it felt so amazingly good that he didn¡¯t stop walking until he was as knee-deep as MenTar. ¡°It¡¯s nice, right?¡±
He nodded, a small smile plastered on his face as he flexed his toes, feeling the cold water rush by his legs. A few tinny silvery fish stopped by his ankles, probably curious about the strange thing that had suddenly appeared in their underwater world. Some even nibbled his skin making him chuckle.
¡°Why are you always crying?¡± MenTar asked, watching him wipe his eyes for the second time, and Snow raised his head, blinking under the sunlight.
For an instance he almost decided to ignore his question, but then MenTar kept smiling at him with that open smile, his green eyes glistening like gemstones touched by the light, and somehow he didn¡¯t want to be the one to dampen his obvious good mood.
¡°Too bright ¡¡± he simply whispered, lowering his head again to look at the water, and MenTar laughed happily, resuming his task of filling flasks.
¡°Wow! I really feel extremely honored right now! To think that you would actually answer me,¡± he joked and Snow peered suspiciously at him. ¡°You still talk to low, though. We¡¯re like opposites, you and I. I¡¯m too loud! You¡¯re too quiet!¡±
Snow ignored him, more interested in watching the small fish swimming around his feet.
A sudden splash of cold water caught him so off guard that he gasped before he immediately shut his mouth, pressing his lips together, afraid he might emit a louder sound. Laughter filled his ears and more water hit him, wetting his face and clothes.
¡°Just look at that expression! That was priceless!¡± MenTar kept laughing and Snow dried his face on his sleeve. His clothes were all wet now, his face dripping water. MenTar, however, didn¡¯t seem the least bit worried. Climbing onto the stream bank he offered him a hand to help him up. ¡°Let¡¯s go or our Calzai will eat me alive for taking too long.¡±
Snow reluctantly accepted his help and MenTar easily pulled him to dry land.
After he¡¯d put his boots and cloak back on, MenTar shoved a few of the full flasks into his arms, and happily begun to make his way back, humming a song and picking leaves and branches as he went.
Snow followed him in silence. That was a very strange man, he concluded watching him pick up some wild berries and filling his mouth with them.
¡°Want some? They¡¯re really sweet.¡± Snow shook his had and MenTar shrugged, shoving the rest of them into his own mouth before resuming walking. ¡°For a kid your age you¡¯re just too serious, Snow!¡± he criticized, still chewing berries. ¡°You¡¯re just like our Calzai, always with that surly face. And it¡¯s such a waste too. I¡¯m sure he¡¯d have rivers of women throwing themselves at his feet if he would only smile from time to time,¡± he sighed.
Snow wondered back and forth if he should ask. And what if he did? What harm could it do? There were only the two of them there, anyway. And unlike the monster, or even ZenTar, MenTar looked like he wouldn¡¯t mind answering some questions.
¡°What¡¯s a ¡ Calzai ¡?¡± he whispered, certain that, by the way they used that word, it wasn¡¯t a name, and MenTar stopped to look back at him with an incredulous expression.
¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Snow shook his head but he still looked doubtful. ¡°Hum, I guess you could translate it as a General in the common language,¡± he explained, even though he didn¡¯t sound all that certain. ¡°In any case, Calzai is the title granted to those authorized by the Empire to lead large armies into battle. And they are normally tasked with defending the land and keeping the peace,¡± he went on, obviously proud at how easy his explanation sounded. ¡°So I guess you could say that it is the title of a very important person.¡±
Snow pondered on his answer but MenTar went on, obviously happy that he¡¯d found someone interested in hearing him chatter.
¡°You know, that¡¯s why we went to that Fortress in the first place. There were rumors that illicit activities were taking place over there. That some lording had taken over the Fortress and that he was running a salve trading business from there. They would kidnap people from other Provinces and sell them to be shipped to other underground slave markets. Since buying, selling or keeping slaves is forbidden in most Provinces, our Calzai was tasked to go there and put an end to it. They even had the nerve to kidnap some of Demon Clan¡¯s members, including one of their princes at that. The El¡¯Dur was furious. No one wants to offend the Demon Clan,¡± he added and Snow recalled the white-haired man with delicate features that had visited his bedroom. ¡°So yeah! We went there and put an end to it, and that¡¯s that. It¡¯s not like I want to brag, but this Calzai is the strongest of them all!¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
So his monster was a General, he thought. He fought for the Empire. He killed for the Empire. No wonder he was constantly surrounded by that black force. How many lives had he taken ¡? A shiver ran down his spine.
¡°So ¡ is Nox his name ¡?¡± he decided to ask and MenTar looked doubtful again.
¡°Hum ¡ you could say so ¡ You really don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡± he asked, looking back again, and sighed at the blank expression on Snow¡¯s face. ¡°Nox is the name of a Province, you know? Like Wei, or Won, or our Zai. Because he governs the Nox Province he gets to be called Nox as well. But others, even at the Palace, call him Nox ZaiWin, or Calzai ZaiWin, or even Lun Calzai. Only brother calls him Nox back and forth, which is kind of disrespectful, taking into account their different stands. But they¡¯ve always been like that, so no one pays attention to it anymore.¡±
Snow frowned at the amount of strange names. So Calzai was a title as he had suspected. And Nox was the name of the Province he ruled over. So ZaiWin was his name?
¡°Lun ¡?¡± he asked, since that was the only word he still couldn¡¯t understand, and MenTar sighed.
¡°I¡¯ve told you that there are several Calzai, right? There should be thirteen, actually, one for each Province, but there are currently four Provinces that have no Governor or Calzai. In anyway, I guess there was a need to know which Calzai people were talking about, and so colors were attached to each Province. Lun means black. The Calzai from our Zai Province, for example, is called Ei, meaning gray, and so on. Do you understand?¡±
Snow nodded, following him as they made their way to where the others awaited them.
So MenTar, and obviously LaoTar and ZenTar were from a different Province than the monster¡¯s, which made sense, taking into account what LaoTar had said about having been lent.
Above all it was clear in his mind that the monster that had captured him, the one called Nox ZaiWin, even though he looked so young, was actually a very important person. And it was also very clear that, no matter how important he might be, since he belonged to Empire¡¯s Army, he would always have to obey those above him, which meant there was no way he would be safe by his side. In any case he¡¯d made perfectly clear that he wanted to get rid of him. Why he hadn¡¯t done so so far was what he still couldn¡¯t understand.
¡°Finally!¡± ZenTar barked the instant they reached their temporary camp. ¡°How long does it take to fill half-a-dozen flasks?¡±
¡°They¡¯re more like a dozen! And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re in a hurry, right? You barely started making preparations for our meal,¡± MenTar pointed out, looking at the small fire over which three fat rabbits slowly roasted, and ZenTar whacked him on the back of the head, making him complain so loudly that the other two men turned to look at him. And yet they were smiling, Snow noticed, as if they were having fun. The only one that sounded truly angry was ZenTar.
¡°Put those down and go change your clothes.¡±
Snow followed the sound of that low voice and looked up with a startle, faced with those cold-blue eyes. The black monster was standing right beside him and so he didn¡¯t waste time and quickly obeyed.
Even though he was always carefully monitoring everyone around him, looking for signs that someone might want to grab him and bind him, and even though the monster was by far the scariest of them all, Snow always seemed to forget about his presence, he chastised himself as he quickly rumbled through his small bag.
ZenTar smacked his brother over the head again.
¡°Hey! What did I do now?¡±
¡°How come I have such a dumb brother!! Just go and die once and for all! See if I care!¡±
MenTar crossed his arms with a pout but then his green eyes captured Snow¡¯s image as he hugged his dry change of clothes, silently walking away.
¡°Hey, Snow! Want me to go with you?¡± The hard tweezers that squeezed his ear, pulling him down, made him cringe in pain. ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch!! Let go already!¡±
¡°Sit down and shut your mouth! You must really have a death wish that I don¡¯t know about!¡± ZenTar grumbled, still squeezing his brother¡¯s ear, and Snow released a small sigh of relief. A very short-lived relief.
¡°Move.¡±
He flinched, squeezing his clothes, wishing he could tell the monster that he¡¯d be fine of his own, but he quickly gave up, silently following his command, making his way towards the small patch of trees growing by the road. The dark monster followed him in silence.
It wasn¡¯t as if they hadn¡¯t seen him naked before, he thought, feeling increasingly depressed. He¡¯d been naked inside that horrible box. And he¡¯d been naked throughout most of the following days, until his injuries healed enough allowing him to withstand the touch of fabric. And, of course, even though he wasn¡¯t currently tied up, he had no illusions regarding his position. With or without the ropes he was still a prisoner.
Reaching the trees he took of his cloak and carefully undressed his wet tunic. He had to preserve it as much as possible, he told himself, folding it neatly. Maybe if he placed it near the fire it would dry before they had to leave again.
The touch of something warm against his bare back sent a chill running down his spine and he stumbled forward, quickly turning around in a mix of shock and fear.
¡°Let me see.¡±
Snow frowned and took another step back, ready to fight for his life if needed be.
¡°You damn brat! You think your scrawny body holds any interest to me? Let me check your wounds!¡±
Snow¡¯s frown deepened even more.
¡°Either you get your ass back here or I¡¯ll knock you out and do as I please! Your choice!¡±
Clearly angry and obviously suspicious, Snow walked up to him again and turned around so he could see his back.
¡°Stupid brat! When are you going to get it through your thick head that if I wanted to harm you I would have done so already?¡±
Ah! As if that meant anything, Snow thought in his head. As if people didn¡¯t change their minds all the time, didn¡¯t betray their own words at every corner! That was a lesson he¡¯d learned a very long time ago!
Warm fingers touched his back again, sending unpleasant shivers down his spine, and it was all he could do to just stand there and bear with it without moving. From time to time the places he pressed ached, making him involuntary contract his muscles, but he still tried and did his best to stand still and not utter a single sound.
¡°Though I see that they still hurt, they¡¯re mostly healed on the surface,¡± the monster informed him. But if that was supposed to bring him some sort of relief that horrible monster couldn¡¯t have been more wrong.
So what if those were almost healed? He¡¯d healed similar wounds so many times before that he¡¯d lost count a long time ago. And in all those times healing only meant that the time when he¡¯d be hurt again only grew closer.
RTYY 024 - Roasted Rabbit?!
Nox ZaiWin stared at the slender back in front of him.
He was practically only bones and skin, his ribs alarmingly protuberant. His skin was too pale, obviously due to the fact that he¡¯d been kept in captivity most his life, the reddened zones marking the places where he¡¯d been stabbed inside the box. He could count ten red spots, five on each side, and although what he had said was true, and the brat¡¯s injuries looked practically healed, the ugly scabs completely gone, he still couldn¡¯t help feeling angry at the thought of him locked inside that metal box, the sharp spikes slowly burrowing into his body. At least, unlike many of the scars he¡¯d seen on his chest and arms, these ones looked like they¡¯d be completely gone in a few more days, the white silvery lines of his daitai undisturbed.
Lightly tracing one of them, he couldn¡¯t help marvel at the way it seemed to glisten as if it responded to his touch. They were truly beautiful, he thought, taking a good look at them. And it wasn¡¯t as if this was the first time he saw a Celestial¡¯s daitai. All together, the intricate lines formed a complex pattern that looked very much like a delicate pair of wings, the same wings that had glowed behind his back when he¡¯d knelt down at his feet dooming them all.
The weight of that thought made him lower his hand and take a step back.
¡°Get dressed! We¡¯re running late.¡±
Snow didn¡¯t hesitate to comply with his command, quickly pulling his dry tunic over his head and then changing his pants. When he turned to follow him back to the camp the black monster was already several steps ahead of him, forcing him to hasten his pace in order to keep up with him.
¡°You! See that his clothes are properly dried,¡± the monster demanded, looking down at MenTar, who opened his mouth to protest but was immediately smacked over the head by his brother again.
¡°Shut it and do as you¡¯re told, before I cut off that accursed tongue of yours!¡±
MenTar pouted but shut up, only smiling when he gently took the wet clothes from Snow¡¯s arms.
It was with reluctance that Snow parted with them. But, then again, MenTar had been the one to provided them for him. How could he refuse to give them back?
Sighing, Snow sat quietly by the fire. And yet, instead of his mouth watering or his stomach rumbling from hunger at the scent of what they were cooking, like it had happened every time they brought him one of those amazing soups, the smell of the roasted meat only made him feel queasy and sick. And when they passed him a piece of meat his mouth watered in a very wrong way, and he almost threw up right there and then.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.
He remembered that, back when he was a child, he¡¯d watched with curiosity, and even a little bit of jealousy, the rich plates that adorned the tables of those who at least had a real house to live in. Back then he¡¯d wondered what most of those foods tasted like and, until recently, his experience with anything beyond boiled rice, moldy or hard bread, watery porridge and a few fruits and vegetables that had gone bad or rotten here and there, was truly null. And so, amongst other things, he¡¯d always wondered how a mouthful of meat would taste. And yet, now that he finally had the opportunity to eat it, he could hardly stand its smell, much less the idea of putting it in his mouth.
Looking around, he knew that the problem was obviously and exclusively his, taking into account the happy faces of the others as they ate. But no matter how he tried to convince himself otherwise, the thing in his hands simply smelled fouler than any rotten food he¡¯d ever ate. And the more he thought about it the sicker he felt.
On the other hand, the mere idea of wasting food was simply unbearable. And so he forced himself to take it to his lips, his hands shaking as if he were about to ingest a cup of deadly poison. Mouth opened and eyes closed, he tried to take a bite, but still couldn¡¯t, his stomach turning, forcing him to lower the piece of meat in his hands and to distance it as much as possible from his mouth and nose.
¡°Are you feeling all right?¡± ZenTar asked and Snow realized that they were all looking at him, worried expressions all around.
He wanted to nod but, above all, he wanted to drop the piece of meat he still held on his hand. And then, suddenly, it was gone, the dark monster at his side swiftly stealing it away. A sense of relief the likes he¡¯d rarely felt washed over him.
¡°You don¡¯t look so good,¡± ZenTar went on and he simply shook his head, more than grateful for the fact that, apparently, no one was going to force him to swallow that thing.
He sat in silence throughout the rest of the meal, the smell of the meat still turning his stomach. But at least no one tried to offer it to him again.
After they ate they quickly packed their things and readied themselves to return to the road.
Feeling much better now that the fire had been put off and that the mortal remains of the rabbits had been disposed of, he stretched his aching back and readied himself for another long ride.
Without a single word, the same way he¡¯d done the two previous times, the monster lifted him up by his waist and placed him on Black¡¯s saddle. A few moments later he too mounted the horse, grabbing Black¡¯s reins, and suddenly a green apple surrounded by darkness was right in front of his face.
¡°Eat it when you get hungry,¡± the voice echoing from behind him told him, and Snow accepted the apple, its sweet scent helping him settle his upturned stomach. ¡°If you need to throw up let me know.¡± He simply nodded, happy with his green apple, with how fresh it looked and smelled, and they were soon back on the road.
RTYY 025 - Unable to Sleep
They made another two short stops during the afternoon, and when they finally stopped for the third time, by nightfall, Snow¡¯s back and behind ached so much that it was all he could do not to walk funny once the monster set him back on firm ground. Still he had thoroughly enjoyed his day, and even though the landscape had been pretty much the same the entire time, he couldn¡¯t help feeling that there was still a lot he hadn¡¯t seen.
The man he had learned was called HawkEye quickly assembled a few dry branches and started a fire. The other one, a large man with wide, broad shoulders and thick, strong arms called BigMountain, unpacked most of their luggage and started to go through their provisions, selecting what was to be their evening meal. They both went about their tasks mostly in silence, like a well-coordinated team. And Snow couldn¡¯t help notice that their names sounded as common as his own, none of those strange words with no meaning.
MenTar happily took care of their horses, checking their hooves and making sure they had plenty of fresh grass to chew on. Watching him pat his own brown horse, Snow wished he could join him. In his mind horses had gone from frightening, tall creatures, to amazing, fascinating ones. But the dark monster sitting beside him, discussing what looked like a map with ZenTar, was like an invisible chain. After he¡¯d gotten himself all wet during lunch break he¡¯d been crowding him even more than before, silently forbidding him to wander around. And then, of course, was his aching body that, contrary to his mind, wanted nothing more than to stay still, preferably lying down, and simply don¡¯t move for as long as possible.
Their evening meal was much lighter and simpler than their midday meal. There was bread, amazingly crunchy on the outside and fluffy as a cloud on the inside, some of the delicious cheese he¡¯d tasted back at the Fortress, some dried things he¡¯d never seen in his life, and fresh apples like the one the monster had given him.
Since Snow had practically missed the last meal he was positively starving, and he couldn¡¯t help feel relieved when he was able to eat his fill and then some. Even when all he had had to eat had been moldy, hard bread, he had never felt so sick to his stomach like before, during their last meal. In his mind he kept reminding himself that people in his position could not afford to be sick to the point they became unable to eat. He¡¯d seen that happen more than once, and what would normally follow was certain death.
They didn¡¯t linger for longer after eating, quickly spreading their blankets around the fire and readying themselves to sleep. All except BigMountain who, according to what he¡¯d heard the others decide, would stay awake and stand watch.
¡°Your bed is there,¡± MenTar told him with a wide smile on his face, pointing to the other side of the fire where a couple of blankets had already been unfolded. ¡°It will probably feel a bit hard in the beginning, but you will eventually get used to it,¡± he added with a resigned expression and Snow nodded, making his way to the place he¡¯d been shown.
He knew he wasn¡¯t going the find his new bed hard. He¡¯d slept in much harder places before. At least there was a patch of grass beneath his blanket, and dirt was never as hard or cold as stone. Not to mention that he now actually had blankets! One to spread beneath him and another to cover himself with. And, if he got cold, there was always the warm cloak he still wore.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.
Finding his bed pleasantly comfortable, Snow took off his boots, untied his cloak and unstrapped the belt that, over his long tunic, kept his large pants from sliding down his thin legs.
He¡¯d already settled down, ready to sleep, when he noticed the blue eyes glowing amongst the darkness. It was so dark now that it was even harder to detect his presence, Snow thought with a shiver, especially because the monster was sitting right there, close enough to reach him, his back against a large rock.
Quickly lying down, Snow covered himself all the way up to his ears, his heart beating too fast.
Even though he¡¯d been trying his best to rationalize it, even though he¡¯d been trying his best to get used to it, that monster ¡ no, that man was truly frightening, in a strange way he couldn¡¯t quite explain. And he¡¯d met a lot of frightening, cruel people during his short life. People that enjoyed the pain of others. People that felt pleasure in torture. He could still see the gleam that took over their eyes, their distorted smiles as they took their time coming up with all kinds of ways to make him bleed. And yet none of them had scared him as much as Nox ZaiWin did. Which was ridiculous, he knew.
Sure, the monster always treated him harshly and coldly, and he had made it as clear as daylight that he wanted to get rid of him, which probably meant that he wanted him dead. But, besides harsh words and deadly threats, he¡¯d never lifted a hand to hurt him, quite the contrary. He had seen to it that his wounds were tended, and that he was fed and clothed. He had even defended him against his own men. And yet ¡
Maybe it was all that darkness, Snow considered, pulling his knees to his chest. He couldn¡¯t say how or why he knew it to be so, but there was something fundamentally wrong with it. Sure his strength was scary, intimidating to say the least, but even as he reviewed the amazing things he¡¯d seen the monster do, he knew that it wasn¡¯t what he could do that was scary. It was something else. Something deeper. Something that didn¡¯t allow him to see the man he knew lived inside all that darkness.
As time slowly went by Snow begun to notice another, increasing, annoying problem.
He couldn¡¯t sleep! Even though he was comfortably warm and dry, he just couldn¡¯t relax.
Now that the camp was completely silent, there were too many strange sounds all around him, sounds that seemed to grow louder by the second. The sound of the wind brushing through the leaves of the few trees surrounding them. The cracking of dry branches. The sound of the occasional bird. The calling of a lost wild animal. The crackling of the flames. The sound of one of the others snoring. And so many other soft noises he couldn¡¯t identify.
Since he¡¯d been mostly kept in isolation, even though he¡¯d been made to sleep naked over cold stone floors more than once, he¡¯d always been alone during his resting hours. And alone meant silence. A kind of agonizing silence that had always left him wondering if the world had somehow come to an end, beyond the walls incarcerating him; if he¡¯d been left there, alone and forgotten, to slowly rot away.
Now he found himself in exact opposite situation, he thought with a sigh, closing his eyes, trying to sleep. But the moment he closed his eyes the sounds only grew even louder, keeping him wide awake.
RTYY 26 - A Comfortable Place to Sleep
When morning finally came and the others started stirring from they sleep, Snow felt even more tired than he¡¯d felt before he went to sleep. His body still ached all over and the chill cold air of the morning made him wrap himself tightly on his cloak. With a second thought he took a peek towards the big rock next to him, but the dark monster wasn¡¯t there anymore. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen, he concluded looking around the camp.
¡°Good morning, Snow! Sleep well?¡± a loud voice asked him, and Snow looked up to be greeted by MenTar¡¯s bright green eyes and an even brighter smile.
He blinked and nodded, obviously lying.
¡°Good. I¡¯ll help you fold your blankets!¡± he went on, offering him his hand to help him to his feet, and Snow quickly leaned back, away from his reach. MenTar also seemed to notice it, his smile losing its glow, becoming extremely similar to his brother¡¯s, and Snow quickly stood up on his own, wincing when he straightened his back and it hurt.
The sound of laughter startled him and he suspiciously glanced at MenTar, still standing beside him.
¡°Yeah! You¡¯re bound to have a few rough days until you get used to it!¡± MenTar stated, still laughing, the previous awkwardness completely washed away. ¡°It looks easier that it actually is, right? Riding an entire day. Once, back when I was a kid, my uncle forced me to seat on a horse¡¯s back for four whole days! Can you imagine? Day and night, day and night! I couldn¡¯t even go to the latrine. And I tell you! It¡¯s not easy relieving yourself while sitting on a saddle. I literally thought I would die!¡± He laughed again, making Snow stare at him in bewilderment. What he described didn¡¯t sound like a pleasant experience at all. But that strangely cheerful man kept on laughing to the point that bright tears appeared at the corner of his eyes. ¡°I practically had to learn how to walk again, when I was finally allowed off the damn horse!¡±
¡°And you¡¯ll have to learn how to walk again, after I break your legs for loitering around!¡± ZenTar barked, making them both jump. ¡°Move it, you two! Or I will have you skip breakfast!¡±
¡°Yeah, yeah! We¡¯re moving, we¡¯re moving,¡± MenTar replied with a sigh and winked at Snow, shrugging. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s usually in a bad-mood early in the morning,¡± he told him, lowering his voice so ZenTar wouldn¡¯t hear him, and bent down to pick-up Snow¡¯s blankets. ¡°Not that he¡¯s mood improves all that much during the day. So, yeah. Just ignore him. I tell you! It¡¯s his fault that our Calzai always has that sour expression on his face. These things are contagious, you know? So you better stay away from them,¡± he added with another wink, and hummed his way back to the horses, carrying Snow¡¯s blankets as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.
Snow took a deep breath and pulled the hood of his cloak over his head. The monster had been right. The morning air felt cold against his practically bold head. The warm hood not only shadowed his sensitive eyes, it also offered him warmth and a pleasant sense of comfort.
Even though he wanted very much to do as MenTar had told him, and keep away from them as much as possible, he¡¯d long learned that wishing had nothing to do with reality. And so, the sun had yet to rise from behind the huge mountain range in front of them, when they were back to the road, the monster sitting right behind him, so close to him that he could feel his back becoming warm.
And yet there was a kind of relaxing quietness about the early hours of the morning. The air, although cold, smelled fresh, most of the world still slumbering. The only sounds he could hear were the horses¡¯ hooves and their breathing, as they calmly followed the dirt road. Gently swaying from side to side, Snow¡¯s tiredness finally caught up with him, his eyelids becoming heavy, his sight unfocused. Shaking his head, he tried his best to remain awake, reminding himself of what would happen should he fall asleep and fall of the horse. But eventually his eyes just wouldn¡¯t obey him anymore, and his brain completely shut down.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.
Something warm fell softly against his chest and, in the next second, the brat¡¯s head lolled to one side, his entire body following it dangerously, forcing ZaiWin to release Black¡¯s reins and wrap an arm around the kid¡¯s waist. Still the brat didn¡¯t wake up, he noticed with a scowl, looking down at the head now nestled against his chest.
The damn brat had really fallen asleep!
He¡¯d noticed his hooded head lolling back and forth like it belonged to a disarticulated doll for a while now, and so he had known that he was feeling sleepy. Which hadn¡¯t surprised him at all, since the damn brat had spent the entire night tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. If he hadn¡¯t known better he would have thought that he was some lordling, too used to the comforts of a soft bed to be able to sleep on a hard floor. But this was the brat that felt safer sleeping on top a pile of straw in the stables, than in the luxurious bedroom that had been assigned to him. And there was also the fact that he¡¯d been a prisoner most of his life, his scrawny body living proof that he hadn¡¯t been treated kindly, far from it. He doubted his beds had been much more comfortable than a patch of grass, if there had been any beds to begin with.
¡°As to be expected, he did end up falling asleep,¡± ZenTar noticed in the soft voice of one who didn¡¯t want to disturb someone else¡¯s rest.
ZaiWin didn¡¯t reply. The fact that ZenTar had also noticed it didn¡¯t surprise him.
Snow¡¯s head slid to one side and he gently adjusted his hold on him. The brat felt so small and frail against his chest he feared he might fracture one of his bones should he squeeze him to hard.
¡°I¡¯d offer to carry him for you but you¡¯d probably kick me off my horse, so I¡¯ll abstain from doing that. At least you¡¯re not throwing him off your saddle,¡± he observed, an amused smile tugging at his lips. In fact, if it weren¡¯t for the eminent and unavoidable catastrophe that that kid¡¯s existence meant in all their lives, ZenTar would have found the whole thing extremely funny and entertaining.
As before ZaiWin ignored him, his blue eyes looking straight ahead, his young face a mask of cold indifference. And what a shame it was, that such a young man should be so used to wearing such a heavy mask all the time.
With a sigh ZenTar lowered his head to take a peek at the boy. Yup, he was deep asleep, he concluded. And, even though he was sitting, his body swinging from side to side, he looked rather comfortable, taking into account how afraid he looked every time ZaiWin talked or even looked at him.
¡°You know? I think it was all the sounds,¡± he offered and finally managed to engage ZaiWin¡¯s attention, even though his blue eyes told him he didn¡¯t understand what he meant. ¡°The sounds. The night sounds. You still remember, right? How it felt to sleep outside, in the beginning. All the strange sounds coming from the unknown darkness. I know they kept me awake for quite a few nights, back when I was kid.¡±
Now that ZenTar had mentioned it, ZaiWin had to agree with him. He too recalled a few bad nights of sleep, remaining most of the time awake, fearing what might jump out from the darkness ready to attack him. He¡¯d been twelve, when ZenTar had forced him to attend the Seventh Year Gathering of Wen, which had entailed sleeping outside, with no tents, and on his own for the first time. If he recalled correctly, he had ended up preferring to sleep up, above the ground, sitting on some tree branch, than remain down below, with everyone else.
Sighing at his own memories, ZaiWin looked down at the head leaning against his chest. All he could see was the dark hood he wore but, even through his clothes, he could feel the uncomfortable sensation of someone else¡¯s body leaning against his. The fact that he¡¯d probably have to stand it for the entire morning annoyed him beyond limits. And the fact that he couldn¡¯t bring himself to simply let him fall off his horse as promised, pissed him off to the point that his stomach was burning.
He cursed the damn brat! Cursed even more the damn link that, even without his consent, bound them together. But he still made sure he carefully held him and that the brat leaned back against him so that he might finally get some rest.
RTYY 27 - Summonings
Arc 3. The Seventh Year Gathering
Even though they had politely told him to sit down he felt way too nervous to be able to obediently comply. On the other hand he had been taught well enough to know that pacing back and forth wasn¡¯t what an educated, well behaved young man should do. And so he just stood there, unmoving, feeling tight, uncomfortable and scratchy inside the new clothes ZenTar had forced him to wear. He hated those clothes, he thought, pulling his white jacket down in hopes it would stop trying to choke him to death. But it had been roughly six years since he¡¯d last been to the Palace, and so ZenTar had insisted that he must dress accordingly to the occasion, show them that he wasn¡¯t just some lost kid that they could easily brush a side without a second thought.
The sound of voices made him glance towards the door and other boys and girls, all older than him, entered the large, golden waiting room. He immediately looked away, easily recognizing the blazing red hair of some of them.
As to be expected, they were all overly richly dressed, even more so than he was, the precious stones sewed onto the collars and handcuffs of their clothes glimmering when touched by the bright flames that lit the room. They wore silver and gold earrings and rings, their hair carefully combed and adorned with shinny hairpins. The girls wore flowing gowns that reached all the way to their feet, the shawls over their naked shoulders and bare backs so thin and delicate that they were practically transparent, allowing the delicate lines of their daitai to be seen. Unlike his, most of those markings were coppery red, or metallic blue, a few even shimmering green. One of the girl¡¯s had golden-green markings that perfectly matched her eyes. They were all of noble blood, he knew. Some of them he knew all too well, especially the royal children.
¡°Well, well, well! If it isn¡¯t the mud-head!¡± a voice he wished he could not recognize taunted him, and he tried his best to ignore it, silently staring at the double large, golden doors that remained closed. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, mud-head!¡± A shove forced him to take a step to his side but he quickly straightened his back, regaining his balance, ignoring the one trying to provoke him.
¡°Leave him be, FeiWan!¡± a soft voice commanded and a warm arm laced his, leaving him immediately tense. A sweet scent reached his nose, that and the wavering movement of coppery-red hair. Even without looking straight at her he knew she was wearing a dark-blue gown that would probably make the beautiful blue color of her eyes stand out even more. The shawl over her shoulders was the color of silver and he knew that the daitai covering her back were as blue as the summer sky.
¡°Ah! And here she is! The perpetual defender of the poor and weak!¡± FeiWan scorned, glaring at her from head to toe. ¡°No wonder they say that trash always sticks with trash. You¡¯re so pathetic, NimRen! Just the thought that we share part of the blood flowing through our veins makes me feel so sick that I want to throw up!¡±
¡°Do it elsewhere, then!¡± another voice interjected, another red-haired boy, older and taller than any of them. Feiwan glared angrily at him but seemed to think twice about what he was about to say, ending up turning around and storming away from them. ¡°NimRen. Come,¡± the older boy commanded and he felt her arms tighten around his.
¡°In a second, brother,¡± she whispered timidly.
CalWan glared coldly at him but apparently decided that that was hardly the time or place to start an argument, much less a fight, and simply chose to step away.
ZaiWin sighed inwardly in relief. Not a single minute had passed and he had already managed to be surrounded by three red-haired kids. Attending that Gathering was promising to be worse than having to spend the entire week hunting down feimao.
The girl at his side actually sighed loud enough for him to hear, and then practically jumped in front of him, a beautiful smile stretching her carefully painted rose lips. Four years older than him, she had changed a lot since the last time he¡¯d seen her. Even though she wasn¡¯t that tall, she still managed to be at least one head taller than him. And her body looked a lot more like that of a grown-up woman instead of a kid.
¡°How have you been?¡± she asked, squeezing his hand, her blue eyes glistening, and he averted his gaze feeling kind of embarrassed.
¡°Fine, I guess ¡¡± he managed to mutter and received another squeeze.
¡°I heard that you¡¯ve been training a lot and that you can control most of your daitai now. They also say that you¡¯ve become the youngest Swordmaster ever known, and that they now call you ZaiWin,¡± she went on, sounding honestly excited about all the news she had managed to collect about him, and he simply nodded. The way she spoke almost made it sound as if having been stripped of his name had actually been an honor, and not a terrible shame he¡¯d have to carry for the rest of his life. ¡°You¡¯re really amazing!¡±
ZaiWin averted his gaze, feeling slightly embarrassed again.
¡°NimRen!¡± CalWan called her, clearly losing his patience, and NimRen gave him an apologetically smile.
¡°Don¡¯t mind them,¡± she whispered with an accomplice wink.
¡°You should go,¡± he offered, taking a peek at CalWan¡¯s increasing frown as he stared at them, and she sighed.
¡°Fine. But only because I don¡¯t want to get you into trouble,¡± she added with disappointment, squeezing his hand one last time. ¡°Can we talk later again?¡±
He nodded and she gave him another smile before walking away to join her brother.
They waited for another long moment, the sound of chattering filling the wide waiting room. At least no one else bothered him, even though he was the target of many glares and even more whispering. Well, there was nothing he could do about that, he thought trying his best to ignore them. After all there was no way he¡¯d go unnoticed, being the only kid in the room with black hair. Red hairs, copper hairs, bronze hairs, blond hairs, even a couple of golden-browns, could be seen all around, but nothing darker than that, definitely no deep-black hairs like his.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Suddenly he couldn¡¯t help resenting ZenTar for refusing to make up an excuse that would justify his absence in such a bothersome event. It had been six years since he¡¯d left the Palace and he hadn¡¯t missed any of it, not even for a second.
When the heavy doors finally opened everyone went immediately deadly quiet. Straightening their backs and making certain that their clothes were as neat as possible, they all waited to be called by they full names and titles, so that they may enter the room on the other side of the doors.
The first one was to be announced was Wen CalWan, since, at seventeen, he was the oldest of the El¡¯Gin, his long blue coat embroidered in gold, his red hair pulled to one side into an intricate braid that formed a flower adorned with blue precious stones over his ear.
Next was his sister, Wen NimRen, in her beautiful blue gown that had obviously been designed to match her brother¡¯s clothes. Even their hairdo was similar, with the difference that hers had been parted into two braids, which meant one shiny flower on each side of her head. She smiled and gave him a small wave as she passed by him, straightening her back as much as possible as she went in.
Next was Wen FeiWan, marching to the door with his head held up high, his long red hair braided all the way from the top of his head down to his waist. His clothes wore mostly red, the cuffs and lapel of his jacket looking like bright living flames, caressing and enveloping his arms and neck.
Then followed Wen GinWan and his twin sister Wen LinWan, both wearing matching deep-green outfits sprinkled with golden flecks that made their green eyes look even livelier. Their hair was also red, even though it was a bit more golden than CalWan¡¯s and NimRen¡¯s, and a shade lighter than FeiWan¡¯s deep-red hair. Adorned with glistening silver hairpins, they both wore it pulled up high, the golden-red locks falling over their shoulders. They were roughly one year older than ZaiWin, and so he couldn¡¯t help feeling kind of proud when they walked by him and it was clear that he was now taller than the both of them. He¡¯d always been the smallest kid around, when he was younger. And so he was inwardly happy to notice that that was rapidly changing.
After all the El¡¯Gin and El¡¯Lin had entered the room was the nobles¡¯ turn to be called inside, again from the eldest to the youngest, which made him the last one to be summoned.
After what felt like a long wait, after taking a deep breath for courage, he finally crossed the golden doors, walking down a red carpeted aisle. He didn¡¯t dare raise his head to look at the ones sitting right in front of him, a top a large dais made of pure white stone. Bowing respectfully at his waist he did his best to maintain his back as straight as possible.
¡°Nox ZaiWin respectfully greets the glorious El¡¯Dur and his beloved El¡¯Dai. May they live long and prosper bathed by the golden light of the eternal bright sun,¡± he declared, repeating the words that ZenTar had forced him to say over and over again, wishing to sound as firm and clear as possible, and a soft, female snort echoed throughout the entire room.
¡°It would seem that I was not informed that filth like this had also been invited to attend such an important Gathering,¡± the woman siting beside the El¡¯Dur declared, her soft, red, light gown practically transparent, several streams of red precious stones adorning her head and cascading over her marble forehead.
Unlike her husband¡¯s deep-red hair, hers was of a coppery shade, braided close to her head and then cascading in wide waves down her slender shoulders, her hard, amber eyes staring hatefully at him. Sitting on her lap was a small, red-haired boy of five years of age. All dressed in gold he gave him an innocent smile, one he did not dare correspond.
The El¡¯Dur at her side sighed, the large golden crown that encircled his fiery hair looking too heavy, his red clothes embroidered with golden flames, a sun made of small precious stones glistening over his chest. Like most of his children he had bright green eyes, eyes that were now looking at him as if he¡¯d just seen something disgusting.
¡°There was no other choice. He meets the qualifications,¡± the El¡¯Dur sighed and waved his hand, allowing him to take his place at the back of all the other kids that had entered before him.
Relived that no one had killed him the moment he¡¯d stepped into the room, ZaiWin bowed again and quickly made his way to his predestined place, kneeling on the red satin pillow left empty for him.
¡°It is with great pleasure that we welcome you all to our Royal Palace,¡± the El¡¯Dur declared, his voice strong and confident, his green eyes mirroring the dancing flames that burned in crystal basins around the golden throne. ¡°If you are here today is because you have shown your worth and were deemed qualified to attend this Seventh Year Gathering of Wen. As you all know, this is a very important event that takes place every seven years, offering all the children of our noble Clans of Wen an opportunity to publicly show their worth and to bring glory and honor to their Clans and Provinces. During the next seven days you will all be put to the test in what are known as the seven main areas of physical prowess. But, more than that, you will be tested in your capability to deal with the unknown and to face unexpected events, as well as in your ability to exert absolute control over your daitai. In the end, the three young men or women that manage to get the higher scores will be offered a treasure of their choosing from our royal vault.¡±
At the sound of those words, and even though everyone already knew that that was the tradition, soft murmurs of excitement echoed throughout the entire room. Of course none of them, not even the royal children, had ever seen the wonders that the royal vaults held. But the word was that the best mystical weapons of the Empire were kept there, as well as several other magical artifacts of unknown origins. There was even the rumor that the mystical bracelet of revival and the goblet of death were also amongst the treasures.
¡°The rules of this year¡¯s Gathering will be thoroughly explained by the Yu Calzai of Hao, who will oversee the event and judge your performance,¡± he declared and the woman sitting at his side, the honorable El¡¯Dai, raised her head with a pridefully smile on her face, since the Yu Calzai was none other than her own father. ¡°I wish you all good luck and that the Heavens may watch over you,¡± the El¡¯Dur concluded and all the youths present bowed down, touching their forehead to the stone floor, replying in one voice.
¡°We are grateful for the El¡¯Dur¡¯s kindness and for the El¡¯Dai¡¯s benevolence. That the Twin Suns of Wen may live long and prosper under the eternal bright sun, blessing all of Wen with their radiant light for many years to come.¡±
Raising his head, ZaiWin waited until the others started to get up to follow their example. The last thing he wanted was to become the center of attentions. Several women, wearing simple white gowns that covered them all the way to their bare feet, appeared like magic from both sides of the throne room, their hairs pulled up into a bun, where a thin, transparent veil, that floated down their backs, had been tied to.
Like everyone else, ZaiWin only needed to take one look at them to know that they were Jundai, Priestesses of the Temple. Holding their hands, they surrounded the group of teenage boys and girls, the same gentle but rigid expression on the faces of all of them, almost as if they all wore the same hard mask.
ZaiWin took a deep breath and prepared himself to have his stomach turned inside out.
¡°Glory and fortune to you all!¡± the El¡¯Dur declared, his voice like a roaring thunder and, in the next second, he¡¯d been thrown into a dark, weightless world, which made his body spin back and forth out of control.
Shutting his mouth so he wouldn¡¯t scream at the dizzying, sickening sensation, he could only hope that it would be over soon. And then he was falling and, if he didn¡¯t know any better, he¡¯d be certain that he¡¯d die once he hit the ground.
RTYY 28 - The Rules of the Game
Taking a deep breath, ZaiWin made sure he was still standing and that his feet were firmly planted on hard, solid ground.
The sound of others throwing-up filled his ears, making him feel even worse, but he forced himself to swallow the agonizing feeling and to fight back the urge to follow their example. He¡¯d rather die, he thought, taking another deep breath.
¡°Gather up! Gather up!¡± a voice called and he turned to follow it, making his best to ignore the kid throwing-up right next to him, his bright orange coat with golden stars adorning the shoulders now completely ruined.
As to be expected all the red-heads looked perfectly fine, since they were used to being transported like that from an early age. But the rest ¡ he was sure that for some of them that had even been their first time. Not that he¡¯d had much experience, he sighed, thanking the Heavens for that. But at least he¡¯d known what to expect.
The man standing on top a simple wooden box was already past his middle ages, tall but not as strong-looking as the only other Calzai he knew. More on the lean side, with long coppery hair that reached the middle of his back and an equally long coppery beard that spilled over his chest, he was all dressed in silver-gray and, even though his clothes might look simple, the fabric was clearly smooth and of high quality, glistening under the sunlight that washed over him. His long coat with wide lapels was belted by a silver chain, a thin, long-sword strapped to his back. Two equally armed men stood at each side of him, their legs parted, their hands held beneath their backs, their expressions serious and unapproachable. They both wore green bands on their right arms which identified them as belonging to the Calzai¡¯s personal squad.
¡°My name is YuFan,¡± he announced in a loud, clear, military way, completely ignoring the sounds of people puking all around him. ¡°And it my pleasure to welcome you all to the Seventh Year Gathering of Wen. During the next seven days you will follow my every command and you will do so to the best of your abilities, making sure your every move follows the strict codes of honor and integrity. During this seven days you will be tested in seven most important aspects of survival. Physical Condition, Sword Fighting, Hunting and Fishing, Hand Fighting, Bow and Arrow, Daitai¡¯s Control and Strategy. Though there are seven days and seven aspects, no aspect will be tested individually, so bear in mind that your every move will be carefully observed and taken into account towards your final evaluation.¡±
¡°Every day a list with all the participants¡¯ names will be publicly posted, together with their present ratings, so that you may all have a concrete notion of your global standing. Though you are all of royal and noble blood, during the next seven days you will be just another name under my command. There won¡¯t be privileges or concessions. There won¡¯t be young or old. There won¡¯t be male or female. If you get hurt and can¡¯t keep up with the rest of the group, you will be left behind with enough provisions to ensure your survival until the Gathering is over, time when we¡¯ll circle back and collect you. Your final points will then be the total of points you have amassed until the moment you left the group.¡±
¡°Though some fighting and dueling are expected and even encouraged, in any circumstances are you allowed to use deadly force against other participants. Putting another participant¡¯s life at risk is punishable by immediate disqualification and, depending on the case, can even be punishable by law. You are also not allowed to receive or look for help outside the group of participants. If by any chance you happen to cross paths with any of the local people, you are to politely keep away from them as much as possible. You are not to disturb or interfere with their everyday lives in any way. In the same way, you are not allowed to make use of any servants or retainers that may have followed you here. If you have any questions regarding how you should proceed when facing an unexpected scenery, you are to immediately report to me or to one of my men overseeing the event,¡± he declared in a loud, firm voice, in the same tone a commander might order his men around, and swept the participants with a cold, almost threatening glare. ¡°Are there any questions?¡±
After all he¡¯d said, silence was the only answer he got, the rustling of the wind on the leaves above their heads sounding suddenly loud and strong.
¡°Very well, then. I now pronounce this Seventh Year Gathering of Wen open!¡±
Restless murmurs echoed all around.
¡°Beneath that tree is a pile of backpacks,¡± YuFan declared, pointing out the intended direction, and every head turned towards the indicated way, where a few dozen gray backpacks had been placed on a small pile. ¡°When I say so you must all retrieve one, and only one of them. Inside you will find several objects that will probably be useful to you during these next seven days. You will also find a change of clothes. You will all change into the clothes that are given to you. The white tent is for the girls. The green tend for the boys,¡± he went on, pointing the opposite direction, and they all turned to see two large tents, two sun flags of the Empire floating atop of each one. ¡°Your present clothes are to be left inside those tents. You have five minutes to complete this task. Those of you who return late will receive deduction points.¡± Murmurs of contest rose from the mass of teenagers but the Calzai ignored them, his expression set as if his face were made of stone. ¡°Ready? Go!¡±
Like so many others, ZaiWin didn¡¯t lose time talking or arguing about it, quickly running towards the indicated tree as fast as he could. He didn¡¯t even stop, grabbing a backpack and running towards the opposite direction, towards the green tent.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
When he passed by the place where they had all gathered a few boys and girls were still standing there, arguing the need to change and abandon they rich and beautiful outfits and jewels. He couldn¡¯t care less. In fact, the idea of getting rid that tight jacked only made him run even faster.
He did care, however, about having to get undressed in front of so many other people, he realized when he and a few other boys stormed into the empty tent. Everywhere boys were simply rushing in and taking off their clothes as fast as they could, looking inside of their backpacks for the new ones they would have to wear.
Hurriedly making his way to the back of the tent, he searched his backpack for anything that might look like pieces of clothing, and took out a pair of gray pants, a simply beige tunic and leather belt. Quickly looking around, with his back as pressed against the tent¡¯s fabric as possible, he quickly took off his expensive white jacket and tunic, and swiftly pulled the new one over his head. He sighed in relief when he managed to quickly slip his arms inside it, and hastily went about changing the rest of his clothes as well.
Grabbing his backpack, he ran out of the tent, wondering if he¡¯d be on time, and feeling sorry for the beautiful, uncomfortable jacket that ZenTar had especially provided for him, and that would probably be thrown away together with all the other bright and shiny clothes.
When he reached the gathering place a few others were already there, since he¡¯d lost precious time hesitating about what to do. Even a few girls had been faster than him, most of the kids still breathing hard from having run all the way there.
It was kind of funny and inadequate, he thought, looking at them. They were all now dressed in plain clothes, very similar to what the soldiers wore on the training grounds, but their hairs were still perfectly combed, the gold and precious stones adorning their heads and ears glistening under the sun.
He was glad he had been able to put his foot down about that, he sighed. Not that he didn¡¯t like beautiful and shiny things, or that he couldn¡¯t appreciate how elegant the other boys and girls looked, with their long hairs carefully combed and braided. But his Province was just too poor, with too many urgent matters to solve, like making sure every village had clean water to drink. There was no way he was going to spend precious coin on such unproductive things.
ZenTar, of course, had insisted that he borrowed some of his jewelry that, although obviously not as ostentatious as those of an El¡¯Gin or El¡¯Lin, were still a lot more than he had. But he had terminally refused to do so. Wearing that expensive jacket and the simple feather-shaped, blue hairpin gathering his black hair atop his head, had been the only things he had been willing to compromise with. Even his boots were his everyday boots, none of the shiny and sometimes even silly shoes the others were wearing.
So what if he looked out of place? So what if he looked like the poor kid of the lot? He couldn¡¯t care less about what any of them thought about him. He was long done with worrying about that, with trying to be accepted by them, with trying to please them. And in the end, look at the irony, he thought with a smile. All the fancy clothes had to be left behind. All the shiny, heavy jewelry would only be a hindrance. And all the new shoes would only make their feet hurt and blister.
A shove from behind made him stumble forward and clash against the boy standing right in front of him who, turning around and seeing who it was, immediately gave him an angry glare.
¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he apologized, but before the other boy could say anything his hair was yanked back, forcing him to lift his head and clench his teeth to silence a complain.
¡°You filthy mud-head!¡± came FeiWan¡¯s all too familiar voice, the warmth of his breath against his ear sending a cold shiver of disgust down his back. ¡°How you can stand to look at yourself in the mirror is beyond my understanding! Allowing this filthy hair of yours to grow so long! Your whore of a mother at least had some sense! Always making sure it was kept as short as possible! But don¡¯t worry. I will personally see to it and make sure you are thoroughly reminded of your place, Nox-lor,¡± he added, his words dripping with sarcasm, and finally released him, allowing him to straighten his head.
Looking back, ZaiWin glared at the boy who was only three years older than him, but that, because of that small difference in age, was at least one head taller.
In the past he had always admired him, and he had always been afraid of him. Wen FeiWan, even though not the oldest of the El¡¯Gin, was undoubtedly the most confident, the most outgoing, the most talkative and the most mischievous of the El¡¯Dur¡¯s sons, irreverent and brave, untamed like a true flame. As a child, he had wanted very much to be accepted by him, to be one of the kids that always surrounded him, basking in his bright smile. After all, they always seemed to be having a lot of fun, even if sometimes fun meant being scolded by the Janwan. At the same time, since he had never been accepted and since FeiWan seemed to simply detest him, he had also lived in fear of him, of the way he and his friends always bullied him at every chance they got.
But now all that was in the past, together with his mother, together with his birth name. That had been the tiny world of a sheltered six-year-old boy that, even though he hadn¡¯t really been a happy child, he had still had his mother¡¯s arms to hold him and comfort him, to dry away his tears.
Now all that was gone. In fact it had been gone for a long time and, in the six years since then, he had learned a lot, and seen a lot, and experienced a lot. Now he neither admired or feared any of them, and his cold, hard gaze seemed to catch FeiWan off guard.
¡°We will now proceed to the first location where we will make camp for the night. Please try your best to keep up!¡± the Yu Calzai declared, interrupting all the parallel talks going around, and ZaiWin took a deep breath, reminding himself that he must do his best to survive the next seven days without standing out too much.
Quietly and quickly sliding amongst the crowd, he slipped his backpack into place and followed one of the Calzai¡¯s men, who was already leading them towards the woods. And with every step he took he couldn¡¯t help silently cursing ZenTar for forcing him to attend that stupid Gathering.
RTYY 029 - A Long March
¡°ZaiWin!¡±
He looked back and saw a red-haired girl doing her best to squeeze herself through the crowd and reach him, her pale cheeks blushed, her forehead gleaming with sweat. He halted for a moment, allowing her to catch up with him, and then resumed walking.
¡°Uff!¡± she sighed, wiping her forehead to her tunic¡¯s sleeves. ¡°I finally found you!¡± ZaiWin took a peek at her and she gave him a bright smile. ¡°I saw you before, when we gathered, but then you were gone. You were really fast,¡± she complimented him and looked ahead, at the column marching in front of them. ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll have to walk much longer? I mean, it¡¯s getting kind of dark, and they said that we would still have to make camp. I doubt they¡¯ll have tents ready for us.¡±
He doubted they¡¯d have tents at all, he thought but didn¡¯t say anything, not wanting to discourage her more than she already sounded.
¡°Even if we end up having to march during night hours, we will still be fairly safe. There are no dangerous wild animals in these woods. And we are being guarded by at least two dozen men,¡± he declared, wanting to reassure her, and her blue eyes widened in disbelief.
¡°Really?¡± she wondered, looking left and right as if expecting to see the things he had just mentioned. ¡°You know where we are? And how can you tell about the men? I only see the Yu Calzai and four others from his squad.¡±
¡°Even if you can¡¯t see them, that doesn¡¯t mean they¡¯re not there. And from the sizes of the trees and the moist of the air we¡¯re probably in the forest that makes up the border between the Provinces of Sur and Pon.¡±
¡°Sur?! But isn¡¯t that a Province without Governor?¡± she asked, fear seeping into her words, and he nodded.
¡°So it is. But although they haven¡¯t had an official Governor for a few years now, they still managed to maintain global order. Their villages work almost as independent states and they have formed peaceful relationships with each other, and with the surrounding Provinces. So it remains a relatively peaceful place, free from corruption, war or disease.¡±
He wished his Nox had been so lucky.
NimRen looked at him for a long while and ended up smiling again.
¡°You¡¯ve really grown up. Before you were always blushing, always too shy, afraid to speak your mind,¡± she declared with admiration in her voice and he couldn¡¯t help blush just a little bit at her compliment.
¡°We¡¯re all supposed to grow up.¡±
¡°Well, yeah. I guess so. It¡¯s just that I keep feeling that you¡¯ve changed a lot. Not in a bad way, I mean. It was just unexpected.¡±
Unexpected?! He almost smiled bitterly at the word and had to chew the insides of his mouth to remain silent and not tell her exactly what he thought about that. After all, Wen NimRen had nothing to do with what his life had become, he thought looking up at her, at her bright eyes and beautiful, innocent smile.
¡°You, on the other hand, haven¡¯t change at all,¡± he declared and she immediately pouted.
¡°That¡¯s hardly a nice thing to say about a young lady who you haven¡¯t seen at all in the past six years!¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
He blushed again, suddenly reminded of how much she had actually changed, her body now presenting all the female curves a woman should have, and averted his gaze, fixing his attention on their guide.
¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I mean that you¡¯re still too nice to everyone.¡±
¡°Not everyone!¡± she immediately countered. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other since we were kids. You¡¯re like my little brother.¡±
¡°And that¡¯s another reason why I say you haven¡¯t changed. You still don¡¯t know what¡¯s best for you. If you knew you wouldn¡¯t be hanging around with me.¡±
¡°As if I care about that!¡±
¡°You may not care, but Wen CalWan most certainly will. And FeiWan won¡¯t lose the opportunity to make you pay for it,¡± he declared. What he didn¡¯t tell her was that he, more than her, would have to do the paying.
¡°I can very well deal with my brother. And as for FeiWan he¡¯d better stick to his buddies! Or this time I¡¯ll really get angry at him!¡± she announced, all false bravado, he knew. But he still couldn¡¯t help feeling warm inside at the thought that, even though he was more than aware that she would never be able to, just like before, she still wished to protect him.
¡°Well, if you say so, then let¡¯s deal with them together when the time comes.¡±
She smiled happily and nodded, her expression immediately brightening up.
¡°I¡¯m really glad I had the chance to see you again. At first I didn¡¯t want to attend this Gathering at all. Mother kept telling us that this is all about the honor of the Clan and showing the other Provinces just how strong we are. But every Gathering there a few kids that never make it back. This kind of violent event, I really didn¡¯t want to be apart of it at all. But then I heard that the Governor of Nox would also be coming. I was so happy! I could hardly believe it. All these years I always wanted to get in touch with you, to know how you were doing. But they wouldn¡¯t allow me to even send you a message.¡±
Which was to be expected, he thought, forcing a smile for her benefit.
¡°I¡¯ve been fine. The Province of Nox, though poor, is rather calm and uneventful,¡± he lied. ¡°And ZenTar has been taking care of me. He has taught me all sorts of things, and so I¡¯ve just been living quietly and in peace.¡±
¡°ZenTar?¡± she wondered, frowning even though her smooth forehead refused to form any wrinkles, and then her expression brightened up again. ¡°Oh! I think I remember him! He was that soldier, right? The one that always got in trouble for leaving the training grounds and entering the Inner Palace without authorization. He always went to see you.¡± ZaiWin nodded. ¡°But isn¡¯t he from the Zai Province?¡± He nodded again. ¡°Oh, I see. So he decided to stay with you and help you out,¡± she sighed and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried that you might be all alone.¡±
No, he wasn¡¯t alone. And ZenTar had done much more than simply stay with him and help him. He had saved his life. And he had relinquished everything that was righteously his to become a mere servant, sworn to obey the Governor of the Province of Nox, even though he had been a mere six-year-old child at the time. He knew above anything else that he would never be able to repay that debt.
NimRen took a deep breath and stretched her back.
¡°My feet are starting to hurt. Aren¡¯t we there yet?¡±
He took a look at her, at her pale face. She did look tired. Which was to be expected, since he was sure that NimRen had never been allowed outside the Palace¡¯s training grounds.
Grabbing her backpack he tried to pull it off her frail shoulders.
¡°Give it to me. I¡¯ll carry it.¡±
¡°No way! I can still carry my own things!¡± she argued, holding on to the straps, but he pulled at it again.
¡°Just give it to me. I¡¯ll just carry it for a bit until you get some of your strength back,¡± he retorted and she smiled, her cheeks adorably flushed.
¡°Well, aren¡¯t you the gentlemen,¡± she purred and laughed when he blushed all the way to his ears. Finally yielding, she allowed him to help her take off her backpack, sighing in relief when she straightened her back again. ¡°Thank you. I promise it¡¯s only for a little while.¡±
He nodded, slipping one arm through one of the straps and pulled it over his shoulder, trying to keep up with their guide¡¯s marching speed.
RTYY 030 - Sleeping Accomodations?
By the time they stopped to make camp it had become completely dark, the canopy of the trees above their heads indistinguishable against the black sky. The only light they possessed came from the trembling flames burning over the palms of those who possessed fire daitai which, of course, included all the royals. Even so NimRen hadn¡¯t been able to deny her older brother¡¯s command to rejoin him when he had come for her. And so ZaiWin was left all alone, just another kid amongst the many who were mostly sighing in relief at the announcement that, for now, there wouldn¡¯t be any more marching do be done.
¡°But where are we supposed to sleep?¡± someone asked and multiple heads looked around, searching for something that would look like sleeping accommodations.
¡°Sleep? What about the evening meal? I don¡¯t know about you guys, but I¡¯m starving!¡± another voice countered and voices of agreement sounded everywhere.
¡°If you are all feeling hungry you are free to procure your own food,¡± a strong voice replied and the entire group was immediately silent, turning towards its origin.
The Yu Calzai was once more standing atop of a wood box, his tall and lean figure illuminated by the florescent moss covering the tree trunk behind him.
¡°For those of you who still haven¡¯t had the chance to check it, inside your backpacks you will find a map of the surrounding area. In it we have taken the time and trouble to point out the main watercourses as well as the best hunting and fishing grounds. There are also a few shaded areas that we¡¯ll explain at a latter moment. You are free to explore any of them on your free time. Also, inside your backpacks, you will find all you need to ensure you¡¯ll stay warm through the night. From this moment until the fourth hour after DunDaozao you are free to do as you please. You must, however, be back at the appointed time, and you must spend the night at this location. Failing to do so will result in points being deducted from your score. You are dismissed!¡± YuFan declared, nimbly jumping from the box, the florescent light coming from the moss fading away, and kids everywhere started to rumble through their backpacks, trying to verify their contents.
ZaiWin sighed and pulled the map from inside his tunic where he¡¯d stored it, so it would be easier to reach. He already knew what was inside his backpack, since he¡¯d taken the time to check it while they were on their way. Besides the map, his backpack contained an empty skin flask, a short knife, a glass container with an orienting crystal, and a surprisingly light blanket that, like the Calzai had stated, still seemed warm enough to keep the cold at bay during the night hours.
Taking a look at his map and then at the landscape around him, he quickly oriented himself through the big boulders sticking out of the ground at his left, and quietly made his way towards the closest stream.
Like at least one third of the kids that had attended the Gathering, none of his daitai were able to produce light but, unlike any of other kids, he knew no one would be willing to team up with him. Being the youngest of them all inevitable meant that, in their heads, he was probably the weakest as well. And his hair color clearly marked him as one with a commoner¡¯s background, which meant that no noble kid would want to be seen even talking with him, much less actually associate with him. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the fact that he was perpetually on FeiWan¡¯s black list made it even less likely that anyone would choose to approach him.
Only NimRen was foolish or naive enough to ignore all that, he concluded with a small smile as he recalled her warm words. Even when he¡¯d been younger, she¡¯d always treated him nicely, doing her best to encourage him even though she¡¯d always been a lot weaker and frailer than him. Maybe because she too was different, he considered with a sigh. A royal El¡¯Lin with almost no fire daitai. Of course that hadn¡¯t stopped her mother from loving her and her brother from standing up for her and protecting her from whoever dared bully her. But he still liked to think that they shared that hollowing feeling of being different, and thus not truly accepted by the others.
Reaching the small stream, he took his time filling his water flask and the glass container. The dark crystal inside it immediately glowed a pale blue color, floating at the surface of the water and turning until the marking engraved inside it steadily pointed a single direction.
Happy with his accomplishments, he quickly made use of its pale light to take a better look around, easily finding a large patch of cattails nearby. Making his way to them he tried his best to pull out a few stalks without wetting his clothes too much. These would have to do, he thought, cutting them and washing them so that he¡¯d only keep the stem and rootstock. Filling his backpack with the plants, he started to make his way back to camp, happily chewing on a white stem. Sure they would taste a lot better if he could boil them, maybe make a soup out of them. But no fire meant no way to cook anything. He would have to take that into consideration from now on, when collecting food supplies, since he doubted the Calzai and his men were going to feed them.
When he returned to base camp he was faced with an expected commotion. A bunch of kids, led by an older blond boy, had gathered and were demanding explanations about their present and apparently unacceptable accommodations. However, no royals had join their protest, he noticed, clearly identifying them through the flames they held.
FeiWan was to one side, surrounded by seven or eight kids. CalWan and NimRen stood to another, a group of other three beautiful girls surrounding him eagerly. And the twins were simply nowhere to be seen. Which confirmed what he had suspected all along. They had all been previously informed about what was in stored for them and what to expect. Or else there was no way that FeiWan, proud as he was of his royal status, or even CalWan, obsessive about cleanliness and protective of his little sister as he¡¯d always been, would have easily agreed to sleep out on the cold, hard floor for the next seven days.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Trying his best to go unnoticed, ZaiWin made his way to the opposite side from all of them.
As to be expected it didn¡¯t take long for the Yu Calzai¡¯s patience to run dry.
¡°Silence, you damn brats!¡± he roared to the surprise and outrage of many. ¡°Who do you think you are? You spoiled, obnoxious brats that think that life revolves around pretty clothes and shinny precious stones! Can¡¯t sleep on the floor?? Be thankful that you have a blanket to keep you warm, and these brave men to keep you safe! Do you know how many men like them bleed everyday to keep you damned brats safe inside your big, rich homes? Do hear them complain that they have to sleep on the ground? Do hear them complain that they are cold, or hungry? Do hear them complain when their fathers and brothers die while serving the Empire?¡± he went on, his amber eyes almost incandescent in the dark, his daitai obviously responding to his lost temper. ¡°You will sleep where I tell you to sleep! Or I will bury you in these woods myself! And you call yourselves men and women of noble blood! You are a disgrace, that¡¯s what you are! A bunch of spoiled brats who can¡¯t see anything beyond their own bellybuttons! How can the Empire expect you to lead our Provinces in the future? Were I the El¡¯Dur I would murder you all right now where you stand and be done with it! You¡¯re nothing but a waste of space! Now beat it! Or I will strike you all down no matter who your parents are! Are there any doubts left??¡±
The silence that fell over the entire camp was so deep that not even the sounds of breathing could be heard.
The Yu Calzai glared at them one last time and then turned around, storming out of the camp, closely followed by the two men that seemed to accompany him everywhere he went.
The moment he was apparently out of ear reach, outraged voices slowly filled the night.
¡°How dare he? Who does he thing he is?¡±
¡°That¡¯s right! When my father learns about this he¡¯ll have one or two things to say about this affront!¡±
¡°Yeah! We should just leave! I¡¯m sure the El¡¯Dur has no idea of what this bastard is putting us through. He¡¯d never allow some Calzai to treat us like this!¡±
¡°You¡¯re probably right! Does any one know how we can get out of these woods? If we manage to find our way back to one of the closest villages we could easily call for help. My father will come and get us out of here in no time at all!¡±
¡°It is none of my business, but you should just quit it while you can,¡± a calm voice declared, capturing everyone¡¯s attention. Even ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help feeling surprised at the fact that Wen CalWan had actually decided to take the time to try and dissuade that bunch of idiots, although his green eyes were clearly staring at the whole lot of them with open contempt. ¡°It is widely known that quitting the the Seventh Year Gathering will only bring shame to your Clans.¡±
¡°Are you implying that we should put up with this kind of disrespect? Surely the El¡¯Gin agree with us! Comparing us with mere soldiers? How are we supposed to bear this disrespect?¡±
¡°Why are you wasting your time on this bunch of dumb people, CalWan?¡± FeiWan asked, crossing his arms, raising his head to look down on all those who turned to see who had spoken. ¡°Let them hang themselves if they want to. I absolutely agree with uncle Yu. Stupid people like them, that are too dumb to know how to play along even when their future depends on it, clearly deserve to die! Leading the Empire with morons like them at our service will only make things harder for us.¡±
¡°Service?! How dare you? Sure you¡¯re one of the El¡¯Gin, but you¡¯re hardly the next El¡¯Dur!¡± an older boy with blond hair bravely pointed out. ¡°And when the El¡¯Cal takes the throne you will be just like the rest of us!¡±
FeiWan¡¯s eyes flashed with fury but before he could act on it one of his followers, a golden-brown haired boy with honey-colored eyes, made the roots underground sprout to the surface and wrap themselves around the other boy¡¯s body, squeezing him until he was screaming in pain. Everyone else immediately stepped back, lowering their heads and averting their gaze, unwilling to help him out even though they¡¯d all been complaining in one single voice until just a moment ago
¡°Apologize, you filth!¡± the golden-brown haired boy demanded and the sound of bones breaking echoed in the night making everyone cringe. ¡°Apologize to our El¡¯Gin or I will break every bone in your body!¡±
¡°I am sorry! I am sorry!¡± the older boy shouted and FeiWan nodded, indicating that his follower should release him. Immediately the roots retracted, sliding underground again, and the boy that had been held prisoner inside them fell heavily on the ground, clutching his leg.
¡°We will never be like you! You lousy excuse for a noble! And the title of El¡¯Cal is yet to be granted!¡± FeiWan declared, his voice filled with disdain, and turned around, walking away, closely followed by the other boys that made up his group.
With an alarmed expression, NimRen tried to go and help the fallen boy, but her brother firmly held her back, his expression cold and unforgiving and, for once, ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help but agree with him. People like that one, who thought they were entitled to say and do whatever they want just because they¡¯d been lucky enough to be born to a noble Clan, didn¡¯t deserve her help at all.
Sitting down with his back against a tree, he finished nibbling his cattail¡¯s stem and took out his blanket, wrapping himself in it as best as he could. With a second thought he took out the knife as well, keeping it within reach, and closed his eyes, trying to get some rest. He was sure the following days would be even more tiring.
The next morning the boy with the broken leg became the first member of the group to be left behind. And no one, not even those who had supported him the night before and had wanted to quit the Gathering, showed any signs of sympathy, much less offered to remain with him. Making sure he had enough water and food to last him for the next seven days, he was simply left there, alone, as everyone turned their backs on him to follow the Yu Calzai into another exhausting march.
RTYY 031 - A Forced Cold Bath
¡°Did you manage to get any sleep?¡±
ZaiWin nodded.
¡°I was awake most of the night. I always thought that night hours were the quietest of all. Never thought they¡¯d be so frighteningly noisy,¡± Wen NimRen sighed and he nodded again.
¡°I felt the same,¡± he confessed. ¡°Though I did manage to get some rest I kept waking up and looking around.¡±
¡°Me too!¡± she declared, obviously happy that she hadn¡¯t been the only one. ¡°So you had never slept outside?¡±
¡°I have, but always inside tents.¡±
¡°You have?!¡±
Her blue eyes widened in disbelief and he couldn¡¯t help feeling slightly embarrassed. She¡¯d sounded so natural when asking him that question that he¡¯d forgotten that, of course, sheltered as she¡¯d always been, there was no way she would have ever had such an experience. More than that, she had clearly never conceived that he might have done so. Not that sleeping outside was such an extraordinary thing, he added in his thoughts.
¡°Why? How was it? Weren¡¯t you scared?¡± she bombarded him in one breath, her cheeks flushing from excitement, and he averted his gaze.
¡°It was normal, I guess. Besides ZenTar was always with me, so it wasn¡¯t scary at all. Nox has vast inhabited stretches of land and it takes a long time to travel from one village to the other. ZenTar wanted to make sure I personally knew my own land and so we went traveling for more than one year.¡±
¡°Really? That sounds so amazing! I wish they would allow me to travel across Won like that. Won has been in our Clan¡¯s care for many generations, but I¡¯ve never went anywhere but the Capital,¡± she sighed with a depressed expression on her beautiful face and he couldn¡¯t help smile.
Of course she hadn¡¯t, he thought. But the mere fact that she showed an interest in knowing more about her own Province, even though she was one of the El¡¯Lin, just went to show what he already knew, that Wen NimRen was truly a kind and gentle girl.
¡°I¡¯m sure you will, some day. Maybe once you get married they¡¯ll allow you more freedom.¡±
¡°Maybe ¡ Though I really wish I didn¡¯t have to get married just for that ¡¡±
Seeing that she looked even more depressed than before, ZaiWin reached inside his backpack and pulled out two cattails¡¯ rhizomes handing her one.
¡°What¡¯s this?¡±
¡°Food. And last night¡¯s leftovers,¡± he declared, already chewing on one them, and NimRen looked at the whitish root-like thing in her hands, finally giving it a try after obvious careful consideration. Her frowned, suspicious expression made him smile, until she was actually able to taste it.
¡°Hum, it actually doesn¡¯t taste bad. And it¡¯s a bit sweet.¡±
¡°It¡¯s good to fill your stomach.¡±
She nodded in agreement, taking another small bite.
When they reached the secondary location it was well past midday and everyone was beyond tired, the increasing heat leaving them sweaty and thirsty.
¡°We will stop here for the day. You have until the ninth hour after ManDaozao to rest and take care of whatever tasks you deem necessary. At the ninth hour after ManDaozao you will report here without delay and we will start our first formal competition,¡± the Calzai announced and this time no one dared question or challenge his command.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Since NimRen had apologetically left him to rejoin her brother, ZaiWin went in search of fresh water to refill his flask. He also needed to procure something to eat, and he felt so hot and sweaty that he couldn¡¯t help wishing he could jump into the next puddle of water he found on his way.
Making use of his orientation crystal and the map he¡¯d been giving, finding one of the small streams that ran close by wasn¡¯t hard at all. Now if only there were some fruit trees around, he wondered, looking up at the trees surrounding him. Not that he had never eaten raw fish, he considered again, looking at the crystalline water where silvery forms kept swimming by. But he¡¯d much rather eat some apples or nuts. On the other hand he wasn¡¯t sure he would be able keep his strength up if he only ate that during the next seven days.
A hard push on his back made him fall head-first into the stream, the cold water quickly seeping through his clothes, making him shiver. The sound of laughter filled his ears before he could even turn back, fists clenched to his side, ready to defend himself from any further attacks.
A group of three teenage boys and two girls was staring mockingly at him from the bank of the stream, eyes filled with contempt. But there were no red-heads amongst them, he noticed to his surprise.
¡°What do you want?¡± he demanded, since they just kept staring, and the blond boy in the front crossed his arms with a sneer.
¡°Want?! Nothing, really. Just trying to do our duty and dispose of some low grade garbage.¡±
Anger heated ZaiWin¡¯s stomach and he almost sent them all flying back, away from him. But then ZenTar¡¯s voice echoed in his head.
Always think twice before you raise your hand, even when you¡¯re sure that you will win the battle in front of you. You need to think further ahead than that and weight if today¡¯s victory will not become a big disadvantage in the future.
Taking a deep breath he forced himself to relax.
Above all never allow anger to take control over your actions.
When it finally subsides I assure you you won¡¯t like what you¡¯re left with.
Wiping water from his face he stood up, squeezing the hem of his tunic. Well he really had wished he could go for a swim.
¡°Is that all?¡± he asked, untying his hair so he could redo his ponytail, and the blond boy frowned, clearly displeased with his calm and unconcerned demeanor.
¡°You mark my words! I will beat you up to a bleeding pulp before the Gathering is over!¡± he practically growled, even though ZaiWin had never even seen him before, or at least he didn¡¯t think he had ¡
Sighing deeply he shrugged. It was no use, he knew all too well. In the past he¡¯d spent endless hours trying to understand why people seem to hate him after just taking a glance at him. Now he really couldn¡¯t care less.
¡°Yeah, you are welcome to try. Though I should warn you that there¡¯s probably a long queue for that. You¡¯ll have to stand in line,¡± he declared with a mocking smile and the blond boy grounded his teeth, taking a furious step towards him, that was, of course, stopped by two of his friends.
¡°You filthy piece of trash! We¡¯ll see who has to stand in line! I¡¯ll make sure to beat you so hard that you¡¯ll never walk straight again!¡±
¡°Leave it, CarFan. If you fight him here the Calzai will most certainly interfere. He¡¯s not worth it, getting in trouble because of him. Later. Later we¡¯ll take care of him.¡±
CarFan snorted, giving him a hateful glare, and stormed away, followed by all the other boys and girls who took the time to, in turns, offer him similar glares before they left.
With a sigh ZaiWin stepped out of the water. He really wished he could simply take off his wet clothes and go for a swim, but he would never dare undress himself where he knew others could creep up on him at any moment. And so his only option was to stay wet until his clothes dried on his body. At least it was hot, he thought, checking his backpack to make sure his map hadn¡¯t gotten too wet.
¡°Guess I¡¯m not the only one who hates your guts!¡± a voice declared, sending shivers down his spine, and he slowly turned back to be faced with FeiWan¡¯s bright green eyes.
Of all the people in that Gathering, even counting the adults, no one left him more on edge than FeiWan. And sure, he knew that there were probably others stronger than him. CalWan, for once. But the depths of FeiWan¡¯s hatred for him ran so deep that it was like poison, spreading in the air around him, making it hard to breathe.
¡°I¡¯d really watch my back, if I were you, mud-head! Every Gathering there¡¯s a few kids who never go back. You know. Accidents and all that,¡± he added with a cold smile and simply walked away, calmly turning his back on him.
RTYY 032 - From Treetop to Treetop
They gathered again in front of the small wood box where the Calzai stood with a proud but cold demeanor.
After making sure that this time everyone had followed his instructions, the Yu Calzai cleared his throat and raised his strong voice.
¡°Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. We will now begin today¡¯s event. May I call your attention to the two white flags placed over there,¡± he declared, pointing to his side, and they all turned to see two flags planted on the ground, set apart almost like a gateway leading into the shadowy woods.
¡°Beyond that line, and inside the area shadowed in red on your maps, several tokens similar to this one have been hidden and placed in a strategical places,¡± he went on, showing them what looked like a metal coin the size of the palm of a hand, printed with the eight-rayed sun of the Wen Empire.
¡°Your task is to collect as many tokens as you can. You have until the first hour after DunDaozao to do so, time when you must be back on camp and present your tokens for counting. The use of daitai is allowed. But you are not allowed to injure any of your fellow participants in any way. You are free to leave whenever you¡¯re ready. We wish you all good luck and a good hunt. You are dismissed.¡±
Most of the kids immediately ran towards the start line and into the woods. ZaiWin watched them go from a distant and safe place. The last thing he wanted was to be alone in the middle of a crowd he knew wouldn¡¯t think twice before beating him to an inch of his life.
Once everything went quiet he finally made his way to the flags, carefully keeping watch of his surroundings, making sure no one would catch him by surprise. He could hear voices at a distance, shouting back and forth, but thankfully there was no one close enough that he could actually see.
Strolling down the shadowy path he sighed.
He couldn¡¯t care less about that useless competition. He may as well spend his time looking for food, he decided looking up at the trees. It wasn¡¯t as if he had any chances of winning, since he was sure the royals would have countless kids giving them their tokens in hopes to attain their favor. On the other hand, ZenTar had always called him a sore-loser. And so, even though he had no chance to win, he still didn¡¯t want to end the competition completely empty-handed.
Finding a walnut tree he smiled and quickly started to climb it. It was just the right season, he thought, pulling himself upward. If only Nox didn¡¯t have such hot summers, when water was scarce to put it mildly, he¡¯d make sure they planted a lot of walnuts, and almonds, and other such trees. Their nuts not only were delicious they were also very nutritious, much more so than regular fruits like oranges and apples.
Quickly filling his backpack with the round nuts, he was wondering where he could find a smooth rock where to crack them open, when a glint of silver caught his eye. Pulling his backpack on, he crawled on his hands and knees across a wide branch. And there it was, amongst the leaves, a round silvery coin imprinted with a sun.
Collecting it he quickly looked around and noticed a rope tied around the large tree trunk, and something that looked very much like a small wooden platformed nailed to the next tree. Unwrapping the rope, he pulled on it several times to test it, and then grabbed it firmly, jumping from the tree, swinging himself towards the wooden platform. He sighed in relief when he managed to safely reach it and, crouching low, looked around, searching, until he found another token.
Standing up, ZaiWin took a closer look at the surrounding trees. Here and there he could see that other platforms had been assembled, there were also rough, handmade stairs and a few planks stretching from one tree to another like wooden bridges.
So they had built a path through the tree¡¯s canopies, he concluded with a smile, holding on to the tree trunk to pass from one branch to the other. That was just perfect. He was sure that very few people would notice it and even less would choose to take it. And he¡¯d be much safer up there, with the added bonus that he would still manage to collect a few tokens in the process. All he had to do was be careful not to fall, he told himself looking down at the ground far below his feet. If he didn¡¯t die from it, he¡¯d most certainly die during the following days, once they left him behind.
ZaiWin spent the rest of the competition jumping from tree to tree like some wild animal, making use of whatever means they¡¯d left for him. Still, it was far from being an easy task and, for more than once, he was sure that his short height would be the death of him, since there were a lot of situations when his hands could hardly reach the next branch, or his legs were just too short to allow him to jump as far as he would have liked to.
The sudden shrieking sound of screaming captured his attention, making him turn back.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.
It wasn¡¯t the first time he heard or saw other kids. When that happened he¡¯d always remain as quiet as possible, watching them from above, not wanting to reveal his presence. But this ¡ this was different. And so he tried his best to pass from the tree where he now stood to the one behind him, and that had clearly been excluded from the path that had been previously built.
With a deep breath for courage he ran across the branch and jumped, barely holding on the next branch, his hands hurting from the impact, his fingers almost giving in. Clenching his teeth, he exerted all his strength to pull his legs up and lace them around the branch, so he could finally exhale in relief. Pulling himself up he finally crossed the branch and made his way to the other side.
Passing from that tree to the next one, and from there to the next one was thankfully much easier, the screams growing closer and closer, two distinct voices begging for help.
Finally reaching the area, ZaiWin lay down on the branch and peered down.
The first thing he saw were two red heads. They were both sitting on a large boulder, as if they had decided to take a rest, and they were both calmly looking down a deep hole.
He recognized the twins immediately. Even though they were brother and sister they were so alike that they could easily pass for one another if they dressed the same clothes, which was presently the case. But what shocked him the most were the two boys at the bottom of the hole, screaming for their lives, screaming in pain, since their bodies had been stabbed by numerous thin, pointy wood stakes.
There was blood everywhere, he thought with a shiver, seeing as they could hardly breathe, coughing and choking on their own blood. Not that he was new to blood and death. He¡¯d seen plenty of that in the past six years. But it still horrified him at a deeper level that he had never shared with anyone, not even with ZenTar. And yet, more than the blood, the most disturbing thing was the calm, indifferent expression on the twins¡¯ faces. They were clearly not going to help them. And looking at them he was sure that the trap that had victimized the two boys had been of their own doing.
Even when they¡¯d been younger, the twins had always been weird. Only one year older than him, Wen LinWan and Wen GinWan never interacted much with the other children, keeping mostly to themselves, talking to each other in some weird language no one else seemed to understand. Although, unlike FeiWan and CalWan, they had never actually picked on him, they had always glared at him with a cold and creepy expression, as if they were imagining ways to torture or punish him and finding comfort in their fertile imagination. They had been known for being especially cruel towards animals, and they had even dared kill one to the El¡¯Dai¡¯s favorite horses and open it up just to see what it looked like on inside, or so they had said. That during the last six years they¡¯d upgraded from animals to people, though appalling, was hardly unexpected.
Keeping as quiet as possible ZaiWin simply lay there, watching until the screaming finally subsided and the two boys drew their last breaths. There was no way he could have beaten GinWan and LinWan, even if he had wanted to save them, even if they were salvageable, which was hardly the case.
You have to stop thinking with your heart and start thinking with your head! What¡¯s the use of killing yourself trying to save them when they¡¯re already dead?, ZenTar¡¯s angry voice echoed in his head. What if you die? Who will save all the others that can actually be saved? No matter how strong you are there¡¯s no way you can help all of them! And you¡¯re still just a weak kid! If you really want to help your people you have to live for a very long time! So stop with the egoic, self-centered act, wanting to be some kind of hero, and use your brains! That¡¯s why you have them!
Only after the two inside the hole finally went silent did the twins stood up, peering down one last time, before calmly making their way into the woods.
Since the appointed time drew closer, ZaiWin decided it was better to start making his way back to the camp. Still he refused to leave the treetops until the last minute. Besides the twins¡¯ cruel trap, he¡¯d seen enough stealing and extortion to know that it was hardly safe to stay on the ground. He only wished he could jump from treetop to treetop all the way the safety of the camp.
Making sure no one was around and keeping in sight the Calzai¡¯s men expecting them by the flags, he finally slid down the tree and dashed at full speed towards the finish line. He was gasping and out of breath when he reached it, but at least he hadn¡¯t been intercepted by anyone. Handing them the thirty-seven tokens he¡¯d managed to gather, he could finally sigh in relief.
By the time the appointed hour arrived only thirty of the thirty-six kids that had taken part of the event were back. Half an hour later another boy returned, limping severely, his ankle swollen and purple.
Since no one else came back the Calzai¡¯s men left the camp to look for the rest. So they didn¡¯t know where they were, ZaiWin thought watching them go. Which meant that, although they were there to keep them safe, they weren¡¯t really watching them that closely.
They returned a few hours later, carrying a crying blond girl on one of the men¡¯s back. Apparently she¡¯d fallen, trying to jump over a ditch, and broke her leg. Of the other four there was no sign and the searches would go on during the night.
ZaiWin took a peak at the score sheet nailed to a tree and sighed.
The six that hadn¡¯t been able to comply with the schedule had all been attributed zero points. Penalty points from delays on the fulfillment of yesterday¡¯s tasks had also been accounted. And so, overall, his thirty-seven tokens had landed him in tenth place. Not that it matter either way.
As expected, with a total of one-hundred-and-seven tokens, CalWan had taken the lead, closely followed by FeiWan with one-hundred-and-five. NimRen had placed third, with ninety-eight, and the twins both had gathered ninety-three tokens each. The gap between the royals and the nobles was clear, since the sixth place, a boy named FonRou from the Province of Pon, had totaled only forty-six tokens.
RTYY 033 - A Fiery Gift
ZaiWin was considering where to safely spend the night when a warm hand landed on his shoulder, startling him. Spinning around, he immediately relaxed at the sight of Wen NimRen¡¯s gentle smile.
¡°I didn¡¯t see you the entire day. I was worried something might have happened ¡¡± she added in a low voice.
¡°I¡¯m fine. Please don¡¯t worry.¡±
¡°Yes, I can see that,¡± she declared looking up at the scores. ¡°Tenth place. Not bad at all.¡±
¡°Look who¡¯s talking,¡± he retorted and she blushed, averting her gaze.
¡°As if I could take any of the merit. You know my brother would never stand to see me placed lower than that. In truth I didn¡¯t do much of anything ¡¡±
Of course he knew that. Neither she nor any of the royals had gathered all those tokens all by themselves. Taking into account how well they¡¯d been hidden, it would be simply impossible to gather so many of them in such a short amount of time. So it was obvious that other kids had gathered them for them. Which was hardly against the rules, he thought. In fact the Calzai had never said anything against people working together, or even stealing other people¡¯s tokens. He¡¯d only stated that they couldn¡¯t injure one another.
¡°I wonder what happened to the four that are missing ¡¡± NimRen sighed, her face growing a shade paler when the twins silently walked by, side by side like two synchronized copies. ZaiWin also followed them with his gaze.
So they knew, he concluded bleakly. It was clear that NimRen had immediately suspected the two of them, and the fact that such a horrible thought had crossed her mind could only mean that the twins¡¯ ¡ twisted games had become widely known, at least amongst the royals.
Well, he didn¡¯t have to wonder about what had happened to two of the missing kids. He¡¯d seen it with his own eyes. And yes, NimRen was probably right. The other two had probably fallen victims of a similar fate. He was sure that the Calzai¡¯s men would eventually find their bodies. After all, it wasn¡¯t as if they¡¯d taken the time to hide them or dispose of them. They had just left them there, out in the open. He just didn¡¯t know what the men would do once they found them.
Taking a deep breath, as if that could expel the dark thoughts from her head, NimRen held his hand and, with a renewed smile, quickly pulled him to one side.
¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked and she looked back at him, a happy, almost excited expression on her face.
¡°I have something for you.¡± He frowned suspiciously but still followed her. ¡°But you have to promise me that you¡¯ll keep it a secrete from my brother. He¡¯ll kill me if he finds out.¡±
¡°Then maybe you shouldn¡¯t give it to me.¡±
¡°Nonsense! Those are two completely different things!¡±
Once they¡¯d stepped a few ways away from the camp, enough to be hidden from unwanted eyes by the shadowy trees, NimRen finally stopped, releasing his hand, and looked for something inside her backpack.
¡°I¡¯ve been watching you and I noticed you haven¡¯t been using your fire daitai,¡± she started and he couldn¡¯t help taking a step back, his entire body tense, ready for a fight. ¡°I don¡¯t know why. I remember you used to control them rather well. But I also know that when we practice other daitai too much the less used ones can go dormant for a while. And so I did this for you,¡± she declared with a smile, showing him a small crystal with an orange-fiery marking engraved inside it. Like the orienting crystal, the marking had a gentle glow to it, and he immediately recognized it as one of the royal daitai of fire that only the direct descendants of the El¡¯Dur carried on their bodies since birth. ¡°I had a lot of free time on my hands today, so I spent it imprinting it on this crystal. It is only one of the weakest daitai and, since I didn¡¯t have a lot of time, it will probably only last a few days. But, until then, you can use it to light a fire anywhere you need.¡±
ZaiWin looked at the crystal, his throat tightening at the sight of the beautiful fiery lines. For more reasons than he could list he wished he could grab it and throw it as far away as he could. But NimRen had spent the entire day charging that crystal especially for him, and he knew that imprinting a marking into a crystal, even a weak one like that, could be very tiring. And she was right. A way to make fire would really come in handy.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
You damn kid! Do you still think of yourself as some kind of rich, pampered lordling? Do you still think that others will come and save you, and help you, and solve your problems for you? Wake up! So what if you have to beg for help? So what if you have to bow in gratitude when others help you? Is pride going to feed you? Is pride going to feed your people? Or are you intending to be the prideful lord of a barren land full of people starving to death? If you need help and there¡¯s someone willing to help you just accept it and be thankful for that!
With ZenTar¡¯s severe words ringing in his ears he smiled bitterly and accepted her gift.
¡°Thank you.¡±
NimRen smiled happily and nodded in approval.
¡°It was nothing. I just wish you could join us. You¡¯re always on your own ¡¡± she breathed with a sorrowful expression that immediately renewed his smile.
¡°I don¡¯t mind it. I¡¯m used to it.¡± She gave him an inquisitive look. ¡°Well, there aren¡¯t any kids my age, back in Nox. Only old men and old women. So I¡¯m normally on my own,¡± he explained, which she seemed to naturally accept. What he didn¡¯t tell her was that even when he¡¯d lived in the palace, surrounded by other kids his age, he¡¯d still been alone. And that he¡¯d much rather be alone than have to watch his back every waking moment.
¡°So, have you learned to control all your daitai?¡±
He averted his gaze and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn¡¯t like to talk about his daitai. Were she any other person he would have already told her that that was none of her business. But he could hardly be rude to her when, unlike all the others, she¡¯d always treated him with nothing but kindness and respect.
¡°All but one.¡±
¡°Really?!¡± Her beautiful blue eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°I still can¡¯t control three of mine, and I¡¯m four years older than you! You¡¯re really amazing!¡±
¡°That only means your markings are more powerful than mine. Age has nothing to do with it.¡±
She ruffled his hair, releasing his hairpin in the process, the blue metallic feather sliding down his smooth hair, and he couldn¡¯t help but just stand there, completely petrified, dark locks of hair falling over his shoulders, partially covering his face.
¡°Just look at you!¡± she laughed, winking. ¡°All smooth talk, just like a grown-up!¡± He blushed, tucking his hair behind his ears, and couldn¡¯t help smile. For a moment he had actually expected her to scorn him for how darker his hair looked when falling loose down his back and chest. ¡°If you were a bit older I¡¯d probably ask you to marry me. Then we could both go on a trip, and get to know Nox and Won together,¡± she sighed, playing with the blue hairpin between her fingers, and he quickly snatched it back, turning around to tie his hair up again.
¡°Don¡¯t be silly. They would murder us both before they¡¯d allow that to happen.¡± And for more than one reason!
NimRen laughed nervously.
¡°You¡¯re probably right. My brother would certainly be the first one in line. But if we really could get married, just think how much fun we would have.¡±
As if life could ever be about having fun, he thought, but, once more, didn¡¯t want to ruin NimRen¡¯s dreamy state of mind. Tossing the crystal she¡¯d given him in the air and catching it again, he turned to her with a renewed smile.
¡°Thanks a lot for this. It will really come in handy. But now you should probably go back, before your brother comes looking for you.¡± Which would undoubtedly happen, and which would only get him into trouble.
NimRen¡¯s forced smile told him that she had just thought the same.
¡°And you?¡±
¡°I still want to look for something to eat. Now that I can light a fire I¡¯m kind of eager to catch some fish.¡±
Her smile immediately brightened up and she nodded, the precious stones still attached to her hair glistening in the dark.
¡°I¡¯ll see you later, then.¡±
He nodded and stood there, watching her go, before he turned around and made his way towards a wider stream he¡¯d found during the day.
Even though his legs and arms ached from all the climbing and jumping from tree to tree, that night ZaiWin slept way up, above the ground, sitting on a sturdy branch, his back against a tree trunk. He¡¯d much rather spend the night taking care not to fall from a tree than spend it being afraid someone might sneak on him and stab him to death. Since the first competition had ended the hateful glares his way had doubled. Some of the kids that had simply ignored him seemed to suddenly have realized that he was actually among them, to the point that he was really regretting not having thrown away half of his tokens.
Once morning came orders to move out echoed throughout the entire camp. Apparently they¡¯d spend the rest of the days like this, marching during the morning and having competitions in the afternoon. As he¡¯d guessed, no one provided them with any food or even a change of clothes, which meant that sometime during that day he¡¯d have to wash his tunic and pants.
The two injured kids, the boy with the twisted ankle and the girl with the broken leg, were left behind, but this time another boy from the same Clan as the girl offered to stay with them. As for the four missing kids no one said a single word, even though whispers kept traveling back and forth as people tried to guess what had happened to them.
RTYY 034 - Drawing Lots
By the time they reached their next camping site everyone was so tired that all they wanted to do was lie down and simply remain as still as possible for the rest of the day. They had to climb most of the way and, that added to the badly slept nights and the scarce food supplies they managed to gather, tiredness was finally catching up with them. Still they all assembled at the ninth hour after ManDaozao just like the day before.
¡°Today you will all draw lots. We will be staging an old good, traditional sword fighting tournament,¡± the Calzai declared to the excitement of some and to disappointment of others.
¡°There will be four different arenas and you will have to fight one duel in each one of them. For that you will be divided in eight groups, and draw lots again every time you reach a different arena in order to decide your adversary. The fact that you belong to the same group does not mean you won¡¯t fight each other. You will not, however, fight the same person twice. Since the numbers don¡¯t add up, three of my men, MaoZao, FanSai and RouZen,¡± he enunciated and three men stepped forward at the sound of their names. ¡°will join the competition to fill in the blanks. To make things fair, and taking into account that you¡¯re all still just a bunch of brats, they will follow a different set of rules, granting you a handicap of their own choosing. The rules of the duels are easy enough to understand, so please do make sure you follow them!¡± he declared with a threatening glare and ZaiWin could almost swear that he¡¯d been staring at the twins, both standing to one side, apparently unwilling to mingle with the rest of the group.
¡°Since this is a sword contest the use of daitai is forbidden. We will provide the swords and no other weapon will be allowed. You will all start with eight points. One victory means you add one point. One defeat means you lose one point. If there¡¯s a draw both contestants won¡¯t lose or gain any points. Draws are called when both contestants lose their weapons at the same time, be it because they were disarmed or because the sword became damaged and is useless as a weapon. No swords will be replaced during the entire competition, so make sure you keep that in mind and that you take care of them accordingly. Lastly, even though we allow minor injuring, deadly or maiming blows will result in the immediate termination of the duel and the penalization of the perpetrator with the reduction of five points. Are there any doubts?¡±
Everyone remained silent, even though ZaiWin could see some blank, lost expressions here an there.
So killing and severely injuring was not allowed, but the only punishment was a deduction of five points? ZaiWin frowned. Before they¡¯d been told that they¡¯d be disqualified for the entire Gathering, that they could even be punished by law, if they killed someone. Apparently the ¡°not allowed¡± this time around wasn¡¯t as forbidding as it sounded.
¡°If there are no doubts quickly line up so you can draw your lot and know which group you will belong to,¡± the Calzai went on. ¡°Once you¡¯ve drawn your lot and received your sword, gather beneath the corresponding symbols nailed to those trees. What are you waiting for? Move it!¡±
As if they¡¯d all been shouted awake, everyone started forming a line.
As to be expected the first ones to draw lots were the royals, and they proudly made their way to their designated places. NimRen beneath the cloud, CalWan and LinWan under the mountain symbol, FeiWan and GinWan next to what looked to be water. Apparently none of them had drawn a tree.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
The rest of the kids quickly followed their example.
It was almost ZaiWin¡¯s turn when someone grabbed him by his shoulder and pulled him back, making him fall on his bottom. Looking up he was faced with a bunch of boys staring mockingly down at him, one of which he easily identified as the kid from the other day, the one they¡¯d called CarFan.
¡°Know your place, filth! How dare you stand in front of us?¡± he spat and ZaiWin simply lowered his head, holding his tongue until they were gone. His hands itched with how much he wished he could send them all flying, but he knew better than that. And he would not risk everything that ZenTar and him had tried so hard to build during the last six years, just because he couldn¡¯t take some spoiled brat¡¯s insult.
Standing up, he dusted off his clothes and went back to the end of the line.
Being the last one, even before he¡¯d pulled one of the four remaining sticks, he already knew he wouldn¡¯t be joining the tree group, since they already totaled eight elements. And his heart almost stopped beating when he looked down at the three black waves painted on his stick.
Holding his sword, that was exactly the same as everyone else¡¯s, he forced himself to make his way to his designated group, all the while trying his best not to look up. He could already feel it, FeiWan¡¯s hateful glare locked on him.
The three men the Calzai had nominated to participate on the event also took one stick each, one of them, FanSai if he was not mistaken, inevitably ending in his group as well.
With dark-brown hair and dark-brown eyes, all dressed in black from head to toe, he was an even sorer thumb than him, amongst all those light-haired kids. The fact that he held a noble name, however, said more than enough about his worth and valor as a soldier, since it had probably been granted to him as a sign of recognition for his courage and service. ZenTar had told him about them, commoners with noble names, and that that was practically the only way a commoner would be able rise to a noble¡¯s stand, short of being lucky enough to end up married to one.
¡°As you may have noticed, some of you drew a white symbol, while others have a black one. This will determine your rotation groups. Each group will be accompanied by one of my men throughout the entire competition. Their role is to act as judges and to make sure all rules are followed,¡± the Calzai declared and two men approached ZaiWin¡¯s group, both wearing armbands with waves imprinted on them, the only difference being that one was black with white waves and the other white with black waves.
¡°You may now proceed to your designated arenas. May you all fight with courage and bravery. Good luck.¡±
¡°If you¡¯d please follow us,¡± one of the men politely said, and they all obeyed in silence, ZaiWin trying his best to keep as far away from the two royals as possible.
Watching them from behind, and even discarding the fact that GinWan was shorter than FeiWan since he was two years younger than his brother, they still didn¡¯t look anything alike.
FeiWan¡¯s hair was a deep, blood-red color, while GinWan¡¯s was a golden-red, almost coppery shade. Even though they were both still growing up, it was clear that FeiWan had an athletic build, his skin clearly burned from long hours under the sun, even though he¡¯s fair complexion would never allow him to have a real tan. GinWan, on the other hand, was the slender type, with long arms, long legs, long fingers, his skin so pale that it was almost bluish, dark circles shadowing his face beneath his eyes. If not for the general red hair and green eyes that characterized most of the El¡¯Dur¡¯s descendants no one would have ever believed that they shared a single drop of blood. Walking side by side they acted as if they were total strangers.
Besides those two and FanSai, there were still three other boys and one girl in their group, all at least four to five years older than him, which wasn¡¯t hard, since he was the youngest of them all.
RTYY 035 - First Duel
When they finally reached their destination, ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help gape in astonishment. The sound of raging water filled his ears and he had to tilt his head back to be able to look up at the huge waterfall to their left. The water fell with such strength and volume, jumping from stone to stone, that it turned completely white, small rainbows forming here and there. So much water, when his Nox had close to none.
Floating on the wide river at the bottom of the waterfall a few, rather small, wooden platforms had been placed, constantly wavering and shifting as the water ran past them. Cutting the rushed flow of the water were also some larger rocks that, completely wet, glistened under the sun.
¡°This will be the arena for your first matches!¡± one of their guides shouted so that everyone could hear him above the roaring sound of the waterfall. ¡°In this black bag there are eight rocks painted with four different colors. You are to chose one!¡±
As to be expected FeiWan was the first to step forward, blindly sticking his hand inside the bag and taking out a blue rock. Two of the other boys quickly followed his example.
Since no one else seemed to want to to take their turn, GinWan standing to one side absentmindedly watching the waterfall, ZaiWin took a deep breath and stuck his hand inside the bag, praying all along that his stone would be any color but blue. As he pulled it out a deep relief washed over him at the sight of bright red.
One of the other boys had also pulled out red, he noticed, immediately focusing on the combat ahead, trying to gather as much information as possible about his opponent.
¡°Yellows, please step forward!¡± one of the Calzai¡¯s men demanded once everyone had taken their turn, and FanSai and the girl obeyed, each holding their swords. ¡°You are not allowed to touch anything outside the river¡¯s limits. You can use whatever stand you deem useful as long as it is in the water. If you want to give up all you have to do is shout I surrender! Any questions?¡±
They both shook their heads, the girl obviously nervous, her hand shaking as she squeezed her sword.
¡°As an handicap I will not move from the place where I will be standing on once the duel begins. Is that suitable?¡± FanSai asked in a calm, detached voice, and the girl blushed, nodding.
¡°You may take your positions!¡±
At the sound of those words FanSai nimbly jumped into the river landing on the closest boulder. From there he jumped again, from wooden platform to wooden platform, until he reached one floating in the middle of the river, his entire body swaying in every direction, up and down. Still his stance was firm, his legs flexed, his sword raised, almost as if he and the wooden board beneath his feet were one and the same.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Taking a deep breath and with a resigned expression on her face, the girl tried to mimic him but immediately almost fell, slipping on the smooth surface of the first rock she landed on.
Forget not moving from where he stood. Even if FaiSan weren¡¯t holding a sword, it was clear that Calza¡¯s man was way stronger than her.
¡°Such a shame we won¡¯t be crossing swords this round,¡± FeiWan whispered, standing right next to ZaiWin, leaving him tense and holding his breath. ¡°But looking at your dumb expression I can see you¡¯re actually relieved, you useless coward,¡± he sneered and ZaiWin forbade himself to acknowledge his presence in any way, focusing on the duel about to begin. ¡°Nothing would give me more pleasure than to wipe the floor with your face.¡±
¡°Begin!¡± shouted one of the Calzai¡¯s men when the girl finally managed to stand somewhat still on one of the platforms and, just as he¡¯d declared, FanSai just stood there, unmoving, waiting.
The girl tried to balance herself, arms flying back and forth, the sword looking more like a huge stick in her hands than a noble weapon.
Stumbling forward, she took advantage of the motion to grab her sword with both hands and jump. Shouting more out of desperation than in an attempt to sound threatening, she did her best and tried to attack her opponent.
FanSai barely spared a glance her way, swinging his sword in an ascendant circle. The clash of the two blades reverberated louder than the waterfall, making those who stood watching cringe in reflex. As to be expected, the girl immediately released her sword, the shock probably hurting her hands and arms, and both girl and sword flew back, falling heavily in the water.
She was under for a few moments before finally bubbling to the surface, coughing and spitting, her bronze hair completely messed up, long strands falling over her face. Looking up at her opponent, still standing on his wooden platform as if nothing had happened, she scowled angrily, her cheeks red from embarrassment, but she didn¡¯t dare utter a single word of complaint.
¡°FanSai, plus one point. MinXin, minus one point,¡± one of the men standing with them called out, and MinXin glared at FanSai one last time before swimming back to shore.
Had she expected FanSai to take pity on her because she was of noble birth and a girl on top of that?, ZaiWin wondered, watching her angrily pull her hair from her face. Of the shiny ornaments she¡¯d wore before only one golden leaf had remained, her bronze hair now completely tangled.
In what world did she live in? To think that a soldier of common origins would pass on the opportunity to beat up a noble when it was freely presented to him? She was lucky he hadn¡¯t broken her arm, or made sure she ended up with a bleeding nose. He supposed that FanSai, like the other two who had joined the competition, was under strict orders regarding injuring the other contestants. But then he didn¡¯t have to ask what world she lived in, he sighed, watching her crawl out of the water all prideful and indignant.
¡°Pathetic!¡± FeiWan, still at his side, snorted, louder than it was necessary, and the girl immediately turned, obviously ready to respond in kind. But the moment she saw who had spoken her face went immediately ashen and she shut her mouth, averting her gaze.
The same way he¡¯d taken his place at the center of the lake, FanSai jumped back to shore and silently took his place next to the other participants.
RTYY 036 - First Death
¡°Greens, please step forward.¡±
GinWan did as we was told, with a bored expression on his face, carrying his sword under his arm as if it were a mere piece of wood. The boy who would soon face him looked even paler than the girl, nervously chewing on his lower lip.
¡°You may take your positions.¡±
Both boys jumped to the closest stones and from there to a platform of their choosing.
Though obviously nervous, the blond boy was clearly a much better fighter than MinXin, easily finding his balance on top of the floating platform, his stance proper and secure.
GinWan, on the other hand, looked more like a live-size doll, his lean body wobbling back and forth, his sword still tucked under one arm. His red-hair remained carefully pulled up by shiny silver hairpins and the free fiery locks kept dancing against his neck and face.
¡°Begin!¡±
FeiWan at his side sighed as if he were about to watch a depressing show.
Nervously holding his sword, the blond boy immediately took on a defensive stance, obviously expecting some kind of blitz attack which, after a few moments of waiting, was clear that would never come. Slowly relaxing, he took his time observing his opponent.
With his eyes half-closed into two slits, as if the bright light of the day didn¡¯t allow him to clearly see his surroundings, GinWan looked as disinterested as always, wobbling back and forth, almost as if he were about to fall asleep.
Obviously confused, the blond boy took a peek towards the river bank where they all stood and, since no one signaled him otherwise, finally decided to take matters into his own hands.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.
Holding his sword to one side, the tip pointing towards to raging waters, he made his move, jumping in a beautiful but predictable textbook attack. And yet, even though his trajectory and purpose were more than obvious, GinWan still didn¡¯t move, looking half-asleep.
Seeing that his adversary wasn¡¯t trying to defend himself, the blond boy forced himself to hold back, diverting his sword to one side at the last minute, grazing GinWan¡¯s tunic and lightly cutting his arm in the process. Jumping back in alarm at his adversary¡¯s lack of reaction, he almost fell into the water, fighting to regain his balance. Reason why he missed the expression of cold, maddening fury that immediately took over GinWan¡¯s face.
Slipping his long fingers through the cut on his tunic he stared at his own blood, anger building up. And in the next instant he¡¯d already jumped from his platform, moving so fast that ZaiWin could hardly follow him. Holding his sword with both hands, he swung it as if it were a bat, crashing it into the blond boy¡¯s back, sending him flying head-first into the water and easily taking his place atop the floating platform.
Once more relaxed, looking as if he¡¯d just concluded his task, GinWan stuck his sword under one arm again, his expression back to that cold indifference, and just stood there, wobbling back and forth.
Watching the river, they all waited to see the blond boy swim up to the surface like MinXin had done but, for a long while, nothing happened.
FeiWan at his side sighed again when the two judges jumped into the water to look for him. It didn¡¯t take them long to find him, and the blond boy¡¯s dead body was dragged out of the water and sprawled on river bank.
Even though young of age, ZaiWin had seen his share of dead people to know that it was too late, and that all life was gone from him. But the two men that had guided them there still tried their best to reanimate him, MinXin sobbing in fear.
¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± one of them finally announced and they all turned to GinWan, still atop the floating platform. ¡°For use of deadly force, GinWan, less five points.¡±
As if he couldn¡¯t care less, he simply jumped back to dry land, sword tucked under his arm, and joined them as if nothing had happened. In fact, besides MinXin, who kept sobbing, no one really seemed to care. Not the contestants and much less the judges.
RTYY 037 - First Victory
¡°Blues! Please step forward!¡±
Head held high, FeiWan obeyed, and so did another blond boy, this one with unusual short, curly hair.
Unlike the other royals, FeiWan had actually gone to the trouble of undoing his intricate braid, getting rid of all the beautiful but heavy jewelry, his deep-red hair tied into a simple ponytail that reached all the way down to his waist. Rotating his neck and shoulders, he looked as if he was ready to take on an entire army.
¡°Take your positions.¡±
Both boys jumped over the running waters, all the way to the wooden platforms where they stood with apparent ease.
¡°Begin!¡±
FeiWan raised his sword, green eyes glistening under the sun from sheer anticipation, legs flexing, ready to jump.
¡°I give up!¡± the other boy shouted over the raging sound of the waterfall, and FeiWan¡¯s body immediately relaxed, a cold mask descending over his face. The blond boy smiled, bowing respectfully, but he didn¡¯t even spare him a second glance, quickly making his way back to dry land even before the judges had called his victory.
¡°FeiWan, plus one point. NamRin, minus one point.¡±
ZaiWin watched him from afar.
It was true that it had been six years since they¡¯d last seen each other but, even though he had obviously learned how to control and even mask his anger, the light twitch on FeiWan¡¯s forehead could never deceive him. He had actually wanted to fight, he concluded, feeling slightly surprised. He had always thought that FeiWan would expect and even demand exactly that kind of submissive attitude. After all he was a royal, not a mere noble blood.
¡°Reds! Please step forward!¡±
Taking a deep breath, ZaiWin forced himself to concentrate on his own fight. The boy that was to be his adversary was much taller than him and at least six or seven years older, the oldest of their small group. With wavy, coppery hair and eyes the color of the sea, he glared at him with clear despise, especially taking into account how much smaller he was when standing beside him.
¡°Take your positions.¡±
Though he would have liked to be able to jump directly from the stone closer to dry land to the platform he had chosen to occupy, ZaiWin knew his legs were too small for such wide jumps. In fact his muscles still ached from the previous day, and, as to be expected, the rock¡¯s surface was dangerously slippery beneath his feet.
Finally reaching his platform, he leaned back and forth, trying to regain his balance and get used to the constant movement. As he¡¯d watched the others do, he bent his knees, allowing his body to relax, forbidding himself from fighting against the movement of the water beneath his feet. He¡¯d just gotten the hang of it when the order came.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
¡°Begin!¡±
He didn¡¯t have to bee a Seer to know what would happen next.
Clearly underestimating him due to his short height and black hair, his adversary immediately jumped to attack him, probably wanting to put an end to the fight as soon as possible.
Stepping to one side to avoid contact, the platform beneath his feet practically turned upside down, forcing him to jump back, but not before he kicked the wooden board towards the other boy.
Clearly a better fighter than the boy that had been unfortunate enough to be paired with GinWan, his opponent landed not far from him, quickly spinning around and using his sword to split the wood board in several pieces before it could hit him.
Frowning, he stared at ZaiWin with renewed attention, in a mix of anger and indecision about what he should do next.
Regaining his balance once more, ZaiWin straightened his back, holding his sword in his right hand, hiding the blade behind his arm. The sword he had fought with before was much lighter, the blade longer and thinner than this one. And, of course, his real sword was completely weightless. But he was quick to adapt. In fact it didn¡¯t matter at all if what he held in his hand was a sword or a tree branch. Since he was not allowed to take his opponent¡¯s life, as long as it didn¡¯t break on impact, anything would do just fine.
Without taking on any of the fancy positions of normal sword-fighting, just standing there as if he¡¯d decided to take a rest, his adversary couldn¡¯t help stare at him in confusion. Especially at the way ZaiWin held his weapon. Was that a stance of defense or attack?
Frowning in frustration, the copper-haired boy flexed his legs and jumped to a new attack, swinging his blade, aiming for ZaiWin¡¯s head.
Now completely familiarized with the constant swinging of the platform beneath his feet, ZaiWin took one small step to one side but, this time, didn¡¯t jump back, spinning around to counter-balance the platform¡¯s fluctuation and keep it stable. Stretching out his hand, he was just in time to grab a handful of soft, wavy hair, pulling the other boy back just as he was trying to jump away from him. The platform swung dangerously when the boy fell back against him, almost tossing them both into the water, but ZaiWin managed to control its movement, pressing his sword¡¯s blade against the other boy¡¯s neck.
¡°I-I-I give up!¡± he immediately announced, panicking at the cold feel of steel against his skin, and ZaiWin released his hair, retracting his blade.
¡°ZaiWin, plus one point. BanDai, minus one point.¡±
He jumped his way back to firm land, wiping droplets of water from his face from when he¡¯d kicked the board, and rejoined the others.
¡°Eh, and they call you the youngest Swordmaster of out time. Such an ugly fighting style is really appropriate for filth like you!¡± FeiWan breathed as his passed by him but ZaiWin ignored him.
He couldn¡¯t care less if it was ugly or beautiful. Only pampered kids like him could think like that. All he cared was that it was able to keep him alive, as it had been proved on more occasions than he cared to count.
¡°And this concludes your duels in the water arena. Now, white waves, follow me,¡± one of the men instructed and FeiWan, MinXin, BanDai and NamRin joined him, walking away towards the trees.
¡°Black waves, follow me,¡± the other man indicated and FanSai, GinWan and ZaiWin obeyed.
So FeiWan wasn¡¯t really in the same group as him, ZaiWin thought with a sigh of relief. Which meant that, since he hadn¡¯t fought him now, he would not have to fight him at all.
The same could not be said about GinWan, he realized, looking back at the dead boy they¡¯d left lying on the river bank. As long as they belonged to the same group there was always a chance that he might be paired up with him.
RTYY 038 - A Forest of Bamboo Trees
Their guide quietly led them to their new arena and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help look around, feeling a bit disappointed. After the water arena, with its unstable platforms, he had kind of hoped for something ¡ different.
They stood in the middle of a small forest of bamboo trees, their slender stems wavering back and forth. Since they¡¯d climbed practically all the way to the top of the hill, the wind up there was a bit stronger, brushing through the leaves and and filling the air with whispering sounds.
Had he been allowed to make use of his datai this would have been the perfect arena, he thought, looking around and taking his time to observe the other group of participants that had joined them.
Like his own group, they too had one of the Calzai¡¯s men as a member. Together with two other boys and one girl, they were still four in total. But now their group had only three participants. Since the Calzai¡¯s men had only joined the competition to balance out the numbers, he thought that the man that had integrated the other group would not compete. But, as they drew their painted rocks and he was paired exactly with him, it was clear that he¡¯d been mistaken.
The girl that had had the luck to draw the rock without a pair took a deep breath, clearly relieved, and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t blame her. Since he¡¯d already been paired with someone, the only ones left were FanSai, with his cold demeanor, and GinWan, whose fame for being sickeningly cruel preceded him.
The same could not be said about the boy destined to fight the young El¡¯Gin, droplets of sweat immediately gathering all over his pale forehead.
¡°Yellows, step forward and take your places!¡± the order came and ZaiWin gave another glance at his opponent before obeying.
If the other kids were taller than him, the man standing at his side had twice his height. With hair almost as black as his and light-brown eyes, he looked relaxed, even in a good-mood, the complete opposite of FanSai¡¯s stern expression. And yet, like FanSai, he was also obviously of common birth.
¡°Try not to die on me, brat!¡± he muttered as he passed by him towards the center of the bamboo forest, and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t stop his heart from beating a bit faster.
He hadn¡¯t felt this nervous going into a battle field in a long time, he realized with a small smile, taking his place. That man, all smiles and nice expressions, was probably one of the most dangerous adversaries he had ever faced on his own. Focusing on the fight ahead, he held his sword and hid the blade behind his arm, facing his opponent sideways. The man gave him an all knowing smile and, holding his sword with his left hand, took on one of the basic defensive positions.
¡°I¡¯m right-handed!¡± he declared. ¡°And so, during this duel, I will only use my left hand.¡± He hid his right hand beneath his back. ¡°Is that acceptable?¡±
ZaiWin nodded. At this stage he would be thankful for any handicap they were willing to grant him.
¡°Begin!¡±
Eyes glued to the man in front of him, ZaiWin waited to see him move, to see him shift his feet, to see him lower his sword. But nothing happened. Unlike his previous adversary, he simply stood there, carefully watching him, his sharp eyes a shocking contradiction of his relaxed expression. He clearly didn¡¯t care if ZaiWin was a seasoned soldier like him or a twelve-year-old kid. To him ZaiWin was merely an opponent he had to defeat, size and age had nothing to do with that. And that was the way a true warrior saw the world, ZaiWin knew. ZenTar had made a point of teaching him that himself.
Taking a deep breath and slowly exhaling, ZaiWin allowed his body to lean to one side and dashed in the opposite direction, making use of the bamboo trees to confuse his opponent.
Running in a circle around him, his feet almost completely silent, the sound of his footsteps lost amongst the whispering leaves, he finally jumped forward to attack him the moment he thought he saw an opening.
The sound of clashing metal told him his attack had been unsuccessful and forced him to crouch down, trying to cut his adversary¡¯s legs instead. But the man nimbly jumped back, spinning on one foot and kicking him back, right on the chest.
Tumbling back like doll rolling down a hill, ZaiWin finally managed to bury his fingers into firm ground, stopping the uncontrolled movement, ending up crouching low, sword firmly held in one hand. His chest ached and he was sure it would bruise. But it could have been much worse, if he hadn¡¯t been able to raise his sword in time and defend that blow.
The man slowly lowered the leg with which he¡¯d just kicked him and smiled, seeming pleasantly surprised.
A river of curses flooded ZaiWin¡¯s brain. That bastard was having fun! And no matter how much he looked at him and planed his next attack, he just could not see a future where he would be able to defeat him.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
Standing up he resumed his stance, facing him sideways, sword hidden behind his arm. This time he ran at him straight on, lowering his body at last instant, spinning and quickly turning right as if to attack him from his side.
As to be expected his opponent reacted in time, taking a step back, rising his sword to defend his attack. Spinning around, ZaiWin held his sword, raising it and swinging it downward, hoping to catch him unprepared and attack him from the behind instead. The strong impact of the man¡¯s blade against his left his hand numb and it was all he could do not to drop his sword. The man had easily caught up with his change of direction, and so ZaiWin tried to jump back and regain some ground, so he could prepare for another attack.
The elbow that landed heavily on his shoulder made him drop to his knees before he could even register the pain, and then his sword was flying away and he couldn¡¯t even tell how that had happened.
¡°RouZen, plus one point. ZaiWin, minus one point,¡± came the call and ZaiWin sighed, finally releasing the tension that had taken over his body. As he¡¯d foreseen from the start, there was no way he could defeat him, not without his daitai.
¡°Hey, kid. That¡¯s the assassin¡¯s style, right?¡± He looked up and stood, grimacing as he massaged his aching shoulder. ¡°Why the heck does a noble kid like you know this kind of sword fighting?¡±
¡°My Master was well versed in it,¡± he replied, walking away to retrieve his sword, but RouZen followed him.
¡°He must have been a good Master,¡± he observed, pondering.
Good?, ZaiWin thought and he almost couldn¡¯t hide his ironic smile.
Yeah, he¡¯d been good. Good with a sword. Good at beating up others to an inch of their lives. Good at murdering just about anyone if someone would only pay for the task. Good at kidnapping children while they slept in their beds. Good at stabbing him to death and abandoning him in a freaking cave! But RouZen was right, he had also been a good teacher, if one were only able to survive his teaching methods.
¡°It fits you, this style,¡± he declared and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help look up at him with a surprised expression on his face.
Really? He¡¯d been sure that everyone that had practiced the Empire¡¯s sword fighting style would find it distasteful and offensive to say the least. Even ZenTar openly disliked it. RouZen also noticed his disbelief and shrugged.
¡°You¡¯re obviously still a shorty and you have a lean structure. Though I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll grow taller when you¡¯re older, you¡¯ll probably never be the muscular type. And you know how to be silent, and I¡¯m not only talking about how quiet you can be. You know how to erase your presence. Once or twice, even though I knew you there, it was almost as if I had lost you, as if you¡¯d become a fleeting shadow.¡± ZaiWin averted his gaze wishing he could hide his blushing face. ¡°That being said, you should also choose one or two of the more conservative styles and learn them thoroughly. Depending on the situation you find yourself in, the assassins¡¯ style may not always be the best choice.¡±
ZaiWin nodded. He knew that better than anyone. In fact RouZen had just proven his own words true. Even though he had the bamboo trees to offer him some cover, the fact that he¡¯d been out in open ground, facing an opponent that was alert to his presence, had been more than enough to make that style less than adequate. He¡¯d only used it because there had been a very, very small chance that he might be able to surprise him. Using one of the most conservative styles on a military man like RouZen was equal to less than zero chances of victory.
¡°As for the green¡¯s combat, XunRan, plus one point!¡± one of the judges called out and XunRan, the girl who had no one to fight against, smiled proudly as if her victory was actually well deserved.
¡°Blues, step forward! Take your places.¡±
FanSai and another boy made their way towards the middle of the bamboo forest. The combat was about to begin when a loud shriek echoed all around them, making them turn back to see what had happened.
Sprawled on the ground, the other boy from RouZen¡¯s group was convulsing nonstop, a white-yellowish foam coming from his mouth, his eyeballs turned upwards inside his skull. The judges immediately knelt down, trying to hold him, but he kept twitching, his legs and arms shaking, his head slamming against the ground until he went finally still, his blank blue eyes staring unseen at the sky above their heads.
¡°He¡¯s dead,¡± one of the judges declared the obvious and ZaiWin¡¯s gaze immediately turned to GinWan, calmly leaning against a bamboo tree a few steps away from them, looking as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world and as if no one had just died a few steps from where he stood.
¡°How could this happened? I am certain he didn¡¯t get injured in his last fight! He even won it,¡± XunRan pointed out and both judges stood up.
¡°Poison,¡± one of them declared.
The girl frowned.
ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help agree with her silent questions and doubts.
How could that be? He¡¯d been fine until just a moment ago. Either he¡¯d been exposed to some kind of slow acting poison before he arrived there or the answer could only be GinWan.
¡°Well, since this is the case, GinWan, plus one point,¡± the judge went on, just like before, completely indifferent to the dead kid at his feet, but no less indifferent than GinWan, who didn¡¯t even blink, leaning against the bamboo tree, arms crossed over his chest. ¡°Let¡¯s proceed to our final combat.¡±
FanSai made his way to the center of the field and the other boy followed him, still clearly shaken, fear eating away at his self-confidence.
Like FanSai¡¯s previous duel, this one also didn¡¯t last long, the terrified expression on the kid¡¯s face worsening significantly when FanSai charged him, disarming him without difficulty.
¡°FanSai, plus one point. TsaKor minus one point.¡±
RTYY 039 - Wont you Lose this Fight?
ZaiWin tilted his head back and couldn¡¯t help but gape.
True, he¡¯d spent the entire previous day jumping from tree to tree, atop wood platforms build several feet above the ground. But this ¡. This could never compare.
Surrounded by the tallest trees he¡¯d ever seen, he couldn¡¯t stop staring at the small planks that bridged the gap between them. A rudimentary ladder, built against one of the tree trunks, led all the way up there, telling him that they were expected to climb it and fight atop those narrow wood planks.
A gasp of horror finally made him lower his gaze, and he saw a pale, beautiful, blond girl with wide greenish eyes arrive with the other group. She was staring at the two bodies that laid on the ground, to one side, covered with the blankets they had probably been carrying in their backpacks, which meant that at least two kids had already lost their lives in that arena.
His gaze, however, didn¡¯t linger on the girl for more than a few seconds. It also didn¡¯t linger on the dead bodies he had initially simply ignored.
Amongst the other group, taller than most of the other contestants, with his head held high and his hair still intricately braided and adorned in the imperial style, walked Wen CalWan. Of course his red hair immediately identified him as one of the El¡¯Gin, but ZaiWin had the sensation that even if he were to be blond like the girl walking beside him, he would still look as regal, a certain air of superiority clinging to him.
And then it finally registered. Their group too, was missing one element.
CalWan and the two girls that accompanied him stopped right beside them, while the Calzai¡¯s men quickly organized the next round of duels. CalWan didn¡¯t even turn to look at him, as if he had never seen him in his entire life. He didn¡¯t turn to look at his younger brother either, who was sitting down on the ground, leaning against a tree, distractedly pulling out grass as if he were too tired to stand.
Seeing him standing there, ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit excited about the possibility of being able to fight him. Sure, CalWan was five years older than him, which meant he was not only taller but also much stronger. But, even though he would probably end up loosing should he face him, he still wished he could measure his experience in sword-fighting against the oldest of the El¡¯Gin.
And yet, unfortunately, it was not meant to be, he concluded a few moments later, looking down at his green rock. Of the three kids of the other group, he had been paired with none other than the delicate-looking blond girl.
Looking every bit like a porcelain doll, her pale blond hair carefully braided and tied with several knots, even in dressed in the same common clothes as everyone, she was the living image of what a noble young woman should look like. And ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help wonder if she had actually had to fight anyone, that afternoon.
Standing as close to CalWan as humanely possible, pressing her round, full breasts against his arm, her green eyes kept staring at him with nothing short of pure adoration, leaving a sigh on his lips. So she was one of CalWan¡¯s followers, girlfriends, lovers. He had heard all sorts of rumors about the group of girls that constantly followed him wherever he went. And ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry for the poor girl, since CalWan hadn¡¯t spared a single glance her way since they had arrived.
Well, he didn¡¯t care what she might be. He didn¡¯t even care about the obvious fact that there was some royal blood running through her veins. He¡¯d lost the last duel and, taking into account the differences in age and experience between him and RouZen, he could live with that. But he had no intention to lose any more combats, much less against a porcelain doll like her.
¡°Yellows, please step forward,¡± one of the Calzai¡¯s men shouted, but GinWan didn¡¯t even blink, still pulling out grass as if he hadn¡¯t noticed they¡¯d called him.
His adversary, however, a girl with honey-colored hair, couldn¡¯t look more pale than that, her brown eyes staring at the planks placed high above their heads. Looking back at GinWan, calmly sitting down, her color became even worse, and ZaiWin was sure she was about to faint.
¡°I ¡ give up ¡¡± she whispered in a weak voice. and the Calzai¡¯s man nodded his approval.
¡°GinWan, plus one point. JinVen, minus one point. Greens, please step forward. Begin.¡±
Not wanting to waste time, ZaiWin made his way to the wood ladder built against the tree trunk and started to climb.
The wind brushing through his hair made him take a deep breath and smile. He had always enjoyed standing on high places. There was always a certain silence and a certain sense of security about them, which he was sure no one would ever be able to understand. The wind roaring on his ears was like the sound of a familiar voice, and he couldn¡¯t help wonder how high he¡¯d be able to raise above the ground should he use his daitai in that place.
When he finally reached the wood plank that connect the tree he had climbed and the next one in front of him, he realized that they weren¡¯t as narrow as they had looked, when seen from down below. However they still were narrow enough to make one drop to a deadly fall if he didn¡¯t pay attention to where he stood.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Beside the long plank where he stood, there were four planks, also connecting large, tall, thick trees, but they weren¡¯t connected between each other in any way, meaning one would have to jump to change from one plank to another. And the view from up there ¡ was simply breathtaking, he thought, raising his head, seeing above most of the treetops of the forest all the way to a small village a few miles away from where they were. The several streams and rivers that crossed the forest looked like thin, slithering threads of silver, from up there. And the people down bellow were nothing but a bunch of small dots.
How would they possible be able to judge their combat?, he thought, squinting his eyes, trying to distinguish everyone¡¯s faces.
A huffed sound reached his ears, and he quickly turned around, sword in hand, ready for combat.
The blond girl had finally reached the top of the ladder but the way she was holding her sword made him kind of relax. Apparently she was more worried about holding on to the tree than to actually fight him.
¡°Hey, kid! Won¡¯t you lose this battle?¡± she asked with a wink of her greenish eyes, a sweet, seductive smile on her full lips, and ZaiWin frowned.
He couldn¡¯t tell if he was just too young to be swept away by that kind of play, but if that was the case he was deeply thankful for his tender age. And if growing up meant that a wink and a smile would be enough to make him willingly lower his sword, he wished he would never grow up. He had seen ZenTar fall for similar tactics more than once, and it had never ended well for him, usually resulting in several lost pouches of coin and once even his entire clothing had disappeared.
¡°I can reward you, you know? Have you ever even kissed a girl?¡±
No. No, he hadn¡¯t. But it wasn¡¯t any of her business, anyway! And why was she talking about that kind of thing in the middle of a combat?
Lowering her head, gazing up at him through her golden eyelashes, she took one hand to the hem of her tunic and slowly started to pull it up, showing him the smooth, porcelain skin of her belly.
Was that suppose to impress him? How? And wasn¡¯t she supposed to be one of CalWan¡¯s followers, girlfriends, lovers or whatever?, he wondered looking down at the dark spots standing down there.
Misinterpreting his shift in attention, the girl chuckled and, when he looked up at her again, she was covering her red lips with one hand, batting her eyelashes at him.
¡°Are you a timid one? Just as I thought, you have no experience at all, right?¡± she purred and he couldn¡¯t help slightly blush at that.
¡°You¡¯re in luck. Up here no one will be able to hear us. In fact, I don¡¯t think they would even be able to see us, if you were to get a bit closer to me,¡± she went one, slipping a small hand down her pants, her cheeks flustered as she licked her own lips with a wicked grin that sent shivers down his spine.
Enough!, he decided, his initial bafflement and confusion quickly turning into disgust. He did not want to get more traumatized than that! What would he do if, in the future, when he decided to get married and have kids, he ended up seeing that vulgar woman in his memories?
Flexing his legs he turned his sword against her, a serious, deadly expression on his face.
The blond girl froze where she stood, the smile on her face turning to stone, the hand she had slipped down her pants unable to move.
¡°What are you doing?¡± she asked through her unmoving lips, and he pulled his sword back as if ready to pierce her with it.
¡°Fighting. And you would do better to grab that sword of yours,¡± he declared , his gaze falling to the sword she had leaned against the tree so she could free her hands, and she blinked, apparently unable to believe her own ears.
¡°Fighting?! Haven¡¯t you heard a single word I said?¡± she asked and placed a renewed, seductive smile on her face. ¡°Let me win. And I will teach you whatever you want to know about how a girl¡¯s body works. I am sure we will have a lot of fun. We can play all night lon ¡¡± The voice died in her throat when ZaiWin lunged forward across the straight plank, stabbing the tree right next to her head, cutting one of her braids in the process.
Since she was taller than him he had to look up to glare coldly at her, and her ashen face and widened eyes told him he¡¯d been successful in trying to scare her.
¡°Choose. Fight or give up. But if you decide to fight know that next time I will not miss.¡±
¡°I ¡ I give up ¡¡± she whispered in a very small voice and he pulled his sword free, allowing her to breathe out in relief.
¡°Then move it! Get down there and tell them exactly that. As you said, I doubt they can hear us up here.¡±
Pulling herself together, she gave him a look of pure loathing.
¡°You are such a little kid! No wonder none of the other girls won¡¯t even get close to you!¡± she spat and he sighed.
Was she an idiot? Hadn¡¯t she noticed that none of the boys would get close to him either? Was she unable to see that he was the only kid around with black hair? Well, that she apparently hadn¡¯t realized that was actually kind of cute, he would grant her that, he thought, watching her sulk as she climbed down the ladder. Of all the stupid things she had done and said, the words she had thrown at him out of contempt had actually been the only ones that had moved him a bit.
Taking a final glance at the amazing and liberating view from up there, he sighed, feeling sorry that he had to leave, and he also made his way to the ladder.
The moment his feet touched the ground one the the Calzai¡¯s men immediately announced the result.
¡°ZaiWin, plus one. KimWon, minus one.¡±
Already standing beside CalWan, KimWon crossed her arms and averted her gaze, tilting her chin up as if she were superior to everyone standing around her. How a loser could look so pridefully was beyond ZaiWin¡¯s comprehension.
RTYY 040 - A Deadly Fall
¡°Reds, please step forward.¡±
Glancing towards the next pair of fighters, ZaiWin quickly put KimWon and her stupid tricks out of his thoughts. This next duel was probably the most interesting thing that had happened so far. He was just sorry that he couldn¡¯t be up there, with them, to watch it from up close, he thought as CalWan and FanSai made their way towards the ladder.
¡°Ah! As if some mere soldier would dare try to beat our future El¡¯Cal!¡± KimWon spat, loud enough for everyone to hear, including CalWan and FanSai already by the ladder, and GinWan chuckled from where he sat, torturing the innocent grass at his feet.
¡°Stupid bitch,¡± he calmly stated, in the same tone one might comment on the weather, and KimWon immediately turned to glare at him, her cheeks red in anger, something probably unpleasant about to fall of her tongue. Until she saw him and remembered who had just uttered those words.
Pressing her delicate red lips together, she slowly turned the other way again, almost as if she were afraid a wild beast might suddenly attack her, and discreetly but firmly stepped closer to their guide.
ZaiWin tilted his head back, following the two people climbing up the stairs, until they reached the wood plank. From down there the plank really looked narrow, almost like a pale, yellowish line. He hopped he wasn¡¯t wrong about FanSai and the other men the Calzai had brought to oversee the big event.
At first he had thought that the fact that the Yu Calzai had been chosen to supervise the Gathering was all due to the well known fact that he was, indeed, the father of the El¡¯Dai Wen LaoTin.
Everyone knew that, not only LaoTin was the ruling El¡¯Dai, she was also the El¡¯Dur¡¯s favorite, having risen from her position of Janwan after the death of the first El¡¯Dai, Wen LinJin. And even though some did not see it with good eyes, it was obvious she had a great deal of influence over the El¡¯Dur¡¯s decisions and commands. And so ZaiWin had not found it strange that her father had been chosen to oversee such an important event. That was until the moment when YuFan had openly called all those noble, rich kids useless brats, threatening to bury them in the woods.
Maybe he wasn¡¯t such a bad person after all, he couldn¡¯t help wonder. At least he wasn¡¯t easily swayed by power and influence, looking like a man firmly loyal to his own believes. His men¡¯s impartial behavior, so far, had also spoken to that.
The two small silhouettes atop the wooden plank halted for a moment and then rushed towards each other, making ZaiWin¡¯s heart beat faster, a small smile creeping across his face. He¡¯d been right!, he thought, watching how fast FanSai moved, nimbly jumping back before charging again. He was not going to go easy on CalWan just because he was one of the El¡¯Gin.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
CalWan too, was apparently giving his best, his blade glistening from time to time whenever it was caught by the light of the sun. He always looked so neatly dressed, his hair carefully combed, his posture regal and proper, his expression an aloof mix of indifference and superiority, that it was hard to believe that, once holding a sword, he¡¯d actually do so well.
Jumping from the main plank they both landed flawlessly on another one, their feet barely touching the wood before they were running towards each other again.
With a bitter feeling of resentment ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help admit that, just like it had happened with FanSai, he would have probably lost to CalWan as well. Without being able to use his daitai for support, frontal encounters like that were the worst way of combat for him right now. He was still too short, too weak, to be able to gain the advantage on an open, straightforward competition of strength and speed, especially when going against grown up people, like FanSai and CalWan. He had been really lucky to have been paired up with the silly blond girl. But, even so, he still couldn¡¯t help wish he could have fought CalWan all the way up there. It was such an amazing stage. It was a pity that he hadn¡¯t been able to explore it further.
The duel stretched for so long that his neck started to ache, the people on the ground so silent that he could have been alone, standing there. And then, on another of those crazy jumps from one plank to another, which ZaiWin still doubted he¡¯d be able to pull off with his short legs, CalWan slipped, loosing his footing and balance, falling off the plank.
KimWon shrieked in panic, even though no one else even so much as twitched, and then FanSai was throwing himself across the plank, dangerously all the way to the edge, urgently reaching out for him and grabbing his arm at the last moment. For a moment CalWan simply dangled in the air, back and forth, looking like a small doll with red hair, but then FanSai painstakingly pulled him up again.
KimWon sighed heavily in relief and GinWan tseked, as if he would rather had seen CalWan¡¯s brain splattered all over the the green grass at their feet.
As to be expected, even though CalWan had managed to hold on to his sword, they decided to end their match, and CalWan was the first one to make his way towards the ladder.
¡°I admit defeat,¡± he declared once he reached the ground, still managing to sound all regal and proud.
¡°But why? You were so amazing!¡± KimWon immediately sang, running to him, grabbing his arm, but he coldly brushed her away, lightly cringing at her touch.
The idiotic girl, ZaiWin sighed, shaking his head. It was obvious his shoulder had been hurt from being grabbed like that, and that he was trying to keep up his princely manners, not wanting to lose face. Only a stupid girl like her wouldn¡¯t be able to see that.
¡°FanSai, plus one. CalWan, minus one,¡± their judge announced as FanSai calmly and silently crossed the clearing to join them, looking as if nothing had happened.
¡°And this concludes these arena¡¯s duels. If you would please follow us to your next and last stage,¡± the man suggested and CalWan and the two girls turned their back on rest of them, walking away, the blond girl trying her best to recapture the El¡¯Gin¡¯s attention.
With a bored sigh GinWan finally stood up and dusted off his clothes as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.
RTYY 041 - Bravery and Dignity
They stopped at the entrance of what could only be a large cave and waited for the other group to arrive.
With GinWan standing to one side with a bored expression on his face, and FanSai just standing there, like a lifeless statue waiting for the next order to move, ZaiWin was the only one who actually showed an interest on the dark entrance looming right in front of them. The air, coming from inside it, felt cooler and moister than outside, and he couldn¡¯t see anything that looked remotely like a source of light.
Once more, this would be the perfect arena for him, if he would only be allowed to use his daitai.
The sound of footsteps made him turn around and a mental curse took over his thoughts.
Like their group, the one approaching them had also lost a member, sometime during the afternoon. But what immediately captured his attention was the tall, large man with an ugly scar running down his face that walked at the front, and the much smaller, much leaner blond boy walking in the back.
He¡¯d seen the large man before, when the Calzai had introduced the three men that would take part in the tournament. Like FanSai, who didn¡¯t even blink at the sight of his companion as if he were some unknown stranger, and like RouZen, with his devious but pleasant smile, the large one had also lined up beside the Calzai when his name had been called out. MaoZao, ZaiWin recalled, his gaze falling on the man¡¯s large arms, thick muscles bulging beneath his clothes. The sword he carried looked like a child¡¯s toy in his hands.
And then there was the blond kid, he grimaced inwardly. CarFan? Was that what the others had called him?
Like CalWan, he looked to be one of the oldest kids that had attended the Gathering, and he was none other than the idiot who had pushed him into the river.
And yet, now that he watched him a bit closer, he didn¡¯t look to be feeling all that well. Before he had been all bravado, arrogant pride and a huge, and unjustified, complex of superiority. But now he looked pale, his blue eyes wide and haunted, a certain crazed expression on his face. Something must have happened, ZaiWin knew immediately. Something the little lord was having trouble dealing with. So much so that, even thought they were all now standing next to each other, the other boy had yet to notice his presence.
The two guides of both groups conferred for a brief moment, checking the painted rocks, and then returned to them with the already familiar black bag on their hands.
¡°Here you go. Please pick one,¡± the man said, offering the bag to GinWan, and he rolled his eyes in disgust before sticking his hand inside it and pulling out a red rock.
The bag was then offered to the other kid on CarFan¡¯s group, and then to CarFan himself, who practically jumped out of his skin when he noticed that someone was actually talking to him.
When the bag was finally offered to him, ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help hesitate. This time around his chances of him drawing a rock that would grant him a peaceful combat were close to none. One one side he had two of the Calzai¡¯s men. On the other he had the cold-blooded GinWan, and the crazed-looking CarFan. He could only wish he would draw blue and be paired with that other kid.
As if the universe would ever conspire to help him, he sighed, looking at the yellow color of his rock. CarFan it was, he sighed again.
Since everyone else had already drawn their rocks, it was clear that the other two kids standing there, one of them being GinWan, would inevitably be paired with the Calzai¡¯s men.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
FanSai was just about to draw his rock when GinWai threw his away, over his shoulder, with a snort.
¡°Heh! I give up.¡±
They all stared at him in confusion.
¡°Are you sure? You don¡¯t even know who your adversary will be,¡± the man that had guided the other group told him, a doubtful expression on his face.
¡°As if that would make any difference,¡± GinWan replied, fastidiously waving his hand in the air. ¡°The only way to claim victory over any of these two is by killing them. And I am sure uncle Yu wouldn¡¯t appreciate it if I were to go around, killing his men,¡± he declared, to which MaoZao immediately frowned, his dark eyes burning with rage. The way he¡¯d put it clearly implied that he would be able to easily kill them, if he wished to do so, and that the only reason why he refrained from doing it was because he did not wish to displease the Calzai.
Completely ignoring GinWan¡¯s declaration and MaoZao¡¯s fuming fury, FanSai resumed what he was doing and pulled out a red rock. Guess he was the lucky one that would win without a fight, ZaiWin thought. Which meant that the already riled up MaoZao would fight the other kid.
¡°Well, since GinWan has already forfeit his combat, FanSai, plus one. GinWan, minus one,¡± the man still holding the bag declared.
GinWan shrugged nonchalantly and walked away, to sit down in the shade, beneath a tree.
¡°Blue ones, step forward.¡±
MaoZao immediately obeyed, still throwing murderous glares towards where GinWan now sat, and ZaiWin silently shook his head. The poor kid that was going to fight him was in for a beating. MaoZao visibly belonged to the kind of people that would easily lose his temper and then take it out on other, unconcerned, people.
¡°I have a question!¡± the kid declared, his face unexpectedly serious, his expression set. Apparently he really intended to do his best and fight the huge man.
¡°Yes?¡±
¡°How will you be able to fairly judge our fight if you¡¯ll be standing out here?¡±
Well, that was a fair question, ZaiWin agreed, also wanting to know the answer.
¡°There are seeing crystals inside the cave and we will be using one of these,¡± one of the judges replied, showing them what looked very much like a blindfold, the difference being that it was made of dark crystal.
So that how it was, ZaiWin thought, wondering if they had used something like that to judge the duels from the previous arena, where they¡¯d been so high above the ground that all one could see were small, little dots.
The kid also looked satisfied with his answer and, thanking for the explanation, firmly stepped into the cave, followed by his huge adversary.
ZaiWin took a deep breath. Now he knew that the judges could see what was happening inside the cave, but he couldn¡¯t, he frowned, feeling disappointed. And just waiting outside, with nothing to do, was actually quite unnerving, he soon realized.
Discreetly taking a peek towards CarFan and at his deranged expression, he wondered if he had even seen him standing there. He probably hadn¡¯t, he concluded, or at the very least he¡¯d already been the target of a few derogatory comments.
As he¡¯d foreseen, it didn¡¯t take long until a loud scream of pain echoed from the cave. And, just a few minutes later, MaoZao reemerged, looking much more relaxed and in a much better mood than when he¡¯d went inside.
¡°Are you going to get him or do you want me to do it?¡± asked their guide, taking off his crystal blindfold, and the guide from the other group sighed with tired expression.
¡°I¡¯ll go. He is one of mine, after all.¡±
They waited again, and then the guide finally emerged from the cave, carrying a sobbing kid in his arms. And yet, the moment he carefully set him down on the ground with his back against a large boulder, he immediately turned away, clearly not caring if the kid lived or died.
¡°MaoZao, plus one. MinNur, minus one.¡±
ZaiWin looked at the poor kid and had to hand to him. He was by far the bravest and more dignified contestant he seen the entire day. Holding on to his obviously shattered leg, he was doing his best to hold his tears back, using breathing techniques to control the pain. He knew those techniques by heart. ZenTar had hammered them into his head a long time ago. And so he immediately knew that MinNur was the child of some noble Clan from the Zai Province. A shame he would inevitably be left behind when they moved on the next day.
RTYY 042 - Its Only Fair
¡°Yellows, step forward.¡±
Straightening his back, taking a better hold of his sword, ZaiWin obeyed. But he was the only one to move.
¡°Yellows! Step forward!!¡± the guide repeated, raising his voice, and CarFan jumped, startled, as if he had been asleep with his eyes wide open. Looking around with a lost expression of his face, he finally realized that every one was staring at him. And then he finally saw him.
¡°You!! You disgusting thing!¡± he scorned in a loud voice, pointing an accusatory finger at him, and ZaiWin turned away, focusing his attention on the cave¡¯s entrance.
That FeiWan or the other El¡¯Gin would react like that at the sight of him, though unfair and unjustified, was still understandable. After all, they had known each other since long ago and theirs had never been a good relationship to begin with. But this ¡ CarFan? He had never seen him before. He had never even known of his existence prior to that stupid Gathering. What he had done to insult such noble prick was beyond his understanding.
¡°Please step forward!¡± the guide insisted and CarFan looked at the painted rock he was still holding, as if he¡¯d just realized that it was there. Squeezing it in his hand he finally obeyed.
¡°So I will have the pleasure to beat you to a pulp after all. And in an official match to boost! The Heavens are truly on my side today!¡±
ZaiWin ignored him again and entered the cave.
Complete darkness immediately surrounded him, but the feeling of suddenly being completely deprived of sight wasn¡¯t new to him. He¡¯d spent a long time in a similar situation, completely surrounded by utter and impenetrable darkness. The difference was that back then the cave he¡¯d been left in was much smaller, and he hadn¡¯t had anyone on his heels, trying to kill him.
¡°You bastard!! Where did you go?¡±
A loud voice echoed all around, and the soft glow of light appeared from where he¡¯d just came.
Searching inside his leather belt, he fished out the small crystal NimRen had given him and poured just a bit of his energy into it, nudging it awake. The glow that immediately surrounded him was orange and warm, and allowed him to at least see where he was going, so he wouldn¡¯t march head-on into a stone wall.
¡°They said that you didn¡¯t have any fire daitai! Are you using a crystal, you filth?¡± came the voice again and ZaiWin sped up, running ahead, his feet completely silent against the stone floor.
Well, it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t have any fire daitai, he thought grimly. Or that they wouldn¡¯t emit some sort of weak light. It was just that there was no way that the only thing they would do was just brightening up a room a bit. And he doubted that reducing that cave, and CarFan with it, to cinders would hardly be well accepted by the others waiting outside. Not to mention that ZenTar would have his hide for it.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
¡°Are you going to keep running away like a coward? Come out and face me!!¡±
Was he an idiot? Who would ever do such a thing?, he wondered, slipping into a crack on the wall, sword in hand, before he quickly stopped the crystal¡¯s glow. He needed time to allow his eyes to get used to the darkness again.
¡°I¡¯m so going to enjoy punching you to death!¡±
Yup, he was an idiot, ZaiWin concluded, thankful for the fact that he simply wouldn¡¯t shut up, which meant he got a frequent update on his present position.
¡°You freaking bastard! I heard your mother was a whore! Who spread her legs to whoever knocked on her door! And that¡¯s how she got stuck with you!¡±
ZaiWin clenched his teeth. Now he really, really wanted to kill him! And it would be so easy, too.
¡°Is it true that she would have killed herself anyway, even if she hadn¡¯t been murdered by her ¡¡±
The brightness that suddenly allowed him to see again was all the sign he needed, and ZaiWin jumped from his hiding place inside the wall with a raging scream, wishing to bury his sword deep into CarFan¡¯s belly, his mind already seeing it happen. It was all he could do to turn his blade around at the last instant. Instead he hit him hard on the head with the pommel of his sword, making the other boy stagger back and, spinning around, side-kicked him with all his straight straight in the chest just for good measure.
CarFan screamed, holding his head, and then flew back, crashing against the stone wall. But before he could utter another single word, much less get up, ZaiWin was already on top of him, straddling him, grabbing him by his blond hair and smashing his head against the rock, one, two, three times, until the blue eyes looking panickingly at him rolled upwards inside their sockets and he was out cold, the back of his head a mass of dark blood.
Finally releasing him, his breathing still hard and fast, ZaiWin took a moment to calm himself.
ZenTar would most certainly scold him and punish him for allowing his feelings to interfere in a fight, no mater which fight. Still, the stupid bastard was lucky to be alive!, he grunted, looking at him, still wishing he could kill him, the daitai on his back burning in response to his unfulfilled desire. Had he been four years younger CarFan would have been dead for sure!
Standing up, he took the time to dust off his clothes and then retrieved his sword, which he¡¯d thrown as far away as possible after the first blow, fearing he might not resist the temptation to hack the other boy to pieces with it.
He was already on his way back to the cave¡¯s entrance when he finally returned to his full senses, and he couldn¡¯t help worrying if the judges wouldn¡¯t accuse him of using ¡ what had the Calzai called it? Deadly or maiming blows.
Well, CarFan was still alive, the lucky bastard! And he hadn¡¯t maimed him, at least not more than he¡¯d already been maimed, with a idiotic head like that resting atop his shoulders. Not that ZaiWin made a point to win ¡ No! Actually he did want to win!, he decided, raising his head when daylight poured into the cave from the entrance. It was only fair!
¡°ZaiWin, plus one. CarFan, minus one,¡± he heard one of the judges announce even before he could see them and he couldn¡¯t help smile at that. ¡°I will go this time ¡¡± came the resigned sigh and then a tall man entered the cave when he was about to exit it.
¡°Well done, kid,¡± he whispered as he passed by him, lightly tapping his shoulder, and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t stop his smile from stretching at that small sign of recognition.
As far as he was concerned, more than those richly, stuck-up nobles¡¯ opinions, or even the manipulated order in which the names appeared on the daily chart, the words of that simple, common man were worth a whole lot more.
RTYY 043 - The Cruelty of Gentle People
ZaiWin stopped emptying his backpack and half-smiled.
¡°You too. Not bad at all,¡± he replied, but the moment he raised his head his smile immediately faded away.
NimRen held both her hands behind her back and blushed timidly.
¡°Won half, lost half. I guess I got lucky with who I picked,¡± she was saying and immediately froze in place when he carefully raised a hand to touch the huge bruise on her face.
¡°What happened?¡±
¡°Oh! That ¡¡± NimRen stepped back, covering her injured face with one hand, looking even more embarrassed. ¡°You know ¡ Bad things are bound to happen when you fight someone stronger than you. I was actually very lucky ¡¡± she added, her face going pale, her delicate shoulders shivering a bit.
¡°Who did you fight?¡± he asked, though the question in his head was, who had had the courage to injure an El¡¯Lin like that, CalWan¡¯s little sister at that, and she took a deep breath, raising her head.
¡°That hardly matters now. We all knew what we were signing up for by attending this Gathering. Even though the rules strictly forbid it, there are always injuries and even death. A bruised cheek can hardly compare to any of that,¡± she declared, obviously wanting to look strong, but nothing could hide the fear in her eyes. ¡°I was ¡ really lucky ¡ If I weren¡¯t who I am ¡¡± she shuddered at her own thoughts and ZaiWin frowned.
Though NimRen was right and the Gathering could become considerably violent, it was still rare that kids like them would knowingly and deliberately try to kill one another.
Firstly because there were no real reasons to go to such extremes. Wen¡¯s Provinces might have their misunderstandings and their Governors might disagree with each other regarding certain internal policies. But they were mainly at peace with each other, any bad blood between them was easily solved through peaceful understanding and negotiation.
And secondly because they all belonged to noble Clans, and no one wanted to be tagged as belonging to the Clan that had produced a crazed teenage murderer. That was more than clear just by looking at that day¡¯s chart. Though they had faced each other one to one wielding real, sharp swords, and although there had been five unfortunate deaths, the perpetrators had only been three, the last three names at the end of the list. GinWan, LinWan and, surprisingly enough, CarFan.
No one had been surprised to see GinWan and LinWan at the very bottom, with minus two points each. They were both of royal blood, after all, which meant they could pretty much do just about anything and get away with it. They also didn¡¯t seem to care about things like public image, the way their brothers and sister did.
But seeing CarFan¡¯s name also there, with only four points, and knowing he was a rather good swordsman that couldn¡¯t possibly have lost all four of his duels, had led to many whispers and antagonizing glares sent his way. The only justification to his poor results had to be the minus five points of penalty for having killed one of the other participants. And since there were five victims it was clear in everyone¡¯s mind that the twins had somehow killed two each, and that CarFan had killed the fifth kid that had lost his life that day.
Since besides CarFan the only two surviving members of his group were MaoZao and MinNur, and since MaoZao was rather unapproachable, MinNur, even with his broken leg, had been quickly surrounded by inquiring and scared faces who wanted to know exactly what had happened.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
ZaiWin hadn¡¯t needed to join them. As far as he was concerned everything made sense. And he could now understand the deranged expression on CarFan¡¯s face. For although he had killed someone he was no cold-blooded murder like GinWan or LinWan. He had probably never even seen a dead body from up close, much less be the cause of someone else¡¯s death. He could still clearly remember the first time he¡¯d felt his sword slide into someone else¡¯s chest, the warm blood flowing over the blade, coating his fingers in that red, warm substance. He had thrown-up for an entire morning and then been sick the rest of the day, his belly hurting from the useless effort of gagging on an empty stomach.
¡°Was it CarFan?¡±
It had to be, right?, ZaiWin considered and the way NimRen went immediately rigid told him that he¡¯d hit the mark. It was the only reason he could think of why NimRen would count herself lucky for getting just a bruised face.
¡°Please don¡¯t tell my brother! I don¡¯t want him getting anywhere near that person!¡± she pleaded urgently and ZaiWin nodded, though he couldn¡¯t help feeling it ironic that she would fear CarFan this much, while completely ignoring the much more dangerous and deranged GinWan and LinWan. Really, blood ties were such a strong thing ¡
Still, it kind of annoyed him, knowing that an idiot like CarFan had had the nerve to hurt such a gentle, frail-looking girl. He should have smashed his head against that hard wall a few more extra times just for good measure, he thought bleakly.
¡°That apart, from your points, you only lost one duel!¡± she declared, obviously aiming to change the subject, and he sighed.
¡°Yeah ¡ I was paired with one of the Calzai¡¯s men. There was no way I could beat him.¡±
Her beautiful eyes went alight with admiration.
¡°I knew it! I knew it had to be that! Everyone lost to them, even with the handicaps. They were at the top of the list. If not for that I am sure you would be there as well.¡±
¡°Hardly. There are many kids around here stronger than me. Your brother, for example. I doubt I could beat him.¡± Not to mention FeiWan, but that he would never admit out loud.
¡°Bah! I still think you would win!¡±
ZaiWin smiled, knowing she was only trying to comfort him in the same way she used to do when they were younger.
¡°FeiWan also did rather good,¡± she went on, now sounding excited. ¡°He won all his combats. Well, he has been training like crazy,¡± she added with a sigh that made ZaiWin raise an inquisitive eyebrow.
¡°He has?¡±
Somehow he just could not see it. That cruel, pampered kid being serious about something.
¡°That¡¯s right! Ever since he became a Haenin he has been practicing every single day! And his Tien¡¯Elhar is so cute! Of course, brother¡¯s Tien¡¯Elhar is cute too,¡± she quickly added, obviously feeling as if she had betrayed her older brother by singling out FeiWan¡¯s Celestial like that. ¡°But I still prefer HenWan. I really wish I could be chosen by a Tien¡¯Elhar like her. But mother ¡ she says that that will probably never happen, that I¡¯m too old for that now ¡¡± NimRen lowered her gaze for a moment, looking really depressed. ¡°But your mother was also chosen when she was fifteen? Right? So maybe I still have a chance!¡±
And that was why gentle people could be thoroughly and utterly cruel just like that, he thought, making his best to keep his smile in place. For how could he reprimand her, or even get angry at her, or even tell her to piss off just by mentioning the word Tien¡¯Elhar in front of him? And that happy, hopeful smile on her face when she¡¯d mentioned the fact that his mother had also been a Chosen One ¡
He forced himself to take a deep breath and went back to repacking his backpack.
¡°You should probably go,¡± he told her, not wanting to look at her again, fearing she might notice the bitterness beneath his smile. ¡°It¡¯s getting late and CalWan is bound to worry.¡±
NimRen looked up at the darkening sky and nodded.
¡°You¡¯re right. And he even specifically told me not to wander around, before he went out to play with one of those girls,¡± she added with an obvious critical tone. ¡°Well, I just wanted to make sure you hadn¡¯t been hurt. Since now I know you¡¯re fine I can rest assured.¡±
ZaiWin nodded and she gently patted his shoulder.
¡°See you tomorrow for another long hiking?¡±
¡°Sure. See you tomorrow.¡±
The sound of her footsteps moving away finally allowed him to relax the aching muscles of his face, but that word still echoed persistently in his head, reopening wounds that had never completely healed. Tien¡¯Elhar. He would kill the whole lot of them if he only could!
RTYY 044 - Let the Hunt Begin
¡°Today we will be testing your hunting and fishing skills!¡± the Calzai announced, his grave voice easily reaching out to everyone present , the few who had remained.
As a result of their previous dueling tournament, the group had been greatly reduced, to the point where ZaiWin was wondering if there would be any kids left by the end of the week.
From the twenty-nine that had participated in the duels the day before, five were dead, four were severely injured, and three others had chosen to stay behind under the pretext of taking care of their fallen companions. Their terrified expressions, however, told anyone with eyes on their faces that their reason to quit the Gathering was far from having anything to do with a noble, caring heart.
Of course, all the royals were still present, as were their main loyal followers. And CarFan hadn¡¯t dropped out either, which ZaiWin could easily understand. Being left behind with the others, without an adult to supervise them, was the same as asking for trouble since, right then, he wasn¡¯t exactly being well accepted by the other kids.
Since they were a lot fewer now, it was also much easier to understand who was affiliated with who, and who kept themselves apart from the main groups.
As to be expected, more than half of the remaining kinds belonged either to FeiWan¡¯s group or CalWan¡¯s group, if nothing else because the twins wouldn¡¯t dare openly hurt one of their brother¡¯s faithfully followers just for the fun of it, and they obviously felt safe enough under royal wings to continue participating in the Gathering.
Then, beside them, there were GinWan and LinWan, of course, keeping to themselves like always, whispering back and forth in their creepy code, looking like two exact copies even though they were sister and brother.
Then there were two girls, who must also share some blood bound between them, either sisters or cousins, ZaiWin thought, by how much they looked alike. The youngest of the two kept staring at CalWan with a dreamy expression on her face, but the older one had a strong, determined bearing about her, and the way she held the youngest girl¡¯s hand in hers clearly stated who decided things around there.
And then there was CarFan. Surprisingly enough another girl kept him company, her expression clearly worried, her honey-colored eyes constantly checking on him. She didn¡¯t look mindlessly lovestruck, like the two girls in CalWan¡¯s group. More like afraid he might collapse or something worse, which lead ZaiWin to conclude that she was probably a less important member of his Clan, tasked with making sure that the young master made through the Gathering unscathed.
And finally there was him, the only one standing alone, as he had been right from the start.
So much for bringing honor and glory to their Clans, he thought ironically. So much for taking the opportunity to establish political connections with other Provinces. So much for making their Clan¡¯s name known and recognized by the royals. Fear was truly a beautiful thing.
¡°The hunting grounds are shaded in green on your maps,¡± the Calzai was saying, still explaining that afternoon¡¯s activity. ¡°You are not allowed to use your daitai for the killing, but you can use them to track, ambush or chase your prey.¡±
Those were magical words to his ears, he thought, as did most of the other kids by the grins and smiles on their faces.
¡°Points will be granted by the end of the day but keep in mind that, more than quantity, we are looking for quality and for how much of a challenge you are willing to put yourselves through in order to accomplish today¡¯s task. Today¡¯s weapons will be the bow and the spear. You are to collect them from under that tree.¡±
Everyone looked towards the pointed direction.
¡°Wish you all a good hunt and may the eternal sun shine down on your path.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
And, with that, the Calzai climbed down from his wooden box and walked away, his expression impassive, cold and distant, as if he hadn¡¯t just left almost ten noble kids behind, together with their companion¡¯s corpses, to fend for themselves.
Though ZaiWin had an almost visceral hatred for the Hao Clan, he couldn¡¯t help admire the older man¡¯s guts. He was sure that once the event was over he would be buried in complains and demands for compensation, due to the shame and danger the young ones had been forced to endure. And still he looked as if he couldn¡¯t care less.
Turning to make his way to said tree, he saw NimRen timidly waving at him. Her face looked even more bruised than the day before and, as to be expected, CalWan hadn¡¯t allowed her to wander away from his side the entire day. So, unlike the days before, they hadn¡¯t been able to march together to this new location.
He gave her an equally timid smile, not wanting others to notice their exchange, and went to retrieve his weapons for the day.
The bow was as simple as bows could be and it could have been made right there, in that forest. Just a thin, flexible branch and a cord. The arrows kept inside an equally simple leather quiver were also made of wood, but they¡¯d been obviously carefully crafted, the shiny metal points made of steel adequately balanced and sharp. Each quiver held fifteen arrows, ZaiWin quickly counted them. Not a lot of them but more than enough for someone who knew what he was doing. The tall, thin spears leaning against the tree trunk were light and easy enough to carry and handle, ideal for fishing.
Pulling his bow and quiver over one shoulder he grabbed one spear and tried his best to get going as soon as possible.
CarFan, who looked as out of it as the day before, frowned hatefully at the mere sight of him. But, the moment he was about to come over to clearly harass him, CalWan crossed his path followed by NimRen, two other girls, one of them KimWon who made a point to ignore him, and another quieter but pretty-looking boy. At the sight of them, CarFan¡¯s face paled considerable, and he quickly turned around as if that would be enough to hide him from CalWan¡¯s fury, should he ever come to know that he was the one that had left that ugly bruise on his little sister¡¯s face.
Taking this opportunity, and the fact that FeiWan was still studying his map, he quickly made his way into the woods, wishing to disappear from everyone¡¯s sight as soon as possible.
Another inconvenience of the drastic decline in numbers of participants, he thought, running with silent footsteps, checking the trees in search of one he could easily climb. The less kids there were, the more he¡¯d stand out, especially with so many of them holding an open grudge against him. Maybe he should have chosen to stay behind with the other kids, he considered, strapping is spear to his back as well, beneath his backpack, so he could free his hands and start climbing.
ZenTar had nagged him about the importance of him attending that stupid Gathering. He had to show them all, the El¡¯Dur included, that Nox had a real Governor, that, from now on, it would behave like any other Province.
Nox had been without a Governor for hundreds of years and was widely known as a rogue Province, full of poor, sick people and a famous den of rapists, murderers and thieves. As such, no representative of Nox had participated in the Seventh Year Gathering for a long time. Even other ungoverned Provinces religiously sent someone to represent them, no matter if the poor kids they sent would most likely end up injured or worse, dead, for how weak and untrained they were. But no one had ever expect that kind of civilized behavior from Nox.
And so ZaiWin had to go!, ZenTar had insisted. He had to go and show them that things were different now. That they were like any other Province and that they would follow and comply with the Empire¡¯s directives. He hadn¡¯t liked it one bit! But he understood, and so he¡¯d come. But hadn¡¯t he done more than enough already? Wasn¡¯t this enough? Kids from other, much more prominent Clans had already given up. Besides ZenTar had told him that he had to come, he had never said he had to stick with it till the end.
Sitting on a branch, he took a deep breath to recover from the effort of climbing such a tall tree. He had to quickly fix this stubborn streak of his!, he censured himself. Yes he hated to lose! Yes he hated the feeling that he was too weak and that, as such, there were certain things out of his reach, like winning in a duel against CalWan. But, more than prideful, he had to be smart about this. What if he got really hurt? What if the others decided to ambush him? What would happen to his Nox then?
With a heavy sigh he got up and easily walked across the branch to look at the forest, on the other side. At least it was quiet up there, he thought, smiling when the cool wind brushed against his face, tussling his hair. There was a lake not very far from there, he realized by the silvery glow he could see from between the trees. Lakes were always good hunting places and, even if that were not the case, he would at least be able to refill his flask and catch something decent for his evening meal.
Having decided which course to take, ZaiWin didn¡¯t lose time and started moving.
RTYY 045 - The Little One in the Bushes
Although obviously safer than walking on the ground, traveling from treetop to treetop was a slow process with its inherent dangers as well.
On his way to the lake ZaiWin caught a glimpse of the twins, down bellow, calmly sitting against a tree, heads leaning together, eyes closed as if they¡¯d decided to simply take a nap. At least they weren¡¯t going around setting deadly traps for the rest of them, ZaiWin sighed. But, besides them, he didn¡¯t see or hear anyone else. That is, until he reached his initial destination.
With a curse ZaiWin quickly lied down, his belly pressed against the wide tree branch, and he silently peered down, trying to analyze the whole situation before he acted.
Well, of course he wouldn¡¯t be the only one thinking that the lake was a good place to start that day¡¯s quest. But, according to his map, the lake was rather large, standing at the edge of the their hunting grounds. And so he had hopped that the others would take a bit longer to reach it and, should they get there at the same time as him, that they would still be far enough so he wouldn¡¯t have to cross paths with them.
And it had to be CarFan!, he clicked his tongue in annoyance the moment he identified his blond hair. The girl from before was also with him, standing at his side, with a tense expression on her face.
Of course, compared with FeiWan or CalWan, CarFan was much weaker, be it in terms of physical strength or the power of his daitai, which should make him easier to deal with, if it ever came to that. But somehow, since the day before, something had changed within the other boy¡¯s state of mind, and it had clearly been a change for the worse. Before he had been just another arrogant prick, bullying those he deemed weaker than him. Now there was this dangerous, crazed look about him that made ZaiWin¡¯s daitai vibrate in alert at the mere sight of him.
FeiWan might hate him, CalWan might despise him, but none of them would actually dare to kill him. ZaiWin even ventured believing that even the twins would think twice before attacking him. The El¡¯Gin had all been thoroughly taught about the consequences of their actions, and their different mothers, more than their father, had without a doubt made sure they would never forget who they were, and that there was a certain golden crown they had to set their sights on.
But the CarFan ZaiWin had fought the day before was no longer able to keep any of that in mind, his unjustified hatred escalating at the mere sight of him. He would not hesitate to shoot him down if he saw him standing there.
Down below CarFan put down his spear and grabbed his bow, setting and arrow and drawing the cord to its full length.
Had he found something to hunt?
At his side the young girl shook her head, urgently holding his arm, clearly wanting to stop him, but he roughly pushed her away, making her fall back. ZaiWin frowned when he saw the girl trying to get up, obviously unwilling to give up.
Following the direction that his arrow now pointed, ZaiWin squinted his eyes and tried to see what kind of prey he had set his eyes upon. But he couldn¡¯t see anything. Or so he thought.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
A small movement amongst a small patch of bushes heavy with small red berries suddenly caught his attention. And then a small head popped up.
From up there, where he was. everything at ground level looked incredibly small but he still could easily distinguish the pale color of skin. Human skin!, he immediately realized looking back at CarFan, his heart suddenly beating hard against his chest. If ZaiWin could see it from up there, there was no way CarFan couldn¡¯t see it as well!
The girl grabbed his arm again, pulling him, a pleading expression on her face as she said something to him, but was harshly pushed back again, this time even harder, as CarFan quickly corrected the aim of his arrow.
ZaiWin looked back at the little person in the bushes and instinctively reached for his own bow. He was a considerably good shot. He would have no problem hitting an arrow mid-flight. Much less problem hitting CarFan¡¯s hand! That was ¡ if it weren¡¯t so damn windy up there, he quickly considered, giving up on his initial plan. Would the one in the bushes hear him if he shouted loud enough? He could not fly, like ZenTar could. He could use the air flows to move quicker on his feet, even rise himself a bit from the ground, but he¡¯d have to be down there, on the ground, for that to actually work. He couldn¡¯t possibly jump from that high and expect his daitai to stop him from turning into human bloody mush once he hit the ground.
And then it was too late.
Even though he couldn¡¯t hear what the girl kept saying he could somehow clearly hear the sound of the bow cord being released, and the whistling sound of the arrow as it cut through the air.
Panicking, he looked at the small person surrounded by green leaves and bright red berries. Whoever it was they would be dead soon. Unless he could somehow reach them in time.
Closing his eyes he forced all his energy to flow and concentrate on the only daitai on his back he was yet to control. The burning sensation made him grind his teeth but he steeled his will.
Take me there! Now!
The words made his blood warm up and then a fierce blast of wind brushed over him, forcing him to close his eyes.
He stumbled, dizzy at the sudden sensation of solid ground beneath his feet, and quickly reached back for his own bow. Eyes still closed he focused on the sound of the arrow now flying straight at him and, stepping to one side, hit it off course with his bow before it could reach its mark.
The sound of his own rushed breathing filled the air around him, and then he finally opened his eyes, the dizzying sensation only getting worse before the overwhelming sight of all that greenery dancing in front of him.
He had made it, he thought, still bewildered, blinking and steadying himself. It had worked! He had tried it many times before without successful, no matter how many times ZenTar had patiently tried to make him understand how it should work. Of course the only thing that ZenTar knew about his daitai were mere theories, and sometimes theories were as far from the truth as fire and water. Not to mention that things are normally easier said than done. Anyway! He had made it! And he hadn¡¯t ended up stuck inside some tree, or buried in the ground. He was actually standing on his own two feet!
Slowly turning back he was faced with a pair of huge black eyes.
Just as he¡¯d thought. The little one was no more than a child.
With maybe four or five years of age, the child was so dirty that he couldn¡¯t tell if it was a boy or a girl. Probably a boy? It did have very short hair. The only piece of clothing covering his small body was a loose tunic, clearly too large for him. It reached bellow his skinny knees, the collar sliding down one of his shoulders. His hands and round cheeks were smudge with dirt and something red, ZaiWin guessed berry juice. And he had been there collecting those same berries, ZaiWin noticed, seeing the small pile or small red balls gathered a top a large leaf.
Trying to reassure the small thing he made his best to place a gentle smile on his lips.
¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t hurt you,¡± he declared, but the black eyes jut kept staring up at him. Strangely enough the kid looked more bewildered than afraid.
RTYY 046 - Was This Your Prey?!
¡°You freaking bastard!! Do you want to die? Getting in the way of my hunt??¡±
The sound of angry shouts immediately erased ZaiWin¡¯s smile and he took a step to the side, instinctively placing himself in front of the small child, turning to face CarFan who was furiously marching towards them.
¡°Hunt? And what are you hunting, exactly?¡± he demanded, a deep frown marking his forehead, his energy he¡¯d just gathered responding to his emotions and immediately reaching out for his more aggressive daitai.
¡°And what¡¯s it to you? I saw a prey that caught my eye and was aiming for it! How dare you step in my way?¡±
¡°Was this your prey?¡± he questioned, allowing him to see the child hiding behind his back, and CarFan¡¯s eyes grew colder, that crazed glow resurfacing.
So he had known!, ZaiWin confirmed, anger boiling in his chest. Taking a quick look at the frightened and unsure expression on the girl¡¯s face it was easy to conclude she had known too, reason why she had tried to stop him.
ZaiWin had seen more than his fair share of children like the little one hiding behind him. Children that had no home, no parents to look after them, no food to fill their empty stomachs and no clothes to wear. His Province had been riddled with them. He had seen them dying on the streets, their small, scrawny corpses being eaten by wild dogs and birds. Back then he himself had been no older than them, and suddenly all the horrible things he¡¯d been through hadn¡¯t looked as horrible at all. Even now, after all his hard work, after all ZenTar and him had accomplished, he knew that every day children still died of hunger and disease in Nox. And so, more than most, he could not stand that a rich, arrogant bastard like CarFan would try to hunt one of them down just for the heck of it! He really wanted to kill him right there!
A small tug on his clothes surprised him and he looked down to see that the child was still staring up at him. Those black eyes were bottomless, unwavering pits. The hair covering the child¡¯s head was really short but so dirty that it looked gray, some places darker than others. An yet, even when faced with those strange, dangerous people, he still looked apparently serene, taking into account his small age and the present circumstances. Even more strangely, that cold serenity seemed to seep into him, and he was able to calm down and think things through more thoroughly. If the kid had been crying in fear he would have probably killed CarFan where he stood.
¡°That filthy thing! He scared my prey away!¡± CarFan accused, quickly finding an argument that would erase his guilt, and ZaiWin frowned at him again.
¡°Even if that was the case!¡± Which they all knew it wasn¡¯t. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard what the Calzai told us? Should we find any of the locals we are not to interfere with them!¡±
¡°Locals?! That little beggar? He was probably out here trying to steal from us!¡±
ZaiWin clenched his fists, forcing himself to keep his anger under control.
¡°If your prey got scared away then that¡¯s your loss! Go and find something else to hunt! Or do you intend to punish this child for an act he did not commit?¡± he asked, lowering his voice, making sure it sounded threatening enough, allowing the darkness he held inside him to spill out a bit, and CarFan¡¯s eyes widened in fear as he quickly took a step back.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
¡°What ¡ what the heck ¡¡± he mumbled and the girl that had accompanied him held his arm, pulling him even further back, looking even more frightened than him.
¡°You should heed my advise. Because I will not let you touch this child!¡± ZaiWin clearly added and CarFan frowned angrily, but he kept walking back.
¡°I¡¯ll deal with you later, you damned bastard!¡± he spat, an obviously empty threat, before he finally turned around and stormed away in angry steps.
ZaiWin sighed, allowing himself to relax. And then he remembered the child, and quickly looked down fearing he might have frightened the kid as well. But, if he had, those black eyes didn¡¯t show it at all.
With a more honest smile on his lips, he bent forward, hands on his knees, to be closer to child¡¯s height.
¡°There. He went away and won¡¯t bother you anymore. Were you collecting berries?¡±
The child released his clothes and took a step back, finally averting his gaze, looking cutely embarrassed.
ZaiWin chuckled. So the kid could deal with death threats and attempts on his life with stoic face, but he got all flustered when someone actually talked nicely at him.
¡°Are they any good?¡± he asked and the child nodded, still avoiding looking at him.
Twisting his nose, ZaiWin picked up a small berry, smelled it and threw it in his mouth. It was juicy, but as sour as lemon, sending a shiver throughout his entire mouth, making him puck his face.
A small sound made him look at the child and he saw that the kid was silently laughing at him, his small face brightening up, looking innocent and cute like any child should look.
¡°You like this stuff?¡±
The child nodded eagerly and he sighed in resignation.
¡°Anyway, you shouldn¡¯t linger around here anymore. During the next four days older kids like that one will be marching through this forest and they¡¯re not very nice people. It would be much safer if you went back home for the time being,¡± he told the child with a more serious expression, and the little one¡¯s face mirrored his seriousness as he attentively followed his every word. ¡°Here! This is all I have on me,¡± he went on, taking out all the food he had been carrying with him.
They were mostly fruits, but there were also some wild mushrooms and some cattails¡¯ leftovers. If the kid was out there looking for food maybe these would be enough to convince him to return home. He could always pick up more for himself, while he hunted.
The black eyes stared at the food at his feet with amazed wonder.
With a second thought, ZaiWin took out his orienting flask, his water flask and his knife, and filled his backpack with all the fruit, including the berries the child had gathered.
¡°There¡¯s also a blanket in there. The nights are getting chilly so make sure you use it,¡± he declared, giving him his backpack but, since the child didn¡¯t move at all, he ended up helping him put it on. It was too big for him, reaching all the way to his knees, and he hoped it was light enough for him to carry. ¡°There. Now go home before that idiot comes back.¡±
The huge black eyes looked up at him one last time and then the child finally walked away, holding onto the backpack¡¯s straps, trying his best to carry the additional weight.
ZaiWin was sure that the food he¡¯d given the child would keep him fed for at least a few days, long enough for that stupid Gathering to end. He only wished he¡¯d already hunted down some prey, or maybe fished some fish. He would have gladly given it to the kid as well. That child was way too scrawny, only skin and bones. Not healthy at all. And yet, it still amazed him how kids like him could still happily smile, even laugh. Even though he had never been in such dire situation as them, he had long lost his ability to smile like that.
RTYY 047 - Practice makes it Perfect
Discarding his spear, ZaiWin officially decided to give up on the entire hunting task. He had much more important things to do now. Like practice his newly acquired control over the last and more troublesome of his daitai.
Even though he had tried to make it work on many different occasions, all unsuccessful, thanks to that kid it had somehow activated by itself. Now that it had finally obeyed his command he didn¡¯t want to forget how to do it, the feeling of triggering it. It was also important to learn about its limits, so he could safely use it whenever he needed. How many times could he use it on a roll? How far would it take him?
When trying his best to decipher the daitai¡¯s nature, ZenTar had told him that it would probably allow him do something like teleport himself from one place to another. He had been right, and he had been wrong, ZaiWin considered while putting some distance between him and the lake. He didn¡¯t want to stay for too long where others might easily find him.
From what he understood, teleporting would mean that one¡¯s body would have to be dissolved into tiny particles. Those particles would then move across space at an extraordinary speed, to reassemble themselves again at the intended destination.
As far as he could tell, however, when he¡¯d used his daitai his body had remained exactly as it was. He could clearly recall the feeling of the harsh wind brushing against his skin. But, at the same time, the fact that he had moved at an incredible, inhuman speed, was also undeniable. It wasn¡¯t as if he had disappeared from one place to reappear somewhere else. It was more like ¡ he had slipped into another space, a darker space, and the violent wind there had carried him like a small leaf blown away by a hurricane, only to spit him out again where he¡¯d intended to go.
More than teleporting he felt like he had jumped from one place to another. The difference being that in the middle of that jump he had stepped into some other dimension where things could move much faster. Or maybe time was just different over there, he considered. He wondered if he¡¯d ever be able to stop his jump midway and take the time to explore that other side ¡ But he was getting way ahead of himself.
First things first. He had to be sure he could control it at will.
Since he¡¯d gotten relatively far away from the lake, ZaiWin looked around, making sure he was safely out of anyone¡¯s sight, and focused his attention on a tall, lean tree just a few steps away from where he stood. He¡¯d begin with small, easy things, he decided. That had always been how he¡¯d learned to control his other daitai.
Taking a deep breath, he relaxed his shoulders and focused on the energy calmly flowing through his body. At this stage, gathering it and directing it came all too naturally to him, and so he easily assembled it, offering it to his stubborn datai to use as it felt fit. He still didn¡¯t know how much energy it would take for it to work. Before he¡¯d acted out of pure urgency and hadn¡¯t really taken note of that.
The burning sensation on his back made his heart jump into an enthusiastic beating. It was still awake. For a moment he¡¯d feared that it might have went back to sleep.
That tree, he thought, making sure his wish remain clear and firm. Take me to that tree!
It all happened so fast that he couldn¡¯t help but gasp. Darkness and wind dragged him away and then ¡ pain!
¡°Shit!!¡± he cursed out loud, falling back on his bottom, his hand flying to his aching forehead.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.
True, the tree he¡¯d chosen was standing right in front of him, all tall and imposing. But he had just slammed his head hard against it!
Rubbing his forehead he checked his hand to make sure he wasn¡¯t bleeding. It had been such a strong head slam that it was sure to leave a bump, if not a bruise.
Scrambling to his feet, he dusted off his clothes and straightened the bow he now carried on his back.
Damn! That hurt, he scowled at the tree as if it were its fault.
With a sight he looked around again and chose another target. First he considered a large rock he could see from where he stood, but then thought it better and decided on another tree. He didn¡¯t want to die from a concussion!
Taking a deep breath he repeated the process and bang! He slammed his head against the tree again.
Cringing in pain he looked up at his new huge enemy. Back then, when he¡¯d tried to reach the kid, he¡¯d been able to stop exactly where he¡¯d wanted to go. Now he always seemed to be too fast.
Standing up, he chose another tree. Maybe the trees he¡¯d chosen before were just too close.
This time around relaxing was a bit harder. Though he was no stranger to pain, like any normal person, he would still instinctively try to avoid it if possible.
There! Take me there!
A strong wind dragged him into the darkness but this time, the moment he felt it, he cut of the energy supply to his daitai.
Stop!
It was almost as if he¡¯d been riding a horse at full speed and suddenly pulled it to a halt ¡ only worse. A jolt ran through his entire body and he was outside again, but the momentum couldn¡¯t be stopped just like that. And so he was thrown out, falling on the ground, rolling over himself. All he could do was raise his arms and protect his head and face. He hit hard against a tree, the pain spreading through his back, and his body finally became blessedly still.
Rolling over himself to lay on his back, he looked up at the green canopy above his head.
He was going to kill himself, he sighed, closing his eyes. Not to mention that ZenTar would have his hide if he knew that he had tried to practice one of his daitai unsupervised. Anyway, stopping midway was not a good idea, he concluded, wincing when he tried to take a deep breath.
Sitting up he discarded his bow as well, since it was only making things worse, and left it and its quiver leaning against the tree. He¡¯d come back for them later on.
So, he had to clearly decide where he was going. Changing his mind midway would not be a good idea.
Opening and closing his hands he frowned. He could already feel his energy draining. This was what? The third time? By the way he felt right now he could probably only jump another three times or so. He did not want to drain himself to the point where he¡¯d be completely defenseless. Not when people like CarFan and FeiWan were still lurking around.
Standing up he chose another target and rubbed his aching forehead. If he were back at Nox, ZenTar would have probably covered the trees with cushions, he sighed.
Clenching his fists he focused and allowed his energy to flow to his daitai.
There! Take me there!
Wind brushed through him and then a sharp pain made him take a couple of steps back.
Groaning in frustration he looked up at the tree. It hadn¡¯t been as bad as before, at least he wasn¡¯t sitting on his ass! But it still damn hurt!! He tried to rub his forehead but the pain was so sharp now that touching it would only make it worse.
Sighing in resigned frustration, he searched for a new tree. This time, however, he didn¡¯t make it the central point of his attention. Instead he focused on the patch of grass growing just beside its thick roots. Maybe it would work ¡?
Sighing, he released all the tension the pain had brought him, and focused.
Another strong wind rushed through him and then there was solid ground beneath his feet again. And ¡ no pain! At least no more than he¡¯d been in before.
With a huge smile on his face he looked up at the tree standing just in front of him, no more than one finger away from his nose. He could even smell the moist scent of the wood. He¡¯d done it! He could almost jump up and down from sheer enthusiasm.
He didn¡¯t though. Instead he leaned against the tree and took a deep breath.
Thank the Heavens that he¡¯d managed to successfully make it on his fifth attempt, he thought feeling droplets of sweat sliding down his neck and back. He had estimated that he could try one more time, and he still believed he could. If he¡¯d be able to stand on his two legs afterwords was an entire different question. As to be expected, that daitai was extremely demanding.
RTYY 048 - A Gentle Girls Request
The sound of voices captured his attention and ZaiWin silently slipped around the tree, hiding in the shadow of its large trunk. A female voice, he noticed, and silently waited for them to walk by him.
¡°Please! Please do something! I beg of you, brother! Please stop!¡±
NimRen, he quickly recognized her voice, which unconsciously perked his attention. Any other voice and he wouldn¡¯t have cared less about what they might be discussing.
The sound of footsteps halted, telling him that CalWan had heeded his sisters request.
¡°Wasn¡¯t he one of your friends? How can you just turn your back on him like that?¡± she was asking, between pleading and angry, and ZaiWin sighed silently.
NimRen, though older than him, was still too naive. Friend? Was that a word any of the royals should even dare to use?
¡°NimRen-lar. We understand that you are worried about ¡ this person,¡± another, much more annoying female voice replied. KimWon, he knew. ¡°But you must think about your royal brother¡¯s image. That person was accused of treason. It is only expected that someone on CalWan-lor¡¯s position stays as far away as possible from such a common criminal.¡±
¡°You, shut your mouth!¡± NimRen spat in a cold, angry voice that sent shivers down ZaiWin¡¯s back, his eyes widening in surprise. Was that really NimRen? Well, good for her!, he thought. ¡°Who are you to address me when I haven¡¯t even acknowledged your presence?¡± ZaiWIn could only smile, imagining KimWon¡¯s outraged expression. CalWan remained silent, obviously unwilling to interfere in the two women¡¯s squabble. ¡°Brother, please,¡± NimRen pleaded again, her voice back to being sweet and fragile.
CalWan sighed heavily.
¡°His entire Clan has been accused of treason. His father stands accused of trying to murder the El¡¯Dai and our youngest brother. It is only natural that they would come to take him away as soon as possible. If the matter weren¡¯t this serious would they even dare to interrupt the Seventh Year Gathering?¡± he calmly explained, not a shred of emotion in his voice.
¡°But brother! Even if they were accused of such horrible thing! Accused hardly means guilty. And you¡¯ve seen the Governor of Pon around the Palace as many times as I have. He has always been kind to us and loyal to the Empire. Do you really believe that such a person would be cable of such a horrible thing as trying to murder a child?¡±
¡°NimRen, you are way too trusting of other people,¡± CalWan patiently replied and, although he didn¡¯t like it, ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help but agree. ¡°Who¡¯s to say that all the nice smiles and humble curtsies weren¡¯t exactly so that he¡¯d be able to get close to us? Who¡¯s to say that it wasn¡¯t all a part of their plan right from the start?¡±
ZaiWin smiled bitterly. Yeah, that was the normal mindset of all the children raised within the Palace walls.
¡°But even if he really did such a horrible thing! FonRou has nothing to do with that! He has been here, with us, all along!¡± NimRen insisted.
¡°And maybe that was his mission. While his father tried to kill our brother, he would try to kill us, during the Gathering.¡±
¡°I know you don¡¯t believe any of that! FonRou is a nice boy and he is completely dedicated to you!¡±
¡°Then he should have stopped running when I told him to,¡± CalWan calmly replied. ¡°If he had done so FeiWan wouldn¡¯t have chased after him.¡±
¡°He is going to kill him!¡± NimRen stated, urgency vibrating in her gentle voice. ¡°Are you really okay with that?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
CalWan didn¡¯t reply. He didn¡¯t need to. It didn¡¯t matter if he was okay with it or if he couldn¡¯t care less. For all purposes intended that kid was already dead.
¡°If I may say something,¡± another female voice interceded, this one sounding much softer and calmer. ¡°I believe we can all understand that CalWan-lor¡¯s status places him in a difficult position regarding this matter. He can hardly intercede in favor of his brother¡¯s potential murderer. But maybe someone else could go and make sure FonRou is safely apprehended?¡±
They all went silent and ZaiWin muttered a curse under his breath. Those damned bearers of water daitai! They were always more sensitive than other people!
Sighing in resignation he left his hiding place.
Well, he had only himself to blame for his present situation, he grumbled inside his head when, as expected, he found them all staring at the tree he¡¯d been using as a hiding place. He should have used his own daitai to cover up his presence, but he¡¯d been too exhausted from his control practice.
The girl that had noticed him was more or less NimRen¡¯s age and, of course, was the only one who didn¡¯t look surprised at seeing him there. CalWan frowned with an angry expression, as if he had committed some terrible crime. KimWon¡¯s cheeks reddened and she huffed, making a point to avert her gaze in disgust. Only NimRen looked positively relieved to see him standing there.
¡°ZaiWin!¡± she sang, quickly crossing the space between them to hold his hand.
ZaiWin blushed and averted his gaze. He was fine with her shows of affection when they were alone, but the others kept staring at him, and CalWan¡¯s expression only darkened.
¡°Why not send him?¡± the girl who had denounced his presence suggested and he frowned, glaring at her. Who did she think she was to order him around?
¡°Eh! A little kid like him? As if! FeiWan will only kill him first!¡± KimWon snorted and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help but agree with the little bitch.
And why did he have to get involved in all that mess to begin with? He had nothing to do with Palace politics and the like!
NimRen glared murderously at the other girl, silencing her with the sheer force of her gaze, and then turned to him again, her blue eyes going soft and pleading, making him wince internally.
¡°You know that¡¯s not true, right?¡± she gently asked and even CalWan snorted at that. ¡°FeiWan would never really hurt you. You are ¡¡± She stopped herself, chewing her lower lip. ZaiWin¡¯s heart almost stopped in terror, afraid of what she might say next. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other a long time. And I¡¯m not asking you to fight him or anything like that. Only to make sure FonRou is justly apprehended. This is also for FeiWan¡¯s sake.¡±
ZaiWin averted his gaze. He couldn¡¯t care less about FeiWan, or that other kid! They could all drop dead at his feet and he wouldn¡¯t spare them a single glance. But NimRen ¡
¡°Please?¡± She squeezed his hands, her voice shaking, and he sighed, unable to deny her.
¡°How can I find him?¡±
NimRen¡¯s smile was bright and warm. CalWan remained as uncaring as ever. KimWon smiled viciously, clearly believing he would not get out of that alive.
¡°Here!¡± NimRen quickly told him, reaching inside the silk poach she carried tied at her belt, and took out a bright orange crystal containing a beautiful fiery marking printed inside it. ¡°We were all given one of these, so that we could find each other in case of need. This one will take you to FeiWan. This is his royal daitai,¡± she declared, pressing the crystal against his palm, and ZaiWin could immediately feel its warmth against his skin.
It was beautiful, he couldn¡¯t help admire it, the delicate lines glowing as if they were alive. The daitai that FeiWan carried on his back and that clearly marked him as one of the El¡¯Dur¡¯s direct descendants.
Sighing he closed his eyes and took a step back. ZenTar would hit him silly if he knew he was getting involved in something like that!
Relaxing his mind he fiercely closed all his daitai so that they wouldn¡¯t react and reject the foreign energy. And then he allowed the crystal to become active, its warm energy surrounding him, flowing inside him, bringing nostalgic tears to his eyes. Somehow it felt as if he¡¯d been brought back to life. As if he¡¯d been unknowingly dead, only to suddenly realize his sorrowful state. And then, the same way it had filled him completely it was gone again, like a receding wave. And he was back to being cold and empty, standing all alone in a completely different place.
Clenching his teeth he frowned angrily at himself for being unable to deny NimRen¡¯s request. But the sound of voices that filled the air quickly reminded him that he had much more important things to deal with.
RTYY 049 - Standing Against a Raging Fire
¡°Stop right there! You traitorous scum!¡± an angry voice was shouting, one he knew all too well, and ZaiWin quickly took a look around to take in his surroundings.
There were less trees, here, and he could hear the sound of running water coming from up ahead. The voice too, had come from that same direction. And so he didn¡¯t lose time, running as fast as he could to try and catch up with them. Since he had agreed to do NimRen¡¯s bidding he might as well try his best to make sure her request was fulfilled.
The sounds of loud blasts and the resulting flames that licked the greenery up ahead made him frown. That idiot was overdoing it like always! Was he trying to set the entire forest on fire?
Raising his arms to protect his face, ZaiWin ran straight ahead through a patch of thick, high bushes. And then he was out of the dense foliage, stumbling onto open ground, a silvery stream of water running right in front of him.
¡°I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± another voice protested and he immediately turned to see a high wall of dirt rising from the ground, cutting off the flames that were still chasing the voice¡¯s owner.
FeiWan halted in front of the wall, a burning aura surrounding his entire body, hatred spilling out of him in waves of molting heat. Without a single word he raised his hand towards the wall of dirt, the crackling energy surrounding him so condensed that it made his red hair whip the air behind him.
Kill him? No, ZaiWin quickly concluded, flooding his own daitai with whatever energy he might still possessed. The idiot was going to blow the entire forest to pieces!
The wind rose all around him, allowing him to move faster than normal people, and then he too was in front of that wall, and all he could see was a column of fire rushing straight towards him.
Though the intensity was numerous times higher than what he was used to deal with, this was hardly the first time he saw himself in such position, so he more or less knew what to do.
While training him, ZenTar had made sure to bomb him with every fire attack he was able to call forth, so he would be ready if and when the time came. Of course, even though ZenTar was pretty strong, he would never be as strong as a royal such as FeiWan, even taking into account the fact that FeiWan was much younger than him. Many people possessed fire daitai, but those could never be compared with the daitai most of the El¡¯Dur¡¯s direct descendants carried. In their case fire was deeply ingrained into their bodies, flowing through their veins like a living thing, almost integrating a fundamental part of their essence. Royals like NimRen, who only possessed a few fire daitai and, in her case, the rest were water based, were truly rare. For that some reason there were even a few voices who argued that she should not be considered an El¡¯Lin, and thus should not be allowed to carry the name Wen.
At least ZenTar¡¯s training menu had made him relatively familiar with the overwhelming, horrifying sensation of being about to be swallowed by a sea of flames, allowing him not to panic. Redirecting his energy towards the daitai he knew he needed, he braced himself for impact.
Wind danced around him like a furious ring, but not just any wind. In fact, whoever saw it from outside would only see a raging mass of barely contained darkness. And then, when the heat had become so strong he could no longer breathe, he unleashed the wind over the column of fire almost like a devouring wave of nothingness.
A loud, deafening roar echoed throughout the entire forest, the differential in temperatures sending him, and everything else flying back, even uprooting some weaker trees from the ground. And then there was a loud sucking sound that made even his hair stand on end, when the vortex of air he¡¯d created swallowed all the fire, before a deep silence returned.
Grinding his teeth, he quickly undid the wall of protection that he¡¯d raised in front of him, and that still hadn¡¯t been enough to completely withstand the impact. If he could avoid it, he did not wish to show other people the true nature of his daitai. Especially not someone like FeiWan, who would quickly make the inevitable associations. Still, even though he¡¯d been thrown back against the dirt wall, at least he¡¯d managed to survive.
Groaning in pain, he forced his legs to obey and tried to scramble back to his feet.
This was most definitely not his day ¡This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
¡°What ¡ the heck?!¡± Came the expected furious bawl and ZaiWin looked in the voice¡¯s direction, to see a red-haired boy also in the process of getting up. There were green leaves sticking out from his hair and clothes, and his green eyes were glowing from pure fury. ¡°What was that?¡± he still demanded, all imperial-like, as if he honestly expected some servant to answer him, and then his cold gaze finally found him, standing right there, in front of him, and his entire stance immediately changed. ¡°You!! You freaking bastard! Was it you?¡± he shouted, already marching towards him in wide steps as if ready to punch him, and ZaiWin made his best to straighten his back and hold his ground, even though his first instinct had been to try and keep away from him as best as possible.
His energy was running really low, now, but he could still put up a fight if he had to. On the other hand, with his energy levels so low he¡¯d be at a clear disadvantage, if he were to enter some kind of daitai duel against FeiWan.
No. Better to conserve his energy for now, he coldly decided just as FeiWan grabbed him by the collar of his tunic, practically raising him from the ground, and slammed him hard against the dirt wall on his back. Should he feel his life in danger, he¡¯d stab him straight through his heart, ZaiWin decided, redirecting his energy to one of his most fierce, most dangerous daitai. Not even FeiWan would be able to defend against that. Not from so up-close, anyway.
¡°You filth! How dare you interfere??¡± FeiWan demanded, green eyes ablaze, and ZaiWin raised his hand and opened it, showing him the fiery crystal that had since then lost its glow.
¡°Wen NimRen sent me,¡± he simply declared and FeiWan¡¯s gaze turned to the crystal, a deep frown appearing on his forehead.
¡°That useless woman! Always taking pity on the weak!¡± he growled and then turned to look at him again.
For a strange moment he just stared at him, as if he were trying to figure something out, and then simply tossed him to one side, like some discarded object, making ZaiWin fall on his knees.
¡°Beat it, mud-head! This has nothing to do with you!¡± he declared, glaring at him with nauseated despise, and then turned to face the dirt wall still firmly standing in front of him.
¡°Are you still there? You worthless piece of shit!¡± he shouted and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help follow him with his gaze, kind of amazed at hearing such foul language coming from one of the esteemed El¡¯Gin¡¯s lips. ¡°Of course you are! You are nothing but a coward, after all. Born from a family of cowards that dared try to murder a five-year-old!¡± he shouted, placing his hand against the wall, and ZaiWin quickly stood up again.
¡°I¡¯m innocent! I didn¡¯t do anything!¡± came the sound of a crying, muffled voice. ¡°And I am sure my father didn¡¯t do those horrible things either!¡±
¡°Lies from a traitor¡¯s mouth!¡± FeiWan spat, his face a mask of cold hatred and regal superiority.
¡°You should just take him in. Allow the High Council to decide!¡± ZaiWin thought it better to intervene and was immediately shot with a deadly glare from FeiWan.
¡°What did I tell you, filth? Scram! Before I bury you together with him!¡±
ZaiWin clenched his fists, forcing himself to disobey his command. FeiWan was older, bigger and, most likely, stronger than him. And he was furious in a way he¡¯d never seen him be. Oh, he had been on the receiving end of much of his anger and despise, when they¡¯d been younger. But this ¡ this was completely different. And even though he might have believed NimRen¡¯s words when she¡¯d told him that FeiWan would not kill him, now he wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.
And why was he here anyway? Trying to do what?, he wondered, looking at the dirt wall. Traitor or no traitor, the poor kid hiding on the other side had no chance of getting out of this alive, even if FeiWan were to spare him.
ZaiWin, on the other hand, had other, much more important things to take care of, responsibilities and expectations to live up to. Was he really going to risk dying in that forsaken forest for some kid that would soon be dead anyway? No. No he was not, he decided, releasing part of the tension that left him combat-ready.
He had already done his part, fulfilled NimRen¡¯s wish. He had tried to stop FeiWan, had even directly antagonized him. That was more enough.
The rumbling sound that rose from beneath his feet startled him and then he saw the huge dirt wall waver and undulate. First he thought that it was FeiWan¡¯s doing, that he was finally tearing it down. But then, something on the older boy¡¯s face told him he was wrong.
ZaiWin¡¯s heart skipped a bit, his eyes widening in horror. He knew this cold, uneasy sensation. He¡¯d felt it before, fighting against a band of thieves that were proficient at using earth daitai. Only this was much stronger, much more dangerous.
Without taking a single instant to think things through, he immediately diverted his energy to another daitai and rushed forward, at full speed, arm outstretched, jaw set, eyes fixed on his target. FeiWan only realized how close he was already too late, his face an expression of anger and surprise, before he was violently pushed back by a wave of thick darkness.
ZaiWin quickly tapped the ground with his feet and made his best to jump as high as he could, wishing he could fly like ZenTar could. The grumbling, growing sound was the only thing he could hear now, and then the overwhelming noise of rocks collapsing on top of each other, almost as if a mountain had been blown to pieces.
RTYY 050 - The Fury of Raging Fire
Pain. Sharp, heart-wrenching, overwhelming pain the likes he had not felt in a long time shot through ZaiWin¡¯s entire body and he couldn¡¯t help but scream, his voice swallowed by the loud rumbling sound of falling rocks. Hot tears flooded his eyes and slid down his face. Breathe! He had to breathe, he told himself, forcing his panicking mind to clam down, forcing his burning daitai to remain under his control. He had to remain firm. He had to ignore the pain. Losing control in a place like that would be the same as signing his, and everyone he knew, death sentences.
¡°You son of a bitch!!¡±
The furious roar that cut through the ensuing silence froze the blood in his veins. It hurt so much that he could hardly breathe but he still turned his head, trying to blink his tears away, to see FeiWan, his face a mask of pure rage, climbing the mountain of rocks that had erupted from the ground on all fours, looking a lot like a red-haired enraged animal.
His heart drumming painfully against his chest, ZaiWin tried his best to focus, but the pain was so strong that he couldn¡¯t clear his mind. And he was stuck! He tried to move but couldn¡¯t, the horrible pain only getting worse, stealing his breath away and leaving new tears streaming down his cheeks.
Looking to his side again he saw that FeiWan was almost upon him and he readied himself for certain death. If he had been furious before, now he was the personification of pure rage, a golden, fiery aura surrounding him, his long red hair falling loose over his face.But then ¡ he didn¡¯t stop, ZaiWin realized, blinking in confusion. Reaching the top of the rocky mountain where he¡¯d gotten stuck, FeiWan quickly started running down the other slope, stumbling here and there, his hands cut and bleeding from recklessly holding on to the rocky sharp edges. He had just passed by him and hadn¡¯t even glanced his way.
The bronze-haired boy still sitting on the ground at the base of the pile of huge rocks he himself had conjured, widened his amber eyes in horror at the sight of the red-haired beast FeiWan had become, and quickly tried to get up, nervously stumbling on his own feet, constantly mumbling the same desperate words.
¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡±
¡°I will fucking kill you!!¡± FeiWan roared and jumped all the way to the ground, landing on his feet but immediately falling on his knees, since he¡¯d jumped from way too high for his legs to bear.
Rolling on his side, he sprung to his feet again and ran after the other boy, looking every bit like a maddened beast. It didn¡¯t take him long to catch up with his prey, the other boy screaming in terror when he grabbed him and pulled him back, tackling him down. And then, to ZaiWin¡¯s surprise, he didn¡¯t burned him to a crisp. Instead he punched the other kid, over and over again, barely granting the other boy a chance to catch his breath.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
¡°How dare you!! You son of a bitch!! I will freaking kill you with my own two hands!!¡±
Already dizzy and bleeding from his nose and mouth, the other boy could only sob and whimper, all fight gone from him, his body completely limp on FeiWan¡¯s hands. Raising his fist to hit him again, FeiWan clenched his jaw, his green eyes burning, his arm trembling in fury, but he was finally able to restrain himself.
¡°I should tear your heart out and feed it to the pigs!¡±
FeiWan violently pulled the other boy by the collar of his tunic and literally dragged him back to the pile of rocks he had called forth from the ground, hoping to squash ZaiWin and the El¡¯Gin within it.
¡°Release him right now!¡± he commanded in his most imperial tone, shaking the almost unconscious boy awake, and the other one nodded weakly, waving his shaky hand.
The grumbling sound returned and ZaiWin immediately readied himself for some more excruciating pain. Much slower than when they had appeared from the ground, the rocky formation loosed up and retreated to where it had come from, burying itself underground. It would have been an amazing spectacle to see, all those huge rocks simply sinking away. That is, if he wasn¡¯t in so much pain.
Once his left leg was released from the smashing grip of stone pressing against stone, he immediately fell to one side, clenching his teeth hard so he wouldn¡¯t scream again, but unable to stop the tears from streaming down his face. As the rock disappeared from beneath his limp body, he fell helplessly on solid ground with a thud that stole his breath away. For an instant all he could do was lie there, on his side, his leg hurting so much he didn¡¯t dare look at it, didn¡¯t dare touch it.
The sound of footsteps and something being dragged pierced through the buzzing sound in his ears and ZaiWin snapped his eyes open, to look up at the boy staring coldly at him. For a moment he was sure that FeiWan would not lose that opportunity to finish him off. If nothing else, he would not lose the chance to kick him, like he used to do. But the green eyes staring hatefully at him looked away, a deep frown marking his forehead, his red hair glistening in fiery shades down his back.
¡°Don¡¯t think I owe you something! Scum like you are born to die instead of people like me!¡± he haughtily declared, still holding on to the collar of the other boy who seemed to have lost conscious, or worse. For an instant his green gaze fell on his leg but, instead of looking happy at the sight of his obvious disgrace, he actually looked even more angry. ¡°Stay here. I will send people to retrieve you,¡± he simply said and, without an other word, turned around and went away, mercilessly dragging the body of the other boy as if he were no more than a ragged doll.
ZaiWin watched him go, suspicious until the end, expecting to see him change his mind and turn around at any moment. But FeiWan didn¡¯t even look back and, soon enough, he was out of sight, disappearing amongst the trees.
^_^ FeiWan got angry ...
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RTYY 51 - Two Little Hands to Help Him
Allowing himself to relax only made the pain grow stronger.
Taking a deep breath, his face already sweaty, ZaiWin forced himself to sit up.
The first thing he saw was blood everywhere, darkening the recently revolved dirt. No wonder he was starting to feel dizzy. From the knee down his left leg was beyond broken, it was completely shattered, his foot dangling listlessly to one side, twisted in a very unnatural way.
More tears flooded his eyes and he couldn¡¯t stop himself from sobbing, his shoulders shaking. There was no way that leg would ever heal properly again, he knew. He¡¯d be more than lucky if he didn¡¯t end up loosing it altogether. ZenTar was going to kill him. And yet he really, really wanted ZenTar to be there, with him, even if he was going to scold him and smack him.
Forcing himself to take a deep breath, he wiped his tears and pushed all those fears away. ZenTar wasn¡¯t there. He was not going to magically appear out of nowhere just because he wanted.
He was on his own. And so he had to deal with his present situation the best way he could. Besides, even though ZenTar wasn¡¯t there his voice was always present in his mind, his many lessons engraved in his brain.
If you ever get hurt the first thing you must do is find a safe place where you can rest and maybe wait for help to come. Never stay outside, out in the open. Your enemies will have no trouble finding you like that. And wild animals are always attracted to weak prey.
Nodding as if the older man were standing right there, he studied his leg with a more clinical approach.
Be careful not to leave a trail if you are bleeding.
ZaiWin nodded again and started to undress his tunic. The blanket he¡¯d given the small child would have really come in handy right now, but it was no use wishing for what he could not have.
FeiWan had told him that he would send someone to get him, but he didn¡¯t trust them at all. He clenched his teeth and frowned, holding his voice in, controlling his breathing, as he went through the excruciating task of wrapping his tunic around his shattered leg. He didn¡¯t trust that FeiWan would actually send someone back for him. But it was better if he didn¡¯t anyway. He trusted the Calzai¡¯s men even less.
Belonging to the Hao Province, to the El¡¯Dai¡¯s Province, some of them could have easily been tasked with the mission to kill him if they got the chance. He had no doubts that at least the El¡¯Dai truly wanted him dead, and he doubted that she would pass on this invaluable opportunity to catch him away from home and from ZenTar¡¯s protection. Finding him out there, all alone and injured, was clearly the most desirable scenario for any assassin.
No. He had to get out of that place. Find somewhere safe where he could spend the next few days. Now that he could no longer walk, much less run, he¡¯d be left behind anyway. He would much rather stay somewhere where no one else knew where to find him. He would stay hidden until the end of the Gathering. The problem was ¡ how was he suppose to get out of there?
The soft sound of rustling leaves made his heart jump and he quickly turned towards it, focusing the rest of his energy into a single, deadly daitai. Using it right now would most likely render him unconscious. But whatever it might be, human or animal, he refused to go out without a fight!
The small head that popped out from behind a tree confused him for a moment. His vision was going dangerously blurry and he had to squint and blink in order to make sense of what was watching him.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
As if it had deemed that in his current conditions ZaiWin did not posed a threat, the small thing moved out from behind the tree and cautiously approached him. It walked on two legs, so it was definitely human. But it was way too small to be any of the other boys. And then he recalled the small child he¡¯d helped before!
Wiping his tears and blinking some more, he was finally able to see the child¡¯s small dirty face more clearly. How come he was here again? Had he been following him?, ZaiWin coldly suspected, until his tired mind reminded him that that was impossible, since he¡¯d been portalled by NimRen¡¯s crystal to FeiWan¡¯s location.
Standing right beside him, the child was looking at his leg with a horrified expression on his face, his small lips gaping soundlessly at the bloody mess. The poor kid had probably never seen a bleeding wound, much less laid eyes upon such a gruesome thing like a limb completely shattered and twisted beyond repair.
And so ZaiWin forced himself to smile, not wanting to be the cause of any future trauma for the small one.
¡°It¡¯s ¡ not that bad ¡¡± he tried to say, his voice sounding dry and laced with pain. He could hardly breathe and the constant loss of blood was making dizzy, dark spots taking over his sight here and there. ¡°What are you doing here ¡? Didn¡¯t I tell you ¡ to go home ¡? It¡¯s not safe here ¡ They will soon ¡ come back ¡¡± and he wanted to be far away from that place before that happened!, he reminded himself but still couldn¡¯t bring himself to even try to stand.
The child at his side closed his mouth but then opened it again, still staring at his shredded leg. The poor thing really looked as if he were in shock.
¡°Hey ¡ can¡¯t you hear me? Go already!¡± He tried to sound more commanding and the child blinked, turning those huge black eyes to him. A frown marked his young forehead but, somehow, the resolve in those dark eyes made ZaiWin stop trying to order him around.
Covering the small space between them the little one tried to go around him and stand at his back, but his path was immediately blocked by a long, suddenly firm arm. Raising his gaze to try and understand what had happened, the child was faced with the coldest, most threatening expression he had ever seen in his short life.
¡°What are you doing?¡± ZaiWin asked in a low tone, his daitai burning again, threatening to escape his control, but the black eyes staring at him simply blinked, obviously scared but also clearly unable to understand what he meant.
He hated having people standing behind him! Even ZenTar, who obviously knew him better than anyone, was no exception. And right now he was completely naked from the waist up, which only made things worse. In his urgency to try and somehow stop the bleeding from his leg he had completely forgotten about what using his tunic to that end would entail.
Above all, never let fear and panic take over your actions. Always make sure you act after carefully considering the whole picture.
Yeah. He had failed at that. And the mere thought that not only that child, but all the others might soon see his back, left a new, much darker kind of fear coiling in his chest.
He was so lost in his own thoughts and in the dark consequences of his silly actions, that he only realized that the little one had slipped beneath his arm all too late.
The deadly instinct of self-preservation that had saved his lives a few times but, at the same time, caused unspeakable destruction, immediately kicked in. But a small pull shook his weakened body and brought a lancinating pain to his leg, making him clench his teeth and successfully breaking his instinctive response to fight back. Another small pull immediately followed, and then another, and he quickly understood what the little one was trying to do.
¡°Wai-wait. Wait ¡¡± he gasped, his entire body drenched in sweat, and the pressure on his leather belt disappeared, before a small head popped right next to him, to see what had happened. ¡°You can¡¯t just ¡ drag me away ¡¡± he breathed. He was way too big and way too heavy for such a small child to carry. Not to mention that he would probably be dead from blood loss in no time at all. ¡°Do you ¡ still have ¡ the things I gave you?¡±
A quick nod was all the reply he got and then the little one was running towards the trees.
ZaiWin took the time to catch his breath. Wiping the sweat from his burning forehead with the back of his hand, he knew he was running a fever. Feeling increasingly dizzy, the greenery around him turning and shifting, he was suddenly sure that he would die in that forest. Even if he could somehow manage to get away from the others, miraculously finding a place where the Calzai¡¯s men wouldn¡¯t find him. There was no way he could survive another four days without appropriate medical care. Feeling his heart heavy he wanted to cry again. He wanted ZenTar to come and pick him up. He wanted his mother to hug him and lull him to sleep.
RTYY 052 - The Hard Task of Getting Back on Ones Feet
The sound of footsteps immediately erased all that from his mind and ZaiWin turned towards the sound ready to kill whoever might be coming his way. A sigh of relief escaped his dried lips when he saw that it was something small and surprisingly fast.
Without uttering a single word, the child dropped the backpack right beside him, and ZaiWin quickly took out the blanket, grabbed his knife and started cutting it in long strips.
Focus. He had to focus on what he could do. He had to focus on the present moment. Not despair about a future that might never come. Not dwell in a past that would never return.
¡°See those tall, white trees?¡± he asked the child, pointing what he meant with a shaking hand, and the child nodded, his black eyes also serious and attentive. ¡°Beneath them, on the ground ¡ there are these big branches. I need you to go ¡ and get me some. They have to be at least ¡ this high,¡± he said, placing his trembling hand next to the child¡¯s small elbow. ¡°Think you can do that ¡ ?¡± Another nod and then the little one was running towards the forest again.
ZaiWin kept cutting the blanket until there was nothing left. Then he took out his map and his orienting flask. His best chance to avoid the Calzai¡¯s men was to get out of the area where the Gathering was taking place. Thankfully he wasn¡¯t that far from one of the borders marked on his map. He wondered if the Calzai would leave men behind just to look for him. He was confident that he could evade them for the next few hours, until they left for the next challenge, the following day. But he had serious doubts that he¡¯d be able to keep that up for four, entire days.
This time, when the child came back, he had no difficulty recognizing his small figure, since the little one was doing his best to drag half-a-dozen branches almost as tall as him.
¡°I need a few more. Just like these,¡± he instructed the moment the child dropped them at his side, and there he went again, running towards the trees.
ZaiWin carefully studied what he had been brought, testing the branches strength. He¡¯d been lucky. The kid had actually managed to bring him some sturdy branches. He¡¯d chosen that type of tree because he knew that the branches were thin and light enough for the the child to carry, and because, even though they were thin, they could still be considerably resistant when placed under pressure.
Taking a deep breath for courage and slapping his own cheeks to make sure he remained wide awake, he reached out for his shredded leg with shaky hands.
His tunic was soaked in blood, completely useless in its task to stop the bleeding. And so he carefully unwrapped it from around his leg, the pain making him want to scream.
Discarding it to one side, he took some time to catch his breath. His pants were completely ruined and all he could see were pieces of bright-red, bloody meat, cut by the hair-raising sight of protruding, white broken bone.
Keeping his breathing under control, he did his best to pass a few strips cut from the blanket beneath his leg, groaning in pain every time his own gestures forced him to move even just a bit. By the time the child returned, dragging another half-dozen branches, he was completely drenched in sweat, his black hair glued to his neck and back.
Opening his flask of water, he poured it over his head and face, trying his best to remain awake.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
His hands were shaking violently when he chose the two straighter branches and placed one to each side of his leg. He could barely lift them anymore but, when he realized, the small child was holding the other end, his dark eyes serious and concentrated, as he did his best to help him.
Taking a few deep breaths to ready himself for the next torture, he grabbed another branch and placed it directly over his leg. The pain made him groan in his chest and he punched the dirt beside him to keep it under control, more tears sliding down his face.
He had to hurry up, he told himself, grabbing another branch that shook in his hands. It wouldn¡¯t be long before FeiWan reached the others. If not for the fact that he¡¯d been carrying the other boy, he was certain that he would have made all the way back by now.
After he¡¯d managed to place another two branches over his shattered leg, he started tying the fabric strips around them, but his hands were just too shaky, his sight blurry, making it hard to see what he was doing.
Two, much smaller and colder hands covered his, forcing him to stop trying, and took the pieces of blanket away from his weak grasp.
ZaiWin sighed and allowed the child to take over the task.
¡°Do it as tightly as you can ¡¡± he breathed and almost fainted when the child dutifully obeyed.
The torture repeated itself another five times, until the last strip was tightly secured. But by then he was so out of it that all he could see was complete darkness.
Something wet and cold touched his forehead, startling him, jumping him awake, and for a moment he was ready to fight back again. Until he saw those black eyes staring at him, a worried expression on that small, dirty face. Taking a deep breath he mentally thanked the child for waking him up and proceeded to his next task.
Gathering the remaining branches he tied them all together, so that they¡¯d be strong enough to withstand his weight, and then took another small moment to simply breathe.
¡°Can you help me get up ¡?¡± he asked the little one who kept observing him in silence, and received an immediate nod that left a weak smile on his lips. ¡°Come here ¡¡±
The child looked suspicious at his request, but ended up carefully approaching him. ZaiWin placed a weak and trembling arm around his small shoulders and felt the little one cringe, clearly frightened.
¡°I won¡¯t hurt you ¡¡± he whispered between forced breaths, reading himself for what would follow. ¡°I know I am very heavy ¡ but I really need your help ¡¡±
The child nodded, the short, dirty hair covering his head brushing against his cheek, and small cold hands resolutely held his arm in place.
Grabbing his improvised crutch with his free hand, he bent his good leg and filled his lungs with air. He only had one chance, he knew. He had to get up! Or the pain and effort spent in that first attempt wouldn¡¯t allow him to try again.
Squeezing the little one¡¯s tunic and piercing the ground with his crutch made of white branches, ZaiWin forced his good leg to support his weight and pulled himself up, leaning heavily on the poor child. He heard the kid groan from the effort, the small hands clutching his arm, his small legs trembling under the weight he was putting on those small shoulders, and he prayed the child could somehow withstand it. If the child fell he¡¯d inevitably fall as well, and then there would be no hope of ever getting up again.
His good leg shook when he commanded it to stretch, the pain making him dizzy, drumming against his chest, but then he was finally up. Or so he thought, just moments before he felt himself fall forward.
The small arms that surrounded his waist and the head that pressed against his belly miraculously steadied him again, granting him the time he needed to move his crutch in order to regain his balance. And for a moment all he could do was stand there and breathe.
He was up, he forced himself to focus his mind. He was in an excruciating pain, but he was up. And then he felt the cold hands plastered against his sweaty, bare back, and his heart jumped at the mere thought of that.
RTYY 053 - For You
Looking down ZaiWin had to blink his tears away before he could actually see the small head still pressed against his body, the kid¡¯s warm breath brushing against his skin.
Any other time he would have killed that child right there, where he stood, just for touching him like that. But right now that mere thought felt so wrong that he couldn¡¯t help feeling ashamed. The little one was innocently doing his best to help him. He could have run away a long time ago. He could have simply chosen not to get involved in such an obviously dangerous situation. He would never, in his entire life, be able to repay that small, dirty child the help he was freely receiving. And for what? Because he had given him some food and a blanket he¡¯d just ended up stealing back?
Taking a deep breath, ZaiWin did his best to lighten the weight he was placing on those small shoulders.
¡°Hey ¡¡± he muttered, his voice failing him, and the child¡¯s head moved, tilting back so that those dark eyes could look up at him.
¡°I can probably stand on my own ¡ Can you gather all the things laying around ¡ and place them in your backpack ¡?¡± he asked, his head swaying dangerously, and the dark eyes stared at him, obviously doubting his words. ¡°It is really important ¡ we can¡¯t let others know ¡ where we are going ¡¡±
That seemed to make sense to the kid and he quickly nodded, unwrapping his arms from around him to obey ZaiWin¡¯s request.
Even though the child was obviously small and scrawny, the moment ZaiWin lost his weak support, he almost fell forward again. To stop the dizzying motion he was forced to put some weight on his injured leg, and was immediately plunged into an ocean of indescribable pain.
That he could remember, he had only felt pain worse that this once in his entire life. Even being stabbed by a blood sword in the stomach hadn¡¯t been so bad. On the other hand, even though he did not want to think about it, if he had survived worse than this he could probably survive now as well.
It didn¡¯t take long for the child to gather everything inside the backpack, pulling it over his small shoulders, before he quickly returned to his side. ZaiWin weakly placed an arm around those small shoulders and felt the kid¡¯s cold hands hold his arm in place, readying himself to support his weight.
¡°I need you ¡ to check ¡ if I¡¯m not leaving a blood trail ¡¡± he breathed, hardly seeing the way ahead. ¡°If you see blood ¡ you have to cover it ¡ with dirt or leaves ¡¡±
More than seeing he felt the child nod, the small head practically glued to his waist. He didn¡¯t know if such a young kid would be able to understand what he meant, but he had no other choice but to make do with what he had.
Grinding his teeth, he lifted his crutch, placing it a small step in front of him and, leaning on the little one for support, leaped forward. Pain made him gasp, sweat dripping down his chin, but he still went on, one step after the other, focusing solely on moving forward without falling.
As to be expected they made slow progress, ZaiWin¡¯s initial plan of moving towards a certain direction completely overthrown. He could barely see where he was going, much less orient himself towards the edge of the Gathering¡¯s grounds. And so he could only hope that the child at his side knew where he was taking them.
From time to time they would stop, the little one choosing somewhere near a tree so he could lean on it before he quickly retraced their steps, trying his best to erase any traces of their presence. ZaiWin didn¡¯t care anymore, his entire focus on standing up and moving forward. And so he couldn¡¯t help groan in protest when the child made him lean against a tree and pulled him down, towards the ground.
He couldn¡¯t!, he immediately pulled his hand free from the small hands that were holding his. If he sat down he¡¯d never get up again.
A bit startled with his sudden movement, it took the little one a few moments before he dared try again, grabbing his hand and pulling him down, towards the ground. ZaiWin harshly pushed him back, holding on to the tree, trying to go on on his own. He was obviously in a state where he could no longer think clearly, or he would have realized that what he was trying to do was a complete impossibility. Stumbling, he almost fell, those small arms back around his waist steadying him again. The child groaned at the effort of trying to push him back, his small feet sliding backwards across the dirt as he pushed forward using his entire body, until ZaiWin was once more safely leaning back against the tree.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
For a moment they just stood there, both gasping for air, both too exhausted to go on.
Too tired ... , ZaiWin thought, and finally allowed himself to slide down towards the ground. The small arms around his waist immediately reacted, trying to hold him, trying to ease him down, obviously unable to do any of those things.
ZaiWin landed on the ground with a thud, pain shooting through his entire body, and leaned his head back, against the tree. Since he had refused to let go of him until the end, the child ended up kneeling between his legs, his arms still around him, his face glued to his bare chest.
He was most definitely going to die, ZaiWin thought. The fact that he wasn¡¯t dead yet was kind of a miracle.
Blinking, he tried to focused his sight.
It was getting dark. So that¡¯s why the little one had insisted they should stop.
There was no way they had managed to distance themselves from that stream enough to escape the Calzai¡¯s men. They may not find him during the following dark hours, but they would most certainly find him the next morning. Well, he would probably be dead by then anyway, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about that, he thought, his mind increasingly incoherent. He was burning up, sweating even though the air filling his lungs was actually getting colder. And yet there was something pleasantly cool pressed against his skin, allowing him to somehow relax enough so he could fall asleep ¡
No! He couldn¡¯t relax! ZaiWin immediately jolted himself awake.
He couldn¡¯t relax! He had to focus! The cool thing he was thinking about was a human being! A living, breathing, human being that could not be there, with him, when the others find him. The moment they took a look at his bare back they would immediately kill everyone who might have seen it too! Even if that everyone was a child too young to understand what he had seen! ZenTar had warned him about that more times than he could remember!
Even if you don¡¯t care about what happens to you, think about the other person. Look her in the eyes and think - I¡¯ve just killed her! So be sure to never get completely undressed in front of anyone.
Of course he had meant any possible love interests he might develop in the future. But ZaiWin knew that the warning didn¡¯t apply only to girls.
Taking a deep breath he made an effort to raise his arm that felt as if it weighed a tone, and allowed his hand fall on the small head still leaning against his chest. The child was obviously tired. They had been walking the entire evening. And he had forced the little one to bear most of his weight, which was obviously too much for such a small kid.
¡°Hey ¡ don¡¯t sleep here ¡¡± he whispered, weakly rubbing his head with his fingers to wake him up, in case he had guessed right. ¡°You have to go ¡¡±
The child moved, releasing him from his embrace, and sat back on his heels to look up at him. ZaiWin¡¯s arm fell listless at his side.
¡°Bad men will come ¡ You can¡¯t be here ¡¡± he tried his best to explain, and the child look to one side, and then another, as if expecting to see those bad men standing right there.
With another sigh and a grimace, ZaiWin raised his hand and unclasped the hairpin that somehow had survived all that. Locks of dark hair immediately fell over his face, sliding down his naked shoulders and arms. Unable to hold it up for longer than that, his arm fell to his side again.
¡°Here ¡¡± he opened his hand and the child¡¯s dark eyes looked at what he was holding, widening in amazement. ¡°You can keep this ¡ because I ruined your blanket ¡ Take it.¡±
Small, dirty hands reached out and reverently took the small hairpin from from his hand. He could almost smile at the way the little one looked at the insignificant thing with clear amazement.
¡°It¡¯s not much ¡ but you can sell it ¡ and buy food. You can even buy a new blanket ¡ and clothes ¡¡±
The child turned the small blue-silvery thing in his hands and then offered it back to him again.
¡°No. It¡¯s for you ...¡±
Crooking his head to one side the dark eyes looked at the hairpin again.
¡°Keep it ¡ Put it in your backpack,¡± ZaiWin added, thinking that that might make things easier to understand, and the child immediately obeyed, pulling the backpack from his back and placing the hairpin inside it.
Sighing in relief ZaiWin allowed his eyes to close. He needed to sleep. Even if that meant he might never wake up again.
¡°Now go ¡ go home ¡¡± and thank you, he wanted to add, but the words never left his lips.
RTYY 054 - A Comfortable Death
Cold, heavy drops of water fell on his face, stirring him half-awake, but he kept his eyes closed. He felt tired and numb, and so hot that the cold water now falling all over him actually felt good.
¡°Wake up kid! Please wake up! Please don¡¯t do this to me! Open your eyes!¡±
ZaiWin frowned at the sound of that familiar voice. He couldn¡¯t remember having ever heard him sound so desperate.
¡°ZenTar ¡?¡± he mumbled and did try his best to obey but, at the same time, he no longer knew how to open his eyes.
A tall, beautiful woman, with long golden hair and cold golden eyes, was staring at him, holding a simple, bloody silver dagger in one of her elegant, pale hands. He wanted to scream but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to move. Bright, red blood was slowly pooling over the white, stone floor. He couldn¡¯t think. He couldn¡¯t breathe. All he knew was that if he moved, things that should not be would become undeniably real.
¡°So what if your hair is black?¡± a gentle voice was saying, and ZaiWin blinked and immediately relaxed. He was sitting on the cold, hard floor but he didn¡¯t mind it at all. Soft, gentle hands were slowly combing his short hair, the cold fingers feeling especially good as they brushed his head. ¡°You are still who you are. No one can ever take that from you. It¡¯s such a shame that NimTar won¡¯t allow you to grow it longer.¡±
¡°She would, if it were as beautiful as yours,¡± he replied even though the gentle hands caressing him didn¡¯t allow him to truly feel sad about it, and the woman sitting behind him chuckled softly.
¡°Hair like mine can look beautiful, yes. But I doubt you¡¯d want it for yourself.¡±
¡°But I do!¡± ZaiWin stubbornly replied and she sighed deeply.
¡°No you don¡¯t. Your black hair may be unusual inside these walls, but there are a lot of people out there that will find it beautiful. Being born with golden hair like mine is a curse worse than being born with red hair like the El¡¯Gin. We can never hide. We can never be free.¡±
He simply blinked and he was standing in front of that red pool of blood again. He didn¡¯t want to see this! He didn¡¯t want to be here! Squeezing his eyes shut he refused to look at it again.
He was starting to feel cold, now. He knew he was completely wet. The only thing he could feel was the air stubbornly filling his chest.
Suddenly the water stopped falling on him, bringing him some comfort. He was still cold though, still shivering. But the fact that water had stopped being poured over him allowed him to relax a bit. He almost fell asleep again.
Something even colder than his own skin touched his lips and tried to part them, pressing something against his teeth. ZaiWin frowned and shook his head, but whatever it was persisted, easily following his weak movements. Dirt, the word surged in his feverish mind.
Were they trying to bury him alive? The mere thought was enough to jolt his consciousness awake. They should at least kill him first!
Blinking, he made an effort to open his eyes. The world was bathed in a dim gray light and in a thick white mist, and the soft sound of falling rain filled his ears. He felt lost, gray and black shadows coming in and out of sight. No one was burying as he had feared.
Something was pressed against his lips again, making him turn his head. Even though he wasn¡¯t being buried the fact that there was dirt in his teeth was real and undeniable. He tried to spit it out and something cold and wet pressed on his shoulder. He really wanted to go back to sleep. He felt too tired, even to keep his eyes open. But he still made an effort to turn his gaze towards whatever was stubbornly insisting in disturbing his rest.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Big, black eyes were staring intently at him.
Wasn¡¯t he supposed to have returned home already?, ZaiWin wondered. Or was he imagining things again?
With a scowl on his child-like face, a small hand pressed something to his mouth again, forcing him to turn his head to the other side. What was he trying to do?, he spat again.
The kid looked like a wet mouse, his hair plastered to his small head, his tunic glued to his scrawny body. He could have fallen into a lake. A muddy lake, ZaiWin thought. He was even dirtier than he¡¯d been before. If not for the rain that had more or less washed his face and neck, he would have been completely covered in mud. Had he fallen in some ditch?
¡°Go ¡¡± he tried to say but the moment he opened his mouth the child pressed something into his mouth again. He spat even more violently, his tongue now covered in dirt. Was the kid trying to poison him?
¡°Eat!¡±
The unexpected sound of that small command left him very still. Had he imagined that as well?
ZaiWin turned to look at the kid again, blinking his foggy vision into focus. He was shivering from the cold and sweating at the same time. But at least he couldn¡¯t feel pain anymore. In fact, there was very little he could feel from his neck down.
Lowering his gaze he saw that the child was holding some kind of dark-brown root, from which he¡¯d cut a few small pieces. He had probably dug it out himself. His small hands were covered in mud, the tiny fingers bloody at the fingernails. Was he really trying to feed him that?!
As if to reply his mental question, the little one pressed another piece of root to his mouth, and ZaiWin turned his head and spat again.
¡°Eat!¡±
Oh, so he hadn¡¯t imagined it, ZaiWin concluded. The kid could actually talk.
As if he¡¯d lost his patience, the child dropped the main piece of root and tried to grab his face as he pressed another smaller piece against his lips. ZaiWin tried to struggle free from his grip but he could hardly move his head anymore, much less push the child away. Groaning in frustration he finally opened his mouth and allowed the piece of root and three muddy fingers inside.
¡°It will make you good,¡± the child insisted, slipping his hand free from his mouth to cut another piece of root.
It would probably kill him, ZaiWin thought, his mouth tasting like bitter mud.
Looking up at him the little one pressed ZaiWin¡¯s jaw with his small hands.
¡°Chew. Then swallow. Then sleep. Then good again.¡±
Whatever, ZaiWin thought, closing his eyes and doing as he was told. He was going to die anyway. If eating that stuff made that child happy so be it. He would use that to repay the fact that he¡¯d stayed by his side even after he¡¯d sent him away. This time, when he felt the pressure against his lips he simply parted them and allowed another piece of muddy root to be deposited on his tongue. Maybe the kid would finally go home once he was dead. It would be good if that happened. He really didn¡¯t want him to get into trouble because of him.
¡°Good boy,¡± the child sang, patting the top of his head, probably mimicking what other people had told him, and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help smile.
After he¡¯d swallowed the fourth piece of root, the little one seemed satisfied. Delicately sitting on his good leg, he wrapped his small arms around him and silently nestled against his naked chest.
No. You should really go home, now!, ZaiWin wanted to tell him but he felt too tired, too sleepy to even move.
Strangely enough, even though the small body pressed against him felt even colder than his own, he actually started to feel warm. The shivering cold disappeared, replaced by a comforting warmth that came from inside him. He could also feel his hands again. Could even move his fingers. But he was way too tired to try and lift them.
Whatever the kid had fed him wasn¡¯t actually that bad. At least he would get to die comfortably in his sleep.
The last thing his foggy mind registered was the deep, warmth breath of the small child leaning against him.
Hi there! ^_^ So sorry for missing yesterday¡¯s update. But my head was killing me and I just couldn¡¯t stand the light of the laptop screen, so I just went straight to sleep. Hope you enjoy it! ^_^;
RTYY 055 - A Miraculous Cure
ZaiWin woke up with a startle. He had the anguishing feeling he had been seeing a nightmare, but the images immediately disappeared from his mind the moment he opened his eyes.
The air felt colder and moister than it had been the previous days and he immediately realized he was soaking wet. And yet ¡ he was alive, he concluded with startled admiration. In fact, not only was he alive, he felt alive as well. And although his wet pants kept sticking to his legs, his body actually felt warm to the touch.
Rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he turned his head to take a look around.
He was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree, and some strange construction made of tree branches and large leaves had been assembled to cover him.
He had an idea of how he¡¯d gotten there. He recalled dragging himself through the forest, the pain so unbearable he thought he would faint with every step he took. He also recalled being very cold and being under the rain. And then he recalled the dark-eyed child feeding him a muddy, disgusting root. In fact his tongue was still covered in dirt and tasting bitter.
Where was the kid?, he wondered, looking around, but the child was nowhere to be seen. His backpack was still there, resting beside him. Maybe he¡¯d went out for water or food, he considered praying that the little one wouldn¡¯t get into trouble.
Taking a deep breath he opened and closed his hands. Even though he was far from having recovered completely, he could clearly feel the energy coursing through his body again. Closing his eyes, he took a moment to check on his daitai. He had to do it every day, in order to make sure they remained balanced and under his control.
Only when he was finished with his meditation did he allow his mind to worry about other things.
Taking into account that the sky still looked rainy, it was probably midday, maybe even later than that. Which meant he had slept the entire night and through morning hours. He only hoped he hadn¡¯t been sleeping for an entire day on top of that.
And yet, even though many hours had surely gone by, there were still no signs of the Calzai¡¯s men. Had they given up on finding him? He had no idea what kind of orders they¡¯d received regarding such cases. But he hardly believed that telling the parents of noble kids that their children had been lost in the forest never to be found again, would be acceptable. Of course those kinds of arguments didn¡¯t apply in his case, he bitterly reminded himself. He had no parents to mourn his death or to request a compensation. And even though ZenTar would probably demand an explanation no one would ever take him seriously, since he had no legal rights to him.
With a sigh, ZaiWin straightened his back and rotated his stiff neck and shoulders. He was feeling incredibly good, taking into account all he¡¯d been through. And only then he managed enough courage to actually take a look at his damaged leg.
He¡¯d risked his life to save FeiWan. How stupid could he be? And even though he had not died, carrying a limp for the rest of his life were sure to increase his chances of being murdered in cold blood the moment he returned home.
Pressing his lips shut he took a look at it. Everything was blackened, he realized, his heart hammering against his chest. He¡¯d been right. Not even a limp. He¡¯d lose his leg for sure. He¡¯d never be able to fight with a sword again. He¡¯d never be able to run, or jump, or climb. He¡¯d have to depend solely on his daitai to defend himself. ZenTar was going to kill him. The royals would make fun of the cripple mud-head for the rest of his life. He really wanted to cry.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
A sudden itch cut his sob halfway. His foot was itching and he¡¯d reflexively moved his toes. Moved his toes!! There was no way he could do that with his foot broken the way he recalled it to be!
Focusing, his eyes filled with unshed tears, he tried to move his toes again. And he was immediately and unbelievably successful. Not a sliver of pain. Everything felt ¡ normal, like it should feel. He must be dreaming! But even though he knew that must be it, his hands still quickly started untying the trips of blanket holding his improvised splint in place.
It didn¡¯t hurt! It didn¡¯t hurt at all! His heart was racing. Before he could think about what he was doing he¡¯d flexed his knee to reach the blanket strip tied near his ankle. His leg felt stiff but no more than his shoulders had felt. Touching it he couldn¡¯t believe his own eyes. Slipping his hands through the rips on his pants he touched his own skin. It felt sticky but it felt warm, and whole. And he could feel his own hands as well. This simply was not possible!, he stared wide-eyed at his own leg, freely moving his foot back and forth. Turning back, he held on to the tree for support. He wanted to get up! He had to get up!
He felt a bit dizzy, and his entire body felt heavier than normal, but ZaiWin managed to get on his feet with enough ease to leave a smile on his lips.
Trying his injured leg, he tentatively gave a few steps, than walked a bit faster, and then he was running in circles around the tree and laughing like mad person. He only stopped when he was out of breath.
Taking a few moments to catch his breath he couldn¡¯t stop grinning. He was still weak from the blood loss and from walking around on an empty stomach for more than a day. But that apart he felt exceptionally good. Even the other pains were gone, he realized, feeling his own chest and back where he¡¯d been kicked by RouZen and where he¡¯d hit against that tree while practicing his daitai. Nothing hurt. All the bruises were miraculously gone. And then he remembered!
It wasn¡¯t as if he hadn¡¯t eaten anything. That horrible root the child had forced him to swallow! He¡¯d told him it would make him good again. And even though he was finding it very hard to believe that such a miraculous cure exited, he also had no way to deny it. That must have been it!, he concluded and immediately looked around, searching for the child again.
He waited for him to return the entire afternoon, ending up eating some of the food he¡¯d kept in his backpack. He felt kind of bad, eating the food he¡¯d already given to the little one, but he promised himself that, once he returned, he¡¯d hunt him something even better for him to take home. He didn¡¯t, though. And ZaiWin spent another night in that place, not wanting to move from that spot for fear he might miss him when he came back.
The following morning there were still no signs of the child, and so ZaiWin decided to go and look for him himself. He also needed to find water to fill his flask. And he really needed to wash his bloody tunic so he could wear it when he made his way back to the others, by the end of the Gathering.
Even though he could find a few traces of the child¡¯s presence, the rain had wiped most of it away. And after spending an entire morning looking for him, he had no other choice but to consider the possibility that the child might have finally obeyed him and decided to returned home.
Sitting on a large stone so he could get a few moments of rest, he couldn¡¯t help feeling sorry at the thought that he might never be able to meet him again. He really wanted to thank him for everything he¡¯d done for him. The little one hadn¡¯t even taken the food ZaiWin had given him. As he walked through the forest he had even started planning taking the kid with him, back to Nox. Of course ZenTar would take some time convincing. But if the little one was truly alone in the world he really wanted to help him, maybe find him a nice home, a family that would care for him like a child his age should be cared for.
In the end, no matter how much he searched, he couldn¡¯t find him again.
RTYY 056 - Returning from the Dead
As the end of the Seventh Year Gathering approached, ZaiWin was forced to regretfully leave that part of the forest and start making his way back to where he knew the others would be.
He chose to find the largest group of kids, the ones that had been left behind after the dueling challenge. He¡¯d wait for the others with them. Still, even though finding them wasn¡¯t all that hard, he chose to remain out of sight until the Calzai¡¯s men made their way back, leading the rest of the kids with them.
Taking into account the rate of casualties up till the moment he¡¯d left the group, he was kind of surprise seeing that they had all made it back. Well, all except the bronze-haired boy he¡¯d tried to save from FeiWan¡¯s fury and had almost got him killed. As to be expected, there was no sign of him.
CarFan was also being carried in an improvised stretcher made of tree branches, pulled by one of the Calzai¡¯s man. He had a bloody, swollen face and two clearly broken arms, none of the injuries looking as if they were the result of a mere accident. The girl that had accompanied him still tagged along beside him, watching him with a worried expression.
Once they entered the improvised camp the kids waiting there were immediately relieved. They could finally go home!, it was written in everyone¡¯s faces. But when ZaiWin stepped out from the trees finally showing himself, the entire camp was immediately silent again.
Most of the kids that had been left behind looked at him with those all to familiar glares of disdain and despise. But the ones that had been with him at the start of the hunting challenge looked as if they were seeing some unworldly ghost raised from the dead. Only the twins took a single glance at him and looked as if they couldn¡¯t care less.
Finally NimRen was the first to react, gasping and running across the empty clearing to tightly wrap her arms around him. ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help tense up at the feeling of her warm hands pressed against his back, even over his tunic. And so he tried his best to gently push her back.
¡°ZaiWin! I can¡¯t believe it! We thought you were dead!¡± she blurted out, glancing at him from head to toe and back up again, and he gave her a small, friendly smile.
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±
¡°You¡¯re fine? How can you say that? FeiWan said you had been injured!¡± she quickly demanded, the still visible stains of blood on his clothes easily capturing her gaze, and ZaiWin shrugged.
¡°It was just a scratch, really.¡±
ZaiWin made the mistake to raise his head to look at the others, and FeiWan''s angry scowl as he crossed his arms sent his heart racing in alarm.
¡°If you were fine, why didn¡¯t you come back to us? Uncle Yu was looking for you the entire night!¡± NimRen persisted, now in full scolding mode, and ZaiWin scratched his head, but then remembered he had to be careful not to undo the knot tying his hair.
Even though the little one had left his backpack behind he had apparently taken the hairpin he¡¯d given him. Which was good. It had actually eased his conscience a bit. At least he¡¯d have money to buy some food.
¡°I got a fever. I was asleep for an entire day. And since I didn¡¯t know where you were headed next, I decided to make my way back here and wait for your return,¡± he argued, discreetly taking a glance towards the Yu Calzai, wanting to determine if the old man was actually buying his tale, but the Calzai was simply staring at him, looking completely undisturbed by his sudden reappearance.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.
At this explanation, NimRen immediately went from angry to worried again. Her face was still bruised, but the darkening areas were almost completely gone. And she looked really tired, dark circles shadowing her bright, green eyes.
¡°Okay. We¡¯ll set camp here for today. We¡¯ll leave in the morning. Make sure you have enough rest. If everything goes according to plan, we¡¯ll be out of these woods by tomorrow night,¡± the Calzai declared and hopeful whispers sounded everywhere.
¡°NimRen!¡± CalWan¡¯s strong voice reached them with ease and NimRen frowned, ready to protest.
¡°Go. I¡¯m fine, really. We can talk later,¡± ZaiWin assured her before she could argue with her brother, and NimRen sighed, lowering her gaze.
¡°I was feeling ¡ horrible, thinking that something might have happened to you ¡ because of me ¡ I¡¯m so sorry ¡¡±
¡°You have nothing to feel sorry about. I was the one who agreed to go. Even if something had happened, it would only be my own fault.¡±
¡°But ¡¡±
¡°Besides, I¡¯m fine. See?¡± He spread his arms and NimRen took another look at him, ending up nodding. ¡°Now go. Before your brother beats me to a pulp as well.¡±
NimRen cringed at those words, confirming his suspicions that CarFan¡¯s dreadful state was probably CalWan¡¯s doing. Nodding, she hesitated one last time before making her way to her brother¡¯s side.
A tall, large shadow approached him and ZaiWin¡¯s smile immediately disappeared, before he tilted his head back to look up at the man standing beside him. RouZen gave him one of his wide but ferocious smiles that didn¡¯t quite reach his dark eyes.
¡°Good to see you¡¯ve made it out alive, kid.¡±
¡°Thank you,¡± ZaiWin carefully replied, suspicion crawling into his thoughts.
¡°Here. You¡¯ll probably need this.¡±
ZaiWin lowered his gaze and looked at the simple, silver hairpin the tall man was holding. He didn¡¯t want to take it. He didn¡¯t want to owe something to one of the Calzai¡¯s men. To one of Hao¡¯s men. But he wanted even less to have to argue in order to have things go his own way. And so he simply took it and nodded.
¡°Thank you,¡± he said again and RouZen gave him another wide smile before walking away.
Once they finally reached the edge of the forest, two days later, carrying their injured companions and the bodies of those who hadn¡¯t made it, the news were already all over the place. The entire ruling Clan of Pon had been found guilty of high treason and put to death by imperial decree. Proof of a complex and ongoing plan to murder the Empire¡¯s El¡¯Gin had been found in their main household, in Pon. It had been many years since such an intricate plan to overthrown the throne had been uncovered.
As such, in a clear attempt to set an example and to avoid any future attempts of rebellion, not a single member of the Pon Clan, from the elderly to the children, had been spared. FonRou, however, never even made it to the Palace to officially receive his sentence. Pon was officially declared as an ungoverned Province, joining the three other already ungoverned Provinces of Ven, Far and Sur.
As a neighbor Province of Pon, Nox had to immediately start making arrangements to defend their borders from possible feimao¡¯s incursions. Once a Province lost its Governor no one could tell how long it would take until feimao started taking over the land. Besides, Nox was yet to solve that same problem in their own lands, and now they had not only one, but two ungoverned Provinces just outside their borders.
Once back home, ZaiWin didn¡¯t even have time to breathe before he was thrown back into another battle field.
And that¡¯s it for Arc 3. Hope you have enjoyed it. Next chapter we¡¯ll be back to our main timeline ^_^
RTYY 057 - Arc 4 - Wei - Road to Weiin
ARC 4 - Wei
¡°Nox.¡±
ZaiWin blinked and turned to see ZenTar sit on the old fallen tree beside him. They¡¯d stopped for another brief rest near a small stream of fresh water, allowing their horses to quench their thirst and nibble on some tender grass.
¡°You¡¯ve been awfully quiet. Not that you¡¯re usually the talkative type, but still,¡± ZenTar carefully noted and followed ZaiWin¡¯s gaze.
With the hood of his cloak covering his head, the brat was squatting near the stream bank, hands on his knees. He seemed to be looking intentively at something, what exactly ZenTar couldn¡¯t tell. There was nothing there but grass, pebbles and dirt.
¡°He¡¯s a rather strange kid, isn¡¯t he?¡±
ZaiWin blinked again and frowned, finally averting his gaze, as if he¡¯d just now noticed that he¡¯d been staring at him.
¡°He¡¯s a nuisance!¡±
¡°Can¡¯t refute that. But still ¡ What¡¯s he doing, crouching like that? He¡¯s been at it ever since we stopped.¡±
ZaiWin sighed, resting his head in one hand.
¡°Flowers.¡±
¡°What?¡± ZenTar demanded, turning to gaze at him.
¡°The freaking brat is looking at the flowers.¡±
¡°Flowers? What flowers?¡± ZenTar looked the boy again and at the grass at his feet. And, sure enough, there were small white flowers practically hidden amongst the green. How the kid had managed to notice them and why such small, simple flowers apparently held such interest, however, was beyond his understanding.
And then it hit him. The kid hadn¡¯t been the only one noticing the small flowers. The one sitting at his side had noticed them as well, even though ZaiWin was hardly the type to take notice of such insignificant things. Not that he didn¡¯t held enough sensibility to grasp such small details. It was just that life hadn¡¯t molded him to be like that.
No. The only reason he had noticed them was because the boy had noticed them. And ZenTar couldn¡¯t help feeling a bit concerned about his own conclusion. Ever since they¡¯d left the Fortress ZenTar had caught him blankly staring at the boy more than once.
¡°How are you feeling?¡± he couldn¡¯t help asking and, like always, ZaiWin scowled at his question.
¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±
¡°No more strange unbalances?¡±
ZaiWin sighed.
¡°No.¡±
¡°So I can go ahead and pat the kid on the head?¡±
ZaiWin¡¯s entire demeanor immediately tensed up, even though he did his best to disguise it. The only problem was that ZenTar knew him too well to be so easily deceived.
¡°You can do as you please,¡± he replied, his voice sounding as unconcerned as always, and ZenTar took a deep breath. But before he could say another word, MenTar happily strode towards the boy. He¡¯d just finished filling their water flasks and distributed them by everyone¡¯s traveling bags. And, like always, once he didn¡¯t have anything else to do, he recklessly went to try and engage the boy in conversation.
Snow was a bit startled when a large shadow suddenly crouched beside him, and his expression immediately changed to one of open displeasure and suspicion. It was obvious that MenTar¡¯s company wasn¡¯t welcome but, even so, the other man kept acting as if he hadn¡¯t noticed it.
The sudden movement at his side captured his attention, in time to see that ZaiWin stand up and silently walk away.
Looking at huge smile on his brother¡¯s face and at the way the boy was frowning uncomfortably, ZenTar couldn¡¯t help sighing. He¡¯d traveled a lot in his life. But not even when he¡¯d been on the run, with a small child on his arms and a bunch of blood thirsty assassins on his tail, had he ever felt so tense all the time. He really hoped he could reach Wei without first having to bury his own flesh and blood on the side of the road.
The following days went by in a bright blur.
After the first three or four days of travel, Snow¡¯s body finally grew accustomed to the long riding hours, and his confidence that Black wouldn¡¯t simply throw him off his back allowed him to relax and actually enjoy the view.
And what amazing views they were! Things he had never dreamed he¡¯d be able to see. Things he didn¡¯t even knew existed. And despite the fact they were all apparently small, insignificant things that didn¡¯t seem to attract anyone¡¯s attention but his, he still did his best to commit them all to memory, since he knew sooner or later his life under the bright blue sky would come to an end again.
The world that surrounded him was a beautiful, wonderful place. And even though he made his best to keep his present adverse situation in mind, he still couldn¡¯t help smile every time he dipped his bare feet in a stream, or stop his heart from racing when a couple of hawks flew above his heads, spiraling and circling each other in their play, casting shadows of large wings on the world below. The wind, even when cold, always felt good, always tasted sweet, always made him close his eyes and take deep breaths just to feel it fill his chest. The grass felt amazing beneath his bare hands. And the night sky ¡ the night sky always took his breath away, making him feel small but, at the same time, incredibly humble for being able to stare at the silvery bright stars that twinkled from such unknown, faraway places. Even the night sounds, that at first had stolen his sleep, were now like a gentle lullaby allowing him feel safe, the dirt beneath his blanket as welcoming as a warm embrace.
He wished he could ride on Black¡¯s back for the rest of his life, just traveling down the road, watching the world unfold before his eyes, smelling the flowers and stealing fresh fruits from the trees. And so it was with a heavy sense of dread that he saw the large city nestled against the mountain slope appear in the horizon.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Seen from afar it looked like no more than a grayish spot, breaking the green ocean that covered most of the land in sight. But taking into account the distance they still had to travel it was clear that the small spot was actually a very large complex of houses and streets.
¡°We¡¯ll make camp here for the night,¡± the monster decided, sliding off his horse and, as it had become usual, reached up to help him down, gently lowering him to the ground.
And that was it, Snow knew, as far as their interaction went. The monster rarely talked to him, unless it was something really necessary. And even though the monster was always close by, it wasn¡¯t as if he cared for him, or worried about him, or payed him any attention. He was more like a silent guard, making sure his treasure didn¡¯t get stolen or worse, decided to run away. As long as he was there, alive and reasonably healthy, he seemed content and simply left him to his wanderings.
ZenTar, on the other hand, was an entire different story.
Even though he felt that the monster was much scarier than ZenTar in a way he couldn¡¯t really explain, he still didn¡¯t feel as if his life was in eminent danger when they were together. ZenTar was the complete opposite. With his fake smiles and pleasant expressions, he always watched him carefully, his green eyes cold and sharp as if he was ready to cut him down where he stood at the first sign that he was about to do something wrong. Behind his gentle mask, ZenTar was a cold, dangerous man.
The other two men of their small group always kept their distance, clearly uncomfortable in his presence, probably too aware of the number of people that Snow had killed in a split second. They didn¡¯t trust him, rarely spoke to him, and didn¡¯t hide the fact that they would have preferred to simply have him killed and buried in some unknown place.
And so, the only one who actually talked to him, the only one who treated him the same way he treated everyone else, was MenTar, with his wide smile and frequently stupid jokes.
MenTar would always invite him to go with him whenever he was given a task outside the camp, and they would always take their time exploring the surrounding areas and finding new things that Snow had never seen or known about.
MenTar had taught him to distinguish between edible wild berries and poisonous ones, and had told him about which types of wood were better to burn at their fire. He¡¯d taught him how to assemble traps to hunt for rabbits and other small animals, and had showed him the best way to climb a tree without falling to his death. He had also taught him a lot about horses, about how to take care of them, about their needs, about how to read their mood and improve it with a back rub or by feeding them some delicious apples. Snow really enjoyed taking care of them, and the animals seemed to have taken a liking to him as well, automatically surrounding him whenever he approached them to free them from their saddles and allow them some time to wander around.
Though his words of reply to MenTar¡¯s endless chatting were few and scarce, he quickly became the person with whom he had spoken more his entire life. Unlike the other two men, who glared at him in fear whenever he opened his mouth, and unlike ZenTar who immediately tensed up, his hand half-reaching for the sword he always carried on his back, MenTar simply didn¡¯t seem to care, almost as if ¡ he trusted him to do the right thing.
¡°We¡¯ll be arriving in Weiin tomorrow afternoon,¡± the monster announced while they were eating, that evening.
They had managed to capture some fresh fish from a close by river that they could still hear sing from where they sat, around the fire.
The mere smell of it as it baked was enough to leave a sickening expression on Snow¡¯s face. But by now everyone already knew, including himself, that he could not stomach neither meat or fish, no matter what kind. In fact MenTar had even gone to the trouble to offer him the seat most upwind, so that the smell wouldn¡¯t be so strong. Before they had reached the conclusion that the kind of food he ate was actually a real problem, he had been sick, throwing up and feverish a few times as a result of forcing himself to eat like everyone else. Finally the monster had had enough and had severely scolded him for constantly delaying the rest of the group just because he was stubborn.
¡°If you can¡¯t eat it, don¡¯t eat it!¡± he¡¯d told him, his blue eyes flashing in anger. ¡°Stop wasting our time and stop wasting our food!¡±
And even though his words had been as harsh as all the other words he¡¯d directed to him so far, Snow had actually felt grateful and relieved to hear them.
¡°Once in Wei don¡¯t forget to proceed as we have talked,¡± the monster went on. ¡°Avoid drawing attention as you go about your business. Try not to get into trouble. If you feel that you¡¯re being followed don¡¯t return to our inn. Taking into account that we¡¯ll be arriving tomorrow afternoon, I expect to have taken care of everything and be on my way by the third day.¡±
¡°That is if the old fox agrees to let you leave so soon,¡± ZenTar pointed out and the monster sighed.
¡°No matter what, we much convince him to let us go. It¡¯s been three weeks since we¡¯ve left the Fortress. From our counts and from LaoTar¡¯s messages, they should be arriving at Tei¡¯s border in another week or so. Once in Tei they¡¯ll be able to send messengers ahead to inform the Palace about what happened. They will confirm that we¡¯re not among the men and they will most probably send message to all the Provinces that I should be returned to Wenin. I do not want to be in Wei when that happens. I¡¯m sure that, by then, RimMyu will also rather have me as far away from his lands as possible.¡±
ZenTar sighed but didn¡¯t counter him.
After they had finished eating and repacking their things, they quickly spread their blankets around the fire, ready to sleep. It had been a long day and they had plans to wake-up before sunrise the next morning, so that they could reach Weiin as soon as possible.
Grabbing his blankets, Snow looked around until he saw him, sitting not far from the others, a black mass leaning against a tree.
Without a second thought and following the routine that had been established since their second day on the road, Snow crossed the camp and spread his blanket at his side, silently lying down and curling up beneath his second blanket.
No one gave them strange looks anymore. In fact no one seemed to care, on the contrary. HawkEye and BigMountain seemed actually relieved by the fact that Snow always slept a bit farther away from them, and that he had the monster watching over him, probably convinced that he¡¯d keep him in line, making sure he didn¡¯t do anything to hurt them in any way.
It didn¡¯t take long until a large, warm hand landed on his head, amongst his hair that had finally grown to a normal length.
Snow took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing the sounds around him to fill his brain, picking them apart. There was the sound of birds¡¯ calling, the crickets on the tree behind them, the frogs by the river bank, the crackling of the flames, the slithering of some unknown animal amongst the grass, the whispering of the wind brushing against the highest leaves. He had never felt more at ease, more relaxed, lying down to sleep than he felt there, beneath the open sky.
¡°Sleep, damn brat! Or I swear I¡¯ll let you fall on your ass the next time you fall asleep while riding! My arm is all stiff from having to hold you the entire morning! Or do you need me to knock you over the head and be done with it?¡±
A smile touched Snow¡¯s lips when he recalled the monster¡¯s harsh words, all those days ago.
Back then he¡¯d been really afraid. Afraid of the dark night, but even more afraid that the monster would actually make good on his threats. He¡¯d shut his eyes, if nothing else to pretend that he was asleep, but his heart had kept beating too fast, the scary sounds around him sounding even louder, droplets of sweat sliding down his back.
When something heavy landed on his head he had almost jumped out of his blanket. He would have probably done so, if whatever had landed on him hadn¡¯t immediately pressed his head down, stopping him from sitting up. Only then he¡¯d realized what it was, and his mind had immediately gone completely blank, something much deeper than mere fear taking over his entire body.
Terrified, hardly breathing, he¡¯d waited for the worst, he¡¯d expected pain and cruelty. But pain hadn¡¯t come. The heavy hand had simply stayed there, warming his head. And no matter how long he waited, or how many times he wondered what the monster wanted from him, nothing else had happened, until he¡¯d eventually fallen asleep. The same way he¡¯d fallen asleep all the nights after that.
Here it is! Arc 4! ??
RTYY 058 - The Blue Diamond Inn
Weiin, or the City of Wei as the commoners called it, was a large, bustling city, its tall, large buildings made primarily of stone. Wooden carts and vending stalls clogged the main streets, and there were loud, lively people walking everywhere.
Snow couldn¡¯t help blink at the overwhelming mix of sounds, at the restless movement, at the strong smells.
The entire city had been built against the slope of the tall mountain ridge, nestling against its massive dark, stone like a child cuddling in its mother¡¯s embrace. With its economy mainly dependent on its rich and abundant crystal and precious stones¡¯ mines, the city had started as a small miner¡¯s settlement and had quickly grown to become one of the largest cities of the Empire. With its booming economy, in time it had also inevitably developed into a well-renown center of commerce for all the surrounding Provinces, including Nox.
Snow¡¯s head kept turning from one side to another, his eyes wide, his heart beating fast in a mix of excitement and fear. He had never seen himself surrounded by so many people. People that, amazingly enough, seemed completely oblivious of his presence, too busy going about their lives, greeting one another, haggling at the vending stalls for a better deal. He wished he could join them. Wished he could get a closer look at the things they were selling, at the shiny gemstones covering one table, at the colorful paper toys hanging on the other side of the street, at the strong smelling food that an old woman was cooking and selling in small paper bags.
The name Wei did sound familiar but, looking around, he couldn¡¯t believe he had ever been to this place, much less lived here for years he could no longer count. The room where he¡¯d been kept was always silent and dark. The only voices he had ever heard had belonged to the woman that had kept him, and to the clients she brought him on a daily basis. The bright, glowing city in front his eyes could hardly be the same place. Or so he thought, initially. A thought that quickly changed as they left the main streets, leading their horses to much darker, much narrower places.
Two bright torches holding a pair of blue, trembling flames, and the hanging wooden sign painted with a blue diamond, signaled the entrance to a small, obviously rundown inn.
Without a word, like a previously rehearsed scene, HawkEye dismounted his horse and went inside. He came back just a few moments later, nodding and gesturing them to approach the place.
The dark monster slid off his horse and, without a word, helped him down like always.
¡°I¡¯ve already payed for a night in advance,¡± HawkEye informed them as they untied their luggage from their saddles. MenTar handed Snow his small bag, containing his change of clothes and his blankets. ¡°I¡¯ll take our horses to the back. Apparently there¡¯s a small stable there.¡±
ZenTar nodded.
¡°I¡¯ll meet you there as soon as we check our accommodations,¡± MenTar added, looking serious for a change, and HawkEye silently led their horses away.
¡°Let¡¯s do this, then,¡± ZenTar sighed, pushing the door open, and stepped inside, followed by his brother.
Grabbing his arm, the monster dragged Snow inside after them, and Snow quickly looked around the small room, filled with wooden tables and chairs, practically empty at that time of day.
¡°Good afternoon, master!¡± ZenTar greeted someone in a cheerful tone and Snow tried to see who he was talking to. But no matter how much he stretched his neck, the dark monster in front of him kept obstructing his view. He tried stepping to the side but the hand around his arm quickly pulled him back to his place. And so he just stood there, feeling too short, surrounded by the four tall men.
¡°Afternoon, travelers! Three rooms, that¡¯s what the previous fellow told me. Am I right?¡± someone¡¯s voice answered, sounding deep and rough.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
¡°If you have them free we¡¯ll take them.¡±
¡°Sure, sure! You are in luck. Had you arrived tomorrow you¡¯d find yourselves sleeping under the bridge,¡± the rough voice laughed.
¡°Oh really? And why is that?¡± ZenTar asked with what sounded like genuine curiosity.
¡°You don¡¯t know? It¡¯s the big market. It happens every other month. And it starts the day after tomorrow. The city will be cluttered with people, some selling, some buying. Whatever it is you¡¯re looking for, whatever your taste or poison, you are sure to find it there!¡±
¡°Oh, that sounds truly interesting.¡±
¡°It is, it is! You can¡¯t be said to have lived a full life, if you have never attended one of Wei¡¯s big markets!¡±
¡°It seems we¡¯re in luck then! Not only we managed to find adequate boarding, we¡¯ll still have the chance to grab this amazing opportunity!¡± ZenTar laughed good-naturedly and the man joined him.
¡°Your rooms will be up those stairs. Third and forth door on the right, and third door on the left. Will you gents be wanting for an evening meal later on? Not to brag, but my missis is one of the best cooks in town! And our wine is pretty good too, if I may say so myself.¡±
¡°Don¡¯t mind if we do.¡±
¡°No trouble at all!¡± the rough voice replied, sounding happy.
¡°Well then, we¡¯ll go upstairs and unload our luggage.¡±
¡°Make yourselves at home!¡± the man replied and Snow saw ZenTar¡¯s head bow lightly before he turned and made his way towards the stairs.
MenTar followed him and so did the monster, dragging him by his arm. He still tried to take a peek at the man they¡¯d been talking to, but the hood over his head worked both ways in concealing him and in concealing the world around him from sight.
The stairs were narrow and dark, creaking beneath their feet, and the corridor they led to was no wider, the only source of light coming from the small window at the end of it.
ZenTar counted the doors and opened the third one on the right and the third one on the left, peering inside.
¡°Check this one,¡± he told his brother and disappeared through the door exactly in font of it. It didn¡¯t take them long to return. ¡°You stay here,¡± he told the monster signaling the room he¡¯d just emerged from. ¡°MenTar and I will take the room in front. HawkEye and BigMountain will stay next door.¡±
Nox nodded and didn¡¯t waste time, dragging Snow inside. Only when they crossed the threshold did he finally released his arm.
Snow took one look around and wished he could run away as fast as his legs would carry him.
The room was small, the walls dark and stained. The mattress over the bed was lumpy and covered by what had once probably been a white sheet. The chair abandoned in a corner was crooked in strange way. The window was small, the glass so dirty that he could hardly see outside. All in all it felt very much like a prison, and he wished he could just sleep outside, in the streets, or in the stables with the horses.
Dropping his bag on the floor, the monster crossed the room to look out the window, peering left and right, even though Snow doubted that he¡¯d be able to see much.
The closing of the door on his back made him jump, and Snow quickly stepped to one side to give way to ZenTar.
¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be all right?¡± the older man asked, talking to the monster, but his green eyes peered at Snow, filled with doubt and suspicious.
¡°I¡¯ll be fine. We managed to arrive in time, like planned.¡±
¡°I know we did. That¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡±
The monster turned and his blue eyes landed on Snow as well, making him take a step back.
¡°You mean him? I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll cut his throat before he can utter a single word,¡± the monster declared dismissively and Snow took another step back. His cold eyes openly confirmed the words he¡¯d just uttered.
ZenTar sighed and tossed a long sword at him, the slender blade glistening as it flew across the air. The monster grabbed it without difficulty, obviously too used to handle that kind of weapon, and it was quickly swallowed up by his darkness.
¡°Keep it, in case you need it.¡± ZaiWin nodded and crossed his arms, keeping the sword close to his chest. ¡°I¡¯ll go and take care of things. I¡¯ll leave HawkEye and MenTar behind. You should try and get some rest. We¡¯ll be back in the evening.¡±
ZaiWin nodded again and ZenTar turned to Snow, offering him one of his fake smiles before he left.
RTYY 059 - A Mere Man
¡°Are you going to just stand there the rest of the afternoon?¡±
Snow couldn¡¯t help jump at the sound of that harsh voice and quickly looked around, unable to decide what to do. Was he supposed to stay inside that small bedroom with that dark monster? For how long? Would he ever be able to leave it again? Would he die in there?
The monster sighed and sat down on the crooked chair.
Snow simply stared at him. Though he already knew that there was a man inside all those wavering, massive shadows, it was still kind of ¡ strange, watching such a dense mass of darkness sit down on a small chair. He couldn¡¯t help expect it to simply break under his weight.
¡°At least put down your bag. We¡¯ll be waiting here until nightfall.¡±
Snow averted his gaze and obeyed, allowing his bag to fall on the floor at his feet.
As time went by, however, his legs eventually started to get tired, and so he simply sat down right where he stood, his back against the cold, hard wall. Pulling his cloak closer to his body, he covered himself as best as he could and wished he could simply disappear, or at the very least become invisible.
He hated that room! The air smelled bad, making it hard to breathe. The bed was too similar, too familiar, reminding him of the endless days he¡¯d spent laying down, tied to four wooden posts, looking up at a darkened ceiling much like this one. Still he didn¡¯t dare complain. He didn¡¯t dare speak. He even wished he could stop breathing. He¡¯d do anything, if that meant that the monster would forget that he existed. And it did seemed to work, for a while.
The sound of someone moving around the room made Snow take a peek, needing to make sure that he remained safe. He watched as the dark monster rumbled through his bag, much bigger than his own, and then took out a golden hourglass, which he placed on the small bedside-table, that actually looked more like an overturned crate.
Frowning, Snow looked at the small object, the white sand slowly running from one compartment to the other. By its slow speed it would take a long time until all the sand was gone, and he couldn¡¯t help fear what would happen once the time was up.
Without a word, the monster went back to the crooked chair. And then, before Snow¡¯s startled eyes, the unexpected happened.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
The darkness around the dark monster started to thin out, slowly dissolving into the air around him, until it completely disappeared. Just like before the monster was gone and, sitting on that chair, was a mere man.
For a moment Snow expected to be scolded like before, maybe even beaten, but nothing happened. The man in front of him simply remained sitting, one booted foot propped against the wall, hugging the sword ZenTar had handed him against his chest and staring out the window.
From the only other time he had actually been able to see him, he already knew he was rather young, probably in his twenties. But before everything had happened way too fast, and the monster had been so mad at him that Snow hadn¡¯t really taken the time to actually take a good look at him.
Tall and with a lean build, the man¡¯s arms and legs looked even longer with him sitting in that crooked chair. His hair was pitch black, so much so that it actually glistened in shades of blue where the light coming from outside touched it. He had simply tied it up in a single ponytail that now slid down over his chest, all the way to his waist, thin shorter locks of hair framing his face and shadowing his forehead. There were no braids or ornaments, like the ones he knew the rich and important people liked to wear, and Snow couldn¡¯t help wonder how long it would be if he just untied it.
His skin was surprisingly fair, almost as much as his own, even though he was sure that, unlike him, the monster spent lots of time under the wide, open sky. And his oval face had an elegant beauty about it, with a tall forehead, slightly downturned lips, and a big, elongated blue eyes framed by long dark eyelashes. Not that he was delicately beautiful like some of the women Snow had seen, or frail-looking like the lord of the Fortress had been. It was more like a cold, silent beauty, one that could clearly become frightening very quickly, should those eyebrows frown and those eyes turn cold.
All dressed in black, a long coat reaching his knees, riding boots covering his legs, even though he was no longer enveloped by those dense shadows, he still gave out the feeling of something dark, something silent, cold and lonely.
Why was Snow suddenly able to see him so clearly, however, was something he could not comprehend. Not only that. Somehow he looked ¡ weaker, not as frightening or scary as he¡¯d been. Of course, the fact that he now looked like any other man and not some unknown, shapeless being, had also probably something to do with that. But somehow Snow felt that that wasn¡¯t all there was to it.
Also, unlike before, he didn¡¯t get angry at him. Not that Snow had given him any reasons to be angry. But before he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong either, but he had still been harshly scolded, almost punched and openly threatened with the death penalty, should whatever had happened before ever happen again. Now, however, he just sat there, mainly ignoring him, looking out the window, a hand wrapped around the sword¡¯s handle.
Maybe he didn¡¯t know, Snow wondered. Maybe he didn¡¯t know that he could see the change in him. More than once, Snow had suspected that he was the only one able to see the dark monster that he was. And if that was true, then he wouldn¡¯t know that Snow was also able to see when he stopped being that monster, reason why he just kept sitting there, instead of trying to squeeze the life out of him.
RTYY 060 - A Freaking ... Kiss?!
The loud sound of something exploding made Snow jump to his feet, and before he could understand what was happening someone wrapped in a dark cloak stormed into the bedroom.
Eyes wide in alarm, Snow saw ZaiWin swiftly slide off his chair just in time to avoid something bright and sharp. Suddenly he was completely wet, the rain now falling inside the room so thick that it made it hard to see, even hard to breathe, almost as if he was about to drown.
Heart hammering against his chest, Snow saw ZaiWin spin around and use his sword to parry the attack of two shorter, curved blades. ZaiWin tried to kick his attacker, but the other man nimbly jumped back to keep his distance, forcing Snow to quickly scramble to the other side of the room so he wouldn¡¯t get caught in the middle of it.
He had never seen a real fight, much less a sword fight, and the loud sounds of the metal blades clashing echoed in his ears and chest as he followed the two figures dancing back and forth, splashing water everywhere, ZaiWin¡¯s dark hair completely glued to his now angered face.
As if in a magic trick, the rain turned directly against him, the small droplets of water hitting ZaiWin like sharp, hard pebbles, forcing him to close his eyes and raise an arm to protect his face. And Snow watched in horror as the other man took that chance to slash at him, forcing him to step back.
The red blood that gushed from his wound was quickly washed away by the heavy rain, but the image of it remained imprinted in Snow¡¯s mind. And suddenly he couldn¡¯t hear anything else, a faraway buzzing sound filling his ears.
He was hurt. The words echoed in Snow¡¯s head as he just stood there, watching the two men fight. Even though he could hardly see any blood anymore, and ZaiWin kept moving as if nothing had happened, he knew he was hurt, and the thought alone was almost unbearable. And then another cloaked man stormed the room, a sword in hand as he rushed to stab ZaiWin in the back.
Horror and anger filled Snow¡¯s chest, making him feel hot all over, his back burning. He couldn¡¯t allow him to get hurt any more than that! He couldn¡¯t allow him to die! He had to make them stop! Taking a deep breath, filling his chest, he clenched his fists and open his mouth to scream.
The hand that grabbed his arm yanked him from where he stood so fast that he couldn¡¯t help feeling dizzy, and something warm crushed his lips, silencing him. Suddenly he couldn¡¯t see anything anymore, but in his mind that bright sword was still aiming for ZaiWin¡¯s back. Since his anger had been momentarily erased by the sudden way he¡¯d been pulled like that, fear took its place; a deep, cold fear that ZaiWin wouldn¡¯t be quick enough to defend himself from that attack as well.
The loud sound of something cracking echoed throughout the entire room and then ¡ everything was quiet, too quiet, making Snow think that he¡¯d probably lost the ability to hear all together.
¡°Shit!¡± a voice whispered right beside his head and a warm breath tickled his neck.
The hand that had sealed his lips shut released him, finally allowing him to breathe, and Snow couldn¡¯t help gasp for air, only to notice that his own breath left white puffs of smoke floating in front of his nose.
It was cold, he realized, and felt the warm body that had shielded him move away, leaving his back open to be attacked by the freezing cold as well.
Blinking in confusion, Snow straightened up, hugging his own arms, looking around in disbelief.
It was as if a bomb of ice had exploded where he stood, freezing the entire room and everything inside it, the ice climbing over the walls all the way up to the ceiling, the frozen crystals glistening like precious stones. It was beautiful, like a gigantic flower of ice. But it was also extremely cold.
As he turned around he couldn¡¯t help take a step back.
The two cloaked men also stood there, completely frozen. One with two curved blades in his hands and his neck recently sliced opened, the expression on his face one of disbelief, death already claiming him. The other one had dropped his sword on the ground, and ZaiWin was now trying to free his own sword, currently stuck in the frozen men¡¯s belly.
¡°Shit!¡± he repeated, this time louder, obviously angry at the fact that he couldn¡¯t recover his blade, the other man¡¯s body completely frozen stiff.
¡°Don¡¯t think you can undo this shit!¡± He turned to look at him, and Snow could only stare back, not knowing what to say. ¡°Didn¡¯t think so ¡¡± ZaiWin sighed and, rubbing his own arms, tried to open the door, but it was also completely frozen, a thick layer of ice covering all the walls.
With a resigned sigh he crossed the room and sat on the bed, the mattress now as hard as stone. His clothes were also half frozen, Snow noticed, his long hair sprinkled with white flakes of ice. Even his eyebrows were glistening. Probably because they¡¯d been wet, Snow considered, feeling his own clothes, but, although they really were wet, they hadn¡¯t frozen like ZaiWin¡¯s, or like the other men.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
Even though Snow felt cold it was bearable. But ZaiWin ¡ ZaiWin was shivering, Snow noticed, watching as his lips slowly turned blue even though he kept rubbing his arms with shaking hands. And he was bleeding. He was bleeding! Snow blinked, trying to avert his gaze from the red spilling out of the gash opened on his side. The more he looked the harder it was to bear it. He had to do something!, he decided, quickly looking around, searching for something, anything, that could help stop the bleeding. But everything was frozen under thick layers of ice, even the old wooden floor had become slippery.
Looking back at him, Snow saw him press his wound, a grimace taking over his face as he too looked around, probably trying to find a solution to their present predicament. And, as he watched, red blood started to seep through his pale fingers.
Blood, Snow thought, and his heartbeat became even louder.
The healer had told him that his blood could save lives, Snow recalled turning his own arm, looking at his wrist where several pale scars could be seen. That¡¯s why they always bled him, why so many people would come into that horrible room. His blood was special. His blood could help him. But the mere thought of slicing his own skin open left him shaking and feeling sick to the stomach. And yet, the thought of ZaiWin being hurt, the thought of him dying like the other two men in that room, was even more unbearable.
His head aching from the conflicted emotions inside chest and from the unreasonable inner demand that he had to do something, Snow crossed the room in wide, urgent steps and, holding ZaiWin¡¯s face between his hands, pressed his lips against his.
Nox ZaiWin was completely stunned, his mind going instantly blank.
Just a few moments ago he had been turning his head upside down, trying to figure out how to get them out that damn room. The situation couldn¡¯t be worse. Even though he had a few fire crystals in his bag they would never be strong enough to melt that kind of thick ice, that was if he were able to open his frozen bag to begin with. The door was completely sealed, and so was the window. And, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was slowly but surely freezing to death as well, the blood in his veins becoming sluggish, all feeling gone from his legs and hands. Even his wound had started to hurt less, which could never be a good sign.
The fucking brat! He had known from the instant he¡¯d knelt at his feet that he¡¯d be the death of him. He had never imagined, however, the brat would actually kill him trying to save him! Which sucked! Because now he couldn¡¯t even get angry at him and make sure he¡¯d kill him before he died! And to think that his entire life he¡¯d worried that he¡¯d be murdered in his sleep. No! Of course not! Such a comfortable death was only destined for the noblemen. Not him. He had to freeze to death at the hands of a supposed Celestial. Damn them all! And damn the Heavens for their fucking blessings!
He¡¯d been ranting and cursing inside his head when two cold hands framed his face and something surprisingly warm covered his frozen lips. Not only covered, he realized, blinking, still unable to clearly process what was happening. He had been caught so off guard that his numb lips were easily parted, and a small wet tongue slipped inside his mouth.
Frowning, he looked at the brat¡¯s face practically glued to his, at his peaceful expression, his eyes closed, his pale eyelashes trembling softly as he ¡ tongued him?! Fuck no!, he decided, grabbing him by his shoulders, ready to send him flying all the way to the other side of the room. But then a tickling sensation where he¡¯d been wounded stopped him, and he couldn¡¯t help stare at the brat in front of him in disbelief. The pain ¡ the pain was completely gone. Not only that, he wasn¡¯t cold anymore, feeling slowly returning to his legs, even his feet, and he could suddenly breathe with much ease.
Snow¡¯s warm lips slowly parted from his and ZaiWin had to blink twice to realize he wasn¡¯t being kissed anymore, even though his lips were still tingly, as if the memory of the kiss had remained.
Looking at the brat, he saw him leaning forward, his small fingers trying to part his torn tunic so he could check the state of his wound, even though he was clearly reluctant to touch his bloody clothes.
The damn brat! he grunted to himself and slapped his hand away, startling him, making him to look up, his glistening, pale eyes looking worried and afraid.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
¡°It¡¯s healed already! Stop poking at it!¡± he scold him but, even though his tone of voice had been less than pleasant, the stupid brat still looked relieved. ¡°Shit! Just look at this fucking room!¡± he went on, wanting to vent his frustration, and Snow blinked, taking a step back, probably afraid he might hit him for freezing the entire room.
ZaiWin sighed.
¡°You do know you did this, right?¡± ZaiWin wanted to make sure, since apparently the brat had no idea of how to activate or control his daitai, and Snow averted his gaze, nodding guiltily.
ZaiWin sighed again.
¡°Once we get out of this damn city I will hammer your head until you learn how to control them!¡± he decided and Snow looked up at him, eyes wide in ¡ what? Fear? ¡°What? I couldn¡¯t care less if you¡¯re willing or not! The only reason why you didn¡¯t kill me as well is because I can¡¯t be killed by your daitai! If ZenTar or any of the others had also been here they¡¯d be ice statues like those two over there!¡±
¡°No!¡± Snow interrupted him, surprising him since ZaiWin always had to practically threaten him to death to make him speak. ¡°No ¡ I ¡ I want to learn ¡ I want to learn,¡± he repeated in a low voice, lowering his gaze again, and ZaiWin stared at him for a moment, at his clenched fists, his shoulders tense.
Well, of course he wanted to learn, he thought with a sigh. Who in his situation wouldn¡¯t. He knew better than anyone what it felt like to have one¡¯s own power run wild, to be unable to control it, to have it lashing out at everyone around him, even against those he wanted to care for and protect. The fear, the self-loathing, the hopelessness and helplessness were almost overwhelming.
¡°Good! Now to get out of here before more unwanted guests decide to pay us a visit!¡±
Now, now, what were you thinking! What kiss? The boy was only trying to heal you ... *sighs* >_>
RTYY 061 - A Long Dress
Standing up, ZaiWin crossed the room and, propping one booted foot against the frozen man¡¯s chest, tried to pull his sword free again. Even though he actually felt healthier and stronger than he¡¯d felt that morning, it still took him all his strength to finally release the blade. Well, it was a good blade, he thought, balancing the sword in his hand, glad that he wouldn¡¯t have to leave it behind. That it hadn¡¯t become bent or even chipped after all that spoke to its quality.
Looking at the door he quickly gave up on that. Not only it was frozen shut he had no idea of what he would find downstairs. So they were only left with the window that, contrary to the door, was covered with a much thinner layer of ice.
Well, time to test the sword¡¯s quality one more time, he thought, changing his grip to whack at the ice wall. Ice splinters flew everywhere, but ZaiWin was more than used to wielding a sword, knowing all too well how to take advantage of the long, frail-looking blade, making sure it inflicted maximum damage without damaging the sword itself. It didn¡¯t take him long to break through the ice and shatter the glass, the evening wind feeling pleasantly warm as it flooded the freezing bedroom. Turning around he walked to the door and quickly carved the shape of a triangle with a cross inside on the wall beside it, hoping the ice would last until the others came back. He took a last glance at the hourglass, also enclosed in ice, and marched back to the window.
¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go down first and then you jump,¡± ZaiWin told him, climbing on the small window sill and, in the next moment, he was gone.
Snow¡¯s heart skipped a bit and, before he knew what he was doing, he had already run to the window, looking down, fearing what he might see. The blue eyes that stared up back at him made him sigh in relief.
ZaiWin looked to one side and then the other, and finally signaled him to ¡ what?, Snow thought in disbelief, automatically shaking his head.
A deep frown appeared in ZaiWin¡¯s forehead and the blue eyes took on an angry expression, his signaling becoming more fierce.
Did he really want him to jump? Snow looked back at the door, hoping, wondering if he couldn¡¯t somehow open it. Dismay quickly took over him. He had no one else to blame for the state of things but himself.
Looking at the two frozen men he doubted if his intervention had been needed at all. ZaiWin had clearly managed to kill the first man before he had frozen the room, and the way his sword had remained stuck inside the second man¡¯s belly left him wondering if he hadn¡¯t been able to easily deal with the two men on his own.
Snow really wished he could control ¡ those things, he thought, looking down again. And yet ZaiWin had told him he¡¯d teach him. If that was true ¡ if he could really learn how to control it, learn how to use it according to his will, then he would never be defenseless again. And, for the first time since he¡¯d laid eyes on that man, the idea of escaping, of running as far away as possible from all of them, was tossed to one side. If he was really willing to teach him then he¡¯d stick with him until he was able to learn how to control it.
Climbing on the window sillhe jumped down. Though it was only one floor it was still frighteningly high, but he didn¡¯t really have any other choice.
The arms that caught him stole a huff from his chest but were strong enough to hold on to him, before he was gently lowered down, just like when the monster helped him off his horse. Snow took a deep breath in relief but, the next instant, his wrist had been grabbed and he was being dragged down the street.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
Snow stumbled on the cobblestones and tried to keep up, his arm aching from the force with which ZaiWin kept pulling him, almost forcing him to run, making him focus on his own legs. Though Snow had recovered most his strength after all the time he¡¯d been kept prisoner, he still didn¡¯t trust himself to run or jump like any other person. And he did not want to fall!, he thought, looking up at the tall man in front of him, his hair and clothes still wet, his long sword tied to his back, half-concealed under his long jacket.
It didn¡¯t take them long to leave the more quiet, deserted part of town where the inn had been.
Turning left and right, they were soon in a much busier street, bright lanterns hanging from almost every door and window making Snow blink, his head turning left and right, his mind filled with new sounds and scents.
There were a lot of women outside, Snow realized seeing at least five standing by a door, laughing and trying to captivate the passersby¡¯s attention. They were dressed in colorful, light clothes, the flowing silky fabrics covering their bodies almost transparent, their dark hair carefully arranged and tied with bright, glistening hairpins. The air, all around him, felt warm and smelled sweet, in a mix of flowery perfumes and incense.
He stumbled again and received another pull, almost as if he were no more than a child still learning to walk, being guided by his father¡¯s harsh hand. They turned to another narrower, darker street, and finally stop, allowing him to take a deep breath.
¡°Here. Put this on,¡± ZaiWin told him, throwing a piece of fabric at him that he almost wasn¡¯t in time to grab, and Snow tried to make sense of it, turning it in his hands.
It felt smooth and fresh, but he couldn¡¯t understand what it was or when ZaiWin had gotten a hold of it.
Tsking from impatience, ZaiWin reached out and quickly untied his cloak.
¡°Hurry up!¡±
Taking the soft fabric from his hands ZaiWin pulled it over his head and helped him get dressed. Well, it was large enough to dress over his normal clothes, Snow realized, slipping his arms into the wide, bright-yellow sleeves. And when ZaiWin pulled it down his chest it fell fluidly all the way to his feet, covering them completely and pooling on the floor around him.
¡°Well, it¡¯s way too big but it will have to do,¡± ZaiWin observed and wrapped the warm cloak around his shoulders again, tying it up and pulling the hood over his head. ¡°Try not to trip on it. And make sure you keep your hood up. And don¡¯t look people in the eye!¡± he instructed and Snow nodded, even though he was still staring in disbelief at the yellow dress he now wore, the beautiful lace trimmed hem of its skirt covering his feet.
ZaiWin made sure his cloak was well closed over his chest and, grabbing his hand, placed it on his folded arm, before taking him out of the narrow alley and returning to the busy street.
Two steps were all it took before Snow tripped on the long dress and almost fell head-first, if not for the hand that held him straight.
Blushing, Snow didn¡¯t dare look up, certain that those blue eyes would be glaring threateningly at him. After all he¡¯d just told him to be careful not to trip. Which was easier said than done, he concluded a few steps later, making sure he kicked the dress from under his feet every time he stepped forward. At least he wasn¡¯t being dragged down the street anymore, ZaiWin patiently matching his slower pace, his arm offering him support.
It didn¡¯t take him long to understand that, from an outsider¡¯s point of view, they must look like any other couple that they¡¯d passed by, strolling down the street.
Looking down at his yellow dress Snow couldn¡¯t help feeling sad. Even though he wasn¡¯t a girl, since people around him apparently considered that he being born a boy was some kind of mistake, he had no other choice but to put up with it.
RTYY 062 - A Night in a Red Bedroom
¡°Won¡¯t you please come in for a brief rest? We have the finest food in town and we are the best at entertaining our guests,¡± a mellow voice sounded louder than the others, and Snow raised his head to look at the woman that had spoken, but a strong arm immediately surrounded his shoulders, pulling him against a hard, wet body.
¡°Well, don¡¯t mind if we do,¡± ZaiWin sang back in the same dragged tone of voice and the woman in front of them giggled, making way and leading them inside.
Snow focused on the three steps he had to climb and then a warm waft of air thick with sweet perfume washed over his face.
¡°If you would please be so kind as to follow me,¡± the woman replied and the arm around Snow¡¯s shoulders guided him towards a flight of red-carpeted stairs, much wider and brighter than the ones back at the in.
The woman walking in front of them wore a pale-blue dress that dragged behind her, covering the last step she¡¯d just climbed, the light flowing fabric sprinkled with small silver speckles that glistened with her every move, reminding Snow of small, bright stars. Unlike his yellow dress, hers fit her like a glove, accentuating her narrow waist and round hips and bottom. She had dark hair, that fell over her naked back in gentle waves, and it had also sprinkled with shimmering silver flakes.
Once they reached the top of the stairs his lowered gaze would only allow him to see the red carpet under his feet again. Printed with a royal-blue pattern, it looked expensive and luxurious, at least at first glance. At a closer look, however, one could easily see that it had seen better days, the fabric looking worn, the color faded where people walked on more frequently. The light in the corridor was also dimmer, making everything look as if it had been tinged in red.
The woman stopped in front of a white door and pushed it open, stepping to one side to allow them in. ZaiWin¡¯s hand on his shoulder squeezed him harder as he made him go inside first. Only then he finally released him, turning back to talk to the woman.
¡°Would my lord require any kind of entertainment? Or maybe your lady? We have all sorts of professionals at your disposal. All you have to do is make a wish, and we will make sure it comes true,¡± she giggled. ¡°A younger companion to make your lady more at ease? Or maybe some dancing. Maybe a massage to help you relax. We also have a few bath oils that can work wonders on a young man such as yourself. We can guarantee you won¡¯t be disappointed and that you¡¯ll spend an entire night of happy fun.¡±
¡°I thank you for your suggestions, but that won¡¯t be necessary. We really just require some undisturbed time, if you know my meaning,¡± ZaiWin added with a chuckle that sent shivers down Snow¡¯s spine. Snow couldn¡¯t imagine what his face would look like with a smile stretching his lips.
¡°But of course. Please make yourselves at home. And if you need anything or change your mind about any of our services, please let us know.¡±
¡°I most certainly will.¡±
The click of the door closing and the sigh that left ZaiWin¡¯s chest finally allowed Snow to relax as well.
Raising his head to take a look around, Snow found himself in a new bedroom, this one all painted in red and gold, the large bed at the far end hidden behind a bed canopy of transparent, flowing curtains. Much larger than the inn¡¯s bedroom, the floors were covered in a soft-looking carpet, also red. Two armchairs and a round table had been placed in front of a tall window. An incense burner rested on one of the bedside-tables, slowly filling the room with a musky scent that promised to give him an headache. And the burning flames flickering inside the eight fire-holders placed around the room burned low and slow, projecting strange shadows on the walls and floor.
This wasn¡¯t the first time Snow had been to a place like this, although this one looked much more luxurious and bigger than the one from his memories. And something about it, about its heavy atmosphere, about the mixed scents, was nauseatingly familiar.
¡°Get some rest,¡± ZaiWin told him, walking by him and stopping three steps later to look back at the unmoving brat he¡¯d dragged all over town. If the pattern was to repeat itself, he was just going to stand there, by the door, and probably end up sitting on the floor once his legs got tired.
Annoyed that he had to care about such things, he retracted his footsteps and pulled Snow¡¯s hood down, untying his cloak.
Startled, Snow took a step back and looked up at him with a frown, the cloak sliding from his shoulders, falling around his feet.
¡°What? Since you¡¯re just going to stand there like a freaking statue I¡¯m going to undress you and drag you to bed! Your clothes are still wet! And I cannot afford to have you getting sick or something like that! We¡¯ll have to leave the city in three days! If you¡¯re not healthy enough to travel I¡¯ll just have to kill you and bury you somewhere!¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Snow lowered his head.
¡°I can ¡ undress ¡¡± he whispered and ZaiWin took a deep breath.
¡°Good! Be quick about it, too. And go to bed and sleep! Don¡¯t make me drag you and tie you up!¡±
The boy in front of him shuddered at the sound of those words, his hands shaking when he pulled the dress up, over his head, and ZaiWin sighed, crossing the room to peer out of the window. With a second thought he leaned his sword against the wall and took off his jacket, hoping it would dry faster if hanging from the armchair.
The soft sound of padding followed by the bad creaking told him that the brat had obeyed his command, and when he glanced towards the bed, the only thing he saw was the top of a head covered in short, silver hair. Everything else was tucked beneath a heavy-looking golden quilt. He looked so small beneath it that ZaiWin knew he¡¯d curled up, knees bent against his chest, like he always did before going to sleep.
With a sigh he dragged one armchair across the room and placed it strategically, so that he could watch both the door and the window. One of the advantages of places like these was that the doors actually locked and, as ZenTar had once pointed out, there were so many people around, inside and outside, that it would quickly dissuade anyone planning a sneak attack. He could only hope that this was the case, and that the men that had barged into their room still weren¡¯t desperate enough to try to kill him twice in one night, and with all those witnesses around.
Taking a seat, holding sword against his chest, ZaiWin took another peek towards the bed. He was so quiet and silent that it was as if there was no one else in the room with him.
Not that ZaiWin hadn¡¯t expected this, but it still annoyed him, seeing how quickly things were starting to crumble all around him, his hard-earned peace of mind completely gone. He really wanted to hate the brat for it but, the more time he spent with the kid, the harder it was to accomplish that.
If Snow was really a Celestial, he was nothing like any Celestial he had ever known, and he wasn¡¯t even thinking about his obvious abnormal physical appearance. Celestials were usually soft-spoken, gentle, frail and obedient to a fault, doing everything they were ordered to, and doing nothing at all if no one told them what to do. They were devoid of instincts of self-preservation and would even end their lives without so much as a blink if ordered to do so. They never cried, rarely laughed, and even though they did take care and protect their Chosen Ones, they were mainly cold and detached, especially so to everyone else outside their Chosen One¡¯s Household.
But that brat, he was nothing like that.
If he spoke gently or nothing at all was because he was afraid he might hurt those around him, not because it was in his nature to do so. His pale, icy eyes would almost glow from pure enthusiasm at the most insignificant things. It was written all over his face, every time he found something he liked, every time his heart was moved, every time he felt sad or hurt.
Most of the times Snow did follow his commands but, more than once, he¡¯d seen his expression turn sour, as if he wished he could argue with him, which he would probably do, if he didn¡¯t fear his own voice so much. If that weren¡¯t enough, there were also times when he didn¡¯t obey him at all, simply doing as he pleased. And he most certainly didn¡¯t need him to order him around the entire day. He clearly held a will of his own and acted according to it like any other person would do.
He was equally annoyingly nice to anyone who was nice to him, which meant that he actually had a better relationship with MenTar than he had with with him. And he clearly did not want to die. ZaiWin was sure he would refuse to do so, even if he ordered him to simply go and kill himself.
All in all he was very much like any other person, like any other kid his age. He¡¯d been deeply traumatized by the harsh life he¡¯d been forced to endure so far, but he was also lively enough, bright enough, to be able to overcome it all in time, should the world around him grant him the chance to do so. Which was not about to happen, ZaiWin reminded himself with a bitter smile. And that¡¯s what made everything so hard.
Were he like any other Celestial, a mere beautiful, moving doll, ZaiWin wouldn¡¯t had had any qualms slicing his throat and being done with that. But the damn brat, in all his abnormality, was actually too normal, too much like every teenage boy he had ever met. He had been dealt a bad hand, and had been through enough. Were he anyone else, ZaiWin would have happily welcomed him and helped him out, even protected him, for he most certainly deserved the chance to have a normal life. But instead here he was, hoping that there was some way to strike the final blow and quickly end his young, innocent life.
When he realized what he was doing, he¡¯d been unconsciously touching his own lips, which made him blush and quickly lower his hand.
Shit! He¡¯d been trying very hard to simply ignore what had happened. After all, people were also saved from drowning by having someone else press their lips to theirs and breathe new air into their lungs. What had happened was no different from that!, he told himself, annoyed that he was still lingering on it. Sure, he had only been kissed like that once or twice in his life. Most of the few ladies that had actually dared to kiss him had been too shy, quickly running away after their lips brushed. That the damn brat actually knew how to kiss like that was even more annoying. Because that meant that, even though he was still so young, he¡¯d obviously had more than enough experience. And he couldn¡¯t help wonder what else he might be experienced on, his annoyance quickly turning to anger at the mere thought of it.
¡°Nothing is yours! Not the clothes you wear! Not the air you breathe!! Do you understand me??¡± the words echoed in his mind and he took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax.
No matter how strong that damned link got he couldn¡¯t forget that. He had never had anything he could call his own his entire life. Of all the things he might consider trying to make his, he most certainly would never try to claim a freaking Celestial!
Never say never, my friend! ??
RTYY 063 - Planning Ahead
¡°You¡¯re really sure you¡¯re all right?¡±
It was the third time ZenTar asked him that same question and he simply gave him a critical glare in response.
ZenTar had arrived just before dawn, pretending to be drunk and asking for permission to join their private party.
¡°But how did they know where to find us? It¡¯s still too soon for orders from the Palace to have reached this far.¡±
¡°Agreed. Which can only mean we were followed.¡±
¡°By our own men?¡±
¡°The Palace¡¯s men,¡± ZaiWin corrected sarcastically. That was something he¡¯d learned a long, long time ago. He couldn¡¯t trust anyone, not even those who had served and apparently cared for him for a very long time. The only person he trusted was standing right there, in front of him.
¡°But that¡¯s not possible! I made sure we weren¡¯t being followed! I checked and checked, and rechecked! I even left some small spies on the road to make sure no one was tracking us,¡± he argued and ZaiWin shrugged.
¡°Well, we didn¡¯t really made it a secret of our destination either. They may have simply traveled directly here, and then waited for our arrival. We were a bit slow on the road, after all,¡± he added. Because the damn brat wasn¡¯t used to riding, and so they had stopped more times then they would have usually.
ZenTar sighed, his gaze falling on the bed where Snow still slept, his thoughts probably the same.
¡°All that ice. His doing, right?¡±
¡°Yup.¡±
¡°I never heard of a Celestial being able to command an element like that. I mean. I heard that they bless crops and livestock, and that they can heal almost every disease. But that level of destruction ¡ The two men were completely frozen to death.¡±
¡°I was almost frozen to death,¡± ZaiWin grunted, crossing his arms. ¡°If not for the fact that he can¡¯t kill me with his daitai I would have surely joined those other two in the afterlife. You¡¯d most certainly be dead.¡±
ZenTar shook off a cold shiver.
¡°And he just killed them? Just like that?¡±
¡°I¡¯ve been telling you since a long time ago, that bullshit about Celestials being unable to take a life is exactly that, bullshit!¡± he grumbled and ZenTar sighed.
¡°And I never doubted you. But, like you, I also know that, back then, those circumstances were ¡ special. But this ¡ He is more dangerous than any of us!¡±
ZaiWin averted his gaze.
¡°Well, it¡¯s not like he¡¯s killing them on purpose, or with the open intention to do so. He just can¡¯t control his markings, which, if what we suspect is confirmed, is barely his fault,¡± he grunted again, clearly conflicted about his own need to defend the boy. ¡°From what I gathered, every time he gets scared things turn cold very quickly.¡±
¡°But he never used that red array again, right?¡±
ZaiWin shook his head.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
¡°Maybe only pain can activate it. Or maybe it¡¯s like a survival instinct, for when he feels that his life is in danger.¡±
¡°If everyone had survival instincts like that the world population would be cut by less than a half by now,¡± ZenTar mocked in a critical tone.
¡°What about the innkeeper and the rest of the people staying there?¡±
¡°The innkeeper and one of the of the house servants were both killed, their bodies hidden in the back. But no one else seemed to have noticed anything out of the ordinary. They were even looking for the master of the house, wondering where he¡¯d gone so early in the morning.¡±
¡°So they weren¡¯t in on it.¡±
¡°Didn¡¯t look like it, no. I had BigMountain stay behind and get a closer look at the bodies. It took me forever to unfreeze the two ice statues upstairs,¡± he complained but ZaiWin ignored him.
¡°And? That aside, did you find what we were looking for?¡±
A deep sigh left ZenTar¡¯s chest.
¡°I did. MenTar is already there, waiting for us. And I also scheduled an audience with the Temple. Are you really sure you want to consult with her in this matter?¡± he wanted to make sure, clearly praying ZaiWin would give up on his initial idea, but a simple nod was all it took to overthrow ZenTar¡¯s hopes, a desperate expression immediately taking over his face.
¡°I have questions that only a Jundai can answer. And if I have to talk to a Jundai about this, it may as well be her.¡±
¡°And you trust her to keep your secret and simply go on with her life after you tell her about this?¡± ZenTar asked, in a last desperate attempt to dissuade him, and ZaiWin laughed dryly.
¡°As if! But what¡¯s the worst thing she can do? Send a report to the main Temple? Send one to the Palace? That will all be done soon enough.¡± ZenTar sighed in defeat. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m sure she misses you dearly,¡± he added in a mocking tone and ZenTar offered him a murderous glare in return. Taking a deep breath, he gave up on on the matter all together.
¡°Do you really need to investigate all this? I mean, I thought you only wanted to find a way to get rid of the problem.¡±
¡°That is my main concern, yes. But I still want to understand why and how. And to make sure that this was really just an unfortunate coincidence, and that he wasn¡¯t somehow planted inside that box by someone who knew I would be there to open it.¡± ZenTar¡¯s expression turned darker.
¡°You think he may be lying and that he¡¯s actually under someone else¡¯s orders?¡±
¡°Better to make sure now, than to regret later. If this was all an unfortunate coincidence, then all that¡¯s left is to deal with it the best way possible. But if not, then I need to know who planned this and why. Because even if we somehow manage to solve this problem it won¡¯t be long before something else is thrown my way.¡±
ZenTar nodded and sighed deeply.
¡°You¡¯re absolutely right,¡± he agreed. But, at the same time, he couldn¡¯t help feeling sad that, even though ZaiWin was still considerably young, his thoughts were already filled with such sordid possibilities; possibilities that hadn¡¯t even crossed his own mind. That that happened more often than not only went to show how much ZenTar had failed in his intentions to protect the child he¡¯d been charged with all those years ago.
The boy sleeping on the bed stirred softly and then sat up with a startle, his eyes wide as he looked around with an alarmed expression on his face, the golden quilt sliding down his bare shoulders and chest. Even though he had now spent several days on the road, he was still as pale as before, mainly because he kept himself wrapped in his warm cloak most of the time, as if it were some kind of armor able to protect him from the outside world. The difference was that he had finally put some meat on his bones. He had also gained some muscle, which meant he no longer looked as if he was about to die from starvation at any moment. The scars covering his chest, however, seemed even more visible, now that his body had regain a healthier appearance. And although most of them were pale white, there were a few red ones that looked more like burn marks than scars left by blades.
¡°I¡¯ll get you two something to eat,¡± ZenTar decided and made his way to the door.
Even though ZenTar didn¡¯t like leaving the two of them alone he also knew that there was nothing he could do about it. Taking into account the circumstances, ZaiWin was already being more than accommodating towards all of them, the hard-gained iron control he held over his own emotions working to all of their benefits. There was no point in pushing it and risking pissing him off. One frozen bedroom was enough to deal with. He didn¡¯t need an entire brothel turned to dust added to his pile of problems.
Wish you all a wonderful weekend! ??
RTYY 064 - To Touch what Must not be Touched
Snow blinked and relaxed, or tried to. He now knew where he was, though he still didn¡¯t like it. Not the place as a whole, and much less the luxurious red bedroom around him.
¡°Get dressed. We¡¯ll leave as soon as ZenTar comes back with breakfast.¡±
Nodding, Snow slid out of bed wearing only his linen braies that reached just above his knees and searched around for his clothes.
¡°There.¡±
Looking back, Snow followed the hand pointing at the red velvet bedroom bench placed at the end of the bed and frowned, noticing the dark-blue and silver fabric carefully folded there. He didn¡¯t have to touch it to know that it would feel smooth and fresh. He also didn¡¯t need to unfold it to know that it would be more women¡¯s clothes.
¡°Just put it on,¡± ZaiWin added noticing his obvious displeasure. ¡°We¡¯ll visit the Temple today. They know who I am and I have no way to cleverly justify dragging some brat around when I¡¯ve brought just a few men with me to begin with. You¡¯re too short to pass for an adult man, much less a soldier. But it won¡¯t be a problem to have you pass for a woman. And no one will think twice about the fact that I decided to get myself some temporary company. Besides it will play to our advantage when we meet the Jundai.¡±
Snow¡¯s frown deepened, but he still grabbed the soft dress and pulled it over his head.
ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help smile at his obvious deeply annoyed expression.
Having carefully chosen that particularly piece, ZaiWin was glad to see that he had chosen the right size. Walking around in a dress three sizes larger could go unnoticed under the shadows of the night, but never out in broad daylight.
With a simple cut, the dress slid gently down the boy¡¯s body, the hem of the skirt pooling around his ankles. Since it was meant to be worn by a man, ZaiWin had made sure to choose a dress with a higher neckline, but not so high that it would actually envelop his neck. The brat had worn enough collars to last him for a life time as it was.
Well, it didn¡¯t look great, he thought giving him a once-over. Which was kind of a pity, since the dress was rather beautiful, in an elegant, simple way. But there was nothing anyone could do about that, since the one wearing it was completely deprived of a woman¡¯s delicate and sensuous curves. At least he wasn¡¯t the muscular type, or the whole thing would have been a complete nightmare.
Seeing him frustratingly trying to tie the several satin laces that closed the dress over his back, ZaiWin sighed and finally got up to help him.
And there was another aspect that was completely unlike any other Celestial, he thought, his gaze inevitably falling on the beautiful silvery markings covering the boy¡¯s back, as they glistened softly with every move he made. No Celestial would ever willingly allow others to see their daitai.
Unlike his or any other people¡¯s, Celestials¡¯ daitai were considered to be holy, and could only be seen by the Jundai and their Chosen One. As for touching them, only Jundai were allowed to do so, and only a few selected ones at that. The brat in front of him, however, acted as if he¡¯d completely forgotten all about their existence, even though he had clearly warned him to be careful and to not let others see his back. That was the real reason why ZenTar had left, he knew.
Raising one hand, because he knew he wasn¡¯t supposed to, ZaiWin pressed it against his soft skin, making him jump with a startle. Still the brat didn¡¯t avoid him, or tried to escape him, simply turning his head to look at him with a complaint written all over his face.
He really had forgotten, ZaiWin concluded with a light annoyance. He would shiver and back away at the mention of blood, or of being tied up. But he was completely defenseless and unaware where the daitai that made him and identified him for who he was were concerned.
¡°Turn around! I¡¯ll tie it for you.¡±
The silent complaint gone from his face, Snow obeyed and waited.
Lightly sliding his fingers down his back, ZaiWin started to tie the first ribbon from the bottom up.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.
From the few times he¡¯d actually touched him, the brat¡¯s skin always felt cool, more cold than warm, probably a side effect from his affinity to ice and snow. Whoever had named him had either been very intuitive or witnessed what he could do.
¡°Once we get to the Temple we will meet a Jundai,¡± he thought better to warn him in advance. ¡°Do you know what a Jundai is?¡±
A shake of his silvery head was all the answer he got.
¡°Hmm, commoners call them Priests and Priestesses. They are believed to received direct messages from the Heavens, and they are tasked with guiding the people towards the righteous path of enlightenment. Whatever that means,¡± he added in a sarcastic grunt. ¡°Anyway, I will consult with a Jundai regarding your case,¡± he declared and Snow¡¯s shoulders immediately stiffened. ¡°I want to know if you¡¯re really what they say you are.¡±
Snow lowered his head, his shoulders slumping.
¡°I want to know too ¡¡± he whispered and ZaiWin couldn¡¯t help feeling slightly proud of his answer.
¡°However, I do not want her to know that you¡¯re ¡ different. Which means you cannot let her realize that you¡¯re a boy. Do you understand?¡±
Snow nodded slowly.
¡°You cannot reply to any of her questions. I¡¯ll do the talking. And you must keep your head covered at all times.¡±
Another nod.
¡°She will probably offer to take you in, and will try to convince you that it¡¯s for your own good that you should stay in the Temple. I will not speak ill of her, but I will tell you that the Temple and all their Jundai are not to be trusted. And I know you don¡¯t trust us either, and you¡¯re right not to do so. But no matter what your thoughts regarding this matter might be, I will not allow you to stay with them. Do you understand?¡±
Snow nodded again, but this time ZaiWin made him turn around, his hands completely covering his shoulders.
¡°Say it!¡±
Snow looked up into his blue eyes. Sure, he still retained the form of a man. But, somehow, those blue eyes in that cold, unfeeling face looked much scarier than when they were simply there, glowing amongst a dark mass of nothingness.
¡°I understand.¡±
¡°Good. Don¡¯t force me to turn what has every potential to be a pleasant, social visit into a blood bath.¡±
Snow averted his gaze just so he didn¡¯t have to stare into that icy expression any longer. He didn¡¯t dare doubt his words, not for one second. Because even though he now looked like a man, Snow knew better than anyone the black monster he really was.
It wasn¡¯t long before they were finally back on the streets, Snow¡¯s hand perched on ZaiWin¡¯s folded arm as if he were some frail lady. At least they had allowed him to wear his cloak, he sighed, grateful for the hood that covered his head and shadowed his face. And this dress was much easier to walk in than the one he¡¯d been forced to wear the previous night, fitting him perfectly. But he still wished he could have worn his large, comfortable traveling clothes.
After their previous conversation and all those warnings and threats, Snow had thought they¡¯d be heading to some large, imposing Temple. But the streets they turned to, with ZenTar showing them the way, were increasingly less frequented and dark, the houses smaller and in a progressively worse state, some looking even abandoned. Not to mention that the air smelled worse at every turn.
They stopped in front of a two-storey building. The old wooden front door was cracked and hanging from its hinges, probably impossible to close.
After glancing back at them, ZenTar dove into the darkness inside and, like before, ZaiWin held his arm, making Snow walk in front of him.
Snow blinked and squinted, trying to get used to the general darkness, until he realized that it wasn¡¯t completely dark. ZenTar held a bright warm flame on the palm of his hand, and it emitted enough light to allow them to see where they were going.
Right in front of them a narrow flight of stairs led to the second floor, and to their right were two gaping openings where other two doors should have been. The first door was now on the floor, completely covered in dust. The other was completely gone. Probably someone had found it useful and had taken it away. Both rooms were immersed in complete darkness, which wasn¡¯t a surprise, taking into account that the windows they¡¯d seen from the outside had been completely boarded up.
Without a word, ZenTar turned to the stairs and started climbing, and ZaiWin nudged him on the back to follow him.
The stairs creaked and complained under their feet, some flexing dangerously, threatening to give in at any moment. They led to a narrow corridor, so narrow that ZenTar¡¯s shoulders almost brushed the old, stained walls.
They walked by one door to the right and one to the left, both firmly shut, until they arrived at a third door, also on the right. One that had obviously been broken down by force some time ago, the large wood splinters still spread all over the place.
Following ZenTar inside, Snow couldn¡¯t take another step, his feet suddenly glued to the old, stained floor.
RTYY 065 - His Choice
ZaiWin brushed past him and took his time, looking around.
MenTar stood silently to one side, his expression grave for a change. And ZenTar sighed, crossing the room to stand by the window, the black painted glass broken in sharp shards, allowing a bit of daylight and some fresh air to drift inside.
Snow swallowed dry, his hands shaking so much he couldn¡¯t control them. Even though it hadn¡¯t been that long, everything in there looked much older and tattered than he remembered. Sure, he hadn¡¯t been able to recognize anything else in that house. But that bedroom, even though he¡¯d spent his days in a drugged haze, that bedroom alone he would never be able to forget.
The mattress placed on the large bed was clearly uneven, the once white sheet covering it riddled with dark stains, its sight making it hard to breathe, cold droplets of sweat sliding down his back. The flowing red curtains that used to hang from the bed canopy were torn, some places even frayed. The red quilt abandoned on the floor was so dirty that it looked almost gray. And the chains, still tied to the four bed posts, had gone rusty, the leather cuffs hanging from their ends blackened. He had to touch his own wrists to make sure he was finally free of them, the sudden sensation of how tight they¡¯d been, of how they¡¯d bitten into his skin, tying him down and preventing him from turning, much less sit or stand, suddenly too real.
A heavy hand landed on his head making him flinch, his heart almost jumping out of his chest. But then MenTar was smiling at him and patting him gently, helping him relax a bit.
¡°It will be fine, don¡¯t worry,¡± he whispered, winking mischievously. But the familiar sound of the chains rattling left the hair on the back of his head standing on edge.
Looking towards the bed again he saw that ZaiWin was inspecting them, his face a mask of barely contained anger, and Snow wished with all his might that he could simply run away.
He didn¡¯t want any of them to know about that place, much less see it! Much less touch those dirty, horrible things. And although he couldn¡¯t say why, out of all of them, he really didn¡¯t want ZaiWin to see those things, to imagine him there, lying on that dirty bed, day after day, night after night.
The sound of feet climbing the stairs made them all turn back, Snow more startled than anything else.
¡°Calzai! We brought the woman. She¡¯s waiting outside,¡± HawkEye informed from the door and Snow¡¯s eyes widened in alarm.
Woman? What woman? What was he talking about?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
¡°Bring her up,¡± came the dry order and HawkEye immediately turned around and went back downstairs.
It was more than he could bare. He couldn¡¯t stay in that place another second! He had to get out of there!
Senselessly trying to make a run for it, he clashed head-first into MenTar¡¯s chest, who had moved to stand in his way just in time to stop him. The hands that grabbed his shoulders didn¡¯t allow him to go around him, and so he just stood there, shaking and gasping for air, his chest constricting, making him dizzy, the entire world spinning around him.
¡°Calzai, maybe I should take him outside first,¡± MenTar suggested in a soft, pitying voice, and Snow prayed that ZaiWin would agree and allow him to leave.
¡°Let go of him, MenTar!¡± ZaiWin practically growled, Snow¡¯s entire body tensing up at the obvious threat imprinted on those few words, and the hands on his shoulders immediately disappeared. ¡°What are you running away from, damn brat?¡± he barked next, and Snow jumped, holding his breath, the panic that had almost taken hold of him replaced by the cold fear that that voice invoked in him.
¡°Calzai, maybe this is just too much for him to bear. He is just a child, after all,¡± MenTar argued and ZaiWin¡¯s anger immediately turned against him.
¡°You shut up! No one asked you for your opinion! And who are you to know what he can or cannot bear?¡±
¡°Stupid brat!¡± ZaiWin called, raising his voice, making him jump again, and Snow blinked, his heart beating so fast that he thought he would end up fainting. ¡°You can run away all you want! I won¡¯t stop you! If you really think you can¡¯t take it then go! But the only way you¡¯ll ever get rid of your fucking nightmares is by staying here and facing things as they are. To hear what that bitch has to say. Your choice!¡±
Snow¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. His choice? When was the last time he had had a choice? That he had been allowed to choose which step to take. He heard is younger self banging on a wooden door, his hands so cold that his skin had turned red, his fingers hurting, his feet buried in cold snow. That¡¯s right. He had chosen to go to that place, to knock on that door. He had been just a small child back then. Since that moment he¡¯d been completely robbed of his free will. It had been at least six, maybe seven years ago. And the woman that had stole it all from him was probably climbing the stairs right about now, he thought, hearing the wood creaking mixed with the sound of footsteps.
¡°Hurry up and decide!¡±
Rising his head Snow took a deep breath and clenched his fists tight to stop them from shaking. He had a choice! After all that time, he was finally responsible for his own path again. And the mere thought of that filled him with renewed courage.
¡°I¡¯ll stay,¡± he declared, his voice sounding clearer and firmer than ever before, far from the insecure whisperers that marked his every word.
Stepping back from MenTar¡¯s protection, he crossed the room to the other side, as far away from the door as possible, as if that could show them all he had no intention to go back on his word.
ZenTar was as surprised as MenTar, but when he took a peek at ZaiWin he found him smiling, all his foul mood gone from his face. Unlike them, ZaiWin had believed that the boy would stay, and he was clearly pleased with himself for having been right.
RTYY 066 - Her Precious Child
HawkEye stopped at the door and bowed respectfully.
¡°Calzai, as requested, I brought the woman known by the name JanHai. She currently runs a small pleasure house, in the eastern part of town, for those who enjoy the company of younger boys and girls,¡± HawkEye declared, trying to sound as impartial as possible about the entire matter, but still unable to hide his distaste at the sound of the last words out of his mouth.
Stepping to one side, he allowed an older woman to step forward, BigMountain standing firmly at her back, probably to prevent her from trying to escape.
Dressed in a rich red dress that, like that room, had seen better days, the woman stepped forward and bowed respectfully. Her dark-brown hair, tied on both sides of her head by two shiny red roses, tumbled forward over her chest.
She looked uglier, Snow thought, revulsion hitting his stomach hard. She looked smaller and older, as if it had been more than a few months since he¡¯d last seen her. Of course, no matter what, he¡¯d recognize her anywhere. But he could almost swear that she¡¯d lost some weight, her heavy makeup unable to hide the dark circles shadowing her eyes, or to mask the wrinkles on her forehead and corners of her red-painted mouth.
¡°My Lord! It is my pleasure to be of service to such an honorable guest,¡± she declared, the same soft voice he remembered, even though there was an unmistakable tinge of fear mixed in it. ¡°I would have liked to welcome you all into my humble residence, but I was told that my Lord wanted to meet ¡ here.¡±
¡°So it is,¡± ZaiWin confirmed, his voice a hard, sharp knife of ice. ¡°I was told by an acquaintance to look for your services here. But, upon arrival, I was disappointed to see that you¡¯ve moved your business elsewhere.¡±
JanHai shuddered visibly but did not dare raise her head.
¡°It is as my Lord states. Unfortunately I was forced to move elsewhere.¡±
¡°And the boy I heard about? Has he been moved to your new dwelling as well?¡±
Snow felt his heart skip a beat, since ZaiWin was clearly talking about him while he was standing right there, in the same room as them, and the woman seemed even more nervous.
¡°Unfortunately no. He was ¡ taken somewhere else.¡±
¡°Taken? Such a precious asset? I¡¯ve been told wonders about his attributes. Surely you wouldn¡¯t simply allow him to be taken away, just like that.¡±A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Feeling some measure of support in those words, JanHai finally raised her head to look at the young man standing in front of her.
¡°You¡¯re most certainly right, my Lord. I was viciously attacked, my precious child stolen away. It was a miracle that I managed to run away with my life. And only did so because those foul men mistook one of my clients for myself, murdering her in my place,¡± she complained and Snow had to take a deep breath so he wouldn¡¯t gag.
My child. That¡¯s exactly how she used to call him all the time, the words echoing in his mind, making him sick to the stomach.
¡°And have you filed a complaint?¡± ZaiWin went on, sounding genuinely curious, and the woman¡¯s face paled a few shades.
¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, my Lord. Someone of my stand, talking to an officer of the law.¡±
¡°Even if he too was one of your clients?¡± he guessed and she pouted, an endearing expression that most certainly had ensured that everything would go her way, a good few years ago, when she was younger.
¡°You must surely know what they say. Everyone is your friend when you¡¯re standing high, at the top. But just try and stumble, and all your friends will quickly turn into rats and scram for higher grounds.¡±
¡°So it seems,¡± ZaiWin agreed, looking around at the decadent place. ¡°So you lost one child and decided to gather a few more to make up to it?¡±
¡°No, no! Nothing could ever replace the one I lost. He was truly special, that little one. A bit of a freak, if I may say so myself. But the miracles that boy could conjure ¡ No one had ever seen anything like it!¡±
¡°Miracles?¡±
¡°Isn¡¯t it because of such miracles that my Lord has traveled this far?¡± she asked with a suggestive smile, and ZaiWin shrugged.
¡°I merely heard a few rumors and, out of boredom, thought interesting to check them out,¡± he declared, waving his hand nonchalantly. ¡°They say that his blood is special.¡±
Snow¡¯s heart jumped at the sound of those words. Of course everyone in that room knew about that, but he still couldn¡¯t help dread the sound of those words.
¡°Only his blood? His entire body, if I may say so. He was born with a peculiar and strange constitution, that one. Some of my clients swore he was a lost member of the Demon Clan. All I know is that he was probably one of a kind, since none of my clients had never seen or met anyone like him. A drop of blood, a bit of spit, even a small bite of flesh, could completely heal whatever ailment you were suffering from. He could heal even old age, I was told,¡± she sighed, sounding depressed, and Snow had to reach out for the wall behind him to make sure he was able to remain standing.
¡°Really? And where did you take him from? This precious child of yours?¡±
¡°Take him?? Hardly so, my Lord! I can most certainly be accused of a lot of shameless acts, but never to forcefully take a child away from their parents¡¯ house. Even the children I presently have under my care, they were all willingly delivered to me by their impoverished families. At least I can make sure they¡¯re well fed and that they have what to wear. In return they do their best to honestly earn their living. This child was no exception. In fact, being an orphan, he was the one coming to me and knocking on my door, begging for hours, outside in the cold, before I allowed him in.¡±
RTYY 067 - His Loving Sand
The sound of his own small hands banging on the large wooden door filled Snow¡¯s head.
Sand! He needed to find Sand! It had been more than three days since she¡¯d left the place where they lived, to go to work there.
He knew where she worked, he¡¯d followed her a few times before, even though she had warned him time and time again not to go out into town on his own. Still he couldn¡¯t help it. When the weather was exceptionally cold and stormy he would always worry that she might get lost, that she might fall and simply be buried beneath the white snow. And so he had followed her just to make sure she made it safely to her working place.
Three days! It was way too long, he knew as he desperately banged on that door.
It was true that, from time to time, she¡¯d sleep at her work place. But she had never spent more than one night away from home, leaving him all alone.
When the door was finally opened his hands hurt from all the knocking and his feet were ice cold inside the old, patched boots he wore. A beautiful young woman in a pink dress looked down at him, her hair carefully combed, filled with small sparkling things. She frowned at the sight of the ragged child, but then he opened his mouth and spoke for the first time in many days, before she could kick him out onto the cold again.
¡°Sand! Where¡¯s Sand?¡±
Eyes widening in recognition, she allowed him inside, the sudden warmth of the house making him hot almost immediately.
¡°What is it Sky?¡± another voice asked, and Snow noticed that there were four other women there, all leisurely sitting on comfortably-looking couches.
The salon where he now stood was the largest, richest room he¡¯d ever seen, with small round tables spread all over the place, and a black piano resting to one side.
¡°Some kid asking for Sand,¡± Sky replied and the others straightened in their seats to look at him.
¡°Oh, so this is her brat, then,¡± one guessed, looking at him from head to toe. ¡°A scrawny, dirty, little thing, isn¡¯t he?¡±
¡°I think he is kind of cute. With those pale-blue eyes. I wonder if he has noble blood,¡± another said.
¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? What noble in his right mind would want to warm his bed with Sand? You see the kind of men she gets, right? All perverts who enjoy pain more than sex.¡±
Snow¡¯s eyes widened at the sound of her name.
¡°Sand! Where is she? Where is she??¡± he repeated, panic filling his voice, and another woman appeared at the top of the long, golden stairwell, dressed in a long, flowing red robe.
¡°What¡¯s all the ruckus? Why are you all still happily chatting instead of getting ready to welcome today¡¯s guests?¡± the woman asked, giving them all a menacing glare, and Sky quickly stepped to one side, so that the older woman could see him.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°Madame, this child was knocking on our door. He is here to look for Sand.¡±
Madame¡¯s eyes landed immediately on him and Snow couldn¡¯t help take a step back. Unlike the younger ones, that woman was somewhat scary.
¡°Sand?¡±
¡°He¡¯s probably her kid. Remember when she came here begging for a job? And that she¡¯d always want to take whatever milk was left back home with her? We always thought she must have a kid to raise somewhere out there. But since she was mute like a door we never managed to really know for sure.¡±
The woman looked at him once more and finally made her way downstairs.
¡°So you¡¯re that girl¡¯s brat.¡±
Walking up to him she grabbed his chin, forcing him to raise his head, turning it from one side to the other.
¡°You have good features. In a few years I could make some coin out of you too.¡±
Snow frowned and stepped back, away from that cold hand.
¡°Sand! Where¡¯s Sand?¡±
He didn¡¯t care about anything else. He didn¡¯t care about money, or food, or milk. All he wanted was to have Sand back.
¡°I¡¯m very sorry to have to tell you this, kid. But your Sand is gone.¡±
He looked up at her unblinking, unable to understand the meaning of those words.
¡°Gone. Dead. Do you understand? One of her clients went a bit too far three nights ago, and ended up stabbing her to death. When he realized what had happened it was just too late. There was nothing we could do to save her life.¡±
Those words stopped his heart. Stopped his breathing. Stopped his mind. Stopped the entire world around him.
Sand was gone. Dead. She was not coming back. He would never see her again. Never feel the warmth of her embrace. Never sleep in her arms again. Someone he didn¡¯t even know had taken her away from him. Someone had killed her. His Sand!
Before he knew what had happened the entire room had become red as if it had caught on fire, strange incandescent symbols covering the floor and the walls around him, and the women in the room were screaming in terror. Well, let them scream. He was screaming as well. But the pain in his voice could not compare with their fear. And then something hit him hard on the head, and the entire world turned black.
When he had finally regained consciousness again, he felt sluggish and weak, his vision was blurry, his head too heavy for him to lift. He was in something made of wood, something that shook everywhere, leaving him nauseated. And it was cold, so cold he couldn¡¯t stop trembling.
The wind that brushed his head told him that he was outside, the darkness surrounding him that it was probably night. But he couldn¡¯t tell anything else, his numb body constantly tossed from one side to another, the sound of what looked like a trotting horse filling his foggy mind.
And he had been kept in that drugged trance for years and years to come, tied to that bed, robbed of his freedom, earning Madame her promised coin. Until just recently, when the lord of the Fortress had apparently decided to steal him away.
Thinking about it all Snow really wanted to cry. Cry for the loving Sand he had lost. Cry for all the years he had spent held prisoner in that filthy place. Cry for how innocent and stupid he had been, that he hadn¡¯t noticed the kind of dangerous work Sand did, all to ensure she had enough coin to buy the spoiled leftovers of the merchants. He had stupidly believed her when she¡¯d explained her bruises and burns with a silent smile, waving her hand as if they were nothing, pointing at her own chest as if to say it had been her own fault, that she was merely clumsy.
RTYY 068 - Confronting Ones Fears
¡°At least I can make sure they¡¯re well fed?!¡± The sarcastic words were out of Snow¡¯s mouth before he could think about what he was saying, the sickening sensation of the thick, cold porridge that he¡¯d been forced to swallow suddenly too fresh in his memory. ¡°At least they have what to wear?¡± When he¡¯d been kept almost naked, a filthy tunic covering his naked body, always clothes that were easily taken off, so that the paying costumers could have free access to his body.
When he realized what he¡¯d done everyone was silently staring at him, but by then the fear that had frozen him just moments ago had been completely replaced by a hot anger that turned his stomach upside down.
How may other children was that woman keeping in the same terrible conditions that she¡¯d kept him all those years? And since they probably didn¡¯t have a miraculous blood like his, what had she meant by having them honestly earn their living? What was she forcing them to do?
Stepping forward, Snow raised his head and pulled down the hood hiding his features, looking her straight in the eye.
¡°Can you really say such things to my face?¡± he demanded, slightly rising his voice, and ZenTar shifted uncomfortably where he stood, discreetly reaching for the sword he always carried on his back, ready to unsheathe it in the blink of an eye in case of need.
¡°You! You¡¯re still alive! You¡¯re still alive!¡± the woman shouted, a wide smile taking over her face, her eyes glazed with greed as she practically ran to him, her hands shaking from anxiety. She¡¯d been so focused on reaching her treasure that she didn¡¯t even noticed the dark shadow that quickly moved to stand in her way, mercilessly kicking her back, sending her flying against the opposite wall.
With a muted croaked sound, she fell on the ground in a pile of red clothes, bending forward and clenching her stomach as she tried to breathe and hurl all at the same time.
Taking a step forward, Snow stopped right beside ZaiWin, looking down at that lump of flesh and bone that had tormented him most of his life. It almost felt ridiculous, he thought, that such a frail little thing had been able to make him suffer so much.
¡°My Lord, please forgive me ¡¡± the woman was finally able to breathe, her voice cracking as she fought to regain her breath, her beautiful makeup completely smeared from the tears falling down her face. ¡°I meant ¡ no disrespect ¡ Of course, you can have him ¡ Please, please just let me go ¡¡±
Crossing the bedroom in wide paces, ZaiWin wanted nothing more than to squeeze the life out of her, to squeeze her frail neck until it broke beneath his hands. Instead he grabbed her by her carefully combed hair and forced her to look up at him.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
¡°You still haven¡¯t answered my question. Where did you take him from?¡±
¡°A small village called Woodbridge, in the Province of Sur! Close to the border!¡± she quickly replied, clearly panicking. ¡°He was the kid of one of my girls! She died and I took him in!¡±
¡°You killed her!¡± Snow accused her and ZaiWin pulled her hair harder, making her scream.
¡°I didn¡¯t! I didn¡¯t! I swear on my life! It was an accident! One of our costumers killed her! Not me! Not me!¡±
Tears flooding his eyes, Snow bit down his lower lip to silence his words.
Sand was never meant to do that kind of work! She¡¯d been a kind, innocent girl, with a heart big enough to keep him and raise him, even though she didn¡¯t even have a decent place to live in. She¡¯d been so happy when she¡¯d gotten her job that she¡¯d spent the entire night mending her old clothes so she could look a bit more presentable. Cleaning was all she was supposed to do. That she¡¯d been forced to do anything else was only because of the woman now kneeling in front of him, all because she had driven her to it. Because of her endless greed.
¡°You will write the names of all the costumers that visited this room!¡± ZaiWin commanded, his voice hard and cold. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how, HawkEye will write them for you.¡±
¡°The one that took him away from me, the one that came before, had most of them killed already!¡± she argued, her expression twisted from the pain, but ZaiWin didn¡¯t care.
¡°Just do as I say!¡±
¡°Yes my Lord! Yes my Lord!¡± she immediately repeated and ZaiWin finally released her, straightening his back.
¡°BigMountain, go back to where you found this poor excuse for a human being and see to it that the children she¡¯s been keeping are well cared for and safely delivered to the Temple.¡±
¡°Yes, Calzai!¡± came the immediate response and, after a short bow, BigMountain walked out of the room.
¡°Please my Lord! Please don¡¯t kill me! I did care for the boy! I did raise him all these years!¡± the woman begged, desperately clutching ZaiWin¡¯s feet, but he simply kicked her hands away, making her shriek and cry in pain.
¡°Let¡¯s go, brat!¡± he demanded, walking out of the room without even looking back.
Snow hesitated for a moment before obeying him, walking by his torturer without spending so much as a single glance to look back at her. His heart felt so cold he couldn¡¯t care less about her fate. Fixing his gaze on the tall man walking in front of him, he simply followed him as he¡¯d been commanded.
The bright light of the day blinded him, making him blink. He didn¡¯t even know how he¡¯d gotten outside. And then a dark shadow was covering the light, allowing him to look up without having to squint.
Without a word, the dark monster pulled his hood back up, covering his head, and, grabbing his hand, guided it to what Snow knew was his arm. Walking beside him like before, Snow silently allowed him to take him away from that place, where he had no intention of ever returning.
RTYY 069 - A Mushroom Soup
¡°How¡¯s he doing?¡± ZenTar asked in a whisper, peering at the boy silently sitting on the other edge of the wooden bench.
¡°How am I supposed to know that?¡±
ZenTar glared at him in disapproval but ended up sighing. Maybe he should have started by asking how ZaiWin was feeling, he considered. But, then again, he didn¡¯t need to ask. All he had to do was take a look at his face. He¡¯d known him since the day he was born and, although most people thought he had an annoying poker face, ZenTar had learned a long time ago to interpret the small changes in his expression that always gave him away.
ZaiWin was beyond angry. He was furious. And ZenTar still couldn¡¯t believe that they¡¯d all been able to leave that room without blood being spilled. Or even worse. Without someone being permanently reallocated to a coffin.
¡°HawkEye said that the kids she was keeping were being forced to do all kinds of stuff. Do you think that Snow was also forced to ¡ do those things?¡±
The deadly glare he received made him sigh again.
¡°I understand you don¡¯t want to talk or even think about it. I don¡¯t want to talk about it either. But if it becomes known that he¡¯s been through such ordeals, they won¡¯t think twice about killing him where he stands! You know what they say about Celestials, right? That they must be kept pure and chaste, or they¡¯ll bring disaster to the world.¡±
¡°So what? Him being a whore will only be another pretext to have him killed anyway. Or do you think they will accept the fact that he was born a boy and not a girl like the rest of them?¡± ZaiWin replied dryly and ZenTar took a deep breath.
¡°I think that the matter of gender could eventually be seen as ¡ a curiosity. Something new and worth studying. But this ¡¡±
¡°So they¡¯ll lock him up and poke him, and run experiments on him trying to decipher why he was born a boy? Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll kill him myself before I allow that to happen!¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t care less about what they do to him!¡± ZenTar answered, an annoyed frown marking his forehead. ¡°Do I feel sorry for the damn kid? Sure! Sure I do! But I¡¯ve told you before, right? One must choose carefully those he wants to protect. Trying to hold too many people in your hands will only result in losing all of them. And my hands are already full with you, and then my family. I cannot carry anyone else, much less a heavy load like him! My only concerned is that, should they succeed in killing him, you may die as well!¡±
Taking a deep breath ZaiWin finally relaxed a bit.
¡°I know. And I¡¯m sorry. And don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do my best to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen.¡±
¡°You better! I¡¯d be really pissed if you¡¯d just die from such a silly death, after all I¡¯ve done and put up with to raise you this far!¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.
¡°Yeah, yeah. I know.¡±
They both looked at the boy, still sitting in silence, and saw MenTar approach him with a bowl of hot soup. The tension ZaiWin had just released immediately took over his body again, making him grit his teeth as he did his best to keep himself under control.
¡°And remember what you promised! You¡¯re not allowed to kill my brother! No matter how obnoxious he might be.¡±
¡°I know ¡¡±
ZenTar sighed and stood up. Just to play it safe he joined his brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to make sure he kept his distance from the boy.
¡°But you have to eat something,¡± he was arguing, the smoking bowl still in his hand, but Snow shook his head. ¡°Zen, help me convince him! He¡¯s just sitting here, staring into nothingness, and he refuses to eat!¡± MenTar reported, sounding very much like a complaining child, and ZenTar took a deep breath, mentally praying for patience.
¡°Just leave him be! He¡¯ll eat when he gets hungry! Put that down and come with me.¡±
¡°But!¡±
¡°No buts! There¡¯s something I need you to do!¡±
MenTar sighed in defeat and placed the bowl on the table, giving the boy a last commiserating glance, before allowing ZenTar to successfully drag him away.
They¡¯d stopped in a small street stall in order to get something to eat. It was obviously far from being a fancy place, but it was nevertheless one of those places Snow had only been allowed to look at from afar. And he had done so, more than once, watching as people came and went, how they behaved, how they talked, what they ate. He¡¯d learned a lot just from looking at them, since Sand had never uttered a single word her entire life. He had learned about families, and couples, and friends. He had learned about sweet words and arguments, about businesses and deals. Sitting around a table people would talk about just anything. He¡¯d listened to women gossip, he¡¯d seen men cheating on their lovers. He¡¯d even listened eagerly to some amazing stories told by passing travelers. But he¡¯d only been allowed to do so from afar, standing on the other side of the street. For every time he¡¯d dared cross that invisible line the owner of the establishment had always mercilessly kicked him right back to where he¡¯d come from.
Now he was finally sitting in one such a place, together with everyone else, blessedly invisible amongst them. It was as if he had miraculously became a part of a picture he¡¯d only been able to admire from afar. He even had a bowl of delicious-looking soup placed right in front of him, the brown things floating in it one of his recently discovered favorites. Wild mushrooms, that he had eaten for the first time just a few days ago, while on the road with the rest of them. And yet, even though the entire picture was very close to what he had dreamed of when he was a child, his throat felt too constrict, as if an invisible hand was slowly choking him, making it impossible for him to swallow his own spit, much less a spoon full of soup.
¡°Are you really going to stop eating because of that bitch?¡± an ironic voice mocked him and he didn¡¯t have to raise his head to know who had spoken.
Angry at him, above all angry at himself, Snow took out the spoon and grabbed the bowl with both hands, taking it to his lips. Opening his mouth and tilting his head back, he forced himself to swallow mouthful after mouthful until there was nothing else. His tongue was burned and he couldn¡¯t recall what it had tasted like, but he still felt proud when he placed the empty bowl back on the table.
¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±
He had barely heard those words when a hand grabbed his wrist and dragged him away, almost making him fall of the bench.
RTYY 070 - Weis Big Market
Stumbling, Snow did his best to keep up with him, once more thankful that his blue dress was much shorter than the yellow one he¡¯d been forced to wear the night before. If he¡¯d still been wearing that he¡¯d most certainly had landed face-first on the cobblestones by now.
The buzzing sounds of people talking and haggling filled his ears.
¡°Fresh fish! Fresh fish! Come and have a look! The best fish in town! Buy one and get two!¡± the woman at his side was shouting, startling him at first, but then his eyes landed on her stand and he couldn¡¯t help gape.
Piles of silvery fish, some the length of his arm, had been placed on display, and two other women were taking their time inspecting the merchandise. Above all he had never seen so many fish. He had seen fried fish on the plates of stores he was not allowed to enter, but they had all been much smaller in size, and never in so much quantity.
The next stall was selling all kinds of fruits, the bright colors alone enough to make him stare until he¡¯s neck had almost turned all the way around.
The man next to the fruits¡¯ vendor was selling half a dozen live chickens kept inside small wooden cages. He¡¯d also seen those before, being raised on other people¡¯s yards. But he¡¯d never seen one from up close, the bright white fathers glistening under the sun.
Even more amazing were the small different birds sold next door. Their singing filled his ears as they jumped from perch to perch inside their big cage. They came in all colors, from bright-red to sky-blue. There was even one purple.
The woman from the next stall was selling the largest assortment of scarfs he¡¯d ever laid eyes on. Made of different types of fabric, some with designs others with shiny decorations sewed on them, they looked like an amazing mountain of bright colors.
He was so busy looking right and left, unable to see everything he wanted to see, that he didn¡¯t even notice they had stopped, jumping with a startle when a stick skewering three small red glistening spheres was placed right in front of his face.
Blinking he grabbed the wooden stick and looked up with an inquisitive frown.
¡°Eat.¡±
He looked back at the round things and smelled them.
Eat? Were those even edible? They looked more like toys, so perfectly smooth and shiny they were.
Opening his mouth, Snow gave one of the things a suspicious lick, and immediately shivered, his mouth watering. It was sweet! Sweet like nothing he had ever tasted.
With renewed confidence, he took an actual bite, his teeth easily sinking into the soft sphere that had looked so hard. Eaten as a whole it wasn¡¯t so sweet anymore, and it tasted wonderfully, he decided, quickly taking another bite.
Looking at the stand in front of him, Snow watched curiously how the plump woman made that delicacy. A kind of dough was fried on a very hot pan. Then she¡¯d screw three of those fluffy balls into a stick and paint them a red liquid that stuck to them like glue.
Noticing the careful eyes watching her, the woman smiled at him.
¡°You like it?¡±
Snow nodded vigorously and the woman laughed, offering him another stick.
¡°Here you go, young lady. A cute little lady such as you deserves a little gift.¡± She winked at him and he blushed, but didn¡¯t refuse her gift.
They strolled around the busy market until his feet hurt. But, even so, Snow still wished he could walk some more, see some more, learn some more. He couldn¡¯t help feeling disappointed when they finally made their way to a large, white building, supported by thick round columns with strange symbols engraved on them. White, stone stairs led up to a pair of huge front doors and, with an impatient expression on his face, ZenTar stood there, apparently expecting them.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Where have you been? I¡¯ve been waiting forever!¡± he complained the moment he laid eyes on them, but ZaiWin mostly ignored him, leading Snow up the stairs.
¡°Something came up.¡±
¡°Something came up?¡± ZenTar repeated angrily, keeping up with him, and ZaiWin simply nodded.
¡°Yup.¡±
The two large doors were guarded by four men, two on each side, all of them wearing long, white robes and a simple silvery rope tied around their waists. Each held a sword in their hands, the pearly, white sheath glistening under the sun. And they all had short, unadorned hair, much like Snow¡¯s was now, with the difference that they all were dark-haired.
Halting in front of the doors, ZenTar and ZaiWin bowed respectfully, which Snow quickly tried to mimic, and, without a word, one of the men left his post and pushed open one of the doors to grant them entrance. Being such a huge, massive door, Snow had thought that it would need all four of them to open it, but it easily turned on its hinges without so much as a sound at the mere push of one hand.
Stepping inside, they were left alone in a large, white room. A large, empty room, Snow noticed looking around. Although it was a windowless room and there were no flames burning anywhere, it was still extremely bright, the surrounding walls themselves emitting a soft, white light. The big door on their backs was closed again, and so the other only way left out of that place was the white, much smaller door in front of them.
A dark shadow loomed right in front of him and Snow raised his head to look up at the blue eyes he knew were staring at him.
¡°You remember what I told you, right?¡± he asked, pulling down his heavy hood and Snow nodded, frowning and wondering what he was trying to do by uncovering his head.
ZaiWin produced a long, dark-blue scarf Snow was sure he had gotten from one of the stalls in the marked, and put it over his head, carefully wrapping it around his neck in a strange, but apparently specific fashion.
¡°No matter what she asks, don¡¯t say a word. And keep your eyes down. And don¡¯t forget you¡¯re supposed to be a woman.¡±
Snow nodded again.
By the time he was done, the soft scarf was tightly wrapped around his head, covering not only his neck but also a good part of his face, the flowing fabric sliding freely over his chest. Pulling his hood back up, ZaiWin straightened his cloak and took a deep breath, apparently satisfied with what he¡¯d accomplished.
They waited for a while, simply standing there since there were no places to sit, until the white door finally opened. A tall, thin, middle-aged man came out, dressed in the same fashion as the four outside, except for the sword.
¡°Greetings, my Lords, my Lady,¡± he bowed respectfully, and ZenTar and ZaiWin returned his greeting, Snow once more trying to catch up with them.
¡°Greetings, reverent one,¡± ZenTar replied.
¡°If I may so inquire, what business brings you to our humble Temple?¡± the man asked in what sounded like a many times repeated phrase, and ZenTar gave him one of his polite smiles.
¡°We have requested an audience with the esteemed High Jundai,¡± he announced and the man¡¯s eyes widened in recognition, his back stiffing, as he quickly stepped to one side to show them the way.
¡°But of course. We have been expecting you. If you¡¯d be so kind as to follow me,¡± he offered and, as soon as ZenTar nodded his agreement, the man turned and walked out the door from where he¡¯d come from.
They didn¡¯t waste time following him, and Snow couldn¡¯t help stare in amazement at the beautiful corridor they were crossing.
All made of shiny glass, the ceiling round like a dome, it allowed him to see the luxurious inner garden outside. The tall trees offered their branches to an incredible variety of birds, and bright, beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere. There was even a crystal-like stream of fresh water, happily jumping from stone to stone. But the most amazing thing in that garden were the huge crystals that seemed to have simply erupted from the ground, the way they reflected the sunlight making them glow in shades of green, purple, blue and yellow, like the most precious of stones. Some were so big that they looked more like lean, elegant towers of light, and Snow had to tilt his head back to look up at them.
It was with regret that he left the bright corridor and stepped into another, equally white room. He wished he could have stayed outside, forehead glued to the glass, looking at the beautiful garden. He couldn¡¯t help feel that there was a lot he hadn¡¯t been able to see during the fleeting moments that had taken them to cross it.
¡°Please wait here. I will inform her of your arrival,¡± the man declared before leaving through another white door.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Seeee ... ZaiWin isn¡¯t all that bad >_>;
RTYY 071 - Prayer Hall
As empty and windowless as the room before, this one had another exit, beside the one the man had taken when leaving them there.
Right in front of them, two large doors remained invitingly opened and, taking a curious look at them, Snow could see that the room beyond them was much larger than any of the others he¡¯d seen. It also looked like it wasn¡¯t empty, he concluded, peering right and left from where he stood, not daring move to take a closer look.
¡°Let¡¯s go inside,¡± ZaiWin simply declared and walked towards the open doors.
ZenTar couldn¡¯t help gape in disbelief as he watched him move.
¡°What?! Are you serious?¡±
¡°Aren¡¯t you the one always nagging me to go and pay my respects at the closest Temple?¡±
¡°Yeah! And you never go!!¡± he countered in indignation but ZaiWin simply shrugged, stepping through the open doors.
With a sigh of defeat ZenTar looked at the boy standing right beside him. Even half covered by the blue scarf ZaWin had gotten him, the curiosity glowing in his pale eyes couldn¡¯t be hidden. The reason behind ZaiWin¡¯s sudden urge to go into a place he had refused to set foot in the last sixteen years wasn¡¯t hard to guess.
¡°Let¡¯s go, kid,¡± he sighed again and Snow didn¡¯t hesitate to follow him, quickly trotting behind him like a happy puppy.
As to be expected, although ZaiWin had actually entered the Payer Hall, he hadn¡¯t gone far. Leaning against the wall right next to the door, arms crossed over his chest, even though he kept an indifferent expression on his face, it was clear he was deeply annoyed just by standing there.
ZenTar sighed again. If it ruined his mood so much, why had he come entered in the first place? But then he didn¡¯t have to ask, did he?, he wondered, watching the boy stare wide-eyed at everything around him.
Unlike any other room Snow had ever been in, this one wasn¡¯t square, or even rectangular, not even round. And Snow quickly counted seven different walls, each one presenting a large, strange symbol made of bright crystal, similar to the symbols he¡¯d seen at the entrance.
At the center of the pentagonal room was a strange stairway also made of crystal, spiraling upwards, the glistening steps as if they were simply there, floating in midair. It led to three equally floating platforms, standing firmly high above the ground. A circular table made of white stone had been built around the stairway, and several white cushions had been carefully laid in concentric circles around it, resting on the equally white floor, covering most of the huge hall. At the base of the table a few candles and incense sticks were burning, filling the room with a sweet, perfumed scent. And the huge, glass dome that covered the entire place allowed enough daylight in to make it look like they were standing outside.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.
¡°This is where people come to offer their prayers,¡± ZenTar declared and Snow looked up at him, the eagerness for more information plastered all over his face making him sigh. ¡°See there? They come to offer incense and fire, and coin as well,¡± he added with a tinge of sarcasm, pointing towards the burning candles.
¡°Once a week the Jundai give their blessings. Everyone comes and kneels on these cushions to pray and meditate. One Jundai from each Empire stands on those platforms and together they pray for the people of the three Empires, and ask that the Heavens may bless them.¡±
Snow looked at the three platforms again, trying to imagine that huge room filled with people, everyone silently kneeling on a cushion.
¡°The seven walls represent the Seven Heavens,¡± ZenTar went on, pointing towards the first wall to their right. ¡°The Firtien, or the Heaven of the Innocents, where the people believe the innocent ones find their rest after death. The Houtien, or Heaven of the Just, for those that have lived a just and fair life. The Gentien, of Heaven of Heroes, the resting place of those who died defending a just cause or saving someone else¡¯s life. The Haemaonar, inhabited by the sacred Heavenly Beasts. The Harnar, where the souls of the Tien¡¯Elhar, the Celestials, are created and kept until the right time comes and they to descend to earth,¡± he declared, pointing the fifth wall, and Snow looked back at him, eyes wide in disbelief. ZenTar ignored him, continuing with his explanation. ¡°The Eltien, where the Gods live. And the Elnar, the place of the Creator of all things.¡±
Snow¡¯s eyes were inevitably drawn back to the fifth wall, to the huge crystal symbol hanging there. It probably meant Harnar, he guessed, his heart beating faster.
Did that mean they believed he had come from some sacred place? A thought like that was beyond ridiculous, he decided, turning to steal a peek at ZaiWin. Surely he didn¡¯t believe that, he hoped. He wasn¡¯t sacred, or heavenly, or anything like that. And he didn¡¯t want to be any of those things either. All he wanted was to be a normal person, live a normal life, and, for once, not be beaten up for trying to buy an apple on the market.
Since ZenTar had apparently finished his explanation, Snow took the time to quietly look around.
He had always thought a Temple would be more grand, with gold and precious stones everywhere, with huge, intimidating statues of Gods and walls filled with paintings. This place, however, was pleasantly quiet and clean, making him feel unexpectedly relaxed. He could understand why so many people went there to kneel in silence. He wished he could do the same. Simply close his eyes and breathe, and forget about everything else, allowing time to simply stop.
¡°My Lords, My Lady,¡± a soft voice called them and they all turned to the door, where the same man as before was waiting. ¡°The venerable Jundai will receive you now.¡±
ZaiWin was the first one out through the door, seeming eager to get out of that place as soon as possible. ZenTar stayed behind, waiting for Snow to follow.
Snow gave a last glance at the silent Temple and, taking a deep breath, followed ZaiWin¡¯s dark figure.
They were led through another corridor, this one much more normal, except for the fact that there was no visible source of light, the white walls taking care of that matter with their gentle glow. They passed by several closed doors, all plain and white, until the man leading them finally stopped in front of one of them, knocking respectfully.
¡°Jundai? I brought your guests,¡± he declared and the muffle voice of a woman sounded from inside.
¡°Please let them in.¡±
The man opened the door and stepped to one side to grant them passage.
¡°If you please ¡¡± he bowed and ZaiWin nodded, accepting his invitation.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Please don¡¯t kill the messenger ... ??
RTYY 072 - Some Kind of Holy Priestess
Snow had already begun to curiously look around when he recalled ZaiWin¡¯s words and quickly lowered his head, making sure he stood back.
Unlike any of the other rooms, this one was full of stuff, a fact he had quickly surmised by the sheer quantity of books covering the walls. Two windows opened to the luxurious garden outside, and the floor beneath his feet was covered with a smooth, dark-blue carpet. There was also a big wooden desk with a high-back chair, and a small crystal table occupied the center of the room, surrounded by several comfortable-looking armchairs.
Quietly standing in front of the large desk, with a detached, dignified expression on her face, was a tall, beautiful woman. But the instant they were all inside, the door safely closed, a broad smile took over her face, and she dashed across the room, unceremoniously throwing her arms around ZaiWin¡¯s neck.
¡°ZaiWin!! It¡¯s so good to see you!!¡± she declared in a loud voice that made Snow take a step back. ZenTar at his side took a deep breath.
¡°It¡¯s good to see you as well, Jundai VinWei,¡± ZaiWin replied, holding her so she wouldn¡¯t throw him off balance, and Snow couldn¡¯t help stare in disbelief. He actually looked happy to see her, he thought, noticing the small smile stretching his lips. He would never have thought it possible, that a cold-looking man like him would be able to show such soft expression.
¡°Oh! Drop the Jundai already! Or I will smack you silly!¡± she threatened, frowning, and he actually chuckled.
¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ve had enough of you smacking me around for a life time.¡±
With a renewed smile she finally released him, her beautiful purplish-blue eyes turning to ZenTar.
¡°Why, Zen, is it me or do you look even more handsome?¡± she practically sang, batting her eyelashes at him. She moved so close to him that ZenTar had to slightly lean back so that her nose wouldn¡¯t touch his. ¡°The blushing part, however, still remains the same, I see,¡± she added with a warm laugh that only made ZenTar blush even deeper.
¡°Will you just stop it?¡± he chided and she drew small circles with her index finger on his chest.
¡°Why should I? When it¡¯s so much fun to tease you. You know? I really, really missed you too,¡± she whispered into his ear and ZenTar went immediately completely stiff, which made her laugh again.
Snow almost backed away when those amused eyes finally found him, standing in the back.
¡°And the little lady? Who is she?¡± she asked with obvious curiosity, and ZaiWin looked back at Snow, all softness completely gone from his face.
¡°We have been tasked with escorting her. To tell you the truth she is part of the reason why we came,¡± he replied and VinWei immediately pouted.
¡°Humph, I should have guessed! As if you would ever come visit me just because you miss me!¡±
Crossing her arms she marched back to her desk, her long blond hair tied at the top of her head falling down her back in large, glistening waves. Even though she was obviously of noble blood, and apparently someone important within the Temple, she still wore no jewelry, hairpins, or anything like that, her clothes the same white robes the previous men had worn.
¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t come sooner,¡± ZaiWin said, clearly trying to appease her. ¡°But I¡¯ve been too busy, running errands here and there.¡±
¡°Errands!¡± she repeated, this time with a sarcastic, critical tone. ¡°Cleaning up the Palace¡¯s shit is more accurate!¡± she spat, sounding angry, and Snow couldn¡¯t help gape at how easily she had cursed. Wasn¡¯t she supposed to be some kind of holy priestess?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
VinWei sighed, reigning in her emotions, and glanced at Snow again.
¡°And yet, with all your ¡ errands, you still found the time to come to Wei, dragging this girl with you. And you specifically made a point to come and visit me. Although I¡¯m really happy to finally see you two heartless bastards again, unless you¡¯re here to ask me to bless your union with this girl, I can¡¯t help but wish you hadn¡¯t come,¡± she declared, her tone suddenly as serious as her face, and her purple eyes turned to ZaiWin again. ¡°So? Are you here to ask for my blessing?¡±
¡°No, I¡¯m not.¡±
She sighed, scratching the back of her head with a pained expression.
¡°It figures. Not only you¡¯re bad at fulfilling your promises, leaving me hanging for three whole years without so much as one message to let me know you¡¯re still alive, when you finally show up it¡¯s to drag me into one of your messes!¡±
¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡±
¡°VinWei! It¡¯s not like that,¡± ZenTar begun but her gaze turned to him as quick as lightening.
¡°You shut it, Zen! Everyone knows how good you are at coming up with excuses for him!¡± she snapped back, making ZenTar swallow dry. ¡°What did I tell you, ZaiWin? Just tell them all to go fuck themselves, pack your stuff and get the heck out of this Empire! It¡¯s full of shit, anyways! It will soon drown in its own filth! What are you still doing here? Trying to clean up other people¡¯s messes, when no amount of cleaning will ever solve the problem! A rotten piece of wood can never be restored!¡±
¡°I know. But you also know that there are those who cannot be blamed for that, who are just trying to peaceful live their lives.¡±
¡°Yeah! I know! I know all too well! And do you know what I call them? Unbreakable chains around your neck! You¡¯re just like my father!¡± she fired back and took a deep breath, the anger in her eyes replaced by resignation. ¡°You¡¯re all just plain stupid, if you ask me. Whatever! What do you need me to do?¡±
ZaiWin¡¯s small smile returned to his lips.
¡°I only need your knowledge, hopefully nothing too complicated.¡±
She glared doubtfully at him.
¡°Knowledge?! Did I hear you right? You¡¯re sure you don¡¯t need me to go and murder someone in their sleep?¡± she asked, genuinely perplexed, and ZaiWin chuckled again.
¡°No, not this time.¡±
And Snow was the most perplexed of them all. Did he mean that that beautiful, elegant young woman would actually be able do something like that if he asked it of her? Once again, wasn¡¯t she supposed to be some kind of holy priestess?
¡°Hmm,¡± she breathed, still looking suspiciously at him, and ended up shrugging. ¡°Fine. So be it. What do you want to know?¡±
¡°All you know about Celestials.¡±
At first impact VinWei¡¯s entire expression immediately lit up with enthusiasm, but it was quickly replaced by an even darker suspicion.
¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? Who are you and what have you done with my jaded, easily irritable ZaiWin?¡± she mocked and, since he didn¡¯t reply or denied it, a deep frown marked her smooth forehead. ¡°You hate them all to death! You used to get all pissed off at the mere sound of their name! And now you want to know about the Tien¡¯Elhar?¡±
Snow looked at ZaiWin, his heart feeling suddenly heavy. So he hated them. Better yet, he hated him. Not that he hadn¡¯t noticed the cold, harsh way he always talked to him. But to think that the reason for that was what they thought he was, and not something he¡¯d said or done, somehow felt really unfair.
¡°Just indulge me.¡±
VinWei sighed and walked to one of the armchairs, practically dropping down on it in a very unlady-like fashion.
¡°Have a seat. What do you want to know?¡±
ZenTar immediately accepted her invitation and ZaiWin looked back at Snow, his blue eyes telling him without words that he should join them.
Taking the armchair farther from them all, Snow sat down, his back very straight, making sure his cloak remained in place.
VinWei gave him another suspicious glance, her purplish eyes frighteningly astute, but refrained from asking any more questions regarding his obviously out-of-place presence.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I¡¯m not entirely satisfied with this chapter. Something about the rhythm feels off. But right now I¡¯m just too tired to review it again. I¡¯ll re-read this once I have the time. Sorry for that -_-;
RTYY 073 - History and Legends
¡°For starters, how and where are they born,¡± ZaiWin replied, taking the armchair next to hers, and she took a deep breath, elegantly crossing her legs beneath her white robes.
¡°Like everyone else, I suppose. They can be born anywhere in the Empire. But, from what I¡¯ve learned, they¡¯re normally born as children of a Clan. It doesn¡¯t have to be a big or important one, or even a noble Clan like ours. But I guess that the Heavens feel that they¡¯ll be safer if they¡¯re born into a family with some kind of foundation. In all history only three Tien¡¯Elhar were born into poor families,¡± she promptly replied and Snow steeled his heart, guessing that the following conversation would be filled with information that was supposedly directly related to him.
¡°And they¡¯re always girls. No exceptions,¡± ZaiWin wanted to make sure and VinWei nodded.
¡°Always girls, with golden hair and golden eyes.¡±
¡°And they are only born in our Wen Empire.¡±
¡°That¡¯s right. Legend says that thousands of years ago the entire Continent was just a big, barren desert. Back then three brave, adventurous brothers and their respective families and servants, arrived at the shores of what is now the Province of Ven. They had come in search of new lands to explore and decided to make this Continent their new home. However, no matter how much they plowed the soil, or how many times they threw their nets into the ocean, no seed would take root and no fish would fill their nets. Seeing their hard work and taking pity on their families about to starve, the Gods offered to help them and divided the Continent in three large extensions, gifting one to each of the three brothers, so that they could each have their own piece of land. However, not all the land was the same.
¡°The southern area, where they had disembarked, was completely barren. The eastern lot was filled with dangerous,wild, deadly creatures. Only the western part held fertile soil, rivers of fresh water, and lakes overflowing with fish. And so, to balance things out between the three brothers, the Gods sent their magnificent sacred beasts, the Haemao, to help the brother of the east, so that the people could have a fighting chance against the vicious creatures that plagued the land. And he sent the Tien¡¯Elhar to the south, so that they could bless and heal the land with their caring hands, and make it bare fruit so that the people would not starve.
¡°The land to the eastern became known as the Ran Empire. The one to the west, the Sen Empire. And to the south, the Wen Empire. Legend says that, to watch over the three brothers and their people, and to make sure that the Heavenly Laws were always observed, the Gods created a fourth bloodline, the Dragon Clan, that the people nowadays call the Demon Clan. And they took residence in the Ice Mountains that split the Continent into the three known Empires. They have lived there since then, silently watching over us.¡±
¡°You mean like heavenly spies?¡± ZenTar asked and she smiled.
¡°Some believe so, yes. In any case, our ancestors had no doubts about that, reason why they preferred to keep them at a distance. The Dragon Clan also didn¡¯t show any desire to mingle with us, which still remains apparently true, and so they usually keep to their mountains.¡±
Snow recalled the column of white-haired people that had left the Fortress and their beautiful prince. Maybe he should have tried to go with them, he considered, watching the tree leaves dancing outside. Living his life in peace, somewhere hidden in some forgotten mountain, didn¡¯t sound all that bad.
¡°So Celestials are born to common people. Then what?¡± ZaiWin asked, bringing the conversation back to its main topic, and VinWei sighed as if she were looking at a crazy, delirious person, and had just opted to indulge his madness.
¡°Usually the closest Varsen to the mother¡¯s location will receive a revelation before they are born. Once the revelation is made known the Clan must then contact the Temple, so that the mother may be taken in. The Temple will be responsible for caring for her and her well-being until the time of birth. Once the Tien¡¯Elhar is safely born, the mother is returned to her family and the child remains in the Temple¡¯s care.¡±
¡°So mothers are never allowed to keep their babies,¡± ZaiWin wanted to make sure and VinWei¡¯s scandalized expression was answer enough.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.
¡°Of course not! They¡¯re not their babies to begin with! Tien¡¯Elhar belong to the Empire and they come into this world with a higher mission. To be chosen to bear one of the Tien¡¯Elhar is a great honor and the Empire heavily compensates the family for it, usually by granting them titles. But everyone knows that a Tien¡¯Elhar can never belong to one single family.¡±
¡°So they remain in the Temple¡¯s care. And they are raised by the Jundai,¡± ZaiWin summarized.
¡°Not any Temple and not any Jundai. Unlike the mothers, who remain in the main Temple of their home Province until they give birth, the Tien¡¯Elhar are all sent to the main Temple in the Palace, and raised by the Jundai¡¯El. Since you lived there as a child I thought you¡¯d know this.¡±
Snow stole a glance at ZaiWin and saw him avert his gaze, obviously uncomfortable with those words.
So he¡¯d been right, Snow thought, that cold man wasn¡¯t just anyone.
¡°That was a long time ago and I was too young to pay attention to such things,¡± he grunted and VinWei nodded thoughtfully.
¡°I guess you¡¯re right. And they probably don¡¯t announce it openly, for everyone to know, even though it¡¯s common knowledge for those who have an interested in the subject,¡± she agreed.
¡°And so they live in the Palace until the Ceremony?¡± ZaiWin went on and she nodded.
¡°That¡¯s right. The first Haehir is held after they¡¯ve been living for at least six years in the Palace. During the Ceremony the doors to the Palace¡¯s Temple are opened to anyone who wishes to receive the Tien¡¯Elhar¡¯s blessing, and people from all over the Empire travel especially to attend it. Of course the main objective of the Haehir, like everyone knows, is to allow the Tien¡¯Elhar to meet as many people as possible, in hopes they might select their Chosen One.
¡°If a Chosen One isn¡¯t selected a new Haehir is to be held the following year, and so on. When a Chosen One is finally selected a great celebration is held throughout the Empire, especially within the Palace and, of course, in the Province of origin of the blessed one. For it is believed that when a Tien¡¯Elhar binds herself to her Chosen One the Chosen One¡¯s Province is bound to flourish. The lands and seas become richer, the weather becomes gentler, disease and war occur with less frequency. This was, after all, the Gods intent when they sent the Tien¡¯Elhar to help our ancestors.¡±
¡°But from what I know, even though a lot of people from all over the Empire attend these Ceremonies, most of the times the Chosen Ones are royals,¡± ZaiWin pointed out and VinWei leaned forward, propping an elbow on her knee to rest her head on one hand, the blond waves of her hair sliding like cascades of gold over her shoulders.
¡°Well, it¡¯s true that most of them are royals. But there¡¯s been a good few of noble blood,¡± she stated in a strange, significant way, and ZaiWin seemed slightly disturbed by her silent implication.
¡°Even in those cases, it¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t any connection to the imperial bloodline.¡±
¡°That¡¯s also true, I suppose. But if you look at things like that, and trace the origins of every Clan, noble or not, you¡¯ll probably find that there are a lot of people connected to the imperial bloodline out there.¡±
ZaiWin nodded his agreement, his expression pensive.
¡°So unless they choose someone they¡¯ll remain in the Temple¡¯s care? No matter how long it takes?¡±
¡°No matter how long it takes.¡±
¡°And how do they know when they have found their Chosen One?¡±
¡°That no one really knows for sure, and none of the Tien¡¯Elhar was able to clearly explain it either. They just know. And it has happened that they end up choosing someone they didn¡¯t choose the year before. So it¡¯s not like all that¡¯s needed is to lay their eyes on someone.
¡°Some Jundai believe that they are attracted to the intensity of that person¡¯s honest prayer. Reason why they are so insistent that people should go to the Temple and offer their prayers regularly, no matter their age.
¡°One thing is known, however. It¡¯s been a very long time since a Tien¡¯Elhar has chosen an adult as their Chosen One. On the other hand there are also those that argue that this only happens because younger children are being allowed to participate in the Haehir, which didn¡¯t use to happen five-hundred-years ago or so. Back then only adults were allowed to come and offer their prayers.¡±
ZaiWin looked pensive again and Snow knew exactly why. If he really was one of those Tien¡¯Elhar and if he had somehow chosen him like they all seemed to believe, then he could add one more abnormality to the long list that seemed to characterize his existence.
So yeah, I know there are a few strange words in there, but please don¡¯t feel too stressed. ^_^;
RTYY 074 - Unbreakable Bond
¡°And there¡¯s never been a case when a Celestial has made a mistake. When they just came out a few days later and decided that their Chosen One wasn¡¯t the one after all,¡± ZaiWin tried to confirm.
VinWei¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief, her shocked expression as she stared at him as if she were sitting next to a madman.
¡°That is the craziest thing I¡¯ve ever heard. You do know that the bound between a Tien¡¯Elhar and his Chosen One, once established, is unbreakable, right? If they could renounce it, just like that, would they get sick and even die when their Chosen Ones deviate from the righteous path?¡±
Snow looked at ZaiWin, at his conflicted expression, no less shocked than VinWei had been. What had she meant by that? That he would die if he ¡ what? And what was that righteous path she was talking about? No matter how much he looked at that cold, rude man he didn¡¯t look like a righteous type of person at all!, Snow concluded with a deep frown. And why would he have to pay for whatever that unfeeling man might decide to do? He didn¡¯t even remember having chosen anyone or whatever they believed he¡¯d done! He really wanted to voice out his indignation right then! As if that weren¡¯t enough, as he stared at him, the darkness returned, massing all around him, covering him in dark, wavering shadows, until the figure of the cold-faced man was completely gone. What in the world was righteous about that?, he wondered angrily.
¡°So they have never, in the entire history, regretted their choice,¡± ZaiWin insisted and VinWei sighed.
¡°Even if they did, what could they do? Tien¡¯Elhar are holy beings, sent by the Heavens with a sacred mission. They choose one person from our Empire as their link to this land, so that their blessings can be delivered and spread as far as possible. The one they choose is tasked with the sacred mission of protecting them and shielding them from our harsh world. If their Chosen Ones refuse or fail to uphold their mission, what can a Tien¡¯Elhar do? They are not like us. They don¡¯t know how to harm others, how to look for revenge, how to use violence to get what they want. They are a blessing sent by the Gods and they trust their Chosen One to keep and protect the light that they are. If the first one to betray that holy bound is exactly the one tasked with protecting it, what do you expect them to do?¡±
¡°I don¡¯t know! Kick them in the butt and send them flying, that¡¯s what I¡¯d do!¡± ZaiWin grunted, clearly annoyed, and VinWei laughed, patting his leg.
¡°Sure you would. And that¡¯s why you¡¯re not a Celestial,¡± she laughed again. ¡°You know the Tien¡¯Elhar are all very private about their personal matters.¡±
¡°Bunch of stuck up snobs, if you ask me!¡±
She sighed.
¡°Whatever the case. They don¡¯t really like to discuss such matters. And so there isn¡¯t really much we actually know about the nature of the bound that is established when they select their Chosen Ones. All we know is that it is unbreakable, that it lasts for a lifetime. And that, most of the times, when they die their Chosen One doesn¡¯t last long either. On the other hand, when the Chosen One dies first, the Tien¡¯Elhar also dies almost immediately. And that¡¯s why the Empire tries to keep the Chosen Ones safely guarded inside the Palace, no matter their original bloodline. Especially since nowadays, since most of them are chosen while they¡¯re still children.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Snow squinted his eyes, wishing he could see his expression right then, if he¡¯d been caught off guard again, or maybe gotten angry, or even scared, but it was no use. No matter what he did he could only see those blue eyes that were now looking down at the blue carpet beneath their feet, as if he were pondering about something.
So, no matter what the dark monster did he could not kill him, Snow concluded, reflecting on the woman¡¯s words. If ZaiWin died he died. If he died, ZaiWin might live? And how was that even remotely fair? Above all he was glad he hadn¡¯t tried to kill him back at the Fortress, when the thought had firstly crossed his mind as part of one of his escape plans.
¡°This bound you¡¯re talking about. It has to be accepted by both parts, right?¡± he asked again and Snow¡¯s attention immediately perked up.
¡°Yes. It is offered by the Tien¡¯Elhar and it is accepted by his Chosen One.¡±
¡°And no one ever refused it?¡±
¡°Refuse?! Why would they? Being chosen by a Tien¡¯Elhar is the greatest honor one can receive! The entire Empire will recognize and bow down to that person! They also automatically become one of the possible heirs to the throne, once the present El¡¯Dur departs from this world. Besides, like I said, it brings good fortune and prosperity to ones entire Province. Who would ever refuse such a blessing?¡± VinWei asked, her expression glowing in clear adoration and enthusiasm. Anyone watching her could easily guess that she herself had attended a lot of those so called Ceremonies, in hopes of becoming one of the lucky ones.
Who indeed, Snow wondered, looking at the mass of darkness occupying the armchair next to her.
So that was the real reason why they were here, he begun to understand. Because he might not remember choosing him, but ZaiWin most certainly hadn¡¯t accepted any bound he might have offered him, or whatever that woman was talking about. The dark monster wanted to get rid of him, of that much he¡¯d been certain since the beginning.
He didn¡¯t know why, but ZaiWin had openly pointed out, more than once, that Snow was bound to lead him to his death. Not that Snow had wanted him dead, not really, he considered. And so the monster¡¯s words had never made sense, until now. The truth was that Nox ZaiWin had probably wanted to kill him all this time, and simply hadn¡¯t done so because he was afraid he might die as well.
Snow could almost laugh at the irony. As if his life hadn¡¯t been bad enough up till then! He had to go and bind himself to some guy he didn¡¯t even know, who he didn¡¯t want to be close to, who wanted him dead, and who he couldn¡¯t kill even if his life depended on it. Just great! So what was he supposed to do? Just sit there and wait until that cold, unfeeling man found a safe way to put an end to his life? That is if he didn¡¯t go and do something considered outside of that righteous path the Jundai had mentioned and get him killed anyway!
Fine! He could get that ZaiWin hadn¡¯t wanted to be bound to him, and that he hadn¡¯t asked for any of this! But he didn¡¯t want to be bound to him either! All he had ever wanted was to be free! And now they were both apparently stuck together in that shitty situation.
So maybe he was right, Snow considered, his anger cooling down a bit. Since they really hadn¡¯t form a true bound yet, maybe there was a way to undo the whole thing. After all, that¡¯s the reason why ZaiWin had come here in the first place. And if there was a way then, once that was done, they would see who¡¯d kill who. He¡¯d kill him first and make a run for it, Snow decided, settling his indignant heart. And until the right time came he¡¯d simply be a good boy and play along.
RTYY 075 - A TienElhars Daitai
¡°So? Is this enough information for you?¡± VinWei asked since ZaiWin had been silent for a while now.
As if he¡¯d somehow heard his previous thoughts, the monster¡¯s eyes turned Snow¡¯s way, leaving him apprehensive.
¡°Do you know how to recognize a Celestial just by looking at their markings?¡± he finally asked, Snow¡¯s heart skipping a beat at the sound of his serious tone, and VinWei smiled proudly, raising her head.
¡°Of course! Who do you think I ¡ am ¡?¡± her voice went quieter and quieter as she followed his gaze, her eyes widening in disbelief. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡±
ZaiWin shook his head and stood up, but all Snow could see was a mass of darkness towering ominously over him. A pale, long hand was stretched in his direction and he wished with all his might he could refuse that silent invitation. Those blue eyes, on the other hand, kept staring at him. Surprisingly enough they didn¡¯t look angry at his clear hesitation. They looked more like they were challenging him, the same way he¡¯d challenged him back in that bedroom. And he was right, Snow thought, looking down at that outstretched hand again. He also wanted to know. He needed to know! To put an end to those doubts once and for all, so that he could finally move forward and plan ahead.
Placing his hand on his he allowed that mass of darkness to help him to his feet.
ZaiWin turned him around, so that he would face the door. He hated the feeling that there were other people standing behind him, where he could not see them. He could feel them move, but suddenly the entire room had gone deadly silent.
Reaching around his neck, ZaiWin untied his cloak and took it off with extra care, making sure that the blue scarf he wore beneath it remained in place. And then Snow felt the ribbons of his dress being untied, one at the time, the fresh air touching his skin as the soft fabric was gently pulled apart all the way to his shoulders, exposing his bare back.
He had been naked in front of strangers more times than he could count, to the point that he had stopped caring if he was wearing clothes or not. And yet, somehow, he couldn¡¯t help feeling that this situation was extremely embarrassing, his cheeks burning beneath the soft scarf. The gasp that filled the room didn¡¯t help either, and it was all he could do not to pull his clothes back on and run to one corner.
¡°I ¡ can¡¯t believe this!¡± a woman¡¯s voice muttered and Snow wished he could at least look at her over his shoulder. ¡°This is ¡ amazing! These are the most beautiful daitai I¡¯ve ever seen!¡±
¡°I take it that ¡ she¡¯s one of them?¡± ZaiWin¡¯s voice asked, sounding hesitant, and VinWei laughed excitedly.
¡°By the Gods! This is such an honor! To think that I would ever be allowed to actually look at something like this!¡±
ZenTar sighed impatiently.
¡°Focus, Vin!¡± he chastised her with a critical tone and she immediately snapped angrily at him.
¡°What? Am I not allowed to be ecstatic about something like this?! Can you even comprehend what it means to be able to gaze upon these holy markings? Of course you can¡¯t! You boorish old man!¡±
Snow shifted his weigh uncomfortably. Hadn¡¯t they had enough?
¡°But since you¡¯re asking me if she¡¯s a Tien¡¯Elhar ¡ where did you find her?¡± she carefully asked, her mind once more clear from all the excitement, and Snow couldn¡¯t help tense up at the sound of that question.
¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡±
¡°This red scars ¡ she¡¯s been hurt? You know that if a Tien¡¯Elhar is being mistreated by her Household you are obliged to immediately report such barbaric actions to the Temple, right? We can keep her safe until the situation is solved!¡±
¡°That¡¯s not the case. Can you interpret her datai?¡± ZaiWin asked, clearly wanting to move along with their conversation, and VinWei sighed.
¡°Tien¡¯Elhar¡¯s daitai are different from ours. They are much more complex, and these ones are even more so. They are truly beautiful, though.¡± She sighed again.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.
¡°Focus!¡± ZenTar reminded her.
¡°You¡¯re such a drag!¡± she countered, but this time seemed to listen to his reprimand.
¡°These here are very common amongst the Tien¡¯Elhar. They are mainly connected with their affinity with nature, which allows them heal the land, purify the air, calm down bad storms, and so on. These here are more the elemental type, similar to ours. Normally Tien¡¯Elhar don¡¯t possess these kinds of daitai. They are only found on those who aren¡¯t born under the Temple¡¯s protection.
¡°From time to time, Clans that learn that a Tien¡¯Elhar is to be born into their Household refuse to follow the law and decide to hide that fact, which means that those Tien¡¯Elhar are not born in the Temple. Since the Empire will only grant them recognition in terms of titles and honors, but no actual money, they choose to sell the Tien¡¯Elhar to the Finders.
¡°The Finders were formed a long time ago, when the Temple still hadn¡¯t been able to reach every city. Back then, since there were no Varsen close by, it would happen that a Tien¡¯Elhar¡¯s birth was not foretold. And so they would be born like any other child. Sometimes the family wouldn¡¯t even know how special their baby was. It was the Finders¡¯ job to search for these girls and take them back to the Palace.
¡°Nowadays everyone knows what a Tien¡¯Elhar looks like and that they are supposed to be raised by the Temple. Even if a Varsen isn¡¯t close by to predict a birth, the parents should immediately deliver their newborn child to the closest Temple. So there¡¯s practically no need for Finders anymore, at least not to actually find unregistered Tien¡¯Elhar anyway. And so they turned to this illegal, alternative way of living. They will buy the Tien¡¯Elhar from their family and, in return, ask the Temple for a kind of ransom to assure the Tien¡¯Elhar is safely delivered. Of course the Temple always pays them what they ask, and so there¡¯s always a next time.¡±
¡°If it is illegal why haven¡¯t they all been apprehended?¡± ZaiWin demanded and VinWei took a deep breath.
¡°From what I was told the previous El¡¯Dur wanted to do exactly that. Completely dismantle the Finders¡¯ organization. But the Temple was against it, for fear that the Tien¡¯Elhar¡¯s families might end up killing the babies if there was no one to take them from their hands.¡±
¡°Then why won¡¯t they simply pay the families directly and be done with it? They most certainly don¡¯t lack the coin to do that!¡±
¡°Well, apparently it goes against one of the holy decrees, which states that being chosen to be the parent of a Tien¡¯Elhar is one of the highest honors and should be seen as a holy, invaluable service to the Empire. As it is the duty of the El¡¯Dur to look out for his people, it is the duty of the people to offer their flesh and blood for the glory of the Empire. And duties are not to be compensated in terms of riches, but in terms of honor and glory.¡±
¡°Ridiculous!¡±
¡°I couldn¡¯t agree less. In any case, as I was saying, when a Tien¡¯Elhar is delivered to the Temple past her third month of life, they normally present elemental daitai like these. Some of the most renown Jundai believe that, as newborns, Tien¡¯Elhar have the ability to somehow absorb or synchronize with the environment around them. The more time they spend away from the Temple¡¯s protection, the more elemental daitai they present. I had never seen such a complex pattern, though, not even in those of us with a strong affinity to an element. There¡¯s a lot of ice here. If I were to make a guess I¡¯d say that our honorable guest was born in the dead of winter,¡± she concluded, sounding proud of herself.
Snow lowered his head, clenching his fists, memories of white, endless vastnesses of snow filling his mind; Sand¡¯s smiling face as she held a hand full of pure white snow silently pointing at it and then at him, bringing tears to his eyes.
¡°These daitai here, however, I¡¯ve never seen them before, not even in books,¡± she went on. ¡°Really, ZaiWin! Where did you find her? Has she even set foot inside a Temple before?¡±
¡°Already told you. Can¡¯t tell you that. Can you say how old she is?¡±
VinWei sighed, clearly frustrated.
¡°Unlike with the number of turns on the spiral at the bottom of our backs, you can count a Tien¡¯Elhar¡¯s age by the number of swirls of their wings. See here? So I¡¯d say ¡ sixteen.¡±
Snow¡¯s heart jumped in disbelief. Sixteen?! He was sixteen-years-old?! So that meant that ¡ he¡¯d spent ten years of his life tied to that bed?
Feeling suddenly dizzy he stumbled forward, but a strong arm immediately crossed his chest, pulling him back.
Ten years ¡
¡°Oh the poor thing! She¡¯s probably tired! And we¡¯ve been standing here, happily chatting and completely ignoring her presence!¡±
Now you notice it!, Snow thought ironically, the room around him still wavering dangerously.
¡°Let me help ¡¡±
¡°No need! I¡¯ll do it,¡± ZaiWin¡¯s voice immediately cut VinWei¡¯s solicitous words and the arm still supporting him gave him a gentle nudge. ¡°Can you stand?¡±
Snow nodded, making sure his knees didn¡¯t buckle beneath him, and ZaiWin finally released him to help him straighten his clothes. Tying all the ribbons and pulling the warm cloak over his shoulders and head, he finally allowed him to sit down again.
Yay!! I have WIFI!!! ??