by Jason Tesar
“That’s Berit over there,” he said, pointing at the other boy who was still standing at the window. Berit waved and turned back to looking at the sunrise.
“He’s a little shy. So where are you from?”
Kael was just about to answer when he was interrupted by some of the other boys entering the building, their attendants turning and leaving just as promptly as Kael’s had done.
“Do you like it here?” Coen continued.
“Uh … I … don’t know yet,” Kael stumbled. This kid sure likes to talk. At least he’s nice, though. I’d hate it if he were mean and talkative.
The rest of the boys came in seconds later, some in groups, some alone. None were as talkative as Coen. Berit continued to stare out at the valley, which was now a series of rolling shadows carved out by a rising, blinding-orange sun. Two of the other boys talked quietly with each other, but the room was mostly silent.
Suddenly, Kael noticed that Ukiru was standing by the wall, only a few feet away. Somehow he had slipped in without anyone noticing. “I trust that you all slept well last night. This morning we will start with introductions. Everyone pick a mat and stand in the center of it. I want you to state your first name only, loud enough for everyone to hear. We’ll start with you,” he said, pointing to the boy who occupied the leftmost mat at the front of the room.
The boy shifted his stance, uneasy at the unwanted attention. “Donagh,” he mumbled. His accent was thick and guttural sounding. He was tall and appeared muscular, even beneath the thick clothing that each boy was wearing. Kael couldn’t tell if his hair was brown or black.
Ukiru nodded in response and turned his gaze to the second boy in the front row. Berit seemed even more nervous than Donagh, but it showed in a different way. His scalp and face turned bright red beneath his sand-colored eyebrows. “Berit,” he said in a strained voice.
“Horace,” the next boy offered merrily. He was of average height, but a little thick through the midsection. He also had sand-colored stubble just starting to grow on his odd-shaped head, and skin that turned red easily, though the redness seemed to be concentrated on his bulb-shaped nose.
Coen was next in line and announced his name without any signs of nervousness. He was clearly comfortable in front of people. Kael, on the other hand, was dreading his turn.
“Narian,” came the deep voice from the last boy in the row. He was just as tall as Donagh, though his features weren’t as dark, and his smiling face made him look friendly.
Instead of choosing Kael, who was standing behind Narian, Ukiru pointed back across the room to the boy at the other end of the row.
“Arden,” the boy said in a loud and clear voice. He, too, had an accent, and Kael wondered how they had all ended up in the same jail together. Arden was only a little taller than Kael, with a protruding nose that was even larger than Coen’s.
The next boy waited until Ukiru pointed at him before speaking his name. “Soren.” This was the boy who had become their group leader while in the prison. Kael could tell he didn’t like following rules.
“Rainer,” said the next boy. The only thing that Kael noticed about him was that he looked younger than all the rest of the children in the room.
“Jorn,” stated the boy standing next to Kael. He was the shortest one in the room and also the pudgiest. The tiny hairs on his scalp were thick and black, and it reminded Kael of his father’s beard.
Finally it was Kael’s turn. He felt his face turn red and his voice tightened a little as he spoke his name. Suddenly, his turn was over and he felt a sense of relief.
Ukiru nodded and began to pace across the floor. “Thank you all. Now, I only asked for your first name because I do not care to which family you belonged. I do not care where you came from. Those things are dead now, just as your former life is dead. We will only know each other by the names that were spoken here today. That is all that matters.”
Kael could see that a few of the boys were finding it hard to concentrate on Ukiru’s words. The view of the rising sun behind him was distracting.
Ukiru noticed and immediately walked back to the front of the room to regain his audience. “Every morning we will meet here at sunrise and begin the day with some exercises. I will instruct you until you memorize each step and position. These exercises will help you gain balance, coordination, and flexibility at first. Eventually, when they are committed to memory, you will find that these movements also help to clear your mind of distractions. A clear mind is essential to hear the voice of the All Powerful. In time, these exercises will become a meditation.” He now had the attention of everyone in the room.
“Place your feet together and stand straight,” he said, demonstrating the stance. “Pull your shoulders back and look straight ahead. Put your hands together in front of your chest and close your eyes. I want you all to remain quiet. So quiet that you can hear yourself breathe. So quiet that you are able to hear your own heart beating.”
Kael had his eyes closed, but could hear a few of the boys snickering. It felt a little strange to be standing in a room full of strangers with his eyes closed. But even though it was awkward, he must have been more comfortable than some of the other boys, who were whispering to each other.
Oh well. Just try to ignore them.
“Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for a moment,” said Ukiru, sounding a little irritated with the uncooperative children. “Now let it out and continue to breathe deeply, concentrating on the sound of your heart.
Kael kept his eyes closed and tried to follow the instructions. He could hear his heart beat and felt a sense of peace and comfort at the sound of Ukiru’s voice.
“Now open your eyes. Move your left foot out to the side and stand like this,” he demonstrated. “Extend both of your arms out from your body and hold this position.”
Kael followed Ukiru’s mesmerizing voice as he led them through many different poses and stretches. Most of the time was peaceful, barring the occasional suppressed laugh from one of the other boys. Kael’s limbs were a little shaky with fatigue, though none of the exercises were difficult for him. He used to spend many hours at a time climbing trees and balancing on the branches. Such feats of daring bravery were part of his ongoing competition with Ajani.
I wonder if Ajani is still alive. The boy had stopped screaming long before Kael was able to stop Lemus from beating him. He couldn’t remember anything after Lemus hit him with the handle of the pitchfork. He felt tears begin to form in his eyes and shook his head to stop them. I can’t cry here.
“Now place your feet together again and stand up straight. Put your hands together in front of your chest and close your eyes.”
They ended up in the same position in which they started. Kael found himself breathing heavily despite the ease with which he had moved through the exercises. When he opened his eyes on Ukiru’s command, he felt invigorated. Horace and Donagh were trying not to laugh at some private joke they shared.
“Very good. Perhaps tomorrow we will not be as distracted.” Ukiru’s gaze landed on Horace and Donagh, who quickly became serious. “Before we have the morning meal, your servants will show you to the washroom. We will assemble in the dining hall in fifteen minutes.” After Ukiru left the room, Donagh and Horace finished laughing at their joke. All of the boys filed out of the arena, following their servants down the covered walkway.
The washroom was located on the first level, off the hallway between the dining hall and the sleeping quarters. There were several stalls of toilets off to the right side of the room, as well as a circular fountain in the center for washing your face and hands. Kael didn’t need to relieve himself, so he walked over to the fountain. Water gurgled from a short pedestal in the middle, spilling over the side where it filled the basin. He leaned over and noticed holes on the inside of the basin, a few inches from the rim. The water level was slightly above the bottom of these holes, causing the water to drain out just as fresh water from the pedestal replaced it. He dipped h
is hands in the water and was surprised to find it warm. It felt soothing, and he immediately splashed some on his face and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Jorn was the next one to come to the fountain and was surprised at the temperature of the water as well. Just as the boys began to talk about it, a voice came from the hallway.
“You’re curious about the water?” Ukiru stepped from the hallway into the washroom.
“Yes,” both boys answered at the same time.
“This monastery was built hundreds of years ago in this location for just that reason. All around us, the land is alive with heat. In some places, steam comes from holes in the earth. Our predecessors channeled that heated air and brought it to these buildings. There are vents throughout these rooms and even in your bedrooms, where the heated air comes through to fight against the chill of the winter months. One area, which you will see later this evening, has steaming water coming from the ground, which was made into a bath.”
The rest of the boys were finished and had started to gather around the fountain to hear Ukiru. “Finish washing. The meal is ready,” he said, and left just as suddenly as he had arrived.
Kael was already finished and followed Ukiru back to the dining hall. When they arrived, the table was already set with food. Each place at the table was set with a cup of tea and a steaming bowl of a thick grayish substance. Kael sat down at the same place he sat the previous night. One by one, the rest of the boys came into the room and followed his example. Horace and Donagh sat together and started to grab for their food before everyone was seated.
“Wait,” said Ukiru. “We will have a moment of silence to thank the All Powerful for providing this meal and all the things that surround us.” Ukiru closed his eyes and most of the other children did as well. Kael looked around at each face until he stopped at Soren, who winked at him and smiled, refusing to close his eyes. Eventually Ukiru opened his eyes and cleared his throat. “Let us eat,” he announced and proceeded to lift the steaming bowl to his lips.
The gray substance in the bowl appeared to be mashed oats and grains. Kael thought it tasted bland, but was thankful to have something in his stomach. He hadn’t yet regained all his strength from his time in prison.
After breakfast, Ukiru rose from the table and led the boys out of the room. They walked as a group down the covered walkway and entered the square building that Ukiru said would serve as their classroom. The desks and chairs were still arranged just as they had been the previous day. Ukiru motioned for everyone to take a seat before he addressed them.
“This is the study,” he began. “Every morning after breakfast, we will meet in this room. Here you will learn everything from history and astronomy to arithmetic and the arts of war. Some subjects, of course, will require you to have obtained a certain amount of knowledge beforehand, so we will start with reading, writing, and speaking. These three skills form the basis of all knowledge. How can we learn or communicate what we have learned if we cannot read, write, or speak?”
“But we already know how to speak,” answered Horace.
“Ah yes! But to speak and to communicate are altogether different, aren’t they?”
Horace squinted.
Ukiru quickly spoke a sentence in a foreign language.
All of the boys looked at each other in confusion.
“You see … I have spoken, but I have not communicated to you. What I said was—cry in the classroom so that you may laugh on the battlefield. It is a saying where I come from. It means that if you train hard in the arts of war, so hard that all your tears are shed in the classroom, then when it comes time to go into battle, you will be fearless in the face of your enemy. You will laugh at how easy it is compared to your training.”
Ukiru turned toward Horace. “You see, speaking is not the same as communicating. Once you have mastered these three skills, you will have the foundation that will be needed in the future. Some of you have already had a great deal of instruction, while others have had none. Nevertheless, we will all start at the same place and we will learn together.”
~
As the sun peaked in the sky, the boys’ minds began to wander and their stomachs began to growl. Everyone filed out of the study room and returned to the dining hall, where another meal had been prepared. Breads, cheeses, and meats adorned the table, accompanied by a large pitcher of water. The boys ate greedily as they all seemed to be adjusting to their new surroundings with ease.
After the midday meal, the boys were dismissed for a period of one hour. Ukiru told them that they were free to do anything while their food settled in their stomachs, but they must assemble in the arena afterwards. Donagh and Horace went back to their rooms to sleep, while Berit left in the direction of the library. Kael left the dining hall in search of the meditation area by the lawn. When he got there, Coen was already seated in the middle of the rock garden.
“You can sit next to me,” he offered with a smile.
“No thank you,” Kael replied. “He said there were other spots around here. I think I’ll go look for another one.”
Kael turned around and started walking back to the dining hall when he noticed a narrow path to his right. Part of his free time was gone already, so he decided to tour the place by himself and get a better feel for his surroundings. He took the path and found that it curved around the main building through a thick stand of trees before ending in the front courtyard. A wider stone path ran from the front of the building through the courtyard and out the front gate. Kael followed it and found himself outside of the stone wall that surrounded all of the buildings.
A dirt path broke off from the main thoroughfare and ran to the south. It wasn’t a constructed path like the others around the monastery; it was simply an area where repeated foot traffic had worn away the ground cover. Kael took the path and followed it as it swung to the east for a while, running parallel to a ridge that obscured his view of the horizon. Eventually, the path turned south again and began to climb the steep ridge. Kael thought that his time was probably getting short, but now he was curious to see what was beyond the ridge. It took him a few minutes to reach the top of the path and he was breathing heavily by the time he made it.
To the south, as far as the eye could see, the ocean glittered in the midday sun. Kael was surprised by the sight, expecting to see only land and perhaps a few mountains. The path descended from the top of the ridge to a rocky area which marked the edge of a cliff. Kael stood on the rocks and looked down at the water, hundreds of feet below. Until this moment, he wasn’t aware of how much he missed the ocean. He would have to come back to this place when he would have more time to enjoy it. Reluctantly, he turned around and followed the path back to the monastery. He tried to walk quickly, even running in places, until he came to the arena. He was almost sure that he had been gone more than an hour, but when he entered the building, there were only a few monks waiting. Within minutes, Ukiru walked into the building, talking with Narian and Rainer. A few minutes later, Coen walked in and came straight over to Kael.
“Did you find your meditation spot?” he asked as soon as he was within earshot.
“Yes,” Kael answered with a smile.
One by one, the others came into the building. When all were present, Ukiru directed the group over to a section of the arena with a polished wooden floor. “Each day after the midday meal and your time of rest, you will all come to this building. Here you will be trained in the practices of war. As priests of the All Powerful, you will be persecuted and attacked for your positions of authority. You must all learn to protect yourselves against those that would wish to harm you and rebel against our god. These practices are an ancient art, recorded thousands of years ago and handed down from generation to generation among his faithful servants. As the classroom learning will shape your mind, these practices will shape your body so that your whole being will be a perfectly tuned instrument for the All Powerful.”
Kael drew in a deep breath and shifted his weight in anticipation. Afte
r a morning of sitting in chairs and listening to Ukiru speak, he was ready to stretch his muscles and use his body instead of his mind.
“Everyone gather around me in a circle.”
The boys drew near and Kael could tell by their expressions that they were also excited about the opportunity to train as warriors. When all of the children had gathered around, Ukiru continued speaking.
“All of the stances and positions that you learn during the morning’s meditation will be applied to the afternoon lessons. Each position is either an attack or defense posture that will be the basis of your training as a warrior.”
As the afternoon advanced into evening, Ukiru explained each stance and its use in warfare. All of the positions, whether attack or defense, were modeled after some animal which demonstrated an ability in nature to defend itself against or advance upon an enemy. All of the boys seemed to prefer the afternoon to the morning, except for Berit, who kept quiet the whole day and didn’t show a preference for anything in particular.
When the sun began to slip below the mountains to the west, Ukiru ended their activities and led them back to the dining hall where, once again, the table was set with a meal. The boys ate quickly to replenish the strength expended during the afternoon. Already, some of them were making friends, joking and laughing during the meal. Kael didn’t talk to anyone, but sat back and watched the way people interacted with each other. His thoughts drifted back to Bastul, where his mother and Saba lived. He hoped that they were well and worried for their safety, having to live with such an evil man as Lemus. Most of all, he wondered where his father was and if he had returned while Kael was away.
When the evening meal concluded, each one of the boys was escorted to his room for the remainder of the night. When Kael got to his room, he immediately crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Voices drifted to him from down the hall, and Kael realized that not everybody was exhausted. Oh well. I’ll be well-rested in the morning and they won’t be able to keep their eyes open.
CHAPTER 15
Kael arrived at the arena after Coen and Berit, but only had time to say a quick “hello” before the other boys arrived. Ukiru wasted no time and immediately began the morning’s exercises. Just as Kael suspected, Donagh, Horace, and Rainer looked as though they hadn’t slept at all. During one of the seated positions, Horace actually fell asleep, much to the amusement of the entire group. Ukiru, however, took exception and considered the lack of attention a lack of respect.