“But aren’t the burns dangerous too?”
He seemed exasperated. “My friend, they have just been stabbed clean through their shoulders. They are bound to have some pain and scars from this incident. But the burns wouldn’t be fatal, and that should be enough for you.”
Now, I gave him a mock bow to show that I would follow his lead from this point onwards. My gesture brought a smile to his face.
He then started to round up the bodies of the dead men, as he spoke again. “Could you give me a hand?”
I moved to help him. “Wouldn’t these bodies just rot if we leave them here?”
The man again seemed to get exasperated. “Now you are getting on my nerves. What do you want me to do? Cremate them? When the district team arrives here, do you think they’ll leave their dead lying around? No… They’ll arrange for a funeral. So relax and help me.”
I helped him, in silence, in moving the dead, and tying up the unconscious. Then he picked up a couple of their swords and inserted them into the ground and picked up a couple more. He then pushed those into the hilts of the first ones he inserted into the ground, creating a reasonably tall structure. He picked off the shirts from the soldiers and hung it.
“Now before you ask and annoy me again,” he said, “I did that to attract anyone looking for these men.”
Saying that, he turned and extended his hand. “Well it was interesting running into you. Your solitary punch was impressive. Hope you have a plan, now that you have gone against the Morgenian authorities.”
I suddenly panicked, remembering what Grim had told me about keeping my head down and avoiding the authorities. I had done exactly the opposite, getting into a fist fight with the authorities almost as soon as I left the forests.
The man could see that I was suddenly worried. He tried to reassure me. “Don’t worry, kid. It wouldn’t be that bad. Come let’s take a walk.”
He made a clicking sound, which summoned his horse to him. With one hand on the horse and the other around my shoulder, he walked us away from the site of our confrontation.
“So tell me young warrior, what is your name?”
As I started to tell my name, I remembered what Grim told me about revealing my name.
“My name is…. Devrath.” I took the translation of young warrior from Deusorthok, which I hoped no one would know.
The man smiled. “Sure… your name is Devrath. Doesn’t it mean ‘Young Warrior’ in Deusorthok? How apt…”
He continued as he saw my face fall. “Don’t worry, barely anyone you meet will understand Deusorthok. It’s fine if you don’t want to reveal your name. I don’t mind telling my name… I am Vaicarga Karna, or Karn, as everyone calls me. Listen, Devrath, you have unwittingly gone up against the leaders of Morgenia.
Now you need to be careful. It is possible that the soldiers we left alive will recognize you enough for a portrait, but I doubt it. They did not see you for longer than a minute or so. And the trauma of their injuries should hinder their memory further. But I would still suggest you don’t return to any place with familiar faces for a while. Roam the land for a few months, and soon the hunt for you will be dropped, even if there is one to begin with. So relax.”
I was grateful to this man for his advice. “Thank you, Karn. You have been really helpful. Don’t worry, I don’t plan on returning to any known place… not that there are many. But what about you? They seemed to be already chasing you?”
Karn shrugged. “I have been on the run long enough to know how to evade capture. Don’t worry about me. Anyway, it was great to meet you. I wish you luck,” he extended his hand again.
I grabbed his hand with my gloved arm. As Karn shook my hand, and his jovial expression suddenly changed to one of suspicion.
He suddenly stepped back, rapidly drew his swords and asked me. “Who are you? Why are you in these parts?”
His sudden change of demeanor was unnerving. I wasn’t sure what triggered it.
“As I said, I am Devrath. I come from a small village you would never have heard of.”
I didn’t remember Grim telling me not to talk about my goal. So I decided to tell Karn. “I am travelling to meet Dag Heyat of the Yerins. Two of his tribesmen murdered someone close to me and attacked others in the village. I have to get to him for his help in identifying and apprehending those two.”
Karn did not lower his swords. “You seem to be a good spy and a bad one simultaneously. Your looks and attitude perfectly suit your ‘small village boy’ story. But your story itself… Meeting the Dag to apprehend some random criminals while wearing a glove made from Azmoq, are terrible for your cover. They are completely unbelievable….”
He lowered his sword a little and tilted his head. “I don’t know what to make of you.”
I now understood what arose his suspicion. Grim had told me to be careful with the Azmoqian weapons. I didn’t realize someone could recognize an Azmoqian weapon just by touch.
“I don’t know what to tell you. That is the truth.”
Karn blanched. “It can’t be. For one, the last known location of the Dag was in Yerin’s secret village. And only those who already know the route to the Yerin village can access it. And second, even if you wander onto the route, the Yerins kill outsiders.”
I replied, quite honestly. “But I have both of those. My master, who also created the glove, gave me a map to Dag and this,” I showed him the medallion that Grim had given me. In hindsight, it was monumentally stupid and naïve of me to trust some random stranger with my goal and these incredibly valuable items which could have gotten me killed. But then, what I realize now is that he is one of the few on the continent who could have recognized an Azmoq glove by touch in the first place, which led to his suspicion. Still, I was lucky that I ran into Karn first.
Karn was still skeptical precisely because I was being so frank. “Why are you telling and showing me all this? These are incredibly valuable items, if real. You know you could get killed over even one of them. This makes no sense.”
Karn seemed like a good guy. I wanted to convince him. “I don’t know what to say. I need to head to where Dag is. I can’t do anything else to convince you. Once I have located the murderers I am looking for, we can meet here again and I can take you to my village. There my master can corroborate my story. Or the alternate is that I have promised my master that I will come back to wait for him at the entrance of our village’s northern exit in nine months. You can meet us there as well.”
Karn seemed perplexed. “You truly are a weird person. Why do you think I will wait months for some proof? Irrespective of whether you are a spy or not, you definitely are stupid.”
That made me feel bad. And pissed me off. “Hey! There is no need for name calling. I thought you were a good guy, so I wanted to convince you that I was one as well and not a bad person. But honestly, I don’t know why I should care. Please do what you want. I am heading off.”
Saying that, I turned away. I was upset, because Karn seemed like a nice guy. But there was only so much I could do to convince him about my character.
In some time, I heard some beating sound behind me. “Hey, Dev,” I heard Karn call. As I turned, I saw Karn ride up on his horse.
“I am sorry I was so suspicious. It is just that in all my life so far, I haven’t come across someone this naïve who was carrying so many treasures. I am still not convinced that you are what you say, but I want to propose something.”
Although I was still angry with him, I was intrigued. “What is it?”
“Let me travel with you to the Yerin base and help you capture the men who have harmed your friend and your village. I can use that time to know you better. This would be helpful for you in two ways—You can prove yourself to me and I can help you navigate the journey better. You are too simple for your own good.”
His proposal was tempting. But now, doubt was creeping in my mind. Why would someone go out of his way for a stranger?
“Why would you do th
at? Spend your time with a stranger, when you must have things to do for yourself, your own life to lead?”
Karn winked. “I see you are getting smarter. It is wise of you to mistrust me. You should have been a little more wary before you told me everything. Anyway, you trusted me with your goal so I will tell you mine. In fact, let me go a little further. I’ll tell you a little about my history as well. Hope that’ll help you trust me more.”
I wasn’t so sure. But there was no harm in listening to him. “Sure, Karn. It will definitely help.”
“I was born in a small town near the High Seat, called Guldstrang. I was raised as one of the high potentials for the Final Hundred. I was trained rigorously since I was six years old, having been picked for my combat ability. It was difficult work, but I was always happy because I thought I was preparing for something truly great.
But then reality set in, when I was asked to join the march to destroy the revolution. I was just a fifteen-year-old, who saw the reality of war. The brutality of the Final 100, many of who entered the battle, was unparalleled. But I still tried to tell myself that it was the right thing to do, as the Valantian Imperium ruled this great continent and provided it with stability and maintained justice.
Then I saw the Battle of the Bloody River. There was Varishtan, who even the most ardent supporters of the Valantian Imperium admired, and there was Titan, a member of the Order of Seven. Their duel isn’t called the battle of the millennium for nothing. It was truly that, as I saw it firsthand. The power of their weapons was overwhelming for most to even watch. But with the fall of Titan, the revolutionaries overwhelmed the Valantian Army. I was captured, one of the only potentials to be captured.
Then what followed surprised me. The revolutionaries realized who I was, and tried to recruit me. Many leaders of the revolution spoke to me about their cause and what it meant for the people of this continent, even the world, to overthrow the current leaders. But what it achieved for me was disillusionment. Having seen both sides, I realized both sides fought for part truths. The revolutionaries, the Valantian Imperium, both had some facts, some truth, but both fought with brutality and ambition to win, not to make the world a better place.
So I escaped. There was only one thing that left a big impression on me. It was Varishtan and the Anzelmen. It was truly a magnificent weapon. And the fact that Varishtan singlehandedly changed the tide of the revolution’s cause, stuck with me. As I studied more about Azmoq, and the seven swords of legend, I realized what my calling was. I wanted to learn the most I could about Azmoq and the seven swords of legend.
And that is why I want to travel with you. I want to learn more about the Azmoq weapons you have, given they are unique, and if possible, meet your master at the end. There are no gifted Azmoq masters anywhere other than the High Seat. It would be an honor to learn from him.
To be completely honest, a lot of the troops searching for me know my life history. It is not exactly a secret, given I am the only former potential still alive and outside the capital.
So… What do you think?”
It was honestly a lot to take in. And difficult to understand. I didn’t really know most of the terms he casually used. Some I knew, from Valantian Imperium, to the revolution and the Varishtan. But the Final 100, Titan, I knew nothing about. I honestly did not understand his backstory a lot, but I trusted his motivation.
“Look, I honestly didn’t understand a lot of it. The village I come from has been isolated from the world for a while and so a lot of things that are common sense or knowledge to you, I will not know. But still, I trust you. For whatever reason, I trust you. I think it will be a good idea to travel together. We both can get to trust each other more. I will learn more about the world I travel in and you can meet Grim, my master and learn from him.”
And that’s how we started to travel together. This was the beginning of a long friendship.
And that’s how I left the village, and then met Karn. So what do you think of my story so far, Elbir? Did you know all those things about Grim?
Chapter 11: The three friends
“God, it seems like ages ago that I met you,” continued Karn.
“Although it has just been a few months… eventful months. You were such a naïve, ignorant man.”
Dev looked at him, with hope in his eyes. “And now you think I am knowledgeable and… what is the term…. Smart on the street?”
Karn and Eric laughed. “Street smart, my friend. And you think you are… knowledgeable? Let’s see how ‘knowledgeable’ you are… Tell us, what is the military structure of this land?”
Dev was more than happy to show off.
“There are three forms of military forces in Valantia. One is at the country level and two at the continental level.
“The first is the country army. An army that is loyal to their respective countries. This army breaks up at the country, state, district and city/village level, and takes care of the peace at each of these levels.
“The second is the Valantian army. This army is loyal to the Valantian Imperium. While their mandate is to take care of the continental peace, they do get involved at a country level if asked by the country’s royals, or if instructed by the Imperium.
“The last form are the special groups of warriors reporting directly to the Valantian Imperium. There are three groups of warriors—The Order of Seven, the Final 100 and the Elite Units…” Dev paused to think.
“Good, good… go on,” Karn prompted, when Eric tapped Karn’s shoulder with his hammer.
Eric cocked an eyebrow at Karn. “Why are you asking him all this? I thought he was finally going to shut up after his long tale?”
Karn laughed. “I just wanted to see how long I could annoy you with his talk before you broke.” He ducked as Eric swung his fist at Karn. He continued to laugh, as Eric and Dev looked pissed. Karn soon became silent.
Dev continued to frown as he lay on the ground. “You guys are the worst. I told my story with such flair and panache, I expected some appreciation.”
Eric fell to the ground where he sat, drifting off to sleep. Karn chuckled, gave Dev a slow clap as a token of his appreciation. And then he too, tried to asleep.
In his mind, their journey continued from the point where the kid had stopped his story. The part where they moved towards the Yerin’s base, and met their next companion, the man of five hammers, Eric Erinoul.
Section II:
The plains
Chapter 12: The consequence
A couple of years before the time Olmot turned up in the little village of Villasboro, in a place far far away, a man was pacing relentlessly in his home…
Things seemed to be changing rapidly across the continent. While I always felt this was the case, I had started to feel it in my gut that something was different this time. I had recently come to know that a rumor was spreading. A fairly disconcerting rumor. Seemingly one of the sages of silence had been seen multiple times across the continent in the last year.
Such a rumor was not good. Sages of silence last appeared during the rise of the first seven great kings. Their appearance indicated that a time of great change and upheaval was coming. Whoever was spreading these rumors was good. In making sure that the seven great kings were revered through the centuries, these harbingers of change had also got a lot of attention and credibility.
Rumors of their appearance would lay seeds of doubt in the minds of people about the future of the Valantian Imperium. And it was difficult to counter these rumors. If the appearance of these near deities was negated officially, it would acknowledge the presence of these rumors. This would only give credence to perception that the days of the Imperium were numbered.
I sometimes hoped that the Imperium’s days were numbered. It would mean the end of my duties. I would welcome it. I was tired. It had been decades since my last break from work. The Wars in Rokhumaan, the pointless revolution, the discovery of one of the seven swords of legend by the revolutionaries, all the disc
overies and work being done in the chambers here. Yes, a lot had happened since I first took my place on the all-powerful Valantian Imperium. The council of 14, the ultimate authority in this great continent.
I used to get such thoughts mostly on the days where we had difficult decisions ahead. That day was definitely one of those. We had sent out all the Order of Seven out of the High Seat, but for Titan. In case the decision wasn’t in his favor, he shouldn’t feel down and face his fellow mates right away. I didn’t even know what my decision was. How do you decide to break away from hundreds of years of tradition? What would the repercussions be? We were all great men, nearly god like, but we were still men, not gods. Whenever I wondered how we got to such a place, I just got frustrated.
The Order of Seven, the seven most powerful warriors in all of Valantia, was an institution that had been around since before the time of the original seven kings, always serving the rulers of the continent[3]. Given their absolute power, especially with the Azmoqian weapons they wielded, Valantian Gregor, our great founder, in his infinite wisdom, had allowed the Order to continue, to serve the powerful Imperium he created to rule the continent.
Thankfully he also created the Final 100, the next 100 most powerful warriors, who the Imperium continuously tried to empower with better and deadlier weapons. The balance of power between the two groups, the Final 100 and the Order of Seven was nearly ideal. But then came that damned revolution.
The utter defeat of Titan at the hands of Varishtan, was the only lasting damage that the revolution did. But it was more harm than anyone realized. Titan was broken physically, but not dead yet. This reduced the power of the Order of Seven. His apprentice, the high potential who would have been his replacement, had also died in the battle. The conditions were ideal for a replacement to rise from the Final 100, which is what we wanted. A member from the Final 100, inducted into the Order of Seven would ensure that the Valantian Imperium was in complete and unquestioned control of the Order, something that hadn’t happened in the past 300 years. But the Masters of the Order, the men who taught the seven warriors, did not allow it. The discussion for this induction had continued for over a decade, leading nowhere.
Age of Azmoq: The Valantian Imperium Page 12