by Eric Vall
“We are simply travelers who have stopped to camp for the night,” I shouted back to him. One of the men hissed something angrily at me in their foreign language.
The leader narrowed his eyes. “My friend thinks that you are lying to us.”
“What reason would we have to be untruthful?” Morrigan said with a note of irritation.
“Perhaps because you are mercenaries of the king, sent here to wipe us out. We know that the king has bounties out for our heads,” the man with the red kefficha retorted.
“Are you crazy?” Rana looked at the man in disbelief. “We’re not mercenaries. We don’t even know who you are why would we want your heads?” The fox rolled her eyes, and she folded her arms over her chest in agitation.
The man was silent for a moment, and then he muttered something to his men.
“We will not simply take your word that you are not the king’s sellswords,” the head swordsman said bitterly. “Can you prove to us that you are not employed by him and that you are as you say, mere travelers?” As the man spoke, he squinted his eyes and studied each of us for a moment. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be so easily convinced.
My minions and I glanced at each other and moved closer together for a quick discussion.
“What are we going to do?” Carmedy asked as she glanced at the surrounding men. “We have no way of proving who we are.”
“We do not have to prove anything,” Morrigan said with a little fierceness in her tone. “We owe them no explanation. Let us vanquish them and be done with matter and return to our tent.”
“I don’t think it necessary to attack these men,” I mused. “I don’t think they’re dangerous, I believe they see us as a threat and this is why they came to our camp.”
“Um, they’re pointing weapons at us!” Rana threw her paws in the air. “If that’s not dangerous, I don’t know what is. Honestly, I don’t even know why we’re having this discussion. I for one am with Morrigan. Let’s get rid of these guys and go back to sleep.”
Annalíse didn’t offer her opinion to the rest of us, but she held her chin as though she were deep in thought. Then without another word to us, she walked toward the men.
“Well, do you have proof of who you are?” the leader of the party asked as he pointed his sword toward Annalíse. The freckled woman didn’t seem the slightest bit bothered by the threatening gesture.
“I’m sure that you’re well aware that in most areas of the world, it is against the law for women to be soldiers or hold any other sort of occupation that calls for violence.” Annalíse casually folded her arm as she spoke. “There are only two continents that allow women to join the ranks of their military forces. Valasara is not one of them, nor has it ever been.”
She glanced among the men in black confidently. “Now, I’m not native to this continent, and it’s been long since I’ve visited. Perhaps your customs and laws have changed over the years, so I will ask you this, has your king decided to alter the laws of this nation and employ female soldiers or mercenaries?” The swordswoman challenged with a raised eyebrow and she stared at the leader intently.
The men exchanged looks and spoke to each other in their native tongue before they slowly turned their attention back to Annalíse.
“No, our laws have not changed,” the leader said, and he lowered his weapon slightly. “The king does not employ women.”
“Even if he did, there’s no way we’d work for that arrogant creep,” Rana called out with a smirk. “We had the… displeasure of meeting him, and I’ve gotta say, the guy is as pathetic as they come, strutting around like he forged the continents or something.” The leader with the red head covering began to chuckle, and he signaled to his men to lower their weapons.
“On that, we can agree.” The lead swordsman nodded, and the look in his eyes shifted from fierceness to kindness. The man said something to his followers, and they each pulled down their scarfs so that we could see their faces. The men’s shoulders had been tensed and poised to attack but now they relaxed, aware that we weren’t their enemies.
“My deepest apologies,” the leader said with a slight bow. His skin was extremely tanned from the sun, and the lower half of his face was covered in a thick jet-black beard. The other men had equally tan skin and dark facial hair. “When we saw you, I’m afraid we assumed the worst. We have to, otherwise, we wouldn’t survive out here.”
“Let’s talk inside.” I gestured for the men to enter our tent. I sensed no ill will in these men, and anyone who despised King Alistair couldn’t be all bad. The men followed us into the tent, and together, we all sat around the fire.
“So, who are you guys? And why does good king Alistair want your heads?” Rana asked as she leaned her back against Xerxes, her arms behind her head.
“I am Makar, this is Tal, Kala, Nivir, Vish, Shekiim, and Rashi,” the leader said as he knelt down and pointed to each of the men, and they nodded as their names were called. “These men are members of the rebel army, and I am their leader.”
“Rebel army?” Carmedy tilted her head to one side. “No offense, but there’s only six of you. That’s not much of an army.
“There are many more of us.” The bearded man chuckled at Carmedy’s words. “Our camp is not too far from here. The five of us only came because you were within close proximity, and as I said before, we thought you to be a threat.”
“Hold on a second,” Rana said slowly. “By any chance were you guys following us earlier today?”
“No.” The rebel leader shook his head. “Though we were aware of your presence many hours ago, we did not approach you until night fell.”
“I see,” Rana murmured.
Annalíse cleared her throat in an effort to steer us back on topic. “You were going to tell us why King Alistair wants you dead?”
“Yes.” Makar nodded to the swordswoman. “We fight against the tyranny of the king and seek to place a worthier monarch in his place. The king has been made aware of our efforts and strives to kill all those who conspire to overthrow him.”
“What has he done that you wish to overthrow him?” I asked the rebel leader.
“The king is ruthless and greedy,” Makar said gravely. “He taxes the people into destitution. I gather that you have been to the port city before coming here?” The rest of us nodded silently. “Then you are aware that there is a massive water shortage.”
“Yes, we heard about the water shortage.” Annalíse furrowed her brow. “When we tried to ask people what had caused it, they seemed afraid to tell us.”
“They are afraid,” Makar said darkly. “Our water shortage is the fault of the king. The people are forced to live on unreasonable water rations, all because the king hordes it for himself. He uses it to tend to his lush and elaborate garden within his palace. Meanwhile, the continent is suffering and countless die of thirst day after day.”
“That’s terrible,” Carmedy breathed.
“And this is why we formed the rebel army,” the bearded man said with a somber expression upon his face. “The king must be stopped. If things continue in this manner, our civilization shall die, I’m sure of it.”
“That man is unfit to be a ruler,” I said bitterly.
“I agree my friend,” Makar said with a sad shake of his head. “I pray that soon King Alistair’s tyranny will be stopped once and for all. Our nation’s future depends on it.” He forced himself to smile as he looked over us. “But now, enough about this. Please, tell me about yourselves and the purpose of your travels.” Makar shifted his position so that he sat crosslegged and gestured for us to speak.
My minions and I quickly introduced ourselves and explained our quest to conquer each of the continents’ dungeons, as well as our mission to save Rana’s family. Makar and his men listened quietly with wide eyes as we relayed the adventures that we had experienced thus far.
“I admire your tenacity. To conquer all the dungeons in existence, this is no easy feat, my friends.” Makar chuckled. “And you say you plan
to travel to the next city tomorrow?”
“Yes, that’s right,” I replied.
“Then let me be of some use to you. There is an inn near the center of the city called the Golden Lamb. It’s run by a man named Kifi, he’s a dear friend of mine. When you get to the city, go there, mention my name, and he will make sure that you’re well taken care of. He’ll give you a fair price, and rest assured, you’ll have a safe place to lay your head for the night.”
“Thank you, we appreciate it.” Annalíse smiled softly. “I wish there was something that we could do to help your situation.”
“That is most kind of you, Annalíse,” the rebel leader bowed his head slightly, “but this is our fight, and we shall emerge victorious.” His utmost confidence in his men and his cause was plain. I could tell that he was strong-willed and the rebel army’s cause was unwavering. Both were admirable qualities, particularly in a leader.
As Makar continued to speak to us, a thought randomly crossed my mind. The unexpected presence of these men would be of some benefit to me. I had decided not to use my newfound ability acquired from the puppet master god on Annalíse. In fact, I refused to use any of my godly powers on any one of my minions. These men, however, didn’t have that privilege, and this would be the opportunity to test out my new mental prowess.
Unbeknownst to all others in the tent, I summoned the power of the puppet master. One by one, I peered into the rebels’ souls and pictures of the past flashed across my mind. As I had suspected, Makar’s soul was quite pure. He had been entirely truthful with us, and I could see the anguish that he and his people had suffered. He was a selfless leader and put the needs of his family, followers, and nation before his own.
I studied the minds of Tal, Kala, Nivir, Vish, Shekiim in turn and found them to be honorable men as well. They had all suffered injustice by the hand of the king and had served under Makar well. However, when I finally looked within Rashi, I sensed darkness.
As I rooted through Rahi’s memories, to my surprise I saw the man speaking with King Alistair in his palace and shaking hands. Just a few months ago, Rashi was one of the king’s top assassins, and he had been instructed to infiltrate Makar’s camp under the guise of a fellow rebel. His mission consisted of three parts. First, he was to gain the leader’s trust and rise amongst the ranks. The next step was to spread rumors amongst the rebel army that Makar was, in fact, loyal to the king and intended to turn his followers over to the royal guard. Finally, Rashi had been instructed to assassinate the rebel leader. Such a plan would assuredly leave the rebel army in utter shambles.
Without hesitation, I turned to Makar. “This man is a spy for the king,” I said as I pointed to Rashi. Makar turned from his discussion with my minions and stared at me in disbelief, as did the others, all except Rashi who gaped at me with unmistakable fear in his eyes.
“Th-this isn’t true,” the traitor stammered. Makar glanced at Rashi and then turned back to me.
“Indeed, this is nonsense, Rashi is loyal to our cause.” Makar shook his head in disbelief. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“I have looked into his mind, and within his memories, I saw him conspiring with the king,” I said bitterly. As I spoke, Rashi’s eyes grew wide, and his hands began to tremble.
The rebel leader folded his arms over his chest. “Have you proof of this supposed treason?”
“Indeed I do,” I intoned with a grave nod. “Upon looking within him, I learned that those employed by the king are forced to get a distinct tattoo of a red bird on their upper arms. All of Valasara’s soldiers have them, correct?”
“Yes this is true,” the bearded leader said slowly.
“Assassins employed by the king bear the same mark,” I said as I gestured toward the traitor. “Check his arm.” Makar hesitated and then slowly turned to Rashi.
“Raise your sleeve,” the rebel leader said as he narrowed his eyes.
“This is foolishness,” Rashi sputtered. “We don’t even know this man. For all we know, he is a supporter of the king just as you suspected before.”
“Raise your sleeve,” Makar said more firmly. Rashi gulped, and his cheeks began to flush. Without another word, Makar grabbed hold of Rashi’s wrist and tore away the sleeve of his robe. There on the man’s arm was a small tattoo of a red bird just as I had said.
“Traitor,” Makar hissed. The other rebels gasped in surprise and then their shocked expressions quickly shifted to looks of hatred.
Rashi’s eyes darted back and forth between the Makar and the tent flap. Suddenly, the would-be assassin wrenched his arm away from Makar, and as he clumsily rose to his feet, he knocked the rebel leader to the ground. The treacherous man attempted to make a break for the tent opening, but the other rebels whom he had once called comrades barred his way.
“You are going nowhere you treacherous scum,” Makar sneered. Though he spoke with anger, I could see the hurt in his eyes from being betrayed by someone whom he’d trusted.
The rest of us rose to our feet and watched as the man skidded to a halt and looked around desperately. There was nowhere for him to turn. With a wild look in his eye, Rashi whirled around to face me. He bellowed and suddenly charged at me, undoubtedly the most foolish choice that he could have possibly made. As he flew at me and attempted to draw the sword at his hip, I reeled back my arm and sent a punch right in between his eyes.
For a few moments, the man blinked in surprise, as if his mind was trying to process the power of the blow I had landed upon him before he crumpled to the floor in a pathetic heap. Makar muttered something to his men in Valasarian. They immediately yanked the unconscious man to his feet and bound his hands behind his back.
“I can’t believe that guy,” Rana sneered as she shook her head. “I mean what was he thinking? Where was he going to run?”
“Desperate men commit foolish acts,” Morrigan said blankly.
“I thank you for exposing this treacherous snake.” Makar folded his hands and bowed to me reverently. “I am indebted to you, if you ever have need for anything, anything at all, please do not hesitate to ask.”
I nodded regally. “You are most welcome. When I have need, I will call upon you.”
“Now, we shall take your leave, we have intruded upon your time for long enough,” Makar said as he rose to his feet. He walked toward the tent flap and gestured for his men to follow, and the rebels filed behind him with Rashi in tow. Once he had reached the tent’s opening, Makar paused and then he turned back to look at me. The other rebels halted seeing that their leader had stopped.
“One more thing,” the rebel leader said as he proceeded to dig through the pocket in his coat. He pulled out a small glass orb that fit in the palm of his hand, and he handed it over to me. “When that time comes, simply look into the glass ball and speak my name. This device will allow me to speak to you no matter the distance between us.”
“Thank you, Makar,” I said as I placed the small sphere into my void pocket.
“I hope that we meet again.” The bearded leader smiled at me and shook my hand firmly. With that, he and his followers left our tent, and the sound of their footsteps quickly disappeared.
“Sand demons, human puppets, rebel armies, and assassination plots,” Rana said as she laid down on the ground and covered herself with her blankets. “I don’t know about you, but it’s been a very long day.”
“Those poor people,” Carmedy said quietly as she rested on her side and pulled her covers to her chin. “That King Alistair is so mean, hogging all that water to himself just for his silly garden.”
“It’s despicable,” Annalíse said bitterly. She remained beside the fire and stared into its flames as she spoke. “That man is unworthy of the title of king. A ruler is meant to lead their people and protect them. To be the very cause of their strife, it’s… contemptible. If only there was something we could do.”
“You heard the words Makar spoke, it is their fight not ours,” Morrigan said as she nestled beneat
h her blankets.
“And I also heard him say that the people here are suffering and dying of thirst,” Annalíse retorted with a bit of sharpness to her tone. “Don’t you feel pity for these people?”
“We have our own matters to attend to,” Morrigan said unfeelingly. “Everyone cannot be saved, Annalíse. This is none of our concern.”
Annalíse turned to me, and properly so, as I was the final arbiter on the actions of my minions. “Don’t you think we should do something?” the swordswoman said, and she folded her arms over her chest as she waited for my reply.
I was quiet for a moment before I finally spoke. “Makar has shown us kindness, and it’s most unfortunate that the people here are suffering under the rule of such an inadequate ruler.” I raised a finger. “I will think the matter over and inform you of my decision later.”
Annalíse pursed her lips and released a dissatisfied sigh but said nothing and turned back to flickering fire.
I offered no other words and laid down beneath thick warm blankets. Rana was right, it had indeed been a long day, and I needed to rest. Though I was certain the human woman was now fully pleased by my declaration, she knew her place well enough not to press further and laid down to sleep with the rest of us.
Before long, the fire began to die down, and its quivering flames faded away along with the shadows they threw against the walls of our tent. My eyelids began to droop as I mulled over the events that had transpired today. It was hard to believe that so much had occurred between the sun’s rising and falling. We had gotten closer to learning the secrets that Annalíse hid, but the freckled swordswoman still remained a mystery. During our confrontation with Makar, the female warrior had revealed her knowledge of foreign laws and customs as well as the fact that she had traveled to Valasara before, something that she had failed to mention before.
And then there was the matter of the rebel army and King Alistair. I pitied the people who lived here, and I understood Annalíse’s desire to help the citizens of Valasara. Still, while it was the honorable thing to do, was it the wisest decision to aid the rebels directly? I folded my hands beneath my head and watched the smoke from the fire pillow out of the roof’s opening as I mulled over the pros and cons.