Legacy Of The Golden Wielder: A Novella Prequel to the Void Wielder Trilogy

by Cesar Gonzalez

  “I like to read.”

  “Why, me too,” said Aadi, suddenly appreciating all those times Zoen had read books out loud to him. It wasn‘t exactly reading, but it was close enough. “I know all the classics. From Tales of the Huxleberry, to the Epic of Chaos. I even know the writings of the prophet, Serilda.” He frowned. “Well, before she went berserk and tried to create an army of those Daitengu creatures.”

  “Consider me impressed,” said Ishani. “Those writings are written in very old text.”

  “How about you? A servant girl usually—” Aadi stopped himself a second too late. It was bad enough she was a servant, now it might look to her as if he was looking down on her because of it. Now he’d done it. She probably wouldn’t want to speak to him anymore.

  “It’s fine,” she said in a low voice, noticing his discomfort. “I’m a servant. You can say it.” Aadi’s tense body relaxed. “I’m proud of being a servant. It beats my old life.” She suddenly grew quiet. She stared up at the stars that peeked in through the hole in the cave’s ceiling. “There are things in this world that I will never understand. Like how a human being could subjugate another.” Her eyes and voice were distant, and he knew that she was talking more to herself than to him.

  “You were a slave?” he asked, piecing her words together. He played with his fingers. Aadi knew that slavery had been outlawed in many cities, but not all of them. It was one of the things that bothered him the most about Va’siel.

  “Yes. I was born into it. My entire family was born into slavery. The master treated us very badly. We would work hard in the farm. I was only five, but could fill as many orange sacks as a grown man. But it was never enough for him.” Her body grew rigid and her voice tensed. “One day I got really ill. I’ll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I was on the brink of death. Mother knew that the master would insist that I work either way. So that night we snuck out of the farm toward the city of Belwebb. We almost made it, but another slave informed the master of our flight. He caught us a little before sunup.”

  Aadi remained quiet. Too engrossed to utter a word.

  Her voice cracked. “He tied my mom to a post and whipped her naked back mercilessly. He made me watch as her skin ripped to shreds.” A quiet tear traveled down her cheek and atop her lip. She remained staring at the stars, her expression stern. “I can still hear her whimpering.”

  Aadi’s skin goose bumped as he thought back to the screams he himself heard every night.

  “With her last breath, she begged him to spare her children. But of course, he didn’t care what a lowly slave had to say. Once mom was dead, he tied my younger sister to the pole.” Her teeth were bare. “She was only three. I pleaded for him to take me. But he also made me watch as he b-beat her t-to death. Then he tied me. For how long he lashed out at me with that whip, I do not know. All I know is that I felt such pain that I found myself begging for death. I’m sure I was on the brink of it. But then I heard her, the voice of a girl demanding that the master stop.”

  “Who would have dared?” Aadi muttered, only vaguely aware that he’d asked the question.

  “That’s exact question what was going through my head. When I looked up, I saw a girl who had to be about my age. She was wearing the clothes of a servant, but that didn’t stop her from standing directly in front of the master and demanding him to halt his attack. He ignored her and whipped her. It was the last attack he ever made.”

  “What happened?”

  “The girl was Princess Latiha. She’d run ahead of her father’s envoy when she heard the screams. When the emperor caught up and saw what had happened to his daughter, he went into a fit of rage. As I’m sure you’re aware, he is not a forgiving man. He had his guards tie the master to a pole and whip him with metal chains until he died. He then threw him into the river.” Ishani’s voice was cold and emotionless. “Crocodiles, no doubt, ate his remains. Afterwards Latiha insisted that I come along with her. The emperor does anything for Latiha. He grudgingly agreed.”

  “She saved your life, then.”

  “Yes. She had the royal healers tend to me. It’s true that I’m her servant, but she’s also like a sister to me. She shares and gives me more than I have ever deserved.” She stood silent for a moment, and then turned to Aadi. “I’m sorry. I have never told anyone that story.”

  “So why did you now?”

  “I don’t know. I think is because I feel so at ease with you. Or maybe it’s because I see that same grief of loss in your eyes. You understand more than most what I’ve gone through.”

  “Y…yes,” he forced the word from his lips. “I suppose I do.” His hand trembled.

  “Let’s talk about something else,” she offered, no doubt noticing his discomfort. “What is your favorite color?”

  “Brown,” he said smiling. “It is the color of the earth….”

  They lost all sense of time as they got tangled in a web of conversations. One that began with favorite colors, but that stretched to favorite foods, hobbies, dream jobs, and so much more. The more time passed, the more Aadi couldn’t believe how lucky he had been to meet her. Speaking with her flowed so naturally, which is why his heart sunk when she pointed out that the moon was now directly at the center of the sky.

  “I should get back to the palace,” she said. “It’s already midnight.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  They walked out of the cave and back to Missea. Unlike their earlier walk, which had been awkward and silent, they now spoke all the way to the palace. The entire trek was dark, with only the moon and a few flickering fire torches serving as light sources.

  Aadi was surprised, when instead of going through the main palace gates, Ishani moved around the rocky walls of the palace.

  “Where are we going?” asked Aadi.

  “I’m not supposed to be out this late. But Latiha and I have our own secret entrance.” Sure enough, she led him around what appeared to be the backside of the mansion. She took a gold key out of her pocket and used it to open a stone door. It squeaked loudly as she pushed it open. “This door leads directly to the window of her room. Her dad doesn’t know we have a key.”

  Aadi took a gulp as they gazed at the large mansion grounds. The grass was green and lush trees dotted the landscape. It almost seemed normal, as if the earth wasn’t going through a drought.

  “Well,” said Ishani. “I suppose this is goodbye.”

  “Yes. I think it is.” He stood, looking at her awkwardly, not really sure what to do. Should I give her a hug? No, she’ll think I’m coming on too strong. Then again, I’ve never been one to move slowly.

  “Kiss her!” someone shouted from above.

  Aadi looked up to the open window in the tower before them. Latiha was staring down at them, accompanied by half a dozen giggling servant girls.

  “Latiha!” Ishani complained. “Don’t say—”

  Before she could finish, something took a hold of him and he pulled her soft lips into his. Aadi saw stars. At first her body seemed tense, but a second later, she relaxed as they continued to kiss under the light of the moon. His hands caressed her back. He felt a soft lump under her clothes, and he knew it must have been a scar from the attack she had suffered as a child.

  They both moved back as the girls above them spoke to themselves in hushed whispers.

  “Well, I’ll see you later,” said a red-faced Ishani.

  “Tomorrow night?” Aadi asked eagerly.

  “Yes. Tomorrow night.” She waved at him and locked the door behind her.

  His heart pounded as he walked down the silent streets, humming to himself and licking the lingering taste of honey she had left on his lips.

  He had barely found her, but now he found himself wondering how he had ever lived without her.

  Chapter 5

  The next six months were the best of Aadi’s life. At least twice a week he and Ishani would sneak out to their secluded cave. They would share in kisses from time to time, but mo
stly they spent the nights talking about their lives and goals. When he was with her he felt more at ease. His dreams, too, had become more pleasant.

  The only minor drawback he had experienced was in raising awareness of the creature that was set to suck the planet dry. Every day at noon, he would go to the city square and shout out the prophecy he’d heard, hoping someone would listen. But every day he was ignored by every passerby. He had even resorted to going to the praying temples. He had to get the priests on his side. Surely if they preached with him, people would listen. But no priest wanted anything to do with him. Many would call the guards as soon as they saw him coming.

  Regardless of his streak of bad luck, Aadi kept his head high. He was certain his luck was going to change soon. Someone with influence was bound to listen. Then they would be able to do something about the mysterious creature.

  ~~~

  Things began to change on the first night of the full moon. The night began well, as usual. Aadi met Ishani at the city gates and they snuck out to their hidden sanctuary. On that particular night, she had managed to bring boiled eggs and two pichion drumsticks.

  “You didn’t really have to bring this. I’m glad with just plain mana.”

  “I know,” she said. “But I wanted you to taste my cooking. It took me hours to prepare it. What do you think? Do you like it?”

  Aadi took a bite. The salted meat did wonders for his taste buds. “It’s delicious. Thanks.”

  She smiled and gave him a peck on his cheek. “You’re welcome.”

  Once done, they headed back to the city through the usual dark path. They were holding hands and setting up their next date when Aadi saw a flicker of movement behind the large stone ahead. He dismissed it, figuring it had to be a bird, but a second later he saw the movement again. He knew it had to be something else.

  His palms grew clammy as he took a look at their surroundings. The city was still a good distance away. Nothing but rocks, thistles, and hard dirt surrounded them. There was no way anyone in Missea would be able to hear them from this distance. If it were just he alone, he wouldn’t be so scared, but if any harm were to befall Ishani, he would never forgive himself.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked, no doubt noticing his nervousness.

  “I think there are some bandits up ahead.”

  She looked up where he had pointed and then back at him. “Aww. You worry too much, honey. That’s just a stone.”

  But just as she finished speaking, a shadow hopped from behind the rock. A second later, three more shadows joined it. Aadi and Ishani moved slightly closer to one another.

  He took a step back, startled. “We have nothing of value,” said Aadi.

  The bandits didn’t seem to care. They moved closer. Slowly, the silhouettes took form. All four of them wore the same blue shirts and dusted brown pants. Their bony cheekbones protruded through their grimy skin. But what surprised Aadi was the bandits’ young appearance. None of them could have been past eighteen years of age. And to top it all off, one of them was the same boy he had helped back at Missea.

  “We helped you get away from that space wielder,” said Ishani. She no doubt had recognized the boy as well. “Is this how you repay kindness?”

  The biggest of the boys, one with an oversized scar above his right eye, turned to the smallest boy. “Is that true, Bester?”

  Bester nodded his head, causing his shaggy black hair to sway wildly. “Yes, Salik. They helped me escape capture once.”

  “Then that’s even more reason for us to beat the living snot out of him,” said the large, gangly boy. “What kind of idiots risk their necks for someone they don’t even know?” The boys nodded in agreement.

  Before Aadi had a chance to react, something hard slammed into the side of his head. He barely had time to notice a fifth boy jump down from atop the small cliff before he crumpled, dazed to the ground. The world went in and out of focus.

  “You hit him pretty hard with that rock,” said Bester. “You might have killed him.”

  The newcomer waved his hand. “Nah. He’ll live. All we have to do now is take him to….”

  “You’re not going to take him anywhere,” Ishani declared. She stood perfectly still.

  “Move aside, sweetheart.” Salik cackled. “We only want him. Don’t make us hurt you, too.”

  “I said you’re not going to take him anywhere.”

  Aadi tried to get up, but he simply crumpled back to the ground. He attempted to tell her to run and leave him behind. But all he managed to blurt out was gibberish moaning.

  His world froze as Salik threw a punch. He expected to hear Ishani’s cry as the boy’s fist connected. But instead, Ishani moved to the side, causing the punch to miss by a hair.

  There was a murmur of awe from among the boys.

  Salik wore a face of anger and embarrassment. “I’ll teach you!” He moved in with a series of wild punches.

  Aadi’s jaw practically fell to the ground as Ishani dodged and weaved between the attacks. Then, in a burst of speed, she shot under the boy. Her open palm struck Salik’s jaw. There was a bone crunching sound as he staggered to the ground.

  “Get her!” he shouted from where he had fallen.

  The rest of the boys pounced at once. Again, Aadi tried to get up, and again he fell. His vision simply wasn’t back to normal. But soon he saw it didn’t matter. With a well-placed kick, Bester and another boy were sent reeling into the rocky walls. Blood was gushing out of both their noses as they turned tail and ran.

  One of the boys got behind Ishani and grabbed her wrist. Without missing a beat, she threw herself on the floor, bringing her feet up. The bottom of her foot met the boy’s large nose. He too fell.

  Still holding herself up by her hands, she twirled toward the last boy. The blur of fierceness looked like a human tornado. The boy brought up his hand in an attempt to block. But the hit never came. Instead, Ishani propelled herself into the air with her hands. Her legs wrapped around the boy’s neck. Her elbow slammed against his skull. The boy rocked from side to side. Before he could fall, Ishani brought her body down over the chest of the boy. She flipped him over, sending him in a somersault through the air. There was a loud crack as he fell head first.

  Having recovered, Salik moved behind Ishani.

  No!

  Once again, his worries proved unfounded.

  Ishani whipped forward. Her legs and fists moved in a vicious flurry of punches and kicks. Salik tried his best to block, but Ishani’s attacks were much too precise and powerful. She jumped over him, wrapped her hand around his neck from behind, and grappled him to the ground.

  “What do you want with him?” she demanded. Her arms remained firmly around Salik, locking him in place. “Talk!”

  For the first time, the smug smile had been wiped off Salik’s face. “N-nothing. It was our boss. He—­”

  Ishani let go as the last boy came at her from behind with a long stick. With an open palm strike, she snapped it in half.

  Both boys used this moment to flee into the darkness. “If anyone asks, make sure you say there were over ten of them,” Aadi heard Salik say.

  “Are you alright?” Ishani asked, leaning over him.

  His vision had returned to him. “Better question, where in the world did you learn to fight like that?”

  “I told you, remember? Latiha and I have been training since we were little girls.”

  “I know, but I thought you knew how to throw a few punches. I wasn’t expecting that.” He picked himself up in wobbly legs. “Anyhow. Thanks. I got a bit of a headache, but I think I’ll be fine thanks to you”

  “Aww, my poor baby.” She leaned in and kissed his forehead.

  “Actually, my cheek also hurts.”

  She planted a quick kiss on his right cheek.

  He felt slightly better. “My lips are a bit sore, too.”

  Grinning, she leaned in and kissed him softly. Then she moved back, examining him carefully. “What do you think they w
anted with you?”

  “I don’t know. I’m sure they’re just simple bandits.” But even as he said the words, he didn’t believe them, and he could tell that Ishani wasn’t sold on the idea either. The bandits had left empty handed. That is why he was certain they would be back for him, sooner rather than later.

  Chapter 6

  “See?” Zoen said after Aadi had told him about the attack. “Didn’t Frode and I warn you about speaking out in public about the scroll? No good can come of it. Now you’re being targeted.”

  Aadi took a sip from the cinnamon tea Ishani had made him. He savored the spicy flavor as the warm feeling traveled down to his stomach. “You worry too much, Zoen.”

  “Still the optimist, I see.” Zoen served himself a mug of the tea. “Give Ishani my thanks. The food she sent the other day was delicious.”

  “Yes,” answered Aadi, glad the conversation had strayed away from the attack. “I definitely will.”

  That night, in his sleep, he saw her again. Her face was clearer than ever before. Grimy drops of sweat ran down her forehead as she struggled against the pull. He gripped her clammy hands, but he wasn’t strong enough to keep her in his grip. Seconds later, she slipped out of his fingers, and into the darkness.

  He snapped awake with a loud scream. Her pained voice drilled into his head, growing softer by the second. Live a happy life. Live a happy life. L…live a happy life.

  To his right, Zoen snored softly under the glow of the dying candle. Good. At least I didn’t wake him with my shouts. He quietly stood and headed out of the sewers, trying his best to force the nightmarish images out of his head.

  The warm morning sun welcomed him as he pushed the squeaky sewer gate open. He took in the fresh breeze as he made his way down the beggar filled roads and toward the city square. He didn’t care if Zoen was right or not. He was determined to get the word out about what was really happening. Someone somewhere was bound to help.