Second Born

by Lance Wilson

  “Do I have to, really I would just rather take a little nap.” He says calmly closing his eyes.

  “Yes we have to go, there is a lot to do before I take you back home and I only have tonight. Now, you are my apprentice, listen to your master” Fuma continues but this time his voice has a stern and strict sound to it.

  Attonnan now pretty drunk only gets out of his chair and wobbles a bit, quickly he grabs the back of his chair and closes his eyes. Fuma gently takes Attonnan by the shoulder

  “Do you think you can make it, we have to travel some distance, to the arena.” Fuma says smiling at him

  “I shall make it my lord” Attonnan says and smiles at his lord.

  “Come then, we have some traveling to do, it won’t take long, hour at best” Fuma says and walks to the bar leaving Attonnan to balance himself.

  Fuma walks over and pays for the meal and wine it is not much, more then he would have liked and more then he would want to normally spend on a slave, but this one will give him his money back. He is sure of that. All he has to do is get him to the arena, let his master look at his newest apprentice and then, get the permission to mark him. He has only gone this far with one other apprentice, his name was Kenshi, a great spear wielder, he never got his investment back on that one, but he will on this apprentice.

  With that Fuma and Attonnan continue through the city of Vivec, many times Attonnan has to stay near the walls in order to make sure he doesn’t fall down. They walk through the castle they are in, then they have to cross there first bridge, Attonnan is terrified at first, there is no wall, no rail to hold on to, the only boundary is about knee high and stone, if he pushes himself too much on that he is likely to fall over, he’s not sure how high up they are but he is sure that he can’t swim right now. As they begin to cross their first bridge he makes sure to stay near Fuma. Fuma glances over the first time that Attonnan bumps into him and smiles, he can easily figure out why Attonnan is staying so close and it is the smarter thing to do. They cross the bridge without problems and once on the next castle Attonnan goes back to staying near the wall. This continues through this castle and one more bridge, it is then that Attonnan gets his first look at the arena, it is huge. A perfectly round building, as white as his own skin. The building seems to shimmer in the moonlight and as they approach it they can see that all the entrances are locked down. Attonnan is slowly starting to sober up his head is also beginning to pound. He never should have had that much wine, but it tasted so good and he couldn’t get himself to pull away from it. Slowly they walk around the building, Fuma smiles at the locks but only walks to the back of the building and then gently open a door that is not locked. They walk into the arena to find that it is closed and that no one is here.

  “I have a question, if this is night and this is an arena, shouldn’t it be overflowing with people, for entertainment I mean” Attonnan says his holding his head a bit

  “Normally it would be, I’m not sure why it is closed tonight, but for us this is a good thing. Come I must take you to my master” Fuma says calmly and walks through the dirt covered halls. Everything is dark and dirty, Attonnan is sure that if it were open it would look a lot grander, but right now it just looks dark and dingy. He moves through the halls with Fuma, his head pounding, his eyesight blurred by the pain. He will never drink again that is for sure. As he walks he notices that they are going deeper and deeper into the arena, he is almost sure that now they are actually under it. It takes only a few moments before he finds himself facing a small wooden door, carved into the doorframe are symbols, symbols that he doesn’t understand.

  “Now before we enter, I have orders for you, this is my master and I will not have you disgrace me. Bow when I bow, but you are not to get up, keep to your knee and keep your head down, do not speak, just stay down and stay silent, do you understand, there can be no mistakes this time” He says glaring at Attonnan now.

  Attonnan only nods he is not sure why this is so important, but he will do it. With that Fuma knocks on the door and waits for it to open. The door slowly opens and creeks as it does. Fuma and Attonnan then enter what appears to be a smaller room, the room is dark but candles that are lit everywhere seem to give it an eerie glow. From the shadows walks a tall-cloaked figure; the cloaks and garments are black as night and the hood are pulled up so that nothing of the face can be seen. Without warning or a word Fuma drops to one knee his hand forming a fist and folding over his chest, his head low looking only at the ground. Attonnan quickly does the same thing remembering what he had promised his master.

  “Fuma Hojo, it has been some time, why have you come. You have wanted nothing from Me.” the shadows figure says, his voice soft but frightening, the voice alone sends shivers up Attonnan’s spine.

  “I am here to talk of the clan, I wish to give the mark to another, my young apprentice” Fuma says and stands back up; Attonnan only keeps to the ground.

  “Oh, let us… .” but his sentence is stopped as he looks over at Attonnan,

  He has not seen this energy ever before, his hands tremble as he looks him over. No, this cannot be.

  “How dare you bring one of his to my door. I want him out, get him out now or I shall have your hide you fool” The figure says his voice now like thunder.

  “My master, what are you talking about, I am confused, he is an elf, of the Unagi clan.” He says knowing that the Dagoth clan has never feared the Unagi.

  “He has the mark of the Haku clan, I do not know if he is of the clan but Haku has touched him, now get him out” He says growling at him.

  “That matters not, I have broken him, he is mine, body and spirit” Fuma says now turning his back on his master

  How dare he question his choice, Attonnan is a fine swordsman and would make an excellent Dagoth.

  “I warn you Fuma, this youth is not to be trusted, do not mark him for any reason” the figure says now pointing to the door.

  Knowing better then to question his master he only bows low and then places his hand on Attonnan’s shoulder. It is time to go. With that Attonnan gets up keeping his eyes to the ground, his mind reeling from what he has just heard. Who is this Haku and when was he touched, or another question just as puzzling is why. He can tell that the information has upset lord Fuma, if only he could take it back, take it back to please his master, to make this Dagoth Ur like him, want him to be marked, what ever that meant. He only takes a deep breath and follows his master outside the compound, outside the arena, back into the streets

  For a bit of time they stand outside the arena, Fuma growling and leaning against the wall. How dare his master turn this one down, this young man who is the most accomplished swordsman of his age that he has seen since Kenshi, although Kenshi was a spear wielder. He shouldn’t however question his master, he has tapped into the ways of the Dagoth clan, no one has learned all the secrets, not since the books of the eight have been lost, some say there were nine books, but no one knows, these are only things that are written about, in times when elves were still young.

  “My lord, I am sorry for what I might have done, I never meant to anger him, I did as you said, I’m sorry” Attonnan says, his lord hasn’t spoken a word on almost half an hour, just stood there and growled as he looked onto the night sky.

  Fuma looks down at his young apprentice, how could his master doubt his skills in manipulation and control. Attonnan is collared as easily as the most loyal lap dog; he will do as he is told, when he is told. It was his master that taught him the ways of control, and yet he doubts him. Tells him that he is touched by Haku, but that is a lie, the Haku clan has been wiped off the face of the earth since the Great War. When the last two of the great clans battled and almost killed each other off, the Dagoth and Haku clans were the last, both were thought to be killed off, but only a millennium ago did the Dagoth clan resurface, but none of the other clans have, only the Dagoth, and even then
in the last 1000 years have 3 elves other then himself ever claimed the right to call themselves masters of the Dagoth clan. Lord and master Dagoth Ur is the last of the masters. He himself, Dagoth Ur’s only student has yet to finish his training, and will never get that chance. He made the mistake of questioning one of his lessons and was cast out. He will never get the chance, once cast out, that is it, that is the end of your training.

  “Master” Attonnan says, he wants to plea, to pray that his master forgives him. That is all he wants now, to please his new master.

  “We’re going home.” He says with a cold and dark voice, one still underlined with anger and hate.

  Deep in the compound still Dagoth Ur paces back and forth in his room. He has not felt that energy of the Haku before; they had been eliminated long before his time. But he knows that was what he felt today, as he walked up to the young elf he saw it, the water dragon himself, Haku has touched him. There is only a question why, why has the water dragon touched him. He can only hope that his apprentice Fuma Hojo is smart enough to do his bidding this time and keep from touching him with the ways of the Dagoth. Out from the shadows walks another cloaked forward, the black-cloaked figure is just as the Dagoth Ur the hood pulled up so no one cannot see the face. This one however is quite a bit smaller.

  “Tanar’ri Jaless, you were not summoned, and your lessons for the day I doubt are through. May I ask why you are here now?” Dagoth Ur says now turning to the young elf.

  “Master, I apologies, but I though I saw young master Dagoth Hojo” he says calmly his voice as cold as the night wind.

  “Watch your tongue, Fuma Hojo is no master and has not earned the right to be called by the clan of Dagoth. But now that you are here, I will have a task for you I think” He says looking onto a candle flame near by him.

  “What is this task you ask of me my lord and master” the young elf says now dropping to one knee bending his head low

  “Not yet, let us give this some time, get back to your lesson.” He says, still staring deep into the candle flame

  “Yes my master” He says and with that he walks back into the shadows.

  Fuma and Attonnan continue to walk down the streets, Fuma keeps his hands at his side growling at what is going on. So much of him what’s to ignore his masters teachings, mark him anyway, mark him and show his master that he knows better. As they are walking Attonnan’s eyes catch a man, he’s not sure why he is drawn to this man, he is dressed like the others, his head down. Something about him though, something about the air around him is telling him to watch this man, watch him carefully. They continue to walk down the street, the man walking in the opposite direction toward them. It is only when the man is about ten feet from them that he looks up, his eyes go right to Fuma, Attonnan instantly goes on the defensive. The man charges and Fuma who is snapped out of his own thoughts is taken off his guard, but Attonnan is faster. The man draws an eastern blade, slightly curved with a single edge. The man has the blade at his side level with the ground and already drawn as he charges. Attonnan quickly jumps in front of his master and waits. Just as the man gets close enough Attonnan sees his opportunity. It is a split second that Attonnan has to act, the man goes for his swing but Attonnan steps forward and to one side, placing his hands on the blade of the other man, then, spins quickly pulling the blade from the mans hand, and with one swift move he slices the man deep, so deep the man yells out and blood sprays on his master. The man soon falls to the ground, his eyes rolled back and his blood now spilling onto the ground. Attonnan looks down, he should feel something, but, but there is only a coldness to him. He didn’t know the man, why should he feel anything for him. And yet, he can feel his own tears running down his cheeks. He doesn’t feel like crying, yet here he is. Fuma is shocked at what has just happened in front of him. The man came at him, probably knew him from the time he was here with his master. But before he could do anything, and mind you he was safe enough, his apprentice handle it. Stole the blade from the man’s own hand and cut him down. As he smiles at his young apprentice he notices an oddity. His body splattered with droplets of blood, his face like a stone mask, and yet, tears are running down his face. Will this happen each time he kills he wonders. Also seeing this he knows now what he is going to do, he knows that he will mark him, but how and when, he will get home first. Get home and make him that much more of a servant, give him that much more skill with the blade.

  “Come Attonnan, we must get home” Fuma says and gently puts a hand on Attonnan’s shoulder.

  Attonnan only looks one more time at the body laying before him, why can’t he feel anything, and with that as his last thought to the man, he lays the blade on the mans back and walks off with his master, Fuma is now once again pleased with him and that is all that he wanted.

  Both of them walked briskly to the ship and with night on them Fuma gave the orders to take off for home. Fuma and Attonnan both slipped into the bed and before Attonnan knew it he was sound asleep.

  It is early afternoon when Attonnan wakes. Feeling the bed beside him he realizes that his master Fuma is not next to him anymore. Slowly he gets up and gets dressed with his white uniform and new armor. Once he is sure that it is one and fitted properly he opens the door and makes his way to the deck of the ship. As he makes his way through the bowls of the ship no one speaks to him, and no one seems to get in his way. He climbs the ladder to the deck and as soon as he opens the door to go up he has to cover his eyes from the bright light. He slowly climbs up and then is shocked at what he sees, the ship is like all the others he has had described to him. But this is a sky ship and so near the back there is a ring of fire. It is this element that has been bound to the ship that keeps it afloat. The ship itself seems a mass of movement, everyone on the deck is moving and doing something, some tying things down, some untying things, the sails are going up and as he stands there staring at all this he is shoved out of the way at least seven times by men trying to get things done. They don’t say sorry or say anything at all for that matter, they just let out a grunt and glare at him.

  “Boy, get out of the way, come up here,” a man shouts at him.

  Attonnan looks around and then sees the captain of the ship. He is a larger older man, and like most captains he stands at the helm of the ship his hands on the wheel. Attonnan smiles and walks up the stairs so that he is now standing beside the captain.

  “Stand there any longer boy and you would have been trampled. What is the likes of you doing on deck?” the captain says with a bit of a growl.

  Before he answers he takes a good look at the captain. He is an older elf with a face that shows of experience and hard work. His long gray hair is residing and now all he seems to have is a crown of hair. He has a long mustache and beard that is forked and braided. He is dressed in black baggy pants, a white baggy shirt with black vest, high black soft leather boots. He has a belt with a long sword on one side and a single bit axe on the other side, it looks to Attonnan that he is right handed, the sword is on his left side which means he would draw it with his right, unless he favors the axe in which case he is left handed.

  “I was looking for Master Fuma” Attonnan says turning his attention back to the crew

  “I haven’t seen him. But if your going to be wandering around on my deck then I’m going to put you to work” the captain says calmly and smiles down at him.

  Attonnan is not sure if what he says is true or if he can do that. He is lord Fuma’s apprentice now, not some sailor.

  “Captain, I would like you to remember that this is not your ship, you are of the Hojo clan and in that it is my lord and master Fuma’s ship. And I am his apprentice. You will not talk to me as such” Attonnan says calmly and growls at him, how dare he talk to him like this.

  “You will not speak to me that way boy I was sailing this ship before your lord Fuma was even a soldier in his first battle. And I’ll be damned if a pu
p like you is going to talk to me like I’m some kind of servant boy… Ishmael” the captain shouts making even Attonnan jump a bit.

  Hearing his name, Ishmael walks to the helm of the ship, he is the captain’s first mate and he is the one that was able to bond the element to the ship. He wears only a loincloth and wrapping over his hands and feet, nothing more, not for him. He is not an elf like most of the others on this ship though; he is an orukai, his skin a green brown and his hair long oily black that is in dread locks. Two tusks protrude from his lower jaw and show just beyond his upper lip. His eyes are a dark orange almost red.

  “You called captain?” He says in a deep gravel like voice.

  “Yes, take this pup and show him a days work.” The captain says smiling down at Attonnan now.

  “With pleasure” Ishmael says and grabs Attonnan by the shoulder.

  “Captain, I will have your hide for this” Attonnan says his eyes blazing, the sight of him frightens the captain, the bright blue flame deep inside those eyes, he has the eyes of the devil himself.

  With that Ishmael drags Attonnan off to a part of the ship.

  “Here take this rope and pull.” Ishmael says with a smirk.

  Attonnan takes a good look at the rope, the width of the rope is about the width of his wrist, but that does not stop him. He puts both hands on the rope and begins to pull. At first it is no problem, he takes a few steps and then before he knows it is like he hits a wall. The rope will not budge.

  “I said pull boy” Ishmael says and snarls at him.

  Attonnan growls and begins to pull harder; he does begin to make some progress, bit by bit. Ishmael smiles as he watches as he this young pup put his back into the work.

  The whole of the day Attonnan is given orders to pull this, tie that, shown what knots to use on what tasks, the boy is young but even Ishmael sees the determination and fury inside this young man, it seems to push him, give him drive. Ishmael works him more and more long past noon, it isn’t tell the sun begins to set that lord Fuma begins to look for him and goes to the captain hearing that he went on deck. Fuma is surprised when he talks to the captain and finds that Attonnan said the things that he did to the captain. He also knows that Ishmael is a hard man, he has seen that orukai work, he will work Attonnan just as hard. Fuma walks for some time and soon finds him tying off a rope, looking closely he can see the new calluses on his hands already bleeding, but he doesn’t show any pain, he doesn’t whimper or whine, he just works, pulling the rope tight and then tying it to the post. Ishmael looks over the knot to make sure it is done right and smiles to see that bits of the rope have blood soaked into it. He tests the knot and smiles again nodding to Attonnan.