by Khalid Uddin
Bo’az refused to answer.
“Don’t be a fool. I met Baltaszar the night before we came to your house and sent him on his way. He had the mark on his face. Yet, the next day you claimed it had already been gone for days.”
Bo’az acquiesced, clutching his arm. “Yes. We’re twins.”
Rhadames nodded, his eyes showing he already knew the answer. “You’ve kept the lie pretty well so far. Keep it going if you want to stay alive.”
Bo’az could feel the rope tightening around his feet. “Can’t you just kill Linas and let me on my way? Then you could just tell Darian that we were all killed.”
Trust me, boy. If I could, I would let you escape. But I need to keep an eye on you now to ensure that you live. And I still have unfulfilled promises to your father. I cannot afford to die or to be tortured just yet, which is what would happen if I let you go. In the meantime, it would be in your best interest to sleep. And no matter what, do not tell me your name. It’s better that I don’t know it. And now I’m going to have to put you to sleep.”
As Rhadames finished speaking, the cloudiness in Bo’az’s mind once again turned to blackness and oblivion as something smashed the back of his skull and knocked him flat on the ground.
Chapter 7
A Blind Man in Vandenar
From The Book of Orijin, Verse Forty-Nine
We do not merely judge you by your treatment of those whom you love. Be kind to those whom you do not know. Whom you do not understand. Whom you do not love. This fault has twice been the downfall of Mankind.
The blackness remained despite opening his eyes. The only difference was the innumerable pairs of beady red dots. Baltaszar sat up, as if from lying in bed, but could see nothing around him nor beneath him aside from the darkness.
Eyes. They’re eyes! The epiphany did not comfort nor disturb him. It was merely an admission to something he realized he’d known all along.
The air grew heavy and hot, as if an invisible fire roared all around him. The eyes simultaneously melted and dripped, forming a red pool that moved toward him. As the thick liquid reached his right hand, Baltaszar screamed from the scorch of heat.
The darkness ripped away and Baltaszar jolted from sleep and sat upright. These damn dreams again. He inspected his hand; it was surprisingly very warm but not burnt. And all evidence of the snake bite had disappeared. How is this possible?
He heard a knock nearby and, for the first time, realized he lay in a bed in an unfamiliar room. The walls were bare, with the exception of empty candle holders and a mirror and dresser to his left. Before he could respond, the door opened and a young girl peeked inside.
“Is there trouble, Lord Harbinger?”
What did she just call me? “Lord Harbinger?”
She opened the door and stepped into the room. “I apologize, my lord. We do not know yer name but, well, the black line. Obviously ya are a Descendent. So we’ve taken to callin’ ya Lord Harbinger.”
At further glance, the girl wasn’t really so young, but likely of an age with Baltaszar. She was slightly shorter than he and had a thin frame. Her grey, almond-shaped eyes were more beautiful than any he’d ever seen, even Yasaman’s. She’d tied her silky-thin black hair behind her head and wore a simple brownish-grey frock, similar to those that the maids wore in Haedon. The only difference was how low cut it was, revealing the girl’s huge bosom.
Baltaszar caught himself staring too long and the girl giggled at his gaze. He cleared his throat, “Baltaszar. My name is Baltaszar. I’m fine, just a bad dream.”
“Lord Baltaszar. Just like Darian’s best friend. Or so they say. I am Anahi. If ya need anything, anything at all, all ya have to do is ask.” She winked at him, “I make it a point ta take care o’ all Descendants to the best o’ my abilities. Especially ye…we don’t get many o’ ya brown-skinned boys this far west.”
“I…all right.” Baltaszar had too many questions to start asking while naked in bed.
Anahi turned to leave the room and gave Baltaszar one last smile. “Weird that Desmond didn’t mention anythin’ about other Descendants bein’ in this area. He just left a few days ago.” She didn’t wait for a response and closed the door behind her.
Baltaszar got up and found his clothes folded in the dresser, washed, dried and smelling of lavender. He pulled them on and left the room. As he’d suspected, he was at an inn. Though it could have been anywhere. He had no idea how long he’d slept or how far he’d traveled. With any hope, he was in the town Slade had told him to find. Van…Vandenar. Well, let’s find out, shall we. Are you still not talking to me?
He got no response.
Good. Maybe I’ll never hear from you again. Baltaszar walked down the hall past other rooms and then down a wooden staircase at the end. The bottom gave way to a large community room where a few people sat eating at tables. He cautiously entered the room but no one even glanced up at him.
“Lord Harbinger!” A hearty voice shouted from his left, “Yer finally awake! That’s one heck o’ a bite ya took, we were wonderin’ how long you’d be out.”
The voice belonged to a middle aged man behind the bar. His almond eyes and yellow skin were similar to Anahi’s, though that was the extent of the resemblance. The man had only short grey hair on the sides of his head, which matched the hair sprouting from his ears. He was chubby but not fat, and as soon as Baltaszar saw his smile, he knew the man was the type who was always smiling. “My name is Baltaszar. Baltaszar Kontez. Is this Vandenar? Am I in Vandenar?”
“Baltaszar, huh? Will do, son. Name’s Cyrus Baek. Yes, this is Vandenar, well no, this here is my inn, the Happy Elephant, but well, yeah, in Vandenar. Anyway, how ya feelin’ son?”
Baltaszar leaned on the bar counter, “I’m better, tha…”
“Go on, sit down boy. Ya don’t hafta worry about bein’ polite an’ so lordly ta me! Go on, sit on the stool; get comfortable!” Cyrus pointed to the high wooden stool next to Baltaszar.
Baltaszar sat and continued, “I’m fine, thank you. Was it you who rescued me?”
“You bet it was. Me an’ my fishing crew. We saw ya from way off, wavin’ an’ thrashin’ about an’ once we saw ya go down, we knew exactly what happened. That river is darn full o’ them sea serpents. We catch one of ‘em for every five fish we get. An’ they got so much poison that ya can’t even cook ‘em. Just gotta throw ‘em back! Some reason, they only eat certain fish though, so at least they save some fer us.
“But anyway, like I said we saw ya from far. Only when we actually picked ya up did we realize yer a Descendant. Hopefully ya can forgive us takin’ so long. Had we known we woulda tried ta get ya much quicker.”
Baltaszar looked around at the few other patrons eating and yawned. His mouth watered at the sight of plates with hot food. “It’s nothing. You came and saved me and I’m alive and well because of it. Thank you. It doesn’t matter who I am or what’s on my face. You’re a good man.”
“Least I could do. Ya look hungry son; let me fix up a plate fer ya.”
“I have no coin to pay you. Besides, you’ve done enough already. I’m sure you could use my room for someone else.”
Cyrus chuckled, “Ha! Yer money’s no good here, my lord. Any friend o’ Desmond is welcome here, no charge. The King can bring his ass here an’ I’ll tell him the same darn thing! Vandenar an’ the Happy Elephant protect our Descendants! Anyway, what was I sayin’? Oh, right. You folk eat an’ stay free. Whenever ya want.”
What is he talking about? “Desmond? I don’t know who Desmond is.”
“Oh. Yer new to the House? Maybe Desmond doesn’t know ya too well then. He just left fer the House, too. Doesn’t really know many o’ ya. Speakin’ o’ which, what brings ya all the way up here anyway? Summer’s endin’ an’ ain’t much happenin’ in Vandenar now. Ya lookin’ fer someone in Vandenar? Or were ya lookin’ for somethin’ in the Never? Is that why you were crossin’ the river from up there?”
Baltaszar’s eyes shot u
p. “You know of the House of Darian? Is it far from here? Slade told me to come here and people could direct me to it. I’m not here on business. I’m from Haedon. That’s why I came from the Never.
“House is about a week’s ride from here. Just gotta follow the road south. Ya never been there yet? Never heard o’ Haedon. How far is that?”
“Haedon is in the mountains. About a three day walk into the Never.”
Cyrus chuckled again and whipped the counter with his white hand towel. “In the Never! Haha, boy! All ya gotta say is ya can’t tell me yer business. Psshh. I’m used ta Desmond givin’ me the secrecy bit. He’s my nephew an’ he ain’t even straight with me. So ya want some food or what?” He poked his head through a door behind the bar, “Ellie! Make me a plate o’ eggs an’ a steak! I got a hungry Black-line boy out here! Desmond’s friend! Make it quick!”
“Thanks again. I am starving. But seriously. It’s no joke or trick. My town is in the forest up in the mountains. It’s called Haedon. Our chancellor is Oran Von.”
“Yep. Now you’re definitely lyin’, boy. ‘Haedon’ means ‘hidden city’ in Imanol, the old tongue. Who in their right mind would call a town ‘hidden city’ an’ then put it in the middle o’ all that haunted forest?” Cyrus shook his head at Baltaszar, “I know I look dumb, son, but I still got more wits than hair. What ya drinkin’?”
Baltaszar understood now that it would be pointless to pursue the argument further. “Water.”
“Anyway, yer welcome to stay as long as ya need, boy. Friend o’ Desmond or not, I know ya boys always up to somethin’ important. I won’t get in yer way, just holler if ya need anythin’. ‘N if anyone’s snoopin’ around, I won’t tell em’ yer here. Have some breakfast then go back an’ rest up some more. I’ll send Anahi up ta take care o’ ya. She’s lookin’ forward ta seein’ ya anyway. Won’t shut up about ‘the brown-skinned Lord’.”
A maid came through the door with Baltaszar’s breakfast, three eggs over a giant steaming steak. Baltaszar took the knife and fork and immediately shoveled food into his mouth.
“Eat up boy, we got plenty o’ that. Not many travelers now that summer’s done, so let me know if ya want more.” Cyrus set a mug of water next to Baltaszar’s plate.
Baltaszar could only nod; he stuffed his mouth with a new mouthful as soon as he’d swallowed the previous mouthful. The steak was twice the size of any he’d ever had in Haedon. It tasted a bit gamey, compared to steak up in Haedon, but it was still amazingly delicious. After a few minutes, he’d cleaned the plate and would have asked for another, except that he didn’t want to impose. The feeling of a full belly made him lethargic and he decided he would heed Cyrus’ advice to rest for a while more.
“Anythin’ else I can get ya, boy?”
“No thank you, Cyrus. That was incredible. I think I’ll go take a nap.” Baltaszar returned to his room and lay down. Sleep would come easy with his body still tired and coupled with a full belly. He drifted off for what seemed like hours of thankfully dreamless sleep and woke up to something warm pressing against his body. Baltaszar blinked away the sleep in his eyes to see Anahi nestled against him, her head on his bare chest. “What are you doing, girl?” Baltaszar jolted out of the bed as the well-endowed girl awoke, disoriented. “Are you crazy or something? I didn’t tell you to come in here!”
Anahi furrowed her brow, confused and insulted, “I told ya that I would take care o’ ya, my lord. Ya didn’t refuse, so I assumed ya were fine with some good ol’ snugglin’.” Her confusion turned to annoyance. “Are ya so dense that ya didn’t understand my meanin'? Or were ya so enchanted while starin’ at my breasts that ya didn’t hear anythin’ I said?”
Baltaszar flushed at the accusation. He had no defense against her, he should have known better. “No, you’re right. I didn’t do anything to turn you away. I suppose, deep down I didn’t think you were serious. That maybe you were simply flirting casually.”
“So then, do ya want me ta stay or not, Lord Baltaszar?”
“Please don’t call me that. It’s just Baltaszar. I am no lord. And though I would love for you to stay, I cannot. My heart belongs to another, and I cannot be with another girl knowing that we might still have a future.”
“That’s quite noble o’ ya. Most men forget they’re taken the second another girl offers herself ta them.”
“Well I suppose I’m not most men. And believe me, it’s nothing personal. I’ll regret refusing you, but I’d regret accepting your offer even more.”
Anahi nodded her head then stepped to him and kissed Baltaszar on the cheek, and pressed her chest to his. “Very well, my lord, perhaps another time when I’m the lesser o’ two evils.”
I’m such an idiot. “You said that you take care of us Descendants. Do your services extend beyond sneaking up on people while they sleep?”
Anahi cocked an eyebrow at the question. “I suppose it depends on the service ya require.”
“Well, the thing is, I know incredibly little about the world beyond my town. I was thinking that you could escort me about Vandenar, show me the city.”
She smiled at the request. “I would love ta, Baltaszar.”
Baltaszar smiled back at her acceptance. “Will Cyrus be angry at your absence?”
“Cyrus doesn’t get angry at anythin’. An’ he loves any Descendant who stays here. Besides, this is a slow time o’ year. Ya saw the common room; there are hardly any guests fer me ta entertain or rooms fer me ta clean. Let me just change inta normal clothes. Meet me downstairs in a few minutes.”
Baltaszar dressed and headed to the common room. Cyrus was sitting at a table chatting with what Baltaszar assumed were some friends. He nodded and smiled to Cyrus as he walked to the door and Cyrus returned the gesture with an ear to ear grin. Baltaszar was unsure of whether he’d simply grown jaded over the past few years in Haedon, but he had difficulty accepting that people could be as generous and genuine as Cyrus seemed to be. Perhaps the world isn’t as dangerous and evil as Bo’az had always thought it to be.
He’d only had to wait a minute or two before Anahi came downstairs to meet him. She’d changed into a long light blue ruffled skirt that covered her feet and a tight white turtle-necked blouse that was mostly covered by a thick brown scarf she’d wrapped around herself. Again, Baltaszar stared at her for a moment too long.
“Does this not suit yer tastes, my lord? Or is there a different meanin’ in yer stern expression?”
Why do girls always read into every little thing? “No no, don’t take it the wrong way. You look beautiful, it’s just…you’re dressed very modestly.”
“Is that such a bad thing? Yer quite confusin’, Baltaszar. First ya stare down my shirt an’ lead me ta believe ya want me. Then ya refuse me. An’ now I’m too modest fer ya?”
Anahi’s wittiness elicited a silly grin from Baltaszar. “I wasn’t complaining. I guess I just assumed that the way you dressed here was the way you always dressed. And yes, I confuse myself on many occasions. It’s nothing personal.”
“Silly boy,” she said innocently, yet seductively, “if I dressed like that out in public, I would have nearly every man in Vandenar propositionin’ me. Even modestly, too many men get too brave fer my likin’.”
“So do you only seduce men as part of your job then?”
Anahi rolled her eyes. “Come, let’s start walkin’. If we waited here fer yer wits to kick in, we’d never leave.” She put her hand in Baltaszar’s arm and led him down the wide street.
Baltaszar could not let her comment go undefended. “It’s not that I’m a dimwit. I’ve just been sheltered in my life. There’s too much of this world that I don’t know about. In fact, until a day or two ago, I had no idea that there really was a world beyond my town up in the mountains.”
“Ya know enough ta be true ta the woman ya love. There are thousands o’ men more intelligent an’ worldly than ya who cannot say the same. But enough o’ that. Ask me anything about Vandenar, or life beyond yer
forest, an’ I’ll give ya an answer if I can.”
“You don’t think it strange that I come from the mountain and forest? Your friend Cyrus didn’t believe me.”
“It is strange, considering how close Vandenar is to the Never, an’ yet not once have we met anyone who’s claimed ta come from there. But I myself have never been out o’ Vandenar, so it’s not my place ta judge. Perhaps Cyrus has better reasons ta doubt ya.”
“Fair enough. Tell me about Cyrus.”
“What is it ya want ta know?”
“Is he really as nice a man as he seems?”
“Nicer. Cyrus is one o’ the biggest reasons why people even visit Vandenar. He doesn’t turn anyone away until literally no one fits. He doesn’t care about where yer from or anythin’; he’ll welcome anyone in without judgin’ ‘em. He’ll feed an’ help anyone in need, as ye’ve seen fer yerself.”
“Why? Why would anyone be that kind, even to strangers? And how can he afford to be that nice?”
“The how part is easy. When yer that nice, at least in Vandenar, people tend ta repay their debts. Fer all Cyrus gives ta the people in need, he gets repaid ten-fold. Maybe not always in money, but it could be in goods, clothes, supplies, fixin’ up his inn, whatever. The why, well he’s always been like that, at least fer as long as I’ve known him, which is near ten years. After his wife passed, he just got nicer. The thing is, his whole life now is ‘The Happy Elephant’. He doesn’t know anythin’ else an’ he thrives off o’ havin’ people there all the time. Keeps his mind off the sadness, I suppose.”
A pang of sorrow stabbed Baltaszar’s insides. “I’m sorry to hear that. People like him don’t deserve to feel that kind of sadness in life.”
“Believe me; Cyrus had more support than he could ask fer when she died. It wasn’t sudden; all o’ Vandenar saw it comin’ fer months. She was sick, beyond the help o’ our nurses. It’s because Cyrus is the man he is that we were all there for him ever since. I’m not sayin’ I don’t feel bad fer him, but some people have it much worse when a loved one dies.”