Almakia_The vilashi and the Dragons

by Lhaisa Andria

  Worried, the kodorin turned to the Dragons. Zawhart simply looked away, as if he was not paying attention. The Fire Dragon still held the reins of the mombelula firmly in his hands as he stared at the two of them, and Garo-lin immediately had a bad feeling.

  — Hunf – made him, along with a little smile from someone who had thought of something amusing, and then looked back, giving a command and moving the reins.

  Quickly, the mombelula increased in speed and began to rise. Soon after, it took a complete turn in the air and began a vertical dive.

  Kidari screamed and clung to her protection, startled. The Lighting Dragon also held on, but he did not seem to be disturbed by the movements, as someone who was already accustomed to it. Garo-lin, on the other hand, came to the conclusion that she would die the next second.

  ***

  — All right? – Kidari asked as Garo-lin crawled out of the mombelula's cabin and tried to figure out if she could get down the retractable steps in a way that would not plummet. – Kidari help.

  The vilashi even made the move to accept the companion's outstretched hand, but Dul'Maojin's laughter of debauchery, counting what he had done to the other Dragons who welcomed him, pierced his pride.

  — No, thank you – she thanked him, descending boldly on her own.

  Despite staggering and slipping on the last rung, she managed to get back on the ground and never felt so grateful to have the sensation of it underfoot. The world and her stomach not only returned to their proper places, but she could finally have a clear sense of where they were.

  That was the Central Region, before the Ancestral Forests, on the shores of Lake T'pei, one of the oldest places of almakin territory, in the middle of the Realm. There was only one big city, Rotas, which was surrounded by small villages. It was of crucial importance throughout the whole of Almakia, as it was regarded as a meeting point for all directions, from which one could depart or arrive from any of the other Regions.

  Outside the city limits, the Ancestral Forests dominated the whole place before the mountains surrounding the Inland Valley and were protected by nature handlers, for being where most of the Secrets of their almakin were grown. In order to keep all this territory intact without succumbing to the advance of the construction cities of its neighbor of the Stone Valley, the region has specialized in maintaining fortresses for the Great almakins Families, refuges far from the busy metropolis. And out in one of those fortresses that they had landed.

  It was a place that was still far from Routes, where the lake marked the boundary between the populated area and the dense forest. On the shore where they landed, one could see in the distance the famous Ancestral Trees – which from that distance did not look large but were indeed giants – larger than any construction ever made by almakins. They created a natural barrier to the wind, which rarely bothered the surface of the lake, which gave them the reputation of unshakable. At the margin, there was a large building typical of the region with multi-storey buildings stacked, covered by roofs that served more ornament than protection. Garo-lin recognized these forms, since in the Institute there were a variety of buildings that followed the architecture of the Regions, to please his diversified students and make them more comfortable with the period away from home. But this was not the time to be impressed, and the fact that they were in one of the fortresses only made the mystery behind their assignment increase.

  As soon as the mombelula had ceased to turn its wings, the last Dragon missing from the welcoming committee, Nu'lian Gillion, was descending unconcernedly down the steps of the main building. Sumerin Gran'Otto was at the front, as if she were the hostess, promptly receiving her illustrious guests. However, her attitude in meeting them was not at all polite and kind, as one would expect in such situations:

  — You took too long! – she complained, practically pushing the Fire Dragon up the stairs. – I’m hungry!

  It was then that Garo-lin realized one thing: there would be no task. She and Kidari had been dragged as a pretext for the Dragons to leave the Institute at one time in the fortresses without any kind of trouble and under the acceptable facade of an Assignment.

  — It can’t be... – she murmured, disbelieving.

  — Pretty! – Kidari exclaimed, misunderstanding what she had heard from her, jumping the last step down from the mombelula and looking around in wonder.

  — Kidari – Garo-lin called, using the lowest tone of voice that allowed her to be out of earshot of the Dragons, but at the same time pronounceable enough for the foreigner to understand –, We're not on a tour.

  Kidari stared at her for a while and Garo-lin nodded her mentors, which made kodorin stand out from her condition and stop acting in a relaxed manner:

  — Aaaah.

  And then, as if to confirm what she was saying, the Fire Dragon began to take advantage of his position:

  — Vilashi! Bring all the luggage inside! – he ordered, pointing his finger imperatively at her. – Kodorin, follow Vinshu!

  Garo-Lin stared at him for a while.

  Was it her impression, or was he treating her as if she were one of his family servants instead of a protégé?

  — Is there a problem, vilashi? – he asked in the face of her lack of reaction.

  In response, she just nodded in a gesture of denial.

  — Great. So move!

  ***

  At no time, or in any of her most bizarre nightmares about what would happen after she had provoked the wrath of the Dragons, Garo-lin imagined that they would find a perfect way to torture her without thereby somehow frowning. What was more perfect to put an insignificant vilashi in his place than to put her in his place? Still, with the addition of being able to give her absurd and constant orders.

  From the moment she arrived at the Fortress until midday, she was forced to carry all the dragons' luggage – all of them – to clean the rooms where they would be. Immediately afterwards she was informed by the chief of staff that he and the others who worked there would henceforth be excused from their duties in the main house and all would be under her responsibility. He even worked out a list of instructions on things to do every day and delivered to her, satisfied with his dedication to his masters. She unrolled the long list and read the items that were written, while the servant explained exactly how delicate porcelain pieces, sculptures, and other valuables that were scattered around the house.

  Although that place was called simply as the main house, it was far beyond the standards of what Garo-lin considered a house. Even though she had never seen the palaces of the Royal Capital, she thought this classification would be the most appropriate. Just to begin, where they landed was the back of the Fortress and there was a large lawn space, with a few scattered trees. This lawn had well tended gardens on its sides, with water fountains and benches under shady trees. Although this part of the estate was open to the lake, the rest was surrounded by high stone walls, just as in the Institute, as a fort. The other adjoining buildings had no floors and simply meandered around the main building, forming what above might look like a labyrinth; the facade of the buildings was simple, following a pattern, but inside they held much larger equivalents than was the Hall of Dragons at the Dul'Maojin Institute.

  Thinking about all this and analyzing what he saw now, a distrustful Garo-lin interrupted the servant, trying to control herself to not to be rude to him, since the subject was only fulfilling orders:

  — See, just one question: can you tell me exactly to which family this house belongs?

  — To Dul'Maojin, of course – he answered without bothering to hide the tone of pride. – This is the best fortress in the Central Region, from the Windy Fields to the Ancestral Forests. This property for generations belongs to...

  And he went on to tell a beautiful story about the contribution of the mighty Family to the development of the place and how the small villages around it far outweighed the benefits that the Dul'Maojin have implemented over the years. But all that Garo-lin heard sou
nded only as a word: ostentation. Just as in the Institute, ostentation was what was not lacking there, and now the reason for all the luxury she had found in the place since she arrived. And so another wall stood before her, more and more limiting her probabilities.

  Without waiting for the servant to finish what he had been, or to complete his task of giving her the instructions, she rolled up the list with her tasks and left ungratefully, pretending she had not heard a rude and biased complaint about her conduct. At that moment all she wanted was not to go head-on with any of the Dragons because she was not sure what she would be able to say or do at the sight of any of them.

  ***

  For some strange and mysterious reason, the servant's condition only applied to Garo-Lin. Kidari was not only free from all the tasks that were imposed on the vilashi, but had been given the right to do whatever she wanted within the fortress. The only rules she had to follow were to stay inside the property and not help her colleague. Although Kodorin was clearly against it, Garo-lin insisted that she agree. Kidari was not exactly the kind of person prepared to resist the ill-treatment of the Dragons. And to bear, at the same time that she would have to console another person, was beyond her means. All afternoon, Kidari stayed away. Now playing with the flying cat – which always appeared and disappeared according to its will -, now in the viewpoints of the fortress, observing the landscape that for her was unlike anything she had ever seen. Meanwhile, Garo-lin ran back and forth with her tasks.

  After cleaning all the furniture, sweeping all the rooms on the upper two floors, and washing all the toilets and all the windows, Garo-lin kept dragging her feet to a small warehouse on the side of the kitchen, where the service area was. She left bucket, cloths, mop and broom in the places that found them and soon after collapsed on the ground. Using the cold stone wall as a support, she took advantage of the warm late afternoon sun to rest. She had never worked so hard in life. In fact, she had worked, yes, but she had never felt so exhausted as she had been that day.

  Before going to the Institute, being the older sister, she always had several extras besides her usual obligations. Especially at harvest time, when she and the brothers helped their parents, and one day it seemed to be two. But it had never been so exhausting, and she felt that this was mainly due to her complete lack of motivation, since all this was clearly a form of torture imposed.

  — WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?

  Garo-lin almost had the almaki ripped out of her body with the scare and stood up in a jumping. The Fire Dragon was in the window just ahead of her, where the fireplace room was, as the equivalent of the Dragon Room in that place, stretched out and staring at her as if she'd caught it doing the wrong thing in the world.

  — Has anyone given you permission to stop? – he practically growled. – Benar complained that the toilets are wet and Vinshu said that in half an hour there will be no more light enough for him to read! Try to move and then make dinner! If a vilashi how you can cook something – and came out laughing, finding much humor in what he had said.

  Garo-lin clenched her fists and concentrated, reciting all the lines of the Almaki Table to calm down. When the dragon closed the window, disappearing from view, she breathed more calmly and thought to herself that there was a good thing in all that: she would have to turn on the lights and for that she could handle.

  More lively, she went inside the house, stretching out her hands and preparing herself for the first time to comply with an order of goodwill there.

  Chapter 5 – The desperate escape of Garo-lin

  That chunk of time when Garo-lin had enjoyed herself in the corridors and the chambers setting fire in the fire doors across the main house was enough to make her feel more excited to face the Dragons' dinner. After finally being able to use her skills as she actually hoped to do in an assignment, the task of cooking did not seem so excruciating.

  She searched the cabinets of the big kitchen and was surprised by what was there. She doubted that the deposit of her villa had ever been so full as that place. With only half of that, her family would quietly pass through several Nanfan Storms without needing to ration.

  But even though there were many options before her, there were only two things Garo-lin knew how to use to eat: tomatoes and potatoes. These were, within Almakia, the main foods grown by her village. With them one could make masses and varied foods, mixing with meat, fruits and spices... Things she had learned from her mother before leaving Godan and now seemed to be part of another life.

  In the Institute, dishes were prepared for students, with combinations that Garo-lin never imagined could exist. But where she came from was much simpler and preparing something with which the palates of the Dragons were accustomed was as great a mystery as the Secrets of Great Families.

  In the face of the options, she came to the conclusion that the most she could do without poisoning any of them – which did not seem all too bad were it not for the fact that she did not want to give her parents the disgust of having a pirate daughter – it was a soup. Then she gathered everything she needed, took the biggest pot she had found, and set to work.

  While preparing the dinner and the sun finally retired outside, twice Kidari went through the kitchen, disguising, as if only interested in knowing the place. At no time had she spoken anything, fulfilling what had been ordered. And when the work was finely done, Garo-lin gazed at him proudly. The good smell made her stomach protest and, with a sigh, she thought she would give it all to have one of the potato dumplings her mother used to follow. Returning to her reality and failing to daydream, longing for the flavors of her village, she took a deep breath and carried a full platter into the dining room.

  ***

  As there was no meal other than the one prepared by Garo-lin, and because they were not able to prepare anything on account, the Dragons had to settle for that. Even with their noses twisted and suspicious, after seeing Kidari eating and surviving three spoonfuls, they tried to take the courage to try the red broth with pieces of potato. However, the only one who was incredibly enthusiastic about the simple dish, besides the foreign one, was the Fire Dragon.

  Seeing a spark of haughtiness dawn on the vilashi's expression as she took her work somehow recognized, Zawhart did not mind breaking the spell with an unnecessary comment:

  — Kris eats anything – he said, using the common tone of debauchery. – Even stones would fit if their teeth held. Don’t overdo it.

  — Do Vilashis eat this? – Gran'Otto asked, pushing a piece of potato back and forth on the broth, causing it to fall apart in the process.

  As if he was not listening to his friends' opinions, the Fire Dragon held out his plate to be served again, followed by Kidari.

  — These green things up here look like dirt – Sfairul commented about the spices, as someone who was still trying to convince himself that that in front of him really was edible.

  Garo-lin thought of sending them to eat the grass of the gardens, but common sense prevented her from putting her thoughts into words.

  — Bring more potatoes, vilashi! – the Fire Dragon ordered with his mouth full, as he devoured the last spoonful he could extract from his plate.

  Amazed, Garo-lin looked at the nearly empty platter.

  Lucky she had kept a plate for herself in the kitchen – since she had no desire to sit with them as she had done kodorin, though no one told her whether she was allowed to do it or not. She had spent almost two hours cooking and in a matter of a few minutes all her work had disappeared. It was then that she realized why her mentor had been the only one not to complain: it was another way of tormenting her.

  — No more potatoes and much less tomatoes – she replied, unable to hide that this was not the real reason for not following the order.

  — So try to plant more! – he ordered, laughing, as if it were an obvious thing to do in case.

  Even wanting to give a big and deserved answer, Garo-lin once again tried to swallow a curse and just turned her back
to the table. At least she had received an order that allowed her to leave the room and take refuge in the kitchen, where she could slam doors and pots at will, pretending she was doing something while taking her anger away from objects.

  Seeing the way she left, Dul'Maojin stared for a while down the hall, as if thinking, and then asked:

  — Hey, Vinshu. How do you plant potatoes?

  Faced with the question, the other Dragons burst into laughter.

  — What? – he asked, trying to figure out what he had done to deserve laughter instead of an answer.

  — Look, Kris – the Wind Dragon started –, one thing you can be sure of: she will not be able to plant potatoes in one night.

  — Is it impossible? – he asked, and once again they laughed. – Just tell me whether or not, damn it!

  ***

  Despite leaving with the intention of returning to the kitchen, Garo-lin changed direction in the middle of the way. She walked all the way through the corridors and rooms until she reached the back of the main house, down the stairs, and then ran all the way down to the edge of the lake, where she only stopped when she sank her feet into the icy water. There, she gathered everything she'd accumulated that afternoon and shouted into the darkness:

  — GO YOURSELF TO PLANTING YOUR POTATOES IF YOU THINK IT'S SO EASY, IDIOT DRAGON!

  Unlike her hiding place in the Institute, in that fortress she was truly close to her village. All she had to do was cross the lake, travel through the forest, climb the mountains, enter the Inland Valley Region and reach to Godan... in thought it was so easy! Beyond those barriers, she would be in a known place, where she could simply disappear and never be found again by any almakin, whether dragon or not. If she had not had a bad experience with the mombelula, she could have a real chance of...