“That’s true,” he murmured. Then, finding his usual resolve, he pushed aside his dark thoughts and exclaimed, “Today should be a celebration.” He ran to the dais again and called out, “Today, we celebrate the construction of this village!”
“And the coming of the Destroyer,” added a voice from among the people. The crowd cheered in agreement. From a distance, Glaide could see Gelden surrounded by a group of people who appeared to be used to the elderly man’s episodes. The man himself, his face paler than ever, nonetheless gathered his forces to direct a small smile toward the boy. The adolescent smiled back, and decided to mix with the crowd, helping wherever he could.
Chapter 35
IT took the entire afternoon to prepare the food, set up tables and chairs, and set the tables themselves. After a bit of discussion, it was decided that the celebration should take place outside of the city walls. To the back of the village, there was a piece of land big enough to hold everyone. Plus, it was protected by the hill the master of Iretane and his disciple usually arrived by, as well as a small woods. The two would offer a certain amount of security, though no one wanted to darken the day by torturing their minds over imagined catastrophic scenarios that they needed to protect themselves against. Glaide agreed, and though he knew the decision wasn’t terribly prudent, he thought it would be nicer to be outside, and for once, he didn’t want to dwell on the consequences of the choice. Once the decision was made, they began to collect wood for a great fire around which the tables were arranged. The master and his disciple helped as much as they could. At one point, the disciple even found the two children who had led him to Kezthrem’s house. They hadn’t changed at all, and they spoke to him with their usual happiness and enthusiasm, without asking if they should use his new title or not. The young man was thankful, too, because he already felt that such simplicity in his interactions with others was going to become more and more rare.
Many of the people bowed to him respectfully, and thanked him for everything he was going to do. Their attitude—though he didn’t show it—irritated him a little, because he didn’t really understand how anyone could put all of their confidence in him, when they didn’t even know him. And more than that, their greetings reminded him of the great weight that rested on his shoulders. He decided not to tell them that he didn’t expect to do anything until he’d found his friends, because he didn’t want to disappoint them. And besides, such an atmosphere of joy and excitement surrounded them—despite Gelden’s illness—and the boy didn’t want to cast a shadow over the day.
All around him, he found people repeating the same phrases.
“It’s incredible...”
“I never thought I would see a new age arrive!”
“It’s a miracle!”
“I can’t believe that I’m living in the time of the Destroyer.”
Those comments and many others made the adolescent think even more that these people around him were looking at his arrival just like he had viewed the arrival of the chimera on Earth. They had to work to convince themselves that it was truly happening, just as he had had to. Just like he had never imagined he would actually get to see another world, they had never imagined they would get to see the arrival of a new era in their world. Their joy and hope today was the same as his was then.
“And to think that I’m the source of all of this,” Glaide thought. “That’s beyond understanding!” For a moment, he imagined the walls of Shinozuka, and pictured an immense army standing before it, made up of humans, dwarves, elves, barbarians, and dragons. “Am I really capable of unifying them all?” he asked himself. That seemed like such a massive task. As he became lost in his thoughts, his gaze crossed that of Kezthrem, and he became certain of one thing: whatever was to come, and no matter how they saw him, his master knew who he really was.
Evening arrived, and the fire was lit. The flames grew rapidly, creating flickering shapes against the wall a few dozen yards away. Soon, everyone took their seats around the immense tables, and Glaide and Kezthrem took their seats on either side of Gelden, who seemed to have taken a turn for the better. Some of his color was back, and he smiled at everyone who spoke to him. Over the course of a single afternoon, the cooks had accomplished an incredible task, and the food was both abundant and excellent.
The children soon began to run about here and there, and everyone was glad they’d set up the tables where they had. The adolescent almost choked on his food from laughing when one child, more courageous than the others, stepped up to Kezthrem and in a tiny voice asked if he would come play with them. The master of Iretane, for once, seemed to have been caught off guard. However, after a moment, he smiled, and said that he would have to train first, or he wouldn’t stand a chance. The child seemed satisfied with that response, and ran back to his friends. As the plates began to empty, musicians took up their positions on a stage that had been set up for the occasion. From their raised position, everyone could hear them, no matter where they were sitting. After tuning their instruments, they began to play a piece. They were very talented, and their lively tune had such a nice beat that soon many people began to abandon their food to dance around the flames instead. Again, Kezthrem was invited to join in, and this time he agreed to play a little on his shakuhachi. He accepted easily, to his disciple’s surprise, and the music became even more beautiful.
Two hours later, though he’d long since finished eating, Glaide remained sitting there. He loved watching the people around him laugh, shriek, and just generally enjoy themselves. The pleasant music still continued, and the dancers hadn’t stopped spinning about, but the children, exhausted, had mostly settled in off to one side to chat or to sleep. Throughout the evening, the adolescent had kept an eye on Gelden, to make sure he was okay, but he had seemed quite well. He and the young man had spoken on a number of subjects throughout the evening, from the memories they shared to their respective travels.
Finally, Kezthrem, breathing a bit heavily after having played for so long, came back to sit once again. His student congratulated him on his performance. With an enigmatic smile, he replied that the boy would soon have a chance to test his own skills. Glaide didn’t have a chance to ask any questions, though, before a young woman came forward and asked Kezthrem to dance with her. Without a sign of hesitation—and he’d have to be blind to hesitate, in the adolescent's opinion—Kezthrem accepted and got up to join the bedlam.
The young man admired his skill at dancing, and the sight gave seed to some new suppositions about the mysterious past of his master. “He knows how to cook, to play an instrument, and to dance, besides being an excellent swordsman,” the adolescent thought to himself. “If he didn’t learn that on his own, his family must have been highly educated and well-rounded people. I wonder where he was born? At Rackk, perhaps, since Uziere seemed to have lived there for a long time. And the parents of his magg... I wonder what happened to them? And to their friends?” Finally, he decided to ignore the questions, because they were darkening his mood. If one day Kezthrem decided to tell him about his past, he’d be happy to listen, but if not, what did it matter?
It was already well past midnight when the village leader suddenly stood up. Glaide imitated him immediately, ready to react quickly if another fit of coughing came. The music had ended a while ago, and fatigue was starting to set in for everyone. The conversations around them had become muffled, and by now, all of the children were asleep on the ground. It was clearly time for everyone to return to their homes. The older man moved toward the fire, which still burned brightly. Seeing his movement, everyone seemed to wake out of a stupor. They went to wake the children, because it appeared their leader was about to make some important declaration. Gelden stepped up onto the improvised stage, and motioned for Glaide to join him. Before the two of them, the entire village stood gathered and attentive.
“My friends,” began the elderly man. “Tonight will remain forever in our memories as the day that we discovered that our prayers had been heard,
that our future was safe, and that the dark hours of the past were drawing to a close.” His words were met with murmurs of approval, but he wasn’t finished. “This evening, we have also had a well-earned celebration for the completion of our city’s construction, and of its victory in the face of our enemy’s forces.” Again, a few cheers broke out across the crowd, though most of its members remained silent, listening attentively for what was to come.
“However,” continued Gelden, “one thing remains for us to do. Our new home should have a name, and I ask that it be Glaide here who chooses it.” As one man, the crowd cheered their approval. The declaration, however, had caught the boy entirely off guard. He understood what an honor it was to let him decide the name of their village, but he could see no reason why that honor should be his. Or rather, he was frightened by the idea that they were asking the Destroyer more than they were asking him.
“I... I can’t accept,” he murmured, as silence fell once again. “That is too much. I’m not worthy of it.” The old man rested a hand on his shoulder then.
“We did not do this out of pride at having met the Destroyer, or out of vanity, wanting to live in a village that you have named. Today, we want to thank you, and to show our respect and friendship to the young man who crossed paths with us five months ago. We offer this honor to Glaide, to who he is and to who he will become, no matter what name he might carry, or what actions he might take in the future.”
Glaide looked deep into the eyes of the elderly man, then he scanned the faces of all those in front of him. Everywhere, he saw the hope and joy that his title inspired, but also a very real gratitude. Finally, he turned to address Kezthrem, who stood toward the front of the crowd.
“Master, how do you say ‘goodwill’ or ‘guardians’ in the elven language?” The man seemed to understand exactly where his disciple was going with that.
“In their language, one word encompasses at the same time the idea of benevolence and watchfulness, and the thankfulness for being the beneficiary of such things. It is ‘Kalhem’.” Glaide nodded, thought for a moment, then made his declaration.
“The elves played an important role in the survival of your city, and the village whose inhabitants you buried was called Rackk. Beyond that, I hope that one day we will see the dwarves join our battle, and because names in their language are often two terms brought together, here is the name I wish to give your home: if you accept, this village will be called Kalhem-Rackk, and will be a symbol of a new future!”
His declaration was immediately met with a powerful brouhaha of agreement. Everyone began to repeat the name of their new home with pleasure, imagining the characters written across future maps of the Known Lands. The adolescent turned toward Gelden, who murmured a quiet thanks. After a few moments of general euphoria, everyone finally began heading back into the village. Glaide shook hands with person after person, each of whom thanked him vigorously, so that he began to think he would never hear anything else! The nomads from that first camp that he had crossed paths with before meeting Kezthrem didn’t hesitate before throwing their arms around him affectionately, and more than once, he found himself unable to talk, he was so moved. Each of them assured him that he would always be welcome there, and that he should think of the town as his own home.
Finally, bit by bit, the villagers dispersed toward the different roads, disappearing as they headed toward their homes until no one remained but Gelden, a few guards, Glaide, and his master. The two discovered then that their sacks had reappeared at their feet sometime during the night refilled with their now-clean clothes and plenty of food. With everything that had happened during the day, they’d completely forgotten why they’d come, and without them even noticing, their things had been gathered and cleaned, and new provisions provided. The two were about to pick up the bags when the boy decided instead to go over to talk to the elderly man once more.
“There isn’t much more to be said,” he murmured to the man, “but I will never forget you, or this place. As I gradually progressed in my training, I watched your dream, too, grow until it gradually became reality.”
“Indeed, our lives are connected because, though our goals were different, we both had to persevere in the paths we had chosen.” Though the young man had managed to keep the thought at bay throughout the day, the idea that this might very well be his last conversation with Gelden, and even the last time he would see him, suddenly returned to Glaide and he could no longer ignore it. With a tightness in his chest, he spoke again.
“You fought so that we would be able to meet once again, and now, things are about to change, and you won’t be there to see them. You were the one who led me to meet my master. It is because of you that I am the Destroyer. Why does that have to come to an end? Why can’t you live on, and see the radiant future of this world with your own eyes?” His voice broke then, and he felt tears roll down his cheeks. Across from him, the elderly man stood, a smile still on his face.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m witness to what comes or not. My goal was for my people to live happily and in security. I’ve succeeded, and there is no place in my heart for regret. My life was an eventful one, but I never would have imagined I would meet someone like you, Glaide—and I’m not talking about your title, as exceptional as that may be, but rather about the man that you are. Your past remains and will remain mysterious to me, but I know that you have great strength and willpower. Where does your strength come from? I cannot say, but even if you weren’t called the Destroyer, I would still have followed you. In the face of everything that you have accomplished—finding the master of your school, learning what you’ve learned, and finally declaring that you intend to give this world a new golden age, like the one we knew five hundred years ago—that title is nothing in comparison. And I always believed, as I believe in this moment, that you will succeed, despite how colossal—and even crazy—this challenge is.”
The young man didn’t respond right away, because he knew he wouldn't be able to prevent his voice from trembling. With great effort, he gained control of himself and murmured at last, “As you told me five months ago, when we didn’t know if we would see each other again, I hope we meet again.” This time, the smile of the older man took on a heartbreaking note of sadness.
“Unfortunately, I think this will be the last time we see each other,” replied Gelden gently.
“Then, farewell, and I thank destiny that we didn’t have to have our last farewells before today,” Glaide replied, lifting his gaze to meet that of the older man in a sudden moment of courage. Then, without further ado, the young man picked up his sacks and turned away.
When he reached Kezthrem, the older man dipped his head slowly in the direction of the leader of Kalhem-Rackk, as a respectful farewell, then the disciple and his master continued on their way. Once they reached the top of the hill overlooking the city, they turned and looked at it for a moment. Glaide didn’t know how long it would be before he returned, but he knew one thing for sure: the city would never be the same for him again. Then, he followed in the footsteps of his master, who had already turned back toward the road home. Just as when he’d left his friends, Glaide found himself unable to deal with his thoughts, and this time, he didn’t even try, certain that thinking could bring him nothing but pain.
When he woke up several hours later, Glaide instinctively felt that something wasn’t right. He put on his kimono and left the room, but as soon as his foot touched the first step down to the main floor, he realized what the problem was. The house was dead silent. The young man began to understand then. He headed down the stairs and into the entryway. Without losing a moment, he crossed the main room and opened the sliding panels that led into the garden. As he’d expected, there was no one there. Then, he headed to the training room, but it, too, was empty. His heart beat faster as he realized what had to be happening. Finally, with great effort, he spoke aloud.
“Kezthrem left.”
At that moment, an incredible sense of sol
itude invaded his senses. For a moment, he couldn’t form a coherent thought, and soon he began to panic as his mind filled with his projects for the future, and his obligations. He instantly felt himself being crushed under the weight of the decisions he would have to make. Only one thing was clear to him: once again he found himself alone. Suddenly, an object in the middle of the training room floor caught his attention. He hadn't noticed it before, but as he discovered it, the words of Kezthrem returned to his mind: the adolescent had congratulated the man on his performance with his shakuhachi, and the man had replied that soon it would be his turn to test his skills... And he hadn’t spoken untruthfully, because it was one of those flutes that was displayed in the middle of the room. Very carefully, Glaide picked it up. He immediately recognized the forms engraved on its surface; it was the instrument his master had been carving the day after they returned from their journey.
Just touching the object reassured the young man. The turbulence in his mind began to calm, and he remembered with relief that the separation was not a definitive one. Once he’d found his friends, his master would make an appearance again to complete his training.
Fortified by that conclusion, he climbed the stairs to his room and hastily dressed in his traveling clothes. As he buttoned the leather jacket and buckled his sword to his side, he felt his excitement grow. Once again, he had an opportunity to travel where he wanted to. Though he knew that finding his friends would be no easy task, at least he would finally have the chance to attempt it. His joy and optimism soon swept away his doubts. He knew that Gelden would soon leave this world, and that Baras was still after him, and that sooner or later, the solitude would weigh on him, but it didn’t matter, because in that moment, all he saw before him was the adventure that awaited him, and the mountain of possibilities independence offered him.
Chronicles of Galadria III - Lessons Page 26