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The heat was so strong; I could barely see what a head of me was.
"You cur! Off the ship!" Ellious gave me a swift kick in the back, sending me flying forward and into the
sand below. Quickly I stood and turned around to hear whatever nonsense the young king would spout. "There, that's much
better, my father always told me to clean up any mess that becomes too much for the servants."
"Your father was a just man!" I called out to him. "Not a pig like you!" I spit at his feet and
tried to focus on his face. The sun wasn’t must less merciful than Ellious.
I was stripped down to just my tattered paints and boots, my hands bound in front of me at the wrist. My bare chest
and arms felt the full force of the heat, I already felt my skin tighten and burn. With a few more quick verbal assaults,
I heard the sound of the engine roar.
Dyne had great technology, due to Cardian's great ruling and the wonderful soil and climate, one of the most powerful and
influential kingdoms. I knew that, that would change shortly after the king's demise.
Ellious had always hated me so; I suppose he was jealous of Cardian's friendship with me, afraid that I would become king.
That surprised me, Ellious grew up around me, and he knew that I have no ambitions to be king.
So I wondered through the desert for nearly two days. Weak with no food or water, I began to hallucinate. Most of that time
was a blur to me. Thoughts of death constantly haunted me throughout the perilous journey. It was night when I blacked out
completely. I remember the last thing I saw was the face of an angel. Long brown hair pulled back and soft green eyes, fair
skin......
I woke to that same face, a nurse. It seems that I still had friends in the kingdom. Kin, my trusted companion in battle,
sent the nurse to my aid, knowing through internal intelligence of my fate. Kin was a woman of importance, strong and an
excellent swordsman, graduating top of her class in the military academy and decorated soldier five times over. She also
served King Cardian and despised the dog of a king that now warms the throne.
"Who are you?" I asked, still groggy from the heat. It was so cold though, I knew we weren't in Dyne or Meella,
so where could we be?
"Shhh....Rest..." The women said with a smile and gently wiped my forehead with a rag. I suppose she took
care of me for quite a while but I barely remember anything. "Lady Kin sends word that you should stay here for a few
months until things calm down. Word of your death has brought chaos to the kingdom of Dyne and the troops are restless.
If news of you being alive got out, there would be a revolution and it would bring the fall of Dyne. Everything that you
and King Gilden created would be destroyed." Her soft voice was lulling.
"Dyne has already fallen...The second that Lord Cardian fell victim to his son's ambition......" And I blacked
out once more.
Not really paying too much attention, leaving my horse to guide me like I normally did, I just sat there in deep thought,
not until I felt my armor stiffen, did I snap out of it.
"I have to get indoors, Angel, let's go home." I said and gently patted my mare's head then took control of
the reins and started on my home.
I lived with an elderly man; he was a blacksmith in his younger years and now left his business to his son. The boy
was just nearly seventeen and quite good for his age. The boy's name was Reid Fanelle and his father Barren, also from a
long line of blacksmiths. Barren was old but he was still pretty built, Reid was on his way to the large muscles of the smith
line. The old man took me in after the nurse left me, that was over two months ago. I did odd jobs and helped bring in more
money for the two in exchange for a warm bed and armor. Reid forged me a wonderful sword that was similar to my old one and
it served quite the purpose. I worked as a mercenary for the time being and was bringing quite the amount of money. I have
yet to set one foot in the kingdom of Dyne, but I hear stories. Dyne was fallen to grief without the beloved king they once
knew. Poverty in the villages and bad weather cursed the lands of Dyne. Many troops deserted the army and tried to escape.
Mostly all killed, only few live to tell the story of the kingdom. I can't help but feel a great rage over Ellious.
I finally return home and lock up my horse in the stable. Walking in the black smith garage, I unclip my armor and quickly
clean it and hang it up to prevent rust, before I walk into the house. There I am greeted by the usual sight of Barren in
his rocking chair with his pipe, reading. Reid is no where in sight. I walk over and toss another log on the fire and sit
down in the other rocker near the old man.
"Where'd Reid go?" I ask softly and lean back in the chair, enjoying the dull warmth of the fire.
"Market I think. He went with Koi; they are getting something for the shop I think, grease or something."
Breathing the smoke through his thick nose, he looks up at me. "What's with the look?" Barren's eyes show his
age, dark circles hang low under his bushy brow.
"Nothing really. I've been thinking..."
"Of going back?" He cuts me off and finished the sentence for me, as usual. "You know it's too soon.
Be patient young one."
"But we haven't heard from Kin in over a month now." I retort.
"You know the conditions over there; I wouldn't be surprised it they even let letters out of the city walls."
"You're right." I just sat back in silence, falsely agreeing with him.
"Stop being this way. You get any new hits?" He asks leisurely.
"Yeah, not too much though. Twenty and three gold." I reach in my side pocket and pull out an old bag of
gold and silver coins, pouring it out in my hand.
"Not much." He goes back to his reading
"No, just a robbery." I say and count over the coins for the twentieth time today.
"Business is slow too." He says in his normally gruff voice.
"I hear we may have to prepare for war." Replacing the coins in the bag, I tossed them over to the table next
to the window.
"From who?" He asked unconcerned.
"Who knows? We always are in alert." It was true; someone was always stirring up some trouble.
"These be troubled times. Maybe a horde of barbarian from the east of even some escaped Dyneans looking for some
quick money." I know he's right but I just don't like to think of the soldiers that I, trained myself, to be reduced
to savages.
We just sat back in thought for a few more minutes before we were interrupted by the sound of the door slam. It's was
Fargus, the Macbettin tax collector. He was a short fat man with long whiskers under his nose. Sporting a long red tail
coat and black boots, I just look up at him like I usually do.
"Hey you Dynean trash, you have no right to look at me like that." His gruff voice sounded annoyed, I just
sat back and crossed my legs. "I'm here to collect this month's tax. If you can't produce, the fifty and five gold
and the hundred you still owe from the last two months. We'll repossess the shop and through you, the old man, and the smith
in the street for the wolves." The same idol threat as usual. I was beginning to get sick of it. I stood up quickly
and made my way to Fargus.
"No, Bushi--” Barren tried to stop me but I just ignored him. He stood and watched me get right up in
Fargus' face. I saw the fear in his eyes as I looked him dead in the face.
"You can't touch me! The king will send you right back to the slum your kingdom has become!" Fargus began
to shake. Although he knew who I was, I knew he would never squeal that I was alive. His position would be at stake if I
was to resurface.
"I'm not afraid of you." I smiled a bit and flicked him in the nose. "Now how much did you say you needed?"
Nearly falling over in fear over my large figure, he stepped back and looked in a small note book he had in his front pocket.
"A hu-hundred fi-fifty and five gold." He whispered weakly, holding his nose.
"That's all?" I turned and walked over to the small sack of gold I tossed on the table and counted it. "Hmm...Here!"
I tossed the bag to Fargus and he barely caught it. I felt Barren's uneasiness and smiled a bit to him.
"There's only twenty and three here! Don't you go getting short on me!" He sounded angry. I just pointed
to the mini table next to him and nodded my head. Fargus' head turned to see a rather large sack at his waist.
"Bushi! That's the money you saved." Barren looked at me earnestly.
"Don't worry about it…That should cover the rest." I sighed and walked back to my chair and sat
down as Fargus begin to count what was in the sack.
"A perfect hundred thirty and two gold... You’re a sly one Bushi. Why didn't you fork it over before
you were in debt?" He asked furiously.
"I wanted to see you’re beautiful face, Fargus. Now, be on your way, go tax some other poor, unfortunate
citizen." Was my only reply.
"Ah, but you are not a citizen, I have all the right to tax you and your old man more than the rest." Fargus
tried to sound tough. All I had to do was stand up once more and then he turned and opened the door.
"I thought so..." I chuckled as Fargus ran out the door as fast as he could with the money I paid. Sitting
back down in the chair, I closed my eyes and leaned back. Barren was still standing in disbelief.
"Why did you do that?" He asked me, almost saddened.
"If I didn't we would be on the streets." I said without looking at Barren.
"We could have slipped by with another month. We would have had enough money by then--"
"To pay off the hundred from the time before, it would be up to two by then!" I didn't approve of interrupting
the elderly but in this case, it was needed.
"Hmm..." He just sat back down and re-stuffed his pipe.
"I’m going to go for a walk." I said softly and got up without hesitation. I could see he knew
I was upset. Surprisingly I made it to the door without one of his comments.
"Don't go to the tavern." I spoke too soon; well I guess he is just looking out for me.
"Alright, I'll be back around dinner." Quickly I walk out the door and start off down the road. There I saw
Reid and Koi, talking and walking. Both of them had their arms full of parts and scraps. Reid saw the look on my face and
didn't say a word. He knew.
"Hey Bushi! What's going on...?" Koi kept talking as I walked passed him. Reid put his hand over Koi's mouth
and shook his head.
It was getting late, but I still had a few hours before I had to get back. I didn't bother to put on my armor in fear
of rust. Mostly all the metals outside were already rusted and I just didn't want to see that happen to my favorite armor.
Unconsciously I walked into the hospital, I was here often.
"Can I help you?" A women's voice said sweetly. I looked up to see a blond haired women in a white uniform
with a little paper hat. "Are you alright sir?" She asked again. Her blue eyes seemed to peer into my soul.
I looked down at her and thought a moment, snapping back to reality.
"Oh, yeah...Have you seen a woman. I think she works here or she comes here to help." I asked gently.
"Well, what does she look like?" She smiled, obviously checking me out. I had no desire to provoke her farther
so I smiled and shook my head.
"She's my wife. I need to find her; long brown hair, usually tied back, a yellow dress and a red cross on her necklace."
The women made a face at my description and thought a moment. Of course the women wasn't my wife, I didn't even know her
name.
"Hmm...No, I don't think I've seen her, sorry." Of course. I sighed and turned around.
"Thanks anyway." I said and walked out, making my way to the tavern where I spent a good amount of time.
Where could that woman be, the women who took care of me? I could almost feel her touch as I walk into the all too familiar
tavern door, getting the same response as usual from the bar tender and waitress. I spend too much time here, that’s
what Barren always said at least. Sitting at my usual table, I try and remember her face…
"Kin, I'm so glad to see you're okay." My voice could barely work.
"Yeah well, the nurse told me you were doing better and so, here I am." Kin said in her usual tone.
"Yeah well, I still feel like I was hit by a truck." I tried to continue but my voice failed.
"Don't strain yourself Bushi. The nurse is taking good care of you, don't give her any trouble." She winked
and pulled my covers up.
I was still pretty groggy back then and I couldn't even ask what the nurse's name was. I hate myself now for it but,
I will find her. It turns out, over that two month period, I slowly fell in love with that women. Her gentle touch, her
voice, hair, and smell. I miss them all. She would be there for everything I needed.
Finally back home, I walked in and looked around. No one in sight.
"Hmmm...." I thought a minute and then started to look around. There was no one around, that's when I started
to worry. Looking to Barren's rocking chair, I saw his pipe. "He never leaves without his pipe!" I hear a knock
on the door and jet towards it.
"A message from Barren Fanelle." The boy said in a high adolescent voice and handed me the envelope. I looked
at the note and blinked, from the corner of my eye, I saw the kid's hand out.
"Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah..." I reached into my pocket and pulled out two silver, putting them in his hand. I
hear the boy grumble a bit and I closed the door. Quickly I opened the letter, making sure I was sitting down....
TBC....
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