Two servants carefully lifted the covered platter and transferred it from the cart to the table in front of Enzir. Enzir wondered what his feisty cook had cooked for him for his lunch and imagined a goose or even a turkey. When the servant finally lifted the silver cover off the platter, Enzir was surprised to see a giant boiled egg the size of a full-grown turkey. Every member of his household gasped when they saw the giant egg and clapped their hands enthusiastically. Enzir did not quite know how to react upon seeing such an odd thing in front of him. At the corner of his eye, he saw his feisty cook peer from the kitchen with a smug on her face. She withdrew inside with an arrogant air after seeing Enzir's expression when the giant boiled egg was uncovered.
Enzir was handed a carving knife by his servant and he realized that he was expected to cut the boiled egg in front of everyone. He stood from his chair with the help of his servant and was about to cut into the white su
Lankko did not know where to start, but started grabbing his vials of elixir. It was not long before Lankko and Enzir were interrupted by the arrival of several men in black uniform bearing the Emperor's insignia. They were holding Enzir's soldier who led them to the laboratory."Jal Dalik!" cried Enzir and bowed low with his right hand over his chest. "You're here! I wasn't informed that your ship has docked. I would have welcomed you myself.""Had I wanted you to know of my arrival, I would have told you beforehand. I opted to travel by land to see for myself what you are doing in this remote city of the Empire.""You are most welcome to visit and tour the city, of course, Jal Dalik," said Enzir as he made another bow. Seeing Lankko with his mouth open, he signaled for him to do the same. Lankko obeyed and bowed low. Realizing that his hand should be on his chest, he quickly pocketed the dancer's shawl and his precious bottles of magic elixir before placing hi
After travelling some distance from Alnoc's north gate, Casser flicked Noha's reins and the carabao turned left from the main road. They followed a dirt road leading downwards until they reached a pond under the canopy of trees. Casser got off the cart and removed Noha's yoke. He then led Noha down to the pond where she could cool off and eat the reeds that grew plentifully in the water.Eldion watched as Noha flicked her ears, enjoying the water, "Carabaos really like the water, don't they?" asked Eldion."Noha needs to cool off every now and then or she might collapse from the heat and the exertion," Wen explained. "I guess there are no carabaos where you're from," she commented."No carabaos? Where did you come from?" asked Casser, overhearing Wen and Eldion's conversation.Eldion did not know what to say and looked at Wen for help."Dagos," said Wen abruptly.Casser whistled. "Whew! That's quite a long way from here. I can't imagine why
Lankko washed his muddied face in the shallows and wondered if it was true what the old women of Alnoc said about the mud's beneficial properties. He rubbed his face, concentrating in the areas under his eyes and the corners of his mouth and asked himself, 'Can mud really lift your mood in the direst of situations?' Seeing his reflection on the water, he shrugged and proceeded to wash his body.As Lankko washed himself calmly, Enzir peeled off his clothes that had all been covered with mud when he climbed up the banks of the river. He dipped his clothes repeatedly in the water and waited until the currents of the river washed off the mud. He then hung his clothes to dry and proceeded to wash off the mud off his hair and face.When the two men had finished and their clothes had sufficiently dried under the sun, they sat under the shade and rested. Enzir's sword lay on the grass with his sash while Lankko's small bott
Noha plodded on the road after being refreshed by her dip in the pond and her lunch of reeds and water plants. She made satisfied grunts and flicked her ears happily. Casser chewed on some peanuts to pass the time while making sure that Noha did not pull the cart over potholes or large rocks.Wen was satisfied with their progress and hoped that they would reach the travelers' inn soon so that they could rest early. She kept watch behind them to make sure that no one was following. She had always been cautious and would listen for any sound of galloping horses or carriage wheels. Fortunately, they only passed a few farmers and merchants on the road who, like them, were already late in coming out of Alnoc.Wen looked at Casser who had just finished snacking on his peanuts and was whistling softly. It was a particularly jolly tune that was always well received at Thunka's. Casser had played along with Mira's request to get out of Alnoc and avoid the soldiers, but Wen did not know how long
Bed assignments settled, the three went back downstairs to have their dinner. Roma approached them and served hot chicken broth.After a while, Roma led a man and a woman to the next table. They had just arrived at the inn and Roma likewise served them their dinner.The man had a thin beard and wore a brown leather coat over his white shirt. The woman who sat at the table with him wore similar attire and had large earrings that glistened with the lamps on the table. Her hair was tied into a tight bun. Both wore snakeskin belts which at once caught Casser's attention."Going to Alnoc?" The man asked Casser."No, just left Alnoc this morning," replied Casser."I'm Neto, by the way, and this is my wife, Leita." Leita bowed her head when she was introduced."I'm Casser and these are Wen and Eldion." Casser replied while his companions smiled at the couple."You came from Alnoc? We were supposed to get in the city earlier, but the gates we
The red lanterns that surrounded the Entertainment Palace were all lit, shedding rays of red light on the pathways that all led to the main octagonal structure. They drew in Thunka's customers, mostly wealthy traders who came to Alnoc from different cities of Sendorra. Thunka's servants were all busy pouring wine on seemingly bottomless glasses and filling platters with sumptuous servings of roasted chicken and beef. Glass bowls were laden with fruits that came in from local traders and merchant ships. Everything glittered under the colored lamps of the palace and the richest customers displayed the full splendor of their gold jewels and gem-studded attire.Merry music from the small gongs and the bamboo flute intermingled with the laughter and the noisy chatter from customers who were busy talking with their favorite performers from Thunka's troupe. Lounging on her usual seat and watching everything that was happening around her was Thunka, glamorously dressed in finest silk
Thunka thought about these events that happened after she woke up in her private room and felt her anger return. She was further incensed upon her discovery that her feather bag was also missing. As if to taunt her, Mira put her empty diamond jar in its place. Thunka felt her face grow hot and had a servant fan her more vigorously. When she had sufficiently calmed down, she reclined comfortably and watched her dancers perform.Suddenly, Thunka saw soldiers in black uniform block her view of the performance. She was about to shout angrily when she noticed the Imperial insignia of the soldiers."Jal Dalik, I was wondering when you would visit," said Thunka, raising a hand to the newcomer."Thunka," said Dalik as she kissed Thunka's hand. "Lovely as ever."Thunka had her servants prepare a seat for the Emperor's general and had the finest wine served to him. Dalik eyed Thunka with interest and asked, "How are you, my old friend?""As you can see, I've
Casser clicked his tongue repeatedly and flicked the reins to get Noha to go faster. Noha protested and looked behind her at Casser as if to say that she was already going as fast as she could. She brayed and snorted, then continued to plod along the moonlit road. Eldion looked repeatedly outside and expected the soldiers or the magic hunters to come out of the inn anytime. He wondered whether it was wise to use Noha to escape the soldiers or if they would be better off on foot.Wen could not believe how slow Noha was going and was thinking of just telling Casser that they leave Noha and the cart. She fidgeted with her hands and shifted in her seat as she kept looking behind them. She wished that she had a mantle of invisibility at that moment to hide their escape from their pursuers.Casser led Noha to the right side of the main road and then down a dirt road that was partially obstructed by shrubs. Eldion heard shouts from behind them and saw one of the soldiers look out of the windo
The director placed the back of his hand over his forehead and closed his eyes. He seemed that he was going to faint, but he quickly dropped his hand after a moment and stared at the scene before him. The star dancer was able to sit on the floor, but she was still crying and holding on to her ankle while the other dancers crowded over her. The singer was kneeling before the dancer with his hands clasped tightly together as if praying that everything would be alright.“Do you think you can dance tomorrow?” the director asked the dancer.The dancer tried to stand up with the help of her fellow dancers, but when she tried putting some weight on her injured leg, she gasped and fell on a heap. The dancers gasped and crowded over the injured dancer.“Obviously, not!” said the director. “Quickly get her to the healer and pray that her injuries would heal soon.” Then, to himself, “Or pray that you’d dance at least half as
It was early afternoon when the three men arrived in the center of Dagos. Gent held the reins up and the horses pulling the carriage stopped by the entrance of an imposing wooden building. The door of the carriage opened and a servant garbed in the green garments of local peasants came out. He bowed low while keeping the carriage door open for his master. After a few moments, a man in bright red and purple clothes descended from the carriage.Lankko appeared regal in his red shirt and crown of glorious blonde hair. The heavy gold chains around his neck as well as the sparkling jewels on his fingers completed his attire. He played the part of a wealthy merchant quite well and walked with his chin high, barely looking at the ground. At first, he made a slight tumble upon stubbing his foot on a protruding rock, but Enzir and Gent were quick to steady him.“Thank you,” said Lankko to his servants as he recovered his elegant pose. Then, he wiggled his arms to re
There was a coded knock on the door and Lankko peeked through a hidden peep hole before removing the latch. Lankko insisted on the additional precaution, knowing that it would be very dangerous for his master as well as himself should they be discovered by the Imperial soldiers hiding in the cabin.Lankko saw that it was Gent standing at the door and he was holding several woven baskets. He appeared to be alone. Lankko opened the door to let his cousin in and immediately closed it behind him.“Are you sure no one followed you,” asked Lankko as the metal latches clicked, effectively locking the door. Then, Lankko slipped a thick wooden bar across the door.Gent nodded at Lankko. He then walked towards the kitchen where he placed the woven baskets on the table. Then, he methodically removed the contents of the baskets one-by-one, revealing them to be different food items for Lankko and Enzir. Lankko followed his cousin to the kitchen and helped h
Enzir remembered the Imperial soldiers whom they fought at Remuel’s den. Those he hit with his energy bolts collapsed to the ground and turned into dust as smoke rose to the air. He also remembered how those whom he thought to have been stunned and lay unconscious would suddenly stand up when an Imperial officer held up a glowing necklace in his hand.Enzir was filled with concern as he realized the forces that he would be up to if he joined the resistance to topple down Terdu’s regime. “What can we do then, Lankko?”“I have to admit that I don’t know, Jad Enzir. Terdu has become too powerful that I don’t even know if it is too late to resist him,” answered Lankko.“You mentioned that the people could rise against him. Why don’t they?” asked Enzir.“As I said, Jad Enzir, people are afraid. They need a leader to rally them into action like Rodan did during the time of Sukram, however&n
“If those healing stones really do work, I think it’s bad that there aren’t many of them left,” remarked Enzir.Lankko nodded. “I don’t know if you still remember, Jad Enzir, but we used to have a lot of sun stones at the fortress. You place them under the sun during the day and they will shine at night when activated, replacing the need to burn candles or oil.” Lankko’s face brightened as he remembered how it was when the use of magical artifacts was ubiquitous.“I remember that. I had a lot of those in my bedroom,” said Enzir.“When Terdu banned the practice of magic, I think we lost a lot of our simple joys and freedoms,” said Lankko, hanging his head.“Why did he ban magic in the first place, Lankko?” asked Enzir.“You really don’t know, Jad Enzir?” asked Lankko, scratching his bald head. “I thought your teachers in magic history covered
After serving breakfast and washing the dishes, Lankko decided to go to work in extracting energy from an old healing stone that he was able to get his hands on. It was an old magical artifact that he got from his cousin who also managed to get it from an old friend. According to Gent, the stone worked by rubbing it vigorously between the user’s palms and placed over the painful area. The stone would produce enough heat to warm the area it was applied on and helped in the healing process. Lankko that there was not enough energy in the healing stone to extract but still went on the laborious process of finding out how it worked and develop a method for extracting its power. After several tries, Lankko was finally able to discover that the stone drew energy from the sun and placed it outside. He then directed several mirrors towards it before dropping the stone inside a glass vessel filled with a mixture of salts and minerals. Only then did the stone start to create bubbles that
The following morning, Enzir woke up early with the sound of Kora’s nervous clucking. He looked out his window and found that the chicken was not without company. A rooster was walking around her excitedly and after flapping his wings, gave out a loud crow that could have woken even the heavy sleeper. Enzir smiled as he saw the two chickens eyeing each other and flapping their wings in some form of dance. Slowly, Enzir lowered his window to give the chickens some privacy.There was the sizzling sound of frying along with the delicious smell of garlic being fried. Enzir stretched out his arms and then got out of bed to see what Lankko was cooking. He walked to the kitchen and saw Lankko busily adding ingredients on a frying pan where there was already a steaming pile of rice.“Good morning, Jad Enzir!” said Lankko to his master after giving him a quick glance. “Did you sleep alright?”“Slept like a log,” replied Enzir. “W
Dinner with Lankko’s family was a rowdy affair, but Enzir did not mind. After all the chaos and not being able to eat at a proper table in the past few weeks, he realized that dining with other people on plentiful was really a luxury. He remembered the many times that he did not even recognize the efforts of his own cook who feisty as she was still made the most wonderful dishes that he had ever tasted. Lankko and Darla tried to control their children, especially the little ones who kept on arguing while trying to outdo each other in telling stories of their journey to Dagos. The children really do miss their father, thought Enzir. He had not really thought of Lankko’s family and failed to recognize that his Keeper of Secrets did have his personal life outside his work. Enzir did make Lankko work a lot, especially after he discovered that he could extract energy from the magic artifacts to make an elixir capable of infusing power to whoever drinks it. He had Lankko
“What are you saying, Lankko?” asked Enzir, his voice rising as he felt his blood rushing through his veins. “What do you mean my mother may still be alive?”Lankko suddenly felt warm. He felt sweat forming on his forehead and he wiped it off with his hand. He could not look at Enzir whose eyes seemed to drill into his own. “I have to apologize, Jad Enzir. Your father forbade everyone to speak to you about your mother and I had to obey his orders.”Enzir felt weak. He wanted to shout at Lankko and destroy everything he could have his hands on, but there was nothing to break, nothing to smash against the walls.“Aaahh!” cried Enzir. He finally managed to pick up a rock and threw it hard towards the lake. He felt his breathing quicken and he stood on the slope watching the rock he threw fly through the air and landing on the water.“Please, Jad Enzir,” pleaded Lankko. “Please don’t be angry wit