Warriors of Kagolania

"I don't know if these would be enough for you," said Rikken when Kalena examined the swords from Yagn-sho. "This is the best am-shen I've found here, but I don't think they can match those created only for you in the royal forge."

"The skills testify about the warrior, not where his sword was forged," she replied calmly, looking for the weapon most similar to the previous one.

"But a good sword is also useful. If you'll wait a few days, I could bring some better ones."

"I don't have a few days. If Galaspiael is in captivity in Madegald, I have to hurry," she responded firmly. Rikken leaned against the wall and shook his head.

"I misjudged you during the training. I could not see at that time what a wonderful person you would grow up. You embarrass us all with your courage and loyalty. What kind of subjects are we, if no one dared to go with you to save the king?"

Kalena stopped in a half step and sighed heavily.

"I don't risk anything anymore," she replied quietly, "it's easy for me. You have homes, families, loved ones here. I already lost my home, and he was the only family for me. Until we return, gather allies. I am sure the king will be grateful to you for this as much as me for saving him."

"Mistress Bimala has packed you a copy of the maps from our library. Will you go straight to the Sekania?"

"I wanted to go to the Forbidden Zone first." The girl looked out the window, staring at the forest. "Gyeul doesn't like Galaspiael, but rather realizes that the king has no descendant. If the last person of the Namanya dynasty dies, then no one would repay his sins. He will be imprisoned in the living world forever, and I bet this is something he doesn't want to."

"Be careful. Maybe go during the night."

"I have a plan. If everything goes well, I'll be fine."

"When in Sekania, also be careful," Rikken continued, "Aymon would love you to come back alive. Your power would be useful here."

"I'll be back with Galaspiael."

"From what I've heard, the fate of war prisoners is unknown. Madegald officials state they did not take them at all this time. If they really captured a king, they are certainly hiding him well. It will be difficult for you to find him."

She nodded.

"I know. That's why I have to try to talk to this spirit. Each, even the smallest hint is crucial." She swung the blades. They cut the air with a whistle. "These will be good."

The Am-shen Kalena chose were no match to her previous ones. Although they were quite decent, she knew it would be some time before he got used to them.

She left Yagn-Sho saying goodbye only to Rikken.

She was still too close to the capital, so she had to take the forest road to the Forbidden Zone. She didn't find Gyeul or anyone else in the ruined city. Everywhere was empty and quiet.

Kalena walked all the way calling him in her thoughts and whispering his name, but nothing happened. No falls, no unnatural gusts of wind. Nothing at all.

"Gyeul! I know you're here! Show up!" She shouted. Echo repeated her voice quite too fast that normally. The atmosphere quickly concentrated. Gyeul came and listened.

"I would like to talk to you, Your Majesty." The girl spoke again.

This time he reacted. He appeared before her, but much taller and more terrifying than she remembered. He wanted to intimidate her.

"What are you looking for here, little lover of my successor? Shouldn't you run away? The searchers haven't found any treasures here recently, and a great amount of money has been promised for your head. A group of them is entering the forest right now, I can bring them here."

"I'd like to ask you something important," she began calmly.

"Ask then," the ghost replied, slightly annoyed that he hadn't managed to scare her.

"I need to know if Galaspiael is still alive"

The being standing in front of her blurred into a black mist and materialized back behind her. Although Kalena was wearing a thick layer of material, she felt his cold fingers on her shoulders.

"Do you want a confirmation that you haven't gone crazy yet? You were told it so long that you finally began to doubt yourself if you're right? I totally understand. Many people considered me crazy when I was still alive. But whatever I answer now, will it change anything? Will you start to perceive yourself differently?"

"Tell me where he is and I'll go look for him. You want it too, right?"

She heard a soft sigh and the sound of leaves.

"To be honest, no I don't. If you found him too quickly, you would go back to the palace and would not let anyone hurt him. I can't let you do that. Since he got captured, I can enter the underworld much easier and stay there longer than before. Know my grace, he is alive and in captivity in Madegald. I want him to stay there for a long time. I won't tell you anything more."

"We'll see." Kalena took out her weapon, but then Gyeul dissolved again. She screamed furiously and held out both hands. She wanted to get some energy out of her body and turn it into the fire. Lots of fire. To burn the entire Forbidden Zone. She could see it in flames with her imagination.

"Come back here! Come back immediately!" She shouted, but it did not affect. Despair and a sense of complete helplessness took over the girl. Not knowing too much what she was doing, she began to recall fire energy.

"Don't you like living in ruins? You will live in the ashes! I order you to come back here and answer my question! You are no longer the only person who has power!"

Unexpectedly he came back. No longer in embodied form, but as a frightening apparition with a white head and four lizard tails. He picked up Kalena like a rag doll and threw her a few meters away. She moaned loudly trying to get up when he landed next to her

"Who do you think you are? A goddess? Do you want to create flames with your hands? You are as far away from the goddess as possible. You don't realize the full potential of the art of controlling fire, you don't deserve it." Gyeul crushed her to the ground with a strong gust of air. "I don't understand why this has not disappeared in subsequent generations. You bastards are no longer worthy of power!"

"I won't let Galaspiael die," she groaned, "I'll find him whether you help me or not. You know it."

"I know," he replied. "You'll find him. But if you were to do it too soon, I'd see it and kill you now. It won't happen without my help. I see your future, slave. You can't hurt me. You are a small, insignificant mistake in my plan."

After these words, he disappeared and did not show up again.

*

In the afternoon Mei brought Zarkin dinner.

The boy felt a little better. The fever was gone and he was recovering slowly, though he still couldn't see. Some of his memories returned, but he thought it was better to remember nothing.

Only the sounds and sensations returned. A new mark on the arm and burning pain. The slave trader's laughter when he learned that Zarkin was a liberated slave. He told Zarkin that he was glad that the boy had come back to his place, and then he wondered aloud if he should not kill him when it turned out that he's blind. He called Zarkin a damaged item, and that's how Zarkin felt.

"I see you're getting to know your bedroom?" Mei joked, straightening the rug he had tripped over.

"Laugh," he hissed. "You are enjoying my misfortune, are you?"

"Why do you say that you know I don't," she replied seriously. "I just wanted to comfort you. You must finally get to your feet. I will help you as much as I can, but you cannot let despair engulf you."

"Despair engulfed me anyway," he admitted sadly. "I want to kill myself. Why it has to be eyes? Anything but not the eyes! I lost the most important sense, how should I continue living?"

"We'll find a way..." she began.

"Don't lie." Zarkin put his left hand on the table, and with his right hand started searching for the plate and the spoon. He couldn't stop tears when he thought about his blindness. Along with his sight, he also lost his accuracy, almost legendary and heavily practiced since the beginning of his studies at the Scribes' Association.

"For now, you need to rest. You haven't regained your full strength yet, no medic will treat your eyes now." Mei lifted his head as if he could see her face. "We'll get through this. I will never leave you again."

"You should," he murmured. "You should leave me, especially now. Forgive me for yelling at you for no reason."

"Yell if you are feeling better after that. Tomorrow I will take you for a walk, you can't spend all your life at home. It will help you."

"Certainly not to regain my sight."

"Not to regain sight, but peace of mind. Nemina also gave me a letter from Mistress Bimala. Kalena is alive."

"Where is she?" Zarkin asked calmly, though he shuddered inside hearing her name.

"She is coming to Yagn-Sho soon. The letter was written a few days ago, so she's probably already there. Samin sentenced her to death, but someone notified Aymon and Rikken at the last minute."

"I would like to help her, but when my eyes are broken it's impossible." Zarkin moved to a more comfortable place. "Where are we exactly? I didn't ask you where this house is located."

"We're in Kagolania, but it's safe here. Miena is the largest city in this part of a kingdom and it's about two hours away. I found you on the market there. The capital city is far away and you have traveled all the way completely poisoned. They were afraid of you, they probably knew you could defend yourself."

The boy was silent until he finished eating. Mei sat patiently beside him, wondering what else she could say.

"Is it true what Kalena said at the funeral? Is Galaspiael alive?"

"Have you heard about it?"

"My cousin wrote about it in the last letter and then stopped answering my messages. Well, do you think that's true?"

"I don't know." He threw up his arms. "But since she believed it so much, I think it's true. I think she would want to save him. She may go to Madegald after him."

*