Inside the True God Temple in Zaotoqav, capital of Hukivawen,
The inner sanctum's hypnotic peace was akin to a motherly embrace. The Guide sitting beside the altar had his palms clasped as he was humming some ritualistic prayer. In a slow, rhythmic motion he rose and carried three incense sticks to the blazing altar. His bushy brows gradually began to retain the heat and fear driven beads of sweat as he stood motionless before the grand fire. Hesitantly, yet with a certain belief he muttered, "Follow my chants."
The crackling fire burned brighter and wilder as the incense sticks drew near. The fire's dance seemed unusually lively and flashy today, for it burned not on regular Altak but Chedan, the rarest wood in all of Balia.
As the fragrant incense smoldered, the Guide ordered the only three people present to pray, which they religiously obeyed and followed,
"We your children, pray for you today."
"We your children, pray for you today." X3
"As we hope for your blessing and support for what we desire."
"As we hope for your blessing and support for what we desire." X3
"Please heed our prayers and smile at us, as we shall for your grace purify all worlds as we play the lyre."
"Please heed our prayers and smile at us, as we shall for your grace purify all worlds as we play the lyre." X3
As soon as the prayer ended, the Guide ritualistically propped the three yellow incenses into a Chedan box inlaid with gold and a certain fiery stone. Meanwhile, the three people present for the ritual, closed their eyes and bent their heads, heads where they laid bare their desires and wishes for the true god to witness.
Suddenly, the doors to the sanctum groaned open, and in a file, eight women in pure white garbs entered. A closer observation would lead one to see the quiet hurt each of them carried. Their beautiful faces were adorned with eyes as pale as their garbs, yet their serene smiles betrayed the harrowing scars. Each had lyres that rested in their bosoms, shining of excellent green, the unmissable green of precious jade.
A beautiful melody of serenity interwove with the calming fragrance of sandalwood as the Guide, with a gentle smile, wiped his sweat with the hem of his robe. Eventually, the three praying people opened their eyes and the surreal environment of the sanctum made each break a wondrous smile. The prayer had come to an end.
The Guide slowly stepped down from the raised platform of the altar and approached the three. Chuckling, he spoke, "It was yesterday that I saw young Atkus born. It was also I that conducted his Ceremony of life. Yet here I stand conducting the Ceremony of adulthood for his son. Hahaha….time waits for none yet the lord's grace keeps me firm."
The three devotees smiled in familial humor. Atkus, smiling at his wife beside him replied, "Old Tagxan, the lord has indeed kept you firm. Now you ought to rest and let young Guides conduct rituals. I remember saying you the same thing fifteen years ago when I married."
"Bah! Look at you pulling my leg in front of your family. I remember the days when you used to fear me just from hearing my name. Anyways, I am doing today's ritual only because it's your family. And the certainty of me conducting rituals related to you until I die is absolute."
Atkus shook his head in disbelief, yet his lips carried a smile full of love and care towards the Old Guide. His wife Xara, meanwhile, felt her heart swell as she clasped her hands and bent her head respectfully. Tagxan smiled as he caressed her head, then cupping her face, his face turned cold. "Lady, believe me when I say, all that you wish for will happen, just trust the god and never lose the faith. Because if there is one thing I am certain of, it is that, Antekus is remarkably blessed. And in my eighty years of life, I have never seen a child that even is worth a speck of dust in front of Antekus."
Xara's eyes swelled with tears, yet her will ensured that none dropped. An enchanting smile blossomed across her face. one that could even make the moon blush. Confidently she replied, "I believe you High Guide. I raised him yet he has grown to be a man that takes care of me better than Atkus does. And thanks to the lord's guidance and your involvement could he grow up to become someone this excellent. Someone I believe, like you believe, capable of fulfilling my greatest desire."
High Guide Tagxan smiled softly in reply, then finally turned towards the handsome yet fragile lad in rose-gold robes to his left: the fourteen-year-old who has come of age and hence, from today, can be considered an adult. The son of Atkus Repyes, the temple backed second prince of Hukivawen, Antekus Repyes.
Antekus' expression, unlike his parents', was not of cheer but of calm and guile. Words sometimes need not be spoken to communicate, and that is what, through eyes, Tagxan and Antekus did. Their silent dialogue ended in a fraction of a second, through nothing but a mere glance. This followed Antekus smiling cheerily like his parents, and Tagxan wearing a mask of elderly affection, "Ah child! Look how far you have grown. I remember, unlike your gutless father, you actually loving the Temple and revering all the guides. Hahahaha! You are more like your mother than your father in that regard."
Antekus replied with a cheeky smile, Xara with a hearty chuckle, and Atkus with a wry sigh.
*****
Fol, an eastern town of Hukivawen,
Early morning in Hukivawen begets attendance to the temples, yet today the temple in Fol was devoid of any men. Even the Guides, who make the temples their residence, were nowhere to be found. But the lack of people in a place, usually means abundance in another, and the mass in town square tells the tale. The Fol town-square today held every person the town housed: from elders to toddlers, to every Hukiv and Nonjoul. A beautiful scene of kinship unfolded as the folk today bid farewell to their three town heroes.
Chargeball is the single greatest team sport in all of Balia, a sport loved and played by all. Only on a Chargeball park would one see a boy from slums rub shoulders with a son of a king. Every four year, each of the seven great kingdoms and the three great free cities, irrespective of their differences, assemble in a kingdom where they hold a grand tourney. A tourney where the hosting kingdom hosts the single greatest event of Chargeball, an event where every nation participates for glory. It brings not wealth nor power but it brings glamour and praise, the fuel for unity and the reverence of the common folk.
The three boys of Fol were heading for was the National Chargeball Tourney. An annual event conducted by the Council of Greater Hukivawen under the command of the Royal Family. It was a big deal for the townsmen as their team, Eastern Hukivawen, had never made the Tourney Finals since the inception of the event. And the icing on the cake for the folks was that the stalwart who had trailblazed the team to the finals was the son of the Town Mayor. An adorable wee lad of age 16, whom they saw grow up and wreak havoc in the town for over a decade now.
Nagra Palemoon beamed like the sun as his father, the town mayor, bid him adieu by kissing him in his forehead. His lovely mother, the owner of Fol Bakery, today baked him his favorite muffins. As she handed him his lunchbox, packed tight, brimming with the nut-stuffed muffins, she reminded her son, "Na listen, Uncle Gega and Uncle Pera are goin' with your group. If you have any issue, I mean a-n-y issue. They will be there to help ya. So, ask them for help unashamed, and son, Best of luck!"
Nagra's smile turned to a gleeful chuckle as he was embraced tightly by his mother, "Mama, I ain't going to war am I? Hahaha. Worry not Mama. WE WILL WIN!" The last part of his dialogue was a loud and unabashedly proud declaration. And it resonated not only with his mother but the entire town. They cheered, revered and sang songs of blessing and goodwill. Nagra relished it all. He raised both his arms and joined the chant he lit the spark to.
"WE WILL WIN!"
*****
Van-Coral, a south-eastern town of Irrola,
The captivating coastal town of Van-Coral welcomed a giant of a man today. His constitution that weighed more than 22 stone and reached the height of 6'6 resembled a bear more than a man. His chestnut hair was fuzzy, long and unkempt, which also matched his full beard, although its shade was a tad darker. The giant had an amethyst dog-tag that rested on his chest, tied around him like a necklace. He also carried a ragged bastard sword on his hip and a monstrous longsword on his back.
Currently, he waddled in the town-streets lost, and although people gawked at him none dared to approach. As he stumbled his way across looking around, a seamstress eyed him or rather his amethyst dog tag is what caught her attention. She gulped in apprehension and curiosity as she muttered to herself, "A legendary mercenary here?....Duke Hal probably…Welp an opportunity for me I guess."
Kostam Vakras, the giant mercenary, was getting annoyed now. He was expecting guards or any dukesmen to guide him to the mansion, yet here he was stumbling around like an inept idiot. Frustrated he was about to ask a random for the directions to the mansion, but he stopped, as that is when he saw an otherworldly beauty approach him. Looking at her glass-like brown eyes, he was dazed, yet shaking his head, he regained his composure. Then, as he looked back at her, he laughed, "You are beautiful, eh? Yet the way you walked and approached me felt...…noble? Now here is the dilemma, why are you a noble and working as a seamstress and why is no one here recognizing you? I have never seen nobles in Irrola with a skin tone as dark as yours. So, beauty, pray tell me…are you a courtesan or a lady of an annexed house?"
The seamstress was astounded, but her face betrayed her baffled state. It remained stoic as her smile stretched the same, and her eyes unflinchingly met his. Gazing at him, she replied, "Wonderful observations you make, sir. But I am nothing but a nomad's daughter turned seamstress. A lady that settled in the most beautiful town of Irrola. But sir, you are Kostam Vakras right? I mean your…..shape? gives it away. And of course, the amethyst dog-tag too….And let me make my final observation….You have been summoned by Duke Hal to take care of the Van-Coral organ harvester…right?"
Kostam laughed. He laughed so loud that many individuals around them got the fright of their lives. Thus, guffawing, he responded, "Oh you are good! So, care to direct me to his manor? I would love to chat with you some more but money calls."
"Keep on going straight and you will find the port. Then head right. You'll soon see the residential area. There you will see a huge wall that separates the commoners from the nobility. The left route will lead to the noble community. There, the last and largest manor is that of Duke Hal."
Kostam before heading out stared at the lady for a moment. He read people well, something bound to happen in his line of work, yet he couldn't read her. 'Ah! How hateful would it be to play faro with this lady!' At the same time though, he was certain about something. She needed something from him. So, before heading to his place of summon, he asked, "What do you need...miss? I didn't get your name, sorry about that."
The lady in black smiled as she shook her head, "No offense taken. I am Maja, although the pronunciation goes something like Maxa, call me however you want. And yes I do need you for something. But we will talk about that later. I just want you to come back to my shop after your hunt ends. I know you might think that how can a seamstress afford a Mercenary of Legendary Class? But I want to reassure you…I can….welp, someone has come to fetch you, Kostam Vakras."
The lady left as Kostam stared at her walking away. 'Hmmm, are you using my first perception to your advantage or was my first perception right? Either way, Maja, you intrigue me.' The train of thought that put Kostam in a daze was abruptly broken as he felt a feeble hand touch his shoulder.
"Erm..Sir, I am Markus Falding, a….a Novice mercenary. I was assigned with the duty of g…gu..guiding you. I am so so sorry. I confused the date of your arrival. I am so sorry sir. Please don't hurt me or lodge a complaint sir. It is such a pleasure to be in your company-"
"Shut up and lead the way."