7 NAGOZUL (1/2)
A loud bang echoed from the deafening slam of the door to the wall. ”Wake up sleepyheads!”
”Wha...? What's wrong...” groaned Karus while grabbing his pillow to smother the noise, trying to return to fantasy world that he was so abruptly disturbed, seeing that the one waking them was Yosh. ”The sun's not up yet! Go bother Luna and Stella!”
”Don't you have anything better to do than this, you're ruining our sleep,” added Kayzar annoyed as he is because of Yosh's shouting.
Yosh did not stop there. He banged the walls while simultaneously hitting the metal poles of the bed creating a screeching gnashing irritating noise that is so disturbing, anyone sleeping, even with a higher threshold for annoyance, would turn fiery red practically running amok.
”HEY HEY!” shouted Karus angrier than before. ”You're the one with the melodramatic experience last night, remember? You're the one that kept us sleeping late! We haven't had a decent sleep for about a week...”
”Well guys, I hate to break this to you, but I have my exams today and I really need your help.”
Karus groggily sat up aggravated by his wake-up calls and immediately remembered that Yosh is due to take the exams this noon. They thought that if he doesn't pass the examinations then he won't be able to join them at the end of the week to the Northern Encampment and that gave them enough will to escape the wonderful fantasy world they're tethered in. They didn't plan to leave him behind and they most certainly didn't want to stay behind themselves to care for him either.
”Okay okay, so what subjects do you have this year...” groaned Karus scratching his head with much frustration.
”Let's see... I know about fusions so that eliminates that.”
”Great, one less thing to worry about...” sighed Kayzar who's about to stand up and fix his side of the bed.
”Nagozulian Geography - Royal Duties... and I can't remember the last one - it seems to have eluded me almost every time.”
”Lemme guess... Tactical Maneuvers in Combat applying Elements?”
”Right! Wait - how'd you know?”
”Same old Yosh!” said Kayzar with much smile. ”You don't participate in lectures, right? Not even tried to scribble the subject titles of your courses.”
”At least I'm not pretending that I don't know anything unlike you two who keep on flunking the exams on purpose. With your skills you should be on your way to finishing school early and taking your great quests on other lands.” said Yosh giving a come-back at them. ”Why're you doing that on purpose? I mean - you practically memorized the books at the library, you even perfected level two wind Magicks at this age. You two could've been sages and seers at a very young age. You ought to be like the chosen ones or something. Or even the 'genius twins' or some designated mythical name of sorts,” he cajoled with much eccentric performance wanting to be on their good side.
”Well we knew about this rumored prophecy -”
”Alon.” said Kayzar interrupting Karus with his speech.
Karus looked at Kayzar with much squinting of the eyes and with a little movement from his hands and fingers looking as though they're conversing with each other using their minds. Yosh and Reus found out that the two of them, while always being together, created some sort of language that only they know. This, sometimes, irritate Yosh for he wants to be included in the conversation at all times, especially when it's a secret. They are using words that aren't included in their language that others cannot interpret. This is so well thought through that anything they say or do creates an impression, to other people, that the twins both have this magical power enabling them to talk with their minds but in reality, they're just thinking in the same pace.
Karus stuttered as he goes on about with his words trying to divert the attention that he got from Yosh. ”S-So... uh- So where do we begin?”
Yosh was annoyed with Karus' shift of behavior. He is dumbfounded as to why Kayzar came snapping like that to Karus making them jump, once again, to their magical world but he let it go because he needed to hurry up. ”Okay so first off, I want to know the Nagozulian Geography. Royal Duties is boring and the other one, which I forgot again, clearly is hard stuff.”
The twins got inside their washroom then went to the wardrobe room to prepare themselves for an eventful day ahead of them. After a few minutes they came out with their cool royal robes giving them a prince-worthy handsome look. They were wearing a silk robe lined with gold with the royal crest at the middle. Karus was wearing red while Kayzar green. They have this coat that looks like a mesh of shining vines but when looked closely it was embroidered with different molded precious metals and gemstones.
”Wow! Now that's a royal robe!” said Yosh with much excitement to see them as he examined the whole thing with them twirling around, rotating to boast the new made clothing they just acquired. ”Hmn... Not too shabby, not much ruffles. Even if it's a robe, it clearly brings the man in you.”
”Why thank you.” said Kayzar. ”I designed them myself. We got tired of wearing the same boring uniform, so we considered on doing something not familiar.”
”Tch... Well if you're the one who did that, you might as well be ready for something terrible.”
”Why's that?” asked Karus.
”Aunt Prodea would be onto you,” laughed--- Yosh followed by a boisterous guffaw leaving the brothers laughing as the result. ”She'll say you've murdered fashion!”
”We don't care if they don't like this radical idea of a robe.” said Kayzar. ”Illyriah helped us in making them so I guess if she said that it's okay then its fine enough for us.”
”Yup, we made this not for their satisfaction but for our own.” Karus firmly stated as he walked with a gentlemen-like manner to the door. ”After you your highness.” He stared to Yosh slightly bowing mimicking the servant's voice and movements.
”Why thank you.” he replied as they all snickered heading outside, striding to the Palace Kitchen to grab something to eat for breakfast.
-------ooO0Ooo-------
”Ei' kids, wotcha doin' up so early t'day,” greeted the tall, wide, muscular, cook at the kitchen to the three brothers that had just arrived at the scene. He has a big round button nose that really stands out. His eyes are as round and as small as the peas but as black as charcoal. He always has this short trimmed black hair that is decently fixed making him clean and proper. He also has hairy arms that are big and strong with its stubby fingers but very flexible and adept in handling knives. He talks funny because he got his tongue cut short accidentally back when he's a kid, but they understand him clearly.
”Shut up Kudos! Do not address them as such!” demanded a young servant woman slapping him on the head with a large wooden cooking spoon. She has a small thin physique but what she lacks in her physical appearance, she puts up with her brimming confidence and fearsome display of aggressiveness. She has a long hair all folded and strapped on top of her head. She has this wonderful smile that can brighten a room but her angry face just really offsets the balance making her frightening in a way.
”Nah, it's alright Madj we don't mind.” Yosh hurriedly said while racing to the table near the two cooks trying to grab some grapes.
”Yes, it's 'olright Madj 'dey don't mind.” mocked Kudos as he slightly tapped Madj's forehead with the handle of the metal ladle he's been using.
”Why is it that I always find you two fighting over something different every day?” said Karus after helping himself with a large serving of bread that he struggled to grab from Yosh that's keeping it to himself.
”Well, my brother is always such an as...”
”'Ei 'ei 'ei! Watch 'yer language 'der now young lady!”
They snickered for a little while as the two made some silent facial gestures as if fighting with only their faces. No one ever wins really. They just stop when they get tired which makes it the highlight of their meal every morning. 'A breakfast with a show' they would say as they would laugh together. That would stop their childish behaviors for a little while but will then be repeated after a few short minutes.
Kudos and Madj were once the greatest dagger wielding masters - at least that's what they know about them while observing their skill in handling sharp blades - but they end up at the kitchen for some apparent reason that they dare not share to anyone. The brothers thought that they were fugitives on the run but it's just some rumors that they indulge to talk about and share with when spending time with the two cooks. This idea would make them end up crying in laughter as this usually starts their conversations. They are the basic masters of Karus and Kayzar in the field of daggers and knives. They taught them so effectively that when Yosh found it out a couple of years ago, he enlisted together with Reus and they too learned the secrets of dagger wielding. This earned their spot to the list of people that the brothers trust and treats as family in the Palace - which is a little hard to land on considering their natural avoidance to the people living there.
”So - 'wat 'r 'd four broder's up to? Huh?” smiled Kudos as he chops some green vegetables after their long face fight.
”Well you wouldn't believe this, but I did a tertiary skill called Quake! Without adult supervision mind you,” exclaimed Yosh bragging about what he did at the training ground.
”Whoa, you did what?!” shouted Madj dropping her wooden spoon on the ground and went near the table where they were eating. ”No way! That's illegal right? That's so cool!” she said with much enthusiasm.
”Don't tell this to anyone -” whispered Kayzar while leaning forward. ”We, Karus and I, did a secondary level Howl there too. A skill that no one at our age has done!”
”Hahahaha! I told 'ya! 'Ya guys were gonna be great someday! 'Ya're two steps away to do 'da ultimate one. I believe 'dat 'yer 'gonna fly 'dat skills like nuttin'.”
”But check this,” continued Karus excited as he is. ”Our brother, Kuya-Reus, he did a big ultimate level skill that no one's ever known of. Even we didn't know about it.”
Silence ensued at the room till Madj broke the ice. ”So - uhm - what's the skill about?” she curiously asked with much anticipation.
”We'll just gonna have to talk to you again some other time about that,” said Yosh as he pulled the brothers away.
”Wait, what?” curiously asked Karus while drinking his glass of nectar in a cup and pulling his arm back retreating from Yosh's tug. ”I'm not done eating yet.”
”Yes, yes. C'mon Yosh,” persuaded Kudos with much excitement focusing all his attention to Karus as he dropped everything that he was doing and listened to what Karus was stating. ''he's talkin' 'bout sumtin' big! I wanna know sumtin' BIG!”
”Some other time Kudos, some other time,” smiled Kayzar as he grabbed the back of Karus' robe and pulled hard looking as if he's dragging him outside.
”See yah later!” ended Karus as they stride off to an almost running state. ”Oh, and by the way, we're 'gonna take our dinner at your kitchen later this evening.” Then they disappeared banging the doors of the kitchen.
”'Wat dinner?” shrugged Kudos while looking at her sister who's puzzled with them as he is.
”Must've been because something happened last night maybe?” Madj frowned feeling sad for them.
-------ooO0Ooo-------
”So, where do we start on the map?” initiated Karus who practically got a perfect score at his geography class when he was at Yosh's age, that is before they started flunking their grade score deliberately.
”Let's start with the graph, first shall we?” commanded Yosh tapping their shoulder before running straight away leaving the two behind.
”Oh right,” they figured as they followed him with haste to the Great Steps.
You cannot teach Geography without a map, they thought. So, they have to find a map first before the lecture.
They passed different halls and different people never stopping for something or someone. Even Princess Illyriah, who's wandering about in the halls, was ignored as they gave their good morning greetings and swiftly raced to the Great Steps.
”Yosh! Don't ever do that again,” glared Kayzar as they arrived at the scene finding him there sitting at floor, looking at the big map in front of him like he's been waiting there for minutes.
”What did I do?”
”The Great Dash?” Karus pointed-out. ”You know that we only do that in private, right? If someone finds out that we've been learning Daomagarian techniques and doing it well, they will begin to investigate and that would lead to us being reprimanded, again!”
”Oh, right. Oh, to impierno with them. We're going to get out of this stupid Palace after a week. After that, there'll be no reprimands for me.”
”Just don't do that again,” flared Kayzar as he pulled Yosh's ear to stand up.
”Okay, 'kay. Ow! So, what now? ”
They stood at the first landing at the Great Steps. There is an accurate Map of the whole Nagozulian territory standing framed in the wall about thirty feet high starting from the base of the floor of the first landing of the steps to the edge of the ceiling. The frame that encloses the Map is made up of Gold handcrafted designs with Silver linings embedded with different jewels all around making all edges bright as they reflect the sunlight peeking out from the windows directly at the other side.
It is a marvelous piece of art, the map. It was created by the famous immortal blacksmith Dal'Gur who is also a cartographer. He used different kinds of materials to make it look like a fine piece of art that would resemble the exact terrain and landmarks of the island looking as though a person standing there scrutinizing the whole expense of the land is a high-flying hawk looking down below, witnessing the grandeur of the whole of Nagozul. There are embossed parts that state names of the landmarks and territories of the lands. Amazing intricate drawings and marks were found in almost everything giving much detail on every part however small they may be.
”Okay let's start from this, the south.” said Karus looking as excited as he is trying to grasp every bit of information he knew and summarizing it to a short lecture. ”At the very south you can see the Black Hills, now called Hills of Ugan which is typically unfair.”
”Just stick to the lecture Karus,” cut Kayzar interrupting his mumblings. ”Don't share your opinions.”
”Right, right. So anyhow, the hills of Ugan were 'granted' to 'General Ugan' for his brown-nosing act...” Kayzar looks at him sharply with a little smirk in his face that Karus noted. ”...his - uh - great 'contributions' to Nagozul. That is where your favorite cousin trains. They also train the military there first before they went up north to the northern encampment...” he stepped backwards and pulled Yosh to his location then pointed the northern part of the map that has a big mountain image on it. ”...the Mt. Liwanag, the tallest mountain ever listed here at the Holy Lands. They harvest valuable mushrooms and herbs there. It is said that at the top of that you can see Yagisiv Haya directly from there.” He waved his hands around for Yosh to see the image surrounding Mt. Liwanag. ”Surrounding the mountain is a mountain range called Lakas Mountain range. Further west of that mountain range is where Dal'Gur lives with his smithy. The mountain range offers valuable marble stones and some rare herbs for the merchants to collect and sell. It is also rumored that the fugitives were hiding there. Below the mountain range of the north there is a jungle called the Jungle of Narra -”
”Ohh... Like our grandfather Narra?”
”Yes, but he got that name from the famous Narra who rounded up the entire mythical beasts and sent them there.”