14 the ARRIVAL (1/2)
Loud trumpets roared fiercely, practicing their joyous revel, bringing forth notes that travel amazingly fast in the air as they wake all that might be sleeping around the capital of Nagozul. Garlands and banners that the people haven't seen ever before are heavily decorated on street posts, trees, and almost all houses that are in the line of sight from the main road leading to the Palace.
Generally, putting ornaments in tune for a celebration aren't a part of the Nagozulian customs, and certainly not a part of their tribe brothers the Yagisivians and the Daomagarians, making this kind of setting generally new to them. Putting brightly colored triangular-shaped papers they called banderitas doesn't really seem that sensible to them, especially after hearing that it would all be discarded after the welcoming affairs. Being keepers of the Holy Lands, such waste of time, effort, and resources are unfamiliar to them giving them the dreaded assumption that this tradition is foreign and not one of Prodea's whimsical antics. It's hard enough making them and putting them in their perfect place in the first place, the people of Nagozul thought, but that's what Prodea wants and what she wants, she always gets, and whoever stands in her way usually ends up assigned to the farthest regions of Nagozul, or worse, in prison.
Much busyness can be seen at the Palace as they all move about with both haste and fear in order to perfect Prodea's plans for a grandiose welcome for the Easterners. They have been doing this day and night for the past two months nonstop. Planning the arrival party tends to be harder for them as each day passes for the Grand Princess seems to have the tendency to change her mind as soon as she realizes something more extraordinary than the previous plan - the previous plan that they work so hard to accomplish only to hear that it would go down the bottom of the sea on her whim generating another arduous task to accomplish to appease her. If she had just received her grand epiphany before they have accomplished a very laborious task, they wouldn't have to experience the kind of worry they are currently facing. Not to mention adding the fact that she has a very keen eye for detail, her very specific and very personal detail. No one could be blamed if they all would go flipping mad at her complicated and impossible orders. This trouble that disturbed many a Daomagarian help strengthened their faith leaving for them to pray with much intensity to Bathala, beseeching him to end their misery and let the foreigners just arrive magically. 'A miracle!' They all thought thankful as one of the sentries shouted.
”I can see their flags, Your highness! They are coming!”
”What! So soon!?” complained Prodea which revealed a lot of frowned faces surrounding her as she rushed near the gates to compose herself.
”Now, now 'Dea,” whispered the Queen, ”Getting nervous means being...”
”Unprepared,” she filled, ”Yes mother! We are unprepared!”
”Come now, you are being overly dramatic.”
Before Prodea was about to give a witty retort being lured into her mother's banter she was stopped by the loud horn before them.
The huge doors opened wide to receive the eastern envoy followed by the teeming soldiers that marched lining evenly before them.
”Blessed morning to you my liege,” he kneeled down bowing with a smiling face and stood right away, ”I am Duke Tabarius from the house of Wolfe, envoy to the Great and Mighty Eastern Empire of Leonus and we are your most humble servants.”
”Oh, why the soldiers?” asked the Queen, ”I thought you'd be bringing workers?”
”Yes, benevolent Queen, but I believe a good soldier is more reliable than a good worker. They are stronger, more agile, and basically can endure more. Wouldn't you agree?”
The Queen smiled seeing his charming gestures and whispered to Prodea.
”Polite, smart, and handsome.”
Prodea smiled looking flustered. ”Mother, she can hear you.”
Tabarius chuckled a few and then continued on.
”Before anything else,” he snapped his fingers then along came tens of warriors carrying large gold chests. ”We would like to extend our Empire's gratitude for inviting us to your most sacred lands.”
The servants opened the five huge chests that are now before the Queen. They were all surprised to see large Ivory tusks, stacks of Silks, Sets of Colorful Porcelains and trinkets, and jewelry of gold, silver, and platinum. The Queen cannot be seen as impressed as they thought she would be. How could she? The things that she has seen are mere ordinary things to her. The designs of jewelry inside the chests cannot compare to what the Daomagarian jewelers can do. Perfection is the Daomagar's trade and intricacies for them are like a challenge.
The norm about giving gifts in Nagozul that they didn't know is that one should give gifts only if one thinks it is the best among others, especially in special occasions. Giving something below the ordinary can be regarded as an insult to the person that's why it's best not to give gifts at all if one cannot produce one. It is a statement or a testament on how you value the person. Seeing before them the subpar designs and works of the east really set the Queen off, except for those Ivory Trunks which are not clearly seen from their region.
”So,” the Queen asked after ignoring the other chests that she thinks are worthless, ”Are these the great tusks gathered from the great beasts on your world?”
Tabarius was concerned to the facial reaction of the Queen so he hurriedly replied thinking of saving the impression he just had. ”Oh, yes. We have rounded hundreds of them to collect the finest tusks that you see before you.”
”Yes, perfect,” gloomed the Queen as she touched the smooth shining tusks with her bony fingers which they all noted.
”Is something wrong, your highness?”
”No, nothing. It's just sad that you have to kill those poor beasts just so to have the pleasure of ripping their carcasses apart to give them as gifts.”
The room fell silent to the Queens awkward reactions until after a few seconds Prodea broke off.
”So, before anything else, we would like to see the plans.”
”As promised Grand Princess,” he snapped his fingers and then along came his servant again now bringing five heavy tomes bound by leather straps that are about eight inches thick each. ”The compilation of our Empire's vast knowledge in different fields: Metallurgical, Mechanical, and Alchemical.”
”Yes, thank you very much,” smiled Prodea as she waved her hand for a Daomagar to carry the tomes, which he did effortlessly.
”And here with me,” added the Duke, ”is the Earl of Farindhal, Eryk Caden from the house of Shade.” Eryk took a step and bowed to give respect as he continued, ”He will guide you in understanding the measurements in the collection for he is regarded as our Master Scholar and the brightest Alchemist in our...”
”I'm sorry,” Prodea cut in, ”but I am fully aware of the measurements and is indeed in great understanding with your methods,” proudly stated Prodea being somewhat insulted in his remarks.
”Forgive me for the misunderstanding,” smiled the Duke now feeling a bit nervous, ”I merely implied that he will be at your disposal for whatever needs you feel be done.”
”Absolutely, he will be filled in with his position as an aid,” declared Prodea which gave Tabarius a sigh of relief. ”though I do feel that he won't be needed at all.”
”Come now to your quarters,” waved the Queen, ”surely you're stressed at the perilous journey you've just undertaken. We can reconvene at another time for the mining in Hishma.”
As they all turn away, the Daomagarian servants all around noticed how Prodea's smiling face slightly revealed dismay over how the events transpired in her welcoming affairs. Working a perfect pompous celebration isn't really worth its value in the end, they thought. Prodea's perfectionist attitude has bested her and that cheered them all a little bit. The thought of her failing what she planned for months brought smiles on every servant's faces and that, they all thought, is the reward of their hard work. Prodea should learn something from this and yet she won't because of her stubborn attitude as what they experienced again and again and, as they assume, would still be experiencing in the future.
-------ooO0Ooo-------
Good to see you again Nemer,” greeted Artemus as he stood up from his seat finishing some large quantities of papers at the Grand General's Headquarters, east of the encampment. ”So, I've heard you've just arrived. I'm honored you have made plans to prioritize in visiting me first before some of your affairs.”
”Don't play coy with me Young Artemus.” He smirked for a little bit then went to the chair across Artemus. He looked left and right searching for something as he sat comfortably but poised formally. ”I sense that we are alone?”
”Yes, master.”
”Then we can talk freely Of course, so stop being so formal,” he added with reprimand, ”I don't want to feel any older than I should be.”
”You are Dal'gur. You do not age.”
”Yes, but I feel that I am tired as the days grow old, though my thoughts linger on to so many trivial things as if I'm still at my teenage years.”
”Hmn,” pondered Artemus, ”The wisdom of an Immortal with the innocence of a young adult.”
”You, mortal child, wouldn't understand. So, about Karus,” quickly changed Dal'gur in a much-disturbed tone.
”Yes, what seems to be the problem?” inquired Artemus as he leaned forward, shoving away the stacked papers that is in front of them.
”The problem is not the problem about his task; it is your child himself.”
”You say that as though you are unimpressed? Did something happen?”
”I checked his blood Artemus,” he snapped with his sharp serious eyes leaning forward aggressively.
”I see you've divined our little secret,” he leaned back from his chair as he gradually changed his smiling face in tune with Dal'Gur's serious image.
”Does your wife know?”
”No, only Narra knows. And he doesn't even know that I know, or it is because he's in denial that he doesn't realize the fact.”
”What a troublesome ordeal you've been entangled to, young Artemus,” he expressed with much disappointment easing up but still angry. ”You know well that the punishment for that is the massacre of your bloodline. If we didn't know each other, I even would've started it myself after knowing.”
”I didn't know about her lineage up until we had our last, Rika. Narra made well-hidden of her adoption.”
”A Yagisivian blood fusing with a Nagozulian!” he shouted, ”That is unacceptable!”
”But they will be the savior of our Islands! It's not like that they will turn into the same evil power-hungry monarch a thousand years ago.” explained Artemus.
”No! It's far worse! You now have FIVE evil power-hungry demons now in line for the throne after you.”
”Ah! But the prophecy contradicts that. They say they will be heroes of Nagozul.”
”You really believe in your father's prophecy,” sighed Dal'gur still with much disappointment. He stood up preparing to leave. ”I still have my fear for the future, but I believe in you as I believe in your father. Keep them in line and I won't have to gather the immortals again. Consider yourself warned.”
Artemus nodded smiling. There were a few seconds of silence that enveloped the room before Dal'gur walked in front of the door and then, as he opened it to exit, Artemus asked. ”Did he do it? The Thousand Blade Dash?”
”Well, what do you think? It's not perfect but he'll eventually catch up to a master's level.” he answered. ”Oh,” he added almost instantly, ”I spotted Yosh in the mountains last week. Should I inform your search party?”
”No, master, let him be.”
Dal'gur sighed now smiling, ”I sense that Yosh being there is in your prophecy as well? You and your stubborn beliefs.” And he walked out leaving Artemus almost smiling rifling the stacked papers that was before him.
-------ooO0Ooo-------
”There you are!” surprised Kayzar slapping Karus's bag that is tightly placed on his back moving him for a couple of steps forward because of the force of the impact, ”I've been looking all over for you.”
”HEY!” he answered back slapping Kayzar in the arms getting back from what he did. ”Don't do that again, I almost slipped!”
”Geez, why so grumpy.”
”It's this cursed bag! It's full of tempered steel that's so heavy you feel you've been carrying the world on your back!”
”Why don't you drop it off or call some Daomagarian soldier here to deliver it to the house or something?”
”I can't! It's tightly wound on my arms and back with some weird rope that Nemer fashioned. He's the only man that can take this off. Curse him! This is not funny!”
”Well, have you tried to get some Daomagarian Soldier to untie those knots?”
”What are you, insane!? Of course, I did! There is some weird curse in the ropes, a Yagisivian spell. They said no one can take that off unless you went to a Yagisivian Seer! Well, duh! We're in the northern regions of Nagozul! Where do I suppose to find a Yagisivian!”
Kayzar was surprised with his angry eyes, he hasn't been mad like that for a long time and this made him chuckle a bit. This made him realize that he might have been wearing that bag for quite some time now, maybe as long as since he was still at the mountains at the smithy of Dal'gur with Nemer based on his furious condition.
”What's funny!” snarled Karus.
”Nothing? Well I haven't seen him if that's what you think.”
”Well I can't sit because the bag's in the way! I've been standing here for two hours now! Might as well get the latest news here.”
The two looked at each other for a few seconds until Kayzar spilled smiling.
”Hey, I just got here. I thought you've been here longer than I am.”
”Right,” he sighed with a somewhat disappointed tone.
”Hey!” Kayzar shouted pointing at the armband at the left arm of Karus. ”Is that what I think it is?”
”Yes,” boasted Karus, ”I am officially a Master of the Hundred Sword Elites.”
”Whoa! Who gave you that!”
”Dal'gur. You know he has the power to grant you the honor of being a master being the one who invented the whole guild in the first place. There is an opening for the one hundredth and I happen to chance for the spot.”
”Seriously? You're the One Hundredth? That's serious...”
”Yes, I know. That's a lot of burden but Nemer's been helping me out finishing Dal'Gur's tasks. He said I deserved it for all the hard work I've been doing these past months.”
”So,” grinned Kayzar with much excitement, ”What's like training with the Immortal Dal'gur. What does he look like?”
”Well,” scoffed Karus, ”To be honest, he didn't actually show himself to me. He was in this large room, veiled, being mysterious and whatnot, and is talking with a weird deep voice. I swear it looked like he was toying at me because his voice is like a kid playing to have a very low pitch, but I guess some people talk differently.”
”Hahahaha, wish I was there.”
”Yes, all I did was play and have fun with Nemer. He said Dal'gur instructed him to teach me the Thousand Blade Dash, so I followed, and it ended really fun.”
”No way!” raved Kayzar, ”The Thousand Blade Dash? The Real Thousand Blade Dash? You went there to learn that!?”
”Yes?” answered Karus somewhat confused, ”Is there any other Thousand Blade Dash technique?”
”But that's...”
”Yep, impossible,” bragged Karus, ”Using the Great Dash is hard. You have to concentrate all your energy in your thighs to pump bursts of energy to forcibly push your body to another location, right? But that's not all. In order to perform the Thousand Blade Dash, you have to perform dashes using your arms. Apparently, what we know so far is dashing with the use of our feet, but that's not quite true. The Daomagarian Dash is a preparatory technique to master to dash every jointed part of your body. So, what I did was I mastered dashing every single part of my body to slash one thousand times while dashing from a point to the target. That technique is really something, if the dash is hard, you can think of it as a thousand, if not hundreds of thousand, times that.”
”You know, I tried that myself!” added Kayzar, ”I only made a single slash though, and what's worse, I missed! Every part of my body hurt afterwards, and I was in bed for three days, so I never tried it again.”
”Yes! Exactly! Pulling your sword and slashing something in between the dash for a thousand times is really hard. I literally broke my bones more than fifty times or so, I lost count. Good thing Nemer always carries about a jug full of White Angel.”
”Hahaha, did you ask for a spare?”
”Of course, not!” Karus smiled to explain, ”That's Dal'Gur's White Angel. Do you want him to punish me?”
”Or something worse, show himself to you. He must've looked like some ill-tempered, old, grumpy, bald, hideous man,” laughed Kayzar. ”But seriously, you should show me that dash some other time.”
”What're you laughing about?” entered a familiar voice.
”NEMER!” shouted Karus punching him in the arm as hard as possible with much anger which he didn't even felt, having his normal Daomagarian tough skin of course. ”WHERE'VE YOU BEEN? I HAVE BEEN STANDING HERE IN AGES!”