BEARERS IN DARKNESS SE1/ EP2

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BEARERS IN DARKNESS SE1/ EP2

EP 2- NETOY

TWO DAYS AGO

Netoy Rongordia was sitting at his room’s balcony. He could feel the wind on his face as he watched the people in the docks. He saw his father returning to the castle on his horse. Behind him, 30 men were coming and they were carrying a boar. He recognized his uncles. 3 0 men were carrying a huge boar which he knew his father hunted. After a while, after his fathers entered the castle, he heard a knock at the door. He said:

• “ Come in please.” The door was opened smoothly. He knew it was his father before Netoy saw him. He was the only person he knew in this world who opened the door like that. When he came in, he saw the look on his father’s face and understood something was wrong.

• “ What is it father?

• “ You remember the country of Dorintaw and its king Ribero Nichola? The noble man who wanted nothing more than his folk’s peace? He died yesterday. A craven came from Wort. It had brought those news.

• If Ribero Nichola is dead, as I remember he did not have any heirs, who is ruling his country?

• A wizard.

• “ Just that? No name, no surname?”

• “ No, just The Wizard. And as a realm tradition, if one country’s king or ruler dies, every powerful country in the realm has to send a powerful messenger to send his country’s regards to the new ruler of the country. I want you to, as heir of mine, go and send our regards to this new wizard. I do not like to think of a sorcerer as a ruler but it is a tradition. So, you will go and watch this new wizard for a time. I know you are very good at analyzing people so you should go and observe that if there is any possible danger that might concern our country. Also, I want you to go out. You are stuck inside all day long. I want you to go and explore the world a little bit. You will fill my place one day and you can not do that if you are stuck at the palace all day long.” Netoy listened to his father patiently. He realized that there were some things he did not inform him about so he asked:

• “ You know I am good at analyzing people, father so please do not play with me. I can see that there are things you are not telling me.” His dad sighed and continued:

• “ Do you remember the peacekeeper warrior organization of Dorintaw called The Light Bearers? In his letter, The Wizard mentioned that The Light Bearers turned against their country and tried to conquer their country from the inside. This l do not believe a word of. I had good friends from The Bearers and I know that they love their country and are ready to protect it at every cost. Yet, in the letter, The Wizard says that after The Light Bearers started the rebellion, the national army of Dorintaw, The Riders in The Wizard’s leadership, attacked The Light Bearers and killed every last one of them and imprisoned the ones who were left alive.”

• “Yet what do you think of those events dad?”

• “ Well, it is clear that their country now is under control of The Wizard and the nation has lost its best hope of defending himself. And I do not think that this wizard person will either try to nor will treat the folk with justice. So as Lorbatiyant folk, it is our duty to protect them against any possible threats. So I want you to go to the docks tomorrow at dawn. You will travel to Dorintaw in no time. So I advise you to get prepared at once for travel.

TOMORROW

The day reached nearly to midnight when they first saw the towers of Dorintaw. Netoy was tired of being on board. Like many of the Lorbatiyants, he was a land person, not a sea person. So he was very happy when they reached the shore and mounted. They started to move through the mountains. It was noon when they were halfway through the Walking Fish Village. Netoy saw two other convoys join them. After a while they saw people gathered at the village square, watching them with curious eyes. He realized who was the ruler as soon as they got there. The Wizard was standing on top of a rock, above his people. He thought “This could be a sign. A ruler should never be above his people yet if he is, it could be a sign for inequality. Yet I need more proof to tell my dad. The help for the people of this land depends on what I am going to observe today. So I have to be patient and careful.” His convoy was the first to reach to rock The Wizard was standing on. The Wizard was wearing a purple robe and a crown on his head. Crown was filled with jewelry. And as he looked at the crowd gathered, he saw some hungry faces, some children, some women, some old men. He was the first to speak:

• I came to this very land from my own country as the prince of Lorbatiyant to represent and talk on behalf of my king and my dad. My dad sent his regards and apologized for not being present here. But he wanted me to tell you the exact words I am going to transmit to you right now.

‘ From the King of Lorbatiyant, the first kingdom of Morkantik, to the representative of the Kingdom Dorintaw,

I, Peter Rongordia, want to let you know our country’s sadness for the latest events that occurred in your country. We were shocked when we heard the betrayal of the Light Bearers. We would have never assumed such a pitiful attempt to gain the throne of this very kingdom to come from the Light Bearers which we thought were peacekeepers. And we are mourning over the pass of your king, Ribero Nichola, who lost his life defending his country against those filthy so called warriors.’

Those were the words he prepared when he was on his way here. He decided that he had to gain the trust of Dorintaw’s new ruler, The Wizard, if he wanted to gather information about what really happened about the Light Bearers two days ago. The other two messengers said nearly the same things and the Wizard listened patiently. And lastly he talked. A cheer from the crowd came all of sudden. Then, after the applause died, the Wizard turned to them and said:

- “Any of you who want to stay here is welcome to stay. But if any of you want to return to your countries, do not let me keep you from doing that please.” “He does not want us to stay here and pry into his work. He wants us gone as soon as possible.” Netoy thought. Crownsguard of Miramandat was the first to answer:

- Thank you for your offer but we would like to start the hunting of the Light Bearers as soon as we can.” Then a council member of the Trees of The Eight wanted permission to return to his home country, the same as Netoy did. When they were leaving the Wizard at their behind, his adviser, Tolemo Marca, came closer to him and asked:

- “Do you think that is a good idea to leave this early, my prince?” Netoy smiled and said:

- “Oh, I am not planning to leave, you are. I am going to stay here a little bit more and disguise as I am one of the folks. It is the best option we got because I believe that even if there is something more to this Light Bearer Rebellion in the background, I doubt that our wizardy friend is going to tell us more about that.” He sensed that old adviser was going to try to convince him that was a good idea so he said:

- I made up my mind, Tolima. Now you will return to Lorbatiyant and come back 4 days later with a ship at the docks. That is an order.

It took nearly three hours for him to find the inn and hire a room. He was very tired and was about to sleep when he heard footsteps going to another door. “It is probably not important” he thought but his instincts told him otherwise. He got up and went to the door. He heard muffled voices and whispers and then he saw light coming from the door. He knew they were talking but he could not hear what was it. After a while, 4 people left the room. They were headed towards the barn, so Netoy tagged behind them, slowly. They entered the barn looking for horses. Suddenly, Netoy thought what he did was very silly and just when he started to go back to his room, he realized that 3 people entered the bar whereas 4 people left the room. He suddenly turned his back and glimpsed at a blur coming toward him. The next thing he remembered was nothing but darkness.

He opened his eyes with a very bad headache. He was tied very tightly. They were outside, not at the barn. He saw four people looking at him. He suddenly realized that one of them was a child no more older than he was. The one who seemed as their leader talker:

- “Who are you, are you a spy? Did The Wizard send you? Who are you working for?” Netoy smiled. This must’ve triggered one of the man. He drew his sword and yelled:

- “ Huh, he think you are joking, let me teach you a lesson boy.” Netoy decided it was time to speak:

- “ Sorry for my smile but I could do nothing to help it. I just can not stop it now that I found what I was looking for in a barn.” Four of them all look confused. Taller one asked:

- “Do you think he is insane?” Netoy decided that it was time to reveal what he found. So he answered:

- “No, I am not crazy. I am Netoy Rongordia, prince of Lorbatiyant. And you three are Light Bearers.” Now, they all look confused. So he decided to explain:

- “ When you first captured me, you asked me if The Wizard sent me, if I am a spy. This led me to believe that you are enemies of The Wizard and nowadays, The Wizard’s enemies are labeled as The Light Bearers.” This explanation should’ve been satisfying enough so that their leader said:

- “He knows our little secret, so we should kill him to ensure our safety.” He was going to open his mouth but children in their group started to talk:

- “No, we won’t kill him, first I want to listen to what he is going to say. I also remember him, he is one of the messengers that came to The Wizard today. He called himself the prince of Lorbatiyant. So he is not lying. Plus I thought that The Light Bearers did not kill people who were tied and unable to defend themselves.” That seemed to anger the one who Netoy thought was their leader but he did not say anything. It was the younger one who talked:

- “Talk, my prince if you want to live and please do it quickly, we do not have much more of our precious time to spend on you.” It was enough to make him talk:

- “Well, what you heard today was full of lies, I do not believe in any word I said neither anyone in our country does. My father was friends with lots of commanders of The Light Bearers and he says he can not think of any way that they can turn on their king and attempt to kill him. My father thinks that there is more to the story which is kept under shadows by The Wizard. So he sent me to search for the truth in Dorintaw. He is ready to help if he thinks that the people of this land is in danger.” “They did not believe me, not even a word I said. Especially the one whom I thought was their leader. There is something wrong about this one, I can sense it.” Naturally Netoy was surprised when the tall one said:

-- “ I believe you, people of Lorbatiyant helped kingdoms that are at war throughout the history. They had no claim in their lands. They just helped them achieve peace. I think that it is our best hope to go there and plead our story to the king.” There were murmurs among them which indicated that they agreed with him. The younger boy stepped forward and introduced himself as he untied him:

- “Sorry for our treatment, m’lord. We were just being cautious. I am Torkuel, son of one of the commanders of The Light Bearers. My grumpy companion is Bravort and those two are Loraq and Firaq. They all are The Light Bearers. They were going to help me to get safety and we were discussing what to do when we realized you were following us, m’lord.” Netoy smiled and said:

- “First of all, no need for m’lords my friend. You can call me Netoy. And secondly, I would like to accompany to your groups until we reach my country. You do not need to worry about food and other supplies, I have enough for me and maybe more for sharing with you. Also, I suppose you will need a guide to pass the border formed with impenetrable and and I know that nor Light Bearers neither lowborn society travel outside of Dorintaw whereas I traveled to Dorintaw from eighteen different paths and remember each one as I went through them yesterday.” He wasn’t surprised when he heard Bravort accepting his offer:

- “Alright then, you are coming with us but do not assume that you will be given any kind of privilege while traveling with us just because you were born a prince, You will be just like a soldier in an army and will treat me as I am your commander, understood?”

- “Yes, sir” “ He fears me,” Netoy realized suddenly. “Bravort is afraid that I am going to destroy his authority on others, so let him think that I am a soldier who just follows the orders blindly. Let him trust me. But I will not trust him, not fully.”

-“ So, what is the plan?” asked Loraq. “Now, where will we travel?” Netoy answered:

- “Now, since we are at the Walking Fish Village and the nearest passage to the docks is the Passage of Doom. There is only a watch tower on our way that we should avoid. This trip will take nearly 2 days.”

- “What if we reach there, what will happen after that? Will we just walk across the ocean to reach Lorbatiyant?”

- “No, when I departed from the rest of my convoy, I ordered my assistant to meet with me for four days at the docks. I did not mention a specific dock and there are only two docks at Dorintaw and I hope they will send two ships to each dock. If not, we can find a smuggler to get us through the ocean.”

- “So, our whole plan is based on your kingdom sending two ships and if not, we will all be dead soon, right?” said Torkuel.” “What other chance do you have?” Although after that he said that he was surprised when it was Bravort who talked:

- “ We have to get moving. It won’t be long before they will track us. And the kid is right, this is our only chance for freedom and justice for the rest of the light bearers.” Bravort’s word was enough for everybody to mount up and get moving. They were beginning to move when they heard a horn. And suddenly Netoy saw lots of arrows landing before them. And they heard a thick voice among the trees:

- You are completely surrounded by the forces of Riders under the command of The Wizard and the force of the Kingsguard of Miramandat! We do not want to kill you, please show no resistance and turn yourselves in or else you will face the wrath of The Wizard’s swords of Dorintaw!