Chapter 2
Running Heart
I left a note at my father’s desk.
Heading to Sitio village
Going to train my greenies
Be back next month
-CZA.
They were at the east gate when I had arrived. Unbelievably, there have somehow made a commotion. And when I arrived, they all stared at me. I looked around and saw kids, women and some men. They all have this worried look like it would be the last time they’ll see us again. Then I figured, my men were their sons, brothers and probably husbands. It’s quite dramatic, really.
Some of my men were quite excited, geared up for the trip. Some have the same worried look as their relatives. And Brax, as usual, greeted me with his unmoving face. The bandage in his nose was quite an improvement in his face. Not that it needed one. I need him to be scary, to instill fear not only on my men but also on our enemy.
We headed out for the gate and I demanded the city guards to open up. They hesitated a bit and I know a question will soon be followed, but when I gave my most horrifying, piercing gaze unto them, they man up and opened the door.
I gestured for my men to follow me. I have only a small bag with me, a bottle of water, some clothes, and a lot of dried fish and some bread, while my men had bigger backpacks with them. I gestured them to follow me and start moving.
When we’re out of the city, I stopped for a while and faced them. It’s a thirty and hundred kilometers from here to Sitio Village, it’s quite a distance and it would probably takes us six days even if we marched.
“From this point on,” I said. “We will run. You will not stop unless I stop. Lt. Brax you’ll be the sweeper and I’ll lead.”
It was a mild jogging during the first thirty minutes. It was in the middle of the day and it was scorching hot. Fortunately, tall trees blocked most of the sunlight. I picked up the pace and quicken it. When I decided warm up was over, I darted.
It was still a normal run, I didn’t want to completely leave them behind, not yet anyway. I couldn’t believe it when my men had managed to sync with my pace even after a two hour run. They may be cowards, but they have quite a stamina.
I quicken up my pace once again. It would be a matter of time now, I did wonder how many will managed to catch up to me. I kept on running and they kept on following me for another hour without a break. No one had given up yet, but I could hear shouts of “haa, haa” in the group.
They’re all breathing hard now and it’s just a matter of time when one of them will start to fall back. After twenty minutes, I couldn’t see Lt. Brax anymore, and that only mean two things. It’s either he’s dead tired or someone had fallen back in the line. But I guess it was the latter, he’s probably screaming at the fallen guy’s ass right about now urging it to keep running.
The only comfort these guys were getting is that the sun is about to set and cool winds started to blow. I estimated it has been six hours since we started running, so I started to look for a place to camp. When I saw a clearing, I stopped.
I really thought no one had managed to catch up to me and that I had to wait for an hour or less for them to catch up. But I was dead wrong. Two minutes later, after I stopped, a skinny recruit with big, brown backpack had caught up.
He was panting hard and but not as hard, river of sweat poured on his lean face. When he saw me stopping at the middle of the road, he also stopped and dropped his backpack. He took massive breathes while resting his hands on his knees.
“What’s your name?” I asked. I got to admit, for a recruit, this guy amazed me.
He took the deepest breathe of them all before he saluted me. “Sir, First Cadet Pole, sir.”
He was older than me by a year I think. “You have quite a stamina, Cadet Pole. What did you do before you join the service?”
I sensed the uneasiness in him. Most recruits have a criminal pasts and when they get caught, they were given a choice to join his Majesty’s service or face imprisonment. Almost all choose the latter.
“I am just impressed that you have managed to catch up to me. I am not interested with your criminal records.”
He lighten up and he said. “My family used to own a small oyster shop, sire.” He paused to take a breather. “I used to run in the coastal villages to buy oysters from them because it is way cheaper than the merchants used to sell in the square market, sire.”
“Used to? What happened?”
“A noble, sire. He accused my father of selling rotten oysters. The prick hired someone to plant the rotten oysters in our store, so when the health inspector come, and found one, they forced closed our shop, sire.” Out of anger, he didn’t realized that he had just called a noble a prick––a slander that could get him to prison. When he did, he prostrated himself in front of me.
“I’m sorry, sire. I didn’t mean to ...”
“Call a Noble a prick? It’s alright. I know how low those bloody nobles can get.”
He beamed up. “Sir, thank you, sir.”
Ten minutes later, they started coming with their tongues hanged terribly loose. And by late afternoon, all thirty were accounted for. We had managed to cover two and sixty kilometers. It was quite a run. If they haven’t been trained a month before in the barracks they might’ve not even make it. I was slightly impressed that only a few of my recruits were puking their guts out. I expected more.
A fire was created and some set up tents. A bit glad, that they were prepared. I didn’t bring a tent with me. Instead, I brought out my special sleeping blanket. This thing was designed by me, the concept has similarity to that of a cocoon.
Everyone looked at me. They couldn’t believe that I am planning to sleep on those. They had probably half-expected some lavish tent waiting for me at the end of the run.
I ate my dried fish near the makeshift fire and I can feel my men staring at me. Why can’t a bloody prince eat a dried fish without attracting anyone's attention? I have done this before you know. I have spent days and days living in the forests and mountains honing my sword skills at thirteen. And now I missed my master.
Brax sit beside me eating god knows what. I stared at him. “A trade, my dried fish to that.” I pointed to his food.
He considered my offer and agreed. He handed me some sort of a reptile leg. I could actually see the little fingers at the end. Strangely, it was covered in some sort of dressing. I bit the reptile leg and it feels like I’m eating paper.
Then, Cadet Pole, came beside me.
“Sir, you have to remove the banana leaves before eating it, sir.” Pole said.
I stared at Lt. Brax eating my dried fish. I kind of glimpse he just smirked. The prick had chose not to tell me.
I removed the banana leaves dressing, and it turned out the leg was rather delicious. I gestured to Cadet Pole to occupy a space near the camp fire.
“So, Lt. Brax, don’t you think we need a little bit of entertainment for the night?” I asked.
“What do you have in mind, sir?” Lt. Brax said, with subtle sign of glee. He clearly approved the tradition.
“Who’s the last one you carried over?” I asked. As a sweeper, Lt. Brax was forced to match pace with the last runner.
Lt. Brax stood, then roared. “Cadet Tobi, the commander requires your presence.”
In just a matter of seconds, a young, hulking individual stood in front of us. He was more muscular than Lt. Brax but shorter. His eyes is on the ground, clearly afraid. He was very timid, so strange to see that to a man with a build like that. Usually, big muscles begets confidence or arrogance.
“I take it you’re the slowest runner here.” I said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you have any talents, Cadet Tobi?” I asked.
He looked at me, I can see he was confused.
“Sir, ah, I can bake good breads, sir, my master says so.”
I heard a small snicker around the campfire. So he was an apprentice baker. I wonder what compelled him to join His majesty’s army.
“Since we don’t have any dough here for you to massage, I asks that you sing or dance or anything that could bloody well entertain us.” I said.
He was nervous. “I can sing, sir.”
I nodded. "By all means."
Then he stared to sing.
I’ve done wrong
Forgiveness is all I long
Past shall break free
That will end all glee
I dreamed a day where men is free
Of things that deter our dreams
I couldn’t believe what my ears are hearing. Cadet Tobi’s tenor voice is simply captivating, and the emotions behind them reverberated in our hearts. I have once visited an opera house in the Nobles District, though I fell asleep for the most part, I can vow that the singers there pale in comparison with Tobi’s voice.
Everyone was silent for quite a while. It was, I admit, quite a shocking spectacle. While trying to gather my own thoughts, I realized my men were all looking at me, waiting for my reaction.
I stood, walked towards Cadet Tobi. I placed my right hand to his shoulder.
“It was wonderful.” I said.
He smiled. “Thank you, sir.”
“But I don’t want to see you again tomorrow on the last line.” I said to him in my most serious and most badass of a tone.
He saluted. “Sir, yes, sir.”
I looked around. I don’t know when they have all gathered around the fire, but probably around the middle of the performance. But I took the opportunity nonetheless and addressed them.
“Listen, up!” I shouted. “The path that we were about to undertake will be difficult and full of perils. And I promise you it won’t get any better.” Somehow, I can see that they believed it. “But I will also promise you this one thing, that whatever happens, you can count on me standing right next to you and in front. Rest up, tomorrow we will run again.” I said.
They fixed their feet and saluted.
I heard small groans, groans of pain and fatigue, but I ignored it and resumed eating the reptile’s leg. It was unusually tasty—and juicy.
Lt. Brax appointed three recruits two stand guard, to be replaced by another three after two hours had elapsed. But I know my men are tired, so I stayed up all night, ordering the appointed guards on duty to take a sleep and not to bother the next shift.
So, I sat all night facing the fire, alone, while the rest of my men sleep and snore.
The first light of the day broke, and based on their heavy snores I could feel my men are not quite ready to wake up, yet. I let them sleep for another hour, and after that, I woke Lt. Brax first at his tent. He got out quickly and I told him to wake the others up.
We ate our breakfast. I had dried fish again and bread—my last one. At six and a half in the morning, we are ready to go.
I planned to reach the town today so this will be the toughest day and I told them that. I jogged ahead, and they followed me. After a while, I started to dash.
Not only the journey is longer, but the road is starting to get rough. I took a rest when the sun shadowed me overhead. This time, Cadet Pole, took twenty minutes longer to catch up to me. Still, he was the first one to arrive. He was panting harder than yesterday.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“You have become slower, Cadet Pole.” I said.
“I beg your pardon, sire, you got faster.”
Fair point.
After Pole had arrived, it took another fifteen minutes before the rest of my men poured in. This time, Cadet Tobi was in the third to the last position. I was a bit happy for that.
We ate our lunch and drink a lot of fluids. We rested for around five and forty minutes before we moved out. This time I slowed my pace a little. I hate to admit, but my body is now screaming a little. The lack of sleep was the cause, of course.
We reached the outskirt of the village at early afternoon. I stopped running and walked till the village. They were all behind me now and they, too, walked. When we reached the village, I sensed few people in it.
A small girl walked out of her house. And I recognized her.
“Calex!” the girl shouted. “Mimi, Calex is here.”
The girl ran towards me and she hugged my legs when she had reached me.
“Hello, Mini. Where are the others?”
Another small girl exited the same house. She was Mini’s twins and they looked exactly alike. Same pigtailed blonde hair, same brown eyes and same puffy cheeks.
“Calex!” Mimi shouted and ran towards me, as well.
“Dada and mama and Milo and the rest went to fight the sea goblins.” Mini said.
I nodded. It was common for this village to be visited by their unfriendly neighbor––the sea goblins––that they have grown accustomed to it.
“Lt. Brax, set up camp outside the village.” I said.
Lt. Brax stared at me. I could see, that he was itching to ran and help the villagers. But when I said nothing, he just turned around and ordered the men to set up camp.
Cadet Pole rushed towards me and went down on his knee. Mimi and Mini was a bit startled.
“Sir, asking for permission to go and help the villagers.” Pole said.
That's right, he grew up visiting coastal villages, so he had probably witnessed a sea goblin attack before.
“No need, Cadet Pole.” I said.
“Baba and Milo is really strong, mister." Mimi said.
“And Mama is stronger.” Mini said.
Cadet Pole looked at the twins and saw no hint of anxiousness or worry about their parents. That probably unnerved and confused him.
I carried Mimi and Mini in my arms and went to follow Lt. Brax. When I caught up to Lt. Brax, I asked him if he has any doubt about my actions—or in this case, inaction. He said that it was not in his position to question my orders. Meaning yes.
A roar of laughter boomed in the east side of the village that caught everyone's attention. The villagers were back. Mimi and Mini’s house was the first house you will encounter if you came from Sanford City while the rest of the houses were stationed near the sea.
“Mama!” the twins roared.
The villagers saw us went straight to us, quite happily.
“Oh, Calex, when did you arrive?” It was Vinny, the twin’s mother. She was well built for a woman with the same blonde hair as the twins.
“Just now.” I said.
“Calex, you should’ve arrive sooner and bear witness how we kick the sea goblin’s ass.” Ben said. He was the village chief, a bit old, but still nimble and strong and cunning.
“Oh, please, Ben. You almost got killed by a baby sea goblin.” Another woman retorted.
Everyone burst out in laughter. Ben laughed as well.
“Everyone, bring out your best food. We just drove the sea goblins away and Calex is here. I think that’s plenty enough reason to celebrate.” Ben roared and everyone shouted in agreement.
Before I could say they need not to. They have already dispersed. They were unusually cheery after a Sea goblin attack, that means no one was seriously injured or worse, died.
“Where’s Milo and Ker?” I asked Vinny.
“Still at the coast, cleaning up and thinking up of new defenses. But they would be very happy to see you here. Especially Milo.” Vinny said. “Come on, girls. Get down, you are now too heavy for Calex.”
“We don’t want to mama.” The twins said, at the same time.
The twins both looked at each other and smiled. They did that every time they did something in sync.
But Vinny approached us and carried the girls. “So, will you stay in our house for the night? I’m sure Milo and Dada have a lot to talk to you about.” Vinny asked.
“Not tonight. We have a camp set up outside.”
Vinny looked at the men behind me who is staring at us dumbfoundedly. “You have finally got your command, eh. Good for you. You always complained about how your worrywart of a father won’t give you one.” Vinny remarked.
Lt. Brax stepped in. “Excuse, mam. I am Brax, but do you know who his father is?”
“Of course, dear.” Vinny said. “It’s the king.”
| | | | | |
She still couldn't believe it that she was outrun by a skinny guy and by a prince no less. A fucking prince, she thought, a brat who lived in grandeur, who devour delicious foods, sleep on giant beds, wear the finest of silks, a smug prince. She was trained in the arts of assassination since she was a kid. She had been through the toughest training imaginable—the kind no ordinary man could survive.
She had scaled the tallest buildings in the city with nothing but a knife, she had trained her legs to climb Mount Hololu without breaking a sweat, she had been crossing the river Bontol—known for its unusually wide girth and rough currents—since she was a kid.
Yet, she wasn't able to catch up during the last stretch of the run. She looked at Cadet Pole, trying to discern if he was also a royal assassin, like her, sent to spy the prince—or terminate if necessary. If Prince Calius—second prince/brother—had sent me, surely prince Cleto would also send one, she thought.
But the stance, the body movement, and the air around Cadet Pole doesn't scream of assassin. Even the subtlest of signs were not there. This frustrates her even more, that it is highly possible that a normal recruit had beaten her.
She, then, looked at the prince. Innocently enjoying eating a dried fish and a Ligasard leg. A fucking dried fish. She looked around the prince and saw he doesn't have any tent. Don't tell me he plans to sleep outside? On the ground? What kind of a Prince does that?
The prince, she observed, was rather lean, unusually tall and had inherited the king's good looks, and also with an air of arrogance. He has the same black hair as his father and brothers with the same dark eyes that reflect little light. The unusual habit of the prince had perplexed her. He acts as a nobody and that infuriates her even more. A prince should behave as a prince.
But the thing that really bothers her to her very core was how, her supposedly young commander, the prince, had beaten the notorious swords master Brax. He fully expected Brax would wipe the smug in the prince's face and that Brax will teach him a lesson not to play soldier. But when the fight began, she was rather mesmerized by the graceful movement of the prince.
All the prince's movement, she agonizingly admits, was very precise and very efficient, well, up to the point that he get medieval and started kicking Brax to unconsciousness. It was brutally necessary, she admits, if the prince wants his men to respect him. Fear him. Follow him. And die for him.
And it worked, the assassin have serious doubts now if she could take on the prince on a fair match. His sword against her twin daggers. Luckily, she thought, fairness doesn't exist in an assassin's tool of trade.
She had observed the prince for quite a while during that night. Equally surprised by his fellow cadet's otherworldly voice. He should be singing in the opera, the assassin thought, and at the back of her head wished that she could sing like that.
And when the performance ended, the prince had given an impromptu speech. He promised that their journey will be extremely dangerous, and that it won't get better. But the assassin thought differently. If it would come to it, she promised, if the prince foolishly order them to march to their own deaths, she will see to it that she will be the one to slice the prince's throat wide open.
But to his surprise, the prince had said something that shocked her.
"Whatever happens, you can count on me standing right next to you and in front."
She studied the prince when he said that, and she felt the purity and sincerity on that promise. For the first time, she painfully and dreadfully admits, that he was kind of cool.
When she was about to rest, as per her commander order, she was happy for she was dead tired. But the happiness was short lived when Lt. Brax had randomly assigned her on watch duty. She dreaded it, but she had to follow. The prince sat still close to the campfire. His dark eyes glued to the fire.
"Rest up, I will be on watch." The prince had said to them. Every time she hears it, she still couldn't believe in the strange roughness in the prince's voice. She had this notion that princes should have soft, calming and soothing voice just like Prince Cleto and Calius.
She looked to his fellow guard on duty, clearly they reveled to have some sleep, but it feels very wrong to leave their commander alone. Besides, she thought, it was a duty beneath any commander or any high ranking officials, much less a prince.
One of her fellow cadet said. "Sir, you don't have to worry about us. It's only for two hours and we will be replaced."
"Don't bother waking up the next shift as well, go rest." The prince said in a serious tone.
She had heard that tone once when he had humiliated Brax. It was a deep tone that could send chills to your bone. So they did what they were ordered to do. Rest. But the assassin doesn't want to leave such important task to a boy-prince, playing commander. The night is dangerous, she could attest to that, and increasingly more dangerous when you spend it on the forest.
She was determined to stand watch for the night, until dawn if she has to. She let her tent half-way open with a direct site to the campfire, to the prince. She noticed the prince just sat there, with his clasped hands on his chin and elbows rested on his knees, intently looking at the fire with heavy thoughts on his mind.
Even so, she could sense the sharp awareness—an important skill that had taken her years to develop—of the prince extended around the camp. In fact, she's not entirely sure if she could successfully sneak inside the camp without the prince noticing. She was half-convinced that the prince had noticed her that she was still awake. But to be sure, she decided to sleep.
And sleep found her easily. The next morning she hated herself for realizing that a boy-prince, playing commander, had managed to make her feel safe.
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