4 days later Date: 21st Spring, 987. In Allenshire
The girls and I met up with Anansi and Cavilhaugh at the entrance of the town. Upon arrival, Anansi and Cavilhaugh were accompanied by another 3 golems, one for the carriage and two to guard our belongings. After attaching the second horse golem to the carriage, we loaded all the necessities we’ll need for the trip.
With hope, we will reach the town of Breilan in 1 and a half days. The extra golem mount and the combined protection of Geoff and these new golems which will stay with the carriage should help speed up our travel pace. Additionally, we plan to travel at night given the higher magoi density and the chance to work on our coordination in combat. The last thing we want is for either friendly fire or poor teamwork leading to injury or death. For this, bandits, nocturnal magic beasts and monsters are ideal training material.
“Is everyone all set? If not now is the time to gather last minute supplies.”
I said while returning to the coach driver’s bench. Everyone confirmed they were okay, so imbuing magoi into the reins, we set out. During the initial few hours of the trip, everyone inside the carriage was silent as they seemed to have their nerves playing rugby with their intestines. I on the other hand sat next to Anansi on the coach driver’s bench. Truthfully, I wanted to know more about the northern continent and how someone as young he came to be so far south. As if aware of my curiosity, Anansi began to break the silence,
“I don’t know how you Eliadorans can get used to this continual chilly wind. Even fire magoi infused clothes don’t seem to work”
He said, his garments baring many tailoring techniques not used here in Eliador; elemental magoi infused fabric for climate appropriate clothing being one of them.
“You get used to it since the other issue is the magoi density of some areas being high enough to kill a man. Is the weather where your from warmer or more adaptable?” I asked, finally getting the chance I’d been looking for.
“Yea, I am from the island nation of Sandroria off the southern coast of Salamor. Everything there is warm; the weather, the water, the volcanoes, even the people treat each other warmly. Another name for my country is “Sailor’s paradise” Since it is the home of the largest maritime merchant depot this side of Ohmdorra!” Anansi beamed with joy and nostalgia when speaking of his home.
“I take it you sailed to Eliador as a merchant’s apprentice? How did you become an adventurer?”
“Hahaha! Actually, I was on my father’s ship when we came to Eliador. Originally, I thought I would become a sailor like him. Yet, he had other plans. I may not look it, but I am 17-sols-old. It was 3 sols ago dad said to me, “Son, it is time you make your mark on the world!””
“I was confused at what he meant by that. That was until we were 100 meters away from the nearest port in the Merchant’s Republic. Weighing anchor, my dad used aura and threw me into the sea. He had the biggest grin on his face as he yelled, “Make you own story!”” Anansi said, both sadness and respect were evident in his speech.
“That is the custom of us Sandrorian men. We send our young boys on a rite of passage where they make their mark on the world. My grandad did the same to my dad, and his father before him. At home we have a saying; Although Seadragons may hatch on land, the water is where their home lies. Meaning, sooner or later all young people have to leave home to find their path, only sailors take the whole sea thing literally and throw the boys into the water.”
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Anansi laughed as he recalled the memory. From his reaction I can tell how his father meant well. It reminds me of dad and his little trial before I went to take the adventurer’s exam.
“Anyway, enough about that, I’m more interested in you, brotha. What’s it like being an Elder at the age of 10?”
Anansi asked, choosing his words as we are currently speaking the native language Eliadorans speak. Now that I think about it, speaking this language is like trying to speak in German by pronouncing the words backwards while drunk and under water. A nightmare for me but luckily, I didn’t have a tough time learning. Understanding his intent, I replied in English,
“To be honest, it is surreal. I have a challenging time even now adjusting to the things here and moving on from what I am used to. The frequency of polite and supportive interactions with strangers, and even people going out of their way to help their fellow man is vastly different. Of course there’s the bandits who enjoy meeting my blade.”
I paused while surveying our surroundings. I could see the occasional traveler wave in our direction. I waved back as a polite gesture; our carriage never stopping as we headed forward. Everything seemed like a dream. Coming back from my stupor, I continued.
“Where I am from, people are easily discriminated against simply by the color of their skin, the language they speak, and/or who their bedfellows are. Some of the world powers preyed on others using the ability to influence their way of thinking in hopes of keeping people divided and always at each other’s throats. War for no real reason other than for power’s sake occurred on a regular basis since we did not have any other race on our planet who could challenge us. No monsters, no magic beasts, only humans who preyed on other humans.”
I said, still remembering the silent hate in people’s eyes despite smiling at me when I first moved out of my parent’s house. Even now I don’t understand what the reason for the hate was. Maybe be due to me being an Afro-Ukrainian American. My skin complexion wasn’t dark, but I wasn’t super light skinned despite my dad being 100% white Ukrainian and mom being half white Ukrainian, half Afro-Ukrainian. When most Ukrainian Americans saw me and heard me speak fluent Ukrainian, they had the same hateful look in their eyes.
Maybe it was the fact I spoke Ukrainian for the most part despite being fluent in English. When most Afro-Americans spoke with me and heard Ukrainian come out, they must have thought I was a foreign coon or something. Even when I went back and forth from Ukraine , I was met by this silent disgust. Despite having a dual citizenship given, I was born there, and my family’s matriarch and patriarch live there, white Ukrainians saw me as a foreigner’s seed which was forced upon a white Ukrainian woman.
Thinking of Earth suddenly left a bad taste in my mouth, bringing a scowl to my face. Anansi, seeing my reaction, was curious regarding the cause, but chose the more prudent action and refrained from delving further. Still, it helps to speak with someone who seems to understand.
At first, I was a little skeptical regarding Anansi and his culture; however, that all changed as we continued conversing. He even told me a story about another in my comparable situation who came to this world right when the demonic dragons started enslaving the races. Anansi said this individual seemed to boil with unsurmountable rage when seeing men and women being enslaved, which later awakened an ancient magic ability only those born on Salamor have called Animagoi Incarnation or Totem Beast Incarnation.
In the story, the man deep in his rage, roared to the heavens, and the heavens did answer as his hair began to grow like a lion’s mane but was black as night. His height grew to even tower over the tallest of ogres. After his transformation, he would take on an appearance similar to a lion therianthrope, but not quite. He still had human features, but his head was that of a lion crowned with nocturnal flames. The best comparison would be the Egyptian goddess Sehkmet.
It was this man who would liberate the Salamorians from captivity just as uncle did. At the end of the story, after 5,000 years of warring the man beheld a free continent and decided to leave that place for one of the deathly forbidden continents. Before leaving though, he left the parting words,
“Although I leave you, remember this; the cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”
Afterwards, he was never seen again. When I heard this, I knew without a shadow of a doubt the man had to have been from Earth as this was a W.E.B. Dubois quote or at least that is what the very core of my being screamed. One of the greatest thinkers at the turn of the 20th century and lived during a time of unrest in the US was here in Ohmdorra? Or by chance, someone who was influenced and motivated by him?
-End of Chapter