Chapter 51

Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 19th day

Avem, town of House Kalator, land of the Vale

Vatra was still sleeping when she heard someone knocking on her door. She opened her eyes and realised the sun was already high in the sky.

Vatra – “Who’s there?”

Jowrik – “I’m Jowrik. I brought you some food. Do you mind if I come in?”

Vatra – “Yeah, sure.”

Jowrik – “Alright, I’ll wait.”

Vatra – “Eh, no . . . I mean, you can come in.”

He opened the door and entered the room. He was carrying a bowl of apples and bread.

Jowrik – “Did you have a good sleep?”

Vatra – “Why do you care?”

Jowrik – “Well, to be honest, I’d like to talk to you a little, but I can come back later if you’d rather not.”

Vatra – “You mean Nelis wants you to talk to me.”

The man's face turned red as he smiled out of honesty.

Jowrik – “You got me there! Umm . . . The truth is I don’t really know what he wants me to ask you.”

Vatra – “Is that so?”

Jowrik – “Well, I think he just wished to tell you that you’re welcome among the Silver Lining.”

Vatra – “Why? Why would you welcome me? An enemy! A soldier of the Valmai! I tried to kill him on that bridge, and after your leader almost sent me to the other world, I’m supposed to believe she wants me to join her? Why not ask the other soldiers or the citizens then?”

Jowrik – “In fact, she’s going to do so.”

Vatra – “She’ll ask the citizens of which she killed their friends to join her?”

Jowrik – “Well, saying it like that doesn’t sound good, but . . .”

Vatra – “How else should I say it? She made the Kalator win the siege! She blew up the northern fort before slaughtering the Valmai and the Krain soldiers one after the other. She killed all those I knew! SHE KILLED THEM ALL! And now she wants me to submit? Which kind of . . .”

Vatra’s voice cracked as she tried to finish her sentences.

Vatra – “She’s a monster. That’s all she is.”

Vatra was trying to get her composure back, so Jowrik took the opportunity to talk.

Jowrik – “I was born a slave, and from the age of five, I worked at the mine.”

Exhausted, Vatra kept on listening.

Jowrik – “I thought my whole life would be that of a slave until one day, Lanaya and her band had been paid by a lord to go to war in the south. They wanted to take control of an iron mine that wasn’t owned by the Union.”

Vatra – “One good deed doesn’t excuse a life of slaughter.”

Ignoring her comment, he kept talking.

Jowrik – “When I was working at the mine that day, I saw the eyes of death coming onto us. They were killing everyone, slaves and nobles. I ran to the sole person who counted in my eyes and both of us hid inside the mine.”

There’s no point in this talk.

Jowrik – “When the hostility was over, we kept on hiding out of fear. We slept in the mine that night in the hope to wake up and realise it was all just a dream.”

No, that’s wrong, I made a promise. I should act along and set my pride on the side for a moment.

Jowrik – “During the night, the noise of screaming woke us up. We didn’t know why, but the hostilities weren’t over yet. That night, Petra’s curiosity overcame her fear. She wished to see what happened, so I followed her. When we arrived at the mine entrance, we saw the people who attacked us being slaughtered by a girl with the radiance of the moonlight.”

Vatra – “So, you’re saying she wasn’t the first one to attack?”

Jowrik – “If Lanaya didn’t come to take the mine, another army from the South would have slaughtered us instead.”

Vatra – “Even though she saved you, my situation’s different. If she didn’t take part in the battle, those I cared for might still be alive.”

Jowrik – “They might have been, but the Kalator army was larger than the Valmai population. They hired thieves and criminals as mercenaries to join their banners. If we hadn’t taken part in the battle, they would have still won, but with more casualties.”

Vatra – “What is it with you and your band? The world is shit, so we’ll act like shit?”

Jowrik – “No, we’ll create a world free from war, but we can’t do it alone.”

Vatra – “So you choose the Kalator side?”

Jowrik – “Yesterday, it was the East, today, it’s the Kalator, and tomorrow, someone else.”

Vatra – “And how does killing and stealing ever create such a world?”

Jowrik – “If all the people with good hearts don’t try to acquire power because they don’t want to dirty their hands, then the only remaining in power will be the evil ones.”

Vatra – “And if I say I don’t want to be part of it?”

Jowrik – “Then you’ll be free to go, but I’d suggest you’d wait until we leave the Kalator, unless you want to become a slave, of course.”

The two of them remained in silence for a while.

Jowrik – “I’ll take my leave, but try to recover fast so you can come to our table to eat.”

Vatra – “Fine. I’ll try . . .”