Chapter 8: Son of the Wind and the Tale of the Night Sky
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Raajimera found herself in someone else's bed. She didn't know where she was. On her left side, a white sheet blocked the view of the room.  The blanket, which seemed to be made of some sort of fur, was a bit too heavy for her. She didn't feel comfortable. The woman touched the wound on her chest, which was still giving her a burning sensation. 
 
She thought, “It looks like someone has bandaged me.” 
 
Suddenly, she heard somebody entering the room. She became startled and struck her head against the wooden joist above the bed. The pain was significant, but she was too scared to think about that. She hid under the ugly blanket, anticipating the worst. Her heart was pounding. 
 
With each second, the sound of boots stepping across the old wooden floor got closer. Raajimera was shaking, the suspense was killing her. 
 
The sheet moved, and she saw the source of the noise. It was a man. He resembled the inhabitants of Duskvale, but his complexion was darker. Brown curly hair was sticking from beneath his white hood. 
 
“I see you're up. How's your injury?” he asked. His eyes resembled two ambers softly lit up by rays of the morning sun, giving him a very magnetic stare.
 
After a brief moment of hesitation, she asked, “Are…are you going to kill me too?”
 
“What?” he lifted his thick eyebrows. “I can assure you that if I wanted to kill you, I would have done so when you were lying on the ground unconscious. On a side note, I wonder how you managed not to suffocate with your face down in the sand…” Her question didn't astonish the man.
 
“I'm not certain what happened.” Raajimera's voice was trembling. 
 
“It's simple. I was returning home when I saw you on the ground. I mean, the first thing that grabbed my attention was my mother's-” he abruptly paused and shrugged.
 
The woman kept looking at him, even more confused than before.
“What are you talking about?” she asked. 
 
He crossed his arms and asked, “Is this outfit a gift from someone?”
 
“The folks from Duskvale handed it to me. Are you from the village?”
 
“I was one of them.” The man stepped away and leaned against the wall. 
 
Raajimera saw several knives hanging from his belt. She threw the blanket away and took a seat on the bed, facing him. “Did they do something wrong?” she asked. He just nodded quietly. “I never saw you around there.” 
 
The woman took a look at the room, which was now clearly visible. This man seemed to live alone.  This entire place was cluttered with misplaced items too useful to be thrown away, but still, it was much more tidy than the Chieftain's place.
 
“That was,” he looked away, “a long time ago.”
 
“Alright.” Raajimera tried to make herself feel more at ease. “You didn't know me, but you still helped me.”
 
He smirked, “You're Raajimera. One day, you appeared out of thin air. You don't remember who you are, and so on and so forth. You initially refused to speak, but when you finally did, you started to cause miracles like there was no tomorrow. Impressive.”
 
Her eyes widened. “Who are you? How do you know all of that?”
 
“If you would like to know my name, it disappeared years ago, along with my previous life.” The man pulled off his hood. “They call me Zephyr of the Howling Pass. A spy for hire.”
 
She had a faint memory of hearing this name before. 
 
The man reached for the kettle and poured some liquid into a small cup. He took a sip of the beverage. “Oh, I'm sorry. Would you like some tea too?” he asked. “Given the situation you're currently in, it would help you relax.”
 
“What is it made of?” Raajimera sounded suspicious.
 
“Hop cones… mostly.” Zephyr smiled at her softly.
 
“Mostly?” She wasn't sure if she should take anything from the stranger.
 
“Hah, it's not poison, no worries.” The man approached her. “I just don't have another cup, so you'll have to use this little bowl.” He handed her the container and sad next to her on the bed.
 
Raajimera picked up the tea and took a sip. She made a slightly disgusted face.
 
“What's the matter?” Zephyr raised his eyebrows.
 
“It's just a little bitter.” Raajimera coughed. “Why do you drink this stuff?”
 
“You see, I have had an issue with hand twitching for a long time. This tea helps ease the problem.”
 
“So, mister Zephyr-”
 
“Just call me Zephyr, there's no need to be formal,” he said, taking another sip.
 
“Right. You know about me, but I know nothing about you. Why do your hands tremble? Why don't you live in the village anymore? I got so many questions.” Raajimera attempted to maintain eye contact with him. 
 
Zephyr gave a bitter smirk. “I don't want to bore you, but I suppose you deserve to know, after all you've been through.”
 
The woman waited for him to continue. 
 
“The dress you're wearing used to be owned by my mother.”
 
Raajimera's eyes widened. “What do you mean? It was in a building that, I guess, was the Chieftain's Treasury.”
 
“Do you think it was his?” Zephyr laughed quietly. “The current Chieftain, Abbas, used to be a regular villager, just like the rest. That was until the day when my parents disappeared, at least.”
 
“What happened to them?” she asked.
 
“The Hazyan Empire aimed to unite all the nations of Pai-Gorva, this continent. Be it through their will or by force. My father was our Chieftain, and he was willing to enlist Duskvale in the Empire. Those who decided to do so were regarded as citizens of the Empire. Those who had to be fought over, on the other hand…” 
 
Zephyr paused for a short while. “Abbas and his family wanted us to remain independent, no matter the cost. He disagreed with my parents so much that, behind our backs, he sold them to the Imperial soldiers. My family and I were taken as prisoners, and Abbas portrayed us as traitors.”
 
“Is that the reason your hands are like this now?” Raajimera was deeply involved in his story.
 
“Perhaps. We spent numerous days imprisoned. My parents, they… they didn't make it.” The man looked away, holding back tears. “I was left alone in the cell until one of the guards befriended me. It was an old man who had lost his child. He was just too good for this world. Thanks to him, I was released from imprisonment and accepted as the citizen of the Empire. 
 
“I was meant to be trained to be a soldier, they wanted to teach me the ways of the Empire, yet I just couldn't do it. I was overcome with fear and plagued with nightmares. And the Emperor, that man… he was absolutely terrifying.” Zephyr fell silent.
 
Raajimera felt bad about asking. She was able to see the pain these memories had brought him. 
 
“The guard who released me noticed that something was wrong with me. In the dead of the night, he helped me flee from the capital of the Empire. I ran as fast as I could, until I was unable to catch my breath and my legs were burning, but I couldn't look back. That was the night when I became Zephyr. I found my home in the Howling Pass, I was too scared to return to Duskvale.”
 
“How did you become a spy?” she inquired. 
 
“I had to know the affairs both in Duskvale and in the Empire to ensure they would never find me. Turned out I was better than I thought I was. People were willing to pay for my services, and I can't say no to a coin.”
 
Raajimera looked at him with an expression that described nothing. “Were you on a mission when I arrived in the village?” she asked.
 
“No. You caught my eye when I happened to be in the area, and I decided to investigate the mysterious woman with the curse mark. I should have known what they would do and stepped in before it happened. I apologize.” Zephyr placed his cup onto the night stand and stretched.
 
“What do you mean? They did what an old prophecy said they would do.”
 
“That is the point.” He scratched his beard, which had two ends. “That story was not there back in the day when I lived in the village. That is a plan, not a prophecy.”
 
Raajimera was perplexed. “How could they have planned my arrival?” She asked. “Even I didn't know that I would end up there.”
 
“By bribing the snake deity for long enough. They didn't need you specifically, what they needed was a champion of a spirit beast.” Zephyr played with his fingers. 
 
“I thought they wanted me to save them from the Empire, why would they do this…?” Raajimera reached into the wound with her fingertips. “She told me I would be immortal.”
 
Zephyr looked at her briefly. “By her, you mean Raa? The definition of that word is different for Deities. For them, being immortal means staying young forever. You can still be killed with the right tools, and unfortunately, they possessed them.” The man breathed in. “Still, I think they wanted to take down the Empire, just not on your terms.”
 
“Explain,” the woman demanded.
 
“It occurred to me that you've lost your memories, so you probably never heard the story of the Nightwalker, am I right?” 
 
Raajimera shook her head in disagreement. “I got no memory of that, I am afraid.”
 
“Right. The Nightwalker was the fifth celestial animal and the twin spirit of Raa. He was the polar opposite of his sister.  A majestic white stag in the night sky, leading the lost and the broken towards the new dawn. He was virtuous and pure. The stag believed that all nations should be liberated, living in peace and harmony, he wanted to see the perfect world. 
 
"To accomplish his objective, he chose the most eminent of warriors to serve as his champion. The only way the gods could have an impact on the real world was by blessing someone and using them as a conduit for their power.
 
"Unfortunately, the Champion of the Stag was murdered by a powerful brute, who then realized that killing a champion bestows all their celestial powers upon the assassin, but without the mark of the deity that would control them.
 
"Armed with raw, uncapped power, the brute lured the Nightwalker out of his hiding and attempted to eliminate him. The warrior hoped to get even stronger and make the whole world obey him. He was unfortunate that the remaining spirit beasts appeared and destroyed the usurper before he could finish.”
 
Raajimera grunted. “What happened to the Nightwalker?”
 
“He survived; however, he lost his voice and the shine that made him appear like a star. I am afraid that Abbas intended to recreate these events and destroy Raa to subdue the Empire and rule the whole Pai-Gorva.” Zephyr responded.
 
“But he was not the one who attempted to kill me.” Raajimera opposed.
 
“No, it was his nephew. Why do you think they set it up in a way that you would choose him over someone else?”
 
“His… they are related?” Raajimera lost herself in her thoughts for a moment. “What if the champion was a man?”
 
“Abbas has a daughter, Aya. You met her,” he said.
 
Raajimera felt like the entire world just fell on her head. “She was very formal with him, I didn't think they were a family.”
 
“I'm sorry.” Zephyr put his hand on her shoulder. “They are very crafty, you didn't deserve to be treated as a tool. You just wanted to help them, you are a good person.”
 
Raajimera felt like crying. “Nonsense, I am not. Raa wouldn't consider trading with me if I were. I must have received what I deserved for who I was before I lost my memory.”
 
The man felt sorry for her. He really wanted to hug her to give her some comfort. “Hey, don't say that.” Zephyr stared at her. “Regardless of whom you used to be, you already paid for it with interest. Trust me, I would actually like to be your friend.”
 
“Friend… oh no!” Raajimera began frantically looking for something. “I forgot about Feng!”
 
“Who's Feng?” Zephyr was surprised. 
 
“My pet snake. I must have lost it somewhere.” She couldn't stop looking for the small reptile. 
 
“There is a small angry thing on my doorstep, would you like to take a look? It could be your missing pet.” 
 
Raajimera gave a nod and Zephyr got up. He walked up to the door and slid it open. A small angry snake jumped inside. 

“Feng!” Raajimera got up from the bed and collected her pet from the ground.
The animal coiled around her wrist and stuck its tongue out. “This is Zephyr, he rescued me.” This time she didn't change her language. She wanted the man to understand her as well. She knew that Feng would know what she said for it smarter than people would give it credit for. 

The animal looked at the man with its beady eyes.

“It can understand you?” Zephyr was surprised.
 
“Yes, I can communicate with snakes. It was one of the gifts of Raa,” she answered.
 
“Very well, then,” the man smiled. “Nice to meet you, Feng! What does it eat?”
 
Raajimera scratched her head. “What all snakes eat, I suppose.”
 
“There is a mouse hiding somewhere around here, in case Feng is hungry.”
 
The woman nodded and put her pet on the ground. Feng vanished, searching for the rodent. Zephyr's gaze followed the animal. 
 
“How about you? Are you hungry?” He lifted his eyes up to look at the woman. 
 
“No… thank you.” She answered, but she hesitated.
 
“Well, if you change your mind, the offer still stands.” He sat down on his old wicker chair. The piece of furniture made a sound. 
 
“I don't even know what I should do now.” Raajimera sounded upset.
 
“You can stay with me for as long as you want, I could always use some company.” Zephyr took one of his knives out and started peeling what appeared to be an apple. He ate one slice right off the blade. “You can sleep in my bed.”
 
“And where are you going to sleep? You only have one,” she asked.
 
“There is a hammock installed in here, I can use that, don't worry.” He smiled at her and proceeded to consume another slice. 
 
Feng returned with a bump on its belly.
 
“It seems that I no longer have a mouse, I guess.”  Zephyr commented.
Raajimera smiled a little bit. 
 
She felt strange, but this time she could sense a connection with this hermit. For the first time since she became a demigoddess, she experienced a genuine sense of connection with a kindred spirit. 
 
They stayed awake until late night, talking, laughing, and sharing their thoughts. 
 
He promised to escort her back into Duskvale when she's ready so that she can give them a piece of her mind, but she didn't quite feel ready for that. 
 
She wanted to stay here, by his side, where she felt like she could just be herself. She was fortunate to meet this man with a trustworthy smile, but the day she had to confront her traitors was drawing closer…
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