Arc 9 - The Calm Before the Storm

Snow woke up feeling a bit lost.

Sitting up, still half-wrapped in his blanket, he rubbed one eye while looking around in a daze.

As it always happened, he had inevitably woken up on the bed. For a moment he had been sure that, for once, he would wake up on the floor, where he'd went to sleep. But apparently ZaiWin¹Literally zai (blade) + win (chaos). had ended up carrying him to bed in the middle of the night. How he always managed to do that without waking him up was rather vexing, to say the least. Also, what time was it?

Unlike most people, he didn’t really have a natural sleeping schedule. He had slept whenever he was allowed to, whenever there was quiet, whenever he felt too tired to remain awake. Of course all that had started to change from the moment he had crossed paths with ZaiWin, especially since they had set out from the Fortress. On the road, there were predetermined hours for everything, especially hours to sleep and hours to wake up. But he was yet to develop a firm rhythm that would allow him to guess the time just from the mere fact that he had woken up. That their present room didn’t have any windows, though pleasantly easy on his sleepy eyes, didn’t help either. But the fact that ZaiWin was already up, dressed in clean clothes, his dark hair unexpectedly tied in a long braid, immediately told him that it must be morning outside.

Sitting on the bed with his legs crossed and his eyes closed, ZaiWin looked relaxed and strangely distant. He always did that, every morning without fail. Take the time to check his daitai²Literally dai (light) + tai (mark), or Holly Markings, considered Heavenly Blessings. They’re the source of power., to make sure they were balanced, that they remained clean.

Snow had learned that technique from him, and he did use it, some times. But he just couldn’t understand the need of using it every single morning.

By now Snow had learned enough about himself to know that, unless he used his daitai, there was no way their condition would simply change like that. And even when he did use them, like he’d done the previous day, they still remained pretty much the same. The only times he had felt that something had changed had been when they’d fought the feimao³Literally fei (raging / furious) + mao (beast / monster). Raving beasts that appear in unbalanced, ungoverned lands. They possess destructive markings that in turn corrupt the land even further. Hard to explain in just 2 lines -_-; Anyway. Bad, vicious things that need to be killed., he recalled. And, of course, when he'd drank that horrible thing. Also, as far as he knew, unless the others took extra care to do so away from his sight, no one else went to that trouble on a daily basis.

Not wanting to disturb him, Snow just sat there, completely silent, knowing that the smallest noise would be enough to alert him and pull him from that inner silent state.

ZaiWin had probably been at it for a while, Snow concluded a few moments later, since he didn’t have to wait long until he was done.

Opening his eyes, ZaiWin stretched his arms and back, apparently completely at ease, before he turned to look at him, his blue eyes surprisingly bright and clean.

“Get dressed and bring your cloak. We’re going for a walk, today,” he decided and Snow blinked, watching ZaiWin nimbly jump out of bed and cross the room towards the door. He was just about to exit when he added, “And don’t take long. I want to leave before ZenTar comes knocking on our door.”

Snow stared at the recently closed door for a split second, and then was his turn to jump from where he’d been sitting.

So they were going for a walk! But it would be just the two of them, right?, he wondered, quickly putting on his boots, strangely excited by the mere prospect.

Quickly splashing some cold water on his face, he grabbed his heavy cloak and was practically running out of the door in record time.

ZaiWin was just thanking Rain for the small bundle of snacks she had quickly put together at his request, when he heard the hurried footsteps down the stairs. They stopped for a moment when they reached the ground-floor, and only after another moment did the boy actually pulled the curtain to one side.

He had obviously tried to pull himself together, after running all the way there. But even though he had tried to mask his enthusiasm, his cheeks were still slightly flushed as his silver hair was even messier than normal, since he clearly hadn’t taken the time to straighten it up. Finding Rain in the room, also looking at him, made Snow's cheeks get even redder, and ZaiWin had to look away to hide his smile from his alarmed pale eyes.

“Good morning, Snow,” Rain greeted him gently but he simply nodded.

“So, if they come looking …” ZaiWin started and the older woman gave him an accomplice smile, patting his arm.

“Don’t worry, little lord. I haven’t seen any of you at all. Not since yesterday.”

ZaiWin gave her a grateful smile and turned to Snow.

“Ready?”

The boy nodded and he simply left the house, knowing he’d be closely followed.

It was still chilly outside and, although the sky was getting brighter by the second, morning itself was yet to arrive.

In fast, silent footsteps, as if they were really running away, they made their way to the village’s entrance in no time at all.

The men guarding the narrow entrance were still at their posts, but they didn’t say a word or question their destination as they passed by them, disappearing into the tunnel that would lead outside.

Somehow it felt shorter than before, when they had first arrived, Snow thought when he finally reached the other side. Maybe because back then he’d been really hungry and tired, he considered, trying to keep up with ZaiWin’s much wider pace.

They walked down the mountain for a while, surrounded by nothing but huge walls of harsh, dark rock. And then ZaiWin suddenly stopped, a strange evil smile on his face.

“Come here,” he gestured with his hand and Snow frowned suspiciously but still obeyed. “Give me your hand.”

He obeyed again, the crystal bracelet around his wrist catching the pale light of dawn.

“Now, this will probably feel a bit strange, uncomfortable even, but just bear with it, okay?”

Snow nodded and ZaiWin took a deep breath, visibly relaxing, which immediately told him that he was about to use one of his daitai.

A tickling, almost burning sensation on his palm startled him, and the warm fingers holding him immediately closed around his hand, as if fearing he might pull it away. And then it was as if someone had wrapped an invisible cloak around him, one that covered him completely, all the way from his head to his toes.

ZaiWin had been right, Snow thought, trying to get used to the strange sensation. It was a bit uncomfortable, but not nearly as stifling as ZenTar’s array had been.

When ZaiWin finally released him, Snow turned his hand and, on his palm, was inscribed a strange dark symbol. His skin still felt tingly, he thought, scratching it, but the marking remained untouched. Looking up at ZaiWin, he waited for an explanation.

ZaiWin smiled and showed him his own hand, where the same marking had appeared.

“It is just a small trick. Like the one you used to get away from me on Woodbridge,” he told him and Snow couldn't help averted his gaze, feeling kind of guilty for that. “The difference is that you made an object emit your presence. And I have simply erased ours. So it’s like we’ve simply disappeared. The important thing, though, is that they won’t be able to find us. As long as you wear that bracelet, VinWei⁴Literally vin (hard) + wei (crystal) will always be able to know more or less where you are. And well, ZenTar⁵Literally zen (silent) + tar (wind) always manages to find me. Even with this. It will take him longer, but he’ll still end up tracking me down,” ZaiWin frowned as if that were a mystery he was yet to unfold. “But it will grant us more than enough time for what I have in mind.”

Snow lowered his hand.

And what exactly was that?

As if he had heard his mental question, ZaiWin gave him another of those evil smiles.

“We’re presently at the most western border of Nox. In reality, as far as landscapes go, there’s not much difference between here and there,” he explained, pointing towards a mountain ridge. “Even though those are no longer Nox’s lands, but Pon’s. So I thought that maybe you would like to visit other places.”

Snow’s eyes immediately widened in delight as he nodded vehemently, his silver hair balancing softly against his forehead. As if that had worked as a reminder, ZaiWin reached out and gently pulled the hood of his cloak over his head.

“However, unlike End of the World, some of the other villages are a bit larger, their people a bit more knowledgeable. There are also people from other Provinces that have taken refuge in Nox⁶Literally nox (night). Where Nox is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. in the last few years. Right now none of our two neighboring Provinces has a Governor, and the people tend to feel safer living in Provinces that actually have one, even if their Governor is someone as unskilled at governing as I am. So some families have actually moved here, from Pon⁷Literally pon (mountain). Where Pon is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province. and Sur⁸Literally sur (plain). Where Sur is the name of the Clan, also the name of a Province.. Sur has been without a Governor for a few years now. But Pon had one, not so long ago. Which means that they can still recall receiving noble and even royal visitors. And they will find your hair color strange. Do you understand?”

Snow nodded, a serious expression on his face.

“We must be really careful. We cannot let any strange rumors start floating around. If that happens we won’t be safe anymore. The people of End of the World won’t be safe anymore.”

“I understand,” Snow whispered, holding his own hood in place, and ZaiWin lightly patted his head.

“Well, I’ll be with you all the time, so I’m sure we’ll be fine,” he thought it better to add, not wanting to get Snow so worried about keeping his identity hidden that he would end up not enjoying their trip.

Carefully wrapping his arms around Snow's back, ZaiWin held him against his chest.

“Ready?”

The boy nodded, still holding on to his hood, and ZaiWin simply took a deep breath, activating the array that would allow them to jump to another place.

Silvareiel

Uh-oh! ZaiWin just kidnaped dear Snow! ? And the victim was even happily following the perpetrator like an excited puppy! ???