Secret of the Sunstones, Part 1: The Wanton Kingdom

Chapter LX : Respite

Latemorn of Diapente, Thirteenth Day of Autumnmoon

Bram traveled the well-worn road to Loulan with his companions. Between Rosa and Yuri, Józef and his Kitezhians, and now Quon and his Kenju, it had become a large and diverse crowd. Before going too far, Quon stopped to offer some advice.

He curled his fingers and guided Bram to the side of the path. “See that, over there?”

Bram peered in the direction Quon pointed. “Animal tracks … looks like viscars passed through here.”

“Not just tracks ….” The Kenju Master approached and picked up what looked like the stem of a plant. “This comes from a family of sugar beets that some people call Heart of Gold. Wild viscars find them irresistible, and they’re known to grow in this area.”

Bram’s eyes widened. “Wild viscars? They’re extremely rare, aren’t they?”

Quon nodded. “Notice the shape of the leaf? Take a whiff.”

Bram looked closely. The stem split into tiny fronds, which tapered and had a white tip. It looked almost feathery. Below the stem, a bit of the root’s orange flesh was still attached. It smelled sweet, like a honey cake.

The Kenju Master smiled. “It’s pleasant, isn’t it? Come, help me find more of these, further off the path. I’ll show you how to lure some viscars into the open. They are timid and gentle, and we can ride them to cut travel time.”

Bram remembered the tools he used to acquire the sap from Prometheus. He retrieved a spade from the Kitezhian travel packs. It didn’t take long to find a cluster of plants with the same feathery leaves.

Quon demonstrated how to dig up the beets and gently break off clumps of earth. “A bit of patience up front will save us from frustration and disappointment later. I’ve found that wild viscars aren’t as interested when the beets are muddy or damaged.”

When enough of the plants were collected, he led Bram to a clearing and placed the offering in the center. “Now, we wait.”

It took a few minutes for the first viscar to appear. The lizard-like creature sniffed the air and perked its ears. When it noticed the prize in the center, it trotted over and nuzzled it. It raised its head and made a call that Bram never heard before.

“Whisssss … eep eep eep!”

Others emerged from the trees and entered the clearing. Not just a few, but an entire herd. There must have been over a dozen.

Quon made his move. He slowly stood from his crouched position and whistled softly, mimicking the sound of the viscar.

The animals reacted skittishly at first, but Quon’s continued whistling seemed to calm them. The Kenju Master took his time approaching the animals. One step at a time, he whistled and neared. The viscars kept their ears at attention, some of them bobbing their heads or shifting their feet.

When he reached the closest one, he held out his hand and offered one of the beets. The animal sniffed the air a few times before snatching the beet from his palm. The Kenju Master produced one from his other hand, waiting for a second viscar to take it. The second animal wasn’t as timid. It trotted forward, grabbed the beet, and started chomping.

Quon looked pleased. “You can come out, now, Bram. Slowly, though.”

The Knight followed the Kenju Master’s pace and approached.

Quon reached out and very slowly rested his hand on one of the viscar’s necks. “Follow my lead. They need physical contact before they’ll trust us.”

Bram was a bit nervous. Domesticated viscars were one thing, but the teeth on these wild ones could remove a hand with one bite. Nevertheless, he trusted Quon and reached out. The viscar recoiled.

“Don’t worry,” Quon advised. “Try again.”

Bram cleared his mind and reached out, ever so slowly. He saw the viscar’s feral eyes dart back and forth, but it remained calm. When his fingers finally grazed its scaly flesh, the creature relaxed, which gave him a sense of accomplishment.

Quon smiled broadly. “Well done. Now, grab a few beets, but leave the rest. They’ll eat their share and will follow us back to the trail.”

It was clear the Kenju Master had a lot of experience with these animals. Bram was impressed. When they arrived back, the deed was well received. Some of the riders had to double up, but there were enough mounts to go around. Bram rode with Yuri in front of him. Before long, Mount Abakai faded in the distance.

Quon directed the party along the East Road, which ran straight to the capital. By midday, Bram proposed they stop at a small village near the banks of the River Liao. It was more for Yuri’s benefit, since Bram’s young companion started to complain of hunger pangs. The travelers had already gone through their meager provisions, so it wasn’t hard to convince them to stop and restock. Once food was purchased and Yuri was fed, Rosa took Bram aside. She looked like she had something she wanted to tell him.

“That was kind of you.” She glanced over at Yuri, who took a nap on the ground near Bram’s viscar.

The Knight couldn’t hide his affection. “I suppose I’ve grown a bit fond of them.”

Rosa’s smile faded, and she sighed. “I just don’t know what we’re going to do. Things are only going to get worse, where we’re going. Yuri will be in constant danger, just being near us.”

Bram had been thinking a lot about it. His heart ached. “I know. But there’s not much we can do. Even if we found a family to take care of them, who’s to say that Virgil or Richard wouldn’t send an assassin. Yet, Yuri can’t come with us, either. Not when we’re going up against demons, and Gaia knows what else.”

Rosa looked forlorn. A single tear slid down her cheek. “We have to think of something before it comes to that. I’ve already decided that I would risk everything to stand for our world, but I can’t ask the same of a child, no matter who or what they have guiding them.”

Bram’s heart tore open as he watched Rosa’s lips tremble. He took her in his arms and let her head rest against his cold dark armor. He wished he could cast it aside, just for a moment, and feel her smooth skin, her beating heart, her warm breath.

“Listen, Rosa, we’re going to get through this. You can’t think about tomorrow or the next day. You need to envision what you want when this is all over.”

She embraced him tighter, but her sobbing continued.

He tried again. “Remember that cottage you wanted, on the outskirts of Needam? The one with the white shutters and the garden out back? We’re gonna get that, Rosie. You’ll see.”

He thought he heard Rosa chuckle through her tears. She mumbled through his armor. “And a cat, too, right? So Yuri can play with it?”

Bram grinned. “Yeah, and a woodworking shop, so I can build our furniture. Since Gaia knows, I can’t afford to buy anything.”

Rosa giggled, and he joined her, hugging and sobbing. He couldn’t help it. The vision was wistful and romanticized, but it was what he wanted. And he knew how badly she wanted it, too.

When she calmed, he loosened his grip and looked into her eyes. She stared back, full of longing. But he caught something else in her gaze. A bit of curiosity, perhaps, or a new dawning.

“Rosie, what is it?”

She looked as if she had come to some sort of epiphany. “I need to ask you something.”

Bram was taken aback. “Of course. You can ask me anything.”

She paused, as if trying to find the right words. “It’s just that I want to know what you remember about your family. You never liked talking about Jack Morrison, the man who raised you. And I understand why. But I need to know if he ever discussed your real mother and father.”

Bram was at a loss for words. Not because he had any reservations about discussing the topic, but there was nothing to tell, and he failed to understand the connection. “I … I don’t know anything about them, Rosie. It’s obvious from the way I look, from my hair to my skin, that I wasn’t born to Angkorian parents. But Jack never told me anything. And to be honest, I don’t think he knew. Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re somehow connected to all this, Bram. You’re the one that Virgil chose to unlock the sunstone. And you’re the one that Yuri’s entity is seeking. Speaking of whom, I need to ask them more about ‘Remiel’. I think he’s connected, too.”

Bram felt a pain in his head. His hands went to his temples. A memory appeared. Something that until now had been nearly forgotten.

“Bram, what’s wrong?”

He was taken back to the Gaian temple in Minoa. He had just turned on Virgil, thinking he had the upper hand. But then something changed. Virgil suddenly acted like a completely different person.

“Bram, speak to me!” Rosa was frantic.

“Son of Remiel.”

He uttered the words from his memory.

Rosa looked at him, her face a mix of concern and curiosity. “What did you say?”

“Son of Remiel,” Bram repeated. “That’s what Virgil called me in the Gaian temple. I … I had nearly forgotten.”

Rosa’s eyes widened. “You’re certain? Those were his exact words?”

Bram nodded. The weight of their meaning was clear.

“So, Uriel was looking for your father … your real father.”

Bram felt uneasy. Until now, he knew nothing of his birth family. But now, suddenly, he had a name.

Rosa reached for him and peered deep into his eyes. “Bram, something’s come over you. I need to know if you’re okay?”

“The revelation took me by surprise, that’s all. And … I suppose I should be happy to learn this, but … it doesn’t feel right, knowing that Virgil knows more about my father than I do.”

Rosa’s face softened. “That’s understandable. But, it’s still a clue! If we could only find Remiel, he could be our most important lead. Think about it: he’s connected to both Virgil and Uriel!”

Bram tried to think it through. “I can’t deny your logic, but we don’t even know if he’s alive. He abandoned me nearly thirty years ago. Even if he had a good reason at the time, he never came back. Given his relationship with Virgil, what should we assume? That he’s an adversary … or an ally?

Rosa’s excitement vanished. “You’re right. And I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten ahead of myself.”

Bram took Rosa in his arms again. He wanted to embrace her now more than ever. “Don’t ever apologize, Rosie. Learning the truth is always a good thing, no matter what we discover. No matter how painful.”

She embraced him back, and they held each other tightly. He never wanted to let go. Even though, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Józef and Quon. There were still many important things to discuss, and he was anxious to get back on the road. Rosa seemed to notice, too, as she loosened her grip.

“We’ll talk more later,” she promised.

Bram nodded. There was plenty of distance left to travel, and the sooner he made it to Loulan, the better prepared he would be for Angkor’s eventual attack.