Thanks to James Birdsong and Dranafile for reviewing the previous chapter!

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Chapter Six: Changes

"We will never bow to a woman!" a peasant cried, slamming his mug of ale down on the table.

Another peasant rose to his feet, wiping off beads of liquor off his scruffy ginger beard. "The only thing Mariam is good for is a good fucking!" His words were greeted by raucous laughter.

Dunga climbed up onto a table. "Mariam is the rightful queen of Qubo. You will respect her!" he bellowed. The crowd was silenced. All eyes were on him now, but none dared to make direct contact with his eyes. "Ozuma's passing was unexpected, but he chose Mariam to be his wife. If you respect Ozuma, then you will now respect the Queen."

"You want to kneel before a woman?"

"What power has she got over you?"

Dunga withdrew his sword and pointed it at the small crowd amassed in the tavern. A sea of peasants were looking up at him, their bodies covered in dirt and sweat from hours spent working underneath the sun doing menial laborious tasks. "The power of being a queen," he retorted, his eyebrows narrowing. "She is your leader. You will obey. Disobedience will not be tolerated."

"She killed Ozuma!" one man called out. "She ought to be trialled for murder."

"She did not kill Ozuma," Dunga argued. "She loved Ozuma."

"Have you any proof?"

"I am the leader of our forces. I am the right-hand of the king and now your queen. I know the relationship shared between Ozuma and Mariam better than any of you, and Mariam would never betray the king in the manner you assume." He returned his sword to its sheath but did not remove his hand from the blade.

The people were restless. Rumours of rebellion had surfaced, and it was his duty to quash the gossip. It had started here in the tavern where disgruntled peasants came to vent their frustrations after a long day of work. Tensions were high. Their leader had unexpectedly died after showing no symptoms of ill health. It was natural for people to be upset.

"How are we supposed to survive in this world with a woman in charge, Dunga?"

"The kingdom of Khakpour is under the rule of woman."

"Queen Judy? The woman does nothing. There is a war beyond the great wall."

More disgruntled noises from the crowd. Some people even looked towards the door as if they feared an ambush. Dunga raised his hands to call for calm. "These claims of war beyond the great wall are just rumours. Have any of you ventured into the mountain pass? No? Then what makes you think we are threatened by war?"

Silence fell among the crowd as they looked to one another for answers, but no one could provide any. The door opened and an elderly man with a long, grey beard entered the room and cleared his throat. He was supported by a white gnarled cane. "I've had dreams, Dunga. I've seen the armies in my nightmares. They breach the wall and tear it down, and an army of fiends storm across our lands, killing everything that is living," he spoke softly, but every man present listened.

Dunga folded his arms. "Seer." A title given to a prophet chosen by the king himself. "You have had these dreams since Ozuma was a boy king, and yet they have not yet come to pass. Must you fill the heads of these people with fear? We should be focusing on rebuilding our city and mourning the loss of a great king instead of focusing on silly dreams."

"Ozuma believed me. He chose me for my powers. Are you to not believe him?"

"I don't believe in dreams," Dunga replied, his arms still folded.

"You should." The old man walked closer.

"And why is that?"

"Because chaos awaits in our future."

Dunga rolled his eyes. "Perhaps you are becoming senile in your old age." He turned to address the crowd of peasants once more, noting the fear and uncertainty on their faces. Some twiddled with their thumbs. Some played with their hair. Others kept glancing towards the door as if preparing to flee. "Everyone needs to calm down. We are not on the brink of war. The other kingdoms are afraid of us. Magic scares them. We have no enemies to fear."

"But what about Aduri, Dunga?"

"As I said before that fortress has been standing for decades."

"The great wall will fall," the Seer said calmly. "Great kingdoms fall. A wall is nothing."

Dunga narrowed his eyes. The crowd was becoming restless again exchanging hushed whispers with the person standing next to them, fuelling more mindless gossip, and creating more fear. Again, he raised his hands to call for silence. "I ask that you all hold your tongues! Dreams are just dreams. Nothing more. We are the masters of our own destinies – our fates are not linked to images in an old man's mind. Anyone who chooses to spread rumours will be punished with no coin for the day – I know all your names and faces – you cannot hide. You have been warned. Now leave. Return to your work." He gestured towards the door.

More disgruntled groans but the peasants left the building one by one without protest. Dunga headed towards the door and waited for the people to leave. The only person who remained behind was the old man. "Are you not going to return to the shrine?" Dunga said, looking down at the Seer.

"Ozuma was poisoned."

"Did you see that in your dreams too?" Dunga replied curtly.

He nodded. "I see many things, but Ozuma only listened to my words when they promised riches and power. Most of the time my words fell upon deaf ears, but I would hope his right-hand man would be more willing to hear."

"You should be talking to the queen."

"Her reign will be short. That is why I talk to you as her closest ally."

Dunga raised an eyebrow. "The wall has not fallen. Why should I believe in anything you have to say? Why not speak to her brother? She has a closer relationship with him than me. They're family. Siblings."

The old man's eyes met his own. "Because the queen you love is in danger."

Dunga frowned. "I do not love Mariam."

"I have seen glimpses of the future. Choose not to believe in dreams if you wish, but the consequences will be yours alone. I will not make you believe. You are the master of your own destiny after all." The Seer edged towards the door, his hand reaching out for the handle. "If you love the queen, you will protect her from the chaos to come. That is all I will say since you are not a believer in 'dreams'." He pulled down the handle and left the building.

Dunga watched the man leave. Only when the door slammed itself shut on its own did he pull out of his trance. "Mariam? In trouble? From this motley crew? Bah! Impossible," he murmured, pushing the door open once more. A rush of hot air greeted him. "Still, I must talk with her," he told himself aloud. Without another word, he exited the tavern, slamming the door shut behind him.

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Michael retreated to his headquarters at the barracks to have some time alone to prepare for the journey the following day, reflecting on the conversation with Max about his life as a monk. He didn't quite understand the fascination with reading books about religion and magic. Why did it even matter what the Gods thought?

Soldiers greeted him as he headed through the main entrance. He spotted his friends, Rick, Steven, and Eddy in a corner repairing a combat dummy. When the sun reached its highest point in the sky, the soldiers would have to head to the courtyard to practice their sparring skills. His job was to watch over them and ensure their techniques were correct.

He took a right turn and headed down the hallway, bypassing several small rooms. Four soldiers shared a room with two bunk beds each. Apart from a clothing chest and the beds themselves, the rooms were bare. They were only for sleeping purposes, and soldiers were not to be distracted by lesser things. His room was at the end of the hall and easily identified by a buckler shield on the door. As commander of the forces, he was entitled to a room of his own and he had his own desk with drawers. He was even able to store his armour and equipment in his room unlike the rest of his men who had to visit the armoury to retrieve their gear.

Pushing aside the door, he entered the room and closed it behind him, then headed to his desk to sit down. Opening the top right drawer, he pulled out a map of the region and placed it on the desk. A simple map of the world outside their walls. It had taken many years for the cartographers to draw up their surroundings. He examined the map, his cool blue eyes searching for Iusism. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

Withholding his frustration, Michael stood up from the table and walked over to the door once more. Pulling it open, he was surprised to find a person at the door that wasn't one of his soldiers, but a servant girl, and not one he recognized. Perhaps Judy had hired a few more maids. This one had shoulder-length orange hair and cool grey eyes. She wasn't attractive – but then again most of the serving maids were kept plain because of their work.

"I wasn't expecting anyone," Michael said, peering down at her. "I don't recognize your face. Your name?"

"Emily," the girl replied, keeping her eyes focused on the ground.

"And why are you here?"

"The lady of Khakpour sent me here. I will be looking after the barracks."

Michael raised an eyebrow. So, Judy had hired a few more servants, but why the barracks? It wasn't as if the current servants were struggling with the workload. Perhaps one of the serving girls was being moved elsewhere. Judy liked to rotate the castle servants every few months. Some would be stationed at the stables. Others at the castle. And some would be designated to the barracks and be responsible for cleaning and cooking much to the delight of the soldiers who always fancied themselves to a lone maid.

"Right. Did someone leave? Wait. Nevermind. You probably don't know." Servants didn't know much about anything. Their only purpose in life was to serve those above them. This one, like many of the others, probably couldn't even read or write. "Well. If you're wondering what needs to be done, you can start by putting some books on the shelf." He stood aside to allow the woman inside. She followed him, and he pointed her in the direction of his bookshelf. A few books were on the floor – recently given to him by Max who insisted he should do some extra reading as a parting gift.

She gave him a blank look. "Books on the bookshelf?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Should be an easy enough task for you." How dumb was this servant? He sat down at his desk and watched the girl bend over to pick up the books. One by one she placed them on the shelf where space permitted. "Have you served anyone before? Where did Judy find you?"

"I worked at the public bathhouse."

Right. That would explain why he hadn't crossed paths with her. Women had their own bathhouse and men had another. Only Judy, monks and himself had their own private bathing area though they still had servants to assist if needed. "Men or women?" Michael said.

"Women," she repeated, immediately casting her eyes on the books on the floor.

"That must've been… quite the experience. It would've been worse if you had ended up with the men though. We have no control over what happens in the public bathhouse." She didn't reply. Perhaps he had struck a nerve. "Relax. I'm not going to make you do anything you're not comfortable with. There's certainly no need to go and visit the public bathhouse anyway. Duties here are standard. Help the other servants cook food for the soldiers. There's a list in the kitchen area. You'll also need to scrub floors, clean plates and such, make sure armour and clothing is clean. Oh, and of course, changing the sheets and washing them. The serving girls usually head on down to the river near the southern hills of Khakpour."

"Understood."

"Great. Then we'll have no issues." She finished placing the books on the shelves, then traipsed a finger across each one, as if reading the titles. But of course, she was just a dumb serving girl. She couldn't read. She was probably trying to understand what the letters meant. "Anyway. I've got things to do now and I need to think in quiet. So, head on over to the kitchen area and the lead serving girl will tell you what needs to be done. Her name is Fiona. Drop by and visit me later tonight. There might be something you can do for me."

"Of course." She climbed to her feet, her face still looking down at her feet. Was she embarrassed? Had he embarrassed her? Perhaps he had made her uncomfortable. But it didn't matter. She was a servant. Their feelings did not matter. "You can find your own way out, I'm sure."

She bowed her head and left.

Once she had left the room, he shifted his attention to the map again.

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The skies were a brilliant shade of blue, and not a single cloud could be seen in the sky. A perfect day for celebrations, and already he could hear the excitable noises from the village's centre. He walked down the gentle slope and followed the sandy pathway towards the noise. The fortunate few who had earned their right to become real men. He spotted his friends Andrew and Billy ahead at the bottom of the slope, standing not too far from the village gates.

Excitement filling his chest, Tyson quickened his pace down the pathway, his shoes kicking up dirt behind him. Not even the heat could dampen his spirits. The annual festival was always a fun event. "Andrew! Billy!" Tyson called out.

The two men looked at him with identical grins. "Tyson, you made it!" Billy said.

"It could be the last time I see you two for a while," Tyson replied, his smile fading. Although today was one of celebrations it also meant saying goodbye. The soldiers would eventually leave the village to move to their new hometowns. "But I'm proud of you both. You got what you wanted. To join the military and serve."

"I wish you could join us, Tyson," Andrew said, placing a hand on Tyson's shoulder as if to provide brief comfort. "Remember how we used to practice with sticks when we were just kids? How we said we were going to be the greatest soldiers the world had ever seen? That we were going to forge legendary tales about ourselves?" He pulled his hand back, running his fingers through his two-toned brown hair.

Billy nodded. "Yeah. Tyson always claimed he'd be the king and lead us to victory."

Andrew chuckled. "He's always had big dreams."

"You'll get to live them for me," Tyson replied then sighed.

"Don't feel down, Tyson."

"I want to be someone of importance," Tyson reasoned, his shoulders slumped. "You're joining the greatest military service this region has ever seen. You'll be fighting to defend this world, and I'll be here in this village wishing I was there with you. I want a sense of purpose, but grandfather has denied me of that."

"You're eighteen, Tyson. Surely you can make your own decisions?"

"I can't leave him alone, and I won't break a promise even if I want to fight."

"You're a good man, Tyson," Billy said. "Not many other people could hold onto a promise like that. You'll be a leader someday – you'll fill in the shoes for your grandfather and watch over this place and its people."

Tyson drew in a deep breath and sighed. The future heir of a village known only for being the birthplace of the legendary swordsman, Hiro Granger. His duties would be to collect the taxes from the people and host events. What kind of a life was that? What was the purpose? The meaning of living? "It's certainly not the life I imagined for myself in my dreams, but I wish you both the best of luck in Madari. Maybe we will see each other again sometime and you can tell me all the stories." He tried to conjure a smile, but his heart was hollow.

"The festivities will commence soon," Billy said. "The villagers will form two lines and create a tunnel for us to walk through. There'll be plenty of food in the market square, and even singing and dancing. Your grandfather certainly knows how to say goodbye."

"He's been doing this for decades." A chance for everyone to come together to say goodbye and wish good luck to the future soldiers. "Are you nervous about it? Leaving this place behind?" Tyson said, shifting his attention to Andrew.

Andrew shrugged. "A little. I mean, we're moving to the big city. It's a much bigger world than anything we've ever known, and we'll be under the watchful eye of Kai. I hear he's a great man."

Kai Hiwatari, the future heir of the Madari, the emperor of the surrounding lands. Tyson had heard the stories too – that Kai was a battle-hardened warrior with a courageous and charitable heart. He was the hero people desired to be – a person Tyson envisioned himself to become. But he couldn't achieve those goals.

Billy gestured towards the village's wooden gates. There were a few outposts around the perimeter of the area, and a couple of archers, but the village did not have a real military force. If the village came under attack, it would easily fall. Their only hope would be to flee towards the Bloody Marshes, an area that had once been the place of a great battle centuries ago.

"We should probably head down and meet with the rest of the people in the village square. The Madarians should be here by the time the sun is at its peak and then the true festivities shall begin."

"I can't argue with that," Tyson noted, following the boys through the gates.

Already, a small crowd had amassed. The local women had dressed up in different coloured dresses to celebrate the moment, abandoning the usual grey garbs for brighter shades. He spotted his grandfather in the crowd talking to a few of the parents. Some mothers were crying – they knew they would never see their sons again.

Tyson looked away, instead choosing to focus his attention on the stalls with the hay-thatched roofs. The people were not selling their products, but rather the stalls were being used to hold food and drinks. One person looked after the soup, and another collected wine from the kegs behind. Today, there were no class differences – everyone was able to eat well.

"How many Madarians are we expecting?" Tyson said.

"Probably a small force," Billy answered. "I wouldn't expect Emperor Voltaire to be here, but we know his grandson will be, and he'll probably be accompanied by the finest soldiers. We're basically being visited by royalty really."

Andrew beamed a smile. "I can't wait to see Kai. I mean, royalty, here, in our village."

"It's not every year we say goodbye to a group of young soldiers either," Billy added.

Tyson nodded. Although the festival was held annually, its purpose was not always the same. Last year they had celebrated a good year for crops. Soldiers were only farewelled every few years once enough capable men had reached the age of eighteen. "Shall we drink then and find some shade? It'll keep our bodies cool from this blazing heat."

"Agreed. I'd rather not show any weaknesses and collapse beforehand," Billy said, heading towards the wine stall.

Not exactly what Tyson had in mind for wine wasn't the best to keep the body hydrated, but who was he to argue? "Let this be a festival to remember." If only he could depart with them.

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For the past couple of hours, Rei had followed Lee through the luscious forest, trying to make conversation with the older boy, but the man had little interest in exchanging words. He was only interested in making it through the forest as quickly as possible so they could reach the fortress and find this Driger Bow.

"So, here we are, the Forest of Sorrows," Rei announced, keeping a hand on his long knife, hanging over the right side of his hip bone. He also carried a short bow over his left shoulder and a quiver of arrows to the left of is thigh. "They say the spirits of the dead roam this place at night."

Lee stepped on a fallen branch. It snapped under the weight of his shoe. Startled, the man jumped, and Rei held back a chuckle. Angered, Lee spun around and glared. "Keep your voice down, Rei. Do you want to draw attention?"

"Draw attention from what? It's not like we know of anyone who has actually ventured through this forest and survived to tell the tale." He then sighed, noting the displeased frown on Lee's face. "That's why we must stick together. I know you don't think highly of me, but we're brothers, Lee. Not connected by blood, but I do consider you my brother."

"You love my sister."

"I'd marry her if I could."

"So why don't you marry her and settle down and leave the adventuring path to me?"

"Because I need to prove myself worthy."

Lee snorted, stepping over a fallen moss-covered log. Black hairy spiders crawled across it. "By finding the Driger Bow? Because you're dreaming. That bow is supposed to be mine. I'm the future leader of our tribe. That bow will be suitable for me."

Rei didn't bother trying to argue with the stubborn man, choosing to examine his surroundings instead. Trees as silver as the moon filled the forest, and the canopy was so thick that only fragments of light were able to shine through. Dead leaves and fallen branches littered the ground. Aside from the sound of crunching leaves beneath his feet, the forest was eerily quiet. Not even the birds sang their songs here.

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Lee said.

Rei jumped over a fallen tree. "No. Do you?"

"Nothing more but stories to frighten the children at night," he replied. "I much prefer the tales told by the Elder about the heroic deeds of our ancestors who fought to keep our land free. The White Tiger tribe. We were the first to reach these lands, but our people were not interested in becoming kings. They wanted a peaceful home."

"You're going to bring up the Driger Bow again, aren't you? Why is it so hard for you to accept that I want to find it just as much as you do? I don't have any interest in being a leader of our people, Lee. I want to bring honour to our tribe, and I want to prove to Mariah I am worthy of being her protector," Rei said.

"Right."

"You don't believe me."

Lee glanced over his shoulder. "We're not family, Rei. The same blood makes people family."

"I think I've proven myself. The Elder believes I'm part of the family."

Lee rolled his eyes then turned to face the path ahead of him once more. "I don't know what he sees in you. You've proven nothing to us, yet it seems like he prefers you over me, the rightful heir."

Jealousy. A man's greatest enemy. A disease of the mind that could not be cured. Lee viewed him as a threat for a reason he could not understand, but he didn't press further. "The Driger Bow is supposed to be hidden away in some fortress," Rei started, changing the topic of the conversation. "It can't be in Aduri – something would've been mentioned. But there are other places. Old abandoned sites."

"Cenarar Fortress," Lee said slowly.

Rei nodded. "Right."

"How do we even know the Driger Bow is even there?"

"Because the Elder claims Driger talks to him in dreams. Do you doubt him?"

Lee shook his head. "No. But Cenarar Fortress?"

"It makes sense. The kingdoms parted and went their separate ways, but we still live on the Emperor's land and he still rules over us. We still pay our taxes when the merchants and the soldiers come to visit, and in exchange, they give us the promise of protection should war come to us," Rei said.

"I know the history."

"I'm just saying. When war broke out between the kingdoms, many people escaped the violence by fleeing to the northern region where it's always cold. Cenarar Fortress was an old military base but cursed." Rei cleared his throat and continued. "Once you step foot inside the old fortress, your mind no longer becomes your own. You descend into madness, and you don't come back."

Lee frowned. "Perhaps their minds were weak. Ours are not."

"I guess we will find out when we reach the place."

"Then let us cease this mindless chatter and continue on our path."

Rei didn't agree and remained silent. They continued to walk through the forest, navigating through lush vegetation and twisting paths through prickly bushes and fallen trees until the path ended abruptly. "And this is where their journeys ended. Something must've happened here." Now they stood in a small forest clearing and every tree looked identical to the last.

"We start marking the trees we've passed," Lee said. "That way we know if we've been to the same place."

Rei walked over to one of the trees, raising a hand and pressing his fingers against the cool bark. Surprisingly smooth. He then squinted, noticing a strange image etched into the tree. "Lee. Take a look at this." He brought his face closer. A drawing of a teardrop.

"Rei. We're not spending our time examining tree species."

"Someone else has been here. Teardrops on the bark." Rei gestured for Lee to come over.

Withholding a sigh, Lee wandered over. "Teardrops? What is that even supposed to mean?"

"It's usually a symbol that someone has killed another person outside war reasons or been raped in prison," Rei explained, recalling the stories of Tao. "Criminals are marked with a teardrop on the left side of the face. A warning to everyone that they cannot be trusted. If the teardrop is on the right it means they lost a loved one to murder."

Lee lifted an eyebrow. "…Why would there be teardrops here?"

Rei shrugged. "Escaped criminals who later perished in this very place? If you don't know how to read tracks or survive out in the wild with limited resources, you wouldn't last very long here." He arched his neck back, looking towards the canopy. "Limited sunlight. You'd eventually die of madness."

"Look! There's another one!" Lee exclaimed, pointing to a different tree a few feet away.

Rei followed him. Indeed, Lee was correct. Another teardrop on a tree, but this one had some writing on it. He drew his face in close and frowned. "Valkov," he read aloud. "A name?"

"Why would anyone name a teardrop? Perhaps this was once a graveyard."

Rei lowered a hand to his sword. "Perhaps…"

Noting Rei's hand on his blade, Lee said, "Are you expecting trouble?"

"We best be on our guard. I don't like this."

"What are we going to find? The dead walking around? Rei. Come on. It's just a teardrop. That thing could've been here for decades, centuries maybe." Lee pulled away from the tree. "But we have to get moving. We can't stay here in the forest forever looking at teardrops. This name. Valkov. It could mean anything. Maybe someone was buried here long ago. But we need to move."

Rei moved his hand away, shifting his attention towards Lee. "Yeah. You're right. Just a name." A name beneath a teardrop in the middle of a haunted forest. Why didn't the other one have a name? But he didn't ask questions. Lee had made it obvious he didn't want to discuss it further, and he didn't want to give the man any more reason to doubt he was worthy of the Driger Bow. "Let's keep moving then."

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And things are starting to move along now. All the major characters and their plot arcs have now been established, but we're still in the very early stages of this epic fantasy. I'm thinking around 25-35 chapters because I have one storyline to tell – no need to overcomplicate things. If you're keen to read more, let me know! Also, tell me who you're most interested in reading more about so far!