Book 1: LIFE

Chapter 4:

THE MASTER'S SERVANTS

Aitoku stuffed his pack full of blankets and spare bits of armor for if his armor broke while he let the fire kill itself. He tied up the spare food from his lonely breakfast and tied it inside of his pack. He gave a look around the woods, trying to see if Zhong had returned yet, which he had not. Aitoku sat down on a small, forgotten stump, tapping his fingers over his kneecaps. "He'll be back." Aitoku assured himself.

Minutes turned to hours, which turned to night, which turned back to morning and Aitoku rolled up his mat and tied it back to his still packed from the day before. He had eaten what was left of the food and had kept the fire going all night in case something had chosen to come upon his on the ground.

"Okay then, if that's what Zhong wants I'll just go on by myself." Aitoku reassured himself as he took off down the forest path and off on the trail. It was then that a thought struck him. Zhong had the map.

"Great." Aitoku heaved as he looked around at the generic forest and the trees which would surely become bars to this wooden prison. "Not only does he leave me alone, he takes the only way of getting out of here with him…."Aitoku turned and a look of realization passed over his weary face. "He took his pack with him. Why didn't I notice that before? He never had any intention of returning." Aitoku paced the leafy forest for a few seconds, trying to think of what to do now that his traveling companion had clearly abandoned him.

"If he took his pack, then he must have meant to leave without me. But why in the middle of the night? Why was it so important that he leave secretly without me? Does he hate me? Did he have special orders I couldn't know about. Well that can't be or else why even bring me along. And why not tell me that he was going or where he was going and …." Aitoku fell to the ground as he ran face first into a tree, leaves falling down on him in his dazed state. Aitoku wiped them off and got to his feet. "No matter then, I'll just go to the nearest town, find a map, and head back to the barracks then. I'll leave Zhong to his stupid games."

Aitoku wandered through the forest before he promptly came out onto a well known dirt path and continued to follow to where it ended. It was a small village, not much bigger than the one they had been to before. Aitoku walked over to the nearest vendor and knocked on the wooden flat over the top of the counter. A pudgy man popped up with his hands in a bag of what looked to be honey coated cat-flies.

"Hello. I was wondering if you sold any maps here of the area." Aitoku asked politely. The man shoved some more of the tasty treat into his mouth, wiped his hands on his off white tunic, and ducked under the counter and riffled through a barrel full of what looked to be old parchment. He withdrew a small square of paper and handed it to Aitoku.

"Two copper pieces." The man said as he held out a hand and Aitoku deposited the amount from his money pouch. Aitoku gave the map a look over before looking up to see something odd going on near a certain large hut. Aitoku rolled up the map and got closer. It was only then that he realized the Master's flag waving proudly over the hut and a line of his own army mates standing at attention. They looked out of breath and had very little on their backs, suggesting a very rapid mobilization.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Aitoku asked as he walked up to his mates, who all stared down at him while one of them bolted off into the hut. "Me and Zhong haven't finished our report. I thought the Master would have at least waited until he heard…"

Aitoku found himself surrounded as the three captains emerged from the hut and closed in around him, a potpourri of emotions on their faces.

"Where is he?!" the angriest of them shouted at Aitoku.

"Where is who?" Aitoku asked as he flinched, watching as more men poured out of the hut and assembled in a tight bunch around Aitoku.

"Zhong. You were traveling with him, were you not?" He sounded worried.

"He took off two nights ago. I haven't seen him since." Aitoku answered him. There was a murmur through the crowd as one captain turned away altogether, holding his head as he walked away.

"Don't you think it would have been wise to send a hawk to us to tell us we were a man down?"

"I didn't think anything of it at the time. Has something happened?"

"Yes! Yes something has happened." The captain shouted as he took a step forward, causing Aitoku to arch his back. "A man was killed two days ago and guess who was seen leaving the crime scene. It was Zhong!"

Zhong cupped the water and then splashed it over his weary face in the night as the stars shone down over what he had done. He had killed and he knew it. The fourth death to add to the world books. He was breathing heavily. His eyes darted around at the water, the trees, anything that seemed to move. The Master moved forward, breaking the silence. "You did what anyone would have done. You did what was ordered." The Master told him forcefully as he glared with no emotion down on the broke man, who was fully repenting for his act.

"No. I took a life….I…killed…" the words seemed to ooze out of him as he cupped more water and splashed himself, gripping the edge of the bank for support. "I have done the ultimate evil…I… I'm a criminal. I have to leave the army…"

"You have to do nothing." The Master said as he walked silently forward, his robes seeming to flow as one across the leaves. "You followed an order directly from me. The army will of course investigate and until I tell you so, you will stay out of sight and mind." Zhong looked up at him with glassy eyes and shook his head vigorously as he began to gather his things and bowed to the Master. He left in a flight into the darkest woods, his head still fraught with the heinous act he had committed.

The Master didn't bother turning his sweet persuasion on for Zhong. He needed to see this man break before he was of any use. This only proved how far he had to go.

Aitoku was uncomfortable sitting in the hard wooden chair with his commanding officers buzzing around him like hungry buzzard wasps. They grilled him on every detail they could think of, demanding to know times and dates, a log of their travels thus far. Finally they stopped, leaving the room to report this news to the Master via hawk. Aitoku slouched in the chair as they proceeded out of the room, the hard wooden slab closing shut as they left.

Aitoku got up and rubbed his eyes, feeling as if he should have gotten a better night's sleep than this. He had been situated in the chief's office for the time being since the other huts of the village were not strong enough to house a prisoner. He sat on the small stool standing awkwardly behind the man's desk. "Ugh…this desk is a mess." Aitoku mused as he looked at the disastrous pile of papers strewn across the desk. He began riffling through them, sorting them into neat and orderly piles until a certain piece of parchment caught his eye. It looked beat up and somewhat worn but the ink is what got him.

The note was written in pure liquid gold. There was even some sort of odd copper writing around the edges of the note, hidden in a border so that they were almost undetectable. Aitoku, not sure where this note came from and somewhat intrigued by it began to read on.

Chief Malar,

I send my greetings in hopes that you are in good health and your village is prosperous. It has been some time since our last correspondence and I wish to know the status of your village as is my righteous and civil duty to know. As the role of Master has been placed on me, it is my duty as always to serve the people of this world, of which no one group, race, or village is in the lesser power. I do also wish to show you thanks for the unrelenting support that you have given this Global Institution over the years and for the brave men that I have received in the past years.

Please send your report by messenger hawk by the end of the week.

Legashi Phoenix forj rentamen tato

The Master.

Aitoku didn't know why, but he all of a sudden began to gaze at the copper border carefully, seeming to be almost compelled to. Somehow he could understand the words written in secret inside of it. It was strange to see it, stranger to read it, yet after the few brief seconds of seeing it, the message faded from his mind, as if it never existed.

But it did exist, locked away in a small corner of his mind, unable to be touched ever again yet acted upon every second of his life. And then, without even thinking about it he left. He brushed out the door and past every one in his way. "And just where do you think you're going?" one of the commanders asked as they walked up to Aitoku, attempting to bring him back.

"I'm going back to the base." Aitoku said in an almost monotone voice. He didn't even know why he was talking like that to be honest. Sweat began to form on his brow as he saddled an ostrich horse and galloped away without another word.

He entered the somewhat empty barracks, a few stragglers still there. Aitoku began to sweat harder and his vision began to grow fainter and the world seemed to spin. His mind was throbbing as he walked across the grass towards the house situated almost out of place in the barracks.

He didn't even bother to knock as he entered the house and pushed through the curtain, entering the Master's chamber where the wall of fire had not yet been lit.

"Aitoku!" the Master exclaimed as he saw him stumble in, weary and dizzy. Something was wrong, the Master could tell. Very wrong.

"My boy, I did not expect you back so soon. What with Zhong killing that man and the investigation underway." The Master stated as he probed as always.

"You…did…it." Aitoku managed to get out ad he grabbed his head. At that moment a large pain shot through his heart. What was wrong with him? But the Master already knew. He glared at Aitoku.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

"You…the letter…I am here to give my report. Forgive me there were no hawks avalia…you are…I want to join…I have to….under your orders. Zhong was…the village is in a state of panic. A man was killed two days ago by a member of…it's all lies….Where is my service need the most. I want to join the army so…" Aitoku collapsed. He had one hand on his head and the other over his heart as he tried to stop the uncomfortable feelings rushing through him. His mind, his heart, seemed ready to explode.

The Master moved silently forward, knowing full well now that the unthinkable had happened. His influence had increased in conflicting ways. Aitoku was so close to the truth and yet still so far. He had to act quickly.

The Master bent down over Aitoku, sweat and tears pouring off his face. "So it seems we must begin anew." The Master said calmly as he raised his hand and plunged it into Aitoku's heart, a final scream of anguish escaping as the sun set and the fire wall sprung to life at the back of the room.