The Land Below our Feet III (Legacy)

MEETING

Ahau sat alone in the empty assembly room. The faint morning light bathed his wrinkled face as he mindlessly scratched an old, nasty scar, deeply sketched on his left elbow as he waited for the others to arrive. His pensive thoughts wandering aimlessly back and forth from the uncertain future to the torturing past.

The sound of the heavy door creaking open cut his reflections short when the old Cahenean King barged tumultuously into the chamber.

-And well? – The monarch irately remarked, arching one of his thick eyebrows and nodding inquisitively at Ahau – Are you and me the only ones here? What a nerve! He sets up the bloody meeting, and he is running late for it. Who the hell does that Yahun think he is?

-No, he is not. You’re just early, Hethan… Old folks like us tend to be – Ahau calmly replied, boredly looking out the window and ignoring his acrid tone – My son-in-law can be a lot of things, but late is not one of them. And I assure you he is always on time.

-There’s no need to be rude, dad – The jovial voice belonging to the masked woman lightheartedly called out as she sauntered into the room escorted by a single Yahurian warrior and promptly took a seat beside him, then tilted her head towards the grim Uplander with squinted eyes – We are all friends here, isn’t that right?

-That’s about to be seen – He murmured, eyeing the Cahenean suspiciously for a whole other minute, before redirecting his sight to the cloudy day outside.

Of course, the former ruler hadn’t always been that fond of his daughter’s companion. In fact, the first time he’d laid his conscious eyes on the golden-haired warrior he had inevitably tried to kill him.

In his defense, he had woken up to see who he thought was one of the monsters that had slaughtered his city casually standing in the same room as he was. So, he had pounced towards him without giving it a second thought, snatching a spear from a distracted guard with surprising agility and tried to aim it at his throat.

Naturally, the stranger hadn’t even blinked. And Ahau had predictably ended up pinned down to the floor, with the sharp tip of the weapon merely inches away from his own heart.

It had taken hours of explanation from Souna´s side for him to start grasping the logic behind the absurdity of the situation, and a lot more for him to see past the threatening looks of that man.

“How could you?” – He had screamed in her face in disbelief – “How could you fall for one of the beasts that did that to Kabil, to us, to our land?”

“Because he is not one of them” – She had firmly said, shaking her head at him – “He never was. He is as native to this soil as any of us is, and you would see that too if you just gave him a chance!”.

When he finally caved in and agreed to meet the infamous Commander, it was more than clear to him that his daughter had been equally adamant with her partner as she had been with him about them spending some time together, and it was obvious that he shared his reservations, judging by the initial awkwardness of their first encounter.

That evening, he had found him standing alone in the middle of the training pit. And even when he appeared to be motionless and unarmed, the calculated look in his eyes had made him know that he was already sizing him up and prepared to strike… The same as he was.

“So, you must be my daughter’s new husband” – Ahau sarcastically spoke, breaking the silence between them while contemptuously eyeing him up and down - “It’s funny, you know? With so many… spicier options available, I still don’t get why she would choose to be with such a bland looking man”.

“Maybe she just prefers a little white pepper” – Ussiariah had shrugged off unaffected. An amused glint sparkling in his bright blue eyes – “I’m not an expert or anything, but some say the flavor is more refined”.

An involuntary chuckle had almost betrayed him, but Ahau had managed to regain his stance and take a cautious step towards the stoic soldier with a raised hand.

“Whatever” – He’d said, rolling his eyes at him and gesturing in a mocking bow – “Souna wants me to apologize for attacking you the other day… So, here I am”.

“I’ve always appreciated a quick responder” – Ussi had indifferently pointed out – “If anything, I was impressed by your fast reflexes… Although you could always improve your offensive attack.”

“And the arrogant prick is willing to help me now? – Ahau had sneered at him, narrowing his eyes.

“Only if that’s what you want” – The golden-haired man had replied – “But for now, you could lend us a hand. Souna says you don’t wish to rule anymore, and that’s fine. Yet, we could still use your insight”.

It hadn’t been instantaneous… He hadn’t suddenly started liking him right away. But after years of forced interaction, perhaps that pale ex-Yahuh had managed to gain a little bit more than just his respect.

Not a minute had passed since the Yahurian Guider had taken her seat at the table, when Ussiariah entered the room holding Souna´s arm and courteously nodded at them.

The other attendees would come immediately after… Xoltun´s salacious ruler, Nevareh´s stunning queen, and the young Mavaerian King. Everyone silently sitting before their host and expectantly looking at him.

-We’ll be brief – Ussiariah began speaking unceremoniously as soon as they were all seated –What happened today is just a small sample of what awaits us if we let our differences get the best of us.

-Everyone else has their own agenda – Souna continued saying – And if things go south, we can’t be sure of what anyone will do. Yet, you’ve already fought two wars with us. If we are going to trust someone, it’s going to be you.

-That means you need to stop engaging in petty fights and help us maintain peace – Ussi sighed, looking sharply at Hethan for a second, then turning to face the rest of them and resuming his speech.

– The way I see it, we are set up for a bloody m******e if this internal war blows up… Apart from Watombe, I doubt that any of the parties that remained neutral today will stay that way for long if they find themselves being forced to pick a side. So, for now, we must nurture our current alliances with them all, and hope that it will be enough to prevent another fire.

-What about Xiblen? – Favena intervened, looking at him with deep concern – None of us share any commercial bonds with them whatsoever, and we don’t even know where they stand right now! Yarinthza barely stayed long enough to greet your boy and conveniently excused herself. If I were you, I would be most suspicious of them!

-She´s right – Souna agreed – Xiblen has already betrayed us before. So, I say that if we are already wary, we need to be extra careful with them.

-And we are – Ussiariah conceded, lightly squeezing her hand – But Favena has made a very good point… A commercial treaty is the best and fastest way to keep Xiblen in check.

He paused, looking purposefully towards the Nevarehan Queen and gravely nodding at her.

-Not a chance! – The alluded woman blurted out, recognizing his intention – Are you really suggesting that I make a pact with those damn traitors?

-I know it is a lot to ask – Ussi admitted – Yet Nevareh is the closest realm to the swamps, and the one that would make the most sense to approach them. So, for the sake of the greater good, I am begging you to at least consider it. As it is time for all of us to put our own interests aside…

He cleared his throat, finally acknowledging Teranha´s presence. Who had stealthily scurried inside the room a while ago and had been silently standing in a corner ever since, looking intently at him.

-There is a bigger issue we need to address before you all march home, and I’m sure that once we do, you’ll see why this is imperative – He resumed speaking after a moment of hesitation – Now, as you know, my son is just about to enlist in our army today, so we would like you to join us for that.

-T-There seems to be a problem with that, Commander – The stern lieutenant spoke with an unusual concern in her tone – A maid went to wake Axe for the ceremony, and he is nowhere to be found.