8
Two hours later, Ogana finally sobered up and sat on a table next to the wall I had smashed with my back.
“I know where your friends are being held,” he said clearing the sweat on his face with his huge shirt.
I was surprised, he had not crashed the chair with his humongous weight.
“What! Really? Why didn’t you tell me before?” I said getting up.
This was great news, there was a chance they were still alive. Ogana hesitated for a while to answer afterwards. I stared at him completely silent with anticipation. I didn’t like the waiting as I needed not know more about my friend’s location.
“Come on tell me,” I yelled to him.
He was resilient to tell me about what he had found out.
“Okay calm down,” he said while clearing his throat with a small cough. “This won’t be easy to say, but you might as well forget about your friends.”
What! What was he saying? The reason I was going to Okaya was to find my friends in the first place and now he was telling me to forget them.
“Why are you saying this?” I asked him quickly without hesitation. “I’m going no matter what you say.”
He looked distant and was acting strange. The whole time he never looked me in the eye as he spoke.
“Your friends are now prisoners in Katarina’s castle,” Suzanne interfered from behind. “Her castle is in Danyen the heart of Okaya.”
No! They were in trouble. I had heard of the terrible rumors of Danyen. They said people who entered Danyen never left that place again. It was like committing suicide just going there. Things were getting complicated and more serious than ever. My head felt like a watermelon, I was sweating again from the heavy thinking I was doing.
“Wait a go Suzanne,” Ogana said snapping at her. “I knew he wouldn’t be able to handle all that in one time.”
He was right! I didn’t know what to do or say. I had been determined to search for my friends only in a few cities of Okaya. But going all the way to the heart of Okaya was just insane. There were indeed some cities in Okaya that were paradise for thieves, but not Danyen.
“Well I’m sorry Ogana I didn’t know your friend was such a delicate flower,” Suzanne teased. “Anyway I don’t think he has the guts to go there.”
I closed my eyes, for some reason I saw Tye and Paul smiling in the background. I remembered the first day we met, they tried to rob me off my sword and we got into a fight. I remember chasing them all over Yogo and them beating me up to a bloody pulp. Through all that commotion and fighting we became great friends. If it wasn’t for them I would have died a long time ago. They had saved me countless times and I had not returned the favor yet. In the back of my mind I wanted to give up on them, but something else told me to have courage and go. The lives of Tye and Paul lay in Katarina’s hands if I didn’t save them.
“But still, to be sent to her palace must mean those guys were great rebels,” Ogana commented readjusting his sit. “I mean you must have done something big to anger the Rainku.”
Thinking back it seemed like an eternity, everything that had happened till now was pretty hard to swallow. All of this mess had happened to us because we had taken a few useless things from one Caravan in Yogo.
“So talk,” Suzanne said grabbing my neck again to intimidate me. “What did you pipsqueaks do?”
I had never stared into such clear hazel blue eyes before. It was like staring into a vast blue ocean. I couldn’t answer her, I was mesmerized beyond help by her eyes. She let go off me seeing as that anything she said wouldn’t get answered. As I sat up on the floor I showed them my right hand with the tattoos. Their reactions changed as if they had seen something terrifying. “We only took three things from a small caravan in Yogo that’s all,” I said with my eyes still closed.
I explained everything to them. At that moment, there was no longer need to keep secrets from any of them. I had no choice, but to trust them and ask for their help.
“Those marking symbols, this is incredible,” Ogana began, “I heard that a caravan carrying the ultimate treasures had been robbed by an army of rebels. Who would have thought it were you guys who did it?”
The ultimate treasures! I had never heard anything about them and I highly doubt that I wanted to know. Clearly we had hit the jackpot this time, but at a price too high to pay. The Rainku wanted their treasures back and our heads on a platter.
“How did you guys do it?” Suzanne said looking interestingly at my right arm. “There were ten caravans sent by the Rainku. Nine of them were decoys to fool thieves and one of them was the real one carrying the true treasures. How did you guys know?”
Yes! I had done something finally to get her attention so all I needed to do was keep it going. It seemed I was love struck or something like that because my behavior had changed.
“Nothing is impossible for a great rebel like me,” I replied knowing that was a lie.
Now that was a stupid answer. Why didn’t I come up with something better? I had to keep her interested or else she would think I was just another loser who got lucky. The truth was we didn’t know that the caravan we were about to rob contained the ultimate treasures. If we had known that too we would have backed away and fled the scene.
“You rebels are incredible,” one of the waiters commented with shining eyes of curiosity. “To steal from the Rainku in broad daylight like that is impressive.”
I was getting popular of all a sudden. Not too long ago they had been the ones laughing at me when I wore that cloak. I guess things were beginning to look bright for me although I didn’t know how long I would manage to keep this charade going. Sooner or later I would be exposed, but for now all I could do was enjoy my popularity while it lasted.
“Well I’m impressed,” Suzanne said smiling gently. “For a minute there I thought you were just a loser who got lucky and robbed the right caravan.”
I laughed out loud scratching my head awkwardly the whole time she said it. In the back of my mind saying, “you have no idea how right you are.”
Now it all made sense; it explained why my friends had been taken captives. Still I couldn’t explain why she had not killed them. Maybe the other two treasures, the gloves and the shield had merged with Tye and Paul’s skin like the gauntlet did with me.
“Just what are these ultimate treasures?” I asked them curiously.
It was always a bad thing to steal things that were unknown to you because they could be dangerous not only to me, but everyone around me. Everyone was stunned, it seemed I was the only one who didn’t know about them.
“Well I’m surprised that you knew which caravan to steal from and yet you had no idea what you were stealing,” Ogana said taking another sip of booze.
He had finally sobered up and now he was drinking again?
“A while ago before the Rainku began their rampage there was a wizard who lived in the outskirts of Yogo,” Ogana said gulping a barrel of booze and then burping.
His lack of manners annoyed me, but I ignored that trying to listen to what he had to say.
“This wizard by the name of Ebi was very powerful and feared in the world and do you know why?” he asked.
Of course not you moron was what came to mind. I didn’t say it out loud though I wanted to. The only thing I did was shake my head to say no. Everyone in the room was quiet trying to pay attention as Ogana spoke. For a few seconds he didn’t finish the story as he was busy courting one of the waiters who had brought him some more booze. Dashe was still asleep in his own puke. No one had tried to move him and so he lay on the floor face flat deep asleep. Fortunately he wasn’t snoring which was rather a big surprise to my account.
“So where was I?” Ogana asked looking half drunk.
Had he forgotten already?
“At Ebi was very powerful and do you know why,” I reminded him in a rude sarcastic tone.
He scratched his belly looking across the room and then said,
“oh yeah I remember now.”
He sipped another mouthful and then continued with the story, “Ebi was very powerful because he was in possession of the ultimate treasure weapons, a pair of gloves, a golden shield, and the gauntlet. Although no one knew what they really did or powers they possessed, all people knew was that they possessed incredible spiritual or magical powers.”
Unbelievable! It wasn’t much of an impressive story as I had hoped and anticipated it would be. But it did reveal what I needed to know, explaining why I was in this predicament.
“The Rainku finally made a move against the world when they acquired great weapons from another dimension,” Ogana mumbled. “The world didn’t stand a chance against that menacing power. In their destruction and taking over of the world there came a time when they faced Ebi. It took all they had and then some dirty tricks to bring down the wizard Ebi. No one knows whether he was killed or captured, but rumors said he just vanished on that battle. The Rainku took hold of the ultimate treasures and killed anyone who stood in their way. A few days ago a rumor began that the ultimate treasures had been stolen by an army of dangerous rebels.”
He stretched up his arms and yawned as he fell asleep.
I knew it! I shouldn’t have asked to know the history of this accursed object that now clung to my hand. It was just too much for me to handle. A feeling of fear mixed up with excitement stirred up inside me. What was I to do next now? I was stuck with it since cutting off my arm was out of the option. Even if I did, I doubted they would just take it and leave. They wanted my head and every little secret I knew. The thought of losing my head made my stomach swirl deeply. With all that thinking I had forgotten how cold the area was. I looked around and noticed that I was the only one affected.
“Why is this place so cold?” I dared to ask.
Suzanne still sitting next to me examining my arm was puzzled. Her eyes pierced deep into my soul, the kind of good pierce I may add. She replied, “Cold really? I don’t think it’s cold at all. We are in summer here. Are you all right?”
Good question! I had felt cold ever since I came near Okaya, it seemed there was something affecting me that I could not explain yet.
“Yeah I’m okay,” I replied to her question.
I didn’t feel like pursuing the subject anymore. At any rate we had to leave this place before more guards or Katarina herself decided to pay us a visit after what we had done to her minions. Before I could say it Suzanne stopped me, she placed her finger on my mouth to stop me from saying anything.
“You don’t have to say it,” she said smiling. “I already knew and have been preparing.”
Great! This would make things easier then, it was definitely another thing I liked about her, her mind. She whistled to the backroom and two girls ran in carrying two trays of food.
“I knew you wanted to try some of our home cooked cooking,” she said glowing and looking all happy.
Okay! This is not what I wanted to say, but I didn’t mind having a meal before I left. The food looked great and appetizing, the smell was weird, but who cared right? I took a spoon full expecting it to be delicious, but I was wrong, it was actually the opposite. These girls were great fighters, but unfortunately cooking food was one thing they were not good at. My mind boggled out from the distaste in my mouth. I wanted to throw it up right away and puke however I couldn’t. One look at Suzanne made me change my mind. They had spent a lot of efforts to prepare this meal and saved me from the armored soldiers. If I threw up this horrible meal that would be like spitting in their faces and tarnishing the popularity I had built as a great rebel.
“Well how did it taste?” Suzanne asked eagerly waiting for an answer.
Ignoring my taste buds, I took more spoonfuls of that horrible food until it was finished.
“It was great just the best,” I said smiling; in my mind, I was stabbing myself in my stomach with an imaginary sword.
Her smiled warmed up my heart like a bright ray of sunlight. She was happy which was a first for me. I had gotten used to her rude other self and not this other happy glowing side.
“I will get you more food,” she said running towards the kitchen.
My stomach growled terribly, I felt nauseous and dizzy from what I had eaten. This was simply the worst food ever. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! The aftertaste was even more unbearable to say the least.
“You fool,” Ogana said smacking me in the head quietly. “What have you done to us all?”
There was rage in his eyes and his breathing was heavy and menacing. His huge hands were shaking uncontrollably like he was frightened.
I didn’t understand what he was talking about, but something told me it had to with the food.
“What was I supposed to say?” I replied him in a whisper. “You wanted me to be like hey your cooking sucks? She saved my life you know?”
He smacked me in the head again, but lightly. I think he enjoyed hitting me in the head.
“You could have faked sleeping like I did and saved us the trouble buddy,” he whispered back.
“Oh I am sorry you highness, you could have told me this earlier before you came in here, but you didn’t. As far as I am concerned this is also your fault.”
Suzanne strolled in with elegance in her steps holding even more food that looked worse than the last plates. My stomach trembled loudly.
“Oh Ogana you are awake I got food for you too and you can’t refuse. It’s on the house so eat up before you leave.” she said handing us a plate each.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ogana give me the mean eye. If felt like he wanted to strangle me at that very moment. Suzanne woke up Dashe and gave him a plate. He looked hungry from what I could tell. Little did he know that he would soon regret it. I felt like warning him, but I couldn’t. I just wanted to see the expression on his face when he ate it and his reaction. Dashe got back to his feet and sat on the chair right across me. The look on his eyes was that of a disoriented and confused man. He looked at the food and paid no heed to the smell. He started munching down on the foods, but seconds later puked all over himself again.
“What is this junk woman?” he yelled at her. “You call this food? Are you trying to kill me?” Suzanne looked like she was about to cry, she slapped him on the right cheek with all her strength and he hit the ground quickly with his head. I looked down in utter surprise.
Hehehehe!
It was priceless. I couldn’t find greater comedy like this anywhere. Dashe wasn’t badly hurt just knocked out cold from what I could see. I knew at that point that commenting about her cooking badly would put me in the same boat as him. But at the same time I couldn’t keep munching down this terrible meal. I was waiting for a miracle, something to save me from eating this horrible food, but nothing happened.
“You guys like my cooking right?” she asked walking towards us massaging her palm. Her anger had subsided, but that was not a sign to take comfort and reveal the truth. Honestly, there was no amount of love or money in the world that would make me eat this.
“Oh absolutely, Ogana said it was to die for.”
Ogana and I nodded fearing that she might turn on us next. Ogana kicked my toe from underneath the table and I took the pain without screaming out. Just as we were about to eat one of the waiters of the place walked in. She whispered something to Suzanne. Her facial expression changed quickly, it looked like bad news to me.
“Sorry guys food will have to wait for later,” she said giving out orders to her waiters. “It seems Katarina and her hordes of soldiers are on their way here.”