WHEN LUCA REACHED THE LEVEL OF THE PALACE HARBORING his father’s room, he saw Torum step out of Druuk’s chambers; his drooping shoulders spoke of a tiresome day, and Luca was scared to approach the Davinian healer, but he did anyway.
“How’s my father?” Luca said warily.
“Luca, I didn’t realize you were here. Your father has been asking for you all day. You must go in and spend some time with the prince.”
“What will happen to him?”
“Well, it’s hard to say, but his condition isn’t well; there’s something with the lungs, something rabid. I was able to stabilize him, which is good, but he needs a lot of time to rest. We were all about to leave the room so he could try to get some sleep. It’s vital that he does so, if he wishes to ever recover from this spell. But I think he needs to see you first before he falls asleep, for I’ll not be allowing visitors once he does drift off into his dreams. Now hurry in there, my young prince.”
“Thanks, Torum. I won’t be long.”
Luca entered the room. It was dark, with only one lantern lit on top of the corner desk; it revealed about a third of the room, with the rest slumbering in shadows. Vohro was inside the prince’s room, solemnly posted near the corner, making sure no one would come to harm his long-time friend. Elba was also there, standing next to the prince’s side.
Once Luca entered the room, his father immediately sensed his presence and called out to his son. “Luca,” Druuk said. “At last, you have returned. Come here, Son. Come be with your father.”
Luca approached Druuk’s bedside while Elba took a few steps back and placed herself near the desk. As Luca came nearer and broke away from the shadows, they could see his new clothes. When he noticed that they were all staring at him, he stopped for a second. The shadows only covered his backside while exposing his front. No one could see the package he carried on his back.
“Are you in exile already?” Druuk said.
“Yes, Father.”
“Is that where you’ve been all this time?”
“Yes, at the school. Siel called for me, and so I went. They pronounced my exile, and after that, I went to the forest.”
“You went out into the forest in this fog? You know better, Luca.”
“It was a hasty decision, but the sun was out, and it had cleared some of the fog. I was only there for a brief time.”
Druuk gave him a disapproving scowl and then changed the subject. “So then, that’s what you have to wear?” he asked.
“And this mask,” Luca added, raising it up to his father.
“I see,” Druuk said. “And how long must you be like this?”
“Forty weeks.”
“Forty weeks?” Druuk said, trying to sit up but not able to make it, so Elba had to step in and raise him up. He coughed for a number of seconds and then resettled himself. “That’s a long time.”
“I questioned them about it, but Siel assured me it was for my own good.”
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Druuk said. “You must complete the exile, Son. The school demands this of you.”
“I know, Father, and I’ve come to accept it.”
“Very good, Son,” Druuk said. “Forty weeks then? Forty weeks away from here, from all this fog? That is a good thing, that you must leave. And you must leave here as soon as possible.”
“Siel gave me three days to prepare.”
“Three days? Only take one day to prepare, and then you’ll leave.”
“But why? I don’t want to leave so soon. My friends—I want to spend time with them. And you—I don’t want to leave you, not like this.”
“Don’t worry about me, Luca,” Druuk said between coughs. “Worry about yourself. I’ll be fine here. I have my guards, and I have my good friend, Vohro. I’ll recover from this, and I’ll wait for you to come back to us once your exile is over.” Druuk turned his head towards the window, contemplating the state of things out in the horizon. “I sense that things are not right here. I’m sure you aren’t aware of what happened to your friend, Vehru, and of the dark ones that your uncle and the mastros encountered.”
“No, what happened?”
“Your friends were besieged by dark things, but they’re okay. It seemed that they sneaked out in search for your new…metal leg?”
“Oh, my,” Luca said, “they didn’t.”
“They did, and it was a good thing Vohro found them and dealt with the threat, as always when children do foolish things. This was all too troubling for me. We’re unsure of who these dark ones are. I ran into one myself on the way to our manor, a beastly child. Plus, I have no doubt that beast of a woman who calls herself your aunt will be back to do everything in her power to claim you. It’ll be wise of you to leave, and do so in secrecy. I must counsel with Siel once you’re gone.”
“But where will I go? How should I leave in secrecy without anyone knowing? I don’t want to be by myself. I’m scared to leave.”
“I know, Son,” Druuk said gently. “It all seems overwhelming at first, but once you get to it, it will all sort itself out—and you won’t be going alone. Elba will be coming with you.”
“Elba?” Luca said as he turned to her.
“Yes, Elba,” Druuk said. “I’ve asked her to accompany you in your journey. Elba was the one that cared for you when you were newly born, and now she cares for you still. She has agreed to do this, and I’m forever in her debt.”
“Where am I to go?”
“That will be up to you, Luca. I can’t tell you more than that. You’ll know what to do when the time comes,” Druuk said confidently.
Distressed, Luca took a couple of steps forward into the light, and all of the shadows that were on him disappeared.
“What is that you carry on your back, Son?”
Luca hesitated, for though he wanted to tell his father, he didn’t have the right words to do so. Vohro took himself out of the shadows and came closer to Luca and Druuk.
“It’s a secret,” Luca said, taking the package off his back and raising it up to his father, “but I wanted to show it to you, because it was strange that I came upon it.”
“Well, what is it?” Druuk said.
“It’s a sword, a long blade.”
“Oh, you found a sword?” Druuk said, stopping himself to cough once again. “If it’s just a sword, then why do you keep it secret?”
“Because it came from the sky.”
Vohro’s eyes bloomed. Elba smiled.
“From the sky?” Druuk said. “What exactly do you mean?
“It seems to have fallen from the sky. It just came out of nowhere. I didn’t see it fall, but I know it to be from the sky. I’m sure of it. That’s really all I can say about it. It came down from above with a thunderous wind, and when it hit the ground all the trees shook, and the wild things were in fear yet amazed. It landed just a few yards from me. There was a bright light that shone from it. All the critters of the forest ran up to it, so I followed them. And that’s when I found the sword. Once I got to the clearing where it was, I was blinded by the light for a moment, but my eyes suddenly took to the light, and there it was—the most beautiful sword my eyes had ever witnessed. The guard and hilt are made of the most immaculate marble with sapphires throughout. And it has a blade of silver and gold.”
“Of silver and gold?” Vohro said.
“Yes, at least to my eyes, that is what it seems,” Luca said.
“Then let us look upon it,” Druuk said.
“Well, it’s not as glorious now as it was when I first saw it,” Luca said. “After marveling at it, I grabbed a hold of it, and to test its bite I struck it upon a stone, and the stone split in two; it was like dipping the sword into the calmest of streams. But I got scared of its power and dropped it on the ground. Soon after that, it began to cover itself with dirt and hard mud, though I don’t know where it all came from—it just happened. So it’s no longer as radiant as it once was, but it’s still worth a look at.”
Luca reveal
ed the blade from underneath the blanket, and even though the sword was riddled with dirt and mud, it came out like a thing of brilliance. A small breath of a breeze caressed their faces, and Elba, Vohro and Druuk were all taken aback, as the sword seemed to have let out a power the second it was revealed to them.
Druuk gazed at the sword in front of him, and he realized it was something not of this world. “You mustn’t tell anyone about this sword,” Druuk said, reaching out his hand. “Give it here, Son.”
Luca gave the sword to his father. Druuk inspected it thoroughly.
“Vohro, have you ever seen anything like it?” Vohro indicated that he hadn’t. “Why did it cover itself with so much dirt? That is strange. And this gold and silver-like metal; it’s nothing like I’ve seen before.” Druuk held the blade closer to his face and saw the markings on the metal itself. “These seem to be pictures of a story of some sort, but I can’t make them out.” He took hold of the blade’s tip. “There’s a word here, like a name, in old Esterran.”
“What does it say?” Luca said.
“There’s an R, and an A,” Druuk said, and he stopped, as if remembering something. “It reads ‘Rahsendu.’” Druuk’s eyes, along with Elba’s, grew bigger with the sound of that name. “This is Rahsendu?”
“Glorious,” Elba said.
“What is Rahsendu?” Luca said.
“Rahsendu is the sword’s name,” Druuk said. “It is of myth. Luca, this sword came to you for a reason. Don’t discard it. Before you leave for your exile, we’ll go to Siel with it. He’ll know what to do with the sword. And hopefully, at the school it shall remain until we can uncover everything about it. Keep it under guise until tomorrow morning.”
With each word that he spoke, Druuk became increasingly tired, and he ended his last sentence with a slew of hardened coughs.
“The prince needs his rest, Luca,” Elba said gently. “We should come back tomorrow.”
Druuk paid no heed to the elder Rohpa and kept inspecting the sword. He found a peculiar inscription engraved in a small patch of dirt that had crusted over the lower part of the blade. “This is interesting. There’s another inscription.”
“I don’t recall that one, Father,” Luca said as he took a look at it.
“This language appears well formed, too pretty to be exact. The writing is foreign to me, and I can’t read it, but I sense something. I sense the inscription to be foul, probably made after you wrapped it in your cloak. This is a powerful sword, and I would bet that it’ll attract the most unclean of beings, seen and unseen. Don’t learn this language on the inscription, Luca. It may appear attractive, but don’t speak it. Do you understand, Luca? Once the dirt is removed, so too will the cursed writing. We’ve spoken too long on this. We’ll speak more with Siel.”
Druuk turned to Elba. “Make sure you watch over him as he goes back to his room tonight,” he said.
“I will my prince,” Elba replied.
“Well, so now I am your prince?” Druuk said with a smile. Elba smirked. Druuk began to cough once more. “Get me some water, Son.”
Luca walked over to the corner desk and used a big jug to pour some water into a small cup. He took it and brought it to his father. “Here, drink,” Luca said as he held it to Druuk’s mouth.
Druuk took a refreshing gulp and let out a big sigh. “Much better.” And after a pause, he said, “Come now, Son, we must talk of other things.”
“Like what?” Luca said.
“I feel that there’s a great weight on your shoulders,” Druuk said. “You don’t walk as high and erect as I know you to. Do you feel as if all of the world’s sorrow has suddenly been placed upon your shoulders?”
Luca didn’t say anything right away but just looked down to the floor. “Sometimes I do. Sometimes I can’t help but feel humiliated. I would trade all of my belongings to not ever feel like this again.”
“I know it’s hard,” Druuk said, placing his hand on Luca’s shoulders. “But believe me when I say that whenever you feel as you do know, it’s because happiness has been brought upon you, not sorrow.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Those who have been brought low will rise taller than those who have never knelt in sorrow. That’s the true way of the Davinian master. He who gives the most will become the most. Remember that there will always be a settling of accounts, and you have given much, thus much is owed to you, whether you expect it or not. Always be sure to remember this when you go on your exile and you’re overcome with shame. Don’t place your thoughts on earning your Rasplendur, because that is not your weapon.”
Druuk took his finger and pointed to his son’s wooden leg. “This is your true weapon. It’s the most powerful weapon against all the darkness that’s coming, because it’s there where you find the most humility. It takes a certain person to think nothing of himself, that he would be greatly humbled and yet feel no sorrow but joy. That is the joy that wins wars and defeats the greatest of armies. That wooden leg of yours is the greatest weapon you could ever wield.”
Luca stared at his father and put some thought to his words.
“Luca, I forgot to teach you something at the cave. I meant to do this, but we ran out of time. Remember when you asked me about the Umbradors some time ago, and I explained my belief that each one of us has a star appointed to us as a guardian of our soul? That they watch over us in times of need and in times of leisure?”
“Yes, I remember,” Luca said with an insightful look about him.
“Well, you can never neglect that relationship,” Druuk said, coughing some more. “They’re not at your beck and call, or rather, the relationship you have with your Umbrador is sacred and requires a deep respect. You should never take advantage of it. They’re not like pets, rather, you are like theirs, and what do pets do? They call on their master’s attention, because the master is always inclined to separate themselves from their pets if they tend to feel neglected. Ask for their love and companionship, and they shall give it to you, just as they want us to do in return, but we who are made of dirt sometimes keep our reception of their love buried under much rubble. Learn to take away that debris so you can receive the love that is waiting for you. When you are in need, ask for it.”
“But how do I ask for it?” Luca said.
“That’s simple,” Druuk said, clearing his throat. “You just speak the words. For instance, you can say, ‘O Umbrador, attendant of my light, shine on me this night, forsake me not if I have neglected you, but do not depart from me, and do not let any evil subdue me, but take thee by my hand and guide me to your shelter.’” Druuk took Luca’s hand and caressed his son’s cheek. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, I’ll remember.”
“Good,” Druuk said through his coughs, but this time it was so overwhelming that he had to lie back down on the bed.
“Okay, that’s quite enough, now,” Elba insisted. “We must leave the prince to his rest, young one.”
“I’ll stay with him until he falls asleep,” Vohro said.
“Yes, I need rest,” Druuk said.
Luca bent over to his dad and kissed him on his forehead. “I love you, Father.”
Druuk just smiled at his son. “And I you.”
Luca turned and started to walk away when Druuk began to entertain a thought. Things inside his mind scattered around at lightning speed, and his eyes grew big, as if a locomotive of thoughts had run away and derailed inside his mind. There was something he wanted to tell Luca, something he had been holding onto for the longest time, but he wasn’t sure if he should. But when should he, if not now?
“Luca,” Druuk said, trying desperately to raise his head. “Come, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”
Luca turned to him and quickly stepped up to his bedside. “What’s the matter?”
“I—” Druuk thought about it some more. “I want to speak to you about the beast.”
“The beast?” Luca said with curiosity, yet also some fear. V
ohro’s eyes tensed up.
“Yes, the beast.”
“You mean Lady Malasorta?” Luca said.
“No,” Druuk said. “The beast whose image we saw in the cave, the one known as the Gremleh.”
“The Gremleh? The ruler of the Sunless Land?”
“Yes, that’s the one, the one who took your mother away from us.”
“What is it that you need to tell me about the Gremleh?”
Druuk pleaded for more water. After Luca gave him a drink, he continued, “You must find this beast, Luca. You must go and seek it out.”
Vohro and Elba’s expressions were similar to Luca’s, which was no less than total astonishment.
“Seek the beast?” Luca repeated incredulously. “But why?”
“You must go—for your mother’s sake.”
“What about my mother? Why must I go for her sake? What does she have to do with me finding the beast?”
“Luca, the beast knows where your mother is.”
All in the room where taken aback. A slight shiver ran from the top of Luca’s head down to his tiny, young toes.
“Father, I don’t understand. Are you saying that the beast knows where my mother is buried?”
“No, Luca,” Druuk said with watered eyes. “Your mother is alive.”
***