Chapter 36

Evanis awoke, sat up on her bunk, yawned, and looked around the room.

“The boss is already up,” Sybelien mentioned. “He and Kuwasi are preparing breakfast.”

Her expression relaxed and she let her gaze shift to her sister’s empty bunk.

“Ansa is sleeping in one of the other shacks,” the blonde answered.

She directed her gaze upon Sybelien herself and raised a brow.

“I’m not your sister’s governess!” Sybelien huffed.

Evanis nodded. “That’s a job no one would want.”

One by one the others woke up, too, and everyone got ready for the day. Rhaseris stood next to Sybelien while they dressed.

“I woke up once in the night,” she casually mentioned.

Sybelien didn’t reply.

“I think Jabbit and Ansa woke me up when they snuck out together.”

Sybelien continued dressing.

“I noticed you were able to sneak much more quietly...”

Sybelien froze.

“ ... as you followed them.”

The princess finished dressing. The blushing blonde needed a little longer.

When the women stepped out of the shack, they saw the table Kuwasi and Jabbit had set up for breakfast. The table was loaded with food and the two men were still busily adding more.

The big Ibanee was grinning from ear to ear as the women sat down at the table. “Our boy is an eager student.”

“Are you sure it’s safe to eat something Jabbit prepared?” Rhaseris asked. “I clearly remember his fondness for poison-spiced oatmeal.”

Shinta coughed and choked on a mouthful of food.

“I assure you, I tried everything Jabbit made - also the oatmeal - and I feel fine,” Kuwasi placated.

Rhaseris still didn’t eat anything, suspiciously eyeing the food on the table.

“Poick shom’shing and shee if yohr doll boitsh yoh,” Evanis suggested, chewing on a piece of pita bread.

Rhaseris slapped herself on the forehead. “You’re right, of course!” She said, smiling brightly. “Neesa will protect me.”

Anjatta laughed. “I understand; your god protects you and your doll protects you from your god. You truly must feel doubly safe and secure.”

“I’d never poison you, anyway,” Jabbit remarked. “You wouldn’t like me anymore if I killed you and you always have to like me.”

“Always? Even after I die, you mean?” Rhaseris asked.

He nodded. “Always and forever.”

The wide-eyed stares Jabbit received from everyone at the table were soon re-directed as something new caught their owners’ attention. The diversion approached in the form of four patch-men escorting two middle-aged Ibanee men into the camp. The Ibanee cast frequent sideways glances at their guards and appeared to be somewhat fidgety in general. Their behavior probably was influenced by their escort; at least the two men seemed very eager to be brought up to the comparably ordinary, alive-looking people at the breakfast table.

“Shinta!” One of them called out before they even reached the appropriate proximity for a civilized communication. “Tell them we’re friends!”

“I can’t remember having any yellow-belly friends!” Shinta yelled back.

“That’s mean,” Rhaseris chided. “I’d be scared too if I were caught between Eva’s ghouls.”

“Ghouls?” Evanis asked, clearly scandalized. “My patch-men are no ghouls! They are an adornment for their profession as a soldier and form the Imperial Alorian Guard.”

“They still are creepy,” Rhaseris insisted. “Although I admit I got used to them and now feel even safe with them around.”

The four patch-men and their prisoners, finally reaching the breakfast company, reclaimed the women’s attention.

“Shinta, a plague broke out in Sanjaba!” The first man immediately burst out.

“A good day to you as well, Ernosh,” the warrioress replied.

“Thousands have been taken into guarded camps out of town!” Ernosh’s companion added just as excited.

“And a good day to you, Blajan,” Shinta greeted, ending with a sigh.

“They say a god, whom they call the Nameless Son, demanded we abandon the Ibanees gods and burn down their temples,” Ernosh continued ignoring the formalities. “But King Hassunabi refused and banished the Nameless Son from Ibanee.”

“And to take revenge, the Nameless Son cursed us with this plague,” his friend joined the tale.

Ernosh eagerly nodded. “King Hassunabi even ordered his nephew to lead an attack against the god but all our soldiers were slaughtered by a horrible demoness.”

“That’s true! The demoness commands the god’s army,” Blajan knew to report. “Every man she murders is banned from the afterlife and forced to join her Army of the Damned.”

“I also heard that invisible ghosts and murderous wild animals are serving the god and swarms of scavengers are following him, too,” Ernosh topped the news.

“I’m most interested to hear why you come to me with all this,” Shinta replied. “And even more I want to know who told you where to find me?”

“Oh! The Irvanie of Panos promised a gold piece to anyone who can tell her where to find the Nameless Son,” Ernosh stated.

“We went to The Grotto, hoping to hear about the god’s whereabouts but Earu, your doormen, paid us a silver to tell you that the Irvanie is searching for the Nameless Son,” Blajan further explained. “That’s why we are here. Well, that and because of these ... ah ... these very foreign guards who caught us on our way to you.”

“Really?” Jabbit asked, interrupting Shinta’s questioning of the two men. “A gold piece equals seventy-two times, seventy-two copper coins,” he mused. “The Irvanie of Panos pays a lot just to find someone whose name she already forgot.”

At once, everyone sitting at the table focused their attention on Jabbit.

“Do you two know why the Irvanie is searching for the Nameless son?” Shinta asked the two Ibanee but her gaze was fixed on Jabbit.

When both men shook their heads, the stares of the women on Jabbit intensified.

“Boss?”

“Would you care to enlighten us, my Lord?”

“Spit it out or the demoness will claim another soul.”

“Please, tell us; why is the Irvanie of Panos searching for the Nameless Son?”

Jabbit looked at the faces of the curious women around the table. “I met her yesterday and made her an offer. She declined and when I left I told her if she changes her mind, she’d have to find me today.”

“I know the Irvanie of Panos,” Anjatta declared. “Her name is Zoley and she is the leader of the servants of the Three Circles of Enlightenment, Ibanee’s healer congregation. Where did you meet her?”

“In a quarry a bit north of here,” Jabbit answered.

“In one of the plague camps, you mean?” Shinta asked.

He nodded.

“Let me guess,” Evanis said with a smirk. “She had just asked you to heal the sick in the camp when you made her an offer.”

“We were talking about it, that’s true,” Jabbit admitted.

“I know you won’t tell us what you offered, much less tell us what you asked of her in return,” Rhaseris assumed. “Just tell me, now that you know she’s searching for you, will you go and meet her?”

Jabbit shook his head. “I can’t do that,” he answered. “I told her she will have to find me. I’ve learned I have to keep my word ... most times.”

“Most times?” Evanis asked. “Who told you, you only ‘most times’ have to keep your word? You always have to keep your word!”

“That’s not true,” Jabbit denied. “Sometimes you have to tell a lie. Every one of you taught me so.”

“I never... , “ Evanis started but she trailed off before finishing her sentence and let a string of curses loose instead.

Rhaseris just looked at the sky and groaned. Anjatta also groaned but did so looking down.

“I hope you always know when it is time to lie and when you have to tell the truth,” Sybelien warned. “Otherwise you’ll never become a god. You’ll be just like one of us puny mortals, boss.”

Jabbit thoughtfully looked at Sybelien. “I’ll have to think about that. Thank you.”

“Fine,” Rhaseris pursed her lips and puffed a breath out through her nose. “So you decided to keep your word this time. Then let these two earn their gold piece and tell the priestess where to find you. Or I won’t like you anymore!”

“That’s fine by me.” He shrugged. “I meant to let the men earn the gold piece,” he clarified. “You still have to always like me.”

“You heard him,” Shinta said facing Ernosh and Blajan. “But if I find out you told anyone else except the Irvanie where to find us, you two will dig the latrines for the Army of the Damned for the rest of your lives.”

“So you are... ?” Ernosh almost asked, looking at Jabbit

Sybelien chuckled. “Yes, he is. We’re all here; the demoness, the ghost, the Army of the Damned, even the flocks of scavengers are probably somewhere around. Only the murderous wild animal is missing; it’s quartered in a dollhouse currently.”

“I’ll go with them,” Rhaseris decided. “I’m a first priestess just like the Irvanie and I’ll invite her to meet my god at this camp.”

“You shouldn’t go alone with these two,” Shinta warned. “l wouldn’t entrust a holey bucket of water into the custody of these two hoodlums so for sure I won’t trust them to escort a young, pretty princess, unfamiliar with Sanjaba. I’ll come with you.”

“Thank you,” Rhaseris said, smiling at the Ibanee warrioress.

Shinta and Rhaseris joined Ernosh and Blajan and the patch-men escorted them all together out of the camp.

“So now we wait here until the Irvanie of Panos will visit us?” Evanis asked.

“No; at least I won’t,” Anjatta objected. “I want to go to the palace and see what’s happening now that my mom and uncle are recovering. Also, I promised my brother you, Evanis, will talk to him about the peace treaty and I hope you won’t break my promise.”

“Me?” Evanis asked. “Why me?”

“My brother and you are both soldiers,” Anjatta answered. “He will trust in what you say and you can trust him as well.”

“But this is his war!” Evanis exclaimed pointing at Jabbit.

“I trust you, too,” Jabbit answered, grinning at Evanis. “Always and forever.”

“We’ll see about always and forever,” Evanis grunted and stood up. “I rather doubt you’ll grow that old if you continue to annoy me,” she grumbled, marching toward the gate of the camp. “Are you coming Anjatta?”

Anjatta smiled at Jabbit and ran after the warrioress.

“Boss, do you think there are any other ghosts around who’d like to talk to me,” Sybelien asked.

“Not at the moment.”

Kuwasi shook his head, laughing. “Let’s tidy up to make the camp presentable for our noble guest,” he suggested.

“Let me take some of the food first before you clear the table,” Sybelien said. “It seems my lady-in-waiting wishes her breakfast to be served in bed today.”

Balancing a couple of food filled bowls and a tumbler of goat milk, Sybelien carefully opened the door to the shack. Walking into the room, she wrinkled her nose as a strong smell assaulted her senses. She placed the bowls and mug on a small table and opened the shutters of the room’s two windows. Then she knelt next to her still sleeping girlfriend and kissed her forehead.

“Get up sleepy head,” she whispered. “It’s time to rise and shine for you.”

“I don’t wanna,” Anseyla mumbled. “Let me sleep; I’m tired, mom.”

“Aww, my poor baby,” Sybelien cooed.” Did you have an exhausting night? It sure smells like it.”

Anseyla opened one eye.

“You are not my mom,” she stated. “My mom was always nice and would never say such a nasty thing to me.”

“I already wanted to apologize to you,” Sybelien sighed. “I followed you last night. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Both of Anseyla’s eyes opened - and wide.

“You did?”

Sybelien nodded.