Two Guards

“Watch it!” whispered Rotu. “That was my foot and be quiet. You don’t want the other guards to hear us, do you? Especially, Wachu and Potter; they’re on watch now at the front gates.”

“No, Rotu; sorry, it’s just so heavy, and dark too. I can’t see anything,” complained Kazu, while shifting the weight of the grain bags upon his shoulders.

“I can’t help that, you know we have to do this now; we’re almost there, hurry up,” scolded Rotu then thought, how did things come to this? We shouldn’t be here, but his pride got in the way, and before he knew it, a brag, then a dare, turned into a bet, one he could not lose. So, when a way to win the bet presented itself, he quickly schemed a way to use it. Now, he finds himself doing something they shouldn’t be doing, something forbidden.

The two men moved quietly through the darkness, with only the full moon to light their way. The pair huddled down low as they moved within the high grassy plains that where taller than a man in some areas; it surrounded the entire Great City.

The city was built around the hilly mountain-base, near the largest waterfall, and river that lies east of the city, found several miles south of Big Mountain. The city walls have stood for hundreds of years now, ruled by many men since its construction. It was completed after the Great Last War with the city of Avalozon which was formed by those exiled from the Great City for whatever reasons. Once banned, the people were then forced to make it on their own in the valley that is located in the west over the other side of the large mountain pass that divided the two cities.

The two cities had fought for years over reasons that Rotu was never told. He was born long after the wars and didn’t care about the past; for Rotu’s life had been decided for him, but he wouldn’t let this be decided for him too. No, he was going to win the bet, and the title of Best Herder at all costs.

Rotu’s earliest childhood memories were of his training lessons to become a herder like his father, a herder of the Dorkas at Site Ellefu. Back then, every day felt the same; an endless number of chores that started at the first light of day. His father would aid him with his specialized training in caring for all of the other animals.

First, he learned how to tend to the Numu, a fat short-legged animal that would eat of the people’s leftovers, it’s a strange animal, with a long snout and thick outer hide, with no fur to speak of. The outer hide was his favorite part when cooked just right, crispy on the outside, moist, and juicy on the inside.

Also, the Airu, their wool was used for making garments. Their meat is preserved well, sustaining the thousands of people within the Great City throughout the long cold winters.

Then there are the wild Anesu, so beautiful with their vibrant multicolored feathers. They fly into Site Ellefu staying all spring and summer long, swimming at the water pool within the site, then flying away in the fall. Their arrival signaled the time of spring, and All Hunts Day, viewed by all to be the most anticipated holiday of the year. Rotu recalls watching them gracefully glide into the water at Site Ellefu just a few weeks ago. He had never encountered that aesthetic event before because everything had been taken away from him, his fate decided by the Head Ruler of the time after a jealous man had murdered the previous Head Ruler; the new one wanted more guards around, to avoid any possible assassination attempts.

That’s when he first met Kazu, who, just like himself, had no earlier training to become a guard; Kazu had been training to become a wall worker, like his own father. It was very important to maintain the Great City walls. The long years have weakened and worn them down in certain areas. But at the time, the new Head Ruler wanted more guards, not herders or wall workers. So, Kazu, too, had been pulled away from his lessons as a wall worker to also become a guard.

Both being outcasts within the new job training, they soon became the best of friends, for all the other guards had been training together for years. Soon enough, they had gained the minimum required skills and were dispatched on assignment. Their relationship then further solidified as they went through the Adoption Ceremony together. This was done when a person changed jobs or were joining a new family either through marriage or through death. Afterward each received a Name Day reading.

Not everyone initially received a reading; only the Ruler and their extended family on the day they were born. The common people standardly received the naming and learned of their life lessons once their life job was assigned.

It was necessary for the tradition of the stone readings – a tradition that went so far back in time, that no one alive today knows why or how it started, or even where the stones came from.

Still, most people receive a stone reading for almost everything they were about to do and for every important decision they were to make. The readings provide a clear path forward, with ways to avoid the sins of your life lessons.

All of the guards are fanatical about getting a reading for everything, especially for the big events and feasts. The stones each had many meanings; the method for deciphering them was done by a person’s birth sign, either a Tree or Moon symbol. The Name Day reading would provide the person with their symbol. Every month had both a Tree and Moon symbol, each one having its own personality traits.

Kazu was born during the month of Atsi, the Crus tree. These people were known for their physical strength and strong sexual desires. They are said to be courageous enough to take more risks than others and are more inclined to seek glory. Rotu was born during the month of Attre, the Ravanda tree, seen as stubborn and compulsive, often found in leadership roles. They could be visionaries, strong, and enthusiastic in their beliefs, whether right or wrong.

Rotu was often considered to be wrong in some of his beliefs; a few of the other guards teased him about it. It’s how a brag, then a dare, turned into a bet. But all of that will change once this night is done, and they will see. The teasing will end, and I will win the bet, thinks Rotu, as he continues to walk on through the high grasses.

The way to win the bet had presented itself a few days ago, when Rotu found a secret place where the outer walls were weak. He knew then, he would need Kazu’s past knowledge of the walls and his strength to move the bricks out of the way, before putting them back once they were on the outside.

Rotu wished he could seek a reading from Maxu, the Stone Reader to ascertain whether or not they should proceed with his deceitful plan, but he could not; no, there was no way to see a clear path forward for these tasks; for no one must find out that they had left the city.

Especially, the guards on duty now, the ones he had the bet with, Wachu and Potter, personal guards to the current Head Ruler. If they were caught, they would not be banished as in the past before the wars. Rather they would have to admit to cheating before all in the city, and then the current Head Ruler, would have our heads off. Rotu shivered at the very thought, but still, he pressed on to find just the right spot.

It was all his idea after he found the right spot within the weakened walls, a brilliant plan developed and a way to win the bet for sure. “We will know exactly where to go first, while all of the others try to pick up the trail and go off to follow somewhere else. We will already have a few dorkas gathered up before they could even get one,” he had explained to Kazu, trying to convince him to accompany him in this dangerous plan. “We will win the honors of Best Herder of All Hunts Day and the bet too.”

“Yeah,” Kazu nodded his head and stuck out his chest. “I like the sound of that, Kazu the Great Herder. Then, after winning the bet, I will have all the beads I’ll need for the Whoru.”

“Oh, and don’t forget about his best friend Rotu, for Kazu would not be the Great Herder without Rotu, who was smart enough to find the trail to gather the large herd,” Rotu added in, and then they both laughed.

It was always this way between them; Rotu was the brain and Kazu was the muscle, he was a very large man, and was much taller than Rotu, who wasn’t short by any means. Rotu came up to Kazu’s shoulders, which were giant. He was two people wide and had the arms of two men as well. Another difference was that Kazu has all his hair, thick, long, and curly. Rotu was in a way envious, for all the girls at Aspanu’s wanted him.

Aspanu is the head of the Whoru, the women that had come from Avalozon after their city collapsed several years ago. They are now made to lie with the guards to either make more Whoru or miners.

The current Head Ruler, Rodohor is an extremely large man, with a huge chest and arms. Kazu was no match against him. No one was, except for perhaps Pera Steel. Although a woman, she is the Healer responsible for training all the guards in their fighting skills. She was proficient with all weapons, very accomplished and very deadly.

She had trained them both well, but still, they were far from the best, and low ranking within the guards. They would always be made to guard the upper walls. They would never be in service to someone important, like the Head Ruler. And without a war to fight, they would never gain the respect of the other guards; unless they did something big and unexpected, like winning the Herder competition and Rodohor bestowing them the title of Best Herders. He could clearly see it all now, the look of shock and amazement on all of the other Guards’ faces, especially Wachu and Potter.

Rodohor had done away with tradition, assuming his brother’s role as Head Ruler without a vote, after Sado died three years ago. Sado had been on the outside of the city walls, examining the new site for which they were to build a New City, a necessary expansion of housing; the Great City had become very crowded in recent years. Sado was then attacked by something that even Kaime Re, the Head Healer could not save him from. It was all so sudden, and there wasn’t even a vote as was the tradition. Rodohor had just taken over Sado’s rule and swore he would finish his brother’s dream of building the New City

For these past three years, under Rodohor’s rule, Rotu and Kazu were stationed at the Great City, but that changed last summer, after the harsh previous winter yielded a poor harvest, a bad hunt, and dangerously low numbers of the herd within Site Ellefu. They were then dispatched for the rest of the last year to the site, where he had trained with his father.

The site was built near the salt flats and the grassy plains south-west of the Great City. The two sites are joined by two longwall ways, allowing their carts to move between, while being protected by the walls. There are towers with shelter posted along the way, providing respite to those traveling between the sites, which took five days. Additional guards also staffed the towers, even lower in rank than himself and Kazu.

While at Site Ellefu, they guarded field workers in charge of Dorkas at the site, as he would have been doing if he had not been a guard. Standing atop the walls, he recalled childhood days spent with his father, as he watched the herds. He told Kazu, “My father had created a special blend of grains that his herd really liked. I remember how a few of the Dorkas had learned to reach him instead of escaping when he approached, just so they could get some of the grain. The rest of the herd would follow; he could lead his herd wherever he wanted to within Site Ellefu.”

Kazu didn’t believe him, so Rotu made up a batch of his father’s secret recipe of the grains to show him how it worked. He then laid down the grain and went away to watch. Before long, a few of the Dorkas came to examine, then quickly ate it, before slowly leaving the area. The next day, Rotu laid out even more grain in the same area; as he was doing so, a couple of the Dorkas came. He then threw down the grain near them and they began to eat, moving closer to him for more than he had laid out next to himself. As more Dorkas appeared, Rotu walked away, leaving a trail of grain behind, the Dorkas followed, amazed by that, Kazu could not help saying, “If only you could do this at All Hunts Day.” That’s when the idea initially started and grew after they first returned to the Great City for the All-Hunts Day feast.

Kazu had said, “We should enter the competition this year.” Rotu remembers cringing at that moment when he had said that. They had been in the guard quarters at the time, and not alone. Wachu and Potter were there too and had overheard, unable to resist their constant teasing and taunting ways, they were quick to jump into the conversation. Wachu said, “There is no way you two will ever win the Hunter competition.” Then, the two laughed at them, like they always did, Wachu with his annoying snorts and Potter with obnoxious cackles.

“Not the Hunter competition, the Herder competition,” Kazu had snapped back. Wachu let out a great snort and Potter only cackled louder.

Rotu couldn’t take it any longer, resulting in his pride taking over. “Not only are we entering the competition, but we are going to win and have the honor of Best Herder.”

“And how are you,” Potter scoffed, “going to do that? You two are terrible Guards, and no Herders either. I dare you to go out there and make fools of yourselves.” The two laughed some more.

Rotu glared back at them through narrowed eyes. He just knew with his father’s secret grain recipe they would be able to gather up more Dorkas than anyone else in the competition. He felt brave with this knowledge and his pride took over again. “We’ll do better than you two could ever hope to. I bet we can capture more than you can, and faster too.”

He should have stopped there, knowing full well how fast the Dorkas are, with their thin legs and sleek bodies, making them very agile and graceful runners of the grassy plains outside the city and difficult to herd up. He had no idea at the time just how they would be able to use his father’s secret grain recipe, but he didn’t stop and that’s how a brag, then a dare, turned into a bet – one for more than just bragging rights, a bet that included all of the beads and raw rocks they had collected between the four of them.

The rocks were fashioned into beads used at the feasts for the offerings to the Head Ruler, the Son of the Sun, and to the Mother Goddess Peace. The guards would give the rocks they made into beads to the Whoru for their time, the time that the Whoru themselves would normally use to turn the rocks into beads for the offerings at the feasts.

This year’s feast would call for even more beads than was tradition, an even bigger offering would be required. There had been a harsh winter, the number of herds of Dorkas was low and so had been the rations of late. It was going to be very important to thicken back up the numbers of Dorkas within the site walls this year. Everyone was very excited for the first of spring, for the All-Hunts Day celebration.

After walking around far enough away from the Great City, Rotu felt they had the right spot. “Here, this is it,” said Rotu, a balding, thin, lanky man of thirty-two years. He was the thinnest guard to ever work the wall watch, providing Wachu and Potter with even more things to tease him about. “We can put the grain down all around here; make sure you spread it all over. The Dorkas have to feed on it for two days.”

That is why the bags were so heavy, he knew from his younger training with his father, that they had to lay out a lot of grain, and they had to do it this night. Everyone within the Great City was expected to be at the feast, the night before the hunt. So, they could not go out then. No, it had to be tonight. In the morning, the Dorkas will come and eat here and hopefully come back to the same area the next morning, the day of the hunt, the day that I will win the bet, the day Kazu will have all the beads he could ever want, and the day the teasing will come to an end.

When they had almost finished laying down the grain within the tall grass, Kazu suddenly stopped, putting down the bag of grain. “Did you hear that?” he asked, eyes wide, looking around in all directions.

“Hear what?” Replied Rotu.

“Shh,” Kazu hushed, as he looked around, scanning the area in front of them.

Rotu looked up, standing completely still. They feared getting caught by the guards. After standing for several minutes, hearing nothing, Rotu said, “It was probably your stomach; they didn’t give us enough food. Haven’t you noticed? They’ve been giving us fewer and fewer rations every day. We can eat when we get back, and then we…”

Just then, Rotu heard the sound of the tall grass being pushed down. The other guards, they found us. Fear creeped up Rotu’s spine; he panicked, and there was nowhere to hide. They would be found and taken to Rodohor. I knew we should have waited for the next guard change; he thought.

Both men looked towards their right – this time both hearing the sound of the tall grass moving. “Do you see anything?” asked Rotu in a hushed voice, as he dropped the bag of grain. He could not let the guards take them to Rodohor, and he could not lose this bet.

“No,” said Kazu, as he reached over his shoulder, producing his long sword.

Then he heard another sound of grass moving, but this time from the left side. They both turned to face the other direction. Rotu’s heart now beating faster, he reached for his dagger at his right hip, then whispered, “We need to get out of here; we need to outrun them; we can’t get caught.” He hated the thought of killing one of them and didn’t know if they even had the required skills to do so, despite Kazu’s size.

Kazu dug his feet in, and with a wicked, wild look in his eyes, said, “No, we must kill them. We can’t go before Rodohor.”

Just then, the attack came from behind. A huge hairy beast jumped on Rotu’s back, all teeth and claws. Rotu went down to the ground, screaming as the large predator scratched his shoulder and neck. He could feel his flesh being torn away as he saw his own blood squirting out all over.

“ROTU! GET OFF OF HIM!” Kazu yelled out as he rushed over, blade in his hands, both arms raised high to strike at the wild creature.

Just before he reached him, Rotu saw Kazu surprised by two other hidden beasts that suddenly jumped on him from both sides, taking the big man down. It was so fast that Kazu didn’t even have time to cry out; the pair rapidly tore his flesh apart. He lays there, bleeding out all over, still with a surprised look on his face.

Then, the beast on top of Rotu moved aside, allowing him to move out. He grabbed at his shoulder as he turned over onto his ass. He saw the tall grass push aside, revealing yet another gigantic monster that slowly approached him. This one had thick wirier fur, striped black and brown, with a strange scar over one eye. It was almost twice the size of the two that had attacked his friend Kazu, and they were even bigger yet than the one that had taken himself down.

Rotu suddenly felt hot water puddle around his legs when their eyes locked. The beast moved slowly with confidence, getting closer, step by step all while making a deep low growling noise that sounded reminiscent of being right under the Big Waterfall. The scavenger veered over, the other two on Kazu backed away as the larger demon approached. The gigantic carnivore’s long snout smelled at his friend’s stomach. As Kazu lay there dead; torn open from his chest down, his guts exposed. Rotu couldn’t help thinking, how did things come to this. A brag, then a dare, which turned into a bet, one he could not lose. They should not have been here, this was all his fault, his stupid pride, which put them in this place.

Suddenly, the enormous predator turned towards Rotu, who tried, though failed to scramble back away. The beast snarled, baring his huge sharp teeth, it moved closer, step by step. Rotu closed his eyes in fear as it got closer. Even when he felt the hot breath of the mongrel on his face; still he dared not open his eyes. Then without warning, the beast bit into his stomach, tearing him open. Rotu cried out in pain, opening his eyes only to see that his insides were now outside. All he could do was scream as he watched the beast feed on him, slowly bleeding out, unable to reach for his weapons, or even move at all. Just kill me, he thought. The pain and the sight of himself torn apart was just too much to bear.

He calls out, “KILL ME!”

The creature stopped, drew back, and obeyed. With a sudden quickness, it dug its numerous large teeth into Rotu’s exposed throat.