Chapter Forty One: GUSTAK

Chapter Forty One: GUSTAK

“Where are we?” I asked Azure.

“We have entered the Cold Woods,” he replied. “Those mountains are the passage into Sikri.”

“Wow, Enth is that close to Ducimus?” I asked.

“No, normally it would take at least two days depending on the weather but you came through Nivis’s portal, remember?”

“How come you found us so quickly? I asked.

“I went into your room to get you after I got the medallion. I saw the hole in the ground, put two and two together and jumped in. Mind you, I destroyed it after I came out. No one can use it anymore. It’s old fashioned horseback riding and camping for days for the Ducimus now.” He chuckled. “By the way, it was very smart of you two to leave when you did.”

“I wouldn’t have stayed there even if my life depended on it,” I said thoughtlessly.

“Why do you say that?” He turned his head to look at me.

“Nothing,” I said, “it’s – nothing important.”

“Aoife, may I ask you something?” he said in a very serious tone “Do you love

Demon?”

“Oh, my!” Azure jumped down to help me up.

Thankfully, Demon had missed my not-so-gracious dismount. Feeling a little sheepish, I took Azure’s hand to get to my feet. Just then I heard a peculiar sound, like a soft murmur in the air. It seemed to be coming from the white hills.

“Do you hear that?” I asked Azure as he pulled me up. “I hear sounds. Like voices – people talking. I think it’s coming from the direction of the hills but seems much closer.” “Of course!” he said with renewed energy. “I almost forgot there’s a village nearby.

We should stop there and recharge. I’m feeling a bit tired. Hey Dee! I think we’re near Gustak!”

I walked over to the edge of the shady trees to find a shallow valley below. I saw three men standing in a field of fern-like purple plants. They wore knee length tunics and straight pants, very earthy tones, and carried some sort of tools or perhaps weapons in their hands. They were animatedly discussing some issue – the annual crop maybe?

“Bingo! Let’s go.” I started to climb down to introduce myself to them.

“Uhm, Aoife, I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Azure said.

“Why? We’re supposed to go there aren’t we?”

“Well, yes but – it’s just that you’re wearing –”

“It’s Gustak, is it?” Demon came up to us and looked down into the vale at the farmers. “It’s been a while since I last came here.” “I think I’ll go say hi to them,” I said.

“Would you now?” He looked at me and smiled.

“What?” I said.

“What what?”

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“Gorgeous day.” His smile widened.

I ignored him. Azure wanted to say something but by then I was already on my way down into the valley. The three men in the fields were busy in their conversation that, from what I could hear, was indeed mainly about the harvest. I had no trouble understanding them, to my surprise. Apparently, the purple leaves were an important herb used to treat severe skin allergies and were about ready to be harvested. But one of the men was insisting on another round of pesticides. They had pesticides?

“Hello there,” I called when I was a few feet away from them. “Could you please –”

I had barely spoken when one of them shouted, “Siha!” and jumped back in horror. The other two drew out swords from leather waist belts and stood in a defensive position while the one who had shouted, charged towards me.

I hadn’t made up my mind whether to retaliate or run away when I heard Demon’s voice in a distance, “Duck!” – Huh? I looked back to glare at him and just then something hit me hard on the back of my head. For a second I could see fireflies dancing all around my poor skull. I held it with both hands and looked at from whence the hit had come. But all I saw were the three angry farmers ready to strike a second blow – one with a sword and the other with a small ball in his hand.

“Wait!” I shouted but the swordsman had already lifted his blade above his head to bring it down on mine.

“Siha!” He screamed again but then unexpectedly, dropped his sword and wrung his hand violently as if he had touched something hot and burned himself.

The other man looked at his friend and then threw the ball at me. But the ball shriveled into blue ash before it got close. As I followed the settling dust I saw its sister

– a sphere of baked clay – on the ground near my feet. The ball that had actually hit me. I sighed. So ‘Duck’ had really meant Duck.

I looked back at the men and they all seemed mortified at the sight of the blue dusty sparkles. I knew why. There was just one entity in the entire Realm who possessed the power to do that and he wasn’t in sight yet. They looked at me. I smiled. The moment was hardly over when I sensed him behind me.

“She’s with me,” Demon spoke to the men while Azure came to stand beside me.

“Krâl!” All three men cried in unison and knelt before him on one knee with their heads bowed.

“Je utum turan Sardan,” he said to them.

“Samish, Krâl,” said the ball thrower as he got up and rushed towards a cluster of clay brick houses about a few feet away from us. The other two men stood up straight with their hands clasped behind their backs, eyes cast down.

“What did the men shout at me?” I whispered to Azure.

“Witch,” he said, “because your clothes have Ducimus written all over them. That’s what I was trying to tell you!”

“What? But Demon didn’t –” I looked at the culprit. “So that’s why you were all grinny toothy weren’t you, Demon? You could’ve warned me about this y’know!”

“Why?” he replied. “It was more fun not to.”

“Me being hit in the head is fun?”

“I did say duck!”

“I didn’t know what you meant!” “And now you do.” He smiled.

I was close to wringing his neck when the farmer returned with another man, dressed similarly except for a thin beige cloth wrapped around his head like a turban. The chief? He carried a rifle instead of a sword or a ball. He must’ve been about forty years of age with a few silver strands in his shoulder length brown hair and a short well groomed beard on his chin. Upon reaching us, he immediately bowed to Demon like the others and then stood up.

“Krâl! Shubhan din, turo sa agam,” he said. “Noble Phromaz, khastum Khazrum. And Milady –” he stopped in mid-sentence as his gaze involuntarily travelled to my legs and rested on my left thigh where my crescent shone bright blood red in the sunlight.

“It’s my birthmark,” I said feeling awkward under his suspicious gaze.

“The prophesied Syhlain!” He gasped and dropped to his knees once more and bowed to me just as he had bowed to Demon, “Princess of Enth, this land and her people are at your service.”

The three farmers who had wanted me dead a minute ago also dropped to their knees as soon as they heard the glorious words Princess of Enth. Magical!

“Oh, please rise,” I said quickly, “you don’t have to bow to me.”

“We escaped from the Ducimus castle a few hours ago,” Azure spoke this time.

“And are on our way back to Ogaz’s and need to make a quick stop on the way.”

“The Ducimus?” he said. “No wonder the farmers thought of you as one of Arela’s enchantresses. I can send news of your coming to Ogaz while you stay here. Krâl, will you stay? It would be an honor.”

“Love to,” Demon said. “Lead the way Kabir.”

“And – uhm – Sir,” I began to say.

“Please,” he interrupted politely, “call me Kabir.”

“Okay, Kabir. Would it be possible to get a change of clothes too?” I smiled then quickly added, “This one is not mine, I don’t wear such clothes and it’s a little ripped too.”

“Of course, Princess.” He smiled. “My wife will know what to do.”

He walked away to the village with the other men while we followed.

“You don’t normally wear such clothes?” Demon was smirking again. “Why the hell not?”

I glowered at him but Azure took my elbow and rushed me forward, leaving Demon to saunter down the hilly slope behind us.

Kabir was a fast walker. Minutes later we entered the settlement. It was a humble display of mud and clay brick houses with thatched or wooden roofs. Fresh smoke spiraled out of each chimney and ripe vegetables filled the front yards. Children played freely in the dusty streets and the elderly lounged under shady trees. Men worked in the blooming fields while the women ran in and out of their homes, looking busy, chatting, exchanging smiles and kind greetings and an occasional reprimand to the kids in the street.

Gustak was a small village with the air of a big house accommodating one happy family.

“Such a lovely place,” I said to Azure.

“This is Enth.” He gave me the broadest smile. “And it is yours.”

“No thank you.” I shook my head. “Krâl here can have it. By the way why do the

Enthonians call him that? Isn’t he the Demon King of Volttus?”

“This is my part of Enth.” Demon spoke from behind. “They’re my people. I protect them and in return they give me the respectable title of Krâl.”

“Really?” I said sarcastically. “Wouldn’t a respectable title be father, brother, or sir rather than straight-on king? Reeks of arrogance if you ask me.” “No one asked you.” Grrr!

Kabir led us into a house that looked like the others but was twice their size. It was made of bricks, baked clay bricks. A sizeable front porch or courtyard of red bricks enclosed a small sitting area featuring four wicker chairs, a wooden table, and a swing.

I figured it must be Kabir’s house especially when a woman who greeted us gave him a quick but warm kiss as we entered.

The woman was very pretty with long black tresses worn in one thick braid. She wore an interesting two piece outfit – like the other women I’d seen earlier in the streets. A plain black long sleeved top just about exposed her midriff and a long skirt covered her legs to her ankles. Her skirt seemed more like a work of art than clothing with its striking pattern of grays and magenta. It featured circles within circles and tiny knots in the center of every small circle – tie dye style. On her feet, she wore strappy sandals that wrapped around her small naked ankles. She wore two thick bracelets, probably gold, on each wrist and a delicate pair of hoops in her ears. Although her jewelry was minimal and her dress seemed to be made of something like cotton – she was radiant with beauty.

When she saw Demon, she looked pleasantly surprised but instead of rushing to greet him, she scurried over to a wooden chair and picked up a long piece of cloth. It was only after she had loosely wrapped it around her shoulders that I realized it was a sort of scarf that perhaps Enthonian women wore over their blouses.

Once modest, she then rushed forth and hugged Demon tightly. It blew my mind to see how much different the attitudes were than those of the Ducimus or even Volttus.

No wonder they had mistaken me for a witch of Ducimus!

And that Demon! He who was ever ready to strip me naked was actually friends with such modest folk? And apparently they loved him too! Did they not know what a lecherous heart and mind and soul he had? Hmph! It’s good the women in Enth cover themselves – at least none would feed his lustful curiosity for a change!

“This is my wife, Ina,” Kabir said to me, and then to his wife, “this is our Princess – the one who –”

“Oh God!” Ina gasped as she saw me and grabbed my hands, beaming with happiness. “Princess! It is an honor to meet you. Enth can finally thrive!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I felt very awkward “I just need a bath right now.” I tried to be polite but it sure was difficult on an empty stomach, while wearing a tattered dress that bared most of me.

“Oh, of course! Forgive me Princess,” she said affectionately. “Come with me.”

She led me from the foyer into the main den of the homey mud cottage. I looked around and found a décor similar to what one would find in a Pottery Barn catalogue – wood and clay and coarsely woven colorful rugs and pillows. It was delicious! Not very different from Ogaz’s cottage but more village-y. I’d read in a book from Ogaz’s collection that the houses in Enth were built from mud bricks, clay layers and wood. They were proper houses – as I had noticed in the street earlier – but maintained their rustic charm.

Kabir’s house was very airy, unlike Ogaz’s with its tight hallways and narrow stairs. This one had one open space serving multiple purposes in the name of a living area or parlor, a dining area and a library. A doorway led to a space with a stove – I gathered that must be an entrance to the kitchen. Then, there was a small doorway in a wall at the far end that in turn opened up to a series of rooms, one after the other.

Ina took me inside one of those rooms. It was a small bedroom with exposed wooden beams in the ceiling, a huge window on one side, a cot shaped bed with a nightstand made of sawn tree trunk. A door in another wall opened up to an attached bathroom and a tiny walk-in closet. The bathroom to my surprise wasn’t cramped at all. I could see many identifiable objects, though some I couldn’t figure out.

“Let me prepare a bath for you, Princess.” Ina dragged a large bucket from one corner and placed it under a brass tap. She turned it on and a healthy stream of hot water gushed out into the pail. “Here’s a cup to pour water from and that’s the bathing area.” She pointed to a square shaped depression in the floor, lined with wooden planks, beside the tap and the bucket. I noticed there was a drain hole in the shallow tray-tub.

Next, she hurried towards the sink – wooden and standing on a clay pedestal. A small cabinet stood next to it, which she opened.

“Here’s the soap and shampoo.” She smiled as she placed the earthenware containers into my arms and then scurried off to the closet to hand me a bathing towel. “You can put the towel on that stand there near the sink while you bathe. I’ll just go fetch some clothes for you to wear. Dear me! I hope they fit!” She scanned my figure from head to toe and rushed out into the bedroom.

“Ina!” I called after her. “I know it’s an odd question but I have to know – how do you get hot water from a tap?”

“Well, courtesy of Krâl of course.” She smiled innocently.

“And the plumbing?” Yes! Yes, it was rude and I’d never asked Ogaz all this but then he wasn’t so rustic and Volttus was too modern and Ducimus had magic! I wanted to know what Enth was about.

“Oh that!” She smiled again. “We’ve always had that in Enth.” Then she paused and looked at me intently. “Is there anything else you –“

“No.” I smiled back. “That’ll be all. Thank you.” I was told many times earlier Enth was a lot like Earth. I guess it was true.

“Very well. I’ll place the clothes on the bed there and close the door when I leave.

You can come out and try them on.” She bowed courteously and went out.

I heaved a huge sigh and went into the bathroom.

When I came out, clean and happy once more, I saw some maroon garments laid out on the cot bed. I picked them up and examined intently. It was a top and skirt outfit similar to what Ina was wearing, only the sleeves were short and there was a bit of thread work on the neck and hem lines. I slipped into the skirt first. It had a drawstring closure on the side so it wasn’t difficult to fit into at all. It wasn’t as long as the one I had seen on Ina for it fell halfway to my shin. But it looked fine. Next was the bodice. And that was a disaster for sure. It was too short and too loose. And I had nothing else to wear! I was still panicking when a soft knock caught my attention.

“Princess Aoife.” Ina’s lovely voice sounded from behind the closed door. “Are you out yet?”

“Yes, I am!” I was relieved. “Please, come in!” She did. “Ina – the top is just –” I stopped and let her look for herself.

“Oh dear.” Her brow furrowed a bit. “I’ll be right back!”

Ten minutes later, Ina was sitting on the bed in the room I was supposed to occupy and snipping and stitching away at the unruly bodice with a pair of scissors and a threaded needle.

“You are much skinnier than me and a bit taller too,” she said. “That is why the blouse fell short and was too loose.”

“You wear loosely fitted clothes Ina and you’re not fat!” I wasn’t trying to be nice. Ina, in fact, was about a size or two heavier than me but her clothes seemed to be made to accommodate another five inches or so.

She smiled as she sewed in the last of the loose ends and broke off the thread with her teeth. “There,” she said smoothing out the ruffles of a shapelier bodice. “Try it now.”

I did and it didn’t look bad. In fact, it fit fine. The neckline scooped in the back but was not too low in the front. The length was still an issue though when I compared it to Ina’s top. Hers exposed her belly just around the midriff but mine kept creeping up all the way to just below my bust line. Ina had tried to stitch on an extra piece of black lace to make it longer but all that trim had really done was to accentuate my waistline.

I sighed. “I’m still pretty much a witch, Ina.”

“Oh, no!” She laughed. “Many young girls like you wear shorter tops. But a chunri can make it better.”

She then wrapped a long delicate scarf, black and gold and maroon, around my torso so that it covered my waist and chest. She hung it from one shoulder and tucked one loose end in the left side waistband of my skirt. She brought the other loose end from under my left arm and tucked it in my front neckline.

“Do you want me to stitch it in place?” she asked.

“Uhm – no.” I examined the chunri. “I want to learn to wear it the proper way.”

“Of course.” She nodded and stepped back to give back her design a final look. “Okay then! I think you’re ready just in time for dinner.”