Tokus Numas (10 page)

If men were meant to fly, God would have given them wings!

—From
The Recorded Quotes of King Further
, by the historians of King Clammer

T
he blue sky was filled with cotton-ball clouds that hovered over an oval field where three falconers stood in front of spectators gathered for the Numas’ induction ceremony. Those of royalty sat center position of the field, the castle to their backs. The others who’d come to join were spread out to the right side of the field, not too far away to see the spectacle that was to unfold. There were benches brought in for seating, though many stood. Across the open field near the edge on the left was a wooded line, part of the interconnecting paths that went back into the king’s garden. A sparrow was released from its cage, and it took off in flight. The crowd looked on in anticipation. Next, one falconer let his hawk free; it was golden in color, and its feathers glimmered as the light from above passed over them. The crowd gasped as the hawk missed its first attempt to take the sparrow from flight. The fleeing bird spun down into a dive and then curved back up, making its way to nearby trees in hopes of evading its killer. Another gasp from the crowd filled the air as they watched the sparrow dodge the mighty talons that nearly caught it. The great hawk swooped down toward the ground and then back up, high into the sky, way above the sparrow; then it dived at an angle toward the tree line. Just as the sparrow touched the tip of a branch, the hawk snatched it away, carrying its lifeless body back to its master. The crowd cheered, hooted, and hollered. The three men in their leather wear showed off the hawks once more with a raising of their arms, and then they bowed. The crowd roared and clapped, and the noise echoed across the field.

Petro looked at the people dressed in bright clothing of gold, amber, blue, and white. Those were the shopkeepers, royal clerks, tax collectors, and others who held higher positions of authority within Dugual. He looked deeper into the crowd and saw people dressed in browns, blacks, and dark grays—those were the workers, the ones who tilled the fields, milked the cows, worked the roads, and collected the garbage. All seemed to be enjoying themselves, but he could not bring himself to share in their enthusiasm. He glanced behind him, squinting from the glare of the sun above to catch a glimpse of Dia. King Amerstall came into view, dressed in red and white, along with his wife, Queen Lilith, showing the unification of their houses. She had been selected by King Amerstall to marry, a custom the Duguals carried on to select those from the linage of the Earls. However, it was not the only reason; anyone could tell from her radiant beauty and firm but fair-handedness with others that she was more than just a custom.

Petro, Sha, Christon, and Adar stood at the base where the royal family was seated alongside Vetus Sepher. On the field, Petro waited, looking back over his shoulder from time to time to see King Amerstall, Queen Lilith, Princess Dia, and Prince Sid. Silda was seated below Princess Dia. She wore a light-brown dress with light-blue bows sewn symmetrically up and down the fabric. Other royal families had come to join. There was King Sirhc and his wife and King Morella and his concubine; he had left his wife behind, as she did not like to travel. It was less painful on his ears, as she complained quite often of her aches on the road. There was also Malic, the king from the far north, and Baron Sirens. They’d brought their sons and daughters to join in the remaining festivities for the evening.

All four of the inductees were dressed in long blue tunics with nothing under them. The blue meant trust, loyalty, faith, and peace. On their feet were leather sandals that could be easily removed before stepping in the pool of water. They were ready to be washed clean of their pasts and begin anew. Vetus Sepher stood nearby in a green cloak chosen for today’s ceremony, a way to display his role in mentoring these young men. The color meant life from God, and it signified renewal of life, energy, growth, and harmony. Twenty Numas took to the field on horses, wearing silver cloaks and carrying white bows and quivers filled with blue arrows. The horses’ hooves pounded down onto the dirt, sending waves out and away from the center in a ripple like that of a pebble thrown into still water.

Petro struggled to take a full breath. His mouth tightened, and his chest burned inside, giving off a slight ache. He felt he might burst out in fits of laughter or rage—he couldn’t tell. He’d learned long ago that things were truly out of his control and that the outcome of his decisions could not be foretold. One of his masters had taught him that only the one who struggles within and wrestles with himself loses; the one who understands and sees who he fights will be the victor.

His fingernails dug into the palms of his hands as his body searched for a way to release the pent-up emotion. At times he found himself excited about the prospect of leaving Dugual and going to Tokus Numas, and other times he yearned to hide away until everyone was gone.

A wagon crept along the side of the field away from the dancing horses that continued in the center. Its wheels met uneven ground, causing the driver’s head to bob up and down. The dark-brown horse pulled the wagon along until it came close to Petro; the man pulled on the reins, and the horse whinnied, snorted, and came to a stop. He got out and proceeded to the rear. There he pulled a ramp out from under the wagon’s belly and placed it on the ground. He walked up the plank and took a cover off what appeared to be a large pool of water, no doubt for the cleansing.

The men on horses were from the Honor Guard, a division of the Vetus Guard who were sworn to protect Tokus Numas from all enemies. The bows they carried had a sacred meaning to the Numas. Those who held a bow in their hands also held God’s weapon, one that He no longer pointed toward them, giving His sign each time after a rainfall when the colored rainbow would appear, pointed to the heavens. Numas who carried the bow were required to hold the bow and seven arrows in their hands while on horseback, riding at thirty kilometers an hour, and accurately shoot seven targets within ten seconds. It was a difficult skill to master; and over a period of years, those who did master the skill were bestowed the honor of taking a bow into battle.

Dia faced forward, her posture straight and almost rigid; she had a distant stare in her eyes. It was proof of her royal training in the presence of others, though Petro liked her when she was by herself, with a smile on her face and laughter in her voice. She would be the queen one day. His lips stretched out into a smile. She was dressed in red to signify spilled blood, and Sid was dressed in white for the purification of the royal houses. Sid somehow just seemed out of place to Petro. He chuckled quietly to himself. Sid turned and glared at him as if he had heard him. The burning thought of Sid smashing that rock into face pierced Petro’s mind like a dagger. There was a nudge on his arm, and Vetus Sepher nodded toward the open field.

A full-size, three-dimensional foam model of the keeldreer, white and pure, was brought out on the field. The horses’ hooves shook the ground as they burst into a gallop, encircling the object, kicking up dirt and grass in their wake. The formation broke away suddenly into a line stretched across the far end of the field. Then they sped into a full gallop, headed toward Petro, Vetus Sepher, and the three other recruits, who had arrived just this morning. The horses slid to a stop, causing them to back away. The Numas turned their horses around, kicking lightly with the inside their right legs and pulling the reins to the left. With a swish of the leather reins, they rode out, and the leader broke off to his right; the next did the same, and the next followed. They rode in a circle around the keeldreer. Then the Numas raised their bows in one hand as a salute to the keeldreer, a sacred animal from the High Mountains that was difficult to track and difficult to bring down. They drew from their quivers three blue, razor-tipped arrows and stood high in their saddles, their stirrups taut and their inner thighs gripping hard. The leader notched his bow and then came around a second time, pulled the string back, and released, notched and released, notched and released. His reflexes were quick, and the arrows were launched one after the other. The arrows took flight, hurtling toward the keeldreer. One sunk into its neck, another into its heart, and another into its lung. One, two, three—each arrow found its target on the tail end of the other. The next Numa did the same, and his arrow struck to the right of the heart, and the next, and the next did the same until twenty Numas had pierced the keeldreer with three arrows each—sixty arrows in all.

Petro’s eyes were wide as he took in all there was to see: the blue arrows, the white keeldreer, the men in the silver cloaks, the horses covered in leather armor, and the roaring of the crowd. This was a sight indeed for Petro, and he thought this was maybe something worth his time. He glanced back to see Dia clapping, too, and she seemed lost in the moment as the men on horses slowed their steeds and came to a rest. He thought she looked mesmerized by the sight, and if he could do what these men could do, she might be proud. He turned back around to see Adar, one of the young men, going up to the wagon, where he was stripped naked. A feeling of shock filled Petro—
naked
—Vetus Sepher never told him he’d have to show all his privates. He thought back to the other ceremonies and remembered that those poor souls did have to strip down, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Chiston, the guy next to him, was fidgeting with his hands and counting under his breath. Then suddenly he ran off—headed toward the crowd. The people laughed and hooted and opened a way for him to pass through.

One more recruit, Sha, and then it would be Petro’s turn. He watched until Sha had been dunked in the water, said his vows, and then put on a robe. A burst of cool air brushed against Petro’s face. His skin formed tiny bumps, and he shook slightly. He took in a deep breath and let it out; he was next.
It’s now or never
, he thought.
Take off my clothes or run for the crowd.
He pictured himself running through the crowd, pushing the laughing and mocking faces out of his way as he tried to escape. If he did run, he’d be counted as a coward, and Sid would use it against him for all the days left at Castle Dugual. He could hear Sid laugh in his head now and was not about to let that happen. If he did run, Queen Lilith would be ashamed, Dia would be embarrassed, Silda might be happy for him—he wasn’t sure why—and King Amerstall wouldn’t be proud of him.

Before he was called to the wagon, he began to strip off his clothes right there, pulling off his top, letting his bare skin show. The people cheered, laughed, and hooted. Vetus Sepher even had a slight smirk on his face as Petro strutted his way toward the wagon. As he neared the wagon, his bravado vanished. He felt exposed and nearly went to cover himself, but he fought the urge. The man took his arm and led him down into the water. Petro took several short breaths as his body shivered from the water’s cold touch. In he went; the water crested his waist, his skin was full of goose bumps and his breath shooting out in short bursts.

“Repeat my words,” the Numa said. “I willingly give my life…”

“I willing give my life…”

“From this day forward…”

“From this day forward…”

“For the One of the way…”

“For the One of the way…”

“And for those who follow the narrow path.”

“And for those who follow the narrow path.”

“For those too weak, I will fight on their behalf.”

“For those too weak, I will fight on their behalf.”

As he said his oath, Petro looked into the crowd to see Sid looking away. Dia watched, and her smile radiated across the field. Silda pretended to cover her eyes, and the queen seemed joyful. The king even looked somewhat pleased with the moment, almost proud.

“I will serve all of man and serve Him who gave life; and so today I am renewed, and my past is washed away,” the Numa said.

“I will serve all of man and serve Him who gave life; and so today I am renewed, and my past is washed away.” The words were uttered from Petro’s lips; then he was lowered backward into the water, and cool liquid filled all the spaces, covering his head completely. He looked up into the sky and saw the rays of light passing through the waters, refracted by the ripples formed from his motion, and then darkness overtook the light, blotting it out. Bursts of air bubbled from his mouth. He came up, squeezing the water from his eyes, to see in the sky above an aircraft descending down onto the field two hundred paces away.

Petro jumped up out of the water, dripping wet. He took a towel from the old Numa and quickly dried himself; then he pulled a long brown tunic over his head. He walked down the ramp, looking to see who had landed. Guards rushed out and surrounded the aircraft, their weapons drawn. The crowd murmured like a buzz from a hive that had been invaded.

King Amerstall strolled down the stairs with Princess Dia behind him, followed by Prince Sid, who was trying to mimic his father’s broad look by puffing out his chest. The result was more comical than intimidating, Petro thought. Men’s faces scowled, and the ladies’ eyes glared; all were watching, wondering who this intruder was. Petro sensed that King Amerstall knew who it was, because he never once asked any of his men a question before making his way toward the aircraft.

The sound of servos winding and locks releasing could be heard as the door under the belly of the aircraft opened. The air was thick and stifling, as though everyone had taken in a deep breath and exhausted the oxygen in the air. The door lowered itself, and three men appeared from inside. The one in the center was tall, thin, and gray-haired. He wore a tunic embroidered with a dragon with a serpent’s head, a bear’s claws, and a hawk’s wings—the symbol of the Father’s house, Petro recognized. Down the ramp the men came, and Petro moved closer to King Amerstall, Princess Dia, and Prince Sid in order to hear what King Amerstall would say. Prince Sid shot a sideways glance at Petro but kept his focus on what his father was doing. Vetus Sepher joined in behind the king, who was now guarded by a dozen men, walking in columns on both sides.