Welcome to my seemingly endless journey.
A trip that will take you to places I might have visited many moons ago.
It´s a tale that came back to me when I meditated on one of my past lives. A life I told you about in my unbelievable true story.
As promised in that story I will now share this story with you.
Chapter 39
"Lord Kosa, you do not know how important these things can be to the expediency of our journey. I can tell you that these items may well come from those we seek. Since you say that this village is northeast of your farm, you help us even more. Insofar as you could owe us a debt, you repay it with interest. We are infinitely grateful to you."
Kosa looks pleased. The fact that he listened to his gut apparently makes him feel good. We finish our glasses and talk about what the future might bring us before we both decide to go to sleep.
It is almost impossible to fall asleep, except that both Numico and Rechmana snore quite a lot from the drink, there is also the emblem and piece of parchment, which happened to be in our host's possession. In particular, the emblem of the golden flower and black pearl is the first solid proof that my dream is not a dream but a vision.
This means that we have not started this venture for nothing. Even the destroyed village exists and can be associated with the black-clad men. It is so unlikely when I start this journey. Now gradually the puzzle pieces are placed on the table with the right side up.
In my mind, I try to make sense of the rest of my vision. But it offers few new leads. Deep down I feel that the questions Numico asked me. The questions that form the basis of this quest are indeed pieces that belong to the puzzle.
My brain works on a high voltage trying to recall everything the boy told me. I am sure I forgot some things.
The way entities communicate with humans is strange. When I think back to those moments it was not Numico. It seems like I cannot remember any details. As if there is a fog covering them up. Hidden til the moment I am confronted with the matters that have passed during such an entity visit. Then I suddenly remember the tenor of what I was told.
I wake up with a jolt. At first, I thought I was awakened by a noise. But everything remains silent, then I try to remember what my last thoughts were.
As soon as I remember that, I realize why I am wide awake again. Thinking of the things Numico told me, I think of the thé and its side effects. The wise instruct their protege about the dangers of using tea. Being Oniko's protege, I too should be familiar with these dangers and I am not.
It seems highly unlikely that Oniko was unaware as well. Now that I think about it, I never saw him drink tea. His death was not sudden, so that is not a valid excuse for my ignorance either. Even the possibility that he forgot to tell me I quickly put aside.
Master Oniko does nothing without a reason, even forgetting he does on purpose. I owe myself the answer to the question.
What does become clear to me is that it was apparently not Oniko's intention to inform me. This greatly alienates me. The longer I think about it, the greater the uncertainty that rages inside me.
Early in the morning, when the twilight has not yet been displaced by the sun, I am awakened a second time. This time by Rech. He and Numico stand in the doorway of the stables, fully packed. My first reaction is to turn over and go back to sleep, but soon I realize what we are up to.
Both of them smile as they see me packing my things like a hare. We leave the buffalo here; she feels at home on the farm and since we are hardly bothered, we don't need a burden animal.
When the three of us leave the stables, Kosa, accompanied by his now fully refurbished wife, is already waiting in the doorway of their house. His wife steps forward, bows, and thanks us for all the help. Then she hands over a woven basket.
When I bow and accept it, I no longer have to guess at the content. The scent of fruit and freshly baked flatbreads rises, reminding my nose of her magic. Magic that she displays every evening when we sit down at the table.
“For the road,” she says redundantly. Kosa takes his hand out of his waistcoat and holds a leather pouch. “It is slightly more than the agreed amount, as you have done more than we agreed.”
Numico wants to protest, but I put a hand on his shoulder while Kosa looks at him kindly and says, "I know boy, it's not necessary, but believe me, you will need it more than I do."
After traveling northeast for quite some time, I realize that the boys still don't know anything about the things Kosa gave me the night before. For a moment I hesitate to keep it to myself; the prospects are not brighter if they know what was connected to these cases.
Until now, the official goal has been to find the man of Numico's dream. But we are a team, I can't keep it from them. I haven't fully thought of the word "withholding" when it reminds me of what Oniko had "withheld" from me.
There, on top of a hill overgrown with huge coniferous trees, seems to me a suitable place to subject the contents of the wicker basket to closer inspection. “Shall we stop and have something to eat?” I ask, looking around to see where Numico and Retsj are walking next to each other, talking. A light cheer goes up; apparently, they are equally enthusiastic about Kosa's wife's cooking.
With a full stomach, I start to talk about what happened last night. When I have fully informed them, I also tell them about the motives that forced me on this journey.
I talk them through my visions in the most gruesome detail. Then I show them the emblem, and both look puzzled. "What is it? Why these looks?" I ask.
Numico is the first to speak: “I've seen that emblem before, I'm sure. I don´t remember where, but I know it. But that would be strange, Martio. It is impossible that I too know that emblem when we both know for certain that this is the first time we see it in a physical form.”
“I too know that symbol,” Retsj's bassy voice booms.
Click The Next Button for The Next Chapter
