Thekros, my father rarely ever let me leave the forge to play with the other boys because I was born a Raksheesh and picked on horribly because of it. There was only one other boy around my age that was also a Raksheesh and he was my only friend named Omand.
"Sir, can Jaspen come play Kashcuse?" asked Omand.
Omand was shorter than me even though he was half a summer older than I and was also on the scrawny side. I assumed it was more to do with being a bringer of things at the temple.
I saw my father think about it for a moment. It had been over a month since I had been allowed to go thanks to Raj, a lesser demon whose father was unfortunately a general that came from a long line of Raksheesh haters. Raj was my biggest bully and tended to hurt me whenever he had the chance thinking that he was doing just work tormenting me. It angered my father, but there wasn't much we could do to make it stop. If I retaliated and hurt Raj I could face the King's wrath after he already gave me a blessing by allowing me to live.
"Jaspen," he finally asked. "Has all the scrap metal been put away?"
"Aye, father," I said feeling myself fill with hope.
"Go play. Just be home before dark."
I quickly untied my leather work apron in the back and tugged it over my head.
"And son?" he asked with worry in his voice.
"Aye, father?" I asked folding my apron neatly and placing it on my work bench.
"Be careful."
"I will, father."
Excitement boiled up inside me as Omand and I took off towards the oasis outside the city walls. We raced through the busy streets and he was always a good stretch in front of me. His endurance was higher than mine from climbing all the steps to the temple every day. Sweat beaded down my hair and brow onto my face as I tried to catch up. For his short build, Omand was quick.
I tripped over a tent rope trying to avoid a camel pulling a cart in the bazaar district and fell into my worst nightmare- Raj. He was always looking for any excuse to beat on me just for my mixed race. He couldn't touch Oman because of being trained in the temple. Hurting him would more than likely get him banished even if Omand was of the lowest rank as a shaman.
"Watch where your going, scum. Daddy isn't here to save you."
He shoved me making me trip back over the tent rope and I scrambled to my feet, my left hand falling to my crude made knife on that side. I looked up at Raj trying to read what he was going to do next. He was tall for his age and about as muscled as I was, but where mine was being in the forge, Raj's was from learning wrestling and sword handling from his father. In a year Raj would be able to be in the barracks and only then could I hope they would teach him some discipline.
I didn't say anything as I looked him dead in the eye. Raj was like a wild boar- he attacked when you least expected him to lash out and was fast on his feet. The small distance in front of us would take no time flat for him to cover.
"Go," he finally barked.
I scurried off finding Omand already on a team in a game. I decided to sit by a palm tree by the oasis and watch . My blood was still boiling from my encounter with Raj. I was more mad at myself for not standing up to him.
Thekros was always telling me, "If you stand and face your enemies, you're facing two fears at once- the fear of what could happen and the person invoking the fear. Break the chains of fearfulness and rise like a lion- proud and bold."
Over time he had shortened it to, "Rise like a lion."
I was angry at my lineage. I had no idea who my actual parents were when I was left to Thekros and his wife. Were my parents that ashamed of me? Had my mother lived? How had no one knew who my birth parents were? Or at the very least my mother?
"Jaspen!" called Omand running from the field. "Jaspen, there you are!"
I forced a smile as my friend took my forearm and helped me stand.
"They are getting ready to start a new game if you want to join."
"Aye."
"What kept you? I started to worry," he said after a moment.
'Not enough,' I wanted to quip, but my anger wasn't Omand's fault.
"Raj," I said bitterly.
"I'm... I'm sorry," he said hanging his head in shame.
Omand had a timid personality since he had grown up in the temple. The Shaman's had found him on the temple steps and had gotten permission from the King for him to grow up in their care.
"It's not your fault that Raj is a bully. Let's go play," I said clapping him on the shoulder.
As we approached, I saw the colors of the King. I let out a groan.
"The prince is playing?"
Everywhere the prince went, he had at least two guards with him at all times.
"Aye."
Prince Neo was known to look down on the Raksheesh, but not be vocal on his views. He was the same age as me, but older by five months. In another seven months, he would enter the barracks to begin training.
"Will we even get to play?" I asked.
"Probably against the prince."
I let out a grumble. When you were on the opposite team of the prince it was customary to let him win. That's when I also noticed Raj's bullish form walking towards the field.
Omand seemed to see Raj as well.
"Maybe.. maybe we should just watch," he suggested.
I shook my head. Raj and the prince were usually captains of the teams. If I could prove myself, maybe I could make an impression on the Prince and rise to the rank of Scortha like I had dreamed of for years. With Raj playing, Omand and I were more likely to be on the prince's team.
I felt as if I was half dragging Omand along. At the field, I could feel the disdain in everyone's eyes on the pair of us. As I had assumed, Raj and Neo were captains. As the picking went on, I was surprised when I wasn't picked dead last.
"You," said the prince again pointing at me.
I looked to each side of me to make sure before jogging the short ways to his team. There was a mummer of surprise mixed with aggravation. Omand was picked last and ended up on Raj's team.
Luckily there was a breeze to help with the hot midday heat, but not by much. I braided my hair quickly as Neo explained everyone's positions. I would be a forward with him meaning helping with scoring points.
The game began and Neo and I ran as hard as we could trying to get open to score. The pusher's ran block in front of us. Raj jabbed or whacked me any chance he got as the game went on especially when we were winning thanks to Neo.
The game was almost over and we were in possession of the leather ball. Neo passed it to me and I caught it. My blocker missed Raj and I felt his wooden paddle connect with my ribs dropping me to my knees instantly. Another teammate was able to retrieve the ball from me. Raj hit me several more times as my team was distracted with cheering the winning goal made by Neo.
I knew Raj had at least cracked or broke my ribs and the rest of his attacks were just bruises.
As he was winding up for another blow, I took some sand in my palm and threw it in his eyes. He called out loudly in pain swinging wildly with the club barely missing me a few times. Neo finally intervened.
"Halt," he ordered. "What is going on?"
Raj hit me one more time before doing as the prince asked.
"He threw sand in my eyes," Raj snarled.
Neo looked at me before speaking. "It seems to me you've been taking hits on him all day."
I saw Raj's face turn red as he looked down.
"Why do you even care prince? He's just a Raksheesh."
"A Raksheesh that bested you. All are my future subjects, even the Raksheesh."
Raj didn't know how to reply.
"Go," barked Neo.
Raj ran faster than I'd ever seen, but what I saw next surprised me further- the prince offering me his hand. I took it tentatively and got up feeling all the pain Raj had inflicted.
"Follow me," he said and began walking away.
I did, casting a quizzical glance back at Omand that motioned for me to go. The prince's guards came running flanking his sides. I stayed a few paces back wondering where he was leading me. Were the rumors untrue of the prince's hidden distaste for my kind?
He led me to the palace where I halted at the outer gates. I couldn't enter here.
"Come on," he called over his shoulder.
I took a tentative step followed by another. This was not a place for a Raksheesh. Finally, in frustration the prince walked back to me and took my wrist dragging me partially behind him.
The palace was beautiful. All of it was made of polished marble with upside down onion copper domes with graceful archways. Each hallway was lit with torches. Finally the prince stopped in front of a closed door and knocked. Where was he taking me?
The door opened revealing an older man in a light tan robe with a royal purple sash. I knew him at once as the king's physician.
"My prince," he said. "How can I serve you?"
Neo pulled me to his side almost making me lose my balance.
"I need you to attend to him."
The physician's face scrunched as if he hadn't heard Neo correctly.
"Surely another-"
"You know how they treat his kind," he snapped cutting off the physician. "So now I'm asking you as the most skilled shaman and physician to do your duty and attend to him."
I could tell the king's physician was not too happy with this request, especially since he couldn't say no either.
"Come in then and shut my door."
We did as we were told. The door shut with a loud bang and the bar slipped into place latching it shut. The physician's room was grand as it was located at the top of the North East tower so it had the domed roof. Bookcases lined each wall and reached to the start of the dome and was full of leather bound books, larger scrolls and viles of all shapes and sizes. In the middle was a large table stacked high with books and scrolls in disarray. Next to it was a tall wooden bench with a thin mattress thrown on top of it.
"Sit," he said to me pointing to the bench. "The rest of you may leave so I can work."
The prince and his guards left with no protest and the room fell into an awkward silence for a few moments.
"You have high ranking friends for a Raksheesh," he muttered.
His voice was dry and crackled at odd moments. I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say. I wasn't entirely sure I would say Neo was my friend. I was sure he didn't even know my name.
"So what ails you?"
"I was beat with one of the paddles in Kashcuse. I'm sure some of my ribs are broken."
"Remove your shirt."
I did as I was told and tugged my shirt clumsily over my head and sat it on my lap. He started poking my ribs with his long, boney fingers making me twist and jerk at points when he hit a sore spot.
"Stop squirming," he said harshly.
I tried to force myself to sit still which was hard, but I sunk into my thoughts and drifted away. Finally, I felt him stop. I looked around to see him finding bandages and digging through his viles.
"You're Sari's son aren't you?" he asked suddenly. "How is she fairing?"
"Not that I know, sir. I was raised in Thekros's household. I do not know the names of my true parents."
The name sounded hauntingly familiar , but I couldn't place it, Perhaps, I'd ask my mother when I went home.
The physician said no more as he wrapped the bandages around my torso until he handed me a strange vile of liquid.
"Take this one time a day for a week. Go to the physicians hut and ask for more when you run out," he said handing me a small slip of paper. "You'll need to take this for around a month."
"Thank you."
"And don't lift anything heavy or play Kashcuse till then."
"Sir, I'm a blacksmith's apprentice."
He grumbled and walked the short way back to the table and grabbed another small piece of paper and wrote frantically before handing it to me with his seal shown at the bottom.
"Give this to Thekros so that he doesn���t doubt your word. Now go."
I slunk out from his room wrapping the vile in my shirt and held onto the two notes. I was shown out by a member of the royal guard. As soon as the gate closed behind me, I went straight home.
I tried to make sense of the writing on the parchment with no luck. I hadn't been taught to read or write and until now, it didn't bother me.
The sun was setting so I picked up my pace. Mother worried if I wasn't home by dark. AS soon as I walked on our small hut, I noticed Omand sitting at our table.
"Jaspen!" she said as she walked over wrapping me in a light hug. "What happened? Omand told us as much as he knew."
"The prince took me to see the King's physician since Raj broke a few of my ribs."
"I'm just glad you are back safely."
When she pulled away, she took my small pile of things and sat them on the table.
"Are you hungry? There's beef stew in the pot."
"Aye," I said my mouth watering.
It wasn't till then, that I noticed my father wasn't home. Maybe now was a good time to ask if she knew who Sari was.
"Mother?" I asked as she fixed me a bowl.
Omand skirted out the door.
"Aye?"
"The king's physician asked me today if I was Sari's son."
I saw her stiffen momentarily, but then relax.
"I know nothing of your true parents, Jaspen. You were left on our doorstep and we raised you."
There was an edge in her voice I'd never heard. It slightly worried me as much as it intrigued me. Someone should have helped deliver me. Someone had to know at least who my mother was. Someone knew my story and I deserved to know.
She sat my food down in front of me before pouring a weak wine and handing it to me. Just as quick as her coldness had come she was back to normal. I ate as she sewed clothes leaving me alone with my thoughts, I felt somewhat ashamed. She was my mother regardless of who had given birth to me. As soon as I finished, I went to bed.