It was the day of my twelfth birthday that my life changed. I was playing a game of Kashcuse with other boys of my tribe- both of Raksheesh and full demons that had not been corrupt yet, including the king's son, Neo. Kashcuse was a game played with a ball and shoe-less in the desert sand with two hoops on either side of the small field where the first team to three won. There were six players to a team and I had been picked to be in the prince's team.
We were playing when, all of a sudden, the prince called for a break and we all went to take a water drink at the watering hole. Unlike the rest of us, our prince jumped into the water hole to cool off. I began to drank when I suddenly I saw the black, wiry line of a Water Skirter swimming towards prince Neo. This kind of snake was highly poisonous and very dangerous for it would attack anything in its waters. Without hesitation, I jumped into the water and pushed the prince out of the way just in time to feel the snake bite my upper arm.
"What are you doing?" he barked in surprise.
"Water...Water Skirter," I said, already feeling its poison run through me. The prince's eyes filled with surprise as he quickly dragged me to shore.
"You're an idiot," he said as he laid me on the sand away from the water's edge and quickly checked me over for a bite.
When he found it he looked at the quickest runner on our team to go get the shaman. When the boy didn't move, Neo barked, "Now. Go get the shaman now!"
The boy ran off at a start and the other boys scurried away to go follow their friend leaving me alone with the prince.
"Why didn't you yell or just say something?" he asked as he sat in the sand next to me. His voice was oddly very calm and showed no sign of worry. The same went for his face.
"You know they are drawn to movement," I said weakly.
"You're an idiot, Raksheesh," he said.
I sighed. It always came back to Greater, Lesser, and Raksheesh every time. "But you perhaps saved my life. I don't even know your name."
I looked at him trying to make sense of what he was saying. My thoughts were starting to become clouded by the poison.
"What is your name?"
"Jaspen," I whispered.
He said nothing as I saw him look towards the tribe grounds worry showing only in his eyes.
"Is everything alright?"
He said nothing, but threw me over his shoulder and ran toward the village. My mind was racing and my heart throbbed.
"My prince..."
He said nothing as he ran towards the tribe. "My prince, what is wrong?"
"The boys are taking too long," he grumbled as we entered a darkened tent.
"What are you … My Prince," said the grinding voice of the shaman. I am attending to another, what do you need?"
"This boy saved my life. He needs your help now." "Put him on that cot there."
The prince gently placed me on the cot and stood with his arms over his chest. I watched him my mind fogging over, trying to make sense of what was happening.
"Shaman Sineff," barked the prince, "attend to him now."
The shaman grumbled, but I felt his cold, bony fingers trace the bite marks on my arm. I'll have to work quickly. Fetch my knife and some salve, boy."
The prince huffed, but did as he said and I felt pain like no other before I lost consciousness.
***
I woke sometime later to feel a cold damp cloth on my forehead followed by the sharp pain in my arm that I saw was bandaged. I sat up long enough to be pushed back down on a cot. "Rest," came the voice of the prince.
"My... my prince?"
"Call me Neo, Jaspen."
"What happened?"
He looked at me seriously. "You took a Water Skirter bite for me. You almost died. We had to bleed you of the poison. You were out for three days."
"THREE DAYS?" I asked sitting up.
"Jaspen calm down and rest."
"I've been out for three days, my prince. I think I've rest enough."
He chuckled. "Just rest."
I sighed. "How's my father?"
"He's fine. Rest."
"I'm fine."
The prince pushed me back onto the cot stubbornly. "Jaspen ap Thekros, I swear I will call for the shaman to knock you back out if you do not do as you are told."
I sighed relaxing back against the cot knowing that the prince was serious on his threats and I honestly did not want to fall back into the pit of nightmares I had in my sleep.
"My father told me that, when you are well, he wishes for you to visit him."
"Visit him, why?"
Neo shrugged. "He didn't say."
In the silence two men appeared in the doorway of the tent. I then saw behind them that it was dark out. What was Neo doing there?
"You there boy. Stop lounging around and get the shaman."
Neo stood and folded his arms over his chest. "And you, soldier, do you know who you address?"
"No sass, boy. Go get the shaman."
"I am Prince Neo, the oldest and only heir to the throne of King Ginfried leader of the tribe Shemesh tribe. You will address me with the proper respect, soldier, or so help me you may lose your tongue for your insolence."
The man bowed his head in respect and I looked at Neo in shock. I had never heard him threaten an elder before, but it scared me.
"I'm sorry, Your Highness, for my insolence. It is dark and I could not see clearly, but would you please go fetch the shaman?"
The prince nodded. "Don't move, Jaspen. I'll be right back."
With that, Neo left with a flick of his royal cloak to go get the shaman. That's when I saw the second man that the first was supporting.
"Jaspen," he said hoarsely.
I recognized the voice at once as Hassan's, but before anything else could be said, Shaman Sineff and prince Neo returned.
"What do you mean by waking me up at this hour?"
The man supporting Hassan straightened.
"General Hassan needs to be attended by you. He's been poisoned by demonic poison and there was nothing Shaman Hetiff knew to do for him."
The shaman grumbled and went to help the man place Hassan on the cot next to me.
"Why are you here again, Prince Neo?" barked the shaman. "I suggest you go home."
The shaman was one of the few people, who could get away with ordering the prince away, and Neo went with a huff and a promise to come back the next day.
I rolled over so my back was to Hassan and drifted into a light sleep until he started yelling from the bleeding of the bad blood from his cuts, but even then I had a fear to look over at Hassan. It was an hour or so before the shaman shooed Hassan's helper out before leaving himself. Why had the shaman been more willing to help Hassan than me?
"Jasp... pen?" he asked, popping the first time he said the 'p' in a very cracked voice. I didn't respond and pretended to be asleep.
"I know you're awake," he said his voice wavering.
I sighed. "Aye?"
"Why are you here?"
"I saved the prince from a Water Skirter, but got bit myself as well."
Hassan cleared his throat. "I thought I told you to stay out of trouble."
How was he so awake after being bled? I had lost consciousness for three days.
"I couldn't just stand by and let the prince get attacked. I'm just a Raksheesh. Who would care if I were to-"
"Who has that thought planted in his head?" he growled. "Who?"
I said nothing. The fact was this is what the tribe believed. It surprised me that Hassan didn't agree. He always seemed indifferent towards me.
"Jaspen ap Gi… Thekros," he growled.
What had the "Gi" meant? Was he implying Thekros was not my father and this person that started with "Gi" was? Thekros had told me he didn't know my parents. Was this a lie or had Hassan known my father?
"How do you know Thekros is not my father, Hassan?" I asked quietly into the darkness.
I heard Hassan turn over on his cot and I saw his back out of the corner of my eye his back. I sighed.
"Hassan, he told me I wasn't his and that I had arrived on their tent step one morning. If you know anything of my parents... If you know of why they didn't want me, would you please say?"
I heard him curse under his breath. "I really don't know, Jaspen."
I knew he was lying. He had just said the first two letters of my father's name. "Do you swear when the time is right you will tell me?" I asked.
Hassan didn't say anything for a few moments.
"Hassan, do you swear?"
"Aye," he said weakly, absentmindedly.
"You swear?"
"I said aye, didn't I? Now leave me alone," he said gruffly.