It was twilight and the air was dry and cold, the northeast trade wings so severe on this part of Cygon, in this time of the year…. The caravans were ready, stacked with food stuffs, vegetables, yam and potato, plantain, different variety of grain in fifty kg sucks, and fruits, lots of them ranging from mango to apple and guava. Beverages wasn't an exception; cocoa and coffee powdered, and the assortment of goods goes on and on.
louga and Danty sat in the big hall with mugs in; louga was on his second cup of coffee, he need it for the cold journey ahead. Evidently, this was going to be their last meeting….. it had been an interesting companionship, Danty wished he had met louga under different circumstances, and not like this… the young man was like a brother he never had. He had enjoyed every bit of his company; the way he listens and observes without prejudice….
And when he speaks, something he rarely do; it's with utmost sincerity and deep wisdom. Danty wondered how someone so young could be so old in the mind. He will definitely miss the young man, and if this was the man going to seduce his sister so be it; he is honored, at least the savages didn't send someone unworthy.
....
Stazia adjust her dress using the pond in the court yard as a mirror. She had to look her best; she was finally going to reunite with her queen again. She had served her as a small girl, and will be honored to serve her as a grown woman. she made sure her hair covering was long enough to reach down her neck line covering her bosom.
Lord louga will be coming out from the main hall soon enough; she was warned not to add lord to the name once they reach Zanka, and why is that? Stazia couldn't help but ask her herself. She was told by the king to ensure that she and the man both worked as servants in the queen court, were louga will be a guard to the queen Zoreefa.
All her life, stazia has gotten use to men attraction to her body and face and nothing more. It was disturbing and still is, but she has gotten used to it overtime. It has been her only weapon, which she had wielded with power. Not that she ever gotten intimate with them or something, her presence alone got this men salivating like dogs and doing her bidden.
So intriguing it is, to finally meet a man who will look at her straight in the face and talk to her person, without letting his eyes travel down her body. Yet the magic in Lougas eyes whenever he looks gazes with her or any of the other maidens in court for they have told her the same thing, always leaves a lasting impression so much so that they spent days on end fantasizing about the man. Now Starzia struggle with the new feelings breeding in his bosom, she had always been the vector but now the tables have turn against her.
And the thing about the sound he produces with his flute, can seduce the devil himself, no doubt the king is enchanted by the strange handsome guest, the lord louga, oh no louga. Yes, he had politely asked her to call him louga. What is it about the man, that made him so unique?
"thinking stazia, can we go now, the caravan can't wait forever" louga said teasingly, and stazia whirl around on her heels facing louga "oh! Lord louga, I didn't know you were ready to go" stazia said, taking notice of the king standing behind louga, she rushed pass louga and run into Danty arms in a warm embrace, but recovered quickly and step back bowing and mumbling apologies, eyes tearing up.
Danty draw her back into his arms "no stazia, don't be sorry for your impulsive behavior, you have served I and my family well, like your family before us, there are treacherous days ahead, I want you to be by Zoree side, she will need all the help she can get. I am going to miss you dearly oh stazia, take care…" Danty finished trying very hard not to get emotional in front of louga…. stazia nodded in tears, said her goodbyes to the king of werga and left with louga.
...…
The city of Zanka was suited in the middle of Cygon; carved out from a very big mountain towering over five hundred feet, covering a land mass over three million square meters filled with the yellow stone, quite a splendid natural edifice of wonder to beheld.
Now louga understand why Zanka is so powerful; it is an impregnable fortress, any unwanted guest could easily be dealt with; inside the walls majestically stood polished yellow stone pillars supporting storey structures lining up the inner the inside all around, sparkling and glittering as the sun kissed the polished yellow surfaces.
The yellow stone is a symbol of wealth and power in Cygon, nobody tempered with the yellow stone. As it evolved to become the medium of exchange in Cygon.
The presence of Zanka can be felt a hundred miles away; and looking at the city from a distance makes you think of a big egg, with part of it buried in the ground while the topmost part projects into the skies, opening at the top, thus exposing the interior yellow content of the city to the sun and rain. In a full moon night, you will see a yellow glow of light emanating from Zanka.
The earliest settlers; the ancients had to chisel four main entrances, removing unimaginable tons of rock mass to get to the opening from within. They would have given up on such a tedious task, had it not been the discovery of the yellow stone. Now they knew they were on to something that will change their legacy forever; they toil on night and day, for more than thousand generations they toil on. Now Zanka is what it is today for all the blood and sweat; and so many years of sacrifice to get it to look this glamorous.
...…..
The hairless middle age man sitting by louga and stazia in one of the caravan relate the story of Zanka with zeal. He continued "Zanka has four main gateways, but only one is open…. the one we just passed through into the city…so what is your mission in Zanka?" he asked louga pleasantly, looking at him with interest. Louga looked at him sharply as if to tell him he is talking too much. the man got the message and shut up instantly, albeit the interest in his eyes only renewed.
In the market, stazia saw a couple of maiden with guards at close proximity, no mistaken they are from the royal court and came to inspect the goods from werga; to do selection for the royal house before, the remaining could be sold in the market.
Stazia close in on them looking gazes with the lead maiden and humbly introduced herself as a maiden from the king's court at werga, and she had word for the queen Zoreefa from her brother the king of werga. The lady signals to a guard that standing close by, and whispered into his ears and he nodded, all the while sizing up Starzia with interest; while the rest of the of the maidens where doing the same with louga, glancing at him and blushing invitingly.
"and who is this man? Are you with him?" the lead maiden asked and Starzia nodded "he is an emissary from my lord Danty" she said and maiden smile at louga and nodded in greeting before the guard signaled them to follow him as he lead the way to the kings' palace.