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Another year have passed by so quickly; to louga it felt like a thousand years, this was worse than death, he had lost track of time in the dark dungeon where there is nothing but darkness. Only if he could see her face one last time then the pain will be bearable….
He would've loss his mind by now had it not been her name on his mind, Zoreefa! He can't forget this one name, that is the only air he breathes in here. There are times he forgets his own name…. but Zoreefa never left his mind, these days that too was failing him… he tried very hard to conjure her pretty face in his mind but that keeps fading as well.
In the darkness he closes his eyes in pure meditation, to activate the memory of the body, for where in the mind in the brain forgets, the mind in the body remembers. There! buried in the body were the feelings and emotions they have shared together, their love ever alive, only blossoming…. Louga had tried long ago to break out of the place but it has all been a waste of energy….
The cave is a fortress, though spacious enough, with random small openings on the side walls, the size of normal human fist. At one corner of the cave wall snakes down water, slithering its way further down till it reaches the base noiselessly where it disappears to continue its way down stream.
The sound of the water had been so faint; it took him sometime to notice it course. At regular intervals he received date palms through the random holes… he eats two dates palms in every two thousand heartbeats; an exercise he uses to get his mind working, instead of thinking, for he feared if he thinks about where is and what happening to him now, he may end up losing his sanity.
There are days he does nothing but cry, some days he dances and jubilate like a mad man, other times he punches the wall of the cave till his knuckles bleed, sometimes he stays in stillness for so long, he thinks he had finally died…. But he wakes up and the cyclical torture begins all over again.
.......
The frail figure of the tall woman, bended down to pick up more dried wood, for the morning fire. The chilly dry morning air on her once vibrant skin made her drew her thick long veil tightly around her bosom….. it's been exactly two years she had been separated from louga, her louga, the mere thought of the man brought tears to her eyes every time.
"my lady please go back inside and let me finished around here" Zoreefa turned around to look in the direction where the voice came from. There they stood, Dzar and Starzia. Starzia started approaching her to take the load from her hands, whilst Dzar started to skin the slaughtered rabbit he had in hand. "what word do you have from Zanka?" Zoreefa asked Starzia…. Searching her eyes desperately for answers.
"sorry my lady! Word is that my lord Tygon died three full moons ago, slain by his own son the prince Jhanka, who got mad with rage when he heard about your death at the hands of his own father" Starzia said…. trying to evade the part where the prince Jhanka is exiled into the burning flames for by now the queen was whaling hysterically for what might have happened to Jhanka afterwards. And the fact that she is the cause of all that…. because of her louga is probably dead, because of her Tygon died at the hands of his own son.
So much guilt, so much choking guilt suffocating her…. no way will Jhanka survived this…. For the first time in her queries…. Zoreefa hesitated before she asked about louga, bracing herself for the worst "word is that the king might have thrown him into one of the many dungeons in Zanka" Starzia said sorrowfully, for this is one painful memory they shared equally.
Zoreefa didn't expect Tygon to leave her unharmed; his reputation, was on the line, so he did everything he could to win Zoreefa back…. But to no avail; he threatens to bury louga alive in the dungeon, but soon got to realize that Zoreefa carries the man's child, so he faked Zorees death but exile her into the barren lands to the south between Zanka and kumta, also known as no man's land in Cygon.
Kumta is the closes clan to Zanka, with a heterogeneous culture. Zoreefa wouldn't have left Zanka without the father of her unborn child, but Tygon assured her he did buried the man alive like he had promise.
On her way to kumta among traders, adventurers and pleasure seekers, and slaves, Zoreefa was certain she is all alone…. Word had already reach her brother, Danty about her death. On the second day on their match to kumta, a rider appeared on the horizon to the west as the sun begun its descent….. when he got closer, the soldiers in the group nearly hack him down, but the rider quickly raise his hands in surrender, as he draws closer and dismounted his horse. "Dzar; tell me is you, before I slash your stomach open," a soldier said in good humor, and the others laugh in response and relax… most of them knew the warrior of Wagara, others only heard of him.
Zoree wanted to call out to Dzar but she didn't want to be recognized among these people. She felt very hungry, but couldn't asked anyone for food. She laid down and closed her eyes among the myriad travelers lying out in the open, trying to sleep. Then she heard a man whisper next to her. She opens her eyes and looked at him. She nearly shouts aloud in joy, but hold herself;
"louga is still alive… I had the chance to speak with him through one of the holes in the caves he is held prisoner. He made me swear to protect your life till my last breath… louga became my brother after the incident in the arena. The man saved my life…" Dzar spoke in whispers; then dipped one hand into his side pocket, and came up with some roasted dry meat, which he handed over to Zoree, and handed her a bag of water. Then crawl back to his sleeping place.
Starzia sneaked in among the travelers in Zanka in hopes of finding Zoreefa, when she found out she is still alive but on exile. she succeeded on the third day. She saw the veil which she had gave her as a gift, worn by a tall woman walking beside the tall figure of a man that seems distinctly familiar, thirty yards ahead of her….
She recognizes the man now; it is Dzar …. Happily, she run, careful not to attract too much attention. When she got close enough she tag on Zorees veil, and she turn to see who…. Zoree nearly scream in joy again for the second time in two days, when she saw Starzia.
The three friends never followed the travelers to kumta, they settled among the minor settlements closer to kumta. For two years they stayed there, and Dzar taught the two women how to fight with a sword and do everything to make sure they were carted for, Zoreefa wondered how her life would've been without this two loving friends who have dedicated their lives to support her and her unborn baby through this hard times.
She gave birth the following year to a healthy boy, Niaza. His resemblance to his father was unmistakable. Now a year and half old, Niaza already looked as tall as a three-year-old, with sharp reflex and body coordination. A trait they all recognize so well in louga.
Looking at Dzar skin the rabbit now; Zoree saw Niaza came out of the wooden structure, yawning and robbing his eyes with his small hands. Zoree walked up to the boy and picked him up, hiding her tears, as she forced a smile on her face….
She went into the shack and Starzia and Dzar exchange a knowing look… the woman has been through a lot; they fear they can't tell her everything…. "why are you giving her false hopes Starzia, you heard what the informant told us, no one have heard from louga for a very longtime, they talk to him from outside but heard no response…" Dzar said "yes; but if he is dead in there somewhere don't you think there will be a stench in those caves?" Starzia asked unperturbed and Dzar sighed and continue his work…
he would have love to tell the whole truth about louga, but now is not the time, not even Tygon knew where the man was before he died. But Tygon didn't want the people to think he was not in full control of his own domain. He had known because of the shadowy figure, who entrusted the task of feeding louga to him. But now that louga is no more in the cave where he last heard of him, he didn't know where is know where is; only one thing boggles his mind now, "who is the man behind the mask? And why is he helping louga.