*Cough**Cough*
"What the hell! Why would you make the soup this spicy? Do you plan to kill me with spice?" Said Blaze, with tears in his eyes from the spicy soup.
"It's too spicy for you? But I only added 2 spoons more than what we normally eat."
"Why?!" Blaze drank a whole bottle of water.
"I heard people in Agnisthal eat spicy food." Adil seemed to have a misunderstanding.
"What? We eat spicy? I was told Khandavans put kilos of spices even in their deserts."
"Now, that is ridiculous."
"Yeah, but that's what everyone say..." it seemed that Blaze had realized something, "Wait, may I have a spoon from your soup?"
"Huh? Oh, of course, here." Adil passed his bowl of soup to Blaze, and he took a spoonful and drank it.
"Oh shit, that's perfect!" Blaze exclaimed unknowingly.
"What?"
"This has the perfect amount of spice. Just like my mother used to make."
"Then, we use the same amount in our food?"
"Exactly."
"So, why did everyone lie? They say you people eat like savages."
"Maybe they didn't. Perhaps, they also believe that."
"So it's just a rumor?"
"A baseless one."
"You can have my bowl of soup; I will just eat a bread for now."
"No, no, no, you eat your fill. I can just fast, and I'm not particularly hungry either." And as if just on cue, Blaze's stomach growled, in hunger.
"Pfft. Its okay, you can have this soup, I'm fine with some bread."
"Yeah, that'll be go...." Blaze was about to accept Adil's proposal, when he remembered something, something his Maa taught him. 'You are lucky to never have to worry about food, not a lot of people are this fortunate. But, if ever you find yourself in such a situation, don't be selfish. Share, as sharing food and happiness only increases its taste and joy.' she used to say.
"No! Let's share. I saw the bread you're talking about; it seemed quite rigid. Let's share the soup, and have half of bread, both of us. That way, we both won't have to fast."
"That, sounds wonderful. Wait." He turned around and shouted, "Noor! Bring me a loaf of bread!"
"So, your father's name is Kadar and your sister is Noor. Why don't you tell me your name?"
"Well, I haven't heard your name either. But I guess I should've introduced myself sooner. My name is Adil Jahan. Now may I know yours?"
"Ah, hello Adil, my name is Azar."
Adil froze, as if he had seen a ghost; and this peaked Blaze's curiosity, "What's with that reaction?"
"Huh? Oh, what?"
"Your father, he had the reaction as you just did. Is something wrong with that name?"
"No! Oh, no, nothing's wrong. It's just…." Adil hesitated for a while, before he spoke again, "My elder brother's name was Azar."
"Oh! Well, that's a coincidence. Wait, 'was'?"
Adil's face suddenly filled with sadness, it seemed to be a sorrow from deep within his heart, "Yeah, he died 4 years ago."
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that. How did it happen?"
Adil looked straight at Blaze, and within mere moments the sorrow on his face turned into anger, "I don't think we are or ever will be close enough for you to ask me such questions." He angrily stood up and said, "You can have this soup, I lost my appetite." And strode out the room.
Just when he was starting to open up to someone again, he was turned down quite harshly. Blaze was left there, alone, chained to the wall, with two bowls of soup in front of him.
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A few hours later, at when it seemed to be evening, the door opened. Kadar had returned, and in his hand was a piece of paper, "How's your headache?"
"It's bearable, for now. But why do you care about it anyways?"
"Yes, you are right, it does not concern me. Well, I went to the port, had somethings to take care of. And I heard something rather interesting."
"Heard what?"
"The authorities published a list, a list of the soldiers whose corpses are not found yet. And, in that list there's a description of a young adult with red hair."
"So they are looking for me."
"Yes, and from what I heard, all the fishermen will be questioned, and their houses are to be searched. They will be here in a few days."
"Then, you will hand me to me them? That's why I'm kept here, chained, like a damn animal." Blaze's hostility towards them suddenly returned.
"That depends. If you're willing to cooperate or not?"
"Cooperate? Why would you need cooperation from me?"
"It is not a need of mine. But I doubt sending you with them will result in your survival. You probably will be killed, or worse. So, if you cooperate with me, and don't cause any harm to my family, then I will provide you with a safe way out of here."
"Let's say I do as you say, what's the guarantee you will keep your end of the bargain?"
"To be honest, there is no such guarantee. But, next week, I will be leaving with my family, on the boat. And on our way, we can just drop you on a coast in Agnisthal. And even you probably realize that's the only possible for you to return."
"Wait, why are you leaving?"
"Really? You are asking that?"
"Yeah. How would I know why you want to leave?"
"What? Wait, you don't know, do you?"
"Know what?"
"The war. Agnisthal attacked, I don't know how long we have before they come here and kill everyone. Its best to leave."
And in mere moments, a petrifying realization dawned upon Blaze, "He started a war?" he mumbled to himself.
"Anyways, are you willing to help or not?"
"No, no, no. I can't wait here even a moment. I need to stop the war!"
"And how do you plan to do that?"
Blaze was at a loss of words, he truly had no idea how he could make any difference, "I don't know. But I must do something. Because if I don't, a lot of innocent lives will be lost, both from Agnisthal and Khandava. I can't let that happen."
He was about to pull the chain, but suddenly Kadar spoke, "You can't stop it, not anymore"
"Why? Because I'm weak?"
"No. Because it already happened!"
Blaze froze for a moment, and with his heart thumping insanely, he asked, "What do you mean, 'already happened'?"
"The army of Agni attacked 3 weeks ago. The war masons conjured up land and connected Khandava with your nation. With each day passing, more of our soldiers perish. It's not long before we lose the war. And I'm not willing to lose my family for it."
Blaze was still in a daze from all this information, so Kadar decided to give him time collect himself and left, "Think about it, you have all night. And if you decide to help, dye your hair." And threw the brown hair dye to Blaze.
The next day, at early morning, young Noor came into the room with a cup of tea and a loaf of bread, "I heard you didn't have dinner yesterday, so I brought this for you. Whoa!"
Noor was surprised by Blaze's new appearance, "You already dyed your hair?"
Brown haired Blaze answered, "Yes. And thanks for this food." Blaze's felt he didn't need to cautious around this little girl at least.
Both of them sat on the ground, and Blaze started eating.
"You really look like him."
"Like whom?" Blaze asked.
"My brother, his name was also Azar. He was a lot like you."
"If you don't mind, may I ask what happened to him?"
"He went missing. Azar used to go hunting and brought deer-meat. One day, he went in the with his bow and arrows. But he never returned. Abbu went looking for him, but he said brother was nowhere to be found."
"I'm sorry."
"But then after 4 years, Abbu brought you. You were unconscious, and before he told me who you were, I thought they found Azar. You really do look like him." Noor said with a wide smile on her small face.
"I look like him? Maybe that's why he saved me." Blaze said, as his resemblance to Azar seemed to be a more believable reason than Kadar valuing Blaze's life.
"Don't know, don't care. But you know, when you were not waking up, I sat beside you, and I prayed to God for your recovery. But I didn't know your name, so I called you Azar. But weirdly, your real name was indeed Azar."
Blaze's expression dropped, he was reminded how he was lying to the people who saved his life. He should never have lied to them, yet he did; he even was so distrustful of them and greeted their kindness with hostility. So finally decided to stop lying, "Noor, there's something I need to tell you."
"What?"
"The truth. Actually, I'm..."
*Knock*Knock*
A firm knock on the door, but not the door to the room they were in; someone was at the main gate.
"Your father went out this early in the morning?" Blaze asked Noor, and she answered, "No, nobody went out yet."
Someone came this early in the morning, and it wasn't someone expected.
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