Chapter Six

Lord Arman Butshaf had just finished a cup of wine while at the dining table with his wife, Meredith. Being the most known and richest person in the world, it was normal for his breakfast to be a feast. “More wine!” He ordered, and a servant rushed with a jug full of red wine, pouring it carefully into his cup to avoid spilling it on the ground, or on the master. It was a big offence to spill drinks on the Almighty Lord Arman Butshaf. Servants were beaten, and if not lucky, beaten to death! 

“My Lord! News from the 43rd battalion has arrived” The voice of General Cenred put the breakfast to a pause as he approached Butshaf with a neat scroll in his hand. “Here my Lord.” He stretched the scroll forth to his master but Butshaf waved it away. 

“Just tell me what's in the letter Cenred.” He took a sip of the fine wine. 

“Sorry my Lord, my loyalty does not permit me to read letters directed specially to you. So I did not read this one.” Cenred took a step back, his hands crossed behind him. 

“In all your years of service to me, you've proven to be very loyal, Cenred.” Butshaf rose from the chair he sat in. “I want you to know that when we finally take over the world, when I become the king of every single kingdom in existence, you will be right by my side.” He moved towards the General, taking the scroll from his hand. 

“It's always an honour to serve you, Sire.”

Butshaf read the contents of the scroll and looked back at Cenred with an angry face. “Any problem? My Lord!” 

“The 43rd battalion has failed me again!” His voice was deep! When angry, it could send vibrations down his wife's spine. She lost her comfort when she heard him scream in anger. “They have failed me again, and again!” He hit the table so hard the jug of wine shook to the floor, breaking to pieces. 

“What is it my Lord?” Cenred walked closer, being the only one who knew how to communicate with the angry Lord, not even his wife could calm him down. 

“Two years, it's been two years and the 43rd battalion of Doshikans has been unable to make the people of Westlands swear their allegiance to me. And now they send word that a prisoner who escaped from them turns out to be the Bushika!”

“The Bushika? We've been hunting for the Bushika for so long we even thought he was dead. Now they find him but they let him slip through their fingers!” 

“The letter says they didn't know it was him. But word has spread through the village that the Bushika has risen and is on a quest to defeat me!”

“Impossible! No one can defeat the great Lord Arman Butshaf. No one! “ Cenred assured. 

“I fancy your praise and confidence, Cenred. But we must do something about this.”

“What do you suggest we do?”

“Send word to commander Zhain, I want every town, every village and city to know that whoever captures the Bushika and brings him to me, will be rewarded with a hundred thousand pieces of gold!”

*****

“When I was in prison with the old man, Trent, he told me that this medallion could only work on someone from his bloodline. I've been thinking about that since then.” Alves said in continuation of a long conversation that had been going on between him and Arithayal while Nhevia left to get fruits from the wizard's garden. 

“Alves, there are secrets hidden in the air we breathe everyday. And each day you live, you draw closer to uncovering such secrets.”

“You're trying to tell me there is a secret about my bloodline?” He wished the wizard would go straight to the point. 

“You are from Trent’s bloodline! The man who gave you the medallion in prison.”

“How is that possible? I never knew him and no one in my family ever mentioned him. I only met him in prison.” His voice was mixed with doubts. 

“I hate to break the news to you in this way, Alves. The man you grew up knowing to be your father, was not really your father!”

“What? That can't be true, and how do you know?” He shifted back on the bed he sat on, in disbelief. 

“I know because I was involved in your birth!”

Everything became more complicated for Alves. Just being told that the man he loved and looked up to, right from childhood, was not his real father, his watery eyes tried to find a distraction, looking everywhere else in the room but at Arithayal’s eyes. 

“You were involved in my birth? How?” His voice cracked as he tried to hold in the tears, he looked around hoping Nhevia wasn't anywhere close. Then he let the tears drop.

“Alves, I am the great wizard Arithayal. And this is the story of your birth. Orman, the man you grew up knowing to be your father, he married your mother a long time ago. He was a good friend to me and Trent Auriel. We used to gamble, drink and have fun in old taverns when I was a younger wizard, using my magic to get pretty girls and steal from people. We were young and maybe really stupid. Orman was very happy with your mother, but his joy was stolen when he found out that he couldn't get her pregnant. So he came to us, his friends, in search of help. And that's when we all agreed on a plan. I used my magic to take the appearance of Orman and gave it to Trent Auriel, with that, your mother would look at Trent thinking it's her husband Orman. He slept with her every night until one day, she was finally pregnant. I switched back their identities and they went back to living their lives normally. But Orman wasn't contempted, he asked me to cast the spell again so that he could have a daughter. I did it, and that's how your sister was born. Your real name is not Alves Orman. You are Alves Trent! You come from his bloodline, a bloodline traced to the beginning of the history of Bushikas, and that's what makes you special. You are born to be a hero!”

*****

The door opened powerfully revealing Nhevia with a basket full of fruits and a paper in hand. Her panting was accompanied with sweat. She dropped the basket on the table, sat on the chair beside her as she tried to fan herself with the paper she held tightly. 

“What is wrong Nhevia?” Alves went closer to her, his voice full of concern and scepticism. 

“They… They almost had me!” She struggled to articulate. 

“Who almost had you?”

“Some market men who saw me taking this poster.” She said handing over the paper to Alves. 

“What? A hundred thousand gold pieces?” He exclaimed after seeing the content of the paper handed over to him. It was a  boldly made picture of him printed on the poster with the saying ‘Wanted!’ The reward written below. 

“Yes, Alves, pictures are everywhere in the market and the people are serious about this. They wanted to fight me when they saw me taking this one.”

Arithayal came forward to take the paper. “It appears it's no longer safe for you to be here. The bounty hunters all over will not stop until they get to you. And in this town, no one has ever escaped when a bounty is placed on their head.”

“Oh no, I'm dead!”