Rana: Sunfire Empire

Rana: Sunfire Empire
1
Introduction
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Sincerely,
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2
Chapter 1
The river Lorreta was already wild, somehow sensing the events ahead with anticipation. She
crashed against the stones blocking her way but they showed no interest in moving. Kai
Zanaro watched the scene without betraying any emotion. He had been down the river many
times over the years and had grown very fond of its wild ways. Moving along with the river
made him calm.
Right now, Kai was focused on the Warrior Competition. This was an event that he had been
preparing for all his life. In fact, it transcended his life because this destiny had been chosen
for him by his lineage. The warrior blood ran strongly through Kai's ancestors, right up to his
father, and Kai was determined to live up to the standards set by them. There was one more
factor that motivated Kai above all else: to find out what had really happened to his parents.
The Warrior Competition was held once every ten years and the winner became the leader of
the entire armed forces, the Chief Warrior, of the Rana empire. This was a tradition going
back over one thousand years uninterrupted. The post of Chief Warrior was the most coveted
position for all warriors from birth. In addition to Kai, there were seven other competitors who
had qualified for the Warrior Competition. Kai had grown up with them all and he knew that
he was the best. But he also knew that chance played a role in the outcome and so was now
totally focused on winning the Warrior Competition.
Kai was not especially tall and his physique was not the most muscular, but his enduring
training over the years had led him to be seen as the leading warrior of his young generation.
Kai's dark hair was kept short in the warrior style and he wore no special jewellery. His blue
eyes did not reveal emotion and people sometimes found him cold for that reason. Smiling
did not come naturally to Kai but on the odd occasion when he did laugh, it was loud and
long, as if the laugh had been caged in his stomach for many years before finally escaping.
A large crowd gathered above the contestants on a wooden balcony. Family and supporters
exchanged gossip and made wagers on the outcome. It was a scorching summer afternoon,
with heat that meant everyone was sweating even though they simply stood still and talked.
The crowd was packed in close together and the buzz of the gossip made it appear like a
swarm of insects from afar.
These were the people of Rana, an ancient civilization founded over 1,200 years earlier.
Over the centuries, prosperity came and went in cycles but the basic structure of the society
remained unchanged. This was the solid foundation which supported everything great that
the Rana civilization had accomplished. There were many secrets, legends and theories
about the history and beliefs of Rana. The most important idea was that the mandate to rule
came from the sun in the form of the Sunfire.
Kai was not thinking about the Rana civilization or even the Warrior Competition. His mind,
body and spirit were all focused on one thing - the raging water in the river below him.
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The falcon was released in the air with a scream that instantly stopped the crowd - the signal
for the start of the river race. Without hesitation, Kai took his sleek wooden boat and was
immediately on the way down the river. The rushing sound of the river quickly drowned out
the buzz of the crowd behind.
Crash!
“Ahhhggh!”
“What, noooo!”
Two boats collided side to side, damaging both and ending the race for the two competitors.
They were not physically injured but leaving the race at such an early point was a huge
disappointment for them. The six remaining warriors managed to start the race without major
incident and were moving quickly down the river.
Kai did not see what happened to the others because he was out in front, as expected. His
actions were instinctive, there was no thought involved. He mind was in a state of Wan,
focused only on action in the present moment. There was no reminiscing about the many
times he had traveled on the Lorreta, no anticipation of what would happen after the race and
even no conscious analysis of what to do. It was all reflex, all Wan.
The top of the Lorreta was fairly straight forward, it presented no major challenges and the
main focus was on speed. Of course, moving at fast speed meant that any mistakes would
end the race because the light boats being used were designed for speed, not durability. Kai
was already extending his lead. He always enjoyed this portion of the Lorreta, the freedom
created by speed. The wind rushed to past him, almost causing a sensation of flying along
the river. He did not look back and did not think about the others. From time to time, tree
branches hanging over the side of the river brushed against him, but otherwise nothing was
slowing him down. This continued for some time until he completed the first section of the
Lorreta with no surprises.
Now came the tricky part. The middle section had wild rapids that required agility and quick
reaction, not speed. Kai slowed his sleek boat as he entered the rapids. The water found its
way through a labyrinth of stones and the only way to get through was to follow the water as
closely as possible. Even so, water was constantly pushing against the boat, trying to crash it
into the rocks. Navigating this section was both a mental and physical test. The mental test
was about being able to stay calm in the face of crashing waves. The physical test was in
having the strength to literally force the boat to follow the water's path despite the tremendous
pressure from the water. This section of the Lorreta was the most difficult to finish and some
had even lost their lives.
Kai was able to maintain his Wan the whole time. The physical challenge was harder.
Swerving to the right, his boat quickly approached two rocks with no space in between them.
Kai stuck his oar out in front and pushed hard against one of the rocks, using his whole body.
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The boat slid above the other rock and made a scraping sound as it went over, and then
crashed into the water below. Kai was engulfed in water but emerged unscathed as the boat
had managed to avoid permanent damage. He knew this was a lucky break. While Kai had
struggled with the rocks, his competitors had caught up and one of them, Gurtos, had even
managed to move ahead.
Very soon they would reach the Triple Wild waterfalls, named after the fact that three
waterfalls came one after another. Gurtos was still in the lead and went smoothly down the
first waterfall. Kai had a different strategy. Leading up to the first waterfall, he had increased
his speed by using his oar. Instead of falling down the first waterfall, Kai flew from the top of
the first waterfall to the bottom of the third waterfall. He soared over Gurtos with water
dripping down from his boat. When Kai landed, he struggled immensely to surface again with
control. Eventually he was able to make it back on top of the water and was in the lead once
again as Gurtos was just finishing the second waterfall.
Now only the final section was left, which was full of twists and turns, like a snake winding its
way down the mountain. This was Kai's favourite section, where he did the best because he
could navigate the turns without losing speed. The water banks were covered by trees in this
section, with branches hanging over the water, adding to the sense of narrowness. Still, Kai
knew the timing of the turns by instinct because he had been down the Loretta so many
times. Left, three seconds and then right, three seconds and then left, three seconds and
then right, "Ahhh, help me!" A woman's scream broke Kai's concentration. Kai looked over to
his left, the direction of the scream. Then darkness hit.
Just as Kai was facing a major test in his life, the entire Rana civilization was about to face
the largest test since it had been founded. Weaknesses had developed over time. Some of
these weaknesses were getting bigger, like a silent volcano building energy, just waiting for an
opportunity to erupt. As a general view, the people of Rana felt themselves as superior and
every other group as inferior. The inferior people could improve by becoming enlightened and
following Faith. The merchants were mostly from a different people that the Rana had
conquered many centuries ago, the Durani. The Durani were a very successful civilization in
their own history but they lacked the military power of the Rana. When it came to commerce
and trade, the Durani had established more sophisticated methods and these were adopted
by the Rana empire. So, in a mutually beneficial arrangement, the Durani focused on trading
and commerce within the Rana empire and the empire benefited from this enhancement in its
economy. But beyond the money, social tensions were common. The Durani people were
not able to join the elite part of society in Rana, despite some of them being very wealthy and
enjoying a luxurious life. The Durani merchants were not allowed to be lords, warriors or
clerics but had to officially follow Faith. The elites of Rana were always suspicious of the
morals that these merchants possessed. Likewise, the merchants were very aware of the
limitations that they faced in Rana.
Most of the slaves in Rana were from another race that was conquered by Rana, the Sukodi.
The Sukodi had a very strong religion that emphasized no violence. When the two
civilizations first met, Rana was able to easily overtake the Sukodi civilization and made the
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people its slaves. However, there was far less success in changing the religious beliefs and
the Sukodi maintained their loyalty to the non violent religion that they followed, Latura. The
Latura religion is believed to have existed even before Rana or Faith. Meditation and self
enlightenment were emphasized by Latura, but it was practiced in secret. Long ago, the
Rana civilization had made many aggressive attempts to convert the Sukodi to Faith but over
time they gave up this ambition and instead focused on using the Sukodi people as slaves
without trying to convert them.
Finally, there was one group of people whom the Rana had not been able to conquer. They
lived on a large island east of the main continent. These people, known as the Terigi, were
fierce warriors and every attempt that Rana had made in its history of invading this island had
been successfully repelled. Over time, a trading relationship built up between the two groups,
with the Durani doing the actual trading. The Terigi produced amazing spices that the elite
Rana craved and in return, the Rana sent a rare plant that the Terigi used in their religious
rituals to achieve a state of mind alteration. Both sides were happy with the arrangement and
the Durani made a healthy profit in between. The Terigi were not believers in Faith and
instead had a very strong religion that was tied to the land. The Terigi were fierce warriors but
the elites of Rana had little respect for the society and people of the Terigi. Likewise, the
Terigi generally disliked the people of Rana.
The history of Rana and its surrounding civilizations was greatly affected by the physical
geography around them. The people of Rana viewed their good fortune in inhabiting the most
fertile land on the main continent as an indication of their destiny as the leader of the world.
The main continent that the Rana civilization had dominated contained a vast mountain range
which separated the north from the south. Legend has it that the two parts were formerly
separate islands which collided in the ocean, resulting in the dramatic mountains in the
middle.
To the south of the mountains was a dry desert landscape. There were some towns scattered
across the territory but it was mostly a lawless frontier. The main attraction in this desert was
Arathaso, the rare plant that was so highly valued by the Terigi due to its ability to create mind
altering states. Durani merchants were aggressive in growing Arathaso in the desert and then
had an official right to sell it on behalf of the Rana empire to the Terigi. But Arathaso was also
a source of danger. In the Rana empire, the clerics had decided long ago that Arathaso was
dangerous to Faith and so it was declared illegal for use inside the empire. Criminals
smuggled Arathaso to both Rana and the Terigi and sold it illegally. As a result, there were
also many criminals who tried to raid and steal Arathaso in the desert. The combination of
greed and crime was an endless cycle in the desert, making it a very dangerous place even
for people who had no interest in Arathaso.
The Rana civilization was mostly located north of the mountains, where much of the
landscape was forest and productive land for farming. This was the geographical home of the
Rana civilization. The farms were very productive, able to grow rice, which was the most
bountiful crop in the entire world. Lords managed the farmers and the farmers managed the
slaves. Life was far from comfortable for the slaves but starvation was rare. The warriors
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commanded armies of slaves to enforce law and order. Clerics developed the moral
foundation of the society while lords developed the more detailed law. The order and
structure of this civilization was a huge contrast to the lawless land in the southern desert.
The mountains acted as a buffer between the orderly north and the chaotic south. The
population of the mountains was small and it was mostly outcasts from Rana. There were
some former clerics, warriors and artisans who rejected the society and decided to live more
solitary lives hidden among the mountains. There were no towns as such, only small huts
scattered in the mountain ridges. Despite the small number of people living in the mountains,
many of them had powerful ideas that were in direct conflict with the Rana civilization.
Rumours and legend were told about these figures.
It was at the northern side of this mountain range, named the Kander, where the river Lorreta
was to be found. This was the starting point of the great Warrior Competition that was held
once every ten years. The Lorreta was neither the largest nor the most important river for the
Rana civilization in terms of agriculture, but it was the wildest. It was the river of the warriors.
The warrior tradition dated back to the beginning of the Rana empire.
Kai awoke from his darkness to see faces surrounding him. “Thank Faith that you were
saved,” the voice of Beth stood out, as did her smiling face with streaks of tears running down
her cheeks while she held Kai's hand tightly. Kai looked around with only vague recollection
of what had happened.
“It looks like you had an accident,” the voice of Devan, the current Head Warrior, who had
chosen not to compete for the defence of his title. “Lucky for you, Gurtos was able to save
you on the way down. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened.”
Gurtos tried to downplay his heroics, “Kai, you would have done the same thing in my place.
It's all a part of the code.”
Kai slowly realized the situation. Somehow he had been knocked unconscious during the
river race and Gurtos had saved his life. “My life is forever in your debt, Gurtos, and that is
something I shall never forget.”
Beth moved closer and gave Kai a hug as he sat up, “I know how much you wanted to win
this race but I'm just happy to see you alive.” That's when the sadness of losing the race hit
Kai. Up until that point, he had completely forgotten about the Warrior Competition and now
he realized that his chances of winning had just faded quickly. “So who won the race?” he
asked.
“Gurtos managed to save you and win the race, Kai. He really showed warrior spirit today,”
answered Devan.
“Congratulations Gurtos,” Kai tried his best to muster a smile but it was all he could do before
fainting back into unconsciousness.
7
Chapter 2
King Bridan was standing at the large balcony in his chamber, looking out onto the
magnificent city of Xini, the capital city of the Rana empire. The king was tall and lean, which
would have made him look young from behind except for his long silver hair. The most
prominent features of the king's face were his eyes, always sharp, and his skin, which had
developed well worn wrinkles of wisdom. King Bridan's lean frame held a surprisingly deep
and strong voice, which added to the gravitas of his presence. Most people found him difficult
to read because he rarely showed strong emotion. This ability to control his emotions was a
skill that had helped the king stay in power. It was not to be confused with a lack of
conviction. Although King Bridan did not abuse his authority, he was not afraid of making
aggressive decisions quickly. This was another skill that had helped the king stay in power.
Xini city was a masterpiece of planning. Wide, tree lined boulevards made transport a
pleasure in itself rather than a means to arrive at a destination. There were stunning temples
that sparkled in the landscape, mirroring the stars at night. The House of Lords stood
majestically on the Hill of Justice along with the king's castle. The Hill of Justice was the
center of political power in the kingdom or Rana.
Three knocks on the door to the chamber, crisp but patient, the signature of only one person.
“Greetings, my king,” Lord Amaro smiled as he entered the king's chamber. Lord Amaro wore
his traditional grey outfit, which matched his personality. Originally not very tall, he had
acquired a bent posture in his old age. His hair had almost completely fallen out now and this
made his large ears and nose stand out as the main features of his face. Beyond this
unimpressive exterior, there was a very keen intellect. In addition, although he did not leave
an impression on most people, Lord Amaro was a very careful observer of others. No detail
escaped his attention. A person's clothing, their body gestures, involuntary facial
expressions, voice pitch and all other behaviour were constantly scrutinized by Lord Amaro as
a habit. He had gotten so good at this that it was reflex. Most people did not even notice that
he was observing them because they were not impressed by him. In fact, most people
underestimated Lord Amaro and his enemies only found out his true skills when it was too
late.
“Lord Amaro, please give me the benefit of your wisdom about the land,” replied the king.
“All is well, my king. The Warrior Competition has begun. It appears that Gurtos Luredo has
won the river competition.”
The king raised an eyebrow in surprise, “interesting, what happened to Kai Zanaro?
Everyone expected him to lead the way.”
“My king,” Lord Amaro paused to find the right words, “my understanding is that the Zanaro
boy somehow missed one of the turns in section three of the river and was knocked
unconscious. The Luredo boy actually rescued him and won the race.”
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“That's why we have this competition instead of awarding it based on perception. If Zanaro
isin't up to the task, then this is the right way to find out. All right, what else?” asked the king.
“Preparation is going well for the Sunfire Festival. The clerics are, as usual, not saying much
but they assure me that they are well prepared,” said Lord Amaro with a small smile.
The king mirrored with a smile of his own, “I wouldn't expect anything less. If that's
everything, thank you Amaro.”
“Actually, my king,” Lord Amaro hesitated slightly, “there is one more issue. The rumours of a
plot against you continue to stay in the background.”
The king showed no surprise but asked, “Do we have any evidence against any person or
group?”
Lord Amaro sighed, “My King, it is hard to know with any certainty. There are faint whispers
but not much more. Some are saying that the merchants are up to something. Others are
saying that a few renegade lords are up to no good, perhaps joined by some warriors and
clerics. But it is hard to know if the whispers have any truth behind them or if these are plots
from tricksters.”
“Perhaps we need to shake the grass to scare the snake,” the King said while looking out the
window at the beautiful garden outside of his castle.
“What do you suggest my king?” asked Lord Amaro.
“I have an idea but now is not the time. I'll let you know when the timing is at hand. Thank
you Amaro,” said the king and turned back to look out at the beautiful garden.
“Thank you, my king,” Lord Amaro bowed and walked softly out of the door to the king's
chamber.
Soon after that meeting, it was time for an official House of Lords session. The King attended
these sessions as did every lord in Rana. They were held five times each year for two day
sessions. This was an opportunity for the lords to debate amongst themselves and of course
to present proposals to the king. Given the long tradition of the kingdom and the very
successful reign of King Bridan, criticism of the empire was not heard during these meetings.
Instead, most of the lords spent time trying to boast about their accomplishments, either
political or even getting to the level of personal hobbies. King Bridan felt this was a small
price to pay in order to maintain harmony and so he allowed these self indulgent speeches.
They helped to reduce the risk of dissent. Of course, the recent talks of some possible
discontent among the lords made King Bridan particularly watchful of any strange behaviour.
Lord Chesimo spoke first and started with a suitably pompous subject. The king could barely
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conceal his contempt behind a smile. “My king, my lords. I am pleased to report that the
flowers in my district have set new records for bloom variety in the history of the Rana
civilization.” He then proceeded to list each of the 207 varieties of flowers that was
successfully grown that season. The speeches continued along the same manner.
Near the end of the two days of boastful speeches, the session finally found time to discuss
the laws of the land. King Bridan felt that the best way to head off any unrest was to have
more money to spend on the right people. In order to get the money, the only serious option
was to increase the tax on Arathaso. This had not been done during the previous five years
and so it was something that was due to happen anyways. It was a natural move and did not
find any opposition among the lords. In fact, many of the lords looked forward with
anticipation to a higher tax on Arathaso as they were jealous of the rising prosperity that the
Durani had enjoyed through the profit made from selling Arathaso. The king, having the
benefit of perspective, knew that the Durani provided a valuable service to the Rana empire
by doing the dirty work of supplying Arathaso to the Terigi. King Bridan was a pragmatist and
knew that a prosperous Durani helped to make a prosperous Rana empire. Because of their
prosperity, he knew that the Durani would have no choice but to accept the tax increase. It
was the only way forward.
Beth Amaro was Lord Amaro's daughter. She was also Kai Zanaro's girlfriend. She was on
her way to become a lord, like her father and one day would be married to Kai Zanaro. They
would make a very powerful couple.
The first thing that people noticed about Beth was her brown eyes, which were warm and
inviting. The second thing was her natural smile, which she loved to show. Beth was short
and slim, so her physical stature was small, but she always stood out in a group because of
her ability to relate to people and socialize.
“Kai, I know how much the Warrior Competition means to you,” Beth tried to soothe the
emotions of the young warrior while massaging his shoulders, “so you should still try your
best, there is still a chance to win.”
“Don't worry Beth,” Kai said with quiet confidence, “the idea of giving up on winning hasn't
crossed my mind. I'm thankful to Gurtos for saving my life but that won't distract me.”
“Of course, if you don't win, I'll still be here for you. You will always be my favourite warrior
regardless of what happens,” Beth continued to console him. But for Kai, this was too much,
he did not want to discuss alternatives to victory and did not respond but instead looked out of
the window into the rolling green hills.
Those same hills were where Kai and Beth spent so many days first playing together as
children and more recently on romantic walks. They were two very different personalities.
Kai was the headstrong warrior who did not say much. People who did not like him called him
stubborn while his friends felt he was loyal. Beth was outgoing, able to get along with
everyone it seemed. She could hold an intellectual conversation with lords about history,
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society and law and right after that spend time with young children playing carefree games.
Kai always marveled at this ability to adapt to different groups of people because he knew
that he was not able to do this at all. For Kai, his friends and family were most important and
he upheld the Warrior Code at all times. Beyond that, he felt no urge to be especially friendly
to people and certainly did not smile much. It seemed to him that Beth was always able to
smile about something. There was certainly no other person that Kai had ever met who had
this ability, he saw it as her natural gift.
What had attracted Beth to Kai was that his warrior toughness was combined with a kind
heart and she saw many examples of Kai helping the weak and vulnerable as they were
growing up. The one that stood out in her memory was a small but touching gesture. An
older slave had been walking close to the group and suddenly fell over, obviously weak.
While everyone else around the slave recoiled away and tried to ignore the situation, Kai
immediately moved towards the slave and helped him get up. Helping people was an instinct
to Kai, something that could not be taught.
Of course, the fact that Beth was the daughter of Lord Amaro and Kai was the son of Mataeo
Zanaro made the situation a happy one in terms of family acceptance. The blood lines were
strong on both sides of the family. In order to marry Beth, Kai would have to ask permission
of Lord Amaro. If he was able to win the Warrior Competition, then this would be a mere
formality. If he did not win the Warrior Competition? Kai wasn't interested in thinking about
this possibility. His mind was in a state of Wan.
“The Sunfire Festival is starting soon,” Beth said gently, “come on, it'll be fun.” Kai said
nothing but rose and the couple made their preparations for going to the Sunfire Festival.
The festivities commenced with an address by the king. “Greetings and good Faith to you all.
We have joined together once again, on this holy day, to celebrate our renewed vows of Faith.
Before we enjoy the festivities, let us not forget that which is being celebrated. The Sunfire
Festival has a long and deep tradition. First of all, we are giving thanks to the fire that created
this world, without which we could not exist. Secondly, we are renewing our Faith in order to
pursue the righteous path of living. Finally, this is the time to remember that we should strive
to enjoy old friendships and also make new ones – strong in Faith, strong in unity. Now, let's
enjoy!” Thus, the king's address marked the official start of the celebration.
Lord Amaro was partaking in the festivities at the main table with King Bridan. Now that the
King had spoken, it was tradition for the Lords to toast the kingdom based on rank. Lord
Amaro started the toasts “To the health of King Bridan, to the health of the Rana Kingdom!”
and so began an evening of free flowing wine and a seemingly endless supply of food. The
music started to play soon after the food was served and as time passed, more and more
people started to dance.
Almost everyone was in a joyful mood during the festivities. Children were running around
playing games, not paying attention to the music. Older people were sitting in chairs, half
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watching and half remembering celebrations from years past. Most young people were
dancing and laughing. But not Beth and Kai.
“Come on Kai, let's dance,” said Beth, eyeing the group of people dancing.
“I'm really not in the mood,” Kai pulled away from Beth “I need to practice my forms.” He
walked back home away from the crowd of people.
Beth knew it would be pointless trying to convince Kai to stay, the Warrior Competition was
too important to him. Well, she didn't have to be warrior and there was no law against having
fun. Beth spotted some friends and headed over to them.
The climax of the entire evening was the Sunfire dance performed by some of the clerics. It
was a combination of acrobatics, danger and symbolism designed to evoke the power of the
Sunfire. Fifteen clerics emerged on stage, eight of them holding six foot long sticks with large
flames on each end of the stick. The other seven held larger structures: there were three
pushing platforms that held giant circles that were effectively rings of fire. Another group held
two sets of ropes twenty meters long, fully emblazened with fire. The group then proceeded
to show dances and intricate forms that glorified the Sunfire.
Sid Neetura looked over the second largest city in the Rana empire, Geraud. This was the
home of the Durani, in the southern district of the Rana. The Durani were a practical people.
They did not need war, religion or empire. What they craved was a better life, for themselves
and for their families. The Rana empire gave the Durani this opportunity, especially during the
reign of King Bridan. And none of the Durani merchants was as successful during this time as
Sid Neetura. Sid was the biggest exporter of Arathaso in the kingdom. Even so, it was such
a big business that all of Sid's exports were only 1/20th of the estimated total.
Because of his success, Sid was able to enjoy life. He was short and his stomach had
expanded gradually, but not excessively, over time. Usually, his shirt was left partially sticking
out of his trousers and it was not uncommon for there to be a stain or two on his clothes. His
hair, or what was left of it, had mostly turned white while his grey and white mustache
overflowed his rather large mouth, which also held a cigar most of the time. Sid had more
money than he had ever dreamed of as a child but he enjoyed the game. He got up early
every morning excited about the next opportunity to make money, especially if it was at
someone else's expense. Counterbalancing this aggressiveness was a genuine desire to
leave a legacy. In recent years, Sid had spent more time donating money and time to support
education of young children. Still, in the end, even this was part of the game for him.
Just as the king's castle gave King Bridan a splendid view of Xini city, the opulent mansion of
Sid Neetura provided a similar view over Geraud. But the cities themselves had totally
contrasting personalities. Whereas Xini was a planned, immaculate grid, Geraud was a
series of small alleyways that had been originally set up to confuse invaders. To get around
the city, maps were almost of no use, there was only experience. The houses were mostly
joined together in walls and made of the same blue concrete. Inside, however, it was another
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story. The houses of Geraud had some of the most opulent interiors in all of Rana. Many of
them had exquisite artwork, furniture and rugs. There was none more opulent than the house
of Sid Neetura.
In addition to being his residence, Sid's main house was also the place where he conducted
his business. Throughout the day, visitors would come to his house and ask for favours,
make business deals or simply pay their respects. If one was conducting business in the city
of Geraud, it was wise to make sure that Sid approved. Sid was careful to never get directly
involved in any areas which could be on the wrong side of the law, but business required a
certain moral toughness that came naturally to Sid. Over time, people learned that making an
enemy of Sid Neetura was not a smart choice. As part of his schedule, Sid held a weekly
meeting of the leading law abiding Durani merchants once a week in his house. They
exchanged information about business in general but especially about Arathaso. Detailed
data on shipments, supply and demand trends were presented. There was also a discussion
of government interference in the business and also the latest trends of what the lawless
criminals were doing in the illegal smuggling of Arathaso.
The meeting this week was scheduled for the morning after the Sunfire Festival. Officially, the
Durani followed Faith. Most chose to visit the Sunfire Temple each year to at least maintain
the image of Faith in order to avoid trouble from the clerics. So, Sid Neetura and the other
merchants that visited his house that morning had in fact watched the opening part of the
previous evening's festivities. They left very early, however, as they had little interest in
celebrating Faith – it did not move their hearts. That morning, therefore, everyone was ready
to discuss work.
As usual, the meeting started off with an update on basics – shipments, supply and demand
trend. There were no major surprises on this front. Then the discussion became more
animated.
“Sid, the government is already taking 50% of sales in taxes. 35 years ago, the tax was 10%.
Now they are talking about increasing the rate to 55%. That's beyond any point of reason, if
we let it happen, we might as well stick our heads in the sand and let everyone kick us in the
ass!” The frustration was apparent in the voice of Fez Rinando, one of the more aggressive
Durani merchants. Whereas Sid was the established leader, Fez was trying to become the
leader of the next generation. He was tall and slim, always wearing clothes that were in the
latest fashion and very expensive. His eyes were constantly scanning the area, looking for
opportunities and risks, and he was not afraid to speak his mind.
Sid had never liked Fez and he disliked him even more on this particular morning.
“Fez is right. 50% is where we have to take a stand. Once we get beyond 50%, then it's a
slippery slope until we give up 90%. They have to remember that we're the ones following the
law. If we stop, the criminals will have a monopoly and then the fabled Rana empire won't get
any taxes from Arathaso. Without this money, the Rana empire is finished,” the clear voice of
another worried merchant, Bruzo Degenari.
13
Sid listened patiently to each one of the 18 merchants sitting in house spacious reception
room. While the details of what they said were different, they all felt the same way: recent talk
by the government about taking more than 50% of the tax revenue was something which the
merchants could not accept.
“Well gentlemen,” Sid looked around the room and took a trademark puff of his cigar, “it
appears that we have a problem. What we need to find,” another puff, “is a solution.”
Fez had a clear idea of the solution, “we have to make it simple. Rana has to realize that they
will lose more than they will gain if they try to increase the taxes.”
A puff of the cigar by Sid, “what do you have in mind, Fez?”
“We make it clear that if they raise the tax, we will go underground with our operations.”
The room went quiet. Sid took a puff of his cigar. The room stayed quiet.
Sid had built up a reputable business through hard work over the years. This was not
something that he wanted to give up. Fez, on the other hand, had not been nearly as
successful. He had a lot less to lose, a point that was not lost on anyone in the room. On the
other hand, Sid couldn't afford to show weakness in these meetings. He had to be the
strongest, the most aggressive. It was one of the natural laws of business.
“If you make a threat Fez,” a puff on the cigar, “you'd better be willing to follow through.”
“Nothing would make me happier. I'm a creature of the desert. This refined city life is for
refined city people. What about you Sid?” Fez answered without giving any ground.
Sid knew he had no choice in the matter at this point. The last thing he wanted to do was to
jeopardize his reputation and luxurious lifestyle, but this was not the time to back down. “As
you all know, I built up my business through hard work year by year,” puff of the cigar, “and I'm
not willing to simply give it away to some lazy tax collectors. We take a stand.” Cigar put out
for added emphasis.
That same day, later in the evening, there was another meeting in the town of Xini. There
were no merchants invited to this meeting. It was led by Lord Sevetary and attended by five
other lords.
“The time is coming soon when we will have our great opportunity,” Lord Sevetary opened the
discussion. “The new law for a tax increase on Arathaso will be passed by the king.” In the
darkness, it was hard to see any clear features on Lord Sevetary's face, which was to his
liking. As a young man, he had received a deep scar on his left cheek. Nobody knew for sure
how it had gotten there, or at least those that knew did not talk about it. The rest of his face
was not memorable. The same could not be said of his voice. When Lord Sevetary spoke, it
14
was as if a snake were able to speak words while hissing.
“So what if the tax is going up. The tax has been going up for 35 years. Does that mean the
opportunity been in front of our eyes all this time?” one of the attendees, Lord Margeni, was
skeptical of Lord Sevetary's claim.
Lord Sevetary turned his head slowly to face Lord Margeni and gave an icy stare of contempt
for a few seconds before speaking, “you mouth is quick, Margeni, but your mind is slow. I
have called this meeting for good reason. If you cannot wait to hear it before you open your
mouth, maybe we need to cut your tongue off to help you stay quiet.”
“My apologies, Lord Sevetary, it will not happen again,” Lord Margeni answered meekly.
Lord Sevetary continued, “Today the merchants had a meeting, the same meeting that they
have every week. Only it was not the same meeting. There was something different today.
The merchants agreed, and I quote their infamous leader, Sid Neetura, to 'take a stand'.”
Lord Seventary looked at each one of the faces around the table to make sure they
understood the implications of that statement before proceeding. “It has been a number of
years since we first met, twelve to be exact, to discuss the curse of Arathaso. Without this
curse, our empire would cease but with it, the Durani grow stronger year by year, threatening
our way of life from within. Today, we have a chance to save the empire, to save our way of
life. Are you with me?” As Lord Sevetary once again paused to look at each one of the faces
around the table, he could see full agreement in each face.
“We must be well prepared before hand,” Lord Sevetary outlined his plan and put his right
hand on the table, “so that when the time is right, we can move like a snake.” As he finished
the sentence, his right hand lashed out in the middle of the table as an imaginary snake
striking to eat its prey. “First of all, we need to make sure our warrior allies are up to the task
of support. The Durani scum can find criminal mercenaries with no morals to work for them.
Only the strongest warriors will be able to deal with this threat. Secondly, we need to have
the trade links with the Terigi established and the supply Arathaso assured. This can be done
through some outsiders who are based in the desert. They are enemies of Sid Neetura and
so naturally they are our friends. Finally, we have to ensure the House of Lords and the king
support this action. It has been a long time coming, but today's meeting by the merchants will
seal their fate. Neither the king nor the House of Lords can have the Rana empire held
hostage by a group of bandit merchants. They will support our move. Each of us has a part
to play in this plan. Let's discuss the details.”
And so the discussion carried on late until the early hours of the morning. Within the span of
one day, there were thus two meetings held in Rana that were the sparks of a new fire - a fire
of destruction bent on consuming the entire Rana civilization.
15
Chapter 3
Luceta Zanaro woke up in a sweat. It was the last night before her Test of Faith. Even
though she had been preparing for this moment for so many years, when the night came
there was nothing to stop the nerves.
Luceta was two years older than Kai. They were both passionate but in different areas.
While Kai was a warrior, like his father, Luceta was training to be a cleric, like her mother.
Luceta had grown up with the same questions as Kai about their family and she embraced
Faith as a way of trying to go deeper to understand of people and through that find out what
had happened to their parents. Being the older sibling, Luceta was naturally protective of Kai
and shielded him from some of the more bitter comments about their parents from others. In
fact, she had a well earned reputation for protecting all of the weak in society. In particular,
she was a strong advocate for the better treatment of slaves and spent most of her time and
effort on improving the communication between the clerics of Rana and the slaves who
followed the Latura religion. This was not appreciated by every senior cleric in Faith.
While Kai was taking his warrior test, Luceta was also preparing for the biggest event of her
life so far, the Test of Faith. The Test of Faith needed to be passed before becoming a cleric.
It was a combination of demonstrating theory about Faith and practical evidence of how the
theory benefited Faith. The Council of Clerics would have to approve of her Test of Faith in
order for her to become a cleric. The past rate for the Test of Faith was less than one out of
two, and there was only one chance to take the test in a lifetime. Upon failure, some
applicants switched to try and become lords but many ended up running away to the
mountains or the desert to live a solitary life and were branded as criminals. Luceta's Test of
Faith was going to focus on improving communication with the Sukodi slaves. It was a high
risk topic but one that she believed in strongly.
Before their mother, Rendera, had passed away, she had left some very specific instructions
about who should raise her children in case something should happen to her. The official
guardianship was left with her close friend, Surandu Barthee, a high ranking cleric.
Unofficially, however, she made Surandu promise that the day to day process of raising the
children would be done by Nadel. This created some gossip about the family, because Nadel
was a slave. Yes, it was true that he was a very impressive slave and had worked very well
with the family over the years but this situation amounted to almost giving him full citizen
rights and there were certain people who were very opposed to that possibility. Of course,
Rendera had anticipated this attitude and so she made sure that the guardianship agreement
with Surandu followed the exact letter of the law and nothing was left to chance.
Nadel had been born before Randera and her husband Mattaeo and had an abundance of
experience. But he was a man of few words. When he spoke, instead of giving answers to
questions, he answered questions with riddles. Whenever Kai asked Nadel his most
repeated question “Nadel, what do you think really happened to my parents?” the reply was
always some type of a riddle.
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“When a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, do you keep looking for the caterpillar?” was a typical
response from Nadel. Despite the frustration of conversation like this, Nadel was otherwise
very generous to Kai and his sister, Luceta. So, even though officially Nadel was a slave, in
reality he was like family to both Kai and Luceta.
Now, in the still night, Luceta could hear the whispers of the Council of Clerics in the
background, as if they were in the room. She knew the basics of what they would ask, it was
not hard to predict even though it was kept secret.
It wasn't just the questions themselves. It was also that the clerics on the council were such
strong personalities. Surandu was one of the inspirations for Luceta, and she was now on the
Council. Even though Surandu had kept her promise to let Nadel raise the two children, she
had a special relationship with Luceta and they had spent many sessions over the years
discussing Faith and what it meant. Surandu had encouraged Luceta to pursue her area of
focus on the slaves because she agreed philosophically with Luceta's views. That wasn't true
of everyone on the Council of Clerics. Of all the clerics, Genta Hidanto was the most openly
hostile to Luceta's views of slaves. Genta placed supreme value on the purity of Faith and
felt that contact with non-believers diluted the purity of Faith. He felt that there was no basis
for discussion with other religions and that anyone who does not follow Faith is automatically
an enemy of Faith. So, even on the Council of Clerics, composed of the most senior seven
clerics in Faith, there was significant disagreement about some basic issues. Of course, this
was partly by the design of the Doja, the most senior cleric, named Masoro Tenir. Masoro
stayed in the middle of the debate but made sure that both moderate and extreme views were
always represented on the Council of Clerics, to give him the flexibility to lean one way or the
other, depending on the circumstances.
As long as the words of the clerics echoed through her mind, there was no chance of sleep.
Luceta needed to focus on something else. Naturally, her mind drifted towards the warm
memories of time spent with Nadel when growing up. Nadel knew that Luceta and Kai had
different personalities and so he treated the accordingly. With Kai, he would spend most of
his time encouraging the young boy to practice his forms and train his warrior spirit. With
Luceta, Nadel would engage in dialogues, using his various riddles to make her find the
answers on her own. Sometimes they had playful discussions and other times they were very
serious. He would ask her things like, “Luceta, what should you do if you meet a talking
frog?” and after she gave up trying to think of something profound, he would come up with
“say hello, pleasure to meet you.” On the serious side, they spent a great deal of time on the
subject of freedom, and the importance of having the freedom to discuss different points of
view openly.
Of course, Nadel did not make these statements outright but instead he wrapped them up in
his riddles and questions. When Luceta asked Nadel if he was happy as a slave when she
was a young child, he replied “Of course I am happy, happy to be with you, your family and
my friends. All the rest is just an empty stomach that can never be filled.” When she asked
for Nadel's advice as to whether she should pursue becoming a lord, warrior or cleric, he said
“my dear, you have a heart that can move mountains, that is more powerful than any sword or
17
title.” Earlier during the day before her Test of Faith, his parting words were “Luceta,
remember, this is not a test to see whether you are good enough for the clerics. It is a test to
see whether the clerics are good enough for you.”
Faith was intimately tied to the history of Rana itself. Faith was founded by Kazuri Ranawan
and his name was also the basis for the name Rana. Before the Rana kingdom started, each
of the main cities were independent and these city states fought each other although they
also did exchange trade and ideas in between fighting. Ranawan was the ruler of one of
these city states. At that time, most of the emphasis of the society of each state was to
protect from war and to wage war. Thus, most people were either fighters or supported the
act of fighting. It was a warrior society. All of the city states were well defended, however, so
none of them were able to build up a strong enough army to overcome the others. The only
constant was endless violence. Ranawan the ruler also had a family but while he was away
from his city on a campaign, one of his enemies sent assassins that took the life of his wife
and children. When Ranawan returned, he was devastated at the loss of his family. He
decided to give up fighting and to meditate in the mountains to find an answer to the endless
cycle of war. He put his most trusted warrior in charge, Ashanto, and gave him only one
instruction: Ashanto could only defend the city from attack, he was not allowed to attack other
cities. In this way, Ranawan felt secure that the city would have a strong chance to survive
and he could focus his mind on finding the answers he sought rather than worry about events
in the city.
Ranawan found an isolated spot in the mountains where he sometimes lived in a cave and
sometimes in a treehouse that he built. He spent his time gathering food, protecting himself
from any danger and thinking. Lots of thinking. The days turned to months, the months
turned to years. Finally, after five years in the mountains, Ranawan awoke one morning in
the forest with a complete overview of Faith imprinted in his mind. He literally ran back to his
city over the next few days so that he could start to share Faith as soon as possible.
Ranawan returned to the city a changed man. Most did not recognize his physical
appearance. His hair was long, his clothes were ragged and he wore no shoes. But he
carried a message that would change the future.
Ashanto met with Ranawan as soon as he had heard that the former leader had returned. It
had been five more years of conflict while Ranawan had been away and Ashanto was keen to
hear Ranawan's ideas. He even asked Ranawan to return as the leader of the city but
Ranawan refused, saying his destiny was to spread Faith. He described Faith in detail to
Ashanto.
Faith had one goal: free oneself of desire to become one with the source of fire. This goal
recognized that people were united as a part of the world and that the world's energy was
from the fire that originally created the world. Everyone was viewed as having a purpose in
life that could best be fulfilled only by not being distracted by the transient elements of life.
Freeing oneself of desire allowed one to fulfill one's unique destiny as part of the world and
the fire that originally created the world.
18
Ranawan described three paths to the reach the goal of Faith: First, one could love others
and serve people. Second, one could make the world more beautiful. Third, one could focus
on Faith. These paths covered a wide range of life choices. For example, serving people
could include being a leader with the mandate to serve those who were being led. Making the
world more beautiful could be as simple as smiling or as complicated as playing a musical
instrument with skill. Focusing on Faith was a path that allowed everyone to participate in
Faith, regardless of their vocation or family situation. These paths allowed people to stay free
from desire to fulfill their unique destiny.
In addition to the goal and the three paths, Faith also had the five virtues of the spirit. These
were faith, courage, love, forgiveness and honesty. Ranawan had a detailed reasoning for
each one of the virtues. “Life is full of setbacks and losses. During those times of sadness,
faith is the strongest power we have to keep going. We know that there will be sunshine after
the rain, but our weak minds forget this fact easily. That is why we need a strong faith.
Similarly, when faced with a daunting challenge, it is easy to give up and not try. This is
where courage comes in. No feat of greatness was every accomplished without a strong
dose of courage. Love is the bond between all of us, the fire that connects us together. With
love, we are not simply a large number of people, but a true civilization. Forgiveness is
necessary because we all make mistakes and we all lose control. Forgiveness is the
companion to love, they walk hand in hand. Finally, we need to be honest with ourselves and
honest with others. If we cannot be honest with ourselves, we will not have peace within the
spirit. If we cannot be honest with others, we will not have peace within the land.”
Finally, there were eight principles of living: maintain a moderate lifestyle, respect life and
death, avoid idleness, treat people with fairness, learn from mistakes, observe without
judgement, help those in need and always get up after a fall. Ranawan described the
background for each of those principles.
“There are many good things in life, but too much of anything is not good. Maintain a
moderate lifestyle and you will enjoy the good things in the right amount.
Life and death are among the most important aspects of the world, and we need to respect
both properly. Celebrate life, pay respects to death and do not take life away from others
lightly.
Time only marches forward, and wasting time by doing nothing is a great disservice to your
life. Do nothing and time will forever be your nemesis. Avoid idleness and time will be your
closest ally.
The way we treat others will always come back to us one thousand times stronger. We all
desire to be treated fairly, so it is only natural that we treat others fairly.
Mistakes are a part of life. The key is what one does after they happen. If one does not
learn, then that is the true failure. If one learns and improves, then mistakes are the source of
success.
19
To observe clearly what is happening in the world is difficult. To judge others without thinking
is easy. Our minds are filled with bias and distortion. Put more effort into observing without
judgement.
During each lifetime, there are times when we need help from others. There are also times
when others need our help. Whenever you see someone in need, remember that the bonds
of love are what make us a civilization rather than simply a large group of individuals, and
then go help them.
One thing is certain: you will fall down many times in life. Failure is assured if you stay down.
Success can only be attained if, after falling down, you get up.”
As Ranawan described the goal of Faith, the three paths, five virtues and eight principles,
Ashanto had listened without a word. At his conclusion, Ranawan asked Ashanto, “So, my
old friend, what do you say?”
Ashanto took a few seconds to collect himself, “this is the answer, my old friend, you have
found the answer,” and he had an expression of joy that had not existed on his face until that
day.
From that day Ashanto was converted to Faith. Over the next few years, the people of the
city became convinced to follow Faith but Ranawan and Ashanto took great pains not to force
people to follow Faith. Instead, Ranawan spent his days talking to people, anyone who was
interested to listen. Ashanto, meanwhile, became a follower of Faith but spent his time ruling
the city. It was during these years that their city, Xini, started to transform into something
different.
Over time, travelers from other cities marveled at the atmosphere of Xini and how civilized
and strong the city had become. They wanted to know the secret and soon they discovered
Faith. Many of these visitors decided to spend more time in Xini before journeying back to
their cities to spread Faith. As word spread in other cities, some of the other leaders decided
to visit Xini to see in person the new phenomenon. Ashanto and Ranwan welcomed them in
peace.
The first to visit was Garudo, who had admired the way that Ashanto bravely defended Xini
without attacking others. It inspired Garudo to follow a similar model for his city. After visiting
Xini to learn about Faith for the first time, Garudo decided to convert and then became a
frequent visitor. Since Garudo had been know as the fiercest warrior during the olden days of
fighting, other city leaders quickly followed his lead and visited Xini. Despite their unique and
individual characters, they all decided to join Faith within a few years. Thus, over a total span
of less than ten years since Ranawan had returned from his seclusion, the core cities of the
Rana empire had bonded together. As the bonds grew closer, the rulers decided that they
should elect a king. Ranawan was offered the title by all but he suggested a different system.
Rather than be the head of Faith and the king, which he viewed as too much power in one
20
person, Ranawan suggested that there be one leader of Faith, one king and one Chief
Warrior. Thus, power would be distributed among three groups, allowing for more debate to
make the best choices for the new empire. Ranawan was thus chosen to continue leading
Faith, Ashanto was chosen as the first king of the empire and Garudo was the Chief Warrior.
After Ranawan's passing, the empire was named in his honour.
Of course, since the founding of Faith, it underwent change over time. Originally, the
emphasis was on allowing people to reach the goal by changing their behaviour through the
application of the five virtues and eight principles. This required tremendous discipline but the
ideas were simple. Over time, as the number of clerics increased, they spent more energy on
building temples and researching the secrets of controlling fire. Ranawan had spent most of
his time outdoors with people, discussing in the open. He had no time for sitting in temples by
himself. Over time, however, the leadership of Faith came to be dominated by the clerics on
the Council of Clerics. While some of the members spent time discussing with people in the
open, others spent their time secluded in the temples. Whereas Ranwan had only mentioned
the fire source but not emphasized the control of fire by clerics, in later years this became one
of the more important aspects of being a cleric. Thus, Faith of Luceta's age had some
significant differences from the one that Ranawan had originally established.
“Luceta Zanaro, please enter the Council of Clerics room, they are ready for you,” the elderly
cleric invited her to start her Test of Faith. Luceta entered the room through the large double
doorway. She was dressed in the traditional outfit of someone studying Faith who had not yet
passed the the Test of Faith, an orange hooded robe with a simple red string. This signified a
young fire that was not yet mature. The hood was down and her dark brown hair was tied
back in a pony tail, the traditional simple hair style for women of Faith. Her fair skin created a
stark contrast for her large brown eyes. She tried to remove all emotion from her eyes but her
kindness showed through despite her best efforts. This pleased some members of the
Council of Clerics but it also displeased others.
The clerics were seated around a semi-circle table, dressed in the traditional cleric outfit, a
blue hooded robe with a simple white string. This signified a mature fire that was actually
much more powerful.
“Luceta Zanaro, you are here before the Council of Clerics to test your Faith. Are you ready
to proceed?” asked Masoro.
“Yes, Doja. I am ready,” replied Luceta, trying to control her voice so as to conceal any signs
of nervousness, only with partial success.
“Very well, let's proceed. State your thesis for the Council of Clerics please,” replied Masoro.
His white hair was cropped short and his blue eyes had a childish twinkle. A small smile could
be seen hiding at the corners of his mouth and his face was wrinkled with mostly joy. Of
course, during his long life, Masoro had witnessed and endured plenty of hardship and
challenges but his friendly presence was the result of his inner nature. The fact that he was
Doja was evidence of toughness but this toughness was only used when needed. Otherwise,
21
it stayed in the shadows while the friendly, playful twinkle stayed in the sun.
“My thesis is that Faith would benefit from increased communication with the Sukodi people,
especially in discussing how Faith compares with Latura,” this was a sentence that Luceta
had practiced hundreds of times. At this point, her nerves calmed down.
“Very well, let's begin the Test. We will start with cleric Zenti,” said Masaro.
Zenti was a small man with a big mind. He was very knowledgeable and could find the
smallest detail to pick apart in any argument. “How many people Sukodi have you spent time
with in deep intellectual discourse?”
“One,” replied Luceta.
“Does that seem like a large group which could lead to strong conclusions?” asked Zenti.
“No. Clearly that is not a large group. But the-” Luceta was not able to finish her sentence.
“Thank you for your direct answer. I'm not interested in further elaborations on other issues,
just the answer to the question,” Zenti was showing his desire for precision. “Clearly, your
interaction with one Sukodi has had a significant impact on your views. Why have you been
so affected from the comments of just one slave?”
Luceta knew this was a trap meant to get her to start defending the rights of slaves. While
she ultimately despised slavery, she knew that going down this path of discussion would be
the wrong thing to do during the Test of Faith. So she kept her composure. “Although my
time has been with only one slave, he has acted as a window on Sukodi society. This
experience has led me to believe that there are opportunities to communicate with the Sukodi
to the benefit of Faith.”
Zenti seemed satisfied with Luceta's ability to sidestep his trap. “No further questions from
me in this round, Doja.”
“Very well, next is Petaru,” said Masoro.
Petaru was a woman who had a tendency to speak in very complicated sentences. While the
substance of what she said was questioned by some, the content was so well protected that it
was difficult for anyone to actually win an argument with her. Most simply agreed to disagree.
“Luceta, based on what you have told us, it appears to me that you are trying to have us
believe that your approach is innocent, without any hidden motives. Yet, we all know that you
are a woman of great ambition, from a family with a famous, yet somewhat complicated,
history. Given this context, there is a certainly a hesitation on my part to accept that your
stated intention is your true intention and not hiding something that is your true ambition.
Please respond.”
22
Luceta wanted to be clear but she also did not want to offend Petaru by being too short in her
response. “My main objective is as stated, Faith would benefit from increased communication
with the Sukodi people, especially in discussing how Faith compares with Latura. I feel this is
more than enough ambition for me. As for my family, they are dear to my heart and I feel
nothing but pride from their history.”
Petaru said, “Very well, nothing more from me during this round.”
Masoro continued, “Next is Risano.”
The oldest cleric on the Council of Clerics, Risano was one of the friendliest as well. She
spent her days outside, talking to people just like Ranawan had done previously. As part of
her personality, Risano was a straight talker and did not hold back. “We've tried to convert
the Sukodi to Faith. You're a talented young girl, why waste your energy and life on a goal
that won't be accomplished. Shouldn't you do something with your life that can at least
succeed?”
This was the toughest question yet, but Luceta had come well prepared. “Previously, we
have tried to attack and forcefully convert the Sukodi to Faith. This was bound to fail because
the approach was hostile. My goal is less ambitious, it is true, because the measure of
success is not conversion but merely dialogue. However, dialogue can bring benefits to both
the Sukodi and Faith even without full conversion to Faith by the Sukodi. Given this goal, I
strongly believe that success can be achieved.”
“That is my question for this round Doja,” said Risano.
“Next is Nertani,” said Masoro.
Nertani was one of the younger clerics on the Council of Clerics. He spent his time in the
temples, training with the fire. While he was undoubtedly strong with the fire, some
questioned whether he had truly assimilated the five virtues and eight principles as part of his
daily life. “The Sukodi are already our slaves. Are you not playing with fire without the proper
training? What if this increased communication results in the Sukodi renouncing their passive
ways and revolting against the slave system?”
This was a question that Luceta had not anticipated. She paused a few seconds to gather
her thoughts. “If the Sukodi decide to renounce their passive ways, it must mean they also
renounce the Latura religion. In that case, they would naturally follow Faith. As followers of
Faith, they would help make Rana strong. I see this as a benefit to both Faith and the
empire.”
“I fear you have a very optimistic view of the situation. This would not be an easy fire to
control. No more questions from me this round, Doja.”
Masoro continued, “Very well, next is Surandu.”
23
Surandu had to cast aside her personal feelings and ask questions that she thought would be
a strong test for Luceta. “Your suggestion is intriguing. But surely a more senior cleric is
more suitable for the task. You are just testing your Faith now. Why should we consider
sending you as a representative of Faith instead of a more qualified cleric?”
Luceta answered confidently, “My time interacting with Nadel, the slave, has provided me with
cultural context needed to communicate successfully with the Sukodi. While it is true that a
more experienced cleric would have some benefits, I believe the specifics of this goal is to be
able to establish the initial communication lines. The key skill required for this is knowledge of
how to communicate with the Sukodi and this is precisely the skill which I feel is my strength,
even compared to clerics with more experience in Faith.”
“No further questions from me this round, Doja,” Surandu was impressed with the answer by
her protege.
“Very well, next is Genta,” said Masoro.
“Thank you, Doja,” Genta was always going to be one of the most difficult to deal with given
his strong and vocal views about the purity of Faith. “What makes you think you can put Faith
on the same terms as Latura. What gives you the right to insult Faith in such a way?” the
attack started with the first question.
Luceta knew something like this would be coming from Genta. “There was no mention of
Faith being equal with Latura. Just like I have discussions with a slave, who remains a slave
when talking to me, so people from Faith can talk with people from Latura and yet the two
religions can continue to hold unequal positions.”
“Doesn't this discussion, as you call it, simply dilute Faith. The more time you spend talking to
people who follow Latura, the more your Faith will be infected by Latura. And the same
principle holds to anyone from Faith who enters into these so called discussions,” Genta was
not going to give up easily.
“In fact, I believe these discussions will indeed strengthen belief in Faith. I for one, find that
when I have the opportunity to discuss Faith with others, my own Faith is increased as a
result of the discussion. So, the act of discussion should improve the belief in Faith,” said
Luceta. Of course, she could not prove this assertion but it was the most direct way to defend
Genta's aggressive question.
“Are you not trying to destroy Faith from within by doing this?” Genta was clearly enjoying the
opportunity.
“I follow the goal of Faith by pursuing the path of Faith. In doing so, I am observing the five
virtues and eight principles in my daily living. All of my experience has led me to the
conclusion that increased conversation with the Sukodi will have many benefits for Faith. I
24
believe this with my heart, mind and spirit.” Instead of answer this aggressive accusation
directly, Luceta emphasized how her actions and approach were consistent with Faith.
“Very well, no more questions from me this round, Doja,” said Genta.
“Thank you. That leaves only me for questions,” said Masoro. He paused for a few seconds.
“In case we reject your application to be a cleric, what is your plan?”
“I have not considered the possibility of rejection, Doja. I have no plan for that,” answered
Luceta truthfully.
“If we accept your application, what is your plan?” asked Masoro.
“I would make immediate plans to spend time living with the Sukodi and to build up a steady
communication with them. Living together is the most effective way to succeed in this plan,”
answered Luceta.
“Thank you. Any further questions after the initial round?” asked Masoro. There were no
further questions. “Very well, thank you for your application to become a cleric Luceta
Zanaro. We will contact you with the results.”
“Thank you for the opportunity Doja and Council of Clerics,” said Luceta and walked out
stepping backwards behind the doors. After the doors closed, Luceta turned around and felt
the energy in her body release.
“Luceta,” said the cleric minding the doors, “they would like you to return for one more
question please.”
The muscles in Luceta's body tensed up. She turned around and walked back through the
doors to face Masoro and the rest of the Council of Clerics.
“Just one more question,” said Masoro, “if you had to remove one of the five virtues from
Faith, which one would you remove and why?”
Luceta had prepared for this kind of question, “Doja, the five virtues make up an integrated
whole. Remove one and the whole would be destroyed, rendering all five ineffective. Asking
me to choose one to remove is asking me to remove them all, so in that sense there is no
choice. Also, since the five virtues are cultivated from inside a person, there is no way an
artificial order from outside could succeed in destroying them. They would continue to exist
inside the hearts of those who follow Faith regardless of any orders from outside, my Doja.”
“Very well, thank you Luceta, you may go now.” said Masoro.
25
“Thank you, Doja, Council of Clerics,” Luceta walked more slowly towards the door this time.
When the doors closed, she turned around but did not relax. Only when she met with the kind
face of Nadel did she finally let go of her nervousness. “How do you feel?” asked Nadel.
“You know what, I feel good. They passed my test,” Luceta smiled and winked.
26
Chapter 4
Kai was about to enter a state of Wan. He was sitting on the ground with eyes almost closed,
his mind clear of worries and distractions. Two minutes later, he stood up to face his
opponents. He was surrounded and could see the attackers lurking by their reflections in the
mirrors.
One of them lunged in on the left, Kai stepped forward and shifted his hips while dropping into
a cat stance. His left arms blocked the attack and a split second later his right arm hit the
neck of the attacker as he stepped in with his right leg to power the counter attack. He knew
there was an attack starting from behind and he turned quickly, throwing the limp body in his
hands into the new attacker. He then gave them an extra push with a jumping side kick that
caused the two bodies to crash into the mirrors on one side of the room.
That wouldn't be enough to deter the others. Kai side stepped away from another attack,
blocked and pulled the arm down, and then stepped into the exposed ribs with a devastating
right elbow that left his assailant in a crumpled heap on the floor. On his left side an attack
from the top. Kai sprung up with his left elbow catching first the arm and then the jaw of the
attacker. With the man stunned, he then thrust an open palm knife edge across the man's
neck, causing him to collapse in pain on the floor. Kai saw a bull shaped man charging at him
from the right, he stepped forward in a low, long squat, right arm bent at the elbow and
reinforced by his left fist and crashed into the charging bull. The bull stopped, dazed and
confused, but he did not fall. Kai took advantage of that confusion and rose, his left knee
rising, the snapping out his left leg at the knee of the attacker before snapping back instantly.
With his knee broken, the bull was now tamed on the ground. Just in case, Kai followed up
with a hammer fist to the temple to knock him out. A grab on Kai's shirt from behind. Kai
pulled in his left heel, dragging the foot of the attacker with it, and simultaneously twisted up
with his left knife hand hitting the throat of the attacker who was instantly on the ground.
One more left standing, a few feet in front. He started to turn around for a knock out kick to
Kai's head but before he was finished, Kai had stepped inside the reach of the kick and
delivered a punishing hammer fist to the man's back, causing him to fall like his compatriots.
Kai turned around slowly, scanning the room with dispassionate eyes. Everyone remained on
the ground. Kai bowed to his opponents and they disappeared from the room. The mirror
pieces reassembled spontaneously. Kai had been practicing the forms against an imaginary
set of opponents but the power and speed of his attacks had been real.
Kai continued to practice this and other forms for the next three hours. Sometimes, he would
pause at specific moments and work on the physical mechanics of an individual technique.
Other time, he would emphasize the fluidity of the form and the connection between moves.
Kai also varied the speed, alternating between the full speed designed for killing and various
levels of slower speeds including a slow motion version that actually required very strong
muscles in order to hold the intermediate positions between each move. Kai also performed
many repetitions with his eyes closed, simulating the act of fighting in the dark. In between
series of forms there were intensive physical exercises that trained the entire body but
27
especially the legs and stomach area. Finally, at the end of the forms, Kai spent his time
working on attacking a dummy in the shape of a man filled with sand. By the end of the day,
Kai had completed an intensive session of physical training. In the process, he also centered
himself mentally. This is the kind of training that Kai had been doing for many years. He was
well prepared for the next phase of the Warrior Competition.
The forms were as ancient as the Rana empire. Ranawan had asked Garudo to start
development of a Warrior Code and this was when the forms started. Previously, various
warriors had their individual styles but the forms were the first attempt to create a system that
incorporated the best of all styles. Every warrior started off by learning the basics. Then, as
they progressed up to more complicated moves, they spent more time specializing in
techniques suited to their body and mind. There were three basic categories of styles:
grappling, punching and kicking. Within these three, there were further groupings. Also,
warriors were given one weapon to focus on for training. Usually, by the end of five years of
serious training, warriors were competent enough to handle themselves well against multiple
attackers. After ten or more years of training, they were truly skilled.
But the physical training was just the beginning. Garudo's Warrior Code contained physical,
mental and moral aspects and of these the physical was viewed as being the least important.
Mental fortitude was built into the physical training. Warriors were expected to show no fear
and maintain complete focus at all times, achieving a state of Wan. This started with
developing the six senses. As part of their training, their sense of touch was trained until it
was pure reflex. They could use power or switch to a soft touch at will. After that, the eyes
were used most frequently. Warriors constantly scanned their surroundings, looking out for
any signs of dangers. They were trained to detect the smallest discrepancies. When they
locked on a target with their eyes, a fire radiated and it was said that the most powerful
warriors could defeat enemies simply with their look of fire. Additional training with closed
eyes also sharpened their senses of hearing, sense of smell and taste. Finally, there was a
sixth sense, emanating from the naval area, considered to be the source of a person's spirit.
This sixth sense was how a warrior could simply sense danger even without the other five
senses having noticed anything.
The moral aspects of being a warrior were considered the most important by Garudo and so
the state of Wan was associated with both the mental and moral aspects of being a warrior.
However, Garudo also did not want the moral aspects of the Warrior Code to compete with
Faith but instead wanted the two to complement one another. So, he created the warrior oath
in the form of a poem with very clear ideas that did not interfere with Faith.
Warriors were required to honour the Warrior Code at all times or risk being thrown out of the
warrior class. This would also affect their children and all future generations, so this severe
penalty was not taken lightly. Very few warriors had been thrown out of the class and the
stories of each one was immortalized in legend, bringing shame on the ancestors for
generations on end. The code was very simple, an oath in the form of a poem:
28
Warrior I am
Honour I am
Life embrace
Death embrace
Ancestors respect
Descendants respect
Defend Rana
Serve Rana
Faith I am
Wan I am
This was a code that Kai had learned from a very early age, among the first words he had
learned. It was a part of his body, transmitted through his bloodline, and affected every
decision and action that he made in his life, even down to the manner in which he breathed
and walked. Kai breathed as a warrior, deep and strong, in through the nose and from below
his lungs, before exhaling through his mouth, lips slightly parted. When he walked, there was
purpose but it was not hurried. There was no shuffling, no hesitation. It was the walk of a
warrior. The Warrior Code was present in all of the major decisions that Kai made in life. His
entry into the Warrior Competition was the culmination of training his entire lifetime for the
event. That was the only life he had known. Of course he had learned other skills and
understood the basics of Faith but for Kai, everything came back to the Warrior Code.
The simplicity of the code was its genius to Kai. Life was complicated, with lots of choices to
be made. The code brought clarity. What to do when Arathaso was offered to him? Follow
the code. What to say when offered money to ignore smuggling? Follow the code. How to
compete best in the Warrior Competition? Follow the code.
The state of Wan was also tied closely with Faith. The goal of Faith was to free oneself of
desire and become one with the source of fire. The state of Wan was all about emptying
one's mind to focus on the present moment without distractions. Achieving a state of Wan
was very helpful to achieve the right frame of mind needed to successfully free oneself of
desire.
Over the years, the details of the forms changed. Some grew more complicated while other
moves were forgotten. However, the core principles remained. In the physical aspects, the
approaches to speed, power and positioning were unchanged. In the mental training,
developing Wan and the six senses was a constant over time. Finally, the moral dimension,
encompassing the Warrior Code and state of Wan, was always considered the pinnacle of
warrior training.
The day of the forms section of the competition was windy and rainy. That suited Kai just fine
because it would be a stronger test of skill. Three of the more basic forms had been chosen
for each of the warriors. Then, each of the warriors was allowed to perform two of their
favourite, more advanced, forms. It was a fine balance between following the moves as
described in the forms and showing individual flair. Too little individual personality, and the
29
judges would view the warrior as not showing enough spirit. Too much individual personality
and the judges would view the warrior as not showing proper technique. The panel of judges
was composed of more senior warriors who had served with distinction. While every effort
was made to have a fair and independent evaluation, it was difficult to remove the personal
elements entirely from the decisions.
Watching the forms would be a grand audience. Of course many warriors, young and old,
would be in attendance. They would spend time analyzing the forms and coming to their own
conclusions about who the winner should be regardless of the official decision. The lords
were also present, but they would spend less time analyzing the forms and more time on
enjoyment. This was also true of the merchants. Finally, a few clerics would show up and
watch quietly without showing much emotion.
Sid Neetura was in attendance and his jovial manner on the surface covered up feelings of
tension inside. Sid would have a meeting with King Bridan later that day to discuss the
concerns of the merchants. He knew that he had to strike a balance between showing
toughness and also flexibility. While Sid thought of King Bridan as a friend, he also did not
trust King Bridan. So, as the forms began, Sid pretended to listen and watch but in his mind
he was rehearsing for his upcoming meeting.
King Bridan stood up to announce the official start of the forms. The warriors lined up and
one by one the performed the first three forms for the judges. Kai could feel the rain on his
head, hear the wind howling and feel the muddy ground below. But his mind did not focus on
any of these distractions and he was able to reach a state of Wan before starting the forms.
Kai was in the middle of the group and he performed flawlessly, not affected at all by the
weather. Among the warriors watching, it was clear that Kai's forms were the best, although
Gurtos was very close behind.
Now it was time to move to the second set of forms, with individual choices. Kai maintained
his state of Wan the whole time and it showed. He had chosen the most difficult forms for his
last two. When he completed them, the crowd roared with approval because they knew that
they had just witnessed a special occasion. Gurtos also performed his forms exceptionally
well but the difficulty level that he chose had been one step lower.
After finishing the forms, Kai partly let go from his state of Wan but he was still very focused.
As the judges deliberated, the party reached a crescendo. Drunken lords and merchants
burst into spontaneous songs. A couple of lords started to exchange heated words with a
couple of merchants and some punches were thrown but they were quickly separated by the
warriors near them who were sober and not willing to allow drunken fighting.
Finally, as the sun was setting, the judges came back with their decision. Kai and Gurtos
were chosen as joint winners, with equal scores of a perfect result. Kai's face didn't show any
emotion. The warriors watching, however, were busy talking as most of them felt that Kai
should have been the sole winner. Gurtos and Kai congratulated one another and behaved
with true warrior spirit. Below the surface, however, Kai was suspicious that the judges had
30
not been fair in their decision. Was there some resentment about Nadel? Was it something
else? Whatever it was, Kai was alert to the possibility that all was not fair in this Warrior
Competition.
Now fully drunk, Fez Rinando walked up with a swagger to Sid Neetura, “what a shocker,
don't ya think? Da world is full o' surprises. Speakin’ of which, I heard you got a meeting with
da King. What you gonna say? Or are you just gonna bow down and ask for mercy?”
Although Fez was clearly affected by the alcohol, Sid could not stand for this kind of
behaviour in public. “Clean yourself up before Xavier does,” said Sid cool, casting a glance
over to the giant bodyguard named Xavier standing close to him. Xavier's massive body was
topped off by a thick neck and a small, bald head. He rarely spoke and on this occasion he
simply grunted, stared at Fez and grinded his right fist into his left palm in anticipation of some
fun.
“Can't do your own dirty work, eh?” Fez made sure to have the last word in but he was also
smart enough to walk away quickly in case Sid changed from cool to angry.
King Bridan announced the end of the forms. It was now time for Sid to meet with the King.
They settled down for a dinner in King Bridan's dining room. “Sid, I'm always glad to see you
here in Xini. Your energy helps to invigorate this city,” the King wanted to start the
conversation off on a pleasant note.
“My lord, it is my honour to visit Xini and I am humbled by the opportunity to dine with you,”
replied Sid, maintaining the friendly air.
Dinner at the king's castle was always an elaborate occasion and this was no exception with
eight courses to be served. Sid and the king spent the first five courses talking about light
and cheerful topics. Neither one wanted to reach the difficult issues too early into the
evening. By the sixth course, King Bridan felt the time was right to progress. “So, Sid, please
tell me if there is anything troubling you. Of course, I always enjoy conversation with you and
am happy to continue for some time, but my sense is that you requested an audience with me
because you have something in particular that you wanted to discuss. Please, go ahead.”
Sid started slowly, “I was very impressed by the forms today. The warrior spirit is still strong in
the Rana empire. And it is a grand empire, indeed. Xini city has prospered under your reign
like never before. The temples for Faith are stunning. People are happy. In some way, I feel
that we humble merchants have been able to contribute to this tremendous prosperity. We
are like the hen that lays eggs which are eaten by all. As long as the hen is healthy and
happy, she lays eggs and this feeds the people. But what if the hen is attacked by the people
in a foolish attempt to eat her? It would seem obvious that they should not attack. This is my
concern, my Lord.”
“I see,” responded King Bridan, “so you're upset about the increase in taxes on the export of
Arathaso. This is understandable, I share your concern.”
31
“If you share my concern, my Lord,” replied Sid, “are you willing to stop it?”
King Bridan took a deep breath and sighed. He looked at the fire heating the room for a few
seconds before answering. “Sid, there are those who wish to attack the Rana empire from
within. This is something we cannot allow to happen. So, there is no choice but to increase
the taxes.”
“I see,” it was now Sid's turn to pause. He looked up in the air for a few seconds before
responding. “Just as you may have no choice in the matter, please consider my situation. If I
accept the tax, it is quite possible the other merchants will revolt without me and cast me as
their enemy along with the King. Does this leave me with any choice? Can I simply become
a cleric, a warrior or a lord?” Sid could not contain the sarcasm in his voice even in front of the
King.
“Sid, I like you,” said King Bridan, smiling, “but I cannot let our personal friendship destroy the
Rana empire. Get your merchants into line, there is no other choice.” With that, King Bridan
rose, signaling the end of the dinner. Sid was not happy but he knew that there was no point
in further discussion for now. He would have to come up with a plan.
In another part of Xini that night, Lord Sevetary was having one of his many regular meetings
with a friend. Although they did not have to keep the meeting itself a secret, their
conversation topic led them to prefer a quiet location, away from listening ears. “You were
lucky today. Our help was the key to your success,” said Lord Sevetary.
“It was the weather. Anyways, I'm still ahead in the overall competition,” replied Gurtos
Luredo. If Lord Sevetary sounded and looked like an old snake, then Gurtos sounded and
looked like a young lion. His physique reflected the years of training he had devoted to
becoming a warrior and his long blond hair even resembled a lion's mane. Like a young lion,
Gurtos was strong but did not always have self-control.
“Ahh, once again, that is thanks to our help,” Lord Sevetary was starting to get impatient with
his young friend.
“Is there any news about the merchants?” asked Gurtos.
“Earlier this evening, there was a meeting. It was between Sid the merchant and our dear
king,” Lord Sevetary smiled with a gleam in his eye.
“Do we know what happened?” asked Gurtos anxiously.
“Indeed, we do. The merchants are taking a stand against the tax increase,” the gleam in
Lord Sevetary's eyes grew even brighter.
Gurtos was also getting excited, “that is fantastic news. This is what we have been waiting
32
for.” Lord Sevetary merely raised his eyebrows in agreement. “What about the rest of the
Warrior Competition?” asked Gurtos. “What plans to you have to make sure that I win?”
“You don't have to worry about that. The less you know, the better. Let's just say that Kai
Zanaro will never forget this Warrior Competition,” Lord Sevetary was almost whispering at
this point.
Soon after, their meeting ended.
As Lord Sevetary was walking home, he thought about the turn of events. His core group of
loyal supporters had stuck with him for a number of years. Now, they could all sense the
opportunity was near. All these years of waiting had been difficult but it would make for a
much sweeter victory in the end. Destiny was going to be fulfilled at last.
The next day, Sid Neetura left Xini and returned to his mansion in Geraud. He called for his
son, Jinu Neetura, to meet with him. Sid had his customary cigar lit before Jinu arrived. He
had not dared to smoke the cigar in front of King Bridan but otherwise it was his custom to
have a cigar in his mouth whenever meeting with someone.
Sid blew a puff from his cigar, “My boy, the time has come for you to earn your keep.”
Jinu smiled nervously, “Of course, I've been waiting for the opportunity many years now.”
Sid responded with another puff, “The situation may get serious soon. We need to make
preparations for our own protection.”
The smile on Jinu's face grew somewhat more nervous, “Isn't that what the warriors are for?”
Sid took a long puff and stared at the cigar before responding, “Jinu, we need to prepare for
protection from the warriors,” another puff. “I want you to travel to the desert to meet with
Kelemo and the Tribe of Freedom.”
“Meet with them?” Jinu's smile disappeared and his voice could not hide his shock. “That
criminal is more likely to hold me for ransom than meet. What's going on?”
Another long puff of the cigar, “Our friendship with him can easily be improved with money.
It's true that Kelemo is a bit wild. But his Tribe of Freedom has a simple goal. They want to
build a society without Faith. To do that, they need money.”
“And why would we give them money?” asked Jinu naively.
Puff on the cigar, “The money won't come from us. Right now, we stand to get less than half
of the proceeds from selling Arathaso under the Rana. If the situation deteriorates, we will
need to find a new partner. I'm sure Kelemo will be thrilled to receive twenty percent of the
total to fund his new society in exchange for physical protection.”
33
“But, if what you're saying is true, this will be a civil war,” Jinu was getting very worried now.
“Events are moving out of my control and out of your control, Jinu. All we can do is prepare
for the worst by protecting ourselves. This is why I need your help. You must go to Kelemo
and talk to him. If he shows interest in working together, then we will have someone to help
us. If he doesn't show interest, then we have to find someone else.” Puff on the cigar, “you
see, it's all very simple.”
“I see. When do I leave?” asked Jinu.
“Tonight. You'd better start packing your things.” Cigar put out for emphasis.
That same morning on the day after the forms, Luceta woke up early. It was a cold and misty
day but the rain had stopped. Luceta started the fire, boiled some water and drank it with
herbs. She looked out the window into the mist. This mist was a good metaphor for Faith,
she thought. No matter how far forward she advanced, Luceta always saw a never ending
wall of mist inside Faith. The Council of Clerics was a good example. Why had those specific
individuals been chosen to represent Faith. Nertani was obsessed with the Sunfire and the
five virtues were simply words on a piece of paper that he had once seen. Even in casual
conversation, Luceta could feel no sign of love or forgiveness in his spirit. Petaru was a nice
enough person but her complicated sentences left no room for understanding. How could
that be a good model for other clerics? And then there was Genta. He was passionate about
Faith, but unfortunately took things to the extreme. His mind was closed to the rights of
others outside of Faith.
The only thing that scared Luceta more than failing the Test of Faith was passing the Test of
Faith. If she passed, could she really devote her life to Faith? Would she be able work with
and for these people? Would she be able to make a difference to the life of others who were
less fortunate?
“The mist helps us to to appreciate the Sunfire when it finds us. Questions help us to
appreciate the right answers when they find us,” the voice of Nadel came from behind.
Luceta turned her head towards him, “what makes you think I was asking questions? I could
have been dreaming about flying up to the clouds?”
“My mind could hear your questions, as if you had been speaking out loud. One day, I'll teach
you how to do that,” Nadel winked with a smile as he responded. Nadel smiled frequently,
and the wrinkles on his face were shaped in an almost permanent smile. His hair had
become white many years ago and he kept a trimmed, white beard. Nadel was not tall and
had a slouch in his old age. His body was thin but he did not look frail. There was a natural
energy that Nadel exuded, a confidence that came from within.
“Here is a question for you, then. I'll say it out loud just for my benefit if you don't mind,”
34
Luceta responded. “You follow Latura and yet you are also comfortable with Faith. Very few
people seem to be able to do this, so what is your secret?”
“What is the secret of trees that are standing out there on the hill? They stay happy in the
Sunfire and the mist. How do they do it?” answered Nadel with one of his typical riddle style
statements.
Luceta followed on with her line of questioning, “But if it's so natural for you, why is it so hard
for others?”
“Not everyone is a tree, I guess,” Nadel smiled and raised his hands to indicate that he had
no secret riddle for this question.
Luceta looked outside again and her mind was reminded of yesterday's form competition.
“Was it just me, did I miss something, or was the final result of the forms unfair to Kai
yesterday. He was clearly better than Gurtos, don't you think?”
“Mmm, that is a good point,” Nadel paused to think for the right words, “we can ask, who
should watch the watchers?”
“Surely King Bridan has the power to appoint someone,” Luceta replied.
“Surely young Kai Zanaro had the power to wake up before us, but did he?” Nadel winked as
he spied Kai approaching out of the corner of his eye.
“Surely Nadel and Luceta have better things to do than gossip about sleeping warriors?”
asked Kai as he entered.
“What do you think about the forms competition, Kai. Why did Gurtos receive the same result
as you?” asked Luceta, getting straight to the point.
“So I'm not the only one who found it strange? Of course, I'm biased, but yes, I felt that too.
The reason? I don't know, but I sense that there is something going on behind the scenes,”
said Kai, showing a rare sign of concern across his usually cool face.
“I can help you find out, ask around. You know, I'm getting fairly good at reading people and I
can generally sense whether they are lying or telling the truth,” Luceta volunteered to help by
applying some of her cleric training to help.
“Thanks, but this one I can handle on my own,” answered Kai, falling back into his cool
demeanour.
Luceta knew there was no point in pushing anymore. Once Kai had made up his mind on an
issue, logic or even emotional argument would not change his mind. In that way, he was an
old fashioned mule. Of course, she still loved him dearly as her brother and friend. “It's good
35
to see you Kai, you deserve some reset today.”
“It's good to see you too. I'm going to do some training now, it's not raining yet outside. Let's
talk more later,” Kai proceeded to gather his things to go outside for training.
Luceta had been looking forward to spending time with her brother for the first time in weeks
as they had both been very busy. He had this habit of being distant, so she had grown to
understand and accept his preference for training over conversation. At least she could still
sit with Nadel and talk.
Kai prepared himself for training outdoors, it would clear his mind. For training the details of
the forms, the indoor training site with its many mirrors was most practical. But for training to
clear his mind, Kai always loved to train outdoors. And of the outdoor locations, his favourite
spot was in a grassy area just beside the family house. This is the spot where he had spent
the most time training while growing up. Kai worked on the forms for the next one hour. The
soreness in his body went away and the fog in his mind cleared up.
When he returned to the house, Kai noticed a letter stuck to the door. In his hurry to train
earlier, he had not looked back when closing the door and so had not seen it. It was
addressed to him so he opened it while standing outside the house. It was a short letter:
Kai,
This message is from Mayden Hazure. I was part of the expedition that your father led
fifteen years ago. He sacrificed his life so that a few of us could escape. Since then,
we have stayed away from Rana for reasons that I can best explain in person. Please
say the following words to Nadel if you wish to meet and learn more: “I am not lost, yet
I have not found. To learn more about inside, I must venture outside. What is light and
what is dark?”
36
Chapter 5
Kai took the letter and started pacing in circles in the grass while also pacing in circles in his
mind. Mayden Hazure was supposed to be long dead, could it really be her? Was this some
sort of trap related to the Warrior Competition? How could Nadel be involved? As he realized
that pacing in circles would not improve the situation, Kai realized there was only one thing to
do – talk to Nadel.
Kai walked back into the house, Luceta and Nadel were still talking. In fact, they were
laughing after sharing a joke. The appearance of Kai, clearly angry, destroyed the laughter in
an instant. “Nadel, does the phrase I am not lost, yet I have not found mean anything to
you?” The shock on Nadel's face was all the answer that Kai needed. He continued, “To
learn more about inside, I must venture outside. What is light and what is dark?”
“Kai, Luceta, why don't we take a walk so that we can talk along the way,” Nadel responded
slowly. Luceta noticed the obvious signs of stress in both Nadel and Kai and tried to calm
them down, “please, whatever it is, we will understand.”
As they left the house on their walk, the mist from that morning started to clear away. Nadel
began his story, “there is a lot to talk about, so I will try to focus on the most important points.”
Kai noticed that he wasn't talking with any riddles or questions. Instead, his words were
straight and clear. So all these years, the old man's funny words were just an act Kai thought
to himself. What else was he hiding?
Nadel continued, “You may have heard rumors that a secret society exists, perhaps even
rumors about its name, Mujia. In fact, Mujia exists. Unlike some of the other groups who
want to overthrow the Rana empire, the goal of Mujia is not to overthrow. Instead, the goal is
to enhance the empire by stopping corruption and decay. Of course, there are some areas
where Mujia has different views from official Rana policy. One area is slavery. Mujia would
like to end slavery and free the Sukodi. Thus, I am a member of Mujia. Both of your parents
were also members.”
“How could you have kept this a secret from us all of these years?” Kai was full of emotion.
“I had no choice. It was a promise to your parents. We typically don't tell children about
Mujia, the pressure is too intense. Your parents felt this was best for you. Please understand
their perspective,” answered Nadel.
Luceta spoke up, “Kai, I know how you feel, but Nadel has tried to respect our parents’
wishes. Nadel, please continue.”
Nadel looked at Kai, who simply nodded in the affirmative. “Thank you. The members of
Mujia cut across different classes of people, everything from lords to slaves. The common
goal is to build a better society for future generations. Your parents believed in this goal and
wanted to make the world better for you. There are some who have tried to tarnish the name
37
of your parents, but I know that they were not only loving parents, but also great people. I
have devoted my life to serving out their wishes. One issue that Mattaeo and Rendera were
focusing on was corruption. In particular, they were investigating the possibility that some of
the most senior lords were involved with the criminal group known as Chaos. Basically,
instead of selling Arathaso through the legal channels and collecting tax revenue, these lords
appeared to be selling it illegally in partnership with Chaos. Mataeo was getting close to
catching somebody and he decided to try and follow some of the criminals into the desert.”
“There were rumours like this but nothing was ever proven. Why is that?” asked Luceta.
Nadel looked down as he walked, “I don't know exactly, but my guess is that some of the
corrupt lords were able to cover it up. What we do know for sure is what happened to your
father, because there were eyewitnesses. Mataeo's party was ambushed as they were in a
narrow passage in the Kander mountains. Mataeo sacrificed himself so that the others could
escape with their lives. He single handedly fought off the attackers, allowing nine other
people to escape. They made their way to Mujia headquarters to regroup. They were hoping
to return to Rana but then the corrupt lords struck again. They poisoned your mother and
planted some fake Arathaso around her body. Then, they implicated those who had survived
into a supposed dealing ring. If they had come back to Rana, they would have probably been
executed. So, they stayed outside.”
“All these years, I knew it in my heart that our mother couldn't have been using Arathaso,”
Kai's face grew red as he grabbed Nadel's collar, “why didn't you tell us earlier? Why should I
spare your life?”
Luceta tried to get in between the two men and calm Kai down, “Nadel was helping our
parents and he raised us. He's not the evil one. Control yourself, control your anger.”
Kai let Nadel go and sat down on a nearby rock, his head buried in his hands. Luceta sat
down beside him. Nadel stood silently nearby.
King Bridan sat alone in his bedroom that night, looking into the fireplace. He always enjoyed
gazing at the fire and letting his mind wander freely. The fire was such a powerful symbol in
the empire. Of course, if control was lost, the fire would cause tremendous damage. This fire
was symbolic of all the various groups that apparently supported him, King Bridan thought to
himself. They were powerful but he had to maintain control, otherwise the empire itself was at
risk.
He recalled the first time he had seen the clerics control the fire. It was an amazing site.
Besides the clerics, very few people were allowed to work with fire. Of course, the king was
one of these people. King Bridan remembered those early lessons from Masoro about how to
start a fire and how to control it. It was definitely too dangerous to allow everyone the
opportunity. Even within the clerics, King Bridan was not sure about the wisdom of having the
knowledge of fire so widely spread.
38
Tonight, as he watched the dancing flame with its hypnotic rhythm, King Bridan felt a sudden
sensation of unease. He looked around but there was nobody. Nobody right now, King
Bridan thought to himself, but there were plots against him. He could sense this. It was time
to take action to protect himself. King Bridan was a keen student of history and he had read
all the history of the previous kings of Rana. Of course, there were the famous leaders like
Ashanto. However, there were also many kings who had met an early death. King Bridan
had already ruled for many years but he was not ready to stop yet.
Jinu Neetura woke up after the long night of traveling exhausted. There were deep circles
under his eyes and his skin was itchy from being bitten by insects. He could smell his own
body and it was not pleasant.
They were at the base of the Kander mountains, where the really difficult traveling would
begin. The air was already sharper and cooler even at the base of the mountains. As Jinu
gathered his senses, the realization of what lay ahead made him even more tired. He wanted
to turn around and go back. Life was comfortable in Geraud. As son of the richest man in the
city, and perhaps even the kingdom, Jinu was able to enjoy life's pleasures without having to
worry too much about the rest. Actually, he tried not to overindulge in food, so he showed
discipline in that area. What he really lacked, however, was courage. This trip was definitely
going to test all of Jinu's mental strength. He looked up at the mountain. It seemed to
continue forever with the peak heading into the clouds, apparently disappearing into the sky.
Jinu started to consider his predicament in more detail as he ate breakfast. Perhaps he could
fake an injury. If need be, he could even create a small injury, just for dramatic effect. Maybe
he would pretend to have been robbed as part of that.
“Sir, it's time to make a move,” the dirty face of one of his father's henchman interrupted Jinu's
thoughts. Where did his father find people like this thug, Kapo? His face was covered in hair
and what looked like dirt. His clothes were ragged and also covered in dirt. He didn't even
look that strong – yes he was big, but was definitely many years past his prime. If they really
did get ambushed, Jinu would have to make sure to hide behind one of the younger fighters in
the group. This Kapo would probably be the first one to get killed.
“OK, let's get moving,” answered Jinu with little enthusiasm. They spent the entire day
climbing the mountain before camping at night. Jinu's legs burned from the constant
climbing, he felt as if his legs had turned into metal posts because they were so stiff. At first,
Jinu had the energy to let his mind wander and think about ways to escape. As time passed,
however, his exhaustion took over and all he could was focus on stepping. The next two days
were more of the same as the group walked through the mountain range. When they started
their descent, Jinu started to get a little more energy back. That night, he finally decided to try
and speak with Kapo on a more personal level. “How did you end up working for my father?”
asked Jinu.
“Long story sir,” was the answer from Kapo, clearly indicating his reluctance to share further
details.
39
“Tell me about your family,” Jinu continued to probe.
“No family, sir,” said Kapo. With that, Jinu gave up and decided that it was time to sleep and
save energy.
The next morning Jinu was glad to finish climbing up and down the mountains. Ahead of
them, the land was flat. Three days later, Jinu was longing for the mountains. Instead of his
legs burning from the climbing, his feet were now felt like an exploding fire from having to
walk in the sand. The crisp cool air of the mountain had transformed into the dry, desert heat.
They tried to avoid walking during the day because the sun's heat literally baked them into the
sand. Instead, they simply tried to hide under the shade, usually sleeping. Sleeping in the
desert had its own problems. When Jinu rose from resting, he found sand in his clothes, sand
in his hair and sand in his mouth. They traveled by night, under the stars, led by Kapo, who
was apparently an expert in this type of navigation. At least Jinu could finally understand why
Kapo had been chosen for this trip.
Finally, on the fifth evening of traveling in the desert, they reached their destination, the
outpost of the Tribe of Freedom. They were greeted by aggressive guards who had no
interest in where they were from. However, it seemed that Kapo knew some secret code
which Jinu was not familiar with – as soon as the guards heard this, their demeanor changed
completely and they invited their guests inside.
After the rough travel over the mountains and desert, the camp of the Tribe of Freedom was
like a palace to Jinu. They had arrived late, when everyone except the guards was asleep, so
they were simply shown to resting quarters. Jinu slept right away.
The next morning, Jinu was awakened too early for his desire. Kapo was shaking him, “sir,
Kelemo, the leader of the Tribe of Freedom, wishes to meet with us over breakfast. We need
to wake up sir.”
Jinu got up slowly and looked around. It wasn't exactly a palace, but at least it provided
protection against the sand. He got ready quickly and felt somewhat embarrassed by his
downtrodden appearance. Of course, it was nothing compared to the embarrassment he felt
traveling with Kapo, who looked like he was wearing a pile of dirt for clothes and smelled even
worse.
In contrast, Kelemo was well dressed and clean, “Greetings, visitors, I believe you have
traveled a long way. Please, enjoy some food and drink first and then we can talk.” He
gestured towards a long table covered in various types of food.
In addition to being well dressed and clean, Kelemo exuded an aura of confidence. He was a
natural leader – strong physically and mentally. He towered over most men and clearly
enjoyed looking down on others. His greatest talent, however, was his speaking ability.
Kelemo could convince almost anyone to his point of view if given enough time.
40
“Greetings, Kelemo. I am Jinu Neetura, son of Sid Neetura, and this is my party. We are
honoured by your kindness,” Jinu responded, following the instructions that his father had
given to him.
With that introduction, Jinu, Kapo and the rest of the group proceeded to feed themselves
after their long journey. Kelemo ate a small amount of but mostly observed the party without
saying much. Finally, having eaten enough food, Jinu started the discussion, “We have
travelled to you, Kelemo, to send a message from my father.”
“Yes, I remember Sid well. When I was in Rana, he was running around the streets picking
up the coins that others had dropped,” Kelemo had a smug smile of superiority on his face.
Jinu wasn't sure how to respond to the obvious insult. Luckily, Kapo did. He promptly got up
from his seat and spoke, “Sir, I believe there is nothing here for us. Let us return home now.”
Kelemo raised his hand, “I was merely reminiscing about the past. What's important is the
future, so let's focus on that. My apologies if I offended you in any way. Please, tell me what
brings you all this way to our humble home?” Kapo looked at Jinu, who nodded, so Kapo sat
down again.
Jinu explained the situation, “You have been building the Tribe of Freedom for many years, to
pursue your dream of a society without religion. But it's not easy and the Rana empire
continues to grow stronger every year. It seems like they have unlimited resources.”
“Tell me something that I don't know,” Kelemo responded with impatience in his voice.
“There is a big weakness in the Rana empire. Their strong warriors and fine temples are built
on the flow of money – money that comes from the sale of Arathaso. Stop the flow of this
money and Rana will dry out into a desert like land cut off from the flow of water.”
“You merchants are such experts in the Arathaso business, so enlighten me. What should I
do to stop the flow?” asked Kelemo.
“What you need,” Jinu leaned in for emphasis, “is to have a strong partner who understands
all parts of the Arathaso business. And who understands this business the best?”
Now Kelemo was getting interested. He leaned forward and said in a quiet voice, “And what's
in it for you?”
Jinu paused, as he had been instructed to do by his father at this point in the conversation.
He made sure to say the words exactly as his father had told him. “The empire,” said Jinu,
looking straight into the eyes of Kelemo.
Time stood still for the next few seconds while the two men stared at each other. They were
41
two very different men who now found themselves together because of circumstance.
Kelemo had built up the Tribe of Freedom from scratch single handedly. He had previously
been a high ranking warrior in Rana but he left due to his distaste of Faith. Kelemo was a
warrior's warrior, built tough from the bone. The Tribe of Freedom was his attempt to build an
alternate choice for people who did not want any religion. Kelemo's base was in the desert,
allowing his band to stay mobile and avoid being attacked directly. The Tribe of Freedom was
made up of strong warriors who had been trained under a strict regimen. What they lacked
was money.
Jinu Neetura, as the son of Sid, had grown up in a privileged lifestyle. He rarely had to fight
for anything and had spent most of his time enjoying the pleasures of life. Sid was a very
strong personality, so Jinu followed his father's instructions completely. There was one way in
which Jinu was able to experience challenges in life. Sid liked to test his son. This trip was
the biggest test yet of Jinu's capability. Of course, Sid didn't have complete confidence in his
son's ability to succeed on this mission, so he had a backup plan.
“So we do a little dirty work for you and in return you get the empire,” Kelemo laughed.
“You've been trying a society without Faith here. What if together we could transform the
empire by removing Faith? Imagine the opportunity,” Jinu raised his arms up in the air as he
spoke for emphasis.
Kelemo was clearly interested. “An interesting proposition. But to reach an agreement, I
need to speak with your father.”
Jinu passed a sealed envelope to Kelemo, “This is a letter from my father.” The envelope had
a beautiful red seal on it and was made from the finest paper.
Kelemo took the letter, ripped open the seal unceremoniously and began to read its contents.
While reading the letter, sometimes he would look up at Jinu and Kapo with raised eyebrows.
When he was finished reading the letter, he turned to Kapo and said, “You have outdone
yourself Sid Neetura, welcome to our humble home.”
Kapo grinned, taking a cloth to wipe the dirt on his face. Jinu was in a state of shock, looking
back and forth between Kelemo and Kapo, who was apparently his own father. Kapo, now
clearly Sid, turned to his Jinu, “you did a fine job, my son. I'm very proud of you. But I had to
come here in person somehow without making people suspicious.”
Jinu simply acknowledged the reality of the situation with, “Yes, father.”
“Would like some time to change or clean up?” Kelemo asked Sid?
“That's very generous, but I will need to stay like this for the entire trip. Let's continue the
conversation. As I've pointed out in the letter, the Durani people control the flow of Arathaso.
42
What we lack is the warriors. Together, your warriors and our merchants have the ability to
not only rule the empire, but build it to new heights. Are you ready to build a new future
Kelemo?”
“Your commitment to visit here in person is impressive, as is your vision about the future.
Yes, the Tribe of Freedom will join you to build a new future,” replied a Kelemo with passion.
“Very well, let's work on the details of the next steps,” said Sid. With that, they continued to
meet during the rest of the day planning out in detail what this new alliance would do next.
That night, Sid (acting as Kapo), Jinu and their party left for the return journey to Geraud. On
the way back, the desert sand and mountain wind seemed a lot less fearsome to Jinu. Of
course, he was still happy when he finally returned home to his comfortable bed.
While the desert was home to the Tribe of Freedom, the Kander mountains served as the
base for another group, Mujia.
After having her life saved by Mataeo Zanaro, Mayden Hazure stayed in the mountains with
the main group of Mujia members. She trained hard physically. Although she was not large
physically, she was incredibly quick and able to literally run circles around opponents. Of
course, it didn't hurt that many large warriors misjudged her at first based on her small
stature. She kept her black hair short, down to her chin, and her dark eyes sparkled like rare
gems. In addition to the physical training that Mayden pursued, she spent significant time on
her mental and spiritual training. Over the fifteen years spent in the mountains since having
left Xini, Mayden had become not just a complete warrior but a complete leader. She was
second in command of Mujia as a result of her abilities and results.
The leader of the Mujia was Sho Lemiaranu, who was now ninety years old. Sho was a wise
man who had seen much but he talked very little these days. Most of the time, he simply let
his facial expression communicate without words. A raised eyebrow indicated doubt. A nod
was agreement. Most of the time, he did not have to go beyond those two. Of course, when
the situation required, he was able to talk clearly but always in a quiet, unassuming voice. He
still had some white hair left and he wore this long, combed back and falling past his
shoulders. His face was wrinkled but not excessively and his face betrayed no emotion. His
aura, however, was unmistakable and everyone felt his strong mental powers without Sho
having to say a word.
While the Durani merchants had been busy meeting with the Tribe of Freedom, Mujia also
had their own preparations underway. Mujia had been founded some 200 years earlier by a
breakaway group of lords, warriors and clerics led by Lord Mujia. Lord Mujia's group had
pushed for an end to slavery and more opportunity for people of all classes. While there were
some who supported him, the resistance was even stronger. After a series of fierce debates
in the House of Lords, Lord Mujia abandoned his position and went to the mountains, followed
by many of his supporters. Over the years, however, this now secret society was able to
maintain a significant membership within Rana itself in addition to the main group in the
mountains. After Mujia had passed away, the society was named in his honour. In addition,
43
the members of Mujia have stayed true to his original ideals: the goal of Mujia was not to
overthrow the King and take power, it was to change Rana for the better so that all people
could benefit from rising prosperity rather than a small group of elites.
Mayden walked quickly, observing the warrior force under her command. They were
performing warrior drills. “Punch faster, punch harder,” she yelled in a surprisingly loud voice.
Training continued throughout the day until it was time to eat. Preparations at the camp were
now in full swing. After dismissing the warriors, Mayden made her way over to meet with Sho
over dinner. She always enjoyed the time with Sho, even though much of it was spent in
silence. It forced her to observe every detail, for every movement that Sho made had
meaning. He did not waste energy. Tonight, they would go over plans for the boldest move
yet by Mujia to root out evil in the Rana empire. Mayden had no idea why Sho had decided
that now was the time to act. She had been with him for the last fifteen years and every time
that somebody had suggested making an aggressive move, Sho had resisted. But something
changed during the last few months. Training and preparations had become more intense,
Sho had started to reveal his idea bit by bit and everyone could feel the nervous excitement in
the air. The exact plans that Sho had in mind, however, were still unclear. Mayden hoped
that tonight she could get some more answers.
“Master, good evening,” Mayden greeted Sho in the formal manner. Sho nodded with a smile,
his left hand opened, a signal for Mayden to sit. “I have been training and inspecting the
warriors every day this week, they are looking strong and fast, full of spirit,” Mayden continued
after sitting down. Sho merely smiled and then raised an eyebrow. Mayden understood that
this raised eyebrow was a signal to start eating first. Once they began to eat, Mayden
returned to the conversation, “Did you want hear more about the training, Master?” she
asked. Sho smiled, indicating he was interested. Mayden continued to discuss the details of
the training during the previous week. After some time, she decided to switch to a question,
“Master, can you provide me with some more information on what we will be doing in order to
better prepare the warriors?” Sho raised an eyebrow, not the answer that Mayden wanted but
she accepted it. “Very well, I will train for every type of possibility, thank you Master,” she said
and Sho smiled. They continued eating for the rest of the meal in silence.
A few days after the merchants returned to Geraud, Lord Sevetary was presiding over another
of his regular secret meetings to update his closest confidants. “The merchants have been
busy. That lowlife Sid was too afraid to travel in the mountains and desert, so he sent his son
to meet with the Tribe of Freedom.”
“The Tribe of Freedom? We can arrange to have him arrested right away, what a fool,” said
Lord Margeni.
“You want to arrest Jinu Neetura? You're a bigger fool than he is,” sneered Lord Sevetary.
“We're trying to gain control of an empire here, not play children's games. However, we will
need to accelerate our plans just in case and be ready to move quickly if the opportunity rises.
I want you all to be ready at any moment now, is that clear?” Lord Sevetary looked into the
eyes of each person present to make sure they understood and agreed.
44
After the meeting was adjourned, Lord Sevetary was extremely pleased with himself. Of
course, the situation was very complicated. While the core group of followers he had just met
were loyal to him, there were other groups among the lords and warriors. He had secured
their co-operation through bargaining but Lord Sevetary knew better than anyone that
promises made by lords were worthless unless there was a threat involved. Most of the other
groups had leaders with at least one weakness that Lord Sevetary could exploit, something at
which he excelled. As Lord Sevetary strolled home, he reminded himself of the various
weaknesses among the other lords that he would need to exploit.
Events were now progressing quickly, with many parties about to lay claim to their legacy of
shaping the future of the Rana empire. However, one managed to strike more quickly than
the others. Two days after the meeting that Lord Sevetary had held, the very foundation of
the Rana empire shook from the news: King Bridan had been killed.
45

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Rana: Sunfire Empire

“What do you suggest my king?” asked Lord Amaro.

A puff of the cigar by Sid, “what do you have in mind, Fez?”

was as if a snake were able to speak words while hissing.

“One,” replied Luceta.

“Very well, next is Petaru,” said Masoro.

Masoro continued, “Next is Risano.”

“That is my question for this round Doja,” said Risano.

“Next is Nertani,” said Masoro.

Masoro continued, “Very well, next is Surandu.”

“Very well, next is Genta,” said Masoro.

“If we accept your application, what is your plan?” asked Masoro.

“Is there any news about the merchants?” asked Gurtos.

“Do we know what happened?” asked Gurtos anxiously.

Soon after, their meeting ended.

“And why would we give them money?” asked Jinu naively.

“I see. When do I leave?” asked Jinu.

to see you Kai, you deserve some reset today.”

“Tell me about your family,” Jinu continued to probe.

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