Once again, Kisa's cloak proved useful as an innocent cover for the Lotus traveler. Entering clan territories and lingering around its outskirts were made much easier for Axyll, especially since she discovered the traveling papers that Ferendil had given Kisa before they escaped. It would've been useful during her stay in the Wolf, had she gotten caught wandering around just outside of the gates, and would be useful again, this time, in entering the Serpent.
Axyll was worried at how Kisa would get along without it, once she had learned it was with her. But, knowing her friend enough, she believed that Kisa would be able to get herself through just fine. The Lotus therefore decided to make good use of what she had accidentally brought along with her.
She stood on a small plateau overlooking the Serpent's territory, allowing herself to enjoy the gentle winds that frequented the area. She quietly watched the buzzing city below her, conscious of the voices of merchants talking in trade language, a confident smile gracing her features as she formed a plan to enter the place.
Axyll wondered if Kisa was there, somewhere, walking around in the noisy marketplace. < Perhaps I'll see her again…> she thought before taking a deep breath and setting off for the gates.
She had spent almost two weeks secretly going around the Wolf acquiring more knowledge, not only about their people and the advances in their weaponry and armor, but also about prominent, new individuals such as those trained personally by the Zen Masters and the soldiers of their strongest army; those who may lead the Wolf clan to victory come wartime. She recognized the big change in their techniques and tactics from that of her time, and she determinedly studied these improvements so that she may learn to adapt her own skills as needed, perhaps even more. She spent many days observing their abilities and weaknesses, finally deciding to move on when she was confident that she could defeat opponents of the sort easily, having fully studied their moves.
Now, she was to learn about a completely different clan. She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head as she walked, completely covering her long white hair and casting the upper half of her face into shadows. With her weapon strapped behind her back, safely concealed by the cloak, and her mind calm, she continued to move forward. She was ready to learn new things from this clan, things that may be useful to her when the time comes. The crisp, fallen leaves under her feet crackled softly as she walked under the hot sun, her senses keenly attuned to the other people trying to gain entrance into the Serpent.
A noisy line of merchants and travelers, some walking alongside their horses carrying barrels of different products, others alone with sacks of goods to sell, had formed in front of the territory gates. One by one, the guards checked their papers and either let them in or kicked them out of the line when they found faults in the travelers' papers. Axyll showed hers to a burly cannoneer without lifting her head. The guard browsed through it hastily.
"Where are your goods merchant?" a strong, heavy voice asked the cloaked traveler.
"It will come later this afternoon, along with the caravan I travel with," the traveler replied calmly, "I have been sent earlier to prepare their lodgings before they arrive."
The cannoneer was silent, as if expecting more explanations from her.
Axyll slightly turned her head to the guard, careful not to reveal her face, "We merchants do not wish to sleep in the streets with your dying peasants," she said impatiently, sure that the guard found no fault in the papers Ferendil prepared.
"Very well then," the guard said finally, shoving the papers hastily back to the traveler before nudging her forward, "Move on!" He shouted, impatient.
As she moved through the gates and across a crowd of busy people, she overheard a nearby group of Serpent soldiers talking.
"So, what happened to the bastard of that Landlord?" a musketeer asked.
"That's old news!" a crossbowman answered, somewhat annoyed.
"He was last seen leaving the territory with a girl a month ago."
"I heard that girl was the dragon prisoner who was supposed to be persecuted the next day."
Axyll stopped in her tracks and listened from afar.
"Ah, yes," a cannoneer replied, "The foolish young dragon girl who defended that pathetic peasant."
The group burst into laughter.
"So the boy finally lost his mind and ran away with an equally incompetent prisoner, eh?"
"It was bound to happen sooner or later," a raider spoke, "that boy was such a maverick of a person."
"And a rebel too," A swordsman added. "Good riddance!"
The soldiers kept talking and laughing as Axyll moved forward. For a second she was worried that the "foolish young dragon," who she assumed was Kisa, got herself into trouble again. She quickly dismissed the thought however, relieved to hear that her young friend had escaped with the help of a young Serpent rebel. She was sure Kisa wouldn't have trusted just any person. So now assured of her friend's safety, she began walking around the main territory, observing.
There were quite a number of soldiers scattered around the city in groups, but their number was nothing compared to the peasants and slaves. Numerous men carrying sacks of rice here and there, others busy at work building erections and buildings, a couple tied to the whipping posts moaning and crying, and one, hanging by his neck on the scaffolding at the center of the town square.
It seemed that there had been a hanging earlier that day. Axyll moved closer to take a good look at the corpse. It had long, deep whip marks on its back and stains of dried blood all over its body.
Yes, the Serpent hadn't changed, and this didn't surprise her. What was in front of her; a man hanging dead with deep scars in his body was what symbolized the Serpent; what set them apart from the other clans. They were by nature cruel, and this cruelty was manifested in all aspects of their lives, especially in the treatment of those they considered inferior. And it was hard to change what embodied their identity.
She walked around a little bit more, acquainting herself with the territory before settling in to a shabby little place at the edge of the city.
For many days, she roamed around, lingering closely to the clan's training grounds; the tavern, the sharpshooter's guild and the alchemist hut, taking note of their latest defense and attack techniques and their newest forms of armory and artillery, since the Serpent is known to be most advanced compared to other clans in these areas. From time to time, she would also observe their fields and toiling techniques, which did not differ too much from that of other clans, except that the peasants' productivity heightens at the sight of Budo and his brutal whip. What kept her coming back to the fields, though, was not the agricultural activity, but the phenomenon that, as she had noticed, there were quite a number of slaves in the toiling grounds who were clearly not of the Serpent clan. This puzzled her, for there was nothing of the sort in any other clan, and since it was peacetime, foreign slaves were rarely found in any field. That was why she kept watching and observing, determined to get an answer.
In a field towards the outskirts of the territory, Serpent lords could be heard shouting at the slaves who toiled obediently. From a distance, Axyll watched, looming behind some trees at the edge of the nearby forest. She walked slowly along the perimeter of the rice field near the forest where trees were plentiful, her concentration locked on the few foreign toilers of land, and the possible explanation for such a phenomenon.
Her mind was so focused on her thoughts that she barely noticed it when the wind blew her cloak back, leaving her white hair in plain sight. At this point, a slave carrying a few logs passed by, and upon seeing her, had put down the heavy load. Only after a while did she finally sense his presence and turn her head towards him, her features carefully concealing her thoughts as she saw a redheaded slave giving her a hostile look. Axyll slowly took hold of the Erdus strapped behind her back to prepare for any sudden attacks. Her instinct, however, made her regard him carefully and not immediately take on a defensive stance, for she was aware that this was her chance to seek answers to her numerous questions.
They looked at each other in cautious hostility before the Wolf finally spoke.
"A Lotus spy," a deep voice made its way into Axyll's ears.
"I'm no Lotus," she replied curtly, both of them unmoving.
"Your hair says otherwise."
Axyll was uneasy. This Wolf stood and spoke more like a warrior than a slave. She ignored his statement, still determined to find some answers. "What is a Wolf doing as a slave of the Serpent?"
"A Wolf?" He asked, surprised, before his tone shifted to one of regret. "I am no longer worthy of my clan."
"We are not very different then." She loosened her hold on the Erdus as a reaction to her realization. Indeed, she somehow felt a kinship towards this displaced youth.
The Wolf kept still, not knowing what to make of the stranger in front of him. Her appearance was doubtlessly of a Lotus' but if so, then she would have readily attacked him. Her words confused him greatly; her actions even more so. He stood unmoving, suspicious as he attempted to predict any move she might make. But she made none.
"If you're not a Lotus, what are you then?" He said, challenging her statement.
"I am of my own kind," she answered flatly. "And you, a Wolf, serving for the Serpent? How did that come about?" Axyll asked, grabbing the chance to know more about the strange phenomenon.
"A prisoner sold to slavery," was his answer.
"At a time of peace?"
"Those who took me were no ordinary bandits," he continued, still cautiously eyeing her. "They were discreet and organized. No other group of bandits would've been successful in slave trade without the aid of such skill and strategy." He paused, "they were much too..."
"Advanced?" The Lotus completed his statement, recalling what Kisa had told her of a much too similar experience.
The Wolf looked at her in surprise. "How...how did you know? Have you ever come across them before?" He asked, his suspicion growing.
Axyll shrugged, thinking nothing of it. "There are other ways of learning things. One doesn't necessarily have to get into trouble with these bandits to know about them..."
The slave frowned, his stomach curling as he realized that perhaps this girl had been one of those bandits who sold him to the Serpent.
Axyll did not miss this small movement, but the force of her attacker and the speed of his movements caught her off guard. She lifted the Erdus just in time to block his crude weapon as he tried to hit her hard on the head. Axyll could see his dark green eyes filled with berserker rage and she could not comprehend his purpose for attacking her, but she had to fight, nonetheless.
The sound of their weapons clashing could barely be heard from the field and no one had realized that fighting had ensued some distances away. The Lotus was combating in defense for she did not wish to kill a stranger for no reason. Every quick move he made was countered by the Erdus, but his movements were fast and his attacks were incredibly strong. His physical built, which resembled that of most Wolf's warriors, and his intense anger, also helped heighten his skills even more, making Axyll slowly inch backwards each time she tried to block his forceful attacks. Finally overpowered by her opponent, she was pushed hard against a tree, her back hitting its trunk fiercely and with the slave's makeshift weapon pushed hard against her throat.
"Why are you attacking me!?" Axyll asked, desperately struggling to free herself from the Wolf's weapon. Her futile attempts, however, were no match to his strong and aggressive attacks, attacks suggesting that he wanted to kill her.
"You...Your kind killed my father!" He said in a dangerously low voice, forcing the weapon against her throat. His voice reverberated with intense anger that was equally reflected in his eyes.
"Wha--" She could no longer breathe. She had dropped the Erdus and was frantically trying to push the makeshift weapon with both hands, trying in vain to push it away from herself. But she was no match for his strength and her body was growing numb from the lack of air. Her head began to throb as she at last turned to her last resort. Closing her eyes, she concentrated hard, trying to summon her power through her clouded state.
The Wolf suddenly felt the ground tremble while he was forcefully pushing the crude weapon across the neck of the Lotus girl who was visibly weakening. At first, the tremors were faint, but after a while it strengthened, successfully putting him off balance and off his feet. The trembling stopped the instant he had fallen.
Axyll gasped for breath the second the pressure on her throat was released. She groped for her weapon hastily and, taking advantage of her opponent's disorientation, quickly pinned him down with the Erdus on his neck.
"Why did you attack me!?" She demanded angrily.
The slave narrowed his eyes and continued to glare at the Lotus, his dark green eyes filled with hatred and rage.
Axyll searched his eyes and saw his loathing. This infuriated her further for she could not understand the reason for his deep-seated anger. It seemed anchored on something more than the unsaid dispute of a Wolf and a Lotus. No, it was much more personal. She could see that much from his expression and actions, but she could not fathom the reason for it.
Increasing the pressure of the blade against his throat, she spoke again, "Why did you attack!?"
The slave still glared at her, but Axyll sensed that he knew, as she did, that he had no choice but to accept his defeat.
"Well?" her voice was low and threatening.
Clenching his jaw, he finally replied to her in a tight and measured voice. "You and your kind killed my father eight years ago."
He simply glared at her, unmoving, his eyes reflecting his fury and his voice echoing with it.
Axyll stopped. Realization dawned on her when she finally understood that he thought she was one of the shadowed bandits. She removed her weapon from against his throat, relieving it of the sharp crystalline blade.
"I told you, I am of my own kind. I no longer belong in the clan from which I once came. I simply don't belong, not anywhere, not any kind. Not even the kind you think I am."
"Then why do you know about those...those...bandits?" he claimed, his voice dangerously low. "How could you possible know of them and of their ways if you've never encountered them?"
Axyll answered plainly, "I have heard of a similar experience from someone I know."
He looked at her in disbelief, his anger no longer too evident. "And your friend...escaped?"
She nodded.
"I couldn't escape without my father," He said, his anger slightly resurfacing. But Axyll noticed that this time, the rage was not directed to her anymore, it seemed directed more to himself. "But I was weak and they killed him…"
She looked at him with a hint of sorrow, but he was unable to notice. The words of this slave hit her hard like a strong blow through her stomach. So this slave had gone through the suffering she had been experiencing, and they both shared the burden of the knowledge that the fate that befell on their fathers was their fault, their inexcusable fault of being unready and weak when their fathers needed them most. It pained her greatly for she had left her own father to suffer the most unimaginable of tortures, alone, and that, up until this point, she was still incapable of obtaining his salvation.
She had moved back to the real world without the only person she had fully trusted and believed in. Whereas she had fled in fear for her life, this mere slave had given up his shot at freedom to regain his father's honor. He had achieved what she had failed to do. And seeing his anger towards himself for this failure, she felt just as furious with herself.
The Wolf continued, "But I wouldn't have been able to save him either way. I was too young, and much too weak. And they seemed to know my moves even before I made them. But whether or not my father was meant to meet an end the way he did, I will never let pass their crime until I take my revenge."
Realization once again hit the Lotus at the words of this Wolf. This slave, his roots and his history, may seem completely unlike hers, but in the lives they've led, in the experiences and perceptions they've had, there wasn't much of a difference; displaced members of their own clan, the irrepressible pain of separation and the strong desire for revenge. Axyll suddenly felt pangs of compassion for this Wolf, yet at the same time, she felt comfort in realizing that someone else was feeling her agony.
She lowered the Erdus, but kept its blade close to the captive in case of any sudden moves.
"These...er...bandits, do you know anything else about them?"
"Not very much," he replied. "They wore garments of no other color but black. Every one of them wore hoods over their heads, making it impossible for any captive to get a clear view of their features. There's nothing more I can tell you, except that in some of their movements, I could hear the faint sound of clinking glass. The sound was rather high pitched, as though it came from a hollow and narrow tube or bottle…"
"Potion bottles," Axyll mumbled to herself.
"That sound is barely audible, but since I am a Wolf my senses are more keen than most..."
The young woman nodded after the slave was finished talking. She took one last look at the Wolf slave, then turned around and left, leaving the young man alone, awkwardly positioned on the ground.
She had never expected to find someone who shared her pains and understood her quest for revenge. A sad smile adorned her lovely features once more at the thought of two very different souls, both suffering the same cruel reality…