WARBRINGERS: Revenge and Revolution

PLANNING A REVOLUTION

[GON]

The sky was already scattered with stars when Gon went home to the krilldom. It was unusually silent. Everyone stayed inside their houses, no one could be seen outside. The glow of the torches outside every house made the place gloomier.

Gon looked at Mastaro’s house. People who were victims of the hunting were never given a decent funeral. Their loved ones would usually the ones who would bury them, and there’d be no ceremonies.

Even though Mastaro caused him more harm than good, he still felt a little bit concerned that he never came out of their house. Gon walked towards the house, stood by the door, and knocked. The crow inside the cage hanging beside the door cawed.

No one replied.

“Mastaro?” Gon said, then knocked again.

Once again, there was no response.

But Gon kept on knocking. He was afraid Mastaro had done something bad to himself. If that happened, it would be another burden to bear, he thought.

Gon knocked harder until the door swung open.

“Annoying boy-b***h,” he said with a scowl.

Mastaro’s eyes were red and swollen. But what struck Gon was the emptiness in those eyes. His hair was unkempt, his shirt worn backward. He sniffed then asked, “Why are you here?!”

“I… I want to see how you’re doing.”

Mastaro scoffed. “I’m okay,” he said. His voice was tinged with mania. “I’m happy. I am so happy I am afraid I’ll float. I am so happy I cry my freaking brains out. Thank you for asking. You may leave now.”

Mastaro closed the door but Gon stopped it with his hand. He looked at Mastaro, the sarcastic expression now on his face broken, exposing the ruined man beneath. Mastaro’s eyes welled with tears. “What do you want?” he said, full of pain.

“I want to help,” Gon said.

And that was when Mastaro lost it. It started with short, quick gasps of breath that soon lead to a loud sob. Gon pulled Mastaro to him and he hugged him and he cried there, the crow nearby kept on cawing as if he was crying with Mastaro.

***

SULIANA

Suliana couldn’t even wait for the morning to come. She knew she couldn’t sleep without having the chance to talk to Miram Julie. She didn’t tell Gon she was planning to go to Miram Julie that night. She knew Gon would insist to come with her and she thought Miram Julie would be comfortable talking to her first.

She went to the Courage Village. It’s in the Southern part of Cantata, and was a half-hour walk away from her house. The Courage Village is a small land where all the houses of the soldiers are located. Of course the soldiers would usually stay in the barracks, so the people who live there are their family.

It wasn’t hard for Suliana to find Miram Julie’s house. It was near the edge of the village; it was probably the biggest house there. A three-storey house made of bricks, the windows huge and yellow because of the lamps inside. Suliana used the door knocker.

“Wait a moment,” Suliana heard someone say faintly. She heard footsteps approaching the door. It swung open and she saw Miram Julie’s face.

It had been a year since she last saw her. The years had not been nice to her, her hair mostly grays now despite her being just forty years old. Her face pale, there were folds at the side of her eyes. Her eyes changed the most. It lost the life it used to have.

“Amira,” Miram Julie said, blinked a few times. “What… what brings you here?”

Suliana looked around her. Miram Julie’s neighbor was sweeping the front of their house a while ago, but now he was just staring at her, the broomstick in one hand. She recognized him as the man who howled a few hours ago, when the king made his threat.

A howler. Can he smell my intentions? That’s stupid but also… It feels as if it is true.

The thought chilled Suliana to the bone.

“Can I talk to you, Miram Julie?” she pleaded. “I really need to tell you something.”

Miram Julie’s lips became a single line and she nodded. She opened the door wide for her to enter.

***

GON

“They sent my mother away,” Mastaro said, as he played with the fire on the candle beside them. That was the only source of light, darkness crept out on them like a sinister creature waiting to attack. They were in the small living room of the house, sitting on a long chair made of bamboo culm. The small candle was between them.

“They sent her to Hablon,” Mastaro said.

Gon couldn’t say anything. Hablon is a prison made for people with mental illness. The soldiers were usually the ones who decides who goes to Hablon and who goes to Hablan, which is the prison for criminals.

“I don’t know if I’m going to see her again,” Mastaro said. “I’m alone.”

Mastaro never knew his father. He asked his mother about him, he said. He told his mother he just wanted to know his name, to feel the name shape his lips, to hear it come out of his mouth. But his mother would only say, “He’s a bad man, akiro. He is a very bad man. It’s better that you don’t know him.”

“You’re not alone,” Gon said. He really didn’t know if that was the right thing to say. But he was afraid to not say anything. “We’re here. We can help you.”

Mastaro shook his head. “I made your life miserable,” he said.

“But you helped me too. And that means a lot to me.”

Mastaro just looked at him. His brows furrowed; he was on the verge of tears again. “Those soldiers… they are monsters.”

“Yes. They are.” Gon said. “Don’t worry. Suliana and I… we’re going to do something. We want this madness to end.”

Gon didn’t know if saying that to Mastaro was a wise decision, but he just wanted to comfort him a little. He wanted to make him believe that he can avenge the death of his brother, and the demise of their family. He wanted to make him hope.

But Gon got more than that.

“I can help,” Mastaro said. Because of the glow from the candle, Gon saw that his eyes suddenly sparkled with energy. “Just say what I have to do. I can help.”

Gon was stunned for a while. He just gaped at Mastaro. But then he started to see it in his head. Suliana… Mastaro… Miram Julie and him… and the Millos, if they could join them. They would do it better as a team. They could start something.

A revolution.

The phrase tasted so sweet to his mouth. His entire jaw tingled with the idea.

But it was too early to think about that.

Gon smiled at Mastaro. “Let’s talk about it later. What’s important now is for you to heal. And for you to hope.” Gon reached out for Mastaro’s hand and squeezed.

Mastaro looked at him intently. A stain of red was on his cheeks now. He then said, “Can I please have another hug?”

Gon didn’t even have a bit of reluctance. “Sure,” he said.

Mastaro blew the candle that was between them before inching close to him to hug him. Gon smelled the smoke from the candle as he received the hug and as the darkness that was creeping on them a while ago swallowed them whole.

***

SULIANA

“WHY ARE you asking me that question?” Miram Julie asked as she set a cup full of steaming tea on the table in the dining room. Miram Julie sat on the chair in front and stared at her.

Suliana shifted from her seat, scratched her ear. “I am just wondering, Miram. It’s so long since I last saw you.”

Miram Julie slumped, looked at the nearby window. For a moment, her expression was filled with wonder--or maybe regrets.

“I am happy,” said Miram Julie. “That’s the answer to your question… I am happy.”

“I am glad you find the right man to undergo saklub with.”

Suliana knew that since Miram Julie lives in the village, it meant that she married a soldier. Suliana couldn’t ask Miram Julie to help if her loyalty belongs to the soldiers now.

Miram Julie chuckled. “I was forced to it by my parents. He was way older than me. And he has a son already. A grown son. And of course, the thing I dislike about him the most… is the fact that he is a soldier.”

Okay. So she dislikes soldiers. But I have to be careful… I need to be sure we’re still on the same team… that she is still the Miram Julie I know.

“Did you learn to love him?”

“No,” Miram Julie said. “He a few months after I gave birth to his child. As I said, he is older than me.” Miram Julie looked at the table. “Drink the tea while it’s hot.”

Suliana nodded, took a cup of tea, and sipped some, the warm liquid coating her dry throat. “You have a… son or daughter?”

“A son,” Miram Julie said with a smile. “He’s sleeping in his room. I love him with all my heart, and my love for him would outlive me, but I always dream of having a daughter.”

So you can teach her magic? Suliana almost blurted out. I remember how passionate you are about teaching magic.

“I bet he is wonderful.”

“Oh he is. Such a sweet boy, he is ten years old.” Miram Julie had that expression parents would have when talking about their child, like everyone should care, like every detail was amazing. “Very smart, too. His mirams told me he could be a doctor. But he told me he wants to be…” Miram Julie paused, the sense of wonder in her face was suddenly gone. Her eyes were wide now, unblinking. Suliana recognized that expression.

Fear. Or worry.

“He wants to be a soldier,” Suliana said.

Miram Julie swallowed before nodding. “It’s his half-brother. I swear his half-brother puts ideas on his head, about how great it is to be a soldier.”

“And you don’t agree to that?”

“I do,” said Miram Julie. “But not in the reign of King Doroteo.”

Suliana almost sighed with relief when she heard that. It was a window of hope, an indication that Miram Julie was still on their side. The worry in Miram Julie’s face was replaced by anger, her lips pursed, her hands clenched in a fist.

“Soldiers killed my friend,” said Suliana. Her hand shook so she had to put the cup of tea down. Her eyes suddenly warm and she knew she was going to cry again. “They killed my friend. They raped her. They made us believe it was the rebels, but it was them. And King Doroteo said…” She almost choked with her emotions. “He said…” Tears fell from her eyes.

Miram Julie looked at her. The look of worry was back on her face.

“He said… he should’ve been first. He should’ve raped her first.” Suliana sniffed, wiped her face with the sleeve of her dress. “And everyone laughed.”

“He is a sick man, amira,” Miram Julie said. “He has a rotten soul.”

Suliana looked at her teacher. “I remember you told me that he is a bad man. I remember you told me that when he proposed that women should stop learning magic, that dark times would come. You are right, miram. Dark times had come. And… and I want it to end.”

Miram Julie didn’t look surprised. In fact, she smiled. “I know that feeling.”

Suliana decided to trust Miram Julie. She married a soldier, true. But she was forced by her parents and her husband is dead anyway. Suliana could still feel the fire inside Miram Julie, the desire to fight, the will to overthrow the fascist king. She was on their side.

“My friend and I… we want to end King Doroteo’s reign. Can you help us, Miram Julie?”

“But how can I help?”

“Teach me magic,” Suliana said. “Teach me. I haven’t done the saklub. The magic is dormant inside me. I believe you still have the knowledge of magic in you. Teach me, miram. Teach me. Make me your student again.” She bowed after she said that.

“Amira…” Miram Julie said.

Suliana looked up at her.

“This will be dangerous. If the king finds out that I am teaching you magic…” Miram Julie didn’t even finish that thought. Her miram just looked at her face, probably recognized that expression, the one she had when she was younger and made a decision. “We need to be careful.”

Suliana’s heart was filled with appreciation.

“I can only teach you on Tuesdays and Fridays,” Miram Julie said, the life on her eyes she had then went back. “That’s only the days I am sure my soldier stepson won’t come home. I am scared of him, Suliana. He is sick as well. So, he should never see me teaching--”

They heard the door swung open. Miram Julie’s back straightened.

“Julie! Julie!” said the man who opened the door. Suliana heard footsteps going to the kitchen. “The food in the barracks is f*****g disgusting. Did you cook anything?”

The man who opened the door appeared in the kitchen. He stopped when he saw Suliana. He looked at her with a blank expression on his face, but it didn’t last for long. He grinned.

“Julie, you have a visitor?” he said playfully.

“Yes, she was one of my students. I prepared food but it’s already cold.”

“Then heat it up,” he said, raised one of his eyebrows.

“Okay, Jaider. But it may take a while--”

“Doesn’t matter,” Jaider said with a grin. “Go heat it up. I’d entertain your visitor for you.”

Suliana saw the hesitation on her Miram Julie. But she nodded and stood from her chair, walked towards the stove. Suliana looked at Jaider as he sat on the chair in front of her. Her heart was beating so fast, remembering how he killed the krill that night.

“Pleasant evening, pretty lady,” he said, then winked.