THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 6: Chapter 6: THE JOURNEY

It took the official caravan three days to reach the Cilsi city of the eastern tribes, even going at full speed. It seemed that they were under strict instructions not to delay or make unnecessary stops. They barely stopped for four hours to sleep at a small town south of the eastern tribes before they were on the move again. Sagiri had never left the small village of Wuzi since he was a child, and watching the changing landscapes was overwhelming for him. He was sharing a carriage with the tallest and the leader of the group, whom he knew as Jalume. They hadn’t exchanged a word since the journey started, and he appreciated the silence. Sagiri shut his eyes and let himself be lost in the silence that was in his mind. He hadn’t dreamt since he left home, and he had spent the journey in a meditative state.

”We are approaching Cilsi, we will rest in the military headquarters of Cilsi for a day before heading to Molakwa,” Jalume announced after another few hours of travel.

The state of Tagayia is made up of six cities. Galka, the capital city of the north, Cilsi, the capital city of the east, Kafika, the capital city of the west, and Molakwa, the capital city of the central tribes. The two biggest cities are located at the edge of the tribes. The fifth city and the second largest city is the city of Zandeko’alsi. It is located at the apex of the north-west and central planes. it is the home of the Kaya parliament. The sixth and the final city is the Alika city, which is the home of the supreme Mandra and the high-ranking official of Tagayia. Sagiri knew they were going to the city of Zandeko’alsi. It is where the traditional parliament was, and he needed the approval of at least five tribe chiefs to enter a high school.

Tagayia consisted of three levels of school. The first level is tribal schools for kids under twelve, where every tribe had one, where the young ones went to learn mostly about their tribe’s origin, traditions, and proper etiquette. They also learned basics about their tribal arts, be it in medicine, innovation, war, or hunting, and tribal dances and music. Rights and tribal marks are also taught here.

The second level is the integrated school. Young youths from the age of thirteen went to this school to learn about World Calculations, the Art of War, the Art of Hunting, Building Studies, Plant Studies, Innovation and Technology Studies, Tribal History Studies, Tagayia Language Studies, Human Anatomy, Fitness Studies, Medicine, and Weaponry. A total of twelve subjects that could push the youths to the limit. Only a genius could get a top grade in all of them, and only the smart could pass in more than half the subjects. Tagayia consists of ten integrated schools: the Galka War Academy, Kafika Rift Academy, Molakwa Forge Academy, Cilsi Healers Academy, Tisaro Arc Academy, Yalami Forest Academy, Konate Wild Academy, Daziko Sun School, Zoli Sea School, and Lokuza Spirit School. Apart from the twelve subjects, the schools also taught other subjects tied to the school histories.

Sagiri did not get to join any of the high schools at thirteen because his parents were worried for him and chose to homeschool him. There was nothing much they could teach him about the tribes because he already knew. The archive inside of him had all the history of the tribes. His father, Bakuru Oyaka Mekarili, is from the central plains, and he is from the Mekarili tribe. They are a tribe known for their deep roots in making human machinery. If a soldier lost his foot during war, he could create a new mechanical one. He however had left the military, sagiri did not know why and he had stopped the archive from prying into his past, he could have known if he wanted to since they live together but he did not want to invade his privacy, his father no matter how dark the past he tried to hide had always been kind to him and if he didn’t tell him then he couldn’t pry. His mother, Rusha Eka Tavasheni, is from the Eka clan of the Tavasheni tribe. They specialize in making medicine from herbs, and she was good at it. Everyone at the Wuzi village called her healer Rusha, and she was worthy of their name

They were not his biological parents, and he had not cared to know his real ones. Bakuru travelled far and wide to get the materials to make the Oru-Seals, the reversed function hearing shells. Each one cups his ear like a curved shell of blackened stone, fitted with impossibly delicate precision. They tried to homeschool him in healing and human machinery, and he was not too bad at it. Even so, he knew he was missing a lot of information, yet it seemed that the archive was blocking some information from him.

The city of Cilsi was bustling with life, and Sagiri could feel it before the wagons pulled through the city gates. It hit him like a punch in the gut. The bustling streets and the bodies flooding the streets were too overwhelming and his eyes snapped open. He was thankful that the Oru-seals were a blessing because they swallowed all the noise, even so he could still feel the noise. His hands tightened into fists as feelings of the crowd, the sadness, the joy, the anxiety and all the hustle buzzle hit him.

”Are you okay?” Jalume asked, watching him carefully.

”Too much noise,” he said, his sharp eyes narrowed. The journey to the headquarters took another hour because it was on the other side near the outskirts of Cilsi city. The camp was buzzling with military personnel who were going over their drills. Sagiri however did not care to look and he wanted to get out of there and find a quiet place to sit. When he was seated in his allocated cubicle and shut the door behind him he was able to take a deep breath. His ability to perceive what people around him felt was getting louder and he was starting to wonder how long before even the Oru-shells couldn’t protect his ears.

”What am I?” He found himself wondering again but no answers came from the quiet room around him.

After a night of rest they left Cilsi early in the morning before the city could come to life and he was thankful for that. The journey to Molakwa city took four more days. It was mostly through the thick woods and occasional establishments. Many rain forests stood between Cilsi city and Molakwa city that sagiri found himself enjoying the journey. It rained all the way to Molakwa and he slipped back to his meditative state. The government road was smooth and it allowed for the much needed relaxation. The city Molakwa was even bigger Cilsi city and sagiri was a little curious to see the home Bakuru had grown up. It was still loud but when he imagined Bakuru’s younger self walking the streets everything else went silent.

”Can I walk around for a bit?” Sagiri asked Jalume who was awake but staring into nothingness. It seemed the journey had taken a toll on him and he was tired of baby sitting.

”Why?” Jalume asked regarding him suspiciously.

”This is my fathers home, I wish to see it.” He said seriously and he meant it. He had never been good at lying or calling spade a spoon. He only allowed his parents to lie to him and agreed to their lies.

”Perhaps later after we get to the inn,” he lied, he was skeptical and he thought he could run.

”Now.” Sagiri said and Jalume felt fear. It was a command and he felt obligated to oblige.

The street vendors regarded him weirdly, people of Molakwa are colorful people and his dull attire consisting only of black stood out like a sore thumb. Different snacks were being sold and he wished to taste them. He walked to one stall and picked a small candy before moving to the next. He barely heard the vendor curse before Jalume apologized and paid. Suddenly he could see echo reflections of Bakuru’s younger self. He was dressed in a yellow attire and he was running down an opposite street. He followed through almost running to people. To them he appeared to be in a trance and they moved aside. He chased the region down another backstreet. He was happy and the little fans of the little toy he held span as fast as he ran. He was really happy and sagiri wondered why he had grown to be gloomy and not smile again.

”Baku... don’t run so carelessly!” A woman dressed in a long flowy colorful dress appeared. She looked exactly like a young Bakuru and she pinched his ears.

”Mother, look at the new toy I made!” young Bakuru yelled in excitement and the woman smiled lovingly. Sagiri had only ever felt such kinship with the woman from her dreams and for the first time in his life a small ache built in his chest. Is that woman really my mother?

”You can’t go any further!” Jalume yelled behind him, shuttering the echo reflections. Only then did sagiri realize he had walked into a street and was far from the main street.

”Let’s go back.” Was all he said however leading the way. Somehow he now knew the streets of Molakwa like the back of his hands. And for the first time he wanted to find the woman in her dreams. After another night of rest they headed for the second largest city of Tagayia, the city of Zandeko’alsi. The journey took four more days. More towns littered around the way and sagiri did not get a moment of peace. If Zandeko’alsi was more crowded than Molakwa city of the central plains then he was in for a rough time. He should have gotten used to the hullabaloo and hustle buzzle that never stopped in his mind but it somehow got louder daily. And yet he felt like they were all fragments.