THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 158: 158. SILENCE

When Sagiri finally came, he could feel the carriage jolting up and down. His head was not hurting, unlike when Kaka had put him to sleep. He opened his eyes, and he was sitting between Salka and N’varu, and he was resting his head on N’varu’s shoulder with his hand supporting him. Opposite him, Senraki Kaka and kiuga were all sitting. Kiuga and Senraki were talking about something. Kaka and Salka were quiet. Sagiri coughed a little before he sat up. He was feeling especially tired.

”You are finally awake?” Senraki said.

”You can’t keep a low profile to save your life, can you. You were before the council mere hours ago, only to go mad seconds later,” Kaka said. He had not come to pin him down when kiuga and N’varu did, and perhaps it was his last restraint not to beat him to a pulp in front of the entire fortress and present council.

Sagiri did not have the strength to answer anyone. He just stared up at the setting sun. His heart was still throbbing at losing something close to him. He should have been feeling the grief that he had experienced earlier, but he felt a lot of nothing, too. He could hear someone say something to him, but he did not care to listen. He retrieved his oru-seals and clasped them on his ears, not wanting to hear a word. He closed his eyes and sank deeper into silence. He could not afford to hear any noise, or he was going to run back to the fortress and tear it down and demand everyone pay for what they had done to Myama.

He spent most of his ride in silence and did not eat when they stopped. He sat as far away from the crowd as possible whenever they stopped. Salka had not forced him to eat, nor did Senraki. N’varu had tried a few times, but he had not stopped.

Sagiri was sitting at the edge of the clearing they were standing on as he stared into the darkness when he felt a presence behind him. He knew it was nvaru yet again, so he did not turn around. He did not turn to leave, but Nvaru did not leave either. When N’varu did not leave after a long while, Sagiri pulled off the seals, but he did not turn around.

”Grieving is good, but sinking too deep can be dangerous,” N’varu did not waste any minute to say what he had been willing to. Sagiri wanted to slap back the seals, but he could also feel N’varu’s grief. ”Myama was sent here to look for you long before I was sent. You should know that I am among the ten sent out to look for you in every school. We are all willing to die for you, just like myama. It is our clan’s duty to find and protect the keeper,” N’varu said, and Sagiri’s blood boiled. He was tired of people dying for and because of him.

”Stop talking,” sagiri gritted, not daring to turn around.

”You can take that as a bad thing all you want, but that will not change anything. The harder you refuse to see, the more people will die. Myama was just the first...” N’varu continued as if he had not heard what Sagiri had to say.

”I said, stop talking!” Sagiri snarled, turning around to glare at N’varu. He had not asked anyone to sacrifice themselves for him. Yet it seemed many were willing to.

”She is not coming back; that is a reality. Back home, whenever a person passes, their loved ones dance under the stars to honour their memory. They honour their sacrifice if they are warriors with a dance. It perhaps will make you feel better,” N’varu continued, and sagiri stopped. The way N’varu spoke was not in the manner of a sixteen-year-old. Before sagiri could say anything, N’varu turned around and walked back into the darkness to join them. Sagiri stood in the darkness a little longer before he joined the others. They would be in Galka by morning, and they were only resting for a bit before they headed north again.

He sat at the edge of the circle when he returned. N’varu handed him a plate, and he did not eat it this time. He ate the meat and drank some water before he allowed himself to rest for a bit with the others. No one spoke to him, and he appreciated it. He was especially not in the mood for saying meaningless words.

The team was back on the move after two hours of rest while Senraki and Salka watched the perimeter. Lotaga was left to babysit them as they rested, though they did not need it. Salka and Senraki had not rested or slept the entire journey of two days, and it was truly admirable. They had not been stopped in the Zonuvaki territory either. Only a daring person could dare go against an asakana captain, and even a foolish one could attack a grand marshal under the protection of the ten schools.

The war carriages were moving at full speed, and at dawn, they were pulling through the gates of Galka City. They pulled into the gate of the Galka war headquarters, and only then did Salka and Senraki stop being on high alert. The first person they met at the gate was

Seyika Faraku and he just looked at the group with his cold eyes before they landed on sagiri and lingered for a little longer. The carriages stopped, and Salka Senraki and Lotaga alighted. It seemed Seyika had something important to tell them.

”Go!” Salka said, and the carriages pulled through, leaving the four men behind. Sagiri did not need to read minds to know that whatever they were going to discuss had something to do with him. And whatever it was, it was so important that Seyika had to break free of Chief Zaka. So urgent he had to report before he joined the chief in Ko’alsi or Alika.