"Who are you?" Arsh looked at the silhouette sitting in the chair in the dark room.
"I was going to ask the same question. Who are you, kid?"
"You're the one who sneaked into my room."
The man stayed silent for a moment.
"Tell me… that wound on your hand, how did you get it? Did someone do that to you?"
Arsh didn't answer the question.
"First, tell me who you are," he said.
The man chuckled silently. Arsh couldn't see his face, but from his silhouette it was clear that he wasn't someone Arsh could overpower if things ever came to a fight.
"Let's just say I'm someone who looks for people who carry these kinds of symbols."
"For what?"
Will had written in his diary that there was a group of people who collected these symbols. This made Arsh instantly became alert.
"Hmm... to make sure they don't cause any problems, or that they aren't in any trouble themselves."
'What trouble? You're the one causing problems' Arsh thought.
"I'm not going to cause any problems."
"Convince me"
Arsh felt a rising sense of danger toward the man. The calmness in his voice and movements was even scarier than a man who came at him ready to attack. He slowly stood up from the bed and lit the gas lamp on the table. Only then did he see the man's face clearly. He had brown, curly hair, large brown eyes framed by long lashes, and a light stubble along his jawline.
"How long have you been following me?"
"Since you came to the city."
Arsh had felt that someone was following him earlier today, but only after he left the bank. He thought it was just a thief or something like that. But after meeting Nesame, he had lowered his guard completely.
"So you heard me talking to the guard… that's how you found out which room I'm staying in?"
He gave a quiet "Hmm" of confirmation.
He sat there with one leg crossed over the other, his hands resting calmly on his stomach, watching Arsh in a relaxed posture.
"Then you must have heard what I told him."
He let out a similar approving sound again. It was clear that he expected Arsh to explain the missing part of the story that concerned him. He hadn't mentioned the symbol or how he got out in detail to Nesame or the others, and given the gravity of the situation, no one had questioned these details. But these were exactly the details the man in front of him was curious about.
"I saw this symbol in the ancient burial chamber I told the guard about. I'd heard a legend saying it could grant powers to ordinary people, and… I was in a difficult situation, so I tried it."
He pressed his lips together and shook his head slowly.
"Not convincing. Did it give you any power?"
"No."
"Good. Another lie. But if you heard this kind of legend, you should know it completely. Did you know that it can kill you?"
No, he didn't hear that.
"I only heard that worthy people can use them."
"Oh, you really heard the legend. You are a native, right? This is not a legend told in these lands anymore. Almost any land, actually. You heard it from someone."
Arsh was silent again.
"So, I am assuming that you heard that from those archeologists. What did they find in that burial chamber? Ahh, by the way, you should be aware of your surroundings when you talk about things like that. Or there is a possibility you will get killed by an adventurer who is looking for treasure. They can do anything for information about these stuffs."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, you got that wrong. I'm just trying to be helpful."
He waited for an answer for a while, but Arsh was not planning to tell this man anything. Someone just came into his room in the middle of the night and was asking questions he thought had a relation to the death of his dad and villagers. 'Not convincing.'
The man took a deep breath and stood up
"First of all, let me make one thing clear, I am an honorable officer working for the Symran government. I have a steady income so I have no reason to kill a child or choose something as uncertain as chasing after treasure just to make a living.."
'Not even the village idiot would wear rags like that… and claiming you have a steady income is clearly a lie.'
"I said I'm on a mission right now. You should see me in everyday life… Whatever. Now tell me at least how you got out of that well."
Arsh hadn't wanted to show it, but he had already been thinking about how he would explain that part.
Still, the shift in his thoughts left a trace on his expression. it didn't escape the curly-haired man's notice. A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Got you."
He sat back down on the chair, clasped his hands on his knees, and leaned forward.
"I'm waiting."
"I'm not sure. After I drew the symbol on my hand, I don't remember exactly what happened. I fell from a high place, I was hungry, thirsty, and wounded. I only remember passing through some tunnels and ending up near an altar at the temple in my village. I remember seeing Arienne's statue there. I think… the Goddess helped me."
What he had told him was obviously a lie. Arsh was certain of the reality of everything he had experienced. He just wasn't sure where to find the right sources to investigate it. And he was starting to feel there was no way to get rid of this man. If he couldn't escape him, then at least he could learn a thing or two from him.
Besides, he hadn't forgotten what the man had said earlier: the death of the unworthy. Will's journal mentioned something similar.
"If a person is not worthy, his body collapses slowly."
'So that's what he had meant; death. But I feel okay' He thought for a moment
"I get it. You've been through a lot lately. You can't trust a man who sneaks into your room in the dark. You shouldn't. It is better that way. The same goes for you, kid. I can't say that I trust you. But since you have that siuni on you, I'll keep an eye on you for a while. I'll need to file a record of your name to avoid problems you may cause in the future. Also you look fine, but let's check your health."
"Are you really an official. Can you prove it"
"Look, I said that I am on a mission. But I will later."
"But you are saying openly that you are on a secret mission"
"Because my mission is to find kids like you."
"You are not a kidnapper, right?"
"Of course not" he said, his eyes full of disbelief.
He stood up again.
"There is someone who can check your health. I need to be sure about your health. So, will you come without resistance, or should I force you?"
The man was tall and bulky. He was definitely in his thirties. Arsh scrutinized the man. There was no way he would be able to resist. And he really didn't want to die because of this siuni. He didn't have much choice at that moment.
"I will come with you"
"Good"
The man moved toward the window.
"There's a door!" Arsh shouted, but the man already had one leg over the window sill.
"Oh, right. Let's go"
…
They didn't talk much as they walked. They came to an alley in a district where mostly Kurshan people lived. The streets were lined with buildings similar to those Arsh had passed that morning, but the area had grown silent with the night. There was no trace of the chaotic noise and smell of the morning. Only the occasional drunk passerby and a few night watchmen could be seen.
A few moments later, they arrived at a eatery. Unlike the silent streets outside, the place was crowded and noisy. But it didn't take long for Arsh to realize that it wasn't a typical eatery. İt was a tavern. He had never been anywhere like this before. Arsh hadn't expected Juan to bring him to a place like this.
The dim light inside mixed with the smoke from the tobacco people were smoking, giving the room a hazy, almost foggy atmosphere. The smell of both the smoke and the alcohol hit him immediately, making his throat burn and forcing him to cough. Trying to block the smell, he pulled up the cloth he used to shield their mouth from sand of his tunic, and covered his nose.
They walked toward a small table tucked away in the corner. An older man, probably in his fifties, sat there alone. Like everyone else inside the tavern the odler man was a Kurshan as well.
The man lifted his gaze as Juan and Arsh approached. His looked them for a moment, then, suddenly, his attention shifted. His gaze locked on Arsh's hand. Before Arsh could react the man reached forward and grabbed his hand, without saying anything.
Arsh was taken aback, but the curly-haired man placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a reassuring nod.
"You're not giving me any comfort," Arsh muttered.
He glanced at the old man. The man's eyes were bright, as if they were giving off a faint glow, but the moment their gazes met, the old man shut his eyes and released Arsh's hand.
He stood up
"Let's go upstairs."
…
"Who is he?"
The older man whispered to the curly haired man as they walked down the narrow corridor.
"Just a kid from the desert. Nothing more… I guess."
Even as he said it, the curly haired man didn't sound convinced.
They entered a room. It was shabby, dimly lit, and a little dirty.
"Sit." the man said.
Arsh pulled out the chair near the study table in the corner and looked at the two men standing before him.
The same question came up again, but this time from Arsh.
"Who is he?"
"A friend of mine. He can see whether a person is worthy or not. He'll even be able to tell if you're going to live or die." the curly haired man said with a smile.
Then the older man stepped forward and took Arsh's hand in his own again.
"Let me have a look at the young man. I'm just a simple healer," he said.
Once again, Arsh noticed the light in the man's eyes. His pupils seemed to vanish, leaving only a faint glow behind.
"Hmm… It hasn't harmed your body or drained your spiritual energy. Even if it's faint, you seem to have potential. "
"So… there's no problem with my body, I guess."
"Yes, but it would be better if you internalized your Siuni. That means you're worthy and you're able to use the power of Siuni. It hasn't caused you any harm, and there's a kind of harmony between it and your body and soul. I can't say for certain if a person is truly worthy, but I can read their condition. And yours… there's no problem."
"So, how exactly do I internalize it?"
This time, curly haired man answered.
"There are two rules. First, you need to believe in the power of Siuni. If you don't have belief in your heart, you won't be able to use it, because it connects the power of your soul to your body. The siuni open a way for this power to emerge and take form. But for that to happen, you must believe in it throughout the process. It's like iron being forged into a sword.
The second rule is that you need to understand the meaning of Siuni. After all, you can't start forging iron without knowing whether you want to make a sword or a spoon. Siuni is the mold in which you cast the iron. In the end, you need to know which mold you're going to use."
"To know its meaning and believe it," Arsh murmured to himself. He understood the idea.
"Yes, think about it. If you don't know the meaning of something, can you truly believe in it? You drew this symbol just to give it a chance. So first, you need to understand what this symbol is means, and then you need to believe in the power it represents."
Will had written in his diary that he had found this Siuni in the tomb of Bertham's heir. At first, he thought it might be something like a way to control the desert sand. But instead of affecting soil or sand, there was a light that showed the way out.
Even though the man claimed to be an official, he was still from another country, and Arsh wasn't sure of his true identity, so he didn't want to reveal his little secret directly. The man was also fully aware of Arsh's dilemma.
"Now I can say that you're one of our kind. Let me introduce myself. My name is Juan. I won't go into details for now, but I work for an organization that investigates… hmm, let's just say inexplicable events."
"Supernatural events," the older man added.
"Right, supernatural events… Though when you say it like that, we sound like a bunch of charlatans." Juan sighed.
"Anyway, I'm on a mission right now. There have been cases of native children being kidnapped, and I'm looking for the organization responsible. So, let me explain what you're going to do. Now that you have this Siuni, we need to observe you and make sure you won't cause any trouble. If the Siuni, and you only hold a small amount of power, we'll let you go. But for that, I need to send you to one of our centers. There, they'll help you understand Siuni and properly educate you. But as I said, I'm really busy here. So it will take some time. After I'm done, we'll go to the nearest center together."
It was bad. Arsh already had a plan.
He was curious about the Siunis, of course, but they weren't anywhere near the top of his priorities. If he followed this man, he had no idea how much it would delay his plan, nor could he even guess what kind of place this "center" he mentioned might be.
'Maybe I can try to escape' he thought.
His inner thought was interrupted in a second.
"By the way, don't even think about escaping," Juan said.
"I know you're looking for the people who killed your villagers. And let me tell you—revenge won't be as easy as you think. Also, from what I heard when you were talking to that guard, there are things I'm curious about too. Later, I might be able to help you."
Arsh didn't feel the need to say anything. At this point, there wasn't much to say anyway. Once he got out of here, he would decide what to do.
The older man seemed not to be listening to them at all. He was busy mixing strange substances from bottles he had taken out of a bag in the corner of the room. After a while, he finished the mixing and returned to Arsh's side. He cleaned his hands with a liquid, then applied the greenish ointment he had prepared. Taking a clean cloth, he wrapped it around his hand and began speaking in a soft, low voice.
"Son, I don't know what you've been through, or who you're seeking revenge against. Just think of me as a fellow countryman looking out for you. As for the man sitting behind me, I've known him for a long time. If you're in trouble and need help, I suggest you listen to him. He will help you."
"And don't walk around with an open siuni wound like that. Whatever it is, it's still a wound. Keep it clean until you fully internalize it. Also, be careful, there are still people out there who know what such symbols mean, not many, but enough to cause trouble… Listen to Juan and go to one of the centers. Once you grow stronger, then you can pursue your revenge properly."
Blindly trusting someone was out of the question. But as the old man had said, this could also be an opportunity for him. He wasn't naive, nor was he someone unaware of what was happening around him. Also if Professor Millway had really left Thage as he suspected, tracking him down would become much harder.
Money and language wouldn't be a problem for a while, he could manage that. But surviving in completely unfamiliar places,in bigger cities governed by different rules and different people, might end up being far more difficult than simply finding those men and killing them.
For now, keeping an eye on this curly haired man called Juan and figuring out whether he could be trusted seemed like the best option. If nothing else, it might help him find someone to rely on once he left Thage.
The old man had finished wrapping his hand and returned to the table in the corner. Arsh turned his gaze to Juan, who was tugging absentmindedly at the loose threads on his clothes and impatiently bouncing one leg. Arsh kept watching him, still wondering how things were going to unfold.