Chapter Five: The beginning of the trip

Sunrise at Sentinel Mountains by Gege16

After running in the cold snow for a while, seeing that finally there was no trace of the attacking canines, the tiger stopped and let the two children down from its back, who did not leave their astonishment at the things they had just lived. Clearly, not every day a tiger saves you from hungry wolves. Aliosha was still very confused, mostly because he still couldn't admit that he had heard an animal talk.
"I still insist that I already lost my mind," said the kozzakhi with a hand on his forehead." This has to be an absurd dream".
"I assure you that you are not asleep" the tiger replied. Dylara stared at the animal.
"I want to know...Who or what are you and how did you find us?" Aliosha asked seriously.
The cool wind blew again in the midst of silence and dragged some of the fallen leaves on the ground.
"I am the one who observes and takes care of your dream since long time ago. Who leaves shadows in your room at night. Who is there despite not realizing it. "The tiger said seriously breaking the ice." I am inside your conscience although you don't know."
The teens looked at each other in silence, with a confused expression, trying to hold their laugh and without taking very seriously what the animal said. If something seemed more strange to them than the specimen they were talking to, it was that this same animal was talking with twisted metaphors
"What's your name, beautiful feline? Why did you save us?" Dylara asked.
"I note that you both have not understood me and that you still do not leave your astonishment, I decide to explain little by little: my story is too long, but i'm known as Megrez by most of the people" replied the tiger with a much more serious look than before when he realized that the children had not understood. I was sent by the stars for a mission. I've been waiting for you, the chosen ones, for a long time."
"What the...?! " the pair asked in unison even more confused than before.
"Chosen for what? It has to be a mistake. We are just two simple Kozzakhi kids who were walking in the forest at night and out of nowhere they were attacked by a pack of scary and rabid animals. Thank you for saving us, I'm more than grateful for that, but please, stop kidding me."Aliosha told Megrez a bit annoyed and looking around "And to top it all, we are now lost in the middle of nowhere."
Dylara was thoughtful as she listened to her friend reproach and blew smoke with her mouth in the cold winter air. Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and stopped blowing. She had remembered something.
"Do you mind if I talk to him?" She asked the animal, pointing at the boy. She took him a couple of meters away and turning her back to the place they were less than a minute ago.
"What's happening?"
"Al, this is clearly the beginning of something great. I am sure that all that rare sermon by Megrez has to do with this," she whispered, showing him the letter she had found inside the cover of her saber earlier that night."Please, trust me. Don't you feel a call into the unknown? Have we ever had an adventure in our lives?"
Aliosha looked at the letter thoughtfully and then at his friend. He would rather go back to town to continue with the relative normality of his life and leave the dangerous chases in the forest as a simple anecdote, the idea of going much further did not convince him too much. His life in Barkistan was not the best one ever, nor the most interesting or epic, although at least his family had an occupation, food and could live in peace, since then have never been captured by the imperial troops. However, he loved his friend very much, he knew that she had always dreamed of having an epic journey that would take her to the ends of the kingdom. Her greatest desire was an adventure.After thinking, he approached Megrez.
"I'm saying it again, thanks for saving us. Now, if it doesn't bother you, could we go back home,please?" the boy asked.
"I'm sorry to inform you that it is not very safe to return or stay here, they could attack again. And even worse things could come, "the cat replied firmly, watching the dawn that lit the sky and starting to walk. The children had no choice but to follow him.
"You mean the wolves, right?" Dylara asked as she advanced to the side of the animal.
"Those were not wolves. They were demons," said Megrez. "I saw it in their eyes. They can have any shape you can imagine in order to capture their prey.
The Kozzakhi looked at each other in amazement. The wind blew again among the tops of the dense trees whispering a melody in the immortal silence of the forest.
"Well, where will we go then?" Aliosha asked, looking at the sky with a desolate expression as he walked beside the tiger and his friend.
"I will just say that we have to go north, it is about to dawn and we need to get out of here. The trip will be long and most likely it will be very dangerous so, be prepared.
They walked in the virgin forest, while the darkness was slowly fading, as it was time to start the day.
The owls were hiding, to leave their territory to the famous golden eagles, an animal that the Moskovar nation had so much respect and appreciation that over the years it ended up becoming its most recognized symbol in the world.
The sounds of the night were silenced, and the symphony of the birds that had not emigrated due to the arrival of winter began to sound. The sun with its golden rays appeared behind the Sentinel Mountains, the most imposing and inhospitable mountain range of the empire. Dyeing the dark sky with orange, yellow, red and pink shades, it offered a sight in sight that was magnified by the immense peace of the early morning, far from any human settlement.
Clearly, neither Aliosha nor Dylara could continue to deny the truth of the events they were living, no matter how they wanted it or tried they could not wake up,because nothing was a dream. As difficult as it was to digest it, they were beginning for the first time in their lives a real adventure.
"Specifically, where are we going? " Dylara asked.
"We go to Nodvragoda, there I have an old friend who will help us. Her name is Shirkania, although she is better known as Baba Yanga."
Nodvragoda was a place that once was the capital of Moskova, but after several invasions from neighboring nations, Ulan Shang Kov managed to accumulate more power.
"But we have to go unnoticed, it is very likely that the creeps are still looking for us," Aliosha replied.
"Definitely, boy. That's why we must mix," Megrez replied. The three had stayed behind some trees along a road that connected Nodvragoda with other small towns. In that path,there were several large carts that seemed to be taking a break from their trip. Beside these were also several bales of cereals, mounds of cloth and various objects. Those responsible for these elements were not in sight.
"They are for sure transporting merchandise to the city," Dylara said quietly. "They must be collecting water from the river. If we infiltrate the caravan we will arrive faster to Nodvragoda and without getting noticed by anyone".
"That's brilliant, little warrior" the tiger replied
Aliosha looked astonished while the tiger smiled wryly.
"You have to relax for once" the girl replied as she approached the larger cart. The pals followed her.

*****

Already in the village, Kira headed back to the market to sell the last remaining orders and tidy her stand before returning to her shack. Dylara's parents also helped. She showed an expression of concern on her face. She felt somewhat guilty that Aliosha escaped as well as for not having prevented her when Dylara asked her to.
"How strange that the children have not returned, I wonder what they are doing, Vadim told her.
" I do not think they have gone too far, I hope they're ok", she replied with very little security while delivering the last cake of the day to a client.
The market looked like any winter night. With a lot of movement but with fewer people that in summer. Illuminated by lanterns with candles, the atmosphere acquired a melancholic tone, accentuated by snowflakes that were falling in a delicate way on buildings and trees.
Kira, Vadim and Samaria began to store the objects of their trading stands, since the buying and selling hours had already ended. There was nothing that could alter a tranquility that seemed most typical but at the same time felt tense.
Until a noise was heard in the distance.
"Oh, God! No!" Shouted a man who was running towards the market, running in despair" People began to shake and keep their belongings faster so they could leave the place. "Hide! The Dark Army is coming, this is going to get out of control!"
Immediately, without giving any time for questions to the people present, a group of dark-armored soldiers appeared completely hooded, carrying double-edged axes and other weapons and riding armored horses. It was the infamous Dark Army, the dreaded imperial repressive apparatus which also used to participate in conquest campaign. This militia attacked several of the commercial stands, breaking several objects while their owners and customers tried to escape. Several of their members had also captured some people and were going for more. The scene was dominated by horror, violence and despair. It was a demonstration of the twisted moral with which Ivar and his people ruled the kingdom.
"Lock them there," said one of the soldiers to another who was carrying prisoners, pointing to a cart that was carrying one of the horses. But when he shook his head to look back, he saw several kozzakhi run, opened his eyes wide. "Perfect! It's what we are looking for!", he thought.
Kira and Dylara's parents had hidden under one of the tables not to be seen, they were waiting for the chaos to end. Unfortunately, the hiding place would last them shortly. One of the cadets lifted several of the tables and saw them. They tried to fight against the repressors and resisted to be handcuffed but failed to avoid it.
"Where are you taking us!" Kira shouted from inside the stagecoach trying to open the door.
"To the capital city!" The cadet replied badly. "Now, sleep and stop insisting. Or you will just eat watery rice."
*****
"I'm sick of this! I don't want to live this way anymore!" Vladimir grumbled as he scrubbed the hall floor.
"Don't be so complaining, at least you're still alive," said Volk, one of the guards who guarded the entrance to the palace' s ballroom.
Vladimir had been a servant for 5 years since he was captured in Nodvragoda. His main job was to clean, although he had also had more unpleasant tasks, such as being an executioner's assistant. Compared to other servants, his situation was not so bad. By the way,he had to be witness of horrible things im siclence,without being able of protest over them so rough nights and bad dreams were something commom in his life. His family had been captured with him when although them was arrested for being "suspicious."The good thing is, he learned how to manage to infiltrate the dreadful dungeon of the North Tower to talk to they, although relatively recently he had been granted the desire to visit her once a month, so it was no longer necessary to sneak away. But he knew that sad days were almost over.
"Well, as I see you cleaned all this dirt in record time, I'm going to give you a reward," said Ugor, the other of the two guards touching his shoulder.
Vladimir raised his head and looked Ugor to his eyes.
"If this goes wrong, i'll be dead" he thought and,after swallowing he told the servant" "I will take you to see your family for the second time this month, but do not tell anyone. Also, for the only time I will wait for you outside of the dungeon, I will not watch you, but you have a time limit of five minutes for your visit."
Vladimir smiled in a sarcastic way as he rose from the floor and began to walk beside the guard down the empty hall.
They reached the door of the prison that was in the North Tower of the Kremlin. Ugor opened the door revealing a dark space with small candles that barely lit,which smell was horrendous. Vladimir entered the dirty room, which had many cells, many of them overcrowded. Soon he found the cell where his family was.
"I missed you so much," his wife said as she tried to hug him from the other side of the bars. The two young children next to her smiled.
"I know," he replied, "but I promise that today will be the last day of torture for you and our children."
" Do you think you are ready to execute our plan? "she asked with teary eyes.
"Yes, today is the day," Vladimir nodded determinedly.
"Then, save us all" she told him and then sat back in the middle of the cell looking at her empty plate. Her husband left the dungeon.
"You still didn't use the rest of the time you had left " Ugor said very confused.Vladimir, without saying a word, sneaked away from the guard and then started running.
The guard turned his head slowly and when he saw the servant running he shouted" Hey! Not so fast! Where are you going?!" And immediately, he started running after him. Another of the guards who was passing by saw the situation and joined the persecution.
They ran through the halls until they met Mikhai, who had been walking in the opposite direction and sent them an accusing look. All the participants of the persecution suddenly began to pretend naturalness when they saw him, because when the apprentice suspected something, he do not hesitate to harass people, and when he becomes angry, it is better to run because under his appearance as a carefree, rich and festive young man, there was a beast capable of anything.
"What are you doing, idiots? Where do you think you are going?" the young man asked reluctantly " I imagine you will not be wreaking havoc, right?"
The servant and the guards responded in unison nervously " Ehh, nothing, we were just ... You know, walking around here..."
" You better not be lying to me because if you do,you will pay a big price. In less than a week it is the Red Moon Ball and noble people from all over the continent will come to see the splendour of this palace. And if fools like you tear it apart, then you'll have to clean it using your damn tongues. Everything has to be perfect, Right? " Mikhai replied holding Ugor's face between his hand and staring at him, piercing his eyes with his threatening and sharp blue gaze. And that said, the young man continued on his way with his typical pedantic walk and the three resumed their chase, which continued until there was no more in the hallway than a window. Vladimir accelerated. It was now or never. If it failed, it could cost him his life, but he was sure that his plan would work, so without preamble he threw himself into the void, breaking the glass while the guards watched the scene stunned.
Mikhai, who heard from the distance the sound of the window's vitreaux breaking, shouted, "Incompetent guards! I knew you were doing some disaster! I'm going to grab you to my place right now!"
"And now that we are going to tell the emperor and his spoiled kid?" Ugor asked his companion, who looked at him worriedly. He swallowed and answered the voice in the distance. "The servant left this world!"
"Oh, what a pity..." answered the emperor's favorite guy, before shouting " Get a new one right now! And fix that window!"

*****