Chapter 4 - Vi'An Perza
A soundless noise
A windless breeze
A blade is poised
The dying flee
~ Vi'An Shieda Perza of the Perzada clan
A poem. Written by a Shadow Walker for Shadow Walkers. Vi'An stared at the sheepskin for a while, wondering if his work could be perfected further. Deciding it was perfect enough, he took the piece to show his father.
The door to Vi'Din Perza's room was near closed. Hushed voices slipped through the hairline gap. Vi'An decided to wait out of respect. A flustered man burst out not moments later and stormed past. Lacerta. The man whose home Vi'An and his father had been staying at for as long as the boy could remember. Thinly built and odd, Lacerta had rust colored hair and did not dress similar to others in the arid regions of the Illeyan Alliance. He always had on a dark coloured coat regardless of the heat.
Vi'An shuffled inside, sand grains beneath his leather hide shoes grinding against the floor. His father, similar to himself, had a black cloth covering his entire face save for his mouth. The Shieda had no faces to show save for their mouths. Their skin was a dark grey like volcanic rock and their lips a charred shade of magenta. Everything above was as dark as a cave opening on a cloud-filled night. “I wrote a poem pa,” Vi'An said, holding out the sheepskin, his voice hoarse.
“Did you now?” Vi'Din smiled. “Hmm quite amusing. Very in fact.” He rustled his son's black hair.
“I want to be like the Eldarai you talk about. I want to learn all manner of things and be wise just like them. And be a great poet!”
“That is good my son. Your mother would be proud of you if she could see you now. But you know, an Eldari's wisdom came from great experiences. They travelled all Illusterra to have earned their titles. A harsh journey many a time.”
“I don't care! I will be an Eldari one day. I will be one at age twenty. I will be the youngest Eldari ever!”
Vi'Din laughed. “Of that I have no doubt. Here's a secret, Vi'An. There is a cheat to your goal. A path free of hostility. They say the nations of Xenaria and Tarmia have great libraries with books full of knowledge. There are libraries in the Far East too, or so my pa told me.”
“Books?” the boy asked.
“Yes! Similar to this sheepskin. They are things upon which great works of knowledge are recorded. If you read them all, you will gain wisdom mirroring the Eldarai of old.”
“Like the stone pillar in Katur?”
Vi'Din laughed again. “Similar but not quite. They contain many more words than the great obelisk of Katur, but they are small enough to hold in one hand.”
“How is that possible?”
“One day I will take you there and then you will see them.”
Vi'An's dark lips stretched up. A shortcut to his dream. The prospect sent his creative imagination spiralling. He walked to the open window in his father's room and took in the hot air of the desert morning. A refreshing feeling to those that traversed the cold world of shadows. Out in the sandy streets, there were other children laughing and kicking at a round object. A popular game amongst the youths of the desert.
“You cannot play with them, despite what you may feel, Vi'An.”
“I know. I do not need to play with them.”
'A child who too oft plays
Will one day turn and see
He hath lost his way
To become Eldari'
“My, you have become quite adept at this,” his father praised. “Try something with more than four lines. Expand your horizons by any means. That is the path of the truly wise.”
Vi'An nodded and ran off to his own room to begin constructing his next poem. Not soon after did he doze off and in an awkward position. He did not wake until it was well past dark —normal waking hours for the Shieda. He and his father normally went to sleep shortly after sunrise. He groaned as he stretched out the stiff parts of his body.
Someone slammed the front door to the house shut. Vi'An jumped, jerking his head around. He could hear someone pacing before his room. He sank into the shadows to see who was behind his door. Lacerta was muttering to himself while biting his nails.
Curious, Vi'An appeared before the landlord, causing the man to jump up out of fear. “The Tortured Throne consume me boy! At least announce yourself before arriving.” He paused, thumbnail between his teeth. “Are you hungry?” he finally asked. Vi'An's stomach growled at that moment. “Right, right,” Lacerta said. “Of course you are. You're a growing child. Come I have food prepared for you.”
Vi'An cocked his head. Lacerta was not one to express kindness. The man almost always appeared agitated by something and was constantly arguing with Vi'Din. “What about pa?”
“Ah, Vi'Din? He'll be sleeping for a while longer. He's already had his breakfast. Said he was tired so I mixed something extra in his food to help him rest.”
Sleeping? Did his father not get enough rest during the day? “But what of my lessons?” Vi'An asked.
“There won't be any lessons today. Come now and eat. I'll explain everything soon.”
Vi'An did not ask further questions, fearing Lacerta's agitation would return if he was too inquisitive. He seated himself on a small rug in one corner of the moderate square common room. Lacerta placed an empty plate before him and fetched a clay pot with steam rising from within. Long grained white rice and chunks of meat shown from the top, the emanating scent a salivating concoction. Rarely was there meat to accompany rice. He wished he could have enjoyed the meal with his father. It couldn't be helped. Lacerta gave him a generous serving and he dug in immediately.
“Right. So as I was saying,” the man began. He was rubbing his hands nervously. Vi'An wondered what had him on edge. “Today you get to experience the real thing.”
“Real?” Vi'An asked with a mouthful of food.
“Right. Right. As in you will apply your lessons tonight. Or today. Whatever it is you Shieda call the night. You are already seven or eight, yes? Hence why Vi'Din is resting. This night belongs to you. A real task with real consequences. Also a test to see if you will ever be capable of carrying the Perzada name. Are you up to it?”
“Yes,” Vi'An managed whilst vigorously chewing and nodding his head. A smile spread on his closed lips. Not only did he get to eat well, but he would also partake in his father's work. He would be allowed to kill a person. Allowed to assassinate. He would not fail in his task. He had been trained all his life to move in and out of the shadows and strike with stealth and precision.
Vi'An was isolated from the social world and had limited life experiences just as every other Shieda. All for one purpose. To have no attachments to others. He would pass this test and make his father proud. He would obtain a new experience and be one step closer to his dream.
“If you succeed,” Lacerta continued, “I'm sure Vi'Din will allow you more chances of working. And that way, he will get more time to rest. You must become your father's weapon, Vi'An. And remember. A weapon is a tool. And a tool is only useful so long as it can function properly. This is a valuable lesson. You must succeed and return unharmed.”
Vi'An nodded again, now holding out the plate in an attempt to get a second serving. He didn't expect it but Lacerta helped him to more. “A weapon. Does that mean that if I break, I will be discarded?”
“Indeed. Aren't you a smart one? You will definitely become an Eldarai one day.”
Vi'An's already wide smile spread further. “Eldari,” he corrected. “Eldarai is plural.”
Lacerta nodded and began cleaning up the dishware. He then slipped out of the sand house, leaving Vi'An to sit cross legged and wait patiently. He swayed from side to side, excited about his task.
The rust haired man came back with a small dagger. Vi'An's gaze followed the ornate hilt. Blood rushed through his body as the weapon was plopped in his hands. He caressed the smooth and cool surface of the blade with his fingers. His very own weapon. His very first weapon. He looked up, lips apart. He couldn't find the right words to express his gratitude.
“Good,” Lacerta said. “I can feel your enthusiasm. Now. Remember your training. And remember what I'm about to tell you. Go outside and turn left. Continue until you come across the camel keeper's pen. He lives in a domed sand hut. Then take a right into an alleyway. You will eventually come across a clearing. Once there, you will take one more left and it will lead you to a wide open street. The biggest building in that street will be before you. Go inside, and on the second floor, in the third room to the far edge, you will find your target. A boy not much older than you. Repeat everything back to me.”
Vi'An inhaled deeply. “I will go outside and turn left. Then I will continue until I come across the camel keeper's pen. He lives in a domed sand hut. Then I take a right into an alleyway. I will come across a clearing. Once there, I will take one more left and it will lead me to a wide open street. The biggest building in that street is where I'll go. And in the second floor, on the third room to the far edge, I will find my target. A boy not much older than myself.”
“Perfect. Vi'Din raised you well. Now go. And make sure you are not seen. That is most important.”
Vi'An nodded. He walked outside and sank into the shadows. The Umbral World was cooler than the temperature within the material world. Night in the Mahjur Desert was already cool and thus the Umbra was cold at that time of day. The world above, the material world, could be seen from within the shadows. It was like a painted sky above Vi'An's head, but also a reachable sky he could jump out of or poke his arms through at will.
Night was the most ideal time for Shadow Walkers. People were seldom about. And the entire world was enshrouded in shade, making it an almost limitless playground. Vi'An regretted not taking a cloak with him. He was only outside the house and could easily return to retrieve one. But he was far too eager to complete his first task. He hurried along while keeping track of all that was above him in the material world. He came across the camel pen and found the domed sand hut not too far away. He stopped for a moment and took in the sight of the camels. He had seen them before but never up close.
Vi'An exited the Umbra and walked over to a camel that was sitting down. It perked its head and looked at him with large round eyes. There was a stack of dried palm leaves next to it. Vi'An took one in his hand and tiptoed to the camel, unsure of how it would react. He poked the animal's face with the leaf and the creature opened its mouth, yanking the leaf away from him. He leapt back, carefully watching the camel as it chewed. The animal returned his stare. Step by step, he approached it and stroked its neck. Relief washed over him as the animal remained docile. It smelled funny, but felt overwhelmingly friendly. Vi'An smiled. “I'll come back soon and give you another leaf. Our little secret,” he whispered.
He sank back into the shadows and continued to where he was expected to go. The Umbra was now colder than it had originally been. Entering the world of shadows meant giving body heat as payment. Multiple entries and exits in quick succession weakened the Shieda significantly. Vi'An took a right into the alleyway near the sand hut. It led to a clearing as Lacerta's instructions had said. He then took a left into another alleyway. At its very end, it opened into a long and wide street.
Before Vi'An, there stood a sand building with two floors. The only one in the area that had a second floor. It was the house of the tribe head. Or so Vi'Din had once said. He was one of few leaders making up the 'kingdom' of Izzet, which was more an establishment of a number of tribal villages surrounding the Izzet oasis springs. Vi'An wondered what reason there was for killing a child of that household. Two guards in long tunics with thick white turbans wrapped around their heads stood outside the doors, each holding an iron spear in their right hands. Vi'An slipped beneath the doors, still traversing through the shadows, and observed the house's interior.
The floor was laden with thick rugs of intricately sewn patterns. There were various strange pieces of furnishing that he had never seen. Seats constructed out of a combination of sand and wood. The corners of the house held tall glass vases that contained scarlet lupine flowers known to only grow in the desert.
At the far side of the house was a sand staircase. Vi'An went up as instructed. There were only three rooms in the second floor and none of them had doors. There was a flickering light and hushed voices coming from the nearest of rooms. A man wearing a grey tunic sat inside with a candle lamp next to him. He was counting multiple stacks of coins while muttering to himself. Another man, shirtless and with a turban, stood over him. His muscles were thick and well-toned. There was a shamshir at his waist. Vi'An recognized them as a guard and the village head.
He moved past the room and came across the second one. A large cot was placed in the center of the room. Beneath it was another expensive looking rug. A woman slept on the cot. The village head's wife, Vi'An assumed. He carried on to the third room. The one with his target. It was the smallest of the three. A boy no older than he slept soundly on a stack of sheets. Moonlight shone through a window and illuminated the boy's face, his dark hair shining like strands of metal string. Beside the window was a small blue vase with a bright yellow flower.
Vi'An took out his dagger and exited the Umbra. He examined his target's face. The child was sleeping so peacefully. A gentle breeze caused strands of the child's long hair to brush along his face. For what reason am I killing him? He looks so innocent .
Vi'An shrugged, repeating Lacerta's words. “I am a tool. A tool only functions. It does not question,” he whispered. He raised the dagger and brought it down on the sleeping child's chest.
The child's eyes snapped open, dark pupils full of terror. The victim's face twisted into an expression of shock and pain. He tried to say something but blood bubbled from his mouth. He looked at Vi'An's masked face. A single question was written within that pained expression.
Why?
Vi'An staggered back. “Because I was told to…” he breathed. His hands trembled. Moonlight showed the full color of the dead child's blood. Vi'An covered his mouth as he fell on his rear. He bumped into the glass vase. It tipped over and shattered, causing a thunderclap to reverberate through the room. Vi'An looked at his target's face again. He touched the area where the wound had been made, wondering a third time why he had killed the child. He looked up at his red stained fingers. “Because I was told to. But… Why? What? What have I done? Why was I told to?”
Furious footsteps approached the room. 'Do not be seen.' Vi'An tried returning to the world of shadows but he suddenly bent over as the contents of his late night breakfast came roaring up his esophagus and then out his mouth.
Two men entered the room.
“My son!” the village head cried out. He was shocked and in a panicked state. He saw the assassin next to his child's body and the expression on his face changed into pure rage. “Kill him!” the village head screamed.
The guard didn't hesitate for a single second. He charged towards Vi'An with his drawn weapon and thrust forward. Vi'An watched as the blade tip came towards him. It seemed to move in slow motion.
Why are they attacking me? I only did as I was told.
The spear inched closer and a thousand questions raced through Vi'An's mind. Only a single one stood out amongst the others; Do I deserve to die too? The weapon was a mere blink away from impaling him when he vanished from the material world.
The guard's eyes went wide. “Shieda?” the man breathed as he turned towards his employer to confirm that he wasn't the only one to have seen a person vanish into thin air.
Vi'An raced out of the room through the Umbra. It felt much colder now than before. He struggled to breathe. A lump had settled at the base of his throat. He tried swallowing and could feel phlegm gathering in his mouth. The place where his eyes should be ached with pain. He felt as if something would come out of them. He had seen water come out of the eyes of a saddened person. But Shieda were not capable of shedding tears. He furiously rubbed face but the pain did not dissipate.
Vi'An continued running until his legs could carry him no further. He looked up into the material world, his surrounds a jumble of sand huts here and there. Where he was, he did not know. The way back home was lost upon the boy. Feeling frightened and alone, he walked back the way he thought he'd come from, shivering, the chill of the Umbra piercing through skin.
Vi'An's spirit lifted when he spotted the domed sand hut. But there was no camel pen near it. It was a different hut. He moved about aimlessly, tired, cold, and hungry. Hours withered. The first signs of dawn appeared in the sky. While it would get warmer soon, the world would no longer be enshrouded in shadow. Vi'An desperately searched for Lacerta's home until at last he came upon a familiar scene. He found his place of residence. There were footprints at the side of the house. Children's footsteps embedded in sand. A round object was left there. The same one he'd seen other children play with. Vi'An had a sudden urge to kick the object. To join in the game of the children and share in their merriment.
But no. He was Shieda. And such activities were forbidden for one of his kind.
His heart ached. He recalled the promise he'd made with the camel. A broken promise. His eyes began to hurt again and Vi'An fell to his knees, clutching his chest. Why. Why does it hurt? Someone make it stop… ma… pa… Shuari? Anyone? He only did as he was told. But why did it feel so disgusting? Why had he thrown up? His stomach was empty, but it felt as if a dark taint remained, poisoning him and robbing him of life.
He remembered the way the village head had screamed. The way the man's expression had changed. The lack of hesitation from the guard. “Am I… evil? Is father evil? Should I die?” Evil . The word echoed through his mind. Vi'An covered his ears. “No. No. I am… I am not evil. Vi'An Perza is not evil.”
He searched and searched, relentlessly scouring his thoughts for an answer. If he wasn't evil, why were others trying to kill him? What was he if not evil?
Weapon .
“Weapon? Yes. I am… a weapon. And a weapon has no use if it is broken. I am a weapon. A weapon has no use if it is broken. I am a weapon. A weapon has no use if it is broken. I am a weapon. A weapon has no use if it is broken. I am a weapon. A weapon has no use if it is broken. A tool to be used. And tools do not ask questions. They only function. I will only function. Because I am a weapon.”
***
Vi'An awoke to the sound of two men screaming. Lacerta was arguing with Vi'Din again. It was late into the evening. His stomach growled. He wondered if any of the rice and meat was left from the night before. His hands were a dark brown in color. The blood upon them had dried. He had forgotten to wash his hands. The shouting between the two men grew louder.
“He's only eight by the lunar years! Eight! And you had him kill someone? A child no less?”
“Oh shut your Flaming mouth, you faceless ingrate. He's already eight. You're Shieda . It doesn't matter what age. A killer is a killer,” Lacerta said.
“Are you insane? He was seen even. The entire village is in an uproar. We have to leave! Now!”
“Yes. And whose fault is that? You raised a failure. A broken tool. He failed to accomplish a simple task.”
“You had him murder a child in cold blood!” Vi'Din cried.
“And he did it willingly where you would not.”
“Because I have honor and a moral code. If wealth is all you care for, I'd rather steal for a living than be a contract killer for you. How much were you promised for the death of the village head's son?”
“To Ashes with your honor. You bloody Shadow Walkers are no different from darkspawn. You are darkspawn actually. Don't patronize me when you have tainted blood running in your veins. I give you a roof to sleep under. I keep your secret safe. Don't dare talk back to my decisions or I will end everything here!”
Vi'An closed his ears. His hands trembled. Not only was his father disappointed in him, but Lacerta was too. He had failed in his task. He was seen and now his existence was exposed. He failed to complete his purpose as a weapon. He was a malfunctioning tool. There was a constant nagging at the back of his mind. Not only was he a failure, but he was perhaps evil as well. He murdered a child in cold blood. Vi'Din had said as such. He had taken something important from someone and destroyed it. Vi'An walked out of his room and looked at the two men. “Pa?” he asked. “Are you upset at me?”
Vi'Din ran over to his son and hugged him. “No, my child. I would never be upset at you.” He held the boy tight. “Know this, Vi'An. An Eldari does not kill needlessly. You made a mistake last night. I won't let you make another. I have erred in your lessons. I will be a better teacher from now on. Do you understand?”
Vi'An swallowed, the pain in his face returning. “Yes pa,” he croaked, his voice more hoarse than usual.
