Tales of Eleutheros

Robert looked down at his hands as he curled them into fists, his mind far from this new and unfamiliar land and on more simple times. Tears welled in his eyes but he quickly wiped them away. He knew he needed to be strong, to find the anchor of resolve that would keep him sane through this. His thoughts again wandered home, to his family and friends, and his apartment. He rested his back against the battlements, making sure he was far enough away from the Dae palace that no prying eyes would find him and expose his weakness. At least Katrina is here, he thought.

“Robert!”

Robert saw Katrina walking toward him, followed by a large company of Dae. Daniel was there as well. He hadn’t quite formed a full opinion of the man. He was clearly capable and seemingly the most rational of the three, considering their situation. Robert closed his eyes and took a deep breath, putting on his emotional mask once again. As his eyes opened, his ‘forced smile’ returned, and he waved them over.

“Getting started without us, friend?” Oros said as he approached Robert, a grin stretching across his face. Robert shrugged, struggling to maintain his smile.

Oros stopped in front of him and motioned one of the Dae who was following closely. The servant approached quickly, holding several bundles of dark green cloth in his arms. Oros grabbed one and held it out to Robert. “Here. Wear this.”

The human took it from him, unfolding it as he did. It appeared to be a long cloak.

“This is the color of our noble class,” Oros said, passing it to Daniel and Katrina. “None will approach you while you are wearing this.”

The two mirrored Robert’s inquisitive but careful unfolding and inspection.

“Thank you,” Daniel said, throwing it over his shoulders.

“Why are you wearing red then, Oros?” Katrina asked as she put it on as well.

“This is the color of our warrior class,” he said, smiling and grabbing at the crimson red cloak around his chest. The Dae motioned for the group to follow and began to make his way down the stone road to the town below.

The city of Vul De Rah was a magnificent display of Dae architecture and innovation. It looked like a city that could rival any back home to Robert as they descended from the perched palace. They were solid pieces of stone, seemingly grown from the ground itself. Dwellings and taller buildings littered the area around them, showing a condensed and well-developed inner city, unlike the open but bustling entrance.

Oros brought them into the streets of the community, past crowds of onlookers who murmured to each other and called to Robert as he passed them.

“Spirit-sent! Bless us!” called a Dae woman from his left. Robert turned to see her getting pushed back into the crowd by one of the warriors. They stretched their arms out to them and shouted.

“What the hell is this all about?” Daniel asked Oros.

“They have all heard what happened in the throne room. About Gro’ak and his blessing.” Oros kept his eyes forward, ignoring the shouts and extended hands.

“This looks barely under control,” Daniel said.

Oros turned down a larger street, and Robert was shocked at what he saw. Thousands of Dae standing on either side of the road, being held at bay by hundreds of warriors in black cloaks. The crowd’s roar intensified as they caught sight of the group turning the corner.

Robert grabbed Katrina by the hand and leaned in close. “Look at this,” he whispered, smiling as he put his arm around her shoulder. “Wow,” he said out loud.

Katrina shrugged his arm off but did not turn to face him. It was a subtle gesture, but it screamed loudly to him. She had been acting differently since they arrived here, more distant. He wasn’t blind. He glanced back at Boros. The young Dae seemed in good spirits, but his eyes were often on her, never wandering far from Katrina. Robert’s smile vanished; instead, he clenched his jaw. He looked around to see if Daniel was nearby. He was, but he was facing away from them, speaking with Oros.

Looking back at Katina, Robert opened his mouth to speak. He wasn’t going to allow this division to continue. She had barely spoken to him since their arrival. His thoughts were interrupted as he was suddenly jerked backward. He grunted and gagged as he was pulled to the ground by the green cloak he now wore, tugging at his neck. There were several Dae who struggled above him, warriors in black and citizens that reached down to grab him.

“Robert!” Katrina called, grabbing at his arms to help him up. She then started to get pulled down as well and let out a terrified yelp.

Robert struggled against the arms that held him down, some around his shoulders and cloak, others around his arms. “What the hell is going on?” he yelled, panic overwhelming him. He tried to look around and make sense of what was happening. There were two black-cloaked Dae that struggled above him, their boots stomping near his head as they fended off what looked like hundreds of Dae that were all trying to grab him and Katrina. Are they trying to kill us? he thought, his mind overwrought with fear. Then he looked closely at a young Dae girl’s face. It was dirty with mud and grime, and her eyes weren’t that of anger but of absolute sadness. She stretched her arm out around the side of one of the warriors and rested her hand on his cheek. She smiled for a moment, and tears began to stream down her face.

“Bless us, Spirit-sent! Please!” she yelled.

Robert stared back in terror and confusion. “What?”

The Dae girl’s face was knocked back into the crowd by a warrior’s spear shaft. The roar of the crowd intensified as more warriors came to force the crowd back. The few hands that remained holding Robert down clawed frantically at his clothes. Robert began to stand, shrugging off the last of the crowd’s hold and looked up to see Daniel’s extended hand.

Robert took it and was hauled to his feet. “Ugh,” he grunted, feeling a sharp pain where his tailbone had hit the stone pavement.

“You alright?” Daniel asked.

“Yeah,” Robert said, brushing the dirt from his cloak and looking for Katrina. He saw her standing several yards from him, with Boros tending to her. He frowned and fought the urge to say something he knew he would regret.

“I know,” Daniel said, patting Robert on his shoulder. “Let’s talk to her first. Before we do anything stupid.”

Robert shook his head. He was about to say something, but Daniel interrupted him by shouting to Oros. “Do you mind letting us know what the hell just happened? Your people just tried to strangle my friends.”

Oros approached Daniel, his welcoming smile now replaced by the stone face of a veteran warrior. “We must keep moving; the Doulos were not supposed to be here.”

Robert looked back to where the crowd had been mere moments before, but saw no one, save the bodies of around a dozen Dae lying prone on the pavement, with blue fluid spilling from wounds and filling the cracks between the stones. Robert’s eyes widened as his realization set in.

“Wha…” he stuttered, having never seen a dead body before, aside from the occasional roadkill passed while driving. but never a human being. These aren’t human beings. he thought to himself, turning from the horrible sight regardless.

“Why did you kill them?” he asked Oros. His voice cracked slightly, taking any intended force out of his question.

The Dae looked at him, puzzled, and replied as though it was common knowledge. “These are Doulos. They are worthless.”

“What are Doulos?” Daniel asked, folding his arms across his chest.

Oros turned to Daniel, “They are the lowest caste of Dae in our clan. The descendants of the traitors who fought against us during our war with the Rexunii. They are the offspring of scum and traitors, and may only be redeemed by proving their loyalty to Lokkadonia in battle.”

“So, they’re slaves,” Daniel said bluntly.

Oros didn’t answer immediately. He looked somewhat taken aback. He opened his mouth to retort when he was interrupted again by screams and shouts of the fleeing Doulos in the streets.

“They are paid for their work,” the Dae Kryo said, narrowing his eyes slightly. “Which is more than they deserve, trust me.”

Robert shook his head. -How the hell did we end up in a fucked-up place like this? - He thought, his mind a numb assortment of questions and complaints. Just a few days ago, he was worried about paying his rent for the month and if he should invest in a water purifier to cut his monthly expenses. Now he was here, in Vul De Rah, afraid of being burned to death or torn apart by slaves.

He looked back at Daniel, who was still talking to Oros. Then, as he studied him, he realized that he now knew what to think of him. He was glad he was here, someone with more resolve and bearing than himself. Though he felt it selfishly, he was glad that he wasn’t alone and that he didn’t have to face the circumstances of this world and feign strength. Robert cursed himself for his weakness, for allowing himself to think something so pathetic.

Oros finished his conversation with Daniel and began shouting orders to his warriors. Robert watched as Dae, clad in black cloaks, ran to the fallen Doulos and started removing them. Their movements were precise but showed no hint of respect for the way they treated these dead. His eyes focused on the face of one of the fallen women, smeared with mud and what he knew to be her blood. It was a dark blue color and streamed from a wound on the top of her head. Her eyes, a dull yellow, stared lifelessly into space, capturing in part, the moment of her death.

Robert scanned the others, swallowing down bile as he fought the urge to vomit. His thoughts then returned to the young Doulos girl who touched his face. Was her body amongst the dead here? Robert let out an uneasy breath and walked toward Daniel, who he now noticed, was staring at the carnage as well. But he seemed different. Robert saw he was slightly pale, and sweat beads dripped from his head down the side of his face.

“Are you alright?” Robert asked, causing Daniel to jump slightly as he turned to face him.

“Yes.” He shook his head as if to regain his composure. “Let’s go.”

~

The walk through the rest of Vul De Rah was a solemn one compared to the energy-filled celebration that resounded through the streets mere minutes before. Katrina kept her eyes down, the stress and shock of the incident still lingering like a wet blanket.

“I’m sorry for all of this,” Boros said, walking beside her. “The Doulos were… unexpected.”

Katrina made no effort to acknowledge him; she had no reason to. There was a knot of fear making its home in her stomach that felt as though it would bring up the lunch she ate earlier if she opened her mouth.

“I wanted to show you our beautiful city and its people, but like all things, there is an ugly side.” Boros continued. “The Doulos are descendants of the Dae who were loyal to the Rexunii when we fought them for our independence. The newly appointed King, Gurmo, decided to make an example of these people and their children.”

Katrina swallowed hard. “That’s horrible,” she said weakly, looking up to face him. The Dae’s eyes lit up, but it was brief as he quickly returned to his somber expression.

“These creatures deserve nothing more than they have. Even so, my father allows them to squire under the warriors of our clan. Many have proven themselves in battle and redeemed their bloodlines, but the majority continue to wallow in their misery and cowardice.”

Katrina kept quiet this time, her mouth sour with the taste of bile. She clenched her teeth as her stomach turned over. Come on, Kat, pull yourself together. She supposed that for most of her life, she was what many would consider sheltered. Her parents were married still, her dad owned a successful business, and she lived comfortably. She had all the characteristics of a normal life; she went to college, got her degree in finance, and had spent the better part of the last year working at her first real job. So, why? she thought. Why is this happening to me? She looked around and saw Robert behind her. He was talking with Daniel, who didn’t quite look like himself. His face, normally difficult to read, was now slightly pale and unsettled. Maybe this is getting to him as much as it is to us. Suddenly, she bumped into the Dae in front of her, who had stopped.

“Oh shit!” She said, startled. “I’m sorry!” She patted the Dae’s armor instinctively, brushing off the area she had hit. The Dae chuckled but gave her a slight nod in reassurance.

“We are here,” Oros said, turning to the group.