Chapter 25: The Voice of the Ancestors

Chapter 25: The Voice of the Ancestors

Chapter 25

Kai ended up buying a few herbs he was curious about from old Selly. After some fierce haggling, he spent a mesar and thirty-five chips.

He pushed the price down from an initial seven mesars and thought he got a good deal. Sellys radiant smile as he walked away told him that he might have gotten scammed.

There just was no way to get a great deal at his first haggling against a seasoned merchant. You live and you learn.

He wasnt too upset but decided he had enough for today and started heading home. It was better if his mother found him there when she got back.

Upon entering new town, he noticed a small crowd of people was forming around a man one street over.

A couple more minutes wont make a difference.

Kai walked towards the crowd, curious about what the man was saying to gather so many people. The speaker seemed to be an islander less than thirty. With dark hair, tanned skin and a charismatic presence. He was speaking with fervour, gesturing with his hands to give weight to his words.

arent you tired of being treated like vermin? To pay taxes to a governor who desecrated our lands!? What would your ancestors think if they saw you now?

His eyes full of passion moved through the crowd as if to dare anyone to meet his gaze.

Each second those dogs remain here is a slap in the face of the spirits! How are you going to face your ancestors in the afterlife if you roll over to their demands? Do you not hear them cry tears of anger for how our land has been sullied!? The great spirits Kahali and Yatei are on our side. Its time we return to the old ways and follow the will of the spirits!

The man continued to rally the people with conviction on the border of fanaticism. Denouncing the perversion of the Republic and inciting people to rebel.

The crowd was hanging on his lips, echoing his words and emotions. Kai noticed that not everyone was nodding along and some looked skeptical, but they were in the minority.

Kai would be the last one to defend the Republic. He would gladly hit the governor in the face with a bat if he could. But things were not as simple as that man was making them out to be.

Even a year ago he would not have fallen for this, and certainly not now. He had read a little about the history of the Talthen continent in Viryas library, which put into perspective what the Republic was doing. If people thought things were bad now, they had no idea how truly terrible they could get.

Just the fact they were free to keep practicing their religion and traditions was considered an extravagant concession, only present in recent history in the most progressive countries.

Forced conversion was not unusual for the conquering force. In the kingdoms where religion played a pivotal role, it wasnt too rare to make the conquered populations choose between converting to a new faith and losing their head. Sure, that was considered barbaric by the common consensus, but it didnt mean it didnt happen. Exploitation or enslavement were much too common.

Without even taking into consideration when the conflict was between different races. That was a whole other can of worms. It wasnt a given that every race treated foreign ones more harshly than their own people, but all the most extreme cases in history happened that way.

The most infamous was five thousand years ago, when the Arckleesi Theocracy waged a holy war on all races they considered inferior. They burned down whole kingdoms and brought more than one sapient race to the brink of extinction. They were only stopped by a coalition that combined the forces of most of the continent.

All this wasnt to say the Republic was some beacon of morality. Viryas books focused more on ancient history, but the little he had read made it clear there was no kingdom without a pile of skeletons in the closet. The Merian Republic might not allow slavery and have relatively fair laws, but its rulers were no saints.

The people of the archipelago had the right to be furious, protest and take any opportunity to change their situation for the better. However, he saw no such opportunity. It was clear to him that inciting a rebellion was a madness that would only lead to greater suffering.

The man showed no sign of stopping his rallying. The intensity of his words kept rising and rising, resounding loudly through the streets.

Kai didnt like where this was going one bit. Looking around the people seemed completely taken by the fanatic speech.

Few seemed to have kept their mind. Among them, he noticed a man with a rugged beard and an almost military cut of hair, who looked at the speaker with disgust. With his appearance and expression, he stood out from the rest of the crowd like a colorful seashell on a low tide.

Observing his face more carefully, he looked somewhat familiar. Kai took a moment to realize he was the same man he called uncle and used to get out of the shady part of town the night before. In the daylight, he didnt look that old, maybe late thirties.

What a weird coincidence finding him here. Well... Thinking about it a moment, there were less than two thousand people in Greenside and those that lived in the new town were even less. It wasnt like the odds were abysmally low.

Kai moved towards the man with a slight hesitation.

I guess I should thank him.

As he got closer, he noticed another detail he had missed last night. The man was built like a tank. He could see his muscles bulging underneath his shirt. Coupled with the thin pale scars that marred his hands and forearms standing out against his tanned skin, he gave the vibe of a veteran soldier.

He didnt know how he thought this man looked reassuring last night with such a clear intimidating aura. But even now, he didnt get a bad feeling from him.

Hi, uncle. I wanted to thank you. Kai cheerfully greeted the man. His Acting skill was more useful than he thought.

The burly man turned his eyes away from the speaker towards him. He looked confused for a moment before realization flashed into his eyes.

If Alana noticed the silent exchange, she didnt say. Giving him one last disapproving look for making her worry, she turned to Moui with a smile.

I must thank you for bringing Kai back. I told my daughter to look after him while I was away, but it seems both my children have a penchant for disobeying.

Moui looked awkwardly at his feet. It was nothing. He seemed like the kind of kid who often ends up looking for trouble without thinking things through. I just wanted to make sure he reached his home safely.

Alana sighed exasperated, You have no idea. Kai always has his head among the clouds. Trouble has no problem finding him.

Kai threw a betrayed look at his mother.

Hey! Thats not true. Im the most responsible child you have. Ele doesnt count, she was born more responsible than most adults.

He could only watch as Alana started sharing a couple of his most embarrassing moments with Moui, who had moved past his social awkwardness and readily agreed with her. They were laughing at his expense. Amazing.

Not even Acting could prevent Kai from blushing. He felt his ears were on fire as the two adults had a laugh over his misadventures. Ill go wait inside.

Looking around in the living room, he found Kea sitting at the table with a deep frown on her face.

She turned to him when he entered, Couldnt you stay out of trouble for five minutes?!

It was her who disappeared and left him alone.

Comn Kai, time to be the bigger brother.

He suppressed a retort and instead said, Sorry.

He didnt feel one morsel of guilt, but someone had to take the first step.

Kea looked at him bewildered, before nodding satisfied, As you should be.

Thanking Moui one last time, Alana stepped inside. She had a smile on her face, but as soon as she saw them, she assumed her lecturing face.

Here we go.

He turned on Acting to look properly repentant as Alana lectured them both on responsibility.

I guess it's better to go all out or nothing.

It wasnt Keas fault. She told me to stay inside and that she would be back soon, but I wanted to see the market and didnt listen.

If this doesnt make me the best brother in the whole wide world, I dont know what will.

Kea now looked at him like she was wondering if someone else had stolen her brothers body. He rolled his eyes. It wasnt like he was never kind to her. Right?

Their mother also looked at a loss for words for a moment, She shouldnt have left you in the first place. But Im sure this wont repeat. Right, young girl?

Yes, Mom. Can I go now?

Alana nodded. With only two of them left Kai threw his mom a look.

You know Im not a child. Not really. He said.

She looked at him from head to toe.

You look like a grumpy child to me.

You know what I mean.

Ill stop treating you like a child when you start acting with responsibility. Until then youll be my little troublemaker. Alana leaned in to give him a hug and kissed him on the cheek before he could slip away.

They had talked a few times about his past life when she came to the estate to visit him. After she found out he had died not yet an adult and was several years younger than her, even if he added all it up, she decided to keep treating him like a child.

He could bet she would have done it regardless and that was only a convenient excuse.

Managing to slip away, he made a show to clean his cheek on his sleeve and walked to his room grumbling to himself.