Sand & Shadow

Chapter 6

At some point much later that morning, Sehl was awakened by the not so gentle nudge of a boot on his side. He realized that it was almost noon and that the wagon had stopped moving, probably for their customary stop during the hottest part of the day to save the yaks.

"Wake up boy. Your quiet easy life is now over. The real work begins now."

Sehl groaned, as much from his burgeoning hangover as from the realization that the only part of his life that did not seem to be changing was Akur's unending enthusiasm for discipline and martial exercise.

"Akur, I had kind of a big night last night as I'm sure you have heard" Sehl grumbled from the padded makeshift pallet he had made for himself at the back of the full wagon.

Then he sat bolt upright, it was morning! He had just left everything he knew and was headed Ejlal knows where...

And Akur had a letter from his mother!

Reading Sehl's face like a book, Akur's face broke out into what Sehl would hesitantly call a smile. He then pulled out a sealed envelope and waved it like a bone before a dog. Sehl instantly tried to snatch it, and just as quickly Akur pulled it back and tucked it away in his robe.

"Listen well, Runt. I keep my promises, so you will have this letter, but not before you get your lazy, scrawny, runt body out of this wagon and go through the morning routine, twice."

Anger burned across Sehl's features, He was leaving behind the only world he had ever known, and here was Akur still with holding answers,

"Akur... Give me the letter. This isn't the time for games."

Akur answered with such a strong deadpan look that he might as well have been made of stone.

It was all too much, the rejection of his father, the endless secrets, had built up like an undeniable pressure in his chest. Then, past the point of no return, he decided to do something unbelievably reckless.

"GAHHH!"

Sehl roared in anger, finally letting his emotions off their leash, and lunging forward with a quick jab, straight punch combination. Both of which Akur dodged with the barest movement of his torso. Not letting up, Sehl kicked sand up at Akur's face, before following the sand with a real kick from his back leg. Akur leaned into the sand with his eyes closed as if it was a fresh spring mist and kept leaning to the right so that Sehl's kick passed harmlessly to his left. Then Akur answered, springing up from his bent-over position on the side of Sehl's body and checked Sehl hard with his shoulder.

Sehl stumbled to the side and attempted to turn it into a retreating roll, but Akur's sidekick was already there, pounding into Sehl's stomach like a boulder falling into a river. Sehl found himself on the ground unable to catch his breath, and just like that, the fight was over.

Akur leaned over his gasping form, with that evil smile on his face,

"You are right, you have waited for many years. So the time it takes you to do the morning routine three times will not kill you. Loved the sand trick, by the way, there is hope to make a fighter out of you yet." and with that, he straightened and walked away.

Sehl groaned, attempting to catch his breath as all of the anger and dismay at the last few days drained out of him and left him feeling tired. He slowly rolled over onto his stomach and then pushed up onto his feet, moving slowly, as if he bore the weight of all the world on his back.

He looked around for his aunt and not finding her anywhere, shrugged, took a drink from the water barrel, lashed to the back of the wagon, and did as he was told, beginning the forms of attack and stretches that he knew better than a childhood friend. The familiar motions seemed to wash away the jarring pace that his life had taken. A few days ago, he was the son of a desert caravan trader, whose only dream was to manifest and be admitted to the deserts guide guild.