School of Thieves (ON HOLD)

The Journey

Part 1

The Journey

Hispania, 16 years later

What else could Nikolas do with his life?

His mother had just died, he didn’t know his father, and there are no jobs in his pitiful village. So Nikolas is going the same way as many had gone before. To Toledoth, the magnificent capital built on the hilltop.

“You can stay and learn my craft,” says his uncle.

“But I don’t want to be a blacksmith. I want to achieve higher goals,” replies Nikolas.

“There’s also some greatness in the small things. And there’re big threats in the large cities. If I were you, I’d rather be close to my family”, insists his uncle, with no success. Nikolas leaves as soon as the mourning for his mother is over, carrying only the clothes he is wearing and a rusty dagger to protect him from the dangers of the road.

“Farewell, my boy!” shouts his uncle as Nikolas disappears on the path, while his aunt sobs covering her face with her hands.

Nikolas always dreamed of being someone important. A knight, a rich merchant, a powerful counselor, or even a king.

“Nothing is impossible in this world,” used to say his mother to him many years ago at bedtime. “You just have to have courage to face the challenges. Fear is the worst enemy of the man.” And he has no fear. I’m born to extraordinary deeds. I’m destined to greatness.

It’s a long road ahead to the capital. Twelve nights or more. But he has a dream and nothing could deter him. Once, when he was thirteen, he fled with a circus. “I’m an orphan”, he lied, and convinced the troupe to take him with them. In his village, the certainty that a group of gypsies had kidnapped the poor boy terrified everyone.

For three months he traveled to nearby cities, performing as a clown and as an acrobat. He wasn’t good, but none of the circus members was that good too. After a while, Nikolas begun to miss his mother and uncles, gathered his belongings and said goodbye to his new friends.

“For all the gods, where have you been, Nik?” his mother hugged him and couldn’t stop crying when he reappeared, showing the amazing tricks he had learned on the road.

“I wanted to see how the world is like. We never leave this place…” he tried to justify.

“Please, I beg you: never do that again!” and Nikolas did promise to his mother he wouldn’t run away anymore. But now she’s dead. Even though he is extremely sad about it, he feels there’s plenty to see and to do. Someone dies, but the others have to carry on. He could enlist in the army and go to war, drinking and meeting interesting people from all the corners of the realm, or he could become a sailor, traveling the Middle Sea until the land of the Aegypts, where people say there are giant monuments of ancient monarchs.

On the road, he meets a caravan of merchants, heading east. “You could come with us to Plassentia. There, we part ways. These roads aren’t safe for a young fellow like you”, proposes a funny old bearded man knows as Silvestre, and, when Nikolas shows him his dagger, he adds “this toothpick won’t do against swords and spikes. You might be brave, but don’t be stupid.” He laughs loudly, and the other travelers giggle as well.

So joins the caravan and, for six days, he is in the company of these strangers.

On the last night, Silvestre sits next to Nikolas by the fire.

“I once was young and full of expectations like you are now, my boy. You’ll see with your own eyes that life out there is not easy. You’ve told me about your mother, so listen to me: she was wise trying to protect from the evil that’s widespread. Don’t let this dirty world corrupts you. Hold on to your values and honor the sacrifices of your parents, because, in the end, on our deathbed, how we lived is the only thing we’ll take from here. Nothing more.”

Nikolas listened in silence, watching the flames dancing. Finally, he asks, “what if I end up doing something wrong without knowing it?”

“Only God knows your intentions, my boy. However, if you sin aware you’re sinning, your soul will burn in the eternal flames of the Tartarus.”

The caravan follows its route to the North and Nikolas to the East. He is halfway to Toledoth, hoping to find other companions for the rest of the journey.

On a passageway across the mountains, a band of armed men surround’s him, some of them on the top of the rocks pointing him their arrows.

“Who are you, where’re you from and where’re you going to?” asks one of them, mounted on a horse and carrying a spear.

“I’m Nikolas, from Castelblanco village. I’m traveling to Toledoth,” he staggers.

“Are you on your own?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you carry a weapon?”

Trembling like a wet cat, he hands them his old rusty dagger.

“Keep it,” says the horseman, “although I don’t think it would be any use to you. Someday, you’ll learn how to swing a sword, then you’ll know you’ve become a real man.”

“Can I go, sir? It’s getting dark and I don’t want to sleep in the woods,” asks Nikolas, almost begging.

“Not yet,” replies the horseman, “we’re searching for a caravan of merchants. Have you seen one coming to this direction?”

Nikolas hesitates. These folks seem to be bandits. They might be waiting for the caravan to rob it.

“I think he saw it!” screams one of the archers. “He definitely saw it,” says another one, “he may even be their scout, coming ahead so he can inform them we’re here.”

“Tell me the truth, little man,” the horseman dismounts, his hand resting on the grip of his sword. “The master of this caravan is a known criminal. He’s a very dangerous man. We’ve been hunting him down for months. His head is worth two hundred crowns.”

“Is that true?” asks Nikolas.

“Of course it’s true! Did you see him? I warn you that if you consorted with him and lie to us, you could be charged as an accomplice. I’m sure you’d not like it to happen, am I right?”

“I saw him,” says Nikolas, nearly in tears.

“When? Where?”

“Yesterday, in Plassentia.”

The horseman rubs his chin.

“Very well, little man. Tie him up!”

The men promptly grab Nikolas and knock him down.

***

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