Defying Equilibrium

Chapter 6: Guardians, Swordsmen and almost intelligence

Dare fell asleep shortly after Ahmed had finished dressing his wound. At Ahmed's request, Oscar agreed that they stay the night at Ahmed's house, as it would be easier for Dare. Oscar didn't feel entirely comfortable sleeping in the house of this man that they had only just met, but they really didn't have much of a choice. He knew that their families wouldn't worry, they trusted them to take care of themselves.

“So,” said Ahmed, breaking Oscar's train of thought. “how much do you know about the one who was pursuing you?”

Oscar shook his head. “Nothing at all.” he replied. “I just noticed he was following us, and then he attacked us. He didn't ask for money or give any sort of explanation.” Oscar looked up at Ahmed. “How much do you know about him? You killed him without hesitation, so I'm assuming that you knew who he was. Unless killing strangers is a hobby of yours.”

Ahmed chuckled. “That was almost intelligent.” He replied. Almost intelligent was definitely an improvement on foolish child, so Oscar resisted the urge to come up with a smart retort. The way things were going, by the end of the conversation he might even be upgraded to 'mediocre'.

“I know nothing of him as an individual, but I know plenty of his kind. Knowledge is the third rule of battle, after all.” Ahmed began to explain. “Ever heard the phrase the forest's eyes and ears? Probably not, they don't seem to tell that story much anymore.” Ahmed thought for a moment. “I guess you could call them the keepers of the rule of Equilibrium. Guardians, of a sort. Their main purpose is to prevent people from questioning or disobeying the rule.”

Oscar digested this information. “So what you're saying is, that guy came after us because we... questioned the rule of Equilibrium?”

Ahmed nodded. “Exactly. Do you remember what you were talking about before you were attacked?”

“Well, we were talking about the war,” said Oscar after a moment of thought. “And what would happen if it ended.”

Ahmed shook his head in disbelief. “The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze me,” he said to himself. “Talking about such treasonous matters under watch of the forest. Silence is the fifth rule, boy. Be silent, be unheard and be undiscovered.”

“What are these rules that you keep mentioning?” Oscar was unable to control his curiosity.

“Rules of survival, rules of battle.” Ahmed shrugged. “Rules of living, I guess. The code I live by. A code that you would do well to live by too, judging by the amount of trouble you two have gotten yourself into.”

Ahmed's easygoing attitude seemed to vanish when he turned and looked Oscar right in the eyes. “What I am about to tell you must never leave this room. I will tell this again to the other one when he wakes up, but for now you listen, alright?” Oscar nodded. “Okay then. You have caught the attention of the forest's eyes and ears, and although I took out the one pursuing you, more may come. They will not allow anyone to question or disobey the rule of Equilibrium, or the war. After all, the war was started by them.”

Oscar gasped. He had been wondering how the war had started before, but now after he had received the answer, it had only left him with more questions. These people had started the war? But why would anyone do that? I'm getting ahead of myself, Oscar thought. I don't even know if this guy is telling the truth. I only met him a few hours ago.

“You're wondering whether I'm telling the truth, aren't you? It's written all over your face.” Ahmed looked as if that was the response he was expecting. “I can assure you that I am, but I doubt that my assurance will be enough to convince you. But please, just listen anyway. You may find that what I'm about to say makes too much sense.” Oscar wondered what he meant by that, but kept his mouth shut. He owed it to Ahmed to at least listen.

Ahmed began. “These keepers, or guardians if you will, created the rule for one reason and one reason only: Dominance. If people are constantly divided and pitted one against the other, than they cannot see any enemies except the ones placed in front of them. Think, if you had met me in the forest before you were attacked, you would have been much more suspicious and wary, and you would have avoided me. However, bring in a common enemy, and suddenly we are allies. By creating a Continuous War, these people have been able to keep control over both sides of the fighting, and therefore control over all the people on both sides. And the rule of Equilibrium is there to make sure that neither side can win, or so they think. And the guardians, such as the one you came into contact with earlier, are there to keep the rule of Equilibrium obeyed. Am I making sense so far?”

Oscar nodded. Ahmed was making a surprising amount of sense, but still, Oscar couldn't quite believe him. All this talk of the war and the rule being 'created' was one thing that he wasn't quite ready to just accept. “But just what did you mean by 'neither side can win, or so they think'?”

“Well,” Ahmed replied, “the rule of Equilibrium prevents both the deadliest sword and the strongest shield from triumphing over the other, yes? That much is true and always will be. But there are ways around this. Not all swords and shields are created equal. And the people wielding them are not always equal either.”

“But all shields are equal.” Oscar argued. “Every Shielder is given an identical shield.”

“That is true also,” Ahmed agreed. “Every Swordsman is given an identical sword as well. But where do the shields come from, may I ask?”

Oscar knew the answer to that. “The forges in the Xalin Ranges.”

“Exactly,” continued Ahmed. “But it may interest you to know that all of the Swordsmen's swords are made there too. Because they are all made by the same people. That doesn't strike you as odd, Oscar?”

It did strike Oscar as odd, but something was bothering him even more. “How do you know so much about the Swordsmen army?”

“The answer is simple,” replied Ahmed. “Because I am a Swordsman.”