The next morning, A
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Okles woke up late with a terrible headache and a weak stomach, and he slowly realized that he had drank too much, too fast. It felt like his brain was waking up piece by piece. He tried to open his eyes, but the fire burned all the way to the back of his head, causing him to get up.
He was startled, and suddenly felt a bunch of small hands on his chest, shaking him. Someone called his name and...
By the gods, his children! Where are they? He sat up quickly, his head pounding, shielding his eyes from the sun and trying to look around. He was outside and it was too bright to see anything.
"Master Androx, are you awake now?" Pepper asked.
He gave a sincere cry, lay down again, covered his eyes, and murmured: "I'm awake. Gods, what happened? Is the other one here?"
"He's awake!" Should we give him eggs first or tea first? Hua said.
A man's voice said: "Wait a minute. Let him sit up first. He's still awake. But you can wash the rag."
The man sounded familiar, and while Androx wasn't quite sure what was happening yet, he heard the voices of his two children, indicating that they were still alive. The relief eased the tension in his mind, but it did nothing for his headache. Someone put a cold, wet rag on his forehead, and he shivered. After a while, he woke up, opened his eyes and looked around.
Hua and Xiaojiao sat on both sides of him, looking sideways at him, anxious wrinkles on their eyebrows. He appears to be lying near the center of the village.
The man with a familiar voice said: "Didn't I tell you not to sleep outside like a homeless person?"
Androx turned around and saw that Kemen was squatting, stirring a large cup of steaming stuff. Fortunately, the man didn't look angry. happier.
"You said you wouldn't want it. How much did I drink? I remember it until the second pot."
"Apparently you drank two full cans. Two. Half a can is enough to make Keltur shake. I thought someone should remind you that the goddess has blessed us with a good harvest and that our beer is strong. And you, Master Androx, You were too heavy, so we left you where you fell.”
At this moment, these irrelevant details were giving him a headache. "In fact, I felt like my stomach was going to give out."
"Hold on to that thought. Here, give this to him," Kaimen said, handing a fat spoon to Pepper, who dutifully shoved it into Anjax's mouth. It turned out to be honey, just what he needed. After a while, he lost the urge to empty his stomach.
Once it became clear that Androx would keep the contents of his stomach, Comen handed the cup he had been stirring to Pepper and said, "Let him drink it all." Slowly. "
Flower put his hands under Androx's shoulders and tried to help him sit up. Of course, it was comically ineffective, but Androx sat up anyway. Flower held Anjax's head while Pepper slowly poured the tea down his throat, like they were treating a dying person. The little pepper was not spilled either. Androx couldn't help but see the irony in the same way the baby seal he rescued a week ago was caring for him. They took it very seriously, which he found endearing, even though he had a splitting headache.
Then the boys took turns feeding him hard-boiled eggs, five or six in total. A
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Okles wanted to take them away and feed himself, but Hua gave him a hard look and said flatly: "No! If you eat too fast, you will lose your stomach. Let's do it." This is so funny , and Androx agreed.
Comen said, "Master Androx, these kids are so cute. They sleep curled up on either side of you, keeping you warm. I think they took the blankets off your car. They've been worried about you all morning." , asked everyone who came by if they could help you. I explained that you were just drunk."
He snorted, then pulled out a bottle of something and turned it around. "Then they started begging me to give them some cure for drunkenness, just in case." He handed the bottle to Androx. "So here you are. All the cures for drunkenness I know. Two big swigs, and another two big sips around noon, and lots of water."
"What's the matter?" Androx asked, frowning with a headache. Talking hurts. It sounds painful. Living is painful.
"Vinegar in apples."
"Ah. Perfect. Thank you."
“Do you know vinegar from the South?”
"I think everyone who drinks wine knows about vinegar," Androcks said. He dutifully swallowed two mouthfuls and grimaced. Then he capped the bottle and set it aside. “Where should I go to get water?”
"There should be a bucket near the house where you live. I'm going to the door. By the way, I've already fed your child. You owe me." After saying that, Kemen nodded and left.
After Androchus got water and made sure the carriage was still there, the children took him by the hand and led him to the shade of a small tree. Pepper placed a pillow behind him, and Hua pushed him onto the pillow to rest without compromise.
A cool, wet cloth was placed back on his forehead and left there.
"Just let me sleep a little longer, kids, and I'll be fine," he muttered.
"I'm a little tired too." Pepper said, lying down next to him.
Hua said, "Me too." Then she lay down on the other side.
"Your time is a week or two," muttered Androx. If they were tired, they must still be weak from hunger. Or had they been up all night, scratching at the door? He couldn't think about that right now. He had a terrible headache.
"Um?"
"It's okay. Stop talking. Ouch."
* * *
Around noon, Androx woke up again, feeling better, but not completely. His kids were off somewhere, but thinking about it, he figured they were probably okay. Still, he was glad they weren't around; he felt a little guilty about his behavior and would be damned if he were to show it. It wasn't his fault the beer was too strong, leaving him helpless and watched over by anxious little boys. If the gods wish to inflict more humiliation on him, to increase his poverty and loneliness, that is their business. All he can do is keep moving forward, breaking through the obstacles in his way.
Even some of them made his journey enjoyable. He knew he had to get his children into a home as soon as possible. If he waits too long, it will be difficult. Androx was tired of losing people he cared about. His soul felt more scarred than his face and sword arm. The children began to become affectionate and he began to treat them as his own children rather than stray dogs that he had temporarily adopted.
It was a nice town, although he wasn't entirely sure how it all came together. It lacks a lot of what makes a city, and even though it's small, the people are friendly and everything seems to be going well.
Barbarian states are usually similar to cities, larger in size and usually poor. They had no idea of self-government and usually wanted a king who was more like a tyrant than an aristocratic leader. Perhaps the Keltars, if they consider themselves a people, are like this too. People mention "big city" a few times, so maybe that's the "city" and this is a village under its wing. A
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Okles wanted to keep his children somewhere civilized. Somewhere peaceful, with great music and a bountiful harvest. In some places people worship gods.
Hearing the children's laughter, he looked towards the center of the village and saw his children playing some kind of game with a group of younger children and an older child. Some old people were sitting nearby, knitting clothes, staring at the group of people with sparkling eyes. All the kids who could carry a basket were probably out harvesting, but knee-highs were of no use there.
His kids had a great time. The flower's giggle sounded like a noisy and cheerful stream, floating in the wind like his song. Anklex was glad that he at least remembered what happened that night. Pepper Potts, on the other hand, has a short, loud laugh, kind of like a drumbeat. He was darting left and right among a group of knee-high men who were trying to grab him and pull him to the ground. Of course, the flower was caught, rolling around in the yellowing grass and soiling his robe. It's nice to see them acting like boys. Because they are still weak, playing will tire them out quickly, but playing is good for their bodies and souls.
Andrew stood up, wincing; his headache hadn't completely gone away. He walked to the shopping cart to get some food. He also needs to find a well and draw some water to dilute the fire in his blood, otherwise the wine disease will disappear forever.
Later that afternoon, while his children were napping haphazardly on a pile of knee socks, he went to the door to talk to Kemen. He found the lanky guard sitting on a rock, whittling a small statue with a thick wooden stick, basking in the sun, looking contented.
"I have a few questions to ask you, Master Kemen."
"I think I have some time until people need me to count the votes," Komen replied. He didn't stop whittling wood.
"The first thing I want to know is, have you ever met an adult Skywalker? Four kids and a normal woman? Or as I heard Skytha
d's traders often traveled this far west. Do you know about this?"A
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okles asked.
"Ah. Well, no, not exactly. No one has been here for a long time. In the big cities in the north they are said to come once or twice a year. Except for a few travelers, never seen here, and never It hasn’t been there since last year,” the guard said.
"Really? Not at all? Is it possible that some people came through here, bought food and then moved on north?"
"It's possible. We only started standing guard when the pack went bad about ten days ago. If they'd come before then, I might have missed them. You'd have to ask everyone. If you want to find the orcs, though , you should be asking around in big cities, not here."
A
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Okles tried not to look too disappointed. He knows he still has a long way to go, but it would be nice to be sure he's heading in the right direction. He said, "Oh, okay. A few people stole my money and I've been hoping to bump into them. I also have some questions about the village. Who runs this place? Are you responsible?"
"Me? Sort of. We don't have much chaos here, Master Androx. I hear you have all sorts of laws and offices down south because you don't know how to behave. So if you're asking me who sits We don’t need people like that here to judge. “If you ask who makes the important decisions, it’s the king and the priests of Mali, who spend most of the year in this big city,” Kemen said. There was a hint of pride in his voice.
“Don’t you have laws? What if someone murders?”
"The murderer's family pays compensation based on the age of the deceased. But that has not happened as long as I have been alive."
"What happens in a fight if someone loses an eye or a toe or something?"
"Compensation will be paid to the victims, probably by me or someone of Honor. I knew you were going to ask, so I answered - Honor is those who have made important sacrifices for the goddess. Argon is one of them. One. They can do more or less what they want to do as a sign of our respect."
"I get it. What if they can't agree on what to do?"
"Master Androx, the question you ask means nothing to us. Perhaps you Southern wanderers ignore the truth you were given at birth, but ever since our first parents walked out of that stone circle , we have always lived like this. We know what is right, what is justice, what is wrong and what is evil because it is part of us. Everyone works and respects the goddess, she makes sure we have enough food every year, Never go hungry. We don't hurt each other and don't hold grudges. No one dares to offend the goddess even if we wanted to because she always does whatever she wants. Trust me if nothing else. Her residence is actually not far from here It’s not far, maybe a dozen miles deep in the mountains.”
"You seem very proud that there are no laws."
“I’ve talked to a lot of travelers and know how you live. You Southerners, I can’t imagine someone living so far away from where they were born and having something like society. I guess that’s what you need Those legal reasons - you're violent, ill-tempered, stupid, and can't even agree to get along year after year," Komen said, holding up the statue to consider the angle. It looks a bit like a little man covered in leaves.
"Maybe it's because we have something worth fighting for. From what I've seen, there's not that much here," Androx said angrily. Even though he was completely wrong, he could see where the man was coming from. He explained: “Every civilized person knows that law is necessary for wealth. But wealth is necessary for a man to truly discover his highest qualities. If you don’t have wealth in your life, you won’t have greatness in your society. Works. No grand temples, no fancy costumes, no plays and games. There might be three hundred people here getting along, but that's not a real civilization. You need thousands of people living together, each doing something better than the others To have a better society, you can have a true civilization. A society of this size needs laws."
Kemen snorted contemptuously and said: "Did you know I'm the only one in the village who can fight? Those soldiers on the road are from the big cities. By the way, don't get any ideas. I'm more dangerous than I look. .but I'm the only one between here and the big city who knows how to use a spear, except for hunting. Why do you think that is? You southerners always talk about your great causes and your great heroes, and all this crap, but you have no peace. You can't trust neighbors you've known your whole life. All that wealth can make you sick. The same goes for living so far away from your birthplace."
"Do you think that stone ring is that important? Then why isn't the big city here?"
"That's because the goddess only lets so many people live here. Anyone she doesn't want has to leave. You may not be impressed, son of Palamonos, but this is what the goddess wants in our lives. It’s a privilege every day, just to be here,” Kemen said.
Andrew thought for a moment. Their goddess sounds a bit harsh if she lets someone off his property just because. If anyone here has property; it's hard to tell. Still, the village does seem harmless and the people are kind, if a little primitive. He said: "Someone mentioned that your goddess was upset about something."
"Yeah, they messed up a ritual in the big city. But they'll take care of it soon, so don't worry. The goddess doesn't care much about foreigners."
"Very good. Master Kemen, this is what happened." He took a deep breath and found that it was harder to continue than he expected. He said: "I needed a place to put my boys. The boys. They were not mine because they were not slaves and I did not adopt them. If I wanted them to be slaves, they could have done that too. But I didn't .So they are not slaves, no matter what, I am going to find a place to keep them.”
"You are talking nonsense, Master Androx. I thought you people were proud of your poetry."
Androx gave him a stern look. That was proving harder to say than he thought. Whether he likes it or not, he has become attached to the kits and it is now affecting his dignity. It's time to leave them.
"Master Kemen, people in the Glorious Legion don't like to be laughed at." He said coldly.
Kemen chuckled, clearly condescending. "I'm sorry, Master Androx. I was wrong. I just have a hard time taking Southerners seriously. You're so polite in everything you do. But seriously, I'm sorry I laughed at you. So you need to find someone Is there room to put the toolbox? How long will it take?”
"I can't take care of them, Master Kemen. I have to keep my oath, and that may take years. It may take the rest of my life. The children will only hold me back, and I can't just not do it. In a I rescued them many weeks ago because they were starving on the side of the road and if I hadn't picked them up and taken them away they would have died. But that doesn't mean I owe them the rest of my life."
There was a moment of silence, but Men looked at Androx carefully. A
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Okles had no trouble meeting his gaze, and of course, he couldn't help but feel exposed.
Kemen finally said: "You don't really want to give them up, do you? You said how long it would be, ten days? What's wrong with you, you fell in love with me so quickly?"
Anchorex gave him a sincere and threatening look, "I don't have any problem with that. You said it yourself how cute they are. I won't be laughed at anymore."
