The Angkhora Warriors

Part 15: Handsome Archer

Kai, hanging from the tree with a rope around his neck, spoke with his eyes opened but staring blankly, "You must perfect the Art, Uma. You must. It's Legacy."

"Father!" Uma called out, tears streaming down her cheek.

Uma woke up from her nightmare and glanced around. Oja lay asleep next to her under the blanket. It had been a few days since they left the Snake Village. But her father's voice still haunted her in her sleep.

In the distance, Tanamera's lights flickered in the cold breeze. They had camped on the edge for a few days. Uma pulled the blanket tighter around her and Oja, then tried to fall back into sleep, but the image of her father hanging from the rope kept her awake.

She lay in the darkness praying to the gods who'd never responded to her that something would give them a clue to the direction they should go. She felt as if they were searching for a single leaf in all of Angkhora without a clue where to begin. She wiped away the tear and pushed the memory of her father aside as the light of morning began to shine through the SkyOcean.

Oja woke up as Uma was cooking them breakfast, which they ate quickly then packed up and made their way to Tanamera. They arrived in the city by noon and found themselves some food before they started to mingle with the crowd, eavesdropping, listening in on conversations, hopping from stall to stall, inn to inn.

Nobody seemed to be talking about any village being destroyed or any large-scale battle. All seemed normal in Tanamera. Uma began to grow frustrated. The longer they took, the more likely they wouldn't find the attackers. But they suspected that if they went deeper into the market district, closer to Lotus Inn, they might hear something.

Uma was a little hesitant to enter after what had happened on their last mission in Tanamera. She assured herself that no one saw her face, so no one would recognize her. When they reached the markets, they found that it was more heavily guarded compared to the last time she'd been there. The guards' eyes watched them and noted their weapons as they passed, but none of them gave any trouble.

They tried sitting closer to men who looked like they could be patrons of Lotus Inn. Everyone was too wrapped up in the happenings of the city that nobody cared to look beyond the city. Uma was starting to grow impatient and Oja could see it, so she made Uma sit while she asked around for a while. She snooped, looking for anybody doing spice trade. She even asked someone where Snake Village was. Nobody seems to have heard of Snake Village. When she sat down next to Uma shaking her head, Uma's face turned red.

"Nobody is going to be able to help us," Uma said as she smashed her hand onto the table.

"Uma," a man's voice came from behind. They turned to see a young man not much older than them. Uma looked at the young man.

"I recognize you," she said.

It's him. The young man with bow and arrows who stood beside her father. "You watched me fight at the Fighters Tournament," Uma reminded him.

"Yes, you are a great fighter," he answered with admiration.

Uma stared at him, noting his deep soulful eyes with a little sadness in them. He bore a tattoo of an eye on his forehead and had big broad shoulders, his long hair tied to the back with old leather. He smelled like a hunter, tinged with the musk of a wild animal.

Oja looked at him with suspicion and caution.

"Who are you?" Oja decided to investigate.

"I am Arjana from RAMMA," he replied with pride in his voice.

"RAMMA?" Oja clarified.

"Yes, Royal Academy of Magik, Martial Arts..."

"And Matematika," Oja cut in." I know what RAMMA is."