Sons of Chenia

Chapter 14

Dmitri struck ahead, his saber slashing at any low-hanging branch or stray leaf that lay in his path. Petrov, Leo, and Fyodor followed a few steps behind him. They remained wary of Dmitri, in part because he swung his saber like a madman, but also because he had said so little to them upon revealing himself. Dmitri was not so much a man to them as he was a ghost, a phantom from their past who had mysteriously reappeared in their lives at a very opportune time.

The Czarian ambush, Dmitri's timing, the curiosity of his friends – none of this was lost on Nicolai, who held up the rear of the column. Unlike Dmitri, Nicolai was careful to step lightly through the brush, so as not to make a sound, as though his silence would somehow muffle Dmitri's hacking. With every dozen steps or so, Nicolai glanced over his shoulder, not wanting to be surprised for a second time that night. Yet all these movements betrayed his focus. His mind centered not on watching for unwanted guests. Nicolai's main concern was Dmitri.

Dmitri was a derelict figure in their lives. Of the four of them, Nicolai was the one who first encountered him. But the details of their meeting remained cloudy in Nicolai's mind. Nicolai could only remember the rain beating upon his back as Dmitri leaned over to look at his face. That was Nicolai's first memory of him. But there were gaps in his recollection that left him confused as to their exact history and relationship together. His next memory was of them sitting in a yurt eating lamb stew. Then he could only recall them running through the woods, in a delirious state of exhaustion, when they were about fifteen.

After that, his last single memory was of them being hurried into a cabin, where they first met Tobin, his nephew Petrov, along with Fyodor and Leo. The three boys had been entrusted into Tobin's care by their parents, who had wanted their children to escape the growing threat of the Purge. Tobin, a trusted citizen of Osley, took it upon himself to chaperone the five boys all the way to the docks of Sagemark, where he secured their passage on a Maricanian freight ship. He gave them specific instructions on who to speak to and where to seek work upon arriving in Maricania.

Their journey to Maricania lasted two weeks. They kept mostly to themselves, staying out of the crew's way, except when they were called to do chores, which they could not avoid despite the fact that Tobin had paid a passenger's fare for each of them. But they had the nights to themselves, during which they grew to know each other. Yet Dmitri remained aloof during these times, choosing to sneak off by himself. He conversed very little with his fellow Chenians or the crew. Despite their efforts to go find him during their card games or conversations, Dmitri was nowhere to be found. Except for one time.

It was the final night of their voyage. The crew had drunk the last of the liquor, in hopes of replenishing their thirst onshore the next day. Nicolai and his friends kept to themselves that night in the mess hall, for the sailors, who were Maricanian, had altogether shunned them for most of the journey. He feared that the combination of alcohol with whatever prejudice they may have would lead to a confrontation. But the crew scarcely noticed the five quiet ones. The sailors only survived an hour in a drunken stupor before the majority of them passed out. Not wanting to push what little luck they had, the five of them slipped quietly into bed, not even bothering to play cards or talk for fear of waking one of them.

Nicolai awoke later that night. He sat up in his hammock and looked around. Everyone else was dead asleep. Not one of them stirred even a little. Yet Nicolai still felt alert and restless, as though something was awry. Dmitri's hammock lay bare, which wasn't particularly unusual since he had been sneaking off most nights. Nonetheless, Nicolai felt the urge to look for him.

Nicolai started from the bottom up, choosing to search the cargo bay, then the mess hall and equipment rooms, before rising to the deck. The sky bore no moon that night, yet it shone with the brilliance of ten thousand stars, miniscule lights that stunned Nicolai. He stood on the deck for nearly ten minutes, slowly turning his head to take it all in, much as a child does upon discovery. It was during this awe that Nicolai turned to the quarterdeck. His continuous view of the stars was interrupted by a figure, who stood silently, a darkness surrounded by beads of lights: Dmitri.