The Children of Zegandaria, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov, Atanas Marinov [first color ebook reader txt] 📗

whole thirty years ahead of you in which to change your life. And, maybe other people's lives.

- "Tell me," the boy asked him, "where exactly are you coming from? And why did you pay me off like that?"

- "It's too soon to hear my answer. Of course, I can tell you the truth now, but you'd better come to the answer yourself," said the stranger calmly. "But to do so would take away the pleasure of the whole journey."

Archibald shivered strangely. He realized clearly where his path was leading. To nothing. And this man was trying to get him away from the unsightly farm where he had grown up.

There were many and interesting things around them. The oasis had a rather active trade in rare antiquities looted in the various wars. It was also the main livelihood for the locals.

They walked around and realized something quite natural. Foreigners were not particularly welcome in this part of Learnia. Not that they couldn't come at all, but it was quite preferable not to hang around. Fate might well have been different towards Archibald had it not been for his escort.

Predatory arachnoids surrounded them curiously, their eyes moving now to one and now to the other.

Archibald watched fearfully. But the stranger went on unperturbed.

Around them the strange creeps gaped nastily. It was logical, given the fact that this oasis, full of all menner of gnats, barely existed under the jurisdiction of the Duchess who was making mad money from it.

Many people saw the unusual phenomena that were happening here, but pretended not to notice or hear anything at all. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the Duchess was clearly aware of certain things.

This territory helped her supplement her income even in peacetime.

There was a serious guard of ghost warriors around the oasis. All of them were giving their all even if a chicken couldn't get through.

THE ARCHANEANS

 

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX: THE ARCHANEANS

 

Strangely enough, there were archaneans in this camp - they felt they were in their own waters, for only here were they not cast off as different. The Arachnids simply accepted them and didn't interfere as long as they accounted for a percentage of the sales of their goods. And their goods were in great demand.

Archibald turned with the stranger towards one of the many stalls. There the archaneans was too busy tidying and improving the view of his workplace.

The boy looked around and noticed something extraordinary.

The archaneans was crying. He didn't even dare to wipe his eyes. And continued his work.

Even though they were in a rather dry area, there was a deep romance. Somewhere in there was a place for everyone to express their feelings. To get help, even if it was brief. The whole point of this place was forgiveness. If the archaneans could sell these goods elsewhere, they would. But they could only here. And only here.

Far away was the Dutchess' castle. It wasn't catered to by a vast number of admirers, as one might think. But she was trying to get some attention nonetheless. She had retained that youthful insecurity about herself that was kept quiet. She was a belligerent nature, in no way inferior to her cousin.

The childish in her was sometimes too much in excess. But she had managed to consolidate her power. Her sense of inferiority betrayed her at certain times, and her sense of freedom gave her wings. She knew she would die soon. She was terminally ill and she could see what was happening around her. No one cared what was going to happen. She counted her days in hopelessness and wanted to do something good just a little before she closed her eyes forever.

She'd heard about the Archist's death and was acutely aware that she would just be the next victim sooner or later. It was a matter of time. She wondered exactly what she had done all her life and how real it had been.

Having inherited vast riches, she realized exactly what was going on and how fake she had spent most of her time. She had no real friends and was just slowly dying day by day.

She figured if she gave the archaneanss some privileges she would atone for her guilt and postpone the terrible and inevitable judgment that weighed over her head. She was aware that whatever she did would be judged in the next world and her head would be bursting all the while. She was just fooling herself. That was the whole point.

The archaneanss were thankful and somewhat charmed by the fact that they could live a normal life. But it was a fleeting feeling that would soon fade and be replaced with hatred. A hatred that had nowhere to go. Death was around the corner and they were only fooling themselves by delaying their own End as well. Their race was slowly dwindling and they could be of little use here. Yes it was true that Om Gur Nal had given them places to live, but deep down they felt the emptiness.

The stranger braved it and went to the real part of the marketplace, but in his soul he felt a strange tick. The boy also sensed his moods.

The two shopped briefly and saw what was actually there. One big eye, blue as the sky, sparkling and full of sadness. It was the crystal-encrusted eye of an archaneans.

- "Why are you selling it?," the boy asked. "It's probably too valuable!"

- In the old days our race was mighty and indeed well equipped to survive the harsh conditions of the planet. But things are really different now. We can't change many of the facts. Everything will just fall into place sooner or later.

- "What changed in the end?," the boy asked.

- "Nothing," the archaneans replied somewhat coldly. "You know we fight for every scrap of time to live. And we try to spread our wings that once grazed the air with might."

The boy looked at him strangely.

- "And where are the others?," he ventured to ask.

- "Some died long ago, and others disappeared without a trace" the bird-man answered him in all seriousness. "And to find out once and for all, whether we, as the first inhabitants of this planet, were a mistake of nature or not!"

They paid their find and left.

The stranger hired him a guide and a large groandus, for the Duchess of Learnia was secretly breeding several, and said gravely to his face:

- Thy time is almost come. I advise you to sleep to-night, and then we shall see. But from now on you go on completely alone.

The boy turned pale. So soon they had to leave.

- "Guard your gift well, and may it bring you happiness," the stranger addressed him kindly, but somewhat coldly.

They questioned the bird-man about some things regarding their route in the future. He kindly directed them.

The oasis of Ektu Sor was left behind them. They decided to camp near it and spent the night listening to the unearthly music of the storm in this semi-desert region.

NEW FRIENDS

 

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SEVEN: NEW FRIENDS

 

The next morning Archibald Peos awoke and rubbed his eyes. He was happy because he didn't know exactly what was in store for him. Death seemed to be behind him, but soon he was clearly aware that something was happening. Everything was just going to slow down in time, and there was no avoiding it. His unknown benefactor had abandoned him just as he had appeared - quite unexpectedly.

But the next day they set off with the caravan to their destination. There was so much that Archibald was seeing for the first time. Now he would be able to live. There was nothing of interest on his father's farm. He was forever hiding there, awaiting punishment if he made any major mischief.

His guide took him to the metropolitan city and under the able guidance of old Om Gur Nal, the youth showed remarkable knowledge of mathematics and managed to overcome many obstacles and enter the Nal Rhys Moon Academy. He inwardly felt the difference when after its completion, he came out a completely new person. There was simply nothing more to be desired.

The young man felt a special regard for himself and his background at an early age. It was as if people didn't want him and he had committed a huge sin towards everyone. But as the years passed they accepted him and he began to show remarkable achievements. For some - they were false, but for others - they were completely genuine.

Little by little everything was falling into place and he felt a surge of new strength. The wave of despair had passed him by. In his miserable twelve years of life he had only seen the farm and its environs no more than three or four miles away. His life had been rough and monotonous enough to make you downright sick. No one noticed him and no one acknowledged his presence in any way. His father worked like an idiot every god's day to account for the necessities of Om Gur Nal, who had become particularly greedy. At one point the boy thought of suicide but decided it was too early for him. He wished to see what life would offer him next. He wanted to rise up and screw his head against the tyrenny of the all-powerful ruler. However, he soon realized that this simply could not happen. In his frustration, he began to pray fervently, and somehow, out of nowhere, this stranger appeared. There was no definite reason. There was no set time. It just happened. And it was for his benefit.

Now a new period of his life was beginning, a new existence that would be marked with many twists and turns. Each one could only mean one thing - a chance at success. One small salvation. But for how long?

The boy tried to find answers to his questions, but there was no one to guide him. He wandered in his nightmares. Even in one of them he saw Emborian Zontul as a dry tree, fucked by relentless winds in Hell itself. The sight was terrible. It made him shudder. He saw what awaited himself if he did not find salvation. And the stranger appeared.

Once they were settled in the capital, things took off with renewed vigor and began to pick up tremendous speed. Once he began his scientific career how technologically backward the planet of Zegandaria was. Peos integrated circuits made it possible to build the four remaining levels of virtual reality. They just