O Saga: Part One: Book of Origins
Chapter Seven: Connections

Rovan waited while the Council was deliberating. He did not care or have an interest in the big fella’s fate; he only wanted to go home to his family. Rovan’s duty continued depending on the sentencing. As of yet, it was quiet inside.

Rovan paced back and forth and threw small stones to the ground to keep busy. It was a nervous habit he wished he could quit.

A door opened, and the members of the Council piled out. One of the last through the door was the big fella he tracked down. Rovan tried to get someone’s attention to determine the outcome, but the Big fella was the only one interested in him.

“Not guilty.” The big man told Rovan.

“That’s great news; I can go home now,” Rovan said, turning away from him, not knowing if he was still looking for a fight.

“Said it was self-defense. All the witnesses backed me up.”

“Good. Now you can witness how much I don’t care.” Rovan said, trying to walk away from him.

“It wasn’t because of my rich Uncle. It’s just that I happen to be innocent.”

“Innocent of what? We’re all guilty of something.” Rovan couldn’t believe he was still responding. He tried to walk away faster, but he kept walking with him.

“My Uncle’s a Vizier; he’s the one who let me use his boat to come here.”

“You have a rich Uncle and a fancy boat, I heard you. I’m duly impressed.” Rovan said with obvious sarcasm. “Now, can you leave me alone? I’m not looking for a fight. It was my duty to bring you in, and I did. So unless you want to fight, go away.”

“You misunderstand me. I think I came here to replace you.”

“Find me?” Rovan swiveled on his feet to face him. “What are you blathering about? On second thought, I don’t care.”

“You see, I’ve been having these strange dreams of late. I didn’t know what to make of them. They were of foreign lands and foreign people. I saw Knights and Witches killing each other. I saw tribal people getting slaughtered, and then I saw me wielding a sword. It was and wasn’t like a dream. It seemed like I was glimpsing something real, something yet to happen. Do you know what I mean?”

Rovan didn’t respond to it. He shook his head and tried once more to walk away.

“So I told my Uncle this, and he said that I must have the power to connect to the O element. It explained a lot, and something inside me came alive. Many things that had happened to me now made sense.”

That was hitting closer to home as Rovan had been experiencing something similar. He didn’t feel like sharing that with this guy.

“I’m Olafur, and I came from Zehra to see you. At least, I’m pretty sure it’s you.”

The word Zehra stopped Rovan in his tracks. That is where his Master was originally from. Now that Rovan thought about it, he did notice this fella seemed to have the same dialect as his Master. Maybe Olafur is telling the truth. It doesn’t matter to Rovan, is what he kept telling himself. He just wanted to get home to his kids.

Anahiti had three states, but Sultan Graeo’gi now ruled all. There were separate Sultanates for generations until years of war bankrupted many Royal families. A treaty among the Royal families to keep their lands and have Sultan Graeo’gi pay their debts. Graeo’gi became the High Sultan as a result thirty years ago. The Power of the Sultan has only expanded since.

Each of the three regions has countless islands, and ships are the most common means of travel. Gaffar was the state where the Sultan’s Palace was, and he spent most of his time. Rovan lived in the Tara region, where things were quiet, which is what he was looking for.

Olafur was claiming to be from Zehra. Master Akiva was from one of the Islands there. Rovan tries not to notice the coincidence that his Master has been in his dreams, and then Olafur comes around from the same region asking to be his student.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve come a long way for nothing then,” Rovan said stubbornly.

“If it’s about what happened the other day, I didn’t mean to kill the man. He attacked me, and I was defending myself, the same thing I was doing when you came after me.”

“No, it’s not that. I have a family, and they need their father more than you need me.”

Olafur’s head drooped at Rovan’s words, which made him feel a little guilty. Perhaps he’d been unnecessarily harsh to him. Rovan stopped to face him.

“You might be a decent fella, and I’m sure you’ll replace a great teacher. Maybe even be a great warrior, but none of that concerns me. I’m done with that life now; I’m a father now.”

Rovan walked away and finally arrived home for the evening.

——

Rovan woke up in cold sweats again. It’s that young fella; all his talking about dreams did this to him. That’s what Rovan tried to convince himself of.

His frequent nightmares about his Master Akiva had intensified. He saw her fighting for her life in desperation. She was outnumbered and surrounded. Rovan can’t see her attackers clearly in his vision. Then he had to watch Master Akiva get slashed again and again until she couldn’t keep her body upright. A masked figure sauntered to her with a sword in hand and cut her head off in one motion. Rovan felt paralyzed.

The nightmare continued. Rovan could tell time had passed, and he was near his home. He saw the ghostly figure of his Master floating above the lagoon and getting closer. Akiva was trying to speak to him, but Rovan couldn’t hear her over the noise of the waves. He kept shaking his head, trying to tell her he couldn’t understand her. Rovan was trying to read her lips. In a loud voice, Rovan heard Akiva call his name. That’s when he woke up.

Rovan sat up in bed and wiped his eyes of crust and tears. Amaya was sitting with a beverage in hand and a look of concern.

“Who’s the big guy waiting outside our house? Does this have something to do with why you had to leave last night?” Amaya asked. Rovan threw off the covers to go to the window.

“He isn’t gone? Where’s my sword?” Rovan went to look.

“You’re not going to harm the lad?”

“Of course not. I want to scare Olafur away. Kid can’t take a hint.”

“Is that his name?”

“What?”

“Olafur?”

“Oh, yes. Who he is, it’s not important.”

“You could invite Olafur in. He looks to have been there all night.”

“What? No! He’ll get to thinking he’s welcome when he’s not.”

“Why not?”

“Because…..Because he wants to be my student.”

“You could use a student.”

“What’s the matter with you? I have our kids as my students. Pupils, I need to get back to teaching today.”

“Maybe.” Amaya opened the front door and shouted to Olafur, lying on the ground. “You want some breakfast; you look like you could use something to warm you up.”

“Amaya, no. What are you doing?” Rovan protested.

“We can still be good hosts and respectful people, can’t we?”

“I guess.” Rovan conceded, knowing she was right.

Rovan’s kids were staring at Olafur, probably wondering why a strange guest was joining them at the table this morning.

“So you want my husband to train you?”

“I believe that to be true.”

“I’m Amaya. These are our kids, Bita and Javad. You know Rovan, of course?”

“He never told me his name, but others had.”

“Rovan, you didn’t even tell him your name?” Amaya yelled. Rovan felt a little embarrassed. He turned his hands over in a gesture to concede his wrong.

“Sorry about him. Where are you from?” Amaya continued.

“I’m from Zehra, the main island,” Olafur said.

“That’s where Rovan’s Master was from. Did you know Master Akiva?”

“Sorry, but no, I didn’t have the pleasure,” Olafur said.

Amaya gave Rovan a look.

“So why, my husband, what brought you here to replace him?”

“As I was telling him, I was having dreams.”

“Funny, my husband’s been having dreams lately, too.”

Rovan was the one now the one giving Amaya a cross look.

“Well, mine was of wars and terrible things. I told my Uncle about it. Vizier Loean is his name. He’s been on many adventures; if anyone could help me, it was him. He told me that I probably had the power to connect to the O element. I knew the stories about the element and the Knights of Old, but that’s all I knew. My Uncle said I would require a Master, but he didn’t know where to replace one. My Uncle said The Order of the Sun had been forgotten in time’s memories. The Knights in Anahiti had scattered. He didn’t know if any remained. It is not as if you can go to the marketplace for such things. So, he told me to meditate on it and see if my senses would guide me. And he was right; they did. I saw Tara Island in a vision; a woman’s voice told me I’d replace what I was looking for there. So here I am.”

Amaya was staring at Rovan again. He knew what she wanted him to say.

“Did you see what this woman looked like?” Rovan asked.

“I’ve had many dreams in which she comes to me, but I’ve never seen her face. I know she wears golden armor, though,” Olafur said.

Chills rode up Rovan’s spine when he mentioned the armor. Master Akiva wore golden armor, as did Rovan. Amaya knew this as well, but she didn’t say anything. Amaya was giving Rovan a look that suggested that he should tell Olafur. He wasn’t ready to yet.

“In my dream, there was war in Qamata. Have you ever heard of it?” Olafur asked.

“Yes, but I’ve never been there.” Answered Rovan.

“I’m convinced that once I replace a Master, we’re supposed to go to Qamata.”

“What makes you think that?” Amaya questions.

“I can’t explain it, but it’s like a summons. I feel called there.”

“So you’re saying you and I are supposed to go to Qamata and go to war?” Rovan asked.

“I think so. That’s what my intuition is telling me.”

“That’s a long way to go from here. Are you even trained to fight?”

“I am trained to fight. I don’t know about the mystical stuff. The journey is long, perfect to do some training.”

“So you want me to train you and go to war all on your feelings? Leave my family behind for months, risk my life, and all of that because of your feelings? Good luck with that.”

“I know it sounds crazy and all. But it is what it is.”

“How are we going to get there? We certainly can’t swim.”

“As I said, my Uncle lent me his ship and crew. My Uncle is too old for adventures, but his boat isn’t. He said his crew could use a good adventure again.”

“I am happy for your Uncle’s crew. They can go on all sorts of adventures without me.”

“I can’t force you to go.”

“No, you can’t.”

“They’re a good crew. Captain Dantes has a crew of eighty. They’ve been getting supplies, repairing, and refitting the ship for battle. You’d have a private cabin.”

“You’re going to feel pretty silly if you arrive in Qamata and there’s no war.”

“I’m from a rich family; people expect me to live excessively. If there’s no war, chalked up to being a spoiled brat. There is another reason for our journey. We are meeting someone in Kwento. There is a revolution brewing in Ishvara. My Uncle is interested in helping to spread its fire.”

“He means to help those in need?”

“Unlike the gossip that may spread about my family, some of us care about the world.”

“Is that meant to imply I don’t? You’re right; I don’t. What I care about is right here at this table.”

“I thought Knights to an oath to help those who can’t help themselves.”

“That life died when my Master disappeared.”

“I can see that. The person I came to replace is dead. If there is a war, it is only a matter of time before it replaces you here.”

“You seem to know everything. So I wish you well, hope you survive the war.” With that, Rovan got up and went outside. Amaya gestured to Olafur not to follow.

——

Rovan and his kids were diving for pearls and spearfishing in the lagoon. Rovan was happy to be focused on simple things again. Rovan was fishing while his kids were diving. The canoe rocked familiarly, the gulls cried in hunger, and colorful little fish explored the algae on the boat, but Rovan was looking for bigger prey.

On the shore, Olafur watched them, but Rovan tried not to look at him. Javad and Bita were doing well today; they had already filled the basket with seafood treasures.

Rovan saw the rope tug again, and Javad came to the surface. He started to pull up the basket out of the water. Bita’s head popped out from the water. Rovan grabbed the basket and pulled the clams out of it.

“Looks like a plump one. Throw it in coconut milk and pasta as I’m ready to eat it.” Rovan joked to his kids. He added to the cage that had the others.

The children took a break by the side of his canoe. He reached over and pulled them in one by one. Javad admired his work by examining the contents of the basket. He noticed Olafur was in a canoe paddling towards them. Rovan sighed.

“Your wife told me I could borrow this canoe and join you guys,” Olafur shouted as he paddled close.

“That’s fine. Can you dive?” Rovan asked politely. He didn’t want to be rude in front of his children.

“Of course. What are we searching for?”

“Anything, but if you can get some clams, muscles, or oysters, it would help. It seems we have an extra mouth to feed tonight.”

“Why don’t you use rope lines, traps, and cages? They have large farms that get them by the thousands where I’m from.”

“We try not to disturb the balance of the lagoon. We try to take what we need for the day. Sometimes, that is fish; sometimes, it is oysters, depending on the season. We stick to our traditions.” Rovan said more aggressively than he meant to.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“It’s fine; I know you didn’t.” Rovan was trying to be a little nicer to Olafur. It was a process, but the ice was melting slowly.

Olafur joined Rovan’s kids as they practiced some more. Rovan thought Olafur was anxious to show Rovan what he was capable of. As Rovan watched them from above, he could tell that Olafur was a gifted swimmer and diver. He didn’t want to show that he was impressed.

Olafur was catching oysters and putting them in the basket with ease. He was helping the kids locate good spots. He was earning lots of Rovan’s respect.

Olafur was slightly taller than Rovan. Rovan guessed he was in his twenties but looked older. He had long, frizzled black hair. A Thick, bushy beard that he probably never trimmed since hitting puberty. Olafur’s golden tan helped make his muscles look even more defined. It was the body of someone who had worked hard physically and not of a person just giving orders. It wasn’t the usual body of a rich person.

It told Rovan that despite Olafur’s claim of having a noble uncle, his nobility wasn’t necessary to him. Olafur wasn’t as arrogant as he seemed when they met.

It struck Rovan that Olafur wasn’t a typical noble. How he could dive showed he must have spent lots of time catching his food and not waiting for someone to bring it. Most of the affluent families Rovan had known were all too content to let others do for them.

As Rovan sat in the canoe drifting over them, he admitted that Olafur would make an acceptable apprentice. Of course, he didn’t want to tell Olafur that.

——

“I think you should go,” Amaya said, to Rovan’s shock.

“What are you talking about? I have you and the kids to take care of.”

“I can handle the kids for a couple of months. My sister’s family and my mother can help us.”

“It’s not necessary, I’m not going.”

“The kids are doing well enough catching food. We still have that dragon pearl we can sell if necessary. The pearl alone would pay for enough supplies for a year or more.”

“That’s probably true, but I will be here.”

“Rovan, stop being so pig-headed. You and I know he was talking about your Master in that golden armor. Something bigger than us may be happening; it is clear that Th Father and Mother Earth are behind this. It isn’t just calling to him; it’s calling to you. It explains your nightmares. You told me Akiva has been reaching out to you. I know you see all of these things. You are choosing to ignore it because you think you’re protecting me and the children. You are protecting yourself. You’re scared of what you will replace out there. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen you scared.”

Rovan just stood there in a state of shock. He couldn’t deny anything she was saying.

“So what do you expect me to do?” Rovan finally spoke.

Amaya came over to stand close to Rovan. She put her hand on his right cheek and warmly smiled.

“We know how much you love us. We all know you’d die to protect us. But we don’t need saving at the moment. It could be that the best way to protect us is to protect others right now. If war is going to break out, that war could end up here. You are the one person I know who could end a war before it begins. The World is calling to you to protect her. What is the World saying to you? What is your intuition telling you? You’ve always trusted it before; why question it now?”

“You’ve made one or three good points.”

“So what are you going to do?”

——

Some crew were loading some of the last supplies onto the ship. Captain Dantes was going over his lists to double-check. Olafur had already found his way to his cabin. Rovan was nervously talking with his in-laws, who gathered to say goodbye.

Amaya’s family would move in with her and help with the kids. Rovan had asked several others to check in on them while he was gone. He didn’t know how long he would be gone, but he sensed it would be a couple of months at least. He didn’t want to leave his kids but knew his wife was right. The Father and Mother Earth were calling him. And So was Master Akiva.

The Father and Earth Mother had called to Akiva when she brought Rovan to rescue that mystical kid all those years back. He wondered if that child would play a part in the future. Whatever the reason, it wasn’t trivial. Rovan knew complex tests were always a part of journeys like this. Many of them would be between him and Olafur.

Many local fishermen had gathered around the ship as few had seen such an impressive ship. Anahiti was well known for being the best shipbuilders, navigators, and general masters of the sea. But this was a unique ship by even their standards.

Part of the secret to why Anahitiian ships were so coveted was due to the wood they used to build them. Loa wood is of great abundance throughout the islands. It is a durable and balanced wood, as it is known to bend and not break. Despite providing a hard shell to the ship, it is a very light wood, allowing it to fly through the water.

Olafur said his Uncle had customized the ship because of his days as a merchant and had to adapt to all types of environments and conditions. It had plentiful food and cargo storage. It had suites for Olafur and Rovan. The rest of the crew would share bunkhouses.

It was a 97 ft Corvette and was fully rigged for long voyages. It was capable of adjusting its rig setup depending on needs. It had six gun ports on each side but focused on outrunning other ships or for speed attacks. It could handle trouble if it came.

Rovan saw his kids running to hug him. He tried to hold back the tears because he didn’t want the last thing they saw was their father being weak. Then he realized it was OK because it would show them that the last thing they saw of him was his love.

Rovan didn’t want to depart or let go of his children. He held them as long as they could stand. He felt like a piece of wood thrown into a river. You couldn’t control where the river would take you. You could surrender to the river or fight against it. When you are fighting against the current, it only delays the inevitable.

Rovan kissed his wife goodbye and boarded the ship. He tried not to look back, fearing it would take all he had not to return to them. Fate had interrupted his life, and he didn’t know where it would take him, but he knew all of life’s journeys or rivers would lead back to the sea— to The Source of all things.

Rovan’s Grandmother once told him, “We are all like ocean droplets. Some of us are taken up into the sky and separated from the great ocean. We are taken far away, where we fall as rain to the lowest valleys and the highest mountains. We gather in lakes and streams flowing back down the slopes towards the shores. We all are heading back to the ocean in some form. Some get there quicker or in unexpected ways, but we get there all the same.”

Rovan could only look to the sun as they sailed away from Tara. He had to keep the faith in a bright future and not look back. He almost heard his Master on the wind whispering, “Never look back.”