Through the Sound of the Beating Drums

The warden’s words were cold, and his posture uninviting. But Zida refused to be ordered, and his shift in aura made that very clear. “And what punishment do you think should accompany a blatant disregard for the authority of the royal family, warden?”

The air tightened around everyone, even the swaying of the trees seemed to grow more ominous. “Your authority is not welcomed here,” the warden flatly replied.

The hair on Zida’s skin began to rise, with him clenching his hands to stifle the twitch in his fingers. “Should we challenge that concept?” Zida threatened, the unexpected calm in his voice proving to be tantalizing.

“Stop. Please.”

Lugal feared the worst would come if a solution wasn’t figured out, but he dreaded the fact that he was likely hardly any different than an outsider to the warden’s eye. “I was born here, my family has entered this very mausoleum before, the respect for this land is ingrained within my blood just as much as it is yours, warden.”

His words would fall on deaf ears as the warden made clear, “Your family chose to leave this village. Abandonment doesn’t warrant leniency.”

“A royal being denied entry upon request could have this entire village swarming with the Army of Adikos,” Sina then interjected, “Not even you, warden, can do much to prevent the devastation that would bring this land.”

“The Council of Silens wouldn’t act on such a whim,” one of the flanking guards explained, “Neither of you have even presented so much as a permit issued by the Council, Court, or Sovereign himself.”

Nertu tugged at Daku’s sleeve, with her quietly shaking her head in return.

“Please warden,” Lugal pleaded again, “award us a few moments to get our affairs in order and we will present our request once more. If you still refuse us entry, we will accept that decision.”

Zida was visibly reluctant, but once the warden granted Lugal’s request with a faint fanning of his hand towards their direction, Zida figured he would make the best of the supposed mercy they were being granted.

A few steps down from the gate, Lugal hastily tried to come up with a plan that would change the warden’s mind. “Why is he so hostile towards the royal family to begin with?” Toyo queried, to which he explained “This town was annexed by the Adikos Empire. Prior to that it had a long history of being secluded. Still does now. That mindset of isolationism hasn’t been shaken even in the slightest, and due to the pressure mounted on it to open up by Adikos, the residents here have grown to view the royal family as increasingly hostile.”

“I wasn’t even aware of this village until today,” Zida remarked, adding that, “Adikos has no intention of interfering with the village’s way of life.”

“That’s not the impression I got from you only a few moments ago,” Lugal retorted, “Either way, your words likely won’t make a difference to the warden. This mausoleum is highly protected here. It’s supposed to be the grave of a person… Ahh, what was the name again…? Something another no-Mai.”

Toyo’s ears perked up, finding the wording not too dissimilar from that of the names of old Japanese gods. She then asked Lugal if he knew anything about said individual. But all he could provide was that she was said to be someone who was “responsible for the prosperity of the world today. Her last resting ground is said to be within the mausoleum.”

“So, it’s obviously a burial,” Toyo debated, “but it also sounds to me like a worshiping ground for a god. It’s practically a shrine.”

Lugal squinted his eyes, his face turning numb. “I don’t understand.”

Toyo then held her hand up, stopping the conversation. The sounds of drums danced its way up the mountain and funneled through her ears. “Listen,” she implored everyone. The sound carried on, the echo of its tune spreading across the village and through the forest. As the it flowed through her body, her hand subconsciously stretched out one in front of the other. She swung them across her body, her feet moving in unison. As she closed her eyes she could almost picture the glowing warmth of the light from the lanterns in the night. She twirled her body around, bringing her palms together as she clapped on que with the drums. Opening her eyes she gazed out from the mountain top and over the village once more. “Omatsuri ya na.”

The Sun peaked over the ocean and spread its rays between the mountains, showering the village in a soft orange hue that struck her as unusual for the time of day. It reminded her of the one time her mother brought her to the family shrine. The angle of the Sun was the exact same. It’s light bathing her tiny hands as she danced to the sound of the drums. It was one of the last memories she had of her mother ever being at peace.

Toyo stepped past Lugal and the others, approaching the warden to a flurry of panic from Lugal. He’d been watching her every step; something about her striking him as different than the rest. “She won’t rest in peace if today only leads to a future conflict,” Toyo bombastically claimed, “We will be respectful. I promise you that. So please, allow us to enter.”

The warden partially shifted his mask to the side, peering at her with his left eye. Glowing purple lines circling around his pupil and emanating through the shadow cast over his face.”

“You and the boy,” he mentioned, referring to Lugal. “Only you two may pass.”

“That’s not safe!” Zida decried, but Toyo fiercely rejected him. “I can decide that for myself!” Lugal clasped his hands together, begging for Zida’s mercy. Catching up to Toyo, the warden then tasked his men with guarding the gate as he then escorted Toyo and Lugal towards the mausoleum.

Daku wasted no time mocking Zida, claiming that outside of the Central Region no one seemed to be listening to him much. Attempting to ignore her, he quickly found himself unnerved by Nertu’s constant fidgeting around, something he’d been busy with for the past few minutes.

“Stop playing around, boy!”

Zida’s words fell on deaf ears again, with Sina looking away in secondhand embarrassment, and Daku fighting back laughter.

Ignoring Daku’s invitation to irritate him further, Zida looked out at the village then turned towards the mausoleum gate, the open sky lurking in the distance.

Where are all of the animals?