A Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts. Chp 8

A Gentleman’s Guide to Fantastic Beasts. Chp 9

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Commissioned by Citino and Sivantic

Wordcount: 5000

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Some attest that it is through battle that one truly understands the value of life. 

There is some truth to those words, but through prose they hide the cruel reality.

That understanding is gained through suffering.

The young, drafted man who stands beside his neighbor will return home wiser, because his neighbor died beside him, gasping for help, and begging to live when he cannot. The young man who returns home is no longer the same. The ravages of war upon the body, mind, and spirit is just as harsh as starvation, illness, and hard labor combined. One must not only suffer hunger, endure rot, and desperately fight and dig, but also witness the death of both friends and foes. 

Because across the trenches, across the muddy ground where thousands of boys die for meters of land, is the blood, bone, and bodies of two sets of patriots fighting for their nations. 

Therefore, those who truly understand the value of life after enduring battle come to acknowledge a singular truth.

That war is inherently worthless, that war is simply a means to an end, and that war expends life in exchange for influence, land, coin, and a dozen other material things desired by those whose lives are never risked. They know the beauty of life, because they know the hideous truth that if they do not value their life, then it shall be carelessly spent by others.

To that end, in my new life, I aspire to the simple belief that I shall stay my hand from any form of conflict in which lives shall be taken.

…

Very little belongs to the individual amongst the As’Kari, typically. 

Everything belongs to the tribe as a whole, due to the simple fact that the Great Desert is a difficult place to live. Teaming with monsters, with oases that need to be given time to refill, and with many mouths to feed, it is necessary for all to contribute towards a communal depot of materials, which is redistributed to all. 

Though the As’Kari are incredibly prosperous, to the point where families have entire tents to themselves, and can have their children choose which profession to pursue, the clothes on their backs, the walls they live in, and the beds they sleep in are all that of tribe. 

The weapons the hunters wield, whether standard or made better through prizes won through their own achievement, ultimately belong to the tribe, especially if their kin cannot use them properly. If the son of a herder of beetles cannot uphold his father’s duties, his charges will be given to another, thus ensuring that the people will not be bereft of anything that is of value. Nothing is owned, as everything is needed by all, therefore all have what they need.

Thus, if one seeks to leave the As’Kari, they must typically give all their belongings to the As’Kari and patiently wait to see what the tribe allots them. Some who leave in times of peace will be given much in the form of farewell gifts, especially if they vow to return with knowledge of what lies beyond. However, in times of conflict, it is doubtless that those who choose to leave must return all they own to the tribe and walk away with merely what is given to those rescued amongst the sands.

However, with all my contributions to the tribe, such a fate would not befall me.

Because, despite their traditions born of necessity, they still had their pride and honor, thus they could not ignore what I have given them. 

Not merely knowledge, but also the means to gathering it.

Therefore, in my final days with the As’Kari, I meet with their scholars one last time to gather the last that I could with the influence I have left.

The As’Kari’s education before my arrival was that of a network of scholars who lived together, took in apprentices, and passed on knowledge by scroll or word of mouth by venturing to families or clans who asked for them. All their literature was written and treasured immense scrolls carried upon the backs of their writers, and those who would pass on would leave their scrolls to their best student or to the tribe. The As’Kari had easy access to silk, thus it was the time and effort in writing down knowledge that was treasured, which I used to my advantage. 

Now, all those scholars in grey are gathered beneath a single, massive tent, surrounded by boxes upon boxes of smaller scrolls, with dozens of white-clad scribes surrounding them as they confirmed knowledge with one another, or sent out red-clad pages to verify records from the greater scrolls, which hung from the rafters of the massive tent, so that their full length could be observed and altered at all times, by either ladder or rudimentary telescope. Lanterns bathed the whole tent in pale, yellow light born from magic instead of oil, ensuring the safety of the ancient scripts, while allowing the structure to function at all times.

If there is any achievement that I would like to be remembered by the As’Kari for it would be for this.

Still, even though they worked through many nights, and even the most recent battle, their work stopped as it always did when I arrived.

“Ah, Will… it seems the time has come.” At the head of the scholars was a singular woman, aged well beyond the norm amongst the people of the dessert, to the point where her hair was pure white, and her tanned features covered in wrinkles. Still, she has fought much during her prime, and those battles have granted her vitality. She looked closer to a healthy, robust sixty rather than nearly a century-and-a-half. Her hawkish gaze latched onto the chest I carried upon my back and began to unstrap. “You are parting ways from the As’Kari.”

“Correct.”  

I answered, and as I suspected, the room filled with only the scratching of charcoal upon rough silk, whispered words, and the footsteps of pages became alive with life. Many questions came my way, and more than a few stood with faces mired in confusion and surprise, but I held firm before the sudden torrent. I focused upon untethering the chest of knowledge that I carried and placed it beside me. The chest was larger than I and it covered me with its shadow. 

Though my voice elicited much surprise from those gathered by the tribe to learn and teach, when she raised a gnarled hand and reached for her covering, the entire room went silent. Only the movement of her cloak, a deep red bordered by black, created any noise as she threw it upon her shoulders and made it taut in a second. Her height didn’t rival that of her grandson and great-grandaughter, but Lan-Is loomed mightily over the people of the As’Kari all the same.

“How many more chests do you have left to give, Will?” She walked towards me and brushed aside one of her contemporaries with a wrinkled smile as he began to protest. When one of the pages started to get up, ready to offer her help, my teacher scoffed. “Oh, you fools, I wish to spend time with my apprentice alone. Bury yourselves in the scrolls and let an old woman live well for just a moment. You may speak to him later!”

With those words, she strode past them all and took hold of my shoulder. 

What remained of the child I overtook, that I refused to become, quailed as she gazed at me the moment her hand took hold of me. Fears of being rejected by my one and only mentor in this world, the woman who raised me, filled my heart even though I had another mother in another life, and many other teachers. It is because this woman is the closest to a parent I truly had in this world, thus I feared she would hate me for my decision.

My fears were unfounded, as instead of a frown or a scowl on her face, a small, sad smile of acceptance very familiar to me graced her face.

It was the similar to smile my mother gave me, when I told her farewell in another a life. It was filled with pride and sorrow, but this one was different in another way. This time, my mother and teacher, had far more pride in her smile, as well as some joy to outweigh the sorrow.

“Well done, Will. You’ve finally stood up for yourself, instead of the entire tribe.” The words were whispered, so that no one else would hear, but the words reached my all the same. Instead of fear, I had to repress a childlike desire to smile in relief, as doing so might invite tears of joy as well. Knowing that someone I cared for in this tribe that raised me, that cared for me, and wished for me to lead them supported me lifted a great weight from my chest, allowing me to take a deep, calming breath that I couldn’t have moments ago. “Let’s walk, and do this quickly, so that you can leave before any fighting begins.”

Though we’ll be parting ways, I will ensure that we will meet again, no matter where our paths take us. 

This world might be harsh, but I have kept to my personal ideals thus far by killing no one, and saving all I could.

If I can manage such immense tasks, and shoulder their burden, I am sure that I will at least be able to make my teacher proud.

…

We walked slowly towards my tent, through many tents that were empty, as Kan’Is was speaking to the entire tribe with all his supporters in regards to what was to come. Lan’Is cast her shadow upon me as we walked, lending me aid against the dessert sun, even though I was better prepared for its glare than her. I had my hood, my face covering, and my goggles to save me, while her head was bare. 

However, she cast her tall shade upon me nonetheless, so that she could speak to me while meeting my gaze. 

“You’re wise to leave. The As’Kari are throwing themselves headlong into war, knowing that they can win.” Lan’Is knew me well enough that I preferred to spoken to rather than speak, so she took the initiative as we walked down the shell of the immense city-beetle upon which the strongest of the tribe dwelled alongside its most fragile, most important structures. The typical din of metal working, food production, and silk weaving was nowhere to be heard due to the call sent out. The scholars sent several of their own to make record of it all, while others were planning for the war ahead, and taking stock with stewards. “This tribe has become strong, so they will fight, take, and gather all they can until they are spent. It might even fulfill my son’s dream of the entire Desert becoming his.”

“You don’t think it will come true?”

“Hah! You taught me long ago not to believe in anything I can’t see with my own eyes. Until it happens, I shall keep it in mind, and prepare for the worst.” Her white hair, below the neck, was set in a braid that fell to the small of her back. As we descended it bobbed up and down upon her red cloak, taking on an ephemeral glow in the beneath of the noon glare. “But, will you not agree that the As’Kari might one day rule the Great Desert? Decades ago we crushed all other tribes in battle, and since then our strength has grown nearly a hundredfold… thanks to you.”

The spread of knowledge, from how to defeat monsters, feed the injured, care for the sick, and many other things common to my previous world, has had a profound effect on this nation. Kan’Is saw the worth of my ideas, and told all to head them, thus the change had been swift and drastic. Less warriors died every year, more children grew strong with better food, and both matters of trade and supply eased in difficulty, as records, means of measure, and allotment came into being. Far less were without, while those in power found more under their control, and in the Great Desert bodies mean everything. 

The As’Kari were already speeding along to become the strongest of the desert, due to Kan’Is’s intellect and guile guiding him to take more oases, hunt more monsters, trade, and gather more foodstuffs and material for his nation.

I provided the means for all his acquisitions to have greater effect upon the As’Kari, amplifying the effects of his own actions, thus making it likely that the As’Kari will become the hegemon of the Great Desert. 

The Tribe of Tribes, ruled by As’Kari, who are first among equals… due to my efforts as much as Kan’Is.

“Through my actions, more blood will be spilled than before, if had not spoken.” Did I regret giving my knowledge to the As’Kari? Not completely. My words and actions saved many of the As’Kari. More children are being born strong and healthy. There are many warriors whose lives continue only because they knew how to fight certain monsters. Supplies are spread more equally amongst all the tribe, leading to less sickness, hunger, and death through my actions. I regret that it will be used to wage a war, but I do not regret saving lives. “However, I do not regret saving lives. What they do with their lives is not for me to decide… only that they live.”

“Tch, with your mind, skill, and power, I would challenge my son for the right to be Shu’Ann and pull the As’Kari back from war. They’ve forgotten its horror, especially as this generation have only fought monsters.” Lan’Is crossed her arms and sighed, as we reached the base of the great beetle, and began to walk towards my home. It was already in the farthest boundary of the camp. Despite that fact, as I worked through the nights, the fires of guards were common outside my tent. Though few entered, I was sure Kan’Is not only protected me, but ensured the a remained within it and did not escape wordlessly. “The monsters are terrible creatures, but they cannot compare to those who hunt them. Humans may not be stronger or faster, but we are far, far more cruel and able to use our cruelty.”

All the other Tribes of the Desert are lesser than the As’Kari, but my mentor’s words were true. They all endure the same trials and tribulations which make the people of the Great Dessert feared by all those beyond its borders. More so than silk, parts of monsters, and even our powerful beasts of war, those who trade with the Desert seek out warriors who can cut through stone, survive for days without food and water, heal from nearly all mundane wounds, and repel steel with bare flesh.

And, in the coming battles, such a people will wage war against one another without mercy, until the sands run red, and an entire generation dies for the dreams of the former generation. 

I would be saving many lives, if I took control of the As’Kari by challenging Kan’Is.

However, I will not.

“He will not surrender. He will force me to kill him, or relinquish my claim, if I challenged him.” Surrender or death. That is the outcome of any duel amongst the As’Kari. Kan’Is knows me, and even if I overcome his power and strength, all he must do to be victorious is to not declare defeat. That path is already shut, as I will not kill him to save the lives of others, and that is without considering all that I owe him after my parents of this world abandoned me. Through his support, I have become who I am, and wanted for nothing as I grew older and strong enough to sustain myself. “And, I cannot do that to Kan’Is or anyone else of this tribe, Lan’Is.”

I love the As’Kari.

They are strong, capable, and beautiful. Their love one another, care for each other, and choose to be good to one another in a terrifying, terrible environment where one must fight to live. It would be easy for them to regress to a more callous way of life, to let their elders die, or to cull the weak, yet in the face of an immense challenge they do their utmost to help one another, thus they are the best example of humanity in a vile, terrible place. 

However, the other Tribes of the Great Desert are the same. Each one is honorable, just, and care for those amongst them. None abandon the weak, the infirm, and the elderly to disastrous fates, and they fight against the might of the As’Kari for the sake of the land and oases that they have tread for many generations. Thus, the current circumstances are not a battle between right and wrong, but the innermost desires of the people that inhabit the desert. 

They wish to wage war to lay claim to all of the desert.

That is all.

Nothing more and nothing less, therefore I cannot abide by any of them. 

“Some would say that to stand aside is to permit the action, Will.” Lan’Is spoke softly, but that is because she knew that I agreed with her words. Removing myself from the As’Kari, leaving them bereft of the expertise and abilities that others are still struggling to replicate, is a form of protest. However, many would attest that it is not enough. With my strength, influence, and knowledge, I can fight to take control of the As’Kari, and stop the war for hegemon over the sands before it occurs. If I take my heart and tear it asunder from my chest, burying all my respect and love for those who cared for me as a child in this new world, I can save many lives. Yet, I cannot. “Can you live with that regret, my student? Can you live the rest of your life peacefully, without grasping for the chance that my son would surrender, if you fought against and defeated him?”

We reached my tent and entered it. Both those I rescued from the crashing ship, as well as those who attacked the As’Kari were no longer under my care. It would be foolish of the As’Kari to trust someone with such immense responsibilities, if they were no longer of the tribe, after all. However, still, it would not be the last I met the survivors. The As’Kari were nearing the edge of the Great Desert, where one of the few trading posts used by the tribe to connect to the rest of the world existed, and that is where I, the prisoners, and their former warden were to be released. My departure from the tribe is just over the horizon, and if I cannot uphold my promise to myself, it shall be the last time I ever meet them. 

However, for now, the question posed to me by Lan’Is was of greater import… even as I hefted another box of scrolls upon my back with the same ease as she did. 

“I cannot cling to possibilities, of what might happen, when I know what did.” Was it fatalism that drove my sincere beliefs in regards to Kan’Is? Or was it true knowledge of the man who raised me, whose injuries I mended, and who I spoke to time and time again? Was my belief that he would not surrender born of knowledge, or my refusal to believe that such a path was possible? To those questions, I had no answer. All I had was another question. How could I possibly know the truth, when that is not the reason why I fight against them in the first place? “I am grateful to you, to your family, and to this entire Tribe, Lan’Is. I will not fight against you, or stop you, even if it means feeling regret for the rest of my life.”

The answer to that question is that I do not wish to fight against the As’Kari and stand in their way. 

Do I lament the path they have chosen? 

Yes. 

Do I wish that they would not fight against the other tribes?

Yes. 

Did I not speak, threaten, and leverage all I could against the matter of war in every possibility I could? 

Yes. 

I have done all I can without crossing a line I believed in. Not giving them my help in the coming war is already taking from them a physician who can knit together their soldiers. I leveraged that against Kan’Is. I threatened to leave, and he knew that would occur if I did, yet he still refused to back down while knowing more of his people would die without me. Therefore, I have no doubt that he is committed to his current duties, that he will make the entire desert belong to the As’Kari, before turning his gaze outward to the rest of the world, after consolidating his power and might amongst the sands. 

“And, what if my son decides that desert is not enough? That he did not lose as many warriors as he though he would, while the lands outside are filled with strife, water, and foods that As’Kari need?” After answering dreadful question after question, Lan’Is did not relent, and asked another. “Perhaps, even if the As’Kari are nearly defeated for the victory, my son will preside over the greatest of tribes to exist… and in a generation, he will surely look for lands he can take, and see the world entire.”

Lan’Is spoke of a possibility that I didn’t wish to acknowledge, as it was completely obvious and more than likely.

After all the foes inward are gone, all that shall be left are the foes outward, and a new generation of Warriors shall surely arise no matter the harshness of a singular war. There aren’t enough monsters in the Great Desert for them to hunt forever, or even enemy tribes to be wary against, so the excess must look to foreign powers who are incomparable to them in singular strength, even if they have far greater magics, materials, and technology.

The As’Kari will take everything, learn, and adapt to every foe they face, until there is nothing left in their path.

“What will you do then, my student? Will you continue to run, as I am laid down in my grave, and my son and granddaughter lead the As’Kari across the entirety of the continent? Subjugating all that stands in their way, while the Great Desert becomes their seat of power?” Lan’Is walked ahead of me with the chest filled with scrolls, as we ascended up the beetle. Though I had to draw power from within to persist, her breathing was even and every step she took was without faltering. While such strength would elicit fear and concern from me normally, the words she uttered, the lesson she was imparting upon me, ensured that there was no room for either. “Tell me, Will.”

Many means to avoid answering her question arose within my mind. I wished to ask her whether she believed the As’Kari would be victorious. Yet, I did not see them ever being defeated. Then, as I discarded that thought, my thoughts lingered towards the more moderating influences within Kan’Is’s retinue. However, to that question, I could not think of any leader being capable of refusing their Shu’Ann, who won them the entirety of the Great Desert. Finally, my thoughts wandered towards my teacher, who understood me and the path I walked… but she has long ago stepped away from the politics of power, and perhaps will even perish before the war to take the whole desert is over. 

Therefore, there was only one truthful answer to give.

“I don’t know. I… I am unsure what I will do, if the As’Kari becomes an enemy of the entire continent.” I will live for a very long time. Though I have not gained forms akin to divine beings, the power within me heals my wounds before I notice them, my raw strength rivals that of Kan’Is’s when pressed, and so I know I shall live at least as long as him… and he shows no signs of growing any older. The results of this war, the actions of the As’Kari thereafter, will one day reach me no matter where I am in the future… however did not know what I would do when that time came. “Lan’Is… may I ask you what you would do in my stead against the As’Kari, if they become such a people?”

For the first time, since we began walking so that I could give the last gifts I could to the As’Kari, Lan’Is ceased walking. Instead she turned to face me, framed by the sun behind her as it crested into the sky, while a desert breeze kept her braid afloat behind her. While her face has long lost its youth, made akin to leather by years of hardship, her eyes were that of a woman in her prime, but with every ounce of wisdom that age gave. 

“I would stop it. Here and now, I would face Kan’Is in combat and take his place, before leading the As’Kari to a better tomorrow.” 

The answer I expected came forth. It is because Lan’Is is strong. In the face of conflict, of many tribal wars and battles, she still retains herself, her mind, and her spirit while others have faltered and failed. That I have power and she does not is a grave injustice, as she would surely use it far better than I ever would. In her eyes, I am being irrational in every perspective… because she has accepted battle, death, and suffering as a fact of life, while I am desperately trying to cling to the dream that it needn’t be. 

I want to believe the world doesn’t need the deaths of hundreds of thousands to violence in war and battle. Is there not enough monsters, disasters, and mysteries in this world with magic and mystery that violence between two peoples can be unnecessary? The world entire seeks to kill the weak, infirm, and elderly, and they require the strong to help them, and they in turn must rely upon one another to keep themselves alive. Is that not enough for a society to stay together? Is it truly necessary for us to seek out more foes amongst ourselves, those who are desperately trying to survive against the horrors of the world?

Can… can I not find or make a place like that myself?

Before I could convey these words to my teacher, a horn resounded through the camp, and both our gazes turned together towards it. It was not one that declared battle, nor was it one of the horns of those who patrolled the perimeter of the camp. Instead it was a deep, immense noise which reached through my bones, as it came from a watchtower perched upon the horn of the foremost city-beetle of the As’Kari.

It was a horn that was manned to call the entire Tribe to attention, due to a threat that endangered it all… but there were no other tribes to the west.

So, both my teacher and I, as one ascended to the top of one of the tents atop the slumbering city to leak to the east.

For a moment, silence claimed us both, until I found my tongue.

“What is it?” The blue skies of the Great Dessert were being swept away by darkness, whilst the clouds were swept away like specks of the dust. I traced the direction from which the wind that ripped through the sky came and my eyes locked upon what seemed to be a tree in the horizon. In my eyes it was no larger than a pebble, but I saw its branches grow and grow upward even then. A chill overtook my entire body, as I considered how immense the glowing, pure-white tree must be if I could see it over the very crest of the world. “Lan’Is—”

My words were stopped before they could be uttered, because as the sun was suddenly hidden by shroud of darkness, a singular noise echoed through the entirety of the world. 

A scream of exuberant joy framed by the deepest, darkest malice. 

It only resounded through the world for a moment, but upon hearing it I almost faltered as my heart skipped a beat and cold sweat broke upon my brow. I had to catch Lan’Is so she would not fall from our perch. 

Her entire figure shivered and shook in my grip, like a young man shattered by artillery fire, my teacher looked into the distance and saw nothing, while her teeth chattered in her mouth.

Without hesitation, I pressed my palm against her head, and impressed my will against her own and released her from her shock and pain before it could do anything more against her. 

I moved us both towards the ground, and I looked about to listen for others who had the same fate befall them, but instead found the knight from faraway lands before me, with her sword at her waist, and garbed in the clothes of her people.

“The time has come for all to unite under one banner.” The words she uttered were in As’Kari tongue, but it came forth with greater, practiced ease than how she spoke to me before. She uttered them like gospel, with both fear and reverence, as she looked upon me, the black sky, and the immense, white tree growing in the horizon and growing larger and larger. “The last battle of this era is to begin, and it shall decide if we shall all continue, or be all replaced by existences greater than us.”

Her gaze locked onto me for a moment, before she knelt and bowed her head.

“Come with me. Meet with my people. Help us against this threat.” The words she uttered were once again broken, but both her emotion and need carried themselves in her voice. She knew what this was, called it a threat, and eschewed her pride and begged me to help her. “If you do not, the world entire will perish.”

As clamor arose from below, and others began to leave their tents with fear written in the faces, I made my decision.