The Last Immortal [1ST DRAFT]

Water slapped the wooden hulls of the four long ships as they neared the coastline. They saw people standing along the beach, guiding them further up the coast until the ships reached an impressive cloister of docks, laid out to accept the maximum number of ships the space would allow. As they approached the docks, a number of people ran forward to assist the ships in tying the ships to the dock so they would not float away. When the men on the ships moved to take their places, they saw a few figures ride up on galloping horses, apparently hurrying to meet the ships. Orders being shouted could be heard across the water as the dock master had his workers running around to tend to various tasks.

When the ships pulled up, they were greeted with smiles and warm welcomes in a language none understood, but they used hand signals effectively to indicate what they needed from those on the ships. Soon, the rugged men began to pile out of the ships, looking around and at each other with expressions that indicated they were wary, surprised, and uncertain what to do. These were conquerors and explorers who lived and died by sword and ship, and had not expected to find any civilization here, much less the welcoming atmosphere that they had rarely experienced in other lands.

An incredibly tall man with skin dark as night in a robe of a rich blue stepped out of the crowd and walked toward them.

“Greetings,” he said in their native tongue, surprising the lot of them. “We welcome you to our home, the city of Subah, of the nation Estra,” he added, giving a partial bow to the rugged, mostly bearded and tattooed men with long hair that varied from pale, golden blond to dark brown. “Who among you is the leader?”

A huge mass of a man stepped forward, studying the man carefully before he nodded to the man. “I am Bjorn. These are my men. How do you speak our language?”

The dark man smiled, showing off bright, white teeth. “I am the emissary, chosen by our Lady Videha. This task required me to learn many languages to communicate with any potential guests we receive,” he explained. “Now, before we do anything else, if you have any who are ill or injured, please bring them forward so they can be tended to promptly.”

While wary, Bjorn turned and instructed his men to bring those who needed the assistance of a healer. He did not immediately notice the figure approach and stand near the dark-skinned man. She wore a cloth that wrapped around her lower face, covering everything about her features to eyes that were a startling blue-purple shade. A golden circlet with a large, oval green stone in the center decorated her golden-red covered head. When he turned around, his eyes locked on her and for a moment, he was stunned silent. But her eyes were not on him, instead they were focused on those who were brought forward with the help of others. Bjorn took a moment to look her over.

The cloth covering her face was a rich shade of blue, that contrasted greatly against her hair and skin, but was almost identical to the color of the center stone of her circlet. The cloth went to her collar, below which she wore a green, tunic-like shirt that was tucked into loose-legged pants that were tucked into boots that nearly reached her knees. Those were of a dark brown leather in a style he had never seen before. A cloak in a similar brown rested on her shoulders, with a golden chain stretched between the two sides, attached by the heads of wolves made of ivory on each side, with gold inlay that accented the eyes of the wolves, with silver inlay streaking the fur of the head and neck. The cloak itself had gold threading decorating the edges of the material in an intricate design. All in all, she posed a stunning, if curiously dressed figure.

After she gave a quick, visual assessment, she raised a hand and gave a signal with her hand. Almost immediately, the crowd parted to allow a series of people in green colored clothing come forward with litters that were made of thick cloth stretched between two wooden poles, each with two people, both men and women, who held onto each end of them. One by one, the men were loaded onto the litters and taken away to destination unknown.

“I would like my own men to go with them,” Bjorn said firmly.

“Of course,” the dark-skinned man said, motioning for them to follow as Bjorn instructed three to go with.

“Who are you,” Bjorn asked, looking first at the black man and the tall woman who he suspected would reach the bottom of his chin, if not higher.

“I am known as Kalu. This,” he added, indicated the woman next to him, “is Lady Videha, our ruler.”

“A woman,” one of Bjorn’s men said in surprise.

Bjorn immediately shushed the other man, turning his attention back to the woman with a frown. “How is it a woman can rule? What of your husband?”

“I have no husband,” the woman said in a strong, yet feminine tone. Again they were surprised by her speaking their language fluently without an accent to indicate where she had learned it from. “This is my land, and these are my people. It may be a strange concept to you, but women are not incapable of commanding armies or kingdoms.”

Bjorn nodded hesitantly, tipping his head in respect. He had not missed how quiet it had gotten when she had been challenged. Clearly, the citizens were either afraid of her or respected her greatly. Judging from some of the looks that had been shot their way, the latter seemed more likely than the former.

“My apologies, Lady Videha. My surprise outweighed my sense for a moment. I thank you for your gracious welcome and the offer to tend to my men. Would there be somewhere we could make camp for the time being?”

“That will not be necessary. We have accommodations for guests. Your lodging is prepared and a feast is planned in your honor this evening. We have many single men and women who are available to offer company and comfort to your men during your stay,” Videha said with a somewhat amused tone. “Kalu is available to assist you during your stay. You are welcome to enjoy all the city provides, but I do ask you restrain from any violence, rape, theft, or intentional destruction. Respect our home as you would wish for us to respect your own and there will be no issues. Our laws are quite simple, so as long as you act reasonably, you will not run into any difficulty here,” she informed them plainly.

“Understood,” Bjorn agreed, looking back at his men. “Is that clear to everyone?”

There were lots of nods and responses of agreement, before he turned back to the woman and dark man. The woman had turned away and begun to stride off, giving them a look at the intricate wolf pattern on the back of the cloak in the same gold and silver threading as the clasps. The top was brushed by the tip of the part of her thick hair that had not been pulled into an elaborate braid that began at the crown of her head and ended at the nape of her neck.

“That’s a woman,” Bjorn heard Erik, his closest friend, say under his breath. “Do you think she takes lovers? I wouldn’t say no.”

Bjorn scoffed and shook his head, whispering to him. “Keep those comments to yourself for now. I don’t want to offend them. I think these people have a much different way of looking at and doing things.”

As they moved forward to Kalu, he also lowered his voice to speak quietly to the bulky northerners. “I would strongly advise you watch what you say about her Ladyship. There are a fair few who can understand you, and we are, by and large, quite protective of Lady Videha. She has given us a life of plenty, contentment, and safety. We can be who we chose and all have a place where we perform a task that benefits us all in one way or another. There is an annual celebration where everyone to the lowly laborer to the farmer to the merchants, to the judges and the healers are recognized for their efforts. There is very little crime, and almost none are executed. The punishments are less severe than elsewhere but, there is little need for it here. Taxes paid support the aged and infirm who are not capable of any task. Most are trained for something else so they can do some type of work. This is all by her design,” he said, stressing the word her as if to speak of her as a god. “We are grateful for her kindness and wisdom.”

Bjorn and Erik shared a look, then Bjorn looked at his greatest advisor. The look he wore was one of curiosity and interest. Sven stepped forward once Kalu had turned about and begun to guide them to where they were supposed to go. He spoke quietly, and with his low voice, it did not travel far.

“So, I have to wonder. There’s no place of perfect peace; so what are they hiding by saying this story? Did you also notice these people are from many different lands? Kalu is very dark, but there are others who are dark that are not so much and built very different. Then some have dark eyes and hair, while others are brown with thin chins and the bumped noses,” he added, pointing out the most recognizable aspects. “Then those – see their eyes and how fragile they look? Where could they have come from to be so different?”

That was something you couldn’t miss. There were so many different types of people, it was hard to grasp how much of the world they had never imagined.

“They must be from very, very far away,” Bjorn agreed. “I wonder what their land is like. If they are so different, their lands could be very different, too. That makes me wonder what things look like and just how big the world must be.”

“I wonder how long it would take to get to these places.” Erik added. “Imagine the riches,” he then whispered, adding, “we could be Kings!”

“Easy, Erik,” Bjorn warned. “Let’s focus on our situation here. We don’t know what we’re dealing with here. They come at us with peace, but remain wary. Do not provoke anything. Inform the others. There better not be any trouble for any reason. Keep their eyes and ears open. We’ll make sure to have watchmen up during the night in this place they would have us sleep.”

“Got it,” Erik said, stepping back casually into the men behind, whispering the instructions to those closest, who subtly passed the word on to those behind them in the line.

Sven leaned in and whispered to Bjorn again. “Shall I work my charm?”

“Yes. Find out everything you can.”

Sven only nodded, stepping up to walk directly next to Bjorn, looking around with blatant curiosity. “Did you notice the thing sticking out of the top of the buildings? The smoke comes out of it,” he commented in a voice just a bit louder than normal. “I wonder what they are?”

“We call them ‘chimneys’,” Kalu told them, pausing to let them catch up. “There are probably a number of things that will need to be explained to you. One of the most important ones is the ‘toilet’. It is where you relieve yourself. There are always at least one in every building, along with a ‘sink’, which is a basin that holds things, mostly water. There is a… a faucet. It is a…,” Kalu paused, then sighed. “I do not think I can find the words in your language to explain it. I will simply have to show you and you can teach each other. There are many things here that you will have never seen. We will have several people available to answer questions any of you have, and there will be many, I assure you.”

“How is this place so different?”

“Well, people contribute things from their homelands when they come. Much comes from Lady Videha herself. Her homeland was a place of great wonders, to influence the amazing things we have here,” Kalu said with great enthusiasm.

“Was a place,” Bjorn inquired, catching the past tense.

“Yes. It was destroyed some time ago. Lady Videha still seeks anyone else who may have survived, but there are no indications others escaped.”

“Was she there when it happened?”

Kalu nodded. “Yes. The scars she bears are evidence of that. I must admit, there has been no weapon or beast I have ever encountered that could cause such marks.”

“Is it also the custom of her people to cover their faces,” Sven inquired.

“No,” Kalu responded. “That was mostly for your benefit. The scars she bears can be… difficult for many to look upon. Especially on the face of a woman.”

“Ah. They mar her beauty?”

Kalu looked at first Sven, then Bjorn, a small smile playing on his thick lips. “No. She looks more fierce and beautiful with them. But many have looked at her with disgust, for women are not supposed to bear such marks on their bodies. But, they will not often like her when they begin with such notions, nor will she tolerate what she considers their foolishness. You will find she is well loved by the people and they do not respond well to anyone speaking ill of her or in a way that is… not fitting for a woman of her status. She may not take the title herself, but she is our Queen and Great Mother to us all.”

Bjorn listened to Sven questioning the dark man as he observed the scene around them. They had indeed reached a great city, for the streets were made of stone and clean, as were the building walls. Wood seemed to be saved for doors and frames for windows that were impossibly clear and sometimes so large you could see most of the inside from above the floor to just below the ceiling. There were a great deal of carvings on the stone facades, of styles so varied they must have been created by many different hands. Additionally, there were posts with signs. Each had pictures that he could identify the type of store for the most part, but there were also marks on the sign that he could not identify. Some type of writing, perhaps.

Another thing that stood out was the colors. Buildings and their designs were filled with wondrous colors, making some things come to life. They entered a large space that was filled with stands selling all sorts of goods with crowds of people browsing, bartering, and conversing everywhere they could see. Performers entertained the crowds with their various skills, puppet performances and small plays brought laughter and cheers. Scents wafted in the air of street food and drinks that were like nothing they had ever encountered.

While the volume of the bazaar, as Kalu told them it was called, was loud, he could still hear the comments of his men behind him, all quite curious about the goings on of this exotic place they had found themselves. A bit past the huge shopping area, they turned down another street until reaching another street, stopping in front of the largest building Bjorn had ever seen. The front entry had several large doors, paired together and there were rows of windows from the lower floor all the way up to the top. Not counting the lowest floor, there were six rows, but he did not know what to expect inside.

“This is our guest and transitional housing. There are rooms with one and two beds, as well as those for those with children that has a larger space,” Kalu explained in a louder voice, facing the collection of northmen. There are many things you will find unfamiliar with, so please stay close and pay attention.”

Kalu turned and lead them inside to very large room that had many tables and chairs set up to accommodate a significant number of people. There were shelves with mugs and barrels of what could only be assumed to contain alcohol, and many fountains where clear water flowed into basins of varying sizes in a range of designs. There were a pair of staircases set off to each side, curving upward slowly until they reached one floor, then another, until they reached the third floor. Kalu allowed them to gather in another large area with a similar layout of tables and chairs. Again the shelves with mugs, barrels, bottles, and the decorative fountains of water. The group of men all looked around. There was a sense of wonder at the magnificence of the place. Not only was it like nothing they’d ever seen, but this felt like a castle with these enormous rooms and the sheer size of the place. It was also surprisingly clean.

Kalu then focused again on the group. This time, when he spoke his voice carried, for there was far less noise in this place.

“This room is for you to meet, eat, drink, or do whatever you wish. Please do not destroy things here. Down each of these halls,” he said, motioning down the corridors, “are a series of rooms that should be enough to provide everyone with a room with one or two beds. To relieve yourselves, the first doors on each side are set up for that purpose. I will take ten at a time now to show you how things work here. I assure you, it is not like anything you have ever seen before. I do not believe anyone has unless they have been here.”

Kalu then walked to the door on the northwest corner, then opened the door to show everyone the painted emblem on the front. “As you can see, this represents ‘man’. There is another symbol that shows a woman. These rooms are the same, no matter what symbol is on the door.”

Then, as he had stated, he took them ten by ten into the ‘toilet’ and showed how it worked. There were several stalls in rows along three of the four walls with curtains that covered the front. Drawn back, one could see a low seat atop a bowl-like basin with a hole in the back bottom. There were then rags one could use that were washed and folded, with a bucket on the side where they were tossed before they were later taken and washed. Once one had done their business, a lever allowed water in to push out the waste.

The forth wall contained ‘sinks’. A piece of stone protruded from above the basins. On each side, there were two shaped metal handles that could be turned to allow water to flow. One caused cold water to come from the hole in the stone, while the other caused water that was very warm to come out. One could use them together to make the water less warm. Bars of soap rested in dishes and there were stacks of towels next to every sink. A taller basket stood in several places to toss the towels into. It was all very neat and orderly and very, very clean.

After these things had been explained to everyone, who were also allowed to try it all for themselves, Kalu explained the next thing that they would need to know. There were two other rooms that contained ‘baths’ that were large and could be shared by multiple people, as well as some smaller that was designed only for one. The water worked the same as the sink did, only these had an additional lever that made the tub hold or release the water through a hole in the bottom. These rooms, too, had towels laid out and was very neat and clean as they had seen with the other facilities.

“This entire floor is yours. Please do not go onto the other floors, as there are other people in some of the other areas,” he informed them. “A feast and festivities will be held tonight in your honor. You will find there, besides the food, a number of people who are happy to provide company to those who wish it, whether it be minutes or… longer,” he added after receiving laughs at the comment about minutes.

“So, rest, relax, get yourself familiarized with your rooms. In a short time, several others will come up to join you. They will be your guides and translators. You should not go out and about without them, as you will have a hard time communicating with most of the people here. However, you are free to ask them to guide you anywhere you wish to go,” he added. “There is much to see, so please, do explore the city as you choose. Oh, and your comrades who needed the attention of healers will be guided here, but feel free to check on them if you need to. Also, your guides will teach you how to get help if something happens, and will show you to the ‘clinic’, where the ill and wounded are taken to be treated.”

“Our medicine will seem strange to you, but our people do not die as often of things here as they do in other places. For example, we had a man who was crushed against a wall by a willful bull, with it’s horn having pierced his middle. He is alive and well, still working as well. What the healers do seems strange, but it works, so do not fear it,” Kalu concluded, taking a deep breath. Then, his attention focused on Bjorn. “You have a larger room with a private toilet for your pleasure as well as a bath. It is at the end of this hall,” he added, motioning down the hall on his right. “It is used to accommodate leaders, in whatever form they come. Please, follow me”

“Thank you,” Bjorn said, a little confused, but following the tall, dark man. Since the people here had been nothing but courteous so far, he was on his best manners.

Once they were inside of the rather sizable room with a fair bit of furniture, Kalu turned to face Bjorn with something he needed to say away from the crowd.

“You will be meeting with Lady Videha as soon as she has time. I would suspect this would be before or during the time of the feast, possibly as late as tomorrow. Before this, I must give you some instruction. There are certain subjects that are off limits and pushing her will do you know good.”