The Assiniy's Legacy

A Father's Tale

Mordan and Tamirah reached the scums where an old acquaintance of Mordan lives. That place smells rotten fish since it has always been the garbage of fish factories that exist in front of it. That acquaintance insisted with a smirk that he receives first 10 stars to show him the professional healer he promised. Tamirah suggested that she can 'give him a lesson to lower the price', Mordan prefered not to indulge in such a thing, so he paid the price. However, he wasn't sure whether she was serious or not.

The healer, a man in average height, tan skinned, with a tall face, thin lips, and a big long nose, his eyes were brown and his head was dark, and his haircut was short and well adjusted, unlike Mordan's thick hair.

"It would cost you_50 stars, sir" The healer said after the young man has led him to the edge of his house door.
"The visit?!" Mordan replied, "That's too much."
"Sorry, but it's the regular price these times." He said with his usual frowned eyebrows and emotionless face.
Mordan stated, "I will now only pay half the price, the rest is only after you give my father a useful medical treatment."
The healer took the half and went to investigate Lorian, he stayed with him for fifteen minutes then went out of the room to face Mordan, Frski, and Chouffirah saying.
"The sickness he has is an inevitable way to death. I am afraid of saying so, but I don't think he may live for more than a week." He said and made sure Lorian wouldn't hear.
Chouffirah, the wife of Lorian said, "What are you saying?!
Frski gasped and said, "Is this a joke?!"
Mordan said nothing but felt bad and his mind was pounded by thought .
"That sickness is like a fire that burns a forest from one tree, it started from his backbones, and reached his whole body. It's a very painful misery. It is quite hopeless to seek a curing remedy. I strongly recommend you to get two hand bunches of Hyxen herbs, make him drink each day three bits of their extraction, one hand-sized cup at dawn, the other at noon, the other at sunset. It will hopefully relieve him from much of his pain, untill the God of Sun relieves his soul from the Punishment." He said in a matter-of-fact way.
The wife of Lorian started to fall on the floor and to grab her face grievingly and furiously, and Frski looked choked. Mordan stepped towards him slowly while saying skeptically, "How can I give you now the other half and you didn't save him?"
He added as monotonously as ever, "You can give me the half of the half now, and you know well that I have done what I could."
Mordan had contemplated him before he has put the stars in the healer's long brown robe's pocket.
The healer informed them on the house door about the location of the best Hyxen herbs, then left.

The herbs were very effective in Lorian's perspective. The next day, he felt much better but still coughed and couldn't walk. He asked Mordan to meet him alone in the morning.

Mordan entered his room, Lorian was very thin, his face was pale, his head has lost much of its hair, he has green-brown eyes like his son.
"Son, close the door properly.", he said in a weak voice, and Mordan did. He sat on a small chair next to his father's bed he was lying on. Mordan surely knew what would be the topic of discussion: taking care of the family's heritage, securing the traditional leather manifacture in the hands of the Assiniys. The very topic that, for some reason, gave him nausea.
"Son, I kindly ask you to keep the family's legacy." He said, then Mordan said in his mind, 'Here we go again...', his father continued, "Mordan, do you know where I go each year to get the Kouknouch (a reptile)'s skin for our delicacies in leather work?"
"Yoquori" Mordan said indifferently.
"That's right, son. There I used to accompany your grandpa, may Eunoph relieve him, so that I learn about it."
As I remember, the land seemed as usual, alliances and adversialities interchanged between tribes, and each tribe was quite closed on itself.
After I have got the_(he coughed)_ the_ buisness, son, do you know how I have found your god-brother Frski?"
Mordan raised his eyes and slightly narrowed his eyebrows to the window in front of him that faces the alleys, "You've found him as one of the few survivors of a Yoqori tribe, when you went there for the Kouknouch?"
"Yes son, it was a village of the Azlmou
tribe, totally destroyed and devastated, the wood of the houses was burnt, the towers of food reserves were emptied and destroyed, most batiments were utterly destroyed, the cattles and domestic dogs were killed and left, and most horribly, dead and burnt bodies of men and women, young and adults, children and elderlies were scattered all over_ all over the village." He stopped, since he started sobbing, and Mordan easily forgot about what annoyed him before since he had felt really bad about what is being told to him.
"M'son, I was walking slowly in that village, and by Peace's name, I didn't expect that I would find such a butchery!_(he coughed), I started hearing something, a toddler's cry,", Frski, Mordan thought. Lorian silenced for breath, then continued, "I went through a house_ destroyed house, the stone walls were burnt, and the smell of smoke was accompanied with a smell I am not sure I recognize (he coughed), it was quite suffocating. The house was quite big, but it was clearly destroyed from one side, I recall that I have seen a big spilled pot of warm soup, so people should have lived there as a family. To the yard of the house I entered, and at the center was a well that was the source of a sobbing, I looked into it, it was dry of water. I used the rope to reach the child and got him out, I have tried to ask him what happened, but he was a toddler unable to speak, are you with me m'son?", Mordan nodded and said a 'yes'.
"He was red-haired, very light skinned, and long nosed, and his face after I got him out was expresionless, I knew he was shocked. He was your godbrother Frski. I have tried to reach out for someone in the village to take care of him, but I have found nobody alive." He stopped and closed his eyes griefingly, then continued, "Then, some horsemen arrived, they have been wearing warsuits and swords, and I knew they were from neighbooring Yoqorian villages. They have surely heard of the attack. Some of them thought at first that I am one of the criminals, until they recognized me as Lorian Kay Assinky, the Salawanian leather maker, I asked them who made the attack, they told me they are not very sure, in any case, it's not made by Yoqorians, since no war in their land has ever reached such savegery.", Mordan said, "Horrible, the criminals should surely have terrible weapons..." he thought so because Yoqorians are famous for having bloody battles between them. "Who knows, m'boy. So, I have asked them about the child, they recognized him and went searching for his relatives, then informed me they have found no one, they also told me that he is from a high standing family in his tribe, He was named Frski son of Ege'al Tchachn. No living relative could take care of him, so I asked them whether I could, they agreed. And now, do you know why I have never asked you to accompany me to Yoqori?"

"I don't know father_ I have always thought Frski deserves better to know about the depth of the domain, and now since you've mentioned this, it also seems that Frski needs to go back to his homeland from time to time."

"Yes, Frski shows great skills in this art, yes son. However, there is something else behind that. (He then coughed longer this time). Before your grandpa's death, he has told me, as I am telling you, about the legacy we, the Assiniys, should protect."
"The workshop?" Mordan asked
"No, let me tell you. I am told about our name, it comes from our great-grandfather, quite three hundred years ago, his name was Assin. At that time was_"
"The Great revolt of Yoqori?!" Interrupted Mordan with wide eyes.
"Yes, that. And Assin was a friend of Yoqori's king, when that land became finally united. However, That King knew that his reign would not continue, and his land would return to disunity and chaos after the war. Neverthless, Assin was sure that one day, one of his decendants must go for a mission. When Yoqori starts to be unified again, one of the Assiniys should try to go for a mission to help Yoqori becoming unified, strong and prosperous."
Mordan, on his seat, leaned forward, he was narrowing his eyes as a reaction to the many questions that were pounding his mind.
"I know it's hard to believe m'son, but you will hopefully understand. Our family tradition required us to go occasionally to Yoqori, because this would make us know when Yoqori is starting to unify itself, my grandfathers have always reported that Yoqori is still as ununified as ever.
"Now, I am quite sure that Yoqori is starting to organize itself since I have adopted Frski. Yoqorians, when I go to them, keep informing me about their many lots that have joined a new alliance, a strong one. Last times, I have even met that great alliance on their horses, they were well armed and armored, I felt happy for them, even though they have tried to capture me, thinking at first that I am an enemy.
"Was it_(he coughed) me the one meant to assist Yoqori? No son, I am too old for this, you are clearly the Assiniy meant to do so. The reason why I felt it's better not to force you acompanying me is that you seem to be more into your own interests than into the familial domain, I have always respected your respect for yourself and your family." Lorian smiled to his son, a silence has occured, then Mordan asked: "But father, what kind of mission is this?"
"No need for me to tell you about it, you will find everything in my will after my death, son."
These new pieces of information exceeded Mordan's expectations, he crossed his hands, closed his eyes and lowered his head, then raised his head and faced Lorian while saying: "But father, why should I bother with Yoqori's buisness?!"
"It is a family buisness, Mordan, you should find many of the answers in my will, be patient."
"And the mission, how long can it be? It may be long enough to distract me from taking care of the shop, father."
"Assin, our grandfather believed that it is a mission beyond our shop, Mordan, you'll find out everything about it, after it you can return to the shop if you want, son."
Mordan felt surprised by his father's indifference about the shop's future.
Lorian's weak hand grabbed his son's hand, "Mordan, this is an inherited mission that was passed on generation after generation, our grandfathers were waiting for the Assiny who would fulfill it, you!" His green-brown eyes fixed on Mordan's widened, "Would you promise me to fulfill it, Mor?"
Mordan's eyes avoided Lorian's.
"I believe you will soon find out that this mission will not only help Yoqori, but our homeland as well.", after Mordan's interrogative grimace, he said: "Trust me, you will find out!(He coughed) Will you promise me that you will do your best in this mission?"
A breeze has touched Mordan's face, who, after all, has always prefered something more interesting than mere leatheries as a life mission, "Yes father, I shall do my best.", and he grabbed his father's hand firmly, and was looking directly into his green-brown eyes.
"One more things son, never stop seeking Truth, take care of your close ones, and of Frski, your godbrother."
"Don't worry father, I will do my best." He stood up and smiled at Lorian who smiled back at him.

The two next days witnessed a visit of Lorian's close friends. Eventhough they avoided making him get the impression of approaching death, he affirmed simply and smilingly that he knew he would probably die soon, each time he did so, his companions gasped at each other in shock. He asked from Chouffirah to make him his most favorite dish, fried Melmelam (Rice paste with honey, fried onions, ground almonds, small pieces of cooked chicken, salt, with spices like cinnamon, all should be grouped and fried).

The next morning, the healer's expectations were acurate. Lorian Kay Assini was laying dead on his deathbed.

What is really expected from Mordan?

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