The Tower Of The Watchful Eye: The Legend Of Kairu Book 1 (27 page)

“
You have nothing to worry about,” I said to him. “I serve no
Master of the Tower.”

I turned
around and headed for the front door with my escort close behind
me. The entire assembly was quiet as they watched me walk past
them. A guard opened the front door and I walked outside without
looking back.

Nice closing line
, Cathy
chuckled.

Yeah, I’m
starting to get used to this.

“
You’re crazy, Mage,” my escort said as he put down my weapons
and grabbed my bound hands. “But maybe crazy is what we need for
this.”

“
Are you crazy enough to come with me?” I asked as he started
to undo the binds. “I could use some help with this.”

“
I’m crazy, but not that crazy,” he answered. “I am needed on
the border. If you head down to the docks you might find a couple
of mercenaries that could help. If you have the coin.”

With my hands
finally released from bondage, I immediately started scratching at
the palms of my hands and wrists. “Thanks. The tingling was killing
me.”

He chuckled,
picked up my weapons and handed them to me. “Good luck out
there.”

“
You too,” I said restoring the staff to my pack.

He headed down
the stairs and I looked over the town trying to determine my next
move. My wrists still itched and I tried to wipe off the remaining
honey on my robe.

You would
think anyone would want to help save the Princess.

Judging by the reception we’ve received here,
Cathy started
. No one is
in a hurry to help a Mage. It wouldn’t surprise me if they waited
for you to get yourself killed first before doing
anything.

Geez. What did
the Tower do here to make everyone so hostile?

“
Good, you are still here,” a deep voice said behind me nearly
making me jump. “I want to help you.”

I turned
around and stood face to chest with a giant of a man. The muscles
on his looked bigger then my head but his face was gentle.

He looks like the type of person that could stand on top of a
mountain and block out the sun,
Cathy
said.

“
Uh...” I stammered.

“
You are going to save my cousin right?” he asked
hopefully.

“
Your cousin?” I asked.

“
Oh, sorry,” he said embarrassed. “I forgot. I’m Donkor or
Simpwe Donkor as everyone called me. Morowa is my
cousin.”

“
Why do people call you Simpwe?” I asked.

“
I was never really smart in school,” he admitted bluntly.
“But I am the best with my cleaver. So they call me simple or
simpwe.”

I see...
Cathy said.

“
And you want to help me?” I asked.

“
Yeah,” he answered excited. “I miss Moro. She is always nice
to me. I always wanted to get her back but I don’t know where she
is. You do. So I help you.”

“
Even though I’m a Mage?” I asked shocked.

“
People say bad things about Mages but people also say bad
things about me,” he explained. “I’m nice and you seem nice too. We
should stick together.”

I nodded
surprised. “I could use all the help I can get. I don’t know the
area well.”

“
I know the area very well,” Donkor said excited. “But we have
to be careful. I’m not smart with plants.”

“
Well, you don’t have to worry because I am,” I
smiled.

His face lit
up as he smiled a huge grin. “We are working well together already.
We will have Moro back in no time.”

“
Let’s grab some supplies then head out,” I said.

“
Ok, my mom has some stuff that will help,” he said as he
started running down the stairs. “Follow me.”

I quickly
followed him down the stairs.

You better hurry,
Cathy
chuckled.

Chapter 23

Donkor’s
mother lived in a bungalow along the coast not far from the palace.
Considering that she was the Emperor’s sister, the humble house
shocked me until Donkor explained that his mother had never liked
the fast pace of politics and choose seclusion instead.

Maybe she just
wanted to protect him from people that would take advantage of his
good nature, Cathy had suggested.

His mother was
suspicious when she first met me but after Donkor explained to her
the same logic he explained to me, she smiled warmly and welcomed
me into her house. After I introduced myself, Donkor grew
embarrassed that he had forgotten to ask my name and started using
my name with every sentence.

While Donkor
packed up some belongings, his mother made me promise to watch over
him and bring him home safe. I had to chuckle because it would be
the second promise I would make to a mother after I involved their
son in my business.

Sometimes life repeats itself
, Cathy
said.

“
I’m ready to go,” Donkor said as he emerged from his room
with his bag. I’m sure it was a full backpack but it looked like a
tiny satchel in his arms.

“
You be careful out there, okay?” Donkor’s mother said as she
walked over to him.

“
Mom,” he whined. “I have gone out into the forest many
times.”

“
And I have worried each time,” she responded. “But this is
different. Bandits can be nasty.”

“
They took Moro,” he said calmly. “They will find me
nastier.”

“
You know I can’t stop you...” she said trailing
off.

“
...But you can make me think,” he recited like he had said it
a million times before. “I always come back.”

“
Because you’re smart enough to not be stupid,” she said as
she hugged him.

“
I’m not smart,” he said blushing.

“
Yes, you are,” she smiled. “You know when to listen to
me.”

He laughed in
response.

“
Good luck you two,” she said as she turned and gave me a
worried look. She was being brave for Donkor because he needed it
but she wanted me to know her true emotions. I looked serious and
nodded to her.

“
Come on, Andy,” Donkor said excited as he walked over and
opened the front door. “We have a lot of ground to cover before it
gets dark.”

I chuckled and
headed out the door. “You don’t need to say my name after every
sentence.”

“
Yes I do, Andy” he said as he ducked to go through the front
door. “It helps me remember. I don’t want to forget you,
Andy.”

“
You won’t, Donkor,” I said.

“
Ok, Andy,” he smiled.

With Donkor
leading the way, we trekked through Kay Julis leaving people
staring in confusion in our wake. I guess seeing a giant with a
Mage...

In a dorky hat!
Cathy
exclaimed
. Don’t forget about the hat.
It’s not like I can.

Seriously,
what is so wrong with this hat? You keep bringing it up. I think it
is bold and makes a statement.

A very loud statement
, Cathy
agreed.
It says...’I. Am. A.
Dork.’

It is at least
protecting us from the sun.

So would wearing a pair of pants on your head,
Cathy said.
And that
would look LESS dorky.

I sighed.

Ignoring her,
Donkor and I climbed back up the ridge to the front gate. The gate
guard opened the gate and we stopped just outside the city.

“
Ok,” Donkor started. “I can’t speak to maps but I know the
land. Tell me what the map is saying and I will take you there. You
will have to lead the rest of the way because I don’t know where
their hideout is.”

“
Fair enough,” I said pulling the Mongoose’s map out. “It
appears the bandits are holed up in an outpost outside the village
of...Bowda?”

“
Bauda,” Donkor corrected. “I know where it is. I remember the
outpost too. It used to belong to military.”

“
Maybe the bandit leader forced the Emperor to give it to him
or he would hurt the Princess,” I thought out loud.

Donkor’s jaw
clenched but he relaxed it. “That is a place of good things and
training. We must stop bad things from happening there.”

“
When we save the Princess we will make sure all the bandits
are out of there,” I promised him.

He nodded.
“Then we need to hurry. We can’t make it by night but we have to
try for Bauda.”

“
Lead on,” I said.

Donkor started
around the wall in the opposite direction then the one I had
arrived from earlier. After travelling along the wall we stepped
onto a dirt path and followed it as it disappeared into the forest
ahead.

“
Be careful in the forest,” Donkor warned. “It is almost
dinner time for the animals.”

How comforting,
Cathy said
sarcastic.

We entered the
forest and I was quickly overtaken by a feeling of claustrophobia.
The path was still two people wide but the trees arched over you
blocking out most of the light. It was more understandable now why
Donkor would want to get to an open area by nightfall. The thought
of having no light in this forest made a shiver run down my
spine.

“
I am curious,” Donkor started thoughtfully. “Why do you wear
that silly hat? No other Mages do.”

HA!
Cathy
exclaimed
. I like him more
already
.

I chuckled and
shook my head. “To be honest, I don’t know. It helps block out the
sun. I ran into this salesman and he was really pushy so I just
bought something to get him to leave me alone.”

Donkor
chuckled. “You should have said no.”

“
Yeah, I should have,” I smiled. “Nothing I can do
now.”

Donkor nodded
and returned to silence. I didn’t want to end our conversation like
that so my mind raced looking for another topic.

“
How do you not know how to read maps?” I asked.

“
Because I never learnt their language,” he answered simply
enough.

“
They have a language?” I asked.

“
All items with words written on them do,” he said. “That is
how they communicate their ideas too people. I never learnt how to
communicate with them.”

I nodded
slowly. “How did you learn where everything is?”

“
I walked,” he smiled. “I learnt where everything is in my
mind by walking to it. If I need to get somewhere I don’t know, I
have someone speak to a map for me.”

“
Simple enough,” I said.

“
I thought it was smart for me,” he said sadly.

“
No, no,” I said defensively. “I don’t mean simple like that.
If anything, you are probably one of the smartest people I have
met.”

“
Really?” he asked unsure. “What else does simple
mean?”

“
Not complicated,” I answered. “You make it sound easy. You
don’t understand maps, so you just learned where everything is on
your own.”

Donkor smiled.
“So I am smart?”

“
Very,” I answered.

“
Thank you, Andy,” he said.

“
You’re welcome,” I smiled relieved.

“
See, I knew you were nice,” Donkor said looking
proud.

Nice save
, Cathy said.

I wasn’t
trying to offend him.

I know,
she
answered
. But he didn’t. I think we can
both agree that if he gets angry, he is going to rip us in
half.

He seems too
kind-hearted to do that.

He also said that a military outpost is a place where good
things happen
, Cathy pointed
out.

I think you
are just scared of him.

Need I remind you how many times people like him have killed
me?
Cathy asked rhetorically.

I stifled a
laugh and continued following Donkor. He moved at a quick pace,
using his size and knowledge of the land to power his way along the
overgrown dirt path. I struggled at times to keep up with him but
when the forest grew less dense and the claustrophobic feeling
lifted, he slowed his pace.

“
We are near the river,” he said. “We can grab a drink before
continuing.”

“
That’s a good idea,” I said breathing heavily and hunched
over.

He looked at
me and grinned. “I thought Mages were in better shape.”

“
It’s been a long day,” I said trying to stand up straight and
appear like nothing was wrong. “I walked to the capital from the
border after all.”

“
Once, I walked from one side of Nesqa to the other side and
back,” he said proudly.

“
That’s impressive,” I said as my breathing steady. “The best
I’ve done is from the capital of Balendar, to the southern tip and
back AFTER a battle against bandits.”

“
So you should be able to make it to Bauda by nightfall,” he
smiled.

Me and my big
mouth.

You asked for it
, Cathy
chuckled.

Three figures
became visible on the path ahead and I reached out with my mind to
check them. The mental hum was powerful and unmistakeable.