When War Calls(29)

At that moment, a tomato flew from the audience straight into Kobin’s shoulder, splattering its juices all over his maroon robe and the guard next to him. All except the soldiers and Kobin began to laugh and point their fingers, while Jaden readied to throw another. He had finally found a spot in the crowd from which he could view Kobin, right next to someone who had just been working in a field and had plenty of tomatoes in a basket. Before he could line up the next, someone else had thrown an apple, which was shot out of the air, showering those beneath it with its shattered pulp, and then in a blink of an eye a man fell backward, a tranquiliser dart firmly in his chest. One of the guards had shot straight through the tomato being held by a man near Jaden with the dart, hitting the man behind them.

‘Do not test my patience!’ yelled Kobin, making no attempt to clean the tomato off. Kobin’s long golden brown hair had fallen forward, now slightly covering his face and making his shadowed eyes seem even more piercing as he continued to shout, ‘The forces that come here will not be kind. They will not offer allegiance. They will simply conquer. Do you wish to be conquered? Do you wish to be enslaved? I have spent years on the road for you, all of you, knowing this day would come. I do not expect appreciation from such simple minds, so I will not even attempt to ask, but know this, without me, this village would not have a chance.’

The audience erupted into jeers at Kobin’s well-known and expected arrogance, many shouting taunts and insults at the man they had only disliked, perhaps pitied, but now despised with every cell in their body. They were silenced with gunfire from the soldiers and Vennoss spoke loudly to be heard by all.

‘Please, calm yourselves,’ he said. ‘There is no need for anyone to be hurt this day.’

Kobin stared at Vennoss suspiciously, not saying a word or taking his eyes off him as he made his way through the crowd. Many stepped aside to allow Vennoss an easy passage, and soon he had reached the centre, walking past the guards without fear or concern.

‘I do not recognise the uniforms these soldiers wear,’ said Vennoss to Kobin, ‘from what nation have you brought them?’

Kobin stared for a moment, as if weighing his options on whether he should reply or not. ‘Hawan in the west,’ he said.

‘That is a long journey for a few soldiers, is it not?’ asked Vennoss.

Kobin seemed irritated but attempted to hide it as he spoke with clenched teeth.

‘They are already on their way east, I simply convinced them to stop here as they passed, so that we could gain their protection.’

‘Yes, yes,’ said Vennoss, now looking more closely at the uniforms they wore. ‘For the price of a few young lives, the village will be protected from an evil that may or may not even come here. Quite a bargain.’

‘And you have better?’ asked Kobin.

‘I will not claim as such, but I believe even a man of your mental capabilities would have better sense than bringing armed military personnel to a defenceless village. Who do you think will attack us here? The Alliance? The Resistance? Dragons?’

‘You dare mock me, old man?’ asked Kobin over the laughter around him.

Kobin walked menacingly toward Vennoss, who also began walking forward, showing that he was without fear.

‘I didn’t become old by being lucky,’ Vennoss scolded. ‘I have travelled farther than you have even dreamed, and yet you stand here, the wise conqueror, as if anything you have to say is of any worth. You are as stubborn and as arrogant as you were as a boy, and still you refuse to learn.’

The soldiers standing near Kobin and Vennoss armed their guns as they saw tempers rise in both men, but Kobin waved his hand for them to stand down.

‘Labelling others arrogant as always, even when they have tried to help,’ said Kobin calmly. ‘It seems wisdom does not come with age or long journeys. You and I both know that this was an inevitable conclusion. War will come. This land is a prime location for resources and reconnaissance. If the Alliance gets hold of it, they will have a base from which they can attack all in this continent, without detection and in complete safety. We need the help of other nations. We need it now. Are you going to stand in the way of what can save this village?’

All could see the rage building in Vennoss, his face becoming redder with every word Kobin uttered. But Kobin was right. Vennoss had travelled and spoken to the other nations, just as Kobin had, and this was the logical conclusion to Callibra’s fate. He had little other choice but to concede the point.

‘He may not be our brightest or most heroic,’ said Vennoss to the crowd as he walked away from Kobin, ‘or even a man you’d want breathing, but I have spoken to friends elsewhere and it is true, we are in danger here. The wars are not far away, so we will all be faced with a choice. This man will have you join a nation’s army, with whom we have had very little communication. You may do so if that is your choice. But I have been offered safe passage to the great city of Waikor, an ally of Callibra for many years. I know it is possibly too much to ask you all to leave your homes and join me in going there, but I urge you to consider this grim future that awaits us here and make the right decision. The Waikorian people are proud, but they will accept us as brothers and sisters.’