The Thousand Year Dynasty
Anthology 9

"Are you okay, Mr Alexander?" Asked a Narva boy in fancy clothes to another Narva boy sitting on a wooden bench under a shady tree in the courtyard of a building in the middle of Central City.

The 14-year-old boy, called Alexander, did not immediately reply. He stared at the questioner, as if he were judging. But there was no expression on his face. "Do I look like I'm not okay, huh, Herman?" tanyanya.

"You look more somber than usual" replied the boy, called Herman, sitting on a long bench that looked originally made. Her hair that is neatly combed the middle looks to match the shape of a taper jaw and nose that is sharp.

"Oh, can you really see the difference? You're talented, Herman. While others just see me moping," replied Alexander who could not be guessed the meaning of his words. Whether he was joking around scornfully, or was being seriously praised. It was all because he spoke with a tone and a flat face.

"You can call me that. I am quite confident that I am indeed a talented young man." Herman replied without regard to the intentions of Alexander's earlier remark. "Are you thinking of something, Mr Alexander?" ask later.

"You don't have to worry, Herman. I'm fine" Alexander replied, turning his gaze toward some children playing around the yard.

"Well, if you say so," replied Herman who also followed Alexander looking at the children who were playing.

"This is always crowded at rest hours like now. You can rest in the classroom or in the City Library next to the printing house not far from here, if you want a quiet place," herman again tried to make another topic of conversation with Alexander.

"no need. I like it here. I am indeed quiet, but that does not mean I do not like crowded places," replied Alexander short. And the silence happened again.

"Then how do you feel after taking lessons at this school?" Herman was still trying to start a conversation with Alexander.

"Even though they used age as the limit to the many and complex lessons learned, it still amazes me how children of Eden and even Eureka were taught more than reading and counting," alexander replied later. "But even more surprising, children from among ordinary people also receive the same teaching," he added.

"It's different from anywhere else, at least that's what I heard from my father." Herman seemed a little excited to find Alexander gave a long answer.

"Yes, I know about how the rules go in this place. But I can't get used to it. Sometimes some things still surprise me," replied Alexander still staring at the children who were playing.

"If I think this place is much more pleasant in the city," said Herman issued an opinion.

"What do you mean scary city?" This time Alexander slithered towards Herman who was sitting not far next to him.

"Come away, but the city for that noble boy, feels gloomy. It's full of rules" Herman replied later. "What more for a first son like me. Since the age of five I have been taught about grammar, then as I get older, more and more things have to be learned" he continued.

"Isn't it any different from this school? We are also taught many things in this place." Alexander asked flatly.

"Right, but what's being taught in this place is fun stuff. Don't you feel that way?" Herman answered.

"What do you feel like?" ask Alexander quickly.

"Try to compare. In addition to the basic lessons of counting and reading, we are taught about how the world works. We learn about land, wind, plants, animals, and also make things and understand things." Herman replied with a bit of enthusiasm. "While in the city we have to learn how to say hello, say words, memorize rules, history, politics, maps and family genealogy, all of that is very boring" he continued.

Alexander did not answer Herman's words. He seems to be thinking about something. "Maybe it's like that. But all that we do is an obligation that we must accept for being born a noble. Those things were a counterbalance to the special rights that we would receive as a noble" Alexander replied trying to explain his views on Herman's opinion.

This time it was Herman's turn to be silent after hearing Alexander's words earlier. "I think you're right" he replied later. "But if I was asked to choose, then I would choose as I am today" he added.

"Don't you want to be a nobleman with power?" ask Alexander again.

"I guess I'll just go on to carry on the Macay surname, and become a successful trader like my father." Herman answered while looking up at the clear sky. "Because according to him we can have power without having to be a noble. But I'm sure my father said that because our family is only Baron-level in the kingdom of Elbrasta" Herman said, laughing.

"I see," Alexander replied in his usual flat tone.

Suddenly a Narva boy ran up to Alexander, with a fox child in his trunk.

"Sister, look at this fox so obedient. Can I keep something like this too? According to Andele, her brother still has three more if I want to keep him," said the boy younger than Alexander as he carefully rubbed the fox's head in his sling.

"I don't think your mother would allow it, Eden. It is a mystic animal anyway. Even if they are small, they can still harm children. How did it get here without adult supervision?" Alexander answered his brother who was called Eden.

"The fox is my friend." Suddenly a girl's voice came from behind Eden. "He's tame" the voice added.

"Oh, really?" Alexander asked when he found the voice coming from a daughter Morra who was not older than him. Standing behind Eden together with a Narva boy and a Yllgarian boy from the Beetle Tiger clan.

"really. If you don't believe me, I'll prove it" said the girl, who was wearing a thick, dull white vest outside the shirt she was wearing. "Dende came here," the daughter ordered later, and the little fox that was bearada in Eden's arms flinched, then ran towards the girl.

"She's Andele. He's my friend." Eden introduced the girl to Alexander.

"You need not worry, Mr. Alexander. Andele is a tamer. Although he was a child, but his experience and ability were already quite good." Herman added with information.

"Why do you just say Enough, Herman? I'm a great tamer at my age right now" said Andele, who received no explanation from Herman.

"And how old are you now?" It was Alexander's turn to ask.

"I'll be in twelve years, next month. Wh why? Is there a problem with that?" answered Andele loudly who seemed to be challenging.

"Andele take care of your attitude when talking to older people" Herman later said.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful. I'm just asking, can't it be?" Andele seemed a little unaccepted of being charged by Herman.

"Maybe," said Alexander to answer questions from Andele before. "And I'm sorry if my question was disrespectful. Introduce me Alexander. I'm fourteen years old. Thank you for being Eden's friend" he continued.

"Meet me, I'm Andele. You don't have to thank me just because we and Eden were friends. I never gave anything of value to Eden until I got my all thanks" Andele replied.

"Oh, yes. Also true. Then, thank you for the time you took to accompany Eden to play." Alexander bowed short despite still being in his sitting position.

"Why is your speech so complicated?" Andele scrunched her forehead.

"Maybe that's the way the Prince talks" whispered the boy next to Andele who was still clear enough to be heard by Alexander.

"Aren't you going to introduce your other friends, Eden? It is not impolite to let me or them introduce themselves" Alexander said, politely reprimanding Eden.

"Oh, I'm sorry, brother. Introduce these to my friends. Gale and Matt" Eden said later, introducing Narva as Gale and Yllgarian as Matt.

"Greetings," Matt the Tigers had bowed slightly as he put his right hand to his chest. That was the way Yllgarian greeted politely.

"Me and Matt are the same age, we're nine years old,." This time the boy named Gale who spoke, gave information.

Then there was the sound of bells ringing loud enough, to the surprise of the little fox belonging to Andele who immediately ran towards the shoulder of the girl in panic.

Then followed by a female voice with a little scream from the entrance of a building at the end of the yard.

"Kids let's cook, the next lesson we will start," said the woman called the children who were around the place.

"Let's go back to class, Miss Livia has called" Matt said as he began running away from the place.

And then the others began to follow running towards the woman called Livia.

"Why are you smiling, Herman?" alexander asked as he found Herman smiling at him.

"Yes, I don't think I'm an expert in the social field" replied Alexander who followed behind Herman.

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Dozens of children came out of the school building, right after the two-hour marker bells were heard from the clock tower in the middle of the town square not far from the school area.

Some parents or waiters are waiting to pick up children who are too young to be able to go home by public transport.

It looks like Livia started tidying up the classroom once all the children have left the school building.

Like all teachers, it is a routine task. In addition to his special duties as a school head who sometimes had to take care of the problems in the other two schools in the Rhodesian kingdom.

Not more than half an hour later, Livia had left the school area to go to the printing house to meet Fla.

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"Did Miss Rafa not come again today?" livia asked Fla when she was in the room where three large printing tools made of iron were located.

It also appears in the room James, and Luke the Yllgarian Wolf, who were tying a pile of paper with a colorful ribbon rope as a marker.

"It's been almost a week that Miss Rafa hasn't come here. Even according to the news he did not debate leaving the region of the Star Alcove, lately. I became more worried to hear it," said Fla who seemed to tidy up a pile of paper that had been tied by his two colleagues earlier.

"He hardly ever smiled since. Always moody and more reserved. Seeing it like that makes me feel sad." James spoke after he finished with the collision of his paper.

"I also feel worried" said Livia who was seen opening a package of food that he deliberately bought on the road to the printing building.

"I think he felt disappointed because he was not included in the work that Mr. Aksa and Mr. Nata were doing until he had to lock himself up like that," said James again who is now in front of the table where Livia manage the food he just bought it. Four pieces of triangular-shaped bread with red and white colors that invite taste.

"I don't think Miss Rafa would have been that disappointed if it was just because it wasn't included in the work of Mr. Aksa and Mr. Nata alone." This time Luke expressed his opinion.

"Then do you think it's because of what Miss Rafa did?" James asked after cleaning his hands with a clean cloth before taking the triangular loaf from Livia earlier.

"Do you know, maybe because Mr Aksa didn't renew it at all before the lockdown?" Luke tried to guess. "Even Mr. Couran doesn't know when and why they both locked themselves in. But isn't it that as long as Mahan Staan is open, he's always been there with the two of them?" he continued later, following James cleaned his hands.

"Not only Mr. Couran, but also Primaval" Fla added.

"It seems Primaval also experienced the same disappointment, but not as deep as Miss Rafa," said Livia who also added.

"Didn't that feel weird? The two people who were always with Mr. Aksa and Mr. Nata alone knew nothing about the lockdown or the work plan they were both working on" James said after the first bite on his bread.

"Obviously weird for us. But Mr. Aksa and Mr. Nata do have thoughts that we cannot understand. So the weirdest thing we think is, it's not necessarily strange for them to do" Fla replied trying to give her a look.

"I think you have a point too, Fla." James was seen nodding small while thinking about Fla's earlier remark. "They are people who will do things that we did not expect, and consider it a natural thing," he added.

The others simply nodded in agreement to James' words. And then it started to fall silent.

Silence began to form in the room. Only the gurgling sound of water from the waterway outside the printing house was heard for some time.

"When is the wedding date between the two of you?" Suddenly Luke asked who then broke the silence that had occurred. It appears he tried to change the topic of the previous conversation that began to feel heavy.

"I feel uncomfortable talking about this wedding plan, when Mr. Aksa and Mr. Nata are locked up, and Miss Rafa is like that." Livia breathed a long breath. Which makes Luke regret his decision to ask about it.

"I actually feel that way, too, but I want to get you on the family list before Mr. Orland starts the registration and re-recording of all the citizens in the kingdom" Fla said later.

"I think you can set a date for the celebration after Mr. Aksa and Mr. Nata are out. As for customary ordinances and applicable territorial regulations, it would be much better if you finish as soon as possible." James gave his opinion.

"Yes, I think we'll do it." Livia replied in a tone that sounded a little doubtful.

"That means tomorrow the day after tomorrow, we'll go home to see dad" Fla said later.

"Well," Livia replied, nodding in understanding.

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Two days later Fla and Livia headed to the East Village by iron train, because there was no steam train line to the East.

The iron chariot they were using was borrowed from Pietro, who was driven by Fla himself who had recently practiced driving it. There have been enough people who practice driving iron trains, since the East Star craftsmen make many of these vehicles.

That's because the design of the iron train with liquid fuel has a much smaller shape and faster to assemble. Which causes the manufacture is not too expensive and long time.

Fla and Livia left early in the morning. It had been almost three weeks that the two of them had not returned to the Eastern Village. That was because they occupied the houses built in the northern region of the Central city. Not far from school.

Their iron chariot arrived at the region where Lumire lived, when the sun was already high enough in the eastern sky. The area between the Central City with the Sekai Wall's translucent road has now begun to increase in numbers. Since the construction of solid cement-lined roads, as well as guard posts and street lights that make people feel safe and comfortable when traveling at night.

Plus, since Lumire made a special market for nomadic traders from the Azure free land. Which then attracts the attention of people who want to look for certain items that are only sold by Azure traders, and also tourists who are interested in the uniqueness of it.

The region where Lumire lived was left as it was. A savanna with several horse-drawn carriages that functioned as a shop to peddle various merchandise. While around the trains were built dome-shaped tents made of wood and cloth for the residence of the Lumire family who still settled in the place, and also some other traders who are selling in that place.

No houses or buildings were built as in any other residential area. Only windmills and waterwheels from walls are visible along the savannah region. The area is known as Nomad Market by the people.

Usually Fla and Livia always took the time to stop by the Lumire place when passing through the region, but this time because they had to arrive at the East Village, they did not do so.

Shortly after passing through the Lumire region, the path through the Sekai Wall began to be seen in front of them. The tunnel, now called Sekai Wall Gate, is now much nicer. With the construction of a solid Dracz metal buffer on the inside of the tunnel and also lighting lamps.

While the facilities behind the Sekai Wall, it is also much better now. Cement-lined roads have been completed to the East Village and around the foot of Sekai mountain to the East Coast Village.

"Oh, that directional marker seems new. I didn't see him when I last walked through this place a few weeks ago," said Livia who looks quite enthusiastic when she saw a board made of iron that stands right on the branching road after the Sekai Wall Gate.

On the board it is written 'EAST VILLAGE' with a picture of the head of the arrow facing to the left, and the inscription 'HUTAN SEKAI' with a picture of the head of the arrow facing to the right.

"really. Two years ago no one would have thought a signboard with writing would be installed in this region. Maybe just imagining it was crazy. And now, even some residents can read it," said Fla, who began directing his train to the left.

"Mr Aksa, Lord Nata, and Her Majesty the Queen are indeed extraordinary people. May they always be protected by the gods. Hopefully we can survive through these difficult times," said Livia who looks really hopeful.

"really. Although it seems that we have already achieved our goal, establishing an ideal territory with this Rhodesian kingdom as a result. But these times are a start that will be met by more challenges" Fla said.

"And grateful we can be a part of it" Livia replied as their iron chariot had entered the arch of the East Village gate that was deliberately built as a marker.

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