Episode 30- End Of An Era
Yeah, the first thing I have in mind when it comes to Jamaica is weed. Be thankful I didn’t make a bobsled team joke.
Yeah, the first thing I have in mind when it comes to Jamaica is weed. Be thankful I didn’t make a bobsled team joke.
Island of Jamaica, 11 May 1495
It was an chilly evening in the village of the Daykamhenya tribe. Chief Comet Sighted was sitting next to a campfire, smoking his favorite pipe. Opposite him, shaman Secret Bear was performing a far- seeing ritual.
“What do you see, oh Wise One?”
The Shaman inhaled some of the smoke from the campfire, then exhaled loudly.
“I have acquired the wisdom of things that are happening and that will happen.” His voice like a thunderbolt in the storm. “Spirits from the lands far away are speaking to me. Something is rotting in the state of Denmark.”
“*sniff* It must be Stranger Danger, our scout. He hasn’t cleaned his tent in weeks now. I need to have a serious talk with him.”
“No. I’m talking about the land beyond the great water. It is suffering great peril at the hands of their rivals.”
“Why should we care about some tribe beyond the Water? They are far away. They are no concern of ours.”
“No.” The shaman exclaimed. “The wind of change is blowing from the East. The distance between the shores is getting smaller. Soon, They will arrive on their boats. With them, they will bring doom and destruction.” He stopped for a while. “They are vague about what will happen exactly, but we need to be prepared.”
“Very well. Tell me what else have you seen.”
Secret Bear grabbed the pipe and took a big swig. “Ah. The Empire of old is succumbing to dust, their lands slowly taken apart by rivals and opportunists. The Land of Purple will soon be no more.”
“Huh. There have been tales of a great Empire beyond the Great Water, told by the visitors with long hair and big helmets, so long ago. Nobody came from beyond the Water for generations. Do you think there is still something there?”
“Aye. Rumors of strange new ships are spreading like wildfire. Fair- skinned people wearing funny clothes and short hair.”
“They aren’t the same people, then. Anything else that the Spirits told you?”
The shaman closed his eyes, sitting perfectly still for a short moment. “On the Land of the Boot, the phony Emperor is asserting his petty authority upon the people of Napolis. They intend not to cave in. There might be blood spilled.”
“Good. Let them spill blood amongst themselves. The later they arrive, the better.”
“There is one more thing the Spirits are saying, my Chief."
“What is it then?”
Shaman took a deep breath. “ It’s a vision, a warning about the future. Something we should all be wary of.” Ha paused, then cleared his throat. “Don’t buy Betamax.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Secret Bear shrugged. “I don’t know. It might be too early for us to figure it out.”
“All right. I’d prefer a vision about who took my favourite smoke pipe.”
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Same place, 27 may 1496
It was another peaceful evening at the Daykamhenya village. The warriors have mostly gone to sleep. Only a few guards remained at duty, though they were largely intoxicated by various herbs. Chief Comet Sighted was contemplating a very fine specimen of female part of the tribe, specifically her lower regions. He pondered about his past, when he was just a young, inexperienced scout. He could have bedded at least three women every day. Nowadays, though, he had ‘authority’ and ‘visage’ to maintain, and the only thing he had left was his old wife Striking Vulture.
He sighed loudly and took a glance at the fireplace. Shaman Secret Bear was scribbling in the ashes with a stick. After further inspection, the drawing appeared to be a crude depiction of an element of female anatomy. Two elements, to be exact.
Aiming to get his attention, the chief coughed loudly, which caused him to hastily wipe out the scribble.
“There has been more strange boats sighted recently. The warriors are getting weary.”
“Is that right, my Chief? I remember them being rather calm.”
“I’m talking about the warriors from nearby villages.” He sighed heavily. “Ours are only concerned with smoking herbs. Tell me more about the lands beyond the Water.”
A focused expression appeared on the Shaman’s face as he leaned forwards. He reached for his bag and took out a handful of dried leaves. They both took a big whiff. The Chief coughed loudly.
“It’s a different mix than you use usually. What it is this time?”
“It’s special herbs which has been picked on the twentieth day of the fourth month. It’s a mix of special power.”
“Just don’t show it to the warriors. They are hooked up more than enough as it is. Now, what do you see, Wise One?”
Secret Bear took a big whiff and held it. He then exhaled rapidly and his eyes turned blank for a while. Finally, he spoke.
“In the East, the Empire that is crumbling accepts a shameful defeat in order to hold what little they have together.”
“In the Land of the Boot, new advancements happen. Europa is coming out of the shadows of the Ages of The Dark.”
“The East was engulfed in the flames of war for a long time. Finally, the war came to a conclusion that satisfied no one. Time will tell who will succeed in the eastern lands.”
The Chief looked at the shaman. “Is that all?”
“There is one more thing. A shadow is coming, vile forces are ready to strike at the heart of the kingdom. The match is coming to its conclusion and soon the White King will fall.”
“The match? What are you talking about?”
Secret Bear pauses for a minute, then starts muttering. Finally, he speaks aloud. “It’s some kind of reference to an Eastern game. The Spirits are vague about that so I’m not sure.”
Their banter was interrupted by the Scout Master calling.
“My Chief, we have visitors!”
“Visitors?! This late? What do they want now?”
“We don’t know. They are seeking our Shaman. They are wearing some very strange outfits.”
“Very well, let them in. Though warn them: they are being watched by our warriors. Not that they would hit anything…”
He brought the travelers before the Chief. They were none other than the well- known to us Aziraphale and Crowley. The latter had an arrow stuck in his hat, presumably a memory of an encounter with a scout.
“O, wise Chief, we require the guidance of your shaman. We are searching for someone on this continent and we require his assistance.”
“Why do you want to meet my Shaman specifically? And who do you represent? Did you come here on your own accord?”
“No, actually, we serve a higher authority….” Aziraphale begun.
“Or a lower authority. “ Crowley interjected.
“Yes. Anyway, we seek your guidance and wisdom, o Wise One. There is a lot of land here and finding one person would be pretty much impossible.”
“And why should we help two strangers? People distrust foreigners, especially with the strange ships sighted recently.”
“It’s a good thing you asked!” Crowley exclaimed, proud of himself. “We have this in exchange!”
He reached to his bag and brandished a wooden pipe, richly engraved and painted.
“My favourite pipe! Where did you got it, you vultures?” He reached for his spear, anger written across his face.
“We didn’t steal it, we swear! We retrieve it from the nearby village!” Aziraphale explained hastily.
“Yeah, it wasn’t that hard after they got knocked out by their ‘rituals.’” Crowley added.
Chief Comet Sighted calmed down. “Very well. You may seek the wisdom of your shaman. Just don’t take too long.”
“That you, dear Chief.”
Secret Bear, Aziraphale and Crowley sat around the campfire. The shaman threw a bunch of dried leaves into the fire.
“Breathe in, travelers.”
“Is it really necessary?” Aziraphale asked, concerned.
“The smoke binds us together. It is needed to receive the wisdom which you seek.”
He nodded and inhaled. After a few whiffs, Aziraphale felt less concerned, even a bit relaxed.
“Ah, we used to have some herb parties back in He…. The place I’m from. They were a bit different though. And you don’t hear screams of the damned here either.”
“Ah, I see the place, right when the two great rivers meet, a village with a bow and a vulture as its sign. There you shall seek what you need.”
“That’s it? No other hints?” Crowley asked.
The Shaman shrugged. “We are a poor village. We were only able to afford a basic correspondence course for shamans. This is an extent of my abilities.”
Aziraphale nodded. He wonder about how they could have a correspondence course in America, though he preferred not to think about that too much. He learned that the less he questions things that he finds weird, the better for his sanity.
“Thank you, Wise One. We will begin our search right away. May your village live long and prosper.” Aziraphale said while doing a strange gesture with his fingers. He didn’t really know why he did it, he was just felt the need to.
“May your journey be swift and the snakes you find in your shoes not poisonous.”
“Eh… thank you, I guess….”
Aziraphale and Crowley left the village, heading towards the west, using the stars as their guides.
“Don’t you think that this journey was a bit of a waste of time?” Crowley started.
“Nah. A least we’ve learned where he is, approximately, that is. The great rivers…. I think I know what he meant.”
“Yeah, it will take a while, though. We won’t get back to Naples that soon.”
“I wouldn’t worry too much. Surely they can handle themselves without our help.”
I hope so, Aziraphale, though sometimes I doubt them….”
Meanwhile back in Naples……
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Naples, 12 June 1495
In the royal palace of Naples, King Alberto was just preparing to go to sleep when he heard a door opening. His wife Olivia entered the bedroom.
“Hey there, darling. Finally nighttime. I can’t wait to go to sleep.”
She looked through the window. “It’s not that late yet. Surely you’re not planning to go to sleep at that early time?”
“You know, sleeping is only one of the things you can do in a bed…”
She raised an eyebrow. “Really? Didn’t you get enough of that in your life?”
“Oh, I’ll never get enough of you…. I’m open for suggestions, though. What is it that you want to do?”
“The weather is fine, we might go for a walk.”
Alberto looked through the window. “I don’t know. We’d have to inform the Captain about that.”
“Oh, we shouldn’t concern Adriano with such trivial matters. Besides, it’s just a walk. What could possibly go wrong with that?”
“I guess you’re right. Probably no one will notice us sneaking our anyways. Have you got any specific place in mind.”
“No, just going around town I guess.”
“Fine by me.”
So, the King and the Queen left the royal palace, hand in hand, as if they were a young couple, not an old pair of rulers. The town was quiet and peaceful, quite unlike during the daytime. A perfect time for a walk, you would say.
One thing they did not see, however- a pair of small, beady eyes watching them from the palace’s window…
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“Ah, it a wonderful time for a walk, don’t you think?”
“Indeed, my dear. All those buffoons and imbeciles asleep. It’s almost like a normal city!”
“Oh, don’t be so harsh, Alberto…… wait, did you hear that?”
There was a ruckus coming from the back alley.
“Yeah…. We should probably leave.”
“Ah, it’s probably just a cat stuck in a bin. We should help it!”
Alberto wanted to object, but he knew well that his wife can’t be persuaded that easily when she’s determined. He just sighed and followed her into the alley.
“Oh, you poor little thing. Stuck in a garbage bin like that. I’ll let you out, see?” She opened up the lid and a cat jumped out of the tin, purring loudly.
“See, he's happy I helped!”
“That’s wonderful. What about we head back? It’s the middle of the night already.”
“All right.” She and Alberto left the alley. Upon heading back, they passed a group of travelers wearing long coats.
“Good morning, good sirs. The weather is fine, isn’t it?”
One of the travelers turned around to face him. Upon seeing his face, his mouth opened.
“It’s them!” He explained. All the travelers reached behind their coats. Alberto somehow knew that that was a bad sign. He felt his shoulder being pulled- Olivia was guiding him to the back alley. He didn’t think about that twice.
Upon running through the narrow alleys, Alberto suddenly realized how old he was. The years have taken a toll on his and his running was just not as it used to be. Thankfully, the pursuers didn’t manage to catch up to them due to their precise maneuvering. The days of walking with Olivia through this alleyways have finally paid off, it seems.
Upon reaching the crossroads, a figure framed in shadows appeared out of the doorframe. Fortunately, before he even had a chance to come any closer, he was greeted with a crossbow bolt to the forehead.
“How did you manage to carry a crossbow with you?” Alberto asked while they were running.
“One of the advantages of these fancy dresses is that they have lots of room to hide things.”
“Ah…. You know, we should probably call for the guards.”
“They are either sleeping or too scared to leave the guardhouse.” Olivia explained.
Alberto sighed. He knew his city too well.
“Thankfully, we are getting close to the palace.”
“Let’s celebrate once we get there, all right?”
“I agree.”
The last stretch to the palace went without further incidents. Alberto and Olivia were running towards the palace gates.
“Guards! Open the gates!”
“My King! We were looking for you! Where have you been?”
“We went for a walk and things got… complicated. There are unknown men in the city, most likely with unfriendly intentions. Get some men and deal with….”
He paused and turned around. Behind him, a hooded persona was ready to launch a crossbow bold in their general direction. He managed to get between him and Olivia. In the corner of his eye, he saw the guardsman aiming his bow at the hostile figure. He fires. The arrow strikes the aggressor in the chest, sweeping him off his feet.
Too late.
Alberto de Valois lost control of his feet. Olivia managed to grab him before he fell to the ground. Her expression was that of utter panic and horror.
“Olivia…. I’m sorry….”
“Don’t be stupid. You took an arrow for me.”
“Well, you had one reason to have me around.” He laugh, though the laughter was cut short by the pain in his chest. “You don’t have to hold me like that, you know…”
“Alberto….” He heard the pain in her voice and it was breaking his heart. He looked around to face her. Tears were streaming down her face. He wiped them out with his hand.
“I guess this is the end. Don’t worry, I’ll be looking down on you. Just keep an eye on Carlo.”
She didn’t answer. He closed his eyes and rested his head on her chest. He felt cold.
“So…. Olivia…. I have one more question….. Was I good?”
She looked at him. At first, she just nodded, trying very hard not to break down, but finally she managed to speak.
“Yes, Alberto. You were.”
“I’m glad……”He said and felt a chill coming down his spine, just as his consciousness left him.
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He woke up a while after that, feeling no pain, just a bit of cold. He was still on the streets of Naples, just before the gates of the palace. It was different, though. He knew it was just a temporary stop before the unknown.
He took a good look at the palace gate. “Funny. I didn’t think it would be the last thing I’ll ever see.”
Suddenly, he heard someone coughing loudly. “Excuse me, what about me. I was there too, remember?”
He turned around and his face had perhaps the most bewildered expression he ever had. Behind his was Olivia, dressed exactly the same as when they were together.
“Olivia…. But, what are you doing here?”
She smiled. “Did you thing I’d let you go anywhere without me?”
“But I’m dead! This must mean that…. That…”
She turned sad and pointed at her stomach. “It seems that this crossbow bow was meant for the both of us.”
“But… why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “It was hard enough for me to see you die, I didn’t want to add up any more. Besides, I didn’t want to diminished your moment of glory.”
“So, in death, I turned out to be a hero, even though I really wasn’t?”
Olivia shrugged. “You were always a hero to me. And to the people of Naples as well.”
Alberto smiled and embraced his wife. “You know, of all the people I could chose to die with, I’m happy it was you.” They shared a long, passionate kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” She turned around when she heard the sound of feet hitting the stone floor. A tall figure wearing black robes and carrying a scythe was behind them, looking impatient.
“Let’s go, Alberto. We don’t want to keep Him waiting.”
They got up and followed the black figure into the unknown….
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This is it, folks, the conclusion of Alberto’s arc. I hope you enjoyed it. Tune in next week (hopefully…. )for more.