{"id":1771,"date":"2014-12-16T00:01:09","date_gmt":"2014-12-16T05:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=1771"},"modified":"2020-04-29T16:04:54","modified_gmt":"2020-04-29T20:04:54","slug":"remembered-in-gold-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/remembered-in-gold-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"Remembered in Gold – Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

After introducing the Gathering<\/a>, Lakmari’s interesting random celebration, we’ve got just a real quick one for you this week. \u00a0The second part of Remembered in Gold focuses more on the goodbyes than the glory that Kunal has the potential to find out in the world.<\/p>\n

There are some potential links to follow-up material down the line if we find that people really dig Kunal’s story.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Remembered in Gold<\/strong>
\nPart Two<\/strong><\/p>\n

The journey back to his house was much more eventful than the one to the Gathering.\u00a0 Countless citizens, even ones he was unfamiliar with, stopped Kunal in the streets to offer congratulations and advice.\u00a0 All the while, Param was at his side.\u00a0 When they finally did reach his home, the young men paused, hesitating to part.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is going to be the last time I see you, my friend,\u201d Kunal said.<\/p>\n

Param shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cIt doesn\u2019t have to be.\u00a0 I\u2019ve got nothing keeping me here.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wouldn\u2019t call your family nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAll older cousins who don\u2019t even notice I\u2019m around.\u00a0 For all they know, I\u2019m sleeping with the pigs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t ask you to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSay no more,\u201d Param insisted.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll even do the noble thing and leave them a letter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kunal laughed and shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cYou know much of this is kept in secrecy.\u00a0 We\u2019ve never seen one of the winners leave.\u00a0 They\u2019re always gone before sunrise.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd when the sun does <\/em>rise, you can find me at Nordakai Falls.\u00a0 I\u2019ll be there all day tomorrow waiting for you.\u00a0 Whatever mission the prince sends you on, you won\u2019t be alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

A bright smile curled Kunal\u2019s lips upward.\u00a0 \u201cThank you, my friend.\u201d\u00a0 Both men stepped forward into a warm embrace for a moment.\u00a0 \u201cI shall see you in the light of the morning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Param clapped his friend on the shoulder and moved on.\u00a0 Kunal watched his friend depart for a moment before pushing the door to his house open.<\/p>\n

The sound of fitful sobbing was stifled abruptly.\u00a0 When the young man closed the door behind him, he was surprised at the darkness of the abode.\u00a0 The curtains had been drawn in the living area, and he could see the rest of the house had been similarly shrouded.\u00a0 Still, dim shadows were cast upon the wall of the kitchen, their presence leading him there.<\/p>\n

His mother sat upon one of the chairs surrounding their petite wooden table.\u00a0 Her daughter had collapsed against her, buried within the folds of her sari.\u00a0 Garati, his mother, looked up as Kunal entered the room, a weak grin appearing on her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy does Sesha cry, Mother?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

Garati shook her head.\u00a0 \u201cShe knows you are leaving, child.\u201d\u00a0 The older woman gently patted her daughter\u2019s head before allowing her hand to weave a gentle path through her dark hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cSister,\u201d Kunal said, \u201cthis is a great honor.\u00a0 I go to follow in father\u2019s footsteps \u2013 to find glory for our people.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou go to leave us alone,\u201d Sesha cried.\u00a0 She spun toward him, staring at her brother through tears.\u00a0 The dark lines beneath her eyes had faded and run down her cheeks, and her mocha-colored skin was flushed.\u00a0 She rose before her family realized and sped out of the room past her brother.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat could be expected of me?\u201d Kunal asked, sinking into a seat on the opposite side of the table from his mother.\u00a0 \u201cI am to tell the prince I decline?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNonsense,\u201d Garati said, waving her hand to dispel that notion.\u00a0 \u201cBut your sister is right, you know.\u00a0 Once you are gone, we two will have to fend for ourselves.\u00a0 This house is too big for two women \u2013 too expensive.\u00a0 Your father\u2019s cousins will likely purchase it from us, and we\u2019ll have to work their fields.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI won\u2019t let that happen, Muhma.\u00a0 I\u2019ll send back whatever I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your sister,\u201d Garati went on.\u00a0 \u201cShe is already an outcast.\u00a0 With you gone, she will wither away in the shadows.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSesha is growing up to be a beautiful woman,\u201d Kunal contended.\u00a0 \u201cWhy should she hide?\u201d<\/p>\n

The matriarch cast a sidelong glance toward her son.\u00a0 \u201cYou know there is more to that girl than just a pretty face.\u00a0 When the other children her age look into her eyes, they see the darkness there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019d be wise to steer clear of her then.\u201d\u00a0 Kunal stood again, placing his knuckles against the table.\u00a0 \u201cIf Sesha doesn\u2019t put them in their place, I\u2019ll hear of it and return to exact my revenge.\u201d<\/p>\n

A sigh shook Garati\u2019s weary frame.\u00a0 \u201cThere\u2019s no need for empty boasts, my son.\u00a0 You and I both know none of the chosen have ever returned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kunal circled the table and grasped his mother\u2019s hand.\u00a0 \u201cI will, Muhma,\u201d he said, lowering to his knees.\u00a0 \u201cI will do all in my power to make sure you are taken care of.\u00a0 Sesha, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garati gave a gentle tug, pulling away from her son.\u00a0 With her hand liberated, she tapped several times on his forearm.\u00a0 \u201cBetter prepare yourself.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t want to show up to the prince in rags and smelling of sheep dung.\u00a0 Go clean yourself in the river.\u201d\u00a0 She rose from her seat, tousling the boy\u2019s hair as she followed in Sesha\u2019s footsteps.<\/p>\n

He could watch his mother depart for but a moment.\u00a0 Kunal bowed his head.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Continue to Part Three<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After introducing the Gathering, Lakmari’s interesting random celebration, we’ve got just a real quick one for you this week. \u00a0The second part of Remembered in Gold focuses more on the goodbyes than the glory that Kunal has the potential to find out in the world. There are some potential links to follow-up material down the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1730,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[689,687,685,688,702,443],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/Commission_Kunal_Cascadia-e1418071905199.png","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-sz","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1771"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22375,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1771\/revisions\/22375"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1730"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}