Zaun Ajma Webzine

Webzine Archive 

Note from the Author

I’m getting this one done at the very last minute, as is my style, so I apologize if it’s not as polished as the previous webzines were. With that said, I’m more than one-third of the way through the year’s webzines! 

It’s actually a ton of fun putting these together. The strategy of doing small, consistent pieces of art and prose each month has actually paid off a lot already. I feel much more motivated to work on the Big Projects, which are coming along slowly. (Slowly is better than not at all!) 

In this issue, I accidentally wrote a 1300-word short story for the Character Spotlight, but it’s not like word limits are hard rules here. Uvi is a very important character in the upcoming installment of the Zaun Ajma series, just like his older sister from last month’s webzine, Bira, so I don’t mind giving him a lot of words. The story itself helped me understand a lot about him and his relationship to his family and the future main character, his little step-brother Ggudi. In other news, I cranked out his character portrait in three hours, which I think is a personal record, especially considering it’s one of my favorite portraits I’ve ever done! My art abilities have been improving exponentially the past two years, and I’m honestly proud of myself and how far I’ve come. (Soon, my improvement will stall, and I’ll go right back to hating my art. Let me have this moment.)

Hopefully, this will be the month of significant progress on Ggudi and the Second Strike! I can feel it in my bones: the end is nigh! Can’t wait to share his story with everyone. 

Enjoy this month’s webzine, and I’ll see you later! 

~ Page

~~~

“Don’t take it easy on me, kid!”

Uvi’s knees felt like solid rock. His feet stung, his arms throbbed, his eyes were covered in dust and sweat, and his blood was as hot as fire. He looked up at his opponent, standing confident over him despite also being a kid. He quickly backed away and repositioned himself. No matter how many times his opponent struck him down, he could not let his butt hit the dirt.  The prize money on the line was small, but every little bit counted for his family.

“Stay on your feet, Uvi!” he heard from one side.

“Take him down, Ivani. Now!” his opponent heard from the other. 

Ivani was the underdog. No one expected him to make it past the second round, let alone all the way to the final duel. Uvi was the reigning champion. If he knocked down Ivani, this would be his third annual championship win, and everyone expected him to do well. He promised his little brother that he would win and use the money to pay for his tuition to the same Yabba Academy where he learned how to fight like a champion. But at this point, he was not doing well.

Uvi stayed in position, crouching forward and leaning his head toward his opponent. In a real fight, this would be an invitation to win, but in an official, highly-refereed Yabba tourney, this was a dare. If Ivani swiped at Uvi, he could hit his head and be disqualified. He’d have to do a roll-turn into a leg swipe, which was a long, mechanically complex, and risky maneuver that only skilled fighters, like Uvi, could pull off reliably. Ivani instead taunted as he waited. Too afraid.

He knew what to do now. 

Uvi lifted his staff from the sandy arena ground where it was planted to protect his back leg if Ivani did choose to go for the risky move. He quickly assumed the starting position, lunged forward and swiped at the air beside Ivani, just close enough to scare him to the side. In the bottom of his peripheral vision, Uvi tracked Ivani’s steps. After another intentionally off-to-the-side swipe, Ivani’s legs were in the exact position Uvi wanted. He dodged Ivani’s swipe from above, twisted behind him, poked his left ankle with his staff to sike him out, then landed a violent blow against his right ankle, his least dominant side. 

Ivani’s body flew into the air, but he landed on his elbow. His butt was less than an inch from the ground, and he held his position steadily. Ivani looked up at Uvi to track his movements, but rather than check on his arms, legs, or staff like he should have, Ivani looked at Uvi’s face, just as Uvi expected. 

With a brief shift to the right, Uvi removed his shadow from Ivani’s eyes, temporarily blinding him with the afternoon sun. He leapt to Ivani's opposite side and used his staff to press down on Ivani’s hips, forcing his butt onto the sand. 

“Ayahaya!” called the referee, and the crowd erupted. The game was over. Uvi won.

Ivani rolled on the floor and curled in disappointment, but when Uvi offered his hand, he gladly took it, stood on his feet, and thanked Uvi for the fight. “You got me with the old sun-in-the-eyes trick.”

“Now you’ll never fall for it again,” Uvi smiled. “You’ve done a great job, Ivani. You should be proud of yourself.”

“Mijim. Congrats on your third win.”

The two faced the audience, smiled, and waved. Uvi quickly found his family in the crowd. They were grouped together in the front, jumping and squealing in excitement. At least, Uvi’s mother was. His father smiled wide and his step-father bounced with his little step-sister Yaga in his arms, hyping her up. His other siblings clapped and shouted congratulations. His oldest brother Liyu wasn’t there because he had to work. His older sister Bira was there because she wouldn’t miss it for the world. His younger sister Ila slow-clapped because she was happy but not so happy that she wouldn’t tease him about it afterward. His little ten-year-old step-brother Ggudi threw his arms up and jumped and jumped, his tuition now covered so he wouldn't have to work for it like Uvi did.

On the top row of the stands, Uvi’s teachers and the school’s administrators joined in the uproar. Uvi had made quite a name for the Garana’s Fort Yabba Academy in Aazunal in these tournaments, and they would most certainly be bragging about his winning streak for years. The headmaster was especially excited, not that he wasn't difficult to excite anyway. Everything that ever happened in that man’s life was granted an exaggerated emotional response. He wore elaborate jewelry on his neck and arms, and some of it was falling off from how energetically he was celebrating. Beside the headmaster stood a stranger, clapping reasonably and offering only a small smile and a respectful nod.

After Uvi was able to quickly hydrate and shower off the dust and sweat from his skin, he met with his family outside the arena.

“You did so wonderful!” Uvi’s mother sang as she tightly hugged him. 

“Proud of you, son,” his father said. He didn’t know anything about Yabba, and was actually opposed to letting him attend the Academy, but now he was fully convinced. 

His little sister Ila snuck a hard punch against Uvi’s sore, upper arm, prompting Uvi to yelp in pain and surprise. “Wuss,” she joked.

“That was so cool!” Ggudi shouted. “You just…” he lost his words, so he continued with his best impression of swinging and stabbing with an imaginary Yabba staff. 

“Thanks, yida,” Uvi laughed. “Soon, you’re gonna learn how to do that, too!”

“Young Uvi!” The headmaster called from a ways away. After Uvi turned to address him, the headmaster took and shook Uvi’s hands and smiled widely. “On behalf of Garana’s Fort, we’re greatly, greatly proud of your achievement. We’ll spend time celebrating as a school soon, but first…” the headmaster got distracted after he noticed Uvi’s family. He greeted them, “Hello, family. I’m sure you’re very proud.”

His parents smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“But first…” the headmaster continued. “Could I speak to you privately? Just for a moment?”

“Sure.” Uvi excused himself and followed the headmaster back into the arena and into a small, dusty enclosed office, hidden away from light or sound. Inside stood the stranger with two others that Uvi had never met, a Nati guard and a Katapu priestess. 

“Congratulations on your win, young Uvi,” the stranger began. “I’m sure you’re very tired and eager to return home, so this will hopefully only take a moment.”

“Thank you, sir,” Uvi replied. He knew that he was probably safe, but his mind and body tensed up and prepared for an emergency anyway. This kind of closed-door meeting was unfamiliar and suspicious. “What can I do for you?”

“I am a ranking member of High Irazazul's consulate,” the stranger began. This was a lofty position with direct link to one of the most powerful men in Wistania. Uvi straightened his back and lifted his chin. “We’ve been greatly impressed by your skill and reliability, and your teachers speak very highly of you. I would like to offer you a special opportunity; a new role within the Nati guard that we believe you would be perfect for.”

Uvi chuckled nervously. Not what he was expecting. “I appreciate the consideration, sir, but I am still a student. I’m only fifteen years old, and my family needs me to take care of the house and my younger siblings.”

“I’m aware.” The stranger leaned forward and folded his hands over a small stack of papers. “We want someone young and gifted, like you. And, as for your family, we’ve done our research. Your parents are travelling workers, yes? From my understanding, they and your siblings struggle greatly for even the basics necessities.”

Uvi nodded. He was right.

“This opportunity includes a generous compensation package. Enough to lift your family out of poverty.”

Uvi’s chest swelled. His breath stilled. His mind swam. Just that morning, his parents and older sister offered him a portion of their own breakfasts so that he could “fuel up” for the final match. His sisters learned how to repair and fit his armor because they couldn't afford a professional tailor. They even saved up for months to rent a long-distance cart so they could travel from their run-down two-room house to the tournament arena in Rauzal. Uvi's entire life's purpose was to take care of them.

After a lingering silence, the stranger spoke up again. “Would you like to learn about the details, young Uvi?”

In a vast world of spiritual beings, Jaaha, Ajma of Fullness, connects them all together. She is the inventor of the constellations, the builder of homesteads, and the founder of Generations. All unions, missions, and passions originate from her hand.

As the eighth-ranked among the Ancients, she was responsible for initiating the Era of the Ajma. Because of her, these incredibly powerful and beautiful spiritual beings could unite to expand and populate the Spiritual Realm. She built the Nine Chairs, a meeting place high up in the Starry Canopy for the Ancients to gather and discuss important matters. She built the High Court for the Ajma of Rage so that justice and proper retribution may be administered. She planned and managed the Spiritway which the ajma use to travel long distances between worlds with ease and comfort. Her one and only lover, Baliz, Ajma of Labor, assisted her with her many projects and events. 

As Wistanians celebrate holidays, form close bonds, and achieve great feats, they are encouraged to remember Jaaha and honor her. The Taliv, in fact, consider Jaaha to be their “patron ajma” as she is credited for the Taliv’s protection and sustainment as they travelled across the vast ocean waters to settle in Wistania. 

Towering over the city, directly in the center, is the tallest man-made structure in Wistania: three towers of staggering heights built to honor the Peace Treaty between the Bwolotil, Taliv, and Nati-Katapu that established the Wistanian Federation, while also paying homage to the ajma. The central tower stands at 160 feet (49 meters), surrounded by a massive public square and marketplace. 

Often touted as the “Center of Wistania,” the leaders and citizenry of Nira go to active extremes to make the city the most important and attractive destination for all Wistania. From their massive and elaborate Gaaj Ihai celebrations, to their iconic amphitheaters and arenas, to their well-regarded hospitals and legal facilities, the city is an impressive artifact of Wistania’s rapid advancement after the Treaty.

However, not everyone is so entranced by the hues and buzzings of the city. Hiding in plain sight, watching from a private balcony on the High Mansion, stands one who has grown weary of spectacle. He knows all about using bright colors to cover dark secrets, and he greatly regrets that his city has drifted so far after the last three-hundred years. Soon, all will be uncovered, and Nira must reckon with the truth. Varai fears they will not come through to the other side.