Friend frees himself of his clothes and carefully folds them. Sky pats the mat with his hand, near him, inviting Friend to sit at his side. Friend sits close to Sky, happy. Sky smiles at him.
"So, it really seems that I made a good investment by becoming your protector!" he says, giving him a light caress on the chest, "Congratulations!"
"Thank you..." Friend says, lowering his eyes, moved.
"You won all the contests," Sky says underlining the word all, "so you deserve a special prize, take." Sky says, handing him a flat, wooden square box.
Friend opens it: it contains a thin golden collar with an eagle at its centre. "But... it is too much... I am not an aristocrat, I cannot wear it!" Friend says brushing it with his fingertips.
"I am the firstborn of the firstborn line of my family, so I have the authority to make you a member of my people. Here, underneath, is the belonging declaration with my seal, witnessing your right to wear the eagle."
"I don't know how to thank you, I would never have dreamed such a thing."
"And, now, you can also remove the armband with the eagle. You don't need a protector any more, because you are now one of the family. When we return to your school, I will ask them to register your name as a member of the Eagle People."
"Sky, my school fellows are already jealous of me, and now..."
"What do you care about your fellows? Now, everybody has to respect you, even more than before, or they have to confront our people, and I will be the first!"
"We too, want to give you a present, Friend. Here, this is from Gazelle, Morning and me." Flower says, handing him another parcel.
Friend opens this also: it is a box containing some small elegant jars with precious perfumed unguents. "You are spoiling me." Friend says, moved.
"So you like it here?" Gazelle asks him.
"Yes, I didn't know this place existed. It is... peculiar..."
"Here just the aristocracy youths come. Do you see those bushes up there? It is where normally, one is initiated by the elders, to the mysteries of sex."
"But not just initiated," Flower maliciously says, "when you brought me here, the first time, I wasn't what you can call a novice."
"I was. I was initiated right here, in the summer of my thirteenth year." Morning says with a smile.
"You never told us. Who was he?" Flower asks.
"A man of the Jaguar, thirty years old. I was swimming, he approached me, told me I was handsome, caressed me between my legs... then said to me; come with me, and took me there, between the bushes."
"And you followed him in great haste, I bet." Flower says, laughing.
"Well, I was attracted, excited. But now, nobody invites me into the bushes any more." he answers with a funny air.
"And you, how many have you invited into those bushes?" Flower asks him, malicious.
"Many, I have to admit. But today, finding a boy or a girl to initiate, has become difficult. They all are already experts, even before the flowering of puberty. Here, look for instance, at those two little boys, walking down there: they are clearly looking for somebody to take them into the bushes, I'll bet."
"Why don't you offer yourself, then?" Flower insinuatively asks.
"Well, it could be a good idea..." Morning says laughing, but he doesn't go.
"And you? How were you initiated?" Sky asks Friend.
So the boy tells the story about him and Rock, and the winter when they were snowbound.
"Amongst the sheep? What a stench!" Flower yells, making a joking grimace.
"I didn't feel any other perfume, only that of my friend, I assure you." Friend says with a gentle smile.
Sky nods yes and smiles: "You are right, Friend." he says.
"And your first time, Sky?" Morning asks.
"I quite don't remember it all. It was ten years ago, with a young slave."
"With a slave?" Flower asks, amazed.
"Yes. He was teaching me, a kind of fight, of his people, and we were both aroused. So he explained that, amongst his people, the winner could use the loser for his own pleasure."
"And so, you immediately decided to lose, I bet!" Flower says, with a giggle.
"No, he was the one to lose, that time... and taught me how I could enjoy him."
"Just that time?" Gazelle asks, with a cunning smile.
"That time." Sky answers quietly.
"For me, instead, it was between those bushes. I was playing hide and seek, with my friends; when I realized there was a young couple making love. I was looking at them, fascinated, when they noticed me and invited me to join them..." Gazelle says, "And at first, she made me fully excited, then he took me. He hurt me, so then she consoled me. It was a strange experience, nice, in some ways. She was very sweet."
"And you, Flower?" Morning asked.
"Well, it seems that we are full of sexual confidences... It was at the Flowers Festival, I was twelve. I wanted to a dress with white flowers; but it was decided, that another girl should have this dress. So I went to see our group leader, and told her: I want the white flowers. She told me: only a virgin can wear the white flowers. But I'm a virgin! I said. Really? she asked, then said: come with me, I want to check to see if you lie or not. So she took me in a room, pulled off my loincloth and slipped a finger in there. She was moving it lightly, it was really pleasurable. She noticed I was aroused. So she told me, continuing to arouse me with her finger: if you make love with me, I will let you wear the white flowers. Anything you want, I said without hesitation. And so I had my white flowers... even if, at that point, I was no more really a virgin!" Flower concludes merrily.
Gazelle takes out the food, and Morning the beer, and they eat and drink. Friend, after much insistence from his companions, agrees to try a little of the beer. The taste is slightly sour, but agreeable, but he refuses to drink any more. They chat a little more, until Morning proposes:
"Let's go to the Drake Springs!"
"What's that?" Friend asks.
"Hey, it's a year now, that you live in the Capital and you've never heard about the Drake Springs? Then, we really must go there!" Sky exclaims.
They pick up their belongings. Friend, for the first time, wears his golden collar then they all climb up the sand dunes, to a low stone building, from which rises a light steam cloud. It is a hot water spring, and inside the building, there are various baths, under the open sky. Each one with a small hot waterfall, from which steam rises. Sky books one bath, just for them; they enter, strip naked, and immerse themselves in the wide bath. From the nearby enclosures, divided just by tall wooden walls, laughter and chattering comes.
"Isn't it agreeable?" Gazelle asks.
"Extraordinary!" Friend says, joyfully wallowing in the bath.
After a short while, three boys and two girls enter with food baskets, clothes and unguents. The five friends come out of the bath, lie on the clothes and, while they nibble the food; the five servants start to spread their bodies with the unguents and massage them. It is a skilled, sensual massage and Friend feels that he is getting aroused. Ashamed, he looks towards his friends, and sees that Sky and Morning are also aroused; but that they don't care. Then he relaxes, and enjoys the massage, that his boy is making more and more intimate and pleasurable. When he sees that the boy, massaging Morning, bends down between the young man's legs and starts to give him pleasure with his lips, Friend gives a start. He looks towards Sky, and sees that he is also receiving the same care from his boy; right then, he feels the lips of the boy taking care of him, laying on his erect member.
He quivers, continuing to look at Sky. The young man has his eyes closed and is evidently enjoying the treatment. Friend feels envious of the servant giving head to Sky, he would like to be in his place... He hears a light moan, and sees that the two women are receiving a similar treatment from their two girl servants. He looks again at Sky, and sees the blissful expression on his face, and suddenly Friend comes, with a long moan, in the warm and welcoming mouth of his boy, who carefully drinks all his seed. Sky opens his eyes and looks at Friend. With a sweet smile, he stretches out his arm and with his hand, brushes Friend's chest in a light caress. Then he closes his eyes again and shudders, prey to the pleasure, unloading, at his turn, in his boy's eager mouth. The servants resume their massaging, with skill, in silence, then, when everybody is satisfied, they silently withdraw.
"Ah," Morning says, sitting up with a sated expression, "they are really skilled, here. We really needed that, after all the speeches we made a while ago, right, my friends?"
"Yes." Flower says, kissing Gazelle, then the two young women stand up and again dip in the hot water, followed by Morning.
"Don't you come to bathe, too?" Sky asks to Friend.
"Yes, I'm coming." the boy says, feeling light headed, as if he was a little drunk.
"Come, then." Sky says gently, taking his arm and leading him into the water.
They immerse, close to each other. Nearby, Gazelle and Flower embrace and kiss. Why doesn't Sky embrace me, kiss me? Friend asks himself. He knows that the young man desires him, he clearly feels that. Gazelle did warn him: don't try to make the first move, or he will run away. But it is becoming more and more difficult.
They leave the building of the hot waters, and Gazelle proposes going to an inn on the road to the Capital: they can eat and sleep there. They slowly set out, singing songs, telling funny stories, making word plays. They seem like five kids on vacation, merry, carefree.
They arrive at the inn at evening.
"They only have two free rooms, therefore we boys will use one, and the girls the other." Sky says.
"No, we want Morning to sleep with us. Right Morning?" Gazelle says.
"Sure, yes." the young man answers.
Friend is grateful to his friends for that: now he can sleep alone with Sky.
They merrily eat, and Flower, pointing to the other clients of the inn, gossips about everyone, but without spitefulness, and Friend listen to her, amused. It seems that Flower knows everybody and everybody's business. How much is just gossip, how much is real fact, Friend cannot tell, but Flower's observations and comments are funny. Apart from Friend, the other four drink beer in abundance.
Finally they decide to go to bed. Sky and Friend enter their room. There is just a wide bed, Friend notices with pleasure. He sees Sky stripping naked, so he follows suit, hoping that this night, finally, it would happen. Friend lies on the bed, Sky blows out the lamp and, in the dark, he too climbs into bed. His body brushes against Friend's body, and the boy is immediately aroused. Sky turns towards him, and the boy feels the young man's erection pushing against his side. Sky circles Friend's chest with his arm. The boy holds back his breath.
Sky sleepily whispers, his voice knotted: "I'm happy we are alone."
"Yes." Friend murmurs with emotion.
Sky lightly kisses his cheek. Then Friend feels the arm on his chest becoming heavy, Sky's breath becoming deep; and he understands that the other, just when he was about to take the initiative, fell asleep, because he drank too much beer. Friend feels like crying, waking him up, forcing him to make love with him. But contents himself to lightly caress the relaxed body, where the erection has now vanished. He loves feeling the smooth skin, the firm muscles, at rest under his fingertips. Later, he too falls asleep, a deep, but uneasy sleep.
The following morning, Flower's voice calling to them, wakes the boy up.
"Yes, we are coming." Friend answers.
Sky is still asleep. Friend admires his sweet nakedness, and feels a desire to wake him up caressing, kissing his body. Instead he gets out of bed, dresses, sits on the edge near Sky and gently shakes his arm.
"Wake up... they are waiting for us, downstairs." he says to the young man, when he finally answers, with an indistinct grumbling.
Sky opens his eyes, and looks at him: "I've a headache. I drank too much, last night."
"Yes, you drank too much." Friend says, with a tone of gentle reproach, thinking that if he had drank less, perhaps it would have been the time they made love.
"Are you upset with me?" Sky asks, sitting up with a stunned air.
"No."
"Disappointed?" Sky then asks.
"Well... no." Friend answers.
"A little, then." Sky says, gravely nodding, "I'm sorry. Listen, tell the others I'm going to stay in bed, I don't feel like standing up."
"All right, Sky."
"I promise you, that I will drink less, next time."
"Good."
"Can't you give me a smile, before going downstairs?" the young man, quite shyly asks.
Friend smiles at him. He would have embraced, kissed him, but Sky answers his smile, and heavily lays back. Friend, when downstairs, tells the others, he wants to go back, he has to study. They all insist a little, uselessly, then Gazelle decides to accompany him for a stretch of road.
"Nothing, right?" she asks at a certain point.
"No, nothing."
"What a pity!" the woman says.
Friend is happy that so few words are sufficient to understand each other. "I'll wait." Friend says.
"Of course. It isn't easy."
"Difficult, neither."
"You love him?"
"I love him."
"He does too."
"I know."
"But he is so complex."
"Do you think?"
"Don't you?"
"No."
"So much the better."
They walk a little more, in silence. Then Gazelle says: "You are the right one."
"Thank you."
"But he has to see that."
"Right."
"Morning says you are splendid."
"Ah..."
"Among us, we tell all."
"I see."
"Don't study too much, anyway."
"No, it is not too much."
"You'll become someone."
"It would be enough..." Friend starts, then stops.
Gazelle smiles sweetly: "Yes, sure."
They again understood each other.
"See, Sky is so strong, in everything; but when he is in love, he becomes weak. He knows that, and he is afraid. He is really valiant, and yet in love, he is shy. But be careful not to force him. He is so gentle, but he can become harder than the hardest granite. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yes, Gazelle. I like him just the way he is. I'll wait for him."
"Good."
School starts again, and there is a new speech by the Emperor. Friend, again burns with love for him. He cannot understand: is it possible to love two people at the same time? He would have thought that impossible, and yet it is exactly what is happening to him. If he had to make a choice, he wouldn't know what to do. But happily that problem doesn't exist: to the Emperor he is just one of his many subjects. There is absolutely no hope, from that side. And yet, Sky is all but a makeshift.
He often meets his friends, even if only for a few hours each time. They know he has to study, so they don't insist too much with him. But they always make him feel that he is one of them anyway. At the beginning of the summer, Sky takes him, for the first time, to his home in the capital, and introduces him to his family. They had already heard about him, as an exceptional student, and he is treated with heartily kindness. Then, Sky takes him to his room, that opens, from the high the hill, on a wide panorama, and from where is possible to see the sea a couple of miles away.
"See, now you know where I spend my nights."
"It's beautiful."
"Do you think so? Well, it's no bad."
Friend admires Sky's weapons, hanging from a wall: "I never saw you in the warrior's attire."
"I cut a fine figure."
"I would like to see you."
"One day, perhaps."
"Promise?"
"Agreed."
"Can you take me to school? I don't know this part of the town."
"You'll have to learn the way, then." Sky tells him, with a very sweet smile.
For the festival of the Fish God, which happens after sunset, at the port temple; the students have authorization to be back the following morning. Friend goes down to the port, with his school fellows. He wanders amongst the booths, looking at the displayed goods, sweets, amulets. Little by little, without realizing it, he remains alone. After all, he prefers that way, he never really got tied up with his fellows. While he passes a half dark lane, to reach the temple, a prostitute pimp approaches him:
"Noble student, for just one piaster, I can get you a girl to cheer you up this evening. Come, see what a superb choice, we have."
"No thank you, I'm not interested." Friend answers.
Then the man takes his arm: "If you prefer a boy, I also have a good choice, tops, bottoms, they will do everything for just one piaster. Come, I'll show you our House of Love."
"I don't have a piastre, and I don't feel like it. Leave me alone!"
"You are a noble student, and you wear the Eagle collar: I can grant you credit, you know? And at first evening, you can choose for your enjoyment the boy or the girl you like best."
"I said no, leave me alone!" Friend says, annoyed, and tries to wriggle away, but the other will not leave him.
"Let me go!" Friend shouts, quite losing his temper.
A soldier grabs the man by his hair, and pushes him roughly away from Friend: it is Finedear.
"You didn't show up any more." the soldier says to the boy.
"I'm no longer free, on the mouse day."
"Ah, really? And what is now, your free day?"
"It doesn't matter." Friend says, trying to make him understand that it is all is over.
The other seems not to understand: "But now you are free, come." he says pushing the boy into a dark corner.
"No, now I want to go at the temple." Friend weakly protests, while the young man leans on him and resolutely caresses him under his skirt.
Friend feels the young man's body searching him, fully aroused and, as usual, he too becomes incredibly aroused.
"No, Finedear, please..." he still manages to say.
But the soldier, with a hoarse voice, continuing to caress him between his legs, says: "No, you promised me. Now you come with me."
Circling his waist with an arm, the soldier takes the boy, almost bodily, rapidly, to their usual inn. He throws a coin to the owner, and they climb the stairs. When in their usual small room, Finedear embraces Friend and, for the first time, since they've known each other, the young man deeply kisses the boy, and starts to undress him. Friend feels almost drunk by the animal vigour of his companion, by the sourish and male smell of him, by his sexuality in its pure state. The boy undresses the soldier, searching with his hands for the strong hard on of his companion, and fingers it, kneads it. Finedear drags him to the bed, Friend climbs on the young man's body, sucks his turgid nipples, embraces him with strength. The soldier encircles his back, and caresses him all along his spine, until he reaches, with an inquisitive finger, the boy's ass and rummages in the furrow between the small, firm buttocks.
Both are really turned on. Friend makes love almost with a rage, and the other seems pleasantly astounded with the change, and is more excited than ever.
"I want you!" Finedear says, his eyes filled with greed.
"Fuck me, then!" Friend answers, promptly offering himself, and feels the man lowering onto him, in him, with vigour, like a torrent flood, sweeping away everything. Friend is overwhelmed with the pleasure.
When they re-emerge from the orgasm's stupor, Finedear rises from the bed. He rummages between his belongings, then goes near Friend and with a wide smile on his lips, says: "I didn't forget, this is for you." and hands him a small bag.
"What's that?" Friend asks, sitting up, slightly sweaty.
"Open it. It is a present. I've had it with me for a long time, waiting to meet you." Finedear says, scratching his groin, and smiling, pleased.
Friend slowly opens the bag. It contains a small gold tile, with a bas-relief representing two males united in an embrace.
"It's me and you." Finedear proudly says, "I have it made specially. It's nice, no?"
Friend shakes his head, unbelieving: "This... what can I do of it? Hang it on my neck?"
"No, it's like a lucky charm. You can sew it in your loincloth, so over time you wear it or you pull it out, you'll remember me, and how much you do like doing it with me."
"Finedear, I think that this has been our last time." Friend says, firmly.
"What? Are you joking?"
"No."
"But, what's up? Come here! You cannot leave me so."
"Yes, Finedear. I am in love with another man. I never was with you."
"Bullshit! You are mine!
"No, you are wrong, Finedear, I have never been yours."
The soldier grasps him: "You, Friend, are..." he starts vehemently, then stops, and separates from the boy. "Why?" he just asks, in a quite sorrowful tone.
"I don't know. With you, it has been great, but between us there is just sex. I need more."
"More?"
"Yes, love."
Finedear starts to laugh, a forced laugh, than says: "Love! You need cock, not love!"
"You are wrong, my friend."
"You found someone else, who fucks you better than me."
"No."
"The one, you say, you are in love with."
"We never did anything."
"Then, you are crazy. All right, as you want. Anyway, I know you will come back to me. I'm a patient man."
"I cannot accept your gift."
"I'll keep it, for when you'll come back."
"Don't look for me, Finedear."
"I don't need to, you'll look for me."
Friend dresses, says farewell to Finedear; and goes to the temple, to attend the rites. He feels relieved, at last, he has succeeded in severing his relationship with Finedear, in clarifying everything. If the soldier wants to fool himself into thinking I will look for him, so much the worse for him. With the passing of time, he will give up. And I, will learn to do without sex: no more sex without love, from now on, Friend tells himself, smiling. He will wait for Sky.
He meets Sky alone, at the end of Summer. The young man comes to get him, on his free afternoon, and suggests, a stroll out of town. Friend goes willingly. They walk to the edge of the forest. Sky says:
"The first time I ever saw you, it was in a forest, between the bushes."
"But... then you remember it." Friend says, looking in his eyes.
"Sure, I almost killed you, how could I not remember it?"
"I thought you didn't. You said, when we met the second time, that I reminded you of somebody."
"I was ashamed, to have nearly killed you. You! I would never have forgiven myself."
"You didn't do it on purpose, and then, you didn't know me."
"Yes, but I felt like knowing you. Your look, surprised, but not afraid, conquered me at once."
"It seemed like you were scolding me, then, almost, as if it was my fault."
"It was to mask my embarrassment, and the attraction, I suddenly felt for you."
"Attraction." Friend thoughtfully echoes.
They see, in the distance, a she-wolf with her cubs.
"It is difficult to tame a wild animal, you know?" Sky says, pointing at them, "You need time and patience, but you can succeed."
"Yes, sure, with time and patience." Friend understands that they are talking about themselves.
Sky continues: "An animal, who has been tamed, if he returns to the wild, is more difficult to tame, a second time."
"I know, he has to learn that, this time, he can trust."
"Right. He wants to trust, but fear is stronger than reason. That's why he keeps his distance, ready to run away." Sky says in a low voice.
"She has her ears straight up, you see? She scents danger."
"Danger that doesn't exist: we don't want to harm her or her cubs."
"But she doesn't know. She has had many negative experiences with humans."
"Because she is an animal, she is not able to distinguish."
"Good men and bad men, are made the same way: two legs, two arms... how do you tell them apart?"
"Not the first time, nor the second. But if she could see us often, and for a long enough time, little by little, she would allow us to approach; and one day, even to caress her cubs, to play with them."
The wolf continues to look at them from afar, without losing sight of her cubs. Sky and Friend slowly go away, followed for a long time by the fine animal's gaze. The sky is rapidly darkening, the wind brings big dark clouds, loaded with rain.
"Would you like to go back?" Sky asks.
"No."
"It will rain, soon."
"Good." Friend answers.
Sky smiles. They continue to walk. Far away, thunder resounds long, like it was rolling in the clouds.
"It's coming."
"It's coming."
The air is heavy, sultry, a strong but warm wind ruffles their hair, raises their skirts, while they continue to walk in silence, simply enjoying each other's proximity.
"Don't you fear storms?" Sky asks.
"No, why? It's just water."
"The second creation was destroyed by a hurricane."
"It means that we will become monkeys." Friend says, smiling.
"And the fourth by a flood."
"And then we will become fishes."
"What will destroy this creation?"
"And what will we become?"
"I would like to become... I don't know. I would like to remain what I am." Sky says.
"Then, let's hope that this world doesn't end during our lives." Friend answers.
Sudden, the water, starts to violently pelt down on them. It whips the two friends, the trees, all of nature, which seems to groan, for the violence of wind and rain. The grass lies flat to the ground, flowers are dismembered and scatter their petals here and there. The animals are silent, and seem almost, as if they are holding their breaths.
"It's fantastic!" Friend cries, to overcome the wind's howling.
"The end of the world!" Sky says, laughing.
"And a god will transform us!" Friend shouts.
"But, into what?"
"You, into a sky, and I into a friend."
"New skies and new friends?" Sky asks, brushing his water soaked hair from his eyes.
"Sure, in friendly skies!" Friend answers, rising his arms towards the clouds.
An incredibly strong thunder wraps them.
"Yes, did you hear? The good god, answered yes!" Sky cries out, and both start to dance, enjoying the whipping of the water on their bodies, on their faces, and they look at each other, smiling.
The storm is going away.
"But, what? Didn't the world just end?" Sky asks, making a surprised expression.
"Sure it did! This is a new world! Our world."
"I like it! You are still here, we are still here."
"But nobody knows."
"It is our secret."
As rapidly, as it disappeared, the sun comes back, shining. On the trees, on the leaves; water drops, glitter like gems. The air is perfumed. The birds, resume their songs. Sky and Friend, then, look at each other, and see that there is a peculiar light in the other's eyes. They smile at each other, and resume their way back towards town. The sky, in north-west, is of the purest blue, and the dark clouds, are rapidly withdrawing, in the opposite direction. The sea sparkles with a golden light.
"Hey!" Sky says, suddenly.
"Hey!" Friend answers, and they smile.
They don't need to say anything more. Friend feels his heart singing. Yes, he assisted at the end of the old world, and at the rise of the new one, near the man he loves. All seems the same, as before, and yet...
"Have a good study." Sky says at the school gate.
"See you soon." Friend answers.
Friend studies, with an unchanged commitment. His excellent memory, his lively intelligence, wonderfully assist him. And, his teachers are also proud of him. One day, while Friend is copying some pages of the Chronicles, in the library, his teacher of history approaches him.
"Always at work?"
"History fascinates me."
"Right, tales for adults..."
"Tales? All this, did happen, right?"
"Do you think so? All you read in these pages, is just how the man, who wrote them, has lived, remembered, interpreted them. It is not reality. Reality exists, just for the moment it is happening, and each of us, can just grasp a very little reflect on it, and interpret it, and then, it is no longer reality. See, I'm speaking with you, but if you would try to write what I said to you, you would not write what I really said to you, but what you grasped, understood, interpreted. But then, at the bottom, you would write for sure: authentic words of Master Acacia. Isn't that so?"
"But if you were to write your words?"
"It will be the same. Don't you realize, that while you are speaking, thousands of other thoughts, lay on what you are saying, so that the words you say, are just a faint reflection of the reality that provoked them?"
"But then, of what value is History?"
"The same as poetry, myths, hymns and jokes. It is an elegant literature. A creation of the human genius. A pastime for the writer, and for the reader."
"But here, for instance, is written that the Sun people defeat the Jaguar people: this is real, this did happen."
"Yes? And how? Some of the Sun people did wage, that cruel game we call war, with some of the Jaguar people. But, what about all the others? For how many, of the so called winners or losers, did life really change? Like, in the game of wall-ball: our champion puts the ball through the ring, and we say: we scored one point! We! Don't you understand that all this is meaningless?"
"But you, a history master, do you have this vision of things?"
"And does this upset you? If I tell you this, it is because you are an exceptional student, and I presume you are able to understand. I know you can understand. History is just to hand down to posterity, the deeds of our ancestors, this is what I teach you. But are they your or my ancestors? And how many of mine, or your descendants will read it, and could read into it, what we wanted to write? And what will they know about you, and me?"
"But the Emperor's ancestors, for instance..."
"And his descendants? How many Emperor's sons, who then became Emperors, are in reality, sons of unknown fathers? Bastards? This is, almost never, written down. No, remember, history is one of many literary exercises, not the lesser, anyway. Fascinating. History, is just, who wrote what, who conserved it, who handed it down, wanted to tell the others, nothing more, nothing less. The five books, are divided according five styles; not according to five contents. I don't believe, what I read. To tell the truth, I don't believe either, in what I see. Learn from that."
Friend thinks, for a long time, about his master's words. If you can't even believe what you see; what can you believe in, then? Nothing. And yet, man needs to believe in something, or he will became crazy. Man believes, what he want to believe, perhaps. Until something doesn't match his convictions, and then, he just creates some new ones... Everything is true, until it is proven false.