Ashtium: City of Sun
Spoils of War

GRETA

It’s been three days since Enoch left. I chew on my supper, urkmink. I’m grateful for my bugs, but I do not replace this place as fascinating when he is gone.

His presence brings a strange peace. I wish he were here to tell me more about the plants and the stones. Eventually, I suppose I have to leave and see what lays beyond the shrub walls of this “courtyard” as Enoch named it. I wonder where he lives. From the way he talked about his parents, he didn’t seem to like them very much.

A strange creature moves about in the shallow depths of the fountain. I had not known such creatures existed underwater. Its slender body moves in a circle similar to the odd creatures who soars up in the sky. Only, this creature’s movements are more sluggish and delayed.

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, my diet lives in the sands of this earth.

I dip my hand under the water. My breathing catches feeling its slimy, scaly skin.

Then I step back from the fountain, grimacing feeling my wrist bandage newly soggy from the water. I sit down on the ledge of the fountain and watch the creature, amazed by its ability to live underneath the water I drink.

I dip my pinky finger into the water and watch as the grey surface ripples over the silver animal moving below it. Then I see something else on the water’s surface. Something I’ve never seen before.

A long black splotch, my arm’s shadow.

A pity I still can’t see color, but I know it to be my reflection. I lean my head in closer to the water while lowering my arm further down near its surface until my hand hovers just above the creature.

Quickly, I thrust my arm downward and gasp when the creature whacks my hand with its slimy tail escaping my reach. The creature still moves around in slow circles as if taunting me to try catching it again.

The water ripples where I drag my fingertips through as I follow the creature’s path walking around the fountain amused. I don’t think it knows I’m still watching and following it. I laugh a little watching it dodge my reach when I try touching it again.

Getting a new idea, I pull up the bottom of my tunic to my knees and step into the fountain feeling the wondrous water soak into my legs and rid them of the annoying chalk substance Enoch made me put on.

Forgetting the creature, I hastily bend down and wipe off the chalk from my arms too feeling the liquid glide over my skin. Giving in to temptation, I sit completely down in the water and lay back a little letting it rinse off my hair. Then I stand back up, soaking wet, as I step out of the fountain feeling the long cloth cling tightly to me like a second skin.

After I wring out my hair, I skip over to my hiding place feeling sleepy despite my dip in the water. I replace Enoch’s book under my bush and read it for a little bit before curling up and going to sleep.

***

ENOCH

The trip took longer than I anticipated. That was mostly because we ran into a sandstorm on our way there and back. Belle’s front hooves both got cracked when she took a stumble down about a mile out from my meeting point with father.

It took us over a day to return since most of the horses either got dehydrated or injured thanks to the storm. I made it back with my life. My father, Adler, made it back with the lives of thousands of others buried in the sand behind him now. He stole over a ton of gold from the Harlong Kingdom. I arrived after they already had burned down the city and took what they wanted.

My father is as paranoid as mother. We never take prisoners of war. Children and women are killed just as the men are. Adler was happy for the horses I brought, but in general, he has appeared less grumpy than usual. Maybe he is finally satisfied with all the wealth he has accumulated at the expense of the lives of millions of people.

How should I know? I rather not know what goes on in his sick mind.

His white robe is stained in blood just like his horse. He dismounts his horse first. Then I dismount mine next. The other guards follow suit as we walk up to the palace where mother waits.

She does not move to embrace the emperor seeing his clothes smothered in the blood of his victims and burned at the fringes. It’s covered in soot from the fires as well and the ash that falls.

Everything about father’s appearance is a facade. His hair and eyes should be as black as his heart. Instead, his features are lighter and considered regal and pure by the fools who anoint him their “god”. His hair is curly but short and cropped very close to his head, in a thin and flat layer, so the wind of the desert does not blow it around at all. His crowning glory sits on top of it -- a crown wreath made of olive branches dipped in gold.

Mother has a matching one, as do all his advisors too.

So do I, but I prefer not to wear it.

Father smiles widely while handing mother a pearl necklace and a folded silk gown with jewels stitched into it. “For you, my queen.”

Mother hugs the items to her chest looking at father like she’s fallen in love with him all over again. “Oh, Adler! Such beautiful gifts. I love them!”

Then the hailed emperor hands some of his advisors who remained behind with mother hand carved daggers made of bone and metal. Several “oohs” and “ahs” pass their lips as they take in the unique weapons. I’m very tempted to just jump back on Belle and hightail it to the courtyard. None of this exchanging of objects they killed to get makes any sense to me.

Greta is probably hungry and waiting for me...

Finally, Adler’s head turns slightly in my direction acknowledging my presence as I stand beside him to greet mother. He has never considered me an equal. I learned from a very young age not to stand so close to him. The consequence usually was me getting kicked down to the ground like a dog. Now that I’m older, he has resorted to just brushing by me and ignoring me completely.

I hug her since my clothes are clean. “Mother, you look well.”

I muster a smile when he places a similar weapon in my hand a little too roughly. It cuts into my palm. When I wince, he smirks.

“Your hands are too soft, boy.”

Just to piss him off, I speak casual to him. A thing only his advisees are allowed to do. “I am a man, Adler.”

I crash back into mother when Urdmin slaps me across the face. It was by father’s will. I saw his hand go up to signal the old advisor to lash out at me for him. I toss the dagger onto the ground and race down the steps ahead of him and his men.

“Enoch!” Mother yells.

I hear the emperor laugh behind me. “Let him be.” His voice gets even louder as he trails after me himself.

I turn around watching the ruler of Ashtium follow me for once in what seems like years. He slaps my back roughly with his calloused hand causing me to nearly fall to the ground. “I’m glad you brought me those horses, my son. Not many would have been able to replace their way through that storm.”

“I had a lantern and map. A child would have been able to replace you,” I scoff, tempting him to argue otherwise.

“You have a way with words. You should have been born a woman. It would have suited you better. I have never met a man to complain-”

Mother’s face turns purple at his statement.

“You are no man.”

His smile falters, his stare never leaving my forehead. It’s demeaning and he knows it. He’s probably proud I never grew to match his height exactly.

I’ll be the one looking down at him soon enough...when he’s buried in the city cemetery like mother alluded to before my departure. There’s nothing he can do about that. One day his reign of terror over my life and this city will end. There’s no way he can get around it.

“You’re right, Enoch. I am so much more than that -- a god to many. I did not ever claim to be one myself. The people gave me the title. You must take what you want in this world if you wish to earn anything.”

“I know,” I laugh bitterly, watching him turn his back and retreat down the remaining steps ahead of me.

He passes me wordlessly without expression or eye contact. His newly blood-stained white tunic flows behind him as he descends the staircase. Some of his advisors and guards trail after him.

I’m sure he will be heading off to his temple. I should probably wait a few minutes, so he doesn’t see me heading in that direction too.

A slender hand wraps around my waist. “Mother!” I squeak not having noticed her come up behind me.

She steps back and looks me over while holding her chin with a deep frown watching father and his men disappear into the city streets below. Lucas approaches us with a giddy smile as he picks up my dagger.

“Finders, keepers,” he mumbles while placing it in his belt loop with a satisfied pat.

His light brown hair looks darker at this time of the evening. He’s built much bigger than me being one of the stablemen. Sometimes, I swear they are horses in disguise. Unfortunately, he has big teeth too. Everything about him is big. I don’t know why he wants to be an architect, but his family is rich and paying mine to have him taught the trade.

Mother speaks over my shoulder so he can’t hear. “They already paid us their dues for this month in advance. You will give him a lesson this evening or I will have your head!”

“Alright, alright! But I can only spare a half hour. I have my own sketches to make if you wish the library to have a second floor come this season’s end. Come on, Lucas. The night is waning,” I say steadily, but inside I’m drowning in panic.

The moment mother’s sight leaves us, I will just sketch him up a draft for the atrium. It should only take me a few minutes. Then, I can go right on my way to Greta.