Ashtium: City of Sun
A Taste of Power

GRETA

My sisters left the temple already. Prayers went by quickly today since there is not much trouble about the empire. At least, that they know of.

It’s nice to sit back here in the courtyard like I used to.

The dull grey armor of a guard step onto the path and out of a nearby bush. Another person, also a guard, emerges from the same plant behind them.

“Brommy?” I whisper.

Since they don’t answer I stand up. The action makes them bolt at me.

I scream while fighting against the hold of two guards. One of them grips my neck while the other grabs a hooked knife.

“Let go!” I demand.

They do not understand what I am. I bite the guard’s arm until blood is drawn while grabbing the sharp end of the knife with my other hand. I fight back tears as the cutting drives deeper into my hand as I get a hold of the weapon for myself.

My neck is released just as I manage to wield my own sword and stab into the man’s head. The other guard makes a run for it, but I throw his own weapon into his back. It lands between his shoulders and he crumples to the ground.

With a ragged breath, I hold my long blade at the ready seeing yet another person come the way they did. Their arms are up as if in surrender.

“It’s just me, Keon.”

“Brommy!” I gasp while looking at the dead men on the ground.

He claps his hands slowly while coming over to me with his beast.

“They were thieves. Sometimes we train and practice on criminals. A job well done to you!”

“What?” I mutter confused while putting away my sword.

This was a training exercise? Why could he not warn me before?

Brommy pats my shoulder while handing me the reigns of his voltak. It taps its feet impatiently. Steady as I can, I put my foot in the loop and jump up onto the tall animal, kicking my feet beneath me when only my arms reach its hide. Brommy mounts it easily and tugs me upward.

“You need to practice getting on it more,” he points out. “I won’t always be here to help you.”

I raise my chin. “I know,” I say while jerking the reigns up and down quickly.

The beast remains stubborn. Brommy takes its reigns from me and resorts to kicking the animal when it doesn’t listen.

“How would you liked to be kicked?” I question.

His legs rest right behind my own. I can get a good telling of how much force he used. It was more than enough to make the poor thing move.

“Animals were created to be used for our good. Is pulling the rope any better when we force its head back? I’m sure that’s not pleasant. Would you rather it be free and have it be we resort to our own sluggish speed to help others in this city?”

“No,” I answer, but his question isn’t fair. “I wish you would treat it nicer. It probably doesn’t like carrying both of us.”

The beast gallops down the steps.

“If it makes you feel any better, we’ll end your rounds early tonight.”

“Can we go to the taverns?” I ask with a hopeful grin.

“Ah, well...I suppose. It may be a little much. You haven’t been in one before, have you?”

“Enoch took me early in the morning once. Oh, I want another egg! Can we order one, Brommy?”

Brommy steers the animal to the right once we reach the bottom. We come to a stop at a lively building where the dull grey silhouettes of civilians move on the other side of the window.

“They don’t serve eggs at this hour. I hope you like ale.”

“What’s ale?”

Brommy hops off the animal. He holds his hand out and I take it while hopping off.

“A drink that you only take a few sips of tonight, now stay by my side. We are guards so most will avoid us,” he informs me.

He opens the door and waits for me to enter before following me inside. The room is too crowded for me to make out a route of travel. Where is the bar in here?

Enoch told me every tavern has one here.

Brommy grips my upper-arm as he makes his own way by pushing his way through.

“Okay,” I mumble. “I don’t see how Enoch likes this.”

“The women.”

His answer rubs me the wrong way because he doesn’t seem against the idea himself. I guess it is a good place to replace someone of interest. In a setting as smelly and rowdy as here, what are the chances of really meeting anyone on a deep level?

I can barely hear myself talk.

A large swirly circular table-top of slate encloses a group of three civilians. Two men and a woman. They move quickly in multiple directions serving drinks to those outside the circle.

The man standing in front of Brommy moves to the side when he approaches the bar. The woman in front of me does the same without complaint even.

The people move out of our way without us telling them to. Is this what power feels like?

“A light ale and the tavern signature, please,” Brommy asks the man serving us.

Our drinks are served quickly. I wish there was somewhere to sit. I’m sweating underneath my armor. At least this drink that tastes like pee is cold.

Brommy takes it out my hands when I drink half of its gross contents.

“I’m thirsty,” I mumble.

He hands me a nearby glass of water.

“Here.”

I watch the woman glaring our way.

“Thanks, but wasn’t this glass hers?”

Brommy frowns at my question without giving me an answer. We have earned some other attention coming in here though. A group of girls whisper and giggle beside us. They are watching me like I have two heads.

The shorter one, perhaps a few years younger than myself, parts from their group. She clasps her hands under her chin, rocking back on her heels as she peers up at me.

“Hi,” she greets softly.

“Hello,” I answer gruffly hoping my tone will send her away. Her friends continue their giggles as though they replace it all funny. I do not understand. “Blessed day,” I add to be polite.

She walks off, squealing like a child as if I gave her money or perhaps made her greatest wish come true.

“It would seem you make an attractive man, Keon. You have grown into your armor more as well as your role.”

“They are laughing at my height.”

He slams his goblet of dark liquid down.

“If only!” he laughs heartily. “Don’t be ashamed of your appearance. Be proud of the attention you earn. On the streets, you know we are not so welcomed as we are in here. Relax and enjoy yourself.”

I smile while watching the floor when the tavern door opens. The room becomes quiet as my drink threatens to spill in my rigid movements to set it down seeing Enoch enter.

My trainer’s jolly attitude disappears as he becomes serious once more. He puts his helmet back on. I copy his movements and abandon my ale as I follow him to the outer-side of the room.

“We are still to act as civil servants to the empirical family. Let us stand over here to keep a better view of the Emperor.”

“Okay.”

Once we replace a good place to stand, my attention moves to the women dancing on the tables in front of Enoch. He laughs like the other men, tossing coins at their feet. I can tell by the crowd the ladies have drawn that they must be of the type Brommy was talking about earlier.

Enoch waves at them both and they promptly, and gracefully, move down from the table. He goes to the bar and they both hug his side while glaring at the other women fighting for his attention.

Eventually, they give him his own space as he moves to another group of women with another man. They must be friends.

Brommy bumps my elbow with his own.

“I think we can be relieved of our duties. His personal guards are in here now,” he says while walking ahead. “Let’s go.”

“I can walk home from here,” I inform him.

“The Emperor, I mean, Adler’s ordered you to be escorted around by me. I cannot leave your side until we reach the hospice or I would be breaking empirical law.”

“But he is not of the family anymore.”

“Doesn’t matter. Enoch is still learning according to his father’s teachings just like you are learning according to mine. By the way,” Brommy murmurs while digging into his satchel. It’s made of a more refined leather than my own and has a strange swirly symbol engraved on its front. He continues searching the pouch. “He wanted me to give you something. Hold on...just give me a second to replace it.”