Ashtium: City of Sun

GRETA

This chainmail lining my tunic makes it so heavy and hard to move around quickly. My helmet fits my face well though. Brommy, my trainer, says I will be getting my own voltak soon like the others here. For now, I have to ride with him.

He told me his main duty is advising Adler on war tactics and our empirical army, but right now, he has been tasked to help me.

Brommy makes walking in armor look easy. I think he forgets my step is shorter than his and I must walk twice as fast to keep up. I appreciate how he does not carry a whip. He did offer me one though and since getting a close feel of it I now know the weapon has metal strips twisted around thick thread.

I chose a sword instead.

“Greta, I mean, Keon, have you met any of the female guards yet, eh?”

“I wouldn’t know. I cannot see like you. My vision has gotten worse lately.”

“Oh.”

Apparently, Enoch is inside this tavern right now. I don’t know what he’s doing in there, but Brommy says this makes good practice to stand with the other guards in public. It’s a nice difference from being in the stuffy palace.

Brommy pats my shoulder.

“Well, didn’t they talk to you in the palace? You’ve been stationed there for two days.”

“Nobody talked to me.”

“Praise the gods you were given a new trainer. I’ll talk your ear off. All you have to do is ask. Come now, Keon. Time to saddle up, you remember the way.”

He seems much more happier than the early days when he cared for me.

The silver blurry shape of him moves near the tall beast. Quickly, I get to work on untying it from the post outside the lively tavern. Brommy places the riding seat back on top. He puts his foot in the harness and then hops up onto the animal.

“Here, take my hand now,” he tells me.

Something blaring loud rips through the sky above us. I jump, awkwardly falling against his voltak at its sound. The beast doesn’t move, but the piercing bright lights above us do. They explode and crack the paved road as if to rip right through it.

“Keon? What is the matter? It is just the light show,” he scolds me while hopping back down.

I brush off my legs and nod my head, still trying to catch my breath. Brommy flips my helmet up and makes a strangled noise.

“Woah, your eyes are bleeding!”

Hastily, I wipe away the blood. “They do that sometimes,” I lie.

Brommy hops back on the beast and holds his hand out for me.

“Come on, then. We have the rest of our rounds to do before we return to the palace.”

He helps me up and then the beast carries us through the market. Everyone else, going off of the blur of silvery shapes below our mighty beast, appears to be enjoying the loud explosions above us. I’m sure it would be a fascinating sight were I able to discern the colors of such powerful flying energy in the sky.

The animal we ride does not seem fazed by the explosions above us.

With each step it takes, I grip the edge of the rough saddle tighter. If I let go, I’ll surely descend down these never-ending steps and break my back. The explosions look so close now, hundreds of sparkles igniting my headache to sharpen until I let out another scream in pain behind Brommy.

He still doesn’t understand. The beast carries us now, finally, over the flat ground of the slate leading into Adler’s temple.

“Hush! You aren’t dying. Settle down,” Brommy tries telling me. “It’s just a light show.”

He stops the animal with a sharp whistle.

I hop down first with a pulsing head and land clumsily onto my feet. Brommy steadies me while landing in front of me with his whip in hand. He uses it to tie the animal up just like he did on the streets below.

I much rather see the device used in this way. Not on the beast, but I know he must do it in that way for its mane is covered in strips of baldness as if he laid the weapon on the creature to correct it, or perhaps, out of anger for it does not always move at a good pace.

It doesn’t have a name like Enoch’s beast does.

My sandals hit the ground, echoing across the stone as I follow Brommy’s tall form around the outside of the marble building. We seem to be the only ones here. Normally, there is a guard blocking every entryway and now there is no one but Brommy and I. No more do I hear explosions or see the bursts of powerful light above us.

Some bugs chirp around us still. It must be evening. I wonder if my sisters said their prayers up here already for the night?

After we finish our rounds around the temple, we mount the beast. It carries us all the way back down the stairs and onto the streets where we meet a few other guards outside the stables near the steps.

“Keon’s residing in the hospice. Emperor’s orders,” Brommy announces to the three guards in front of us.

One of the guards speaks, “Which Emperor?”

Brommy is starting to sound mad, “You know what I mean. Now move, Shulor.”

Shulor doesn’t listen.

“Is this the new recruit? Why have not all advisors met such a child? Let me introduce myself.”

“No can do.”

“I insist. There is a spy issue prevalent in our city. We should be familiar with one another rather than strangers in a time such as this.”

Brommy tries to get the beast to walk around the man, but the man’s horse blocks our own.

“Shulor! You will move out of my way or so help me I will get you expelled from the empire.”

The two other guards move away. The one named Shulor follows them.

“Idiots, the lot of them. I’m sorry you had to see that, Keon. Speaking of seeing, I hope the sisters have something for your eyes.”

“They might,” I smile.

After we finish our rounds through the market, Brommy makes the voltak carry us all the way to the palace. We circle around its perimeter and then stay by the stables out front for a long time.

Eventually, Brommy dismisses me from duty for the night. He doesn’t take no for answer when I insist on returning to the hospice alone.

“You don’t need to come with me,” I point out.

I can hear the smile in his voice, “It’s always safer to travel with a friend. I assume you are friends with the Emperor too. That is why he is making me help you, right?”

“I don’t need help,” I whisper.

Brommy lifts my helmet up.

“Well, there are rumors spreading about him and you.”

I don’t know why, but his words are starting to make me angry.

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Truly? Neither your voice or stature have matured yet I suppose. You are naive.”

Brommy laughs at my glare. He dismounts his voltak and guides it inside the hospice with us. No more do I have to sleep in the crowded room with my sisters.

I get a nice room all to myself now.

“Sleep safe, Keon. Here’s some coins for your duties today. Wake up tomorrow and return to the palace. We will resume your training over there and then finish in the enocrote in the evening.”

I nod my head, taking the small velvet pouch of coins that I earned all on my own. It feels nice to have something like this after working.

After Brommy leaves, I take off the chainmail and then my helmet. Beneath my tunic is another thin layer of my tactical tunic as Brommy calls it. It is made of small scaly chips of metal. It’s scratchy and heavy like my chainmail. However, it is thinner and loose like a mini tunic that reaches just over my bottom. It doesn’t cover me like a tunic though for in some places it dips low.

At least it is not glued to me. Brommy says its to protect my vitals, but I’ll have to ask Enoch what that means later. I don’t know why I need to wear it when my other layer of much heavier chainmail protects me well enough.

***

ENOCH

“Emperor?” Greta breathes out while swinging her sword around as if the object were a toy.

Her bright eyes watch me with such happiness it would make my heart melt were her mind not so damaged from Adler and Urdmin. My mother too.

How can she be so happy at a time like this?

“Yes, they crowned me this morning.”

“I can hear the bells and chanting, Enoch,” she defends while glancing out the stained glass window of my room. Her voice sounds...gruffer. How long will she continue this act for? I thought it was a phase and it’s been days now. “I am not stupid.”

“I know you’re not stupid, Greta.”

“It’s Keon, Emperor.”

“Come on, Greta. Give it a rest. There are female guards for Ashta sake. You don’t need to pretend to be a man anymore.”

Her lips form into a beautiful smile when I hand her a piece of leftover sponge cake. Lady-like as she gets, she picks the entire piece up with her hand and downs it in nearly one swallow.

The fluff of her hair seems to stand on end as she licks her lips looking around my room while tasting the delicacy.

“Do you like it?”

She walks around me. “Yes, it is very sweet.”

“It’s supposed to be.”

Greta bounces on my bed, kicking her feet out beneath her while gazing into the new optical lense my father must have given her. She blinks a few times, then puts it back in a pouch slung over her shoulder.

A small blush grows on her cheeks as she gives me a sideways glance.

“I’m sorry I kissed you the other day. I should not have done that.”

“Don’t worry about it. I want to know how you really feel about me though. We will need a new Empress soon. I was thinking you might be a good fit,” I say while trying to sound casual.

I’m pretty sure I failed seeing the look of panic on her face.

“My god said something similar. I think he knew you were planning this.”

Planning? How could I have possibly predicted Adler doing this? Every time she says the word ‘god’ it really makes me concerned she still thinks him one. I hope it was a slip of words.

It breaks my heart really.

It will be hard for her to find someone besides me to connect with. This new little pretense she’s wrapped up in won’t be doing her any good at all.

I wish I had more time to spend with her, but I’m stuck all day in meetings with my advisors. I rather be with Greta than in a room with Adler and a bunch of other grumpy old men all day.

“Being Emperor is quite boring. I suppose war is all fun and games, but right now, everything is relatively peaceful. Well, mind the word of spies. I’m hoping that all blew over with Urdmin’s death.”

“Enoch, who will the people think killed the false god?”

“A spy,” I mumble.

I sit down beside her, looking her over as if for the first time. Bruises cover her little grey arms. Some parts of her skin appear covered in grease. Her hair needs combed and I don’t think anyone has shown her where to get a fresh and clean empirical tunic going off of its filthy appearance.

She doesn’t appear so fragile anymore. There’s a new hardness in her stare that wasn’t there before as she observes me.

“Why don’t you come see me at the hospice anymore?”

“I’ve been busy. I will make an effort to come meet you.”

“But we are meeting here now. You don’t want others to see us. You are embarrassed to be with me.”

I hold her little hand, it looks even smaller holding the hilt of her child-size sword.

“I am not.”

If she were any other guard such an act would get her removed from her position. Swords are only to be unsheathed if there is danger near.

“But you are. The other guards speak about you. They say you go down to the taverns every night. Yet, you tell me you do not have time to meet with me.”

I feel like my soul is being sucked out of me. What other garbage have they been spewing out about me? I may be my father’s son, but I have not even had the title for a week. Must they judge me so quickly?

Does this mean no more tavern outings? Am I not allowed to speak with other women? I wonder what Greta makes of it all.

“I am not. Honestly, I have barely left the palace since my commencement,” I say while bumping her shoulder playfully. “You know that. You’ve been training around here. I am not making this up.”

“I know. It is a shame your father’s actions overshadow you.”

“I know, right?” I say while searching her eyes as if that’ll let me find what’s really on her mind. Her eyes look cloudier than normal today. “Still think I’m a messanger?” I tease.

“No,” she smiles while feeling my face. “Not anymore.”

She stands up and places her helmet back over her head.

Her voice sounds a little muffled, “My break is over, ruler Enoch. I’ll be seeing you tomorrow.”