by B. T. Narro
“We all need it tonight more than ever,” Andar agreed. “Come on.” He helped Leo up.
They walked back to their home, but Rygen wasn’t inside anymore. They called for her, but she did not answer.
After a brief moment of panic, Leo put his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Wait, I know where she is.”
He led his brother to the neighboring house, where Rygen had grown up and lived all her life. There was no front door anymore. It had been broken down by the incenfiend before it mauled her mother to death. Someone had come and taken the body of Rygen’s mother away, most likely a soldier tasked with cleaning up the dead, but dried pools of her blood still remained in the kitchen.
Rygen was motionless at the other end of the kitchen, standing right in front of the dead beast. Even on its side, it was nearly as tall as she was. Leo expected her to kick the beast with rage, to scream and pound on it. Instead, she crouched near its face and put her hand on its temple. Even though it had been dead a day, the creature still frightened Leo. It had so many teeth protruding from its mouth, with two horns sticking up from its chin and two more coming down from its head. It didn’t belong in this world. In fact it had come from another, brought here by a summoner. Leo would not forget her name: Celia. Leo didn’t know her surname, but perhaps Andar might be able to learn it after working closely with the soldiers of the king’s army. She was employed by them as well. Her comrades had cursed her for bringing the incenfiend here during the battle. Even they knew it was wrong.
Leo waited with his brother, unheard by Rygen. He had no idea what she was doing, but he didn’t want to interrupt her.
Eventually she whispered, “Why were you so interested in me?”
Leo was almost angry with Rygen. This was the beast that killed her mother, yet she seemed to have no rage for its actions. She spoke to the dead thing as if it had no control over its actions. This was the same beast that had almost killed Leo and Andar when they’d fought it to save Rygen!
As he swallowed a lump in his throat, pushing down his anger, Leo supposed the creature really had seemed curious about Rygen. It had sniffed around her rather than attacked, but who cared? It had done terrible things. Leo had half a mind to march over there and kick it on Rygen’s behalf.
He changed his mind when he heard her crying. His anger was worthless here. Andar caught his gaze and motioned for Leo to approach Rygen. Leo walked around the sticky puddles of blood. The floor creaked beneath his step just as it had yesterday as he’d snuck behind the beast with his knife in hand.
Rygen quickly tried to wipe her eyes. She didn’t turn around, even as she spoke. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have come here, but I couldn’t help it.”
Leo put his arm around her. “It’s fine. Everything’s going to be fine.”
She looked over at him and swiped at another tear. “Do you really think that?”
“I really do.”
She forced herself to take a few deep breaths until her crying stopped. Then she nodded and left with Leo.
CHAPTER TWO
Andar’s stomach growled incessantly as he headed to the cavern. Yesterday, the streets were crowded with soldiers, but now they were practically empty. All must be near the cavern, preparing to fight if needed. Andar knew he should be worried about being so close to what could be a battle, but he couldn’t bring himself to find any fear. He just wanted something to eat.
The commander would be too busy to ensure Andar ate, and it wasn’t as if he had any coin to buy something now as he crossed through the city. But that hadn’t stopped him before.
There were fewer people than usual walking along the dirt roads, many clearly still frightened from the events of two days ago. Shops were open, nonetheless, the owners of the empty ones standing outside and trying to talk people into coming in. There wasn’t much damage to the buildings here in the north, where many homes and stores had a second floor to them. Andar wondered why it seemed as if the soldiers had done a better job sparing these areas than they did the impoverished sections where he lived, but the answer became obvious. Those with money always treated others with money better than they did the poor. If Andar ever had any coin, he would not do that.
The lack of people made it difficult for him to get away with stealing anything. Crowds were a thief’s best friend, especially when paired with long nights involving lots of wine. The thought reminded him of Marcus Dowl, a name he would not forget. The commander seemed to be a good man, but Marcus should’ve been punished. Andar would make sure he was.
Eventually, he realized he was close to the bakery where Rygen’s mother used to work. He’d never stolen from pockets, purses, or plates around here before, but there was nothing stopping him now. The bakery was a common place for many men and women with money to purchase their breakfast. Andar was delighted to find not only a group within the small shop but plenty of people walking the streets here.
Andar usually didn’t pick a target at this stage. He made sure not to stand still, either, or look at anyone for too long. Instead, he casually strolled around and waited for an opportunity. His hunger urged him to hurry, but it was the sun rising over the horizon that really rushed him. He noticed a man wearing a long coat over his tunic and a round hat that gave away his wealth. He patted his right side, most likely to ensure his coin purse was still within his inner pocket. There was something else about this man that told Andar he would enter the bakery, perhaps something about his gaze or a subtle change in his gait.
Andar hurried to put himself behind the rich man. Like many people with thick layers of clothing, the man went to remove his coat as he entered. Andar saw his opportunity and didn’t hesitate as he reached between the folding fabric and slipped his hand into the pocket. He grabbed and pulled before confirming he had a grasp on anything. A pouch spun out. He caught it with his other hand, lowering his arm to allow the coin purse to keep its momentum so it would not clink. Andar turned and pushed it into one of his sleeves as he hurried out.
His nerves tingled as he made a quick turn. By the time the man began to shout that someone had stolen his coin purse, Andar was a street away. He waited until he turned into an alleyway before he took it out for a look. The coin purse itself was distinguishable, with the letter “U” sewn into it.
Unlucky, Andar joked with himself. He wouldn’t be able to keep the coin purse, but he knew of a shopkeeper who bought stolen goods without question. He normally would sell it there, but there wasn’t time. Instead he would take the coin within and buy himself something to eat.
He had only recently begun stealing money, for his father had instilled that it was dangerous. Depending on the amount in the coin purse, Andar could lose his hand if caught. Still, he had stolen a few purses since then and had always hoped they would be filled with gold coins. But no one seemed to be foolish enough to travel around with more than a few silver. This man was no exception. Andar found three silver coins and a couple coppers in the bag. He could probably get another few coppers from selling it later, but it wasn’t worth the risk of holding onto it. He left it on the ground and hurried toward the outskirts of the city where he knew the cavern to be, purchasing some hot bread on the way and devouring it.
He had a stomach ache from eating quickly as he left the city behind, but it would pass. There were grass fields and hills out here. Among the green were two spots of black where fire had scorched the ground. Andar gulped. Had this been where his father had met with Erisena when the army of the king attacked?
They must’ve made it out, he reminded himself. They must be alive. If they weren’t, we would’ve heard from the soldiers.
The last houses he passed were even smaller than his own, most with no one inside. Living here was just too far from all the places of work. A group of builders was constructing more houses in the distance behind him, though Andar didn’t know why if these existing houses were empty. He didn’t care in that moment, not when the view in front of him took his focus.
There were hundreds of men, all with weapons. It put Andar on edge. He walked to the nearest hill so he could watch from a distance. He was still close enough to see many of their faces, so he looked for the dark skin and familiar face of the commander and soon spotted him approaching someone else whose appearance was a complete contrast to the commander. This man’s skin was as white as snow. He had fancy clothing and a cape and cane to match. He seemed to hold no weapons, while the commander had a sheathed sword on his belt and a sturdy chest plate of hard leather that made him seem ready to fight if needed.
The only similarity between these two was their size—both not quite as large as Andar’s father, but tall nonetheless. However, the man standing in front of the commander with folded arms appeared flabby, not heavily muscled like the commander. Andar could only tell by the man’s triple chin, for his many layers hid the rest of him.
This had to be a guild master, most likely of the Farmers’ Guild, for it was they who had taken control of this Tisary upon discovering it.
They had done more than that, Andar supposed. They had paid diggers, like Andar’s father, to spend years excavating the cavern to look for a rift. It was the king’s army who would take control now.
Andar risked walking across the short open field to bring himself closer so he could listen. This was not a conversation he wanted to miss. The Farmers’ Guild might’ve fairly discovered the rift in this cavern, but that was about all they did that was fair. This guild master was the man responsible for assigning harsh overseers like Rhenol Gale to manage the farms. Andar had never met this guild master, but it was easy to direct all his anger onto him. Andar wouldn’t mind watching the over-fed man die here. Hopefully he would stand against the commander, who glanced toward Andar as he approached, causing Andar to stop for a moment. But the commander returned his attention to the guild master to continue with what seemed to be a lecture.
Most of the trees around here had been cut down, but there were a few stumps left between Andar and these two men of power. He moved a little closer and positioned his body to lie behind the stump with his hands behind his head. If someone saw him, it should look like he was resting in a bit of shade, for this morning was hot. He knew he wouldn’t be able to trick the commander, but Andar didn’t care so long as he heard the conversation. This might be the only chance he’d have to listen to a guild master fail to get what he wanted.
Andar recognized the commander’s voice. “The king will buy them from you.”
“At what price?” The guild master sounded skeptical, his voice nasally.
“Thirty gold per gemcrafter.”
“Tsh. What am I supposed to do with thirty gold?” He said it as if it was a few coppers.
“You will cherish it, considering that you could easily get nothing,” the commander answered.
“What about all the years I spent paying diggers to look for this Tisary? I expect fair compensation for that as well.”
“What about the diggers who expected fair compensation?”
There was a pause. Andar’s father was a digger, though Andar didn’t know what the commander could be referring to. Was it simply better pay, or did something happen?
“They were told their salary before they started work, and they agreed to work for it,” the guild master answered.
The commander let out a raspy breath. “I speak of course of the fifty gold coins you promised each of them upon discovering a Tisary.”
Fifty gold? My father certainly never got all that. There was another moment of silence. Andar stretched his neck, for he simply couldn’t miss catching the expression of the guild master.
From this close, Andar could see that the guild master was a decade or two older than the commander, with many thin wrinkles across his fat cheeks that gave the appearance that a bird had scratched him a while ago and his wounds were still healing. His chin was masked by fat, bleeding into his neck as he leaned back and looked down with his dark, beady eyes.
“I don’t know what you heard about that,” he said, “but they were given more than they deserved.”
The commander scowled at him. “Have you, Owlan, spent even an hour digging in this cavern?”
“I don’t need to, and I know what you’re implying. But these men are without education or status. This is the kind of work they were born to do, and it is the only work they are capable of completing. If they believed the promise of fifty gold coins, then that proves what the rest of us know. They are stupid.”
Andar made sure to hide behind the stump again, for he didn’t want anyone to see the anger on his face.
“How many gold coins did you give them for discovering the Tisary?” the commander pressed. Andar was surprised he hadn’t said something about the guild master’s insulting choice of words. The commander couldn’t possibly believe the same thing that the guild master did, could he? He did not seem like that type of man. Andar realized then that he really didn’t know much about the commander, not even his name.
“We gave ten gold coins to each of them,” said the guild master, “which was more than they deserved. But I paid them many more gold coins over the years that they worked. If the king is a just man, he will compensate me. It was my team of diggers, after all, that discovered this Tisary.”
Andar silently seethed in anger. He could no longer keep his hands behind his head. The position called for him to relax, and it was the last thing he wanted to do right now. He crossed his arms instead and gritted his teeth.
“This is no longer a conversation,” the commander told him sternly. “Remove your hired swordsmen.”
“You would actually attack these men? They are citizens who you have sworn to protect.”
“I protect those who obey the laws of the king. If they wish to take up arms against my soldiers, then they have forfeited their right to live. And if they were commanded to take up arms, then it is their commander that I shall punish the most severely when I am done dealing with them.”
Andar heard the guild master whose name he figured was Owlan grumble as he walked off, but his footsteps stopped.
“How am I to receive the gold for the gemcrafters?” Owlan asked.
“It will be delivered to your guild hall.”
The guild master left, but not before huffing out a breath in irritation.
So the commander knows where his guild hall is. Of course he did; this shouldn’t be a surprise. The commander probably knew where every man of riches or rank resided in the city. Andar wondered how he could get this information out of him.
He heard footsteps approaching, knowing it was the commander. Andar sat up and tried not to look guilty.
“I hope your ability to dig exceeds that of your ability to hide,” the commander said with folded arms.
Andar knew he should say nothing except to express his thanks for giving him work and allowing his brother and Rygen to stay in their home, but he couldn’t hold his tongue.
“Why didn’t you lecture that man? You could’ve embarrassed him. He deserves it.”
“I don’t have time for but one lesson for you right now. Don’t embarrass rich men like Owlan Finchester, Andar. Their wealth and their pride are one and the same. Do anything to take one away, and they will make an example out of you.”
“Yeah, but I’m just some poor child. You’re the commander of the king’s army. No one can make an example out of you.”
Andar didn’t actually believe he was only a poor child. He was so much more than that, including an Ascendant-in-the-making, which only his brother and his father knew. But a point had to be made.
“That doesn’t matter because I don’t have time to deal with anyone trying to make an example out of me.” The commander turned toward his men and ordered, “Investigate the cavern!”
Andar saw then that the guild master must’ve given his order for his sellswords to leave. They headed back toward the city, most of them with looks of relief as they shared words with one another, a few even laughi
ng and possibly making jokes. They were armored well for sellswords, comparable to the king’s army. They donned the same thin armor, and their swords appeared the same from what Andar had seen from a distance. It was their lesser number that was most different.
Between the city and the caverns’ entrance, there must’ve been at least a thousand soldiers out here scattered across the grass field. Compared to that, there were maybe two hundred sellswords. They would have no chance in a battle.
One thought entered Andar’s mind that began to disturb him. Every one of these men on either side must’ve been paid a wage for their service, and it must be far more than a digger made for them to decide to take up arms and risk their lives. How much gold coin could Owlan Finchester be spending on his tiny army? Whatever it was, it was nothing compared to how much the king spent on his. This group of one thousand soldiers was but a small fraction of the army in whole. Andar marveled at just how many gold coins could realistically be distributed from the king to all his men.
The total amount spent to employ all the soldiers had to be more than one hundred gold coins a week, probably even in excess of one thousand. The more Andar thought about it, the more he realized that the king could be spending as much as ten thousand a week. A week!
Andar had been paid one silver a day, which was seven-tenths of receiving a gold coin every week. His earnings had gone to buy food for him and his family. He hadn’t even thought there were ten thousand gold coins in existence until then, for he could count on one hand the number of times he had seen one. There had to be so much more wealth that he would probably never see, the kind of wealth that made the rich men in Jatn look like street beggars.
He let these thoughts fester and infuriate him as he waited on the hillside for his order to work. He still hoped to eat something else—maybe even a second breakfast after the one he had bought with stolen coin—but the commander seemed busy as he spoke near the cavern with other men of probably high rank within the army.
