Snake, Scarab, & Sons: Purveyors of Fine T

All eyes looked towards Nera, even Talam. Henry noticed the man's nervous, and somewhat desperate gaze, fixed on Nera, as if he instinctively knew that Nera gave the final approval in what they would do. Henry himself wasn't sure if Nera would agree.

Under normal circumstances, his aunt was a magnanimous woman. She would also likely agree, if only to observe the overall situation and gain a better understanding of the people's suffering. After all, there must've been a reason why there was revolt.

However, Talam wanted to go to find his uncle.

His uncle, who was Nera's former fiancé.

Henry and Ash's looks were wearier knowing the connection. With the little fire light coming from the camp fire and Nera's eyes covered, it was difficult for the brothers to read her expression. Then again, even if they could, she could hide it.

After what felt like a far too long period of silence, Nera took a deep breath.

"Talam. I have my daughter with me."

It was a rejection with a very valid concern. Effie was only an eight-year-old child. She wasn't completely helpless, though, otherwise, Nera would've sent her to West Wind Abbey to study while they came to Ashtar to reclaim the throne for Henry. Effie had Commodore with her, not to mention her brothers and mother, and she was a well-trained beast master, which would help her out of unfavorable situations.

But a child was a child.

Talam must've thought so, too. His face fell and his arms fell limp at his sides. His brows were knit as he lost himself in thought. The resigned body language told Henry that Talam understood what he was asking of them, but at the same time, was concerned about his uncle.

Henry and Ash weren't surprised that Nera rejected going to Kasea City. Henry was wondering what she'd say to refuse and wouldn't hurt Talam in a way that would jeopardize their business relationship.

Between the two brothers, Talam clenched his jaw. His eyes crinkled up as he raised his hand and squeezed his fists. "Then...then, can you wait for me?"

Henry raised a brow and looked at Talam once more. Talam was determined, and Henry was unsure if he felt respect for Talam, or concerned, because technically, they were now Talam's responsibility. As foreigners on paper, they couldn't just wander around an isolated country freely.

Nobles controlled mercantile world in Ashtar, and without Talam asserting their protection by the Heigoren clan, they could easily be targeted on the way. Talam had started the paperwork at the capital weeks ago, and Ridua was not a tightly sealed place. News that the Heigoren heir had brought a foreign merchant had probably spread.

Ash furrowed his brows and looked at Talam with uncertainty. "Aren't you supposed to stay with us while we're going through the country?"

Talam winced and lowered his eyes. He hesitated, but answered. "I am, but..."

"Are there any villages or towns a day's travel away from Kasea City?" Nera spoke once more and all three young men looked towards her. "If possible, we can wait for you at a town or village a day away. It isn't much to rent some rooms or an old building. It doesn't have to be luxurious, just a roof over our heads. Have one of your escorts stay with us to act as extensions of your authority and a guide. I will loan you two of our guards in return to go with you to Kasea City to see what the situation is."

Talam's eyes lit up. "Thank-"

"However." Nera cut him off quickly and raised her hand to silence him. "If my guards deem it too dangerous, they will not go any further with you."

Henry understood her words for the silent order that it was. If the guards felt it was too dangerous, then Talam shouldn't go either. He looked towards Talam, unsure if he understood, but Talam was nodding his head in earnest.

"Your kindness won't go forgotten, madam!" He turned to the carriage and leaned half his body in through the door in order to get to his bag, which was tucked in a storage compartment under the back seat bench. After some rummaging, he reappeared, holding a flattened map in his hand. "I'll take a look to see what towns or villages are near. There shouldn't be a shortage that close to the city."

To get more light, he walked back to the camp fire and sat down on the ground in order to spread out the map. Ash followed him to see the map, but Henry walked towards Nera. He motioned her to the side to speak to her.

"Auntie, are you sure about this?" he whispered in Lunapsar as he lowered his head.

His aunt stood in front of him and gave him a single nod. "It's a good opportunity for you and Ash to see what's going on, up close."

The corner of Henry's eye twitched. He knew it. She wanted the two of them to go. "You want us to go with Talam?"

Nera tilted her head a bit, and Henry could almost see her brow raised in question behind her veil. "There are no two people better to go and observe the situation than you and your brother." She raised her hand and touched the top of his head. "Your hair is already dyed. I will have Ash dye his hair, as well, to attract less attention as a precaution. Elka and Effie will stay with me and wait for you to return. It should be a few days, at most."

Henry still hesitated. "But, Auntie...."

Nera leaned in and lowered her voice. "As long as he doesn't travel with us." Henry's head snapped up. He knew exactly who 'he' was. Nera continued with her reasoning. "If the revolt happened in the middle of the land reallocation meeting, then it likely hasn't concluded due to the events taking attention away from it. If they manage to quell the anger of the laborers, then they can resume. It's likely he'll stay until it's finished. We can go ahead to Ridua before then."

Henry drew his lips inward and reassessed the situation before nodding. He supposed Nera also sent them to make sure Prime Minister Enroshan Heigoren didn't join his nephew on the return to Ridua, and thus appear before her.

"All right," he nodded. "I'll make sure to keep everything in order."

Satisfied, Nera patted his head. "Remember, these are your people."

Behind them, Ash and Talam's voices were rising as they discussed possible locations to wait in.

"What's the situation here?" Ash asked.

Talam shook his head, a bit helpless. "I'm not sure. We bypassed this town on the way to the gate. It's off the main road and out of the way, so we didn't go near it at all."

Ash gave him an incredulous look. "So, you mean to say, you're just pointing at any random town without know what's there?" He raised a brow. "Or even if it still exists?" Considering what they saw of a once bustling gate town, and the issues concerning farmland, there was a good chance that rural villages and small towns may have been abandoned when its population left to seek employment elsewhere.

Talam's golden skin flushed with embarrassment.

Henry walked around the two of them to take a look at the map. Upon doing so, his eyes crinkled up. Contrary to Talam's earlier exclamation that there would be no shortage of towns a day's distance from Kasea City, there were few settlements marked in that range on the map.

There were three, and one of them would require them to go south, diverting them even further from Ridua. The only other viable option was to camp, but how long would Elka, Effie, and his aunt have to wait for them?

His eyes moved back to the original town Talam had pointed out.

"We'll all go to the town since it's out of the way of the main road, but still within suitable distance from Kasea City. When we get there, we can assess the situation in person," Henry told them. "If it's suitable, Auntie and the others will wait for us there. If not, then they can travel ahead..." He knelt down and followed a thin line on the map with his finger. "Go around Kasea City, and go to this town. It's still a day away from Kasea City, just in the direction of Ridua. One of the escorts will be with them to confirm their identities."

Ash nodded. "All right. That's the only back up plan we have. Let's go with that."

Talam still looked a bit flustered, but nodded in agreement. "My guard, Diyar, is a higher rank and more senior than Bo. He has the Heigoren employment token on him, so if they are questioned, Diyar can explain that they are waiting for us and that their paperwork is in order." He looked towards Nera with a hint of uncertainty. "Is that all right, madam?"

Nera gave him a nod. "It will suffice. Remember, you are only going to Kasea City to observe the situation," she said, looking at her sons. She then turned her head towards Talam. "And to find your uncle. Do not get involved in any conflict."

Talam let out a breath of relief and nodded. "I won't, madam. I understand. We are outnumbered; it's too dangerous."

Henry and Ash exchanged knowing looks. Perhaps Talam and his guard would be outnumbered, but they, for lack of a better term, were overpowered. If anything, they couldn't get too involved because of the damage they could do.

As if knowing what they were thinking, Nera fixed her sights on the two brothers. "That goes for you two, as well. Do not engage."

Henry nodded. "We won't, Auntie."

Ash agreed, as if it were obvious. "Of course, Momma. We know our limits."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

"Bring them out! Bring out those lying thieves or this entire city will burn!" Crowds pushed forward and shouted their demands beneath the shadow of a gatehouse at the end of a stone bridge.

Henry turned his head and looked at Ash with a dull expression. "This is your idea of limits?"

Ash squeezed against him, pushed by the mob on his back and sides. "Talam's the one who wanted to get a better look!"

The two brothers looked at the man behind them, who offered a weak, but excited smile. "This is my first labor revolt!"

"Don't talk about it as if it's a common occurrence!" Henry hissed with a glare.

It took them four and a half days after setting off from the edge of the gate town to get to the first option village. On the positive note, it wasn't an abandoned ghost town that Ash feared. On a negative note, there were few people and they could feel predatory eyes on them the entire time.

Effie and Nera didn't like the feeling the village gave. They tried to find out more about the village before they came, but there were no animals that the ravens could contact from the village, and when they flew ahead to look, small stones were shot at them from the village, making them flee. This was not a good sign.

Elka was concerned that the animals they had could be in danger and targeted for food.

Nera was concerned that they'd be attacked, whether to be robbed or trafficked. They went through the village and kept going. Effie was so unnerved, she insisted on traveling through the night to get as far away as possible.

If they went down one road further, they would all end up going to Kasea City.

"You three go ahead with the guards," Nera had told them. "We'll keep traveling down the main road until we find a suitable settlement where we can stop and wait. If not, we'll camp instead. The ravens will find you and lead you to us when you return."

Elka wanted to go with Henry and the others, but Nera shook her head.

The group split up, with Talam's escort, Bo, leading the way to Kasea City.

As one of the few cities in Ashtar that were considered reasonably prosperous, Kasea City was large, or at least consisted of a large territory. From a distance, they could see the towers protruding from the horizon signaling the numerous stone buildings of wealthy households.

The largest cluster of tall buildings came from the center of a sprawling city on one side of a river. The old quarter was in the middle of a densely packed city, and within tall, and thick, old walls from the days before Ashtar was one large empire. The valley was ideal for farming, so it was a good spot to build a city.

The river also made for a good natural barrier. Enemies would've had to cross it or come from one side, which would have an army protecting it. Now, there were five wide stone bridges that spanned the width of the river, but to get to the old quarter side, they would need to pass through one of the five bridge gate houses.

According to Talam, in its earlier days, people could cross by boat, but after the city walls were erected along the river, they'd have to be ferried further away to cross and then travel back to the old quarter area, and enter through one of the gate houses on the other, non-river, side.

The river itself cut the massive valley in half, and many smaller streams and tributaries could be seen glimmering in the sunlight. Those streams and tributaries fed the swaths of lush, fertile land.

From the center of the city on one side of the river, smaller structures spread out around the walled old quarters, eventually becoming sparse the more rural they became.

Kasea City's wealth came from its year-round good weather and fertile fields that allowed for multiple planting seasons a year. At this time, the fields should've been in the midst of being prepared for, or in the middle of, the next planting season.

They were noticeably bare.

Ash and Henry had exchanged looks from their horses. Not only were the fields they passed bare of any seedlings or showed signs of planting, but there weren't any people, either. No farmers or workers were tending to the fields.

"They usually wouldn't wait this long," Talam had said with a frown. "Planting seasons begin as soon as last season's crops have been harvested and the ground is readied. If they wait too long, that'll affect the other seasons."

"I'm more concerned about where the people are," Ash had replied in a quiet voice.

They rode past the farms and entered the villages at the edges of the city's territory. Henry studied the structures as they passed, as well as observed how lively they were. Bustling villages had animals, people, things out in the yard. There were occasionally children running around and people walking through to run errands.

"Somewhat concerning that windows and doors are closed in the middle of the day," Henry had said as they looked around.

"They're not out farming, so they have to be somewhere," Ash had replied in a mutter. He rode on Henry's other side, his lips pursed. Every time they caught sight of someone, that person looked away or tried to avoid them. "Excuse me!" Ash seemed to have made eye contact with someone and trotted forward. A boy dropped the bucket of water he was holding and turned around and ran, leaving Ash sitting on his horse with his mouth open. "Or not...."

"We're strangers here and there are tensions in the city. Our presence is alarming." Henry had tried to sway his brother. "Let's get to the city and see what we can find out."

The trio with their guards continued deeper into the city. The single-story homes of villagers gave way to taller structures that were more closely built together. As the structures grew denser and taller, the space became more urban. There were more and more people.

One of their guards said that the crowd appeared to be going in one direction, towards the nearest plaza. They craned their necks and could see the street open up to a large neighborhood plaza where dozens of people stood in groups, listening to a man on an elevated, stone platform near the neighborhood well.

While there were plenty of people, it wasn't chaotic, as 'revolt' would've implied. Henry had seen more people and more chaos during festivals in Carthage Harbor. The crowds responded to the storyteller, but no one was throwing anything. People weren't armed with pitchforks and other farming tools.

There didn't seem to be any city patrols or guards around, but there was a sense of order in the plaza, so they weren't needed.

"I thought this was a revolt," Ash had said with a curled lip. "I've seen worse at the summer plays."

"Take our horses to the stable we passed. Wait for us at that restaurant across the plaza," Henry had instructed the guards as he slid off his horse. Ash followed, and seeing that both brothers had dismounted, Talam did, as well.

"Go with the guards and wait for us there," Talam had told Bo. Bo shook his head.

"Young Lord, I can't leave you," Bo had said in a low voice as he stood his ground. He'd also gotten off his horse, but made no move to separate from Talam..

"It's fine. The young masters are with me. We're just here to listen and observe," Talam replied with insistence. "We won't go far."

Bo had remained hesitant, but Talam orders came first. He reluctantly followed the two Atractas guards while Henry led them through the crowd to get closer to the speaker. The brothers and Talam had worn their most drab and unassuming clothing in order to blend in while they traveled into the city. Nera had made a point to remind everyone not to stand out or attract attention, as they wanted to avoid as much trouble along the way as possible.

Ash had dyed his hair and wore his glasses to change his eye color while Henry had used eye drops to change his natural lapis blue eyes to brown. He could've used the eye-color changing glasses, but in a fight, he didn't want to have them knocked off and reveal his real eye color.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

Not that he planned to get into a fight.

Talam had his hair in a head wrap, but Ash and Henry's hair was too short. They wore a coiled piece of cloth around the crowns of their heads instead. It was common for people who worked outdoors, under a hot sun, to wear those pieces of cloth to keep their sweat from falling into their eyes.

From afar, they didn't stand out. They blended in with the crowd, who occasionally shouted something in response to what the speaker was saying. It was usually something of agreement.

The speaker was part way through his story, but it was easy to follow.

The storytellers retold the plight of the laborers that led to the tension there was now.

Kasea City's sprawling countryside, which was once owned by many families across the valley and supplied food to all of Ashtar, had been carved into noble property. There was plenty to eat and sell, but the costs or running the farms, shipping the produce, and the general cost of other necessary goods, like clothing, was much more than they'd get selling their products.

With farming families struggling, nobles and the wealthy came to buy out the farms, piece by piece. By the time the locals realized what had happened, over half of the farmland had been sold. The noble and wealthy owners used their own resources to lower the price of goods in further areas, causing the local farmers to lose business.

Lost business meant more struggling, which led to selling farms or having those farms confiscated because they couldn't afford taxes. By the start of the previous year, nearly three-fourths of the farmland had gone to nobles and the wealthy.

Farmers and villagers assumed they could rent the land or at least be hired to work on their former family lands. For a few planting seasons, they were allowed to do so, though their pay was barely enough to get by. Their meager pay was apparently still too much for the new landowners.

They posted job opportunities in the most impoverished parts of the country to urge workers who were desperate enough to be willing to work for a pittance to come to their farms, and work long hours for a fraction of pay that locals would've been paid.

Locals were angry, of course, but what could they do? They lost their land and the new landowners wouldn't hire them.

Laborers who'd come from afar had to sign work contracts for a full year, which was three planting seasons. Each season would prepare the land, sow, tend, and then finally harvest. The landowners provided food, and built ramshackle bungalows that let in wind and rain to serve as lodgings for the laborers. This also meant that laborers couldn't rent out rooms in farmers' homes, taking away another possible source of income.

Once the three planting seasons were over, and the last harvest gathered, they would receive their pay.

At the end of the last planting season, when it was time to collect their pay, they were given much less, if nothing, they were promised.

The landowners told them that their pay had been used to cover their food and lodgings.

It wasn't stated in the contract that their meals and lodgings would be deducted from their final pay, but at the same time, it wasn't stated that meals and lodgings wouldn't be, either, or that the food and lodging provided by the landowners would be free of charge and as part of the employment agreement.

The laborers were infuriated. They had worked on the farms for months, most of whom had no other source of income. Many people tried to argue and get paid, but they were overwhelmed by the landowners and were beaten away.

The same story came from three different plazas and three different storytellers. Not exactly word for word, but the story was the same.

Greedy landowners swallowed land, refused to hire locals, outsourced labor, and then cheated the laborers out of pay, causing widespread anger.

"It's well orchestrated," Henry had said when they stopped to get some water from a plaza well during a storyteller's break. "I'm sure these aren't the only ones out here retelling the story to win support."

Ash had nodded. "How much truth do you think it has?"

"I don't doubt that nobles who hired them tried to avoid paying," Henry had replied as Ash nodded in agreement. If anything, that was the most believable part. "But there may be a few embellishments to make things sound worse than they already are to gain public sympathy."

Ash had still appeared satisfied. "So, they understand that the only way to get their rightful compensation is to band together."

"Unscrupulous landowners can beat and scold individuals, and even terrorize them and their families into backing down and swallowing this insult," Henry had agreed. "But if all the laborers came forward in a coordinated effort...."

Ash had smirked. "Someone must have experience leading people."

Henry had nodded. "I wonder if there's any way to meet their leader."

Talam, who had been beside him, choked on the water he was drinking from his water bag. As clear liquid dribbled down the sides of his chin, he stared at the brothers in horror.

"You want to meet the leader of the revolt?"

Henry had motioned his hand out towards the people still in the plaza, discussing with outrage the cruelty that had taken place.

"This is an organized, coordinated effort. Someone must be leading them, and they're doing a good job of it."

"And didn't you hear what the storyteller said?" Ash had asked. "It wasn't just one or two farms who withheld pay; it was nearly all of them. No wonder there are no laborers on the farms right now. They're all in protest. I would be, too!"

Henry had eyed his brother a bit. If it were Ash, he would've made something explode already to vent his anger.

"The landowners started it first. Nearly all the farms withheld pay? You can't convince me this wasn't an agreement made amongst the landowners ahead of time."

Talam had lowered his head and knitted his brows. He shook his head. "That makes sense. Why else would so many use the same trick?"

Henry had become even more determined to find the leader of the so-called revolt. They asked around and while heading towards the river, they found themselves caught up in a march of people heading towards the bridges. As a result, the brothers and Talam were part of the crush of people with no way to squeeze out.

From what Henry could see over the tops of the crowd's heads, the main bridge they were on wasn't the only one filled with people. All the other bridges that led into the old quarter were blocked with laborers. Some were chanting slogans, others were demanding action be done and to be paid.

"Can they get any closer?" Ash asked. "The portcullis is down and it looks like the doors of the gatehouse are closed behind it."

"Officials from the capital have come," a thin, older man said beside him. "They're all inside, so we've come every day to demand that the landowners release payment."

If the officials were good, they would force the landowners to pay their workers, but it had been several days. Henry was disheartened.

"The Prime Minister is supposed to be there to reallocate land, but he hasn't come out."

"Why haven't they come out?"

"Release our pay! Bring out the landowners!"

"Talam, how did the Prime Minister get authority to force the reallocation of land?" Henry asked in a low voice.

Talam grit his teeth. "The Emperor had deemed that there are limits on private farmland and property for the nobles and the wealthy. Those with over a certain amount must return a portion of their land to the court so that the court can reallocate it to local farmers."

Ash and Henry met each other's gaze once more, knowing it meant that the Emperor was paranoid that nobles and wealthy under him would buy up too much land and could use the property they'd accumulated against him eventually. However, if this curbed the power of the nobles, the brothers agreed with this.

"That's not a bad plan, actually," Ash said.

Talam straightened up a bit. "It was my uncle who convinced the Emperor to force his hand."

Ash sighed. He lowered his head and whispered to his brother in Lunapsar. "I don't want to be impressed, but I am."

Henry rolled his eyes. "I'm not sure if you like him or hate him."

"I'm not sure myself. I'll follow Momma's lead."

Henry sneered, not believing his brother for a moment. If anyone who was close to Ash was wronged, he would hold a grudge.

At the center of the crowd, just a few people in front of them, a middle-aged man with graying hair stood on an overturned wooden bucket to stand above the crowd just enough that he could be seen. Around him were sun-tanned workers in shabby clothing, looking at him with hope and admiration.

"My fellow laborers!" The man's voice sounded above the crowds like bellows. He raised his arms to get people's attention. "We are here, yet again, to demand that the landowners come forward and pay their workers their proper wages!" He turned and faced the towering stone gate house.

A few city guards peered down the top, where they were on patrol, but didn't respond.

Ash leaned towards Henry. "I guess that's the leader."

The middle-aged man pointed to the guards. "Our demands have been listed and stated multiple times. If you do not release those landowners and order them to pay their workers, we will continue to block the gates, preventing food from flowing into the city!"

Ash's brows shot up. "Wait, so they didn't put the portcullis down to keep people out?" Those heavy iron bars, once down, took an enormous effort to lift. The pulleys and gears used to lift them were instrumental.

Another person behind them overheard him. "The portcullis was brought down by us and its mechanism broken. The city's craftsmen who can fix it are on this side of the river. They are refusing to help the city repair the portcullis out of solidarity."

"We've created a blockade around the bridges and on the other side of the old quarter's eastern gates to prevent food from entering the city."

Henry nodded and mused. "Considering the size of the city, it'll take some time before they'll be starved out."

Ash agreed. "Even if there isn't a large storehouse of food, there must be some food in there, especially when there's a meeting with court officials happening. Food should've been purchased and set aside for the meeting."

A movement came from the top of the gate tower. Henry turned his attention back to the top and saw the city guards had stepped aside and made way for a fat, greasy looking man who was so short, they could only make out the top of his chest, with its gold embroidered clothes, and his round, flushed face over the ramparts.

Henry drew his head back and frowned. "Don't tell me that's the city lord."

"That's him!" The excited voice of one of the laborers confirmed behind him. "That's Viscount Ibram! He put his support behind the landowners! He protected them when we complained! He's been hiding for days!"

Ash shook his head with a curled lip of distaste. "He looks like a corrupt villainous noble from a novel."

"Well, you're not wrong."

"The Ashtari army has been notified!" Viscount Ibram's first words to the protesting crowds did not bring him any cheers. "Word of your rebellion has reached Ridua! If you do not disperse today, then you can only face what awaits you when the army arrives!" He took pleasure in giving the people such a threat.

The middle-aged man standing on the bucket sneered and lifted his chin. "If you don't send out those landowners and pay us what we are owed, then the military will be more focused on putting out the flames when we light your city on fire!"

The crowds cheered in agreement and Ash's brows shot up. "Wow, that escalated quickly."

Henry shrugged. "Desperate times."

The Viscount didn't take the threat seriously. He let out a mocking laugh and looked down at them as if they were ants. "You have until tomorrow morning to leave, or the army will force you to! By any means necessary!"

And like a villain in a play, he turned dramatically from the edge of the ramparts and out of sight of the crowds.

Ash snorted. He raised his hand and made a little sign in the air. Henry caught sight of Midnight flying above them in a circle, then dropping something down.

"Ah! Who threw that-is this bird poop!?" So much for the viscount's dramatic exit.

Regardless, his few words had an effect on the people. As the crowds began to withdraw, the determined air of the area grew tense and nervous. Henry heard people all around him voicing their concerns about the army.

"They're not going to listen to us," the middle-aged man stepped off the overturned bucket. He looked at some of the other laborers who were following him. "We must prepare. If they don't bring those landowners to us by sunset, send the flaming projectiles over the wall."

Ash clicked his tongue when he heard this. "Then, you also better get your people to block the aqueducts so they can't get water to drink or put out the fire."

Talam snapped his head towards Ash as the middle-aged man who was just a few paces away heard him. The man's eyes went wide with surprise before giving Ash a curious look. "Young man, are you from here?"

Henry stepped forward. "Sir, my brothers and I are only passing through." To his right, Talam let out a gasp and his face softened, as if he were touched at being considered Henry's brother, though it was just an alias made up on the spot.

The middle-aged man looked at him and squinted before looking back at Ash. "How do you know about aqueducts?"

Ash pointed to the river. "You can see the grated holes peeking out from the base of the wall's foundation against the river. It lets in water that would go through the city to provide it with water, probably in case of a siege." He then motioned to the dispersing crowds around them. Some were returning to their blockades at the other end of the bridge.

The middle-aged man looked towards the river and then seemed to look around the base of the walls. His eyes widened. "I didn't consider the aqueducts...."

"You seem to be in charge of the laborers fighting for their demands," Henry said. "How long has this been going on? And are all the landowners in hiding?"

The middle-aged man turned his attention back to them and let out a heavy sigh as he shook his head. "Weeks, if not a few months. When we came together to demand payment and complained to the court, the landowners hid behind the viscount." He looked at them once more and then seemed to nod to himself. "If you're curious about our goals, come with me. Have some tea. We can use more people." He eyed Ash and Henry in particular. "Smart people."

Talam looked surprised. He looked at Henry and Ash, who both nodded in agreement without checking with him.

"Henry." Henry extended his hand towards the man. "My brother, Ash, and my...uh...brother-in-law."

The middle-aged man grasped his hand firmly and shook it. "Vicente Kaj. I was also passing through in the beginning." He released Henry's hand and shook Ash's and then Talam's. He motioned for them to follow him. "It must've been at the start of when it all happened. I saw laborers and their families pleading for their pay and only getting beaten in return. Those who waited in protest at the doors of the landowners were starved." He shook his head. "I couldn't stand to see them like this. Life is already hard for Ashtari...."

"So, you arranged all of this," Henry concluded.

Vicente Kaj chuckled. "I brought them together and gave them a focus. A guide, if you will."

Henry cracked a small smile and shook his head. "Don't lessen your importance. People need a leader to unite them and lead, or they'll never be able to fight against their exploiters."

"This revolt-"

"It's not a revolt, it's a protest and demand for what's right," Vicente Kaj glanced over his shoulder and gave Talam an amused smile. "Is that what you've heard it called?" He shook his head. "Words have power."

Talam nodded. "It's not at all what we expected. Did you organize this to happen during the meeting with officials?"

They entered a modest tea house and were able to get a small table near the entrance. Henry ordered some simple tea for them and Vicente Kaj gave him a nod before answering Talam.

"I heard people of importance were coming, including Prime Minister Heigoren. From my travels, I heard promising things about him. I hoped that if he heard of our troubles, he would step in, and force the landlords to pay." Vicente Kaj's face darkened as his lips tugged down. "I had hoped to be loud enough, and garner enough attention with our mass protests at the doors of the city, but it's been some time." He looked up at the three who sat across from him. "Our demands haven't been met. I should've known that the Prime Minister was like the rest of them."

Henry's eyes flickered to Talam, who had opened his mouth to immediately defend his uncle. Unfortunately for Talam, Ash was faster and seemed to know where the conversation was going. He slapped a silence slip on Talam's back and shot him a look implying that now was not the time.

Seeing that Talam couldn't give them away, he turned back to Vicente Kaj. "The Prime Minister hasn't made an appearance?"

"I found it strange, and clashing with what I heard of the man. But, then again, perhaps his reputation was fabricated to gain support from the people," the middle-aged man replied.

Beside him, Henry saw Talam struggling from the corner of his eye. Ash had slapped a charm on his leg, beneath the table, nearly paralyzing Talam. Talam's eyes were still able to move and he seemed to look at Ash, asking why he'd done that.

"I heard that the Prime Minister is a fair man. After all, he organized the meeting to reallocate the land and return some of it to the people. It would make sense for him to side with the laborers, or at least mediate."

Vicente Kaj nodded in agreement as a tea pot and four small cups stacked on top of each other were placed on the table. Henry reached for it before he could and began to pour some tea. The man sighed heavily. "I had high hopes as well, but it's been several days and he hasn't shown up once." The disappointed curl of his lip appeared on his face. "If this isn't a sign of his tacit approval of the landowners, what is?"

Talam was still struggling and his eyes were red, desperately wanting to defend his uncle.

Henry narrowed his eyes as he looked down at his tea cup. "Is it possible he doesn't know?" Talam almost jumped in his seat.

Vicente shook his head. "How could he not?: It's been several days. Kasea City is prosperous, but not so prosperous that they have a stockpile of food. Even if the local gentry was hiding this from him, he should've had some clues. No...he must be on the side of the landowners."

A depressed mood went over the table. They sipped their tea in silence as the crowds outside moved above. The air was filled with anticipation, as if sunset would determine their next course of action.

They were in a tea house just across the bridge and could see the main gatehouse clearly from where they sat. Hours passed, and there was no change.

No one came back out. No landowners were released.

After their third pot of tea, Vicente Kaj stood up. "The sun is going to set soon. We'll give them one more chance."

Henry and Ash stood up with him. Talam, who had been allowed to speak and move for a while, also stood up. Henry put a hand on Talam's shoulder. "You should stay here."

Talam shook his head. "No, I should go with you."

"You should all come," Vicente Kaj told them. "For the people." They followed him out, to where groups of people had already gathered. The crowd by the blockade appeared to be waiting for him to arrive.

"Master Kaj," one of the men said as he gave the middle-aged man an affirmative nod. "The trebuchets are in place."

"Good."

Ash, Henry, and Talam all stared at the back of the man's head as they marched forward, on to the bridge and towards the main gate. "Wait, wait," Ash said, squeezing forward. "You have trebuchets? Where did you get them?"

"We built them!" The old man who'd reported to Vicente Kaj chuckled at Ash's surprise.

A melancholy smile was on Vicente Kaj's face as he looked directly ahead of him, as if focused on something they couldn't see. "Before the Great Famine, the town where I was from was the base of Kuhahan."

Henry's head snapped towards him and bore his wide eyes into the side of the man's head. "The Great Iron Mountain?" It was where the bulk of Ashtar's weapons once came from. The best weapons masters in the empire had come from the Kuhahan area and their reputation preceded them. It was also the ancestral homeland of Arunsha's mother's family.

Vicente Kaj looked at Henry with some surprise and then smiled knowingly. "So, you've heard of it," he said with a bit of pride in his voice.

Henry stared at the man, looking at him in a new light. "I didn't know there were still weapons masters in Ashtar."

Vicente smiled and looked back ahead of him. "Well, at least now, you've met one."

The sun began to set just as they reached the gatehouse. Before Vicente could stand out and repeat their demands, other voices came from the back of the crowd. Their shouting was so loud and panicked, that everyone turned around to see them rushing.

"They're here! The army is here!"

The announcement sent ripples across the crowds. Even Henry felt his blood run cold as Vicente Kaj frowned. "What? Aren't they supposed to come by morning? They're here too early!"

Before he could give an order to go back, as there was nowhere else to go on the bridge, soldiers on horseback appeared in the streets, behind the crowds of people.

Henry looked at Ash, who looked at Henry. "It looks like this is our limit."

Ash shrugged. "Don't tell Momma."

Henry let out a snort and reached out to grab Talam and place him between him and Ash as the people around them began to panic. At the other side of the bridge, people were fleeing in all directions to avoid the oncoming cavalry, but on the bridge, they had nowhere to go.

"Stand back! Get out of the way!" The soldiers pulled their horses back, causing them to go on their hind legs to scare the people. The crowds could do nothing against their loud shouts and the horses stomping their way through.

The denser the people were, the fewer places they could go, frustrating the soldiers and making them angry.

Vicente moved quickly. His form was fluid, and a large dagger appeared in his hand out of nowhere. He narrowed his eyes and took a defensive stance in front of the brothers.

"Everyone stand behind me!" he shouted. He lowered his voice. "It looks like there is no way out."

"Don't say that," Henry said in a calm, almost lazy voice, as he adjusted his bag in front of him and reached into it. "The night is still young."

Ash scoffed and pulled a sword from his bag. Henry did the same. The swords were longer than the bags were deep, and several people gasped when they saw it.

Vicente Kaj's eyes were wide. "Space preservation bags?" He squinted at the two brothers. "Are you two Atra-"

"I said stand back! Move out of the way!" People were shouting and pressed against the sides of the stone bridge as everyone pushed forward.

Ash and Henry instinctively made their way forward to get between the soldiers and the laborers. As a result, Talam also found himself following. Vicente Kaj came with them in silence.

The soldiers tried to go forward, but there was no way to get through. Their frustration reached its peak. A soldier at the front of the cavalry raised his sword and began making threatening cutting motions at the crowd, causing those nearby to scream.

"Stay with Talam," Henry told Ash as he prepared to engage. He adjusted his fingers around the hilt and prepared to move forward when a sharp whistling flew overhead.

The sword that was waving over the soldier's head was hit with such force that it was knocked out of his hand and fell to the side, clattering on the stone paved road below him. His face lost color and he looked up towards the direction of the shot's origin.

Everyone seemed to turn back to the top of the gate house.

A man stood on the ramparts wall, lowering his bow as his eyes bore down at the soldiers. His face was covered with a thick, black beard, and his head had a head wrap around it with pins that showed his rank.

He wore the deep indigo robes of a high ranking official. Tall and somewhat lean, but from how well he balanced himself and shot with such precision, he appeared to the crowd as a gallant, heroic man.

Henry took a second look and squinted. There was still some light in the sky, and he wasn't completely sure, but that man looked to have burgundy eyes.

"Didn't I call you here to arrest the landlords and confiscate their property?" The man's voice boomed across the nearly silent river, making the soldiers shudder. "What in the pits of the underworld are you idiots doing?" The man shouted with fury. "Those are the victims!"

To Henry's right, he heard Vicente Kaj take a low breath. "He finally showed up...."

Talam grabbed Ash's shoulder, which was nearest to him, and shook it with excitement. "That's my uncle!"

The soldiers on horseback were moved to the side as an older soldier came forward. Before his horse stopped, he jumped off and immediately bowed in the direction of the man standing on the ramparts.

He looked nothing like the intimidating soldiers that had stormed towards them just moments earlier.

"Good evening, and my apologies for my subordinate's impulsiveness, Lord Prime Minister Heigoren!"