Snake, Scarab, & Sons: Purveyors of Fine T

In his youth as the Crown Prince of Ashtar, Henry had only seen Enroshan Heigoren a few times, and usually at a distance. Now that Talam had confirmed that the man standing atop the ramparts, with his clothing billowing in the wind and a hand gripping a bow longer than his torso, Henry engrained the man and his burgundy eyes in his mind.

Well-educated, well-traveled, from a good family. Enroshan Heigoren was also said to be an excellent speaker. Henry believed that as Enroshan was able to reach the position of Prime Minister under the current Emperor. Not only that, but he also seemed to be getting things done. No matter what personal feelings or thoughts he had for his beloved aunt's former fiancée, if Prime Minister Heigoren proved himself to be the man he was reputed to be, Henry wanted him on his side.

"Commander Shiran, order your forces twenty paces from the start of the bridges and hold position!" Enroshan's voice was firm, sounding as if he left no room for negotiation.

Henry and Ash maintained their position on guard, about a quarter of the way on the bridge. The group in front of them had managed to scatter when the soldiers first arrived, while others had been pressed to the sides of the bridge.

The air was tense, and for a moment, no one moved. Henry watched Commander Shiran carefully, searching for any sign of hesitation or refusal. The army leader's shoulders rose and fell with a heavy breath. He stood up straight and exhaled before bowing his head towards Enroshan.

"Yes, Prime Minister!" He lifted his left fist into the air and looked over his shoulder. "Back twenty paces!"

Even in the fading light, Henry could see that there was some hesitation among the soldiers. They looked over their shoulders, checking to see if there was distance to retreat back behind them. The orders were shouted back by several soldiers until finally, the cavalry began to move back slowly.

"Order the bridge leads to retreat away from the major streets. Send half to secure the trebuchets," Vicente Kaj told a few of his men who were close enough to hear.

They gave him nods of understanding and quietly moved away. They kept their eyes on the soldiers, not daring to turn their backs even as they stepped off the bridge and went around the major streets.

The laborers were wary. The soldiers were wary.

"Don't lower your guard," Henry said in a quiet voice. Beside him, Ash let out an acknowledging hum.

"Group heads, spread the word to get off the bridge. Avoid the main thoroughfare," Vicente Kaj looked over his shoulder and spoke to a few more people. Men and women of various ages nodded and began whispering amongst themselves.

Small groups gathered together, all remaining alert as they walked off the bridge, but kept as much distance between them and the line of horsemen standing twenty paces away.

Ash lifted his arm and grabbed Talam's head and shoulder, turning him away from the gatehouse.

"What are you doing? That's my uncle!" Talam hissed in a low voice. "He won't hurt me!"

"It's not about whether or not he will. It's the overall situation," Ash replied in an almost uncharacteristically stern voice. "Now is not the time to attract any attention. We need to get out of the way and reconvene where it's safe."

"Rutherford, is it?" Vicente Kaj spoke up and glanced at Henry. "You and your brothers should also retreat."

"Mr. Kaj, you are between an official and an army," Henry replied, not taking a step from where he stood with his hips facing the cavalry. "In what world is that a place anyone would want to be in?"

The corner of the older man's lips curled up a bit. Henry was facing the cavalry, and Talam was between him and Ash. Ash was positioned at an angle, able to react to any movement on either side. Vicente Kaj had his back to Ash, forming a relatively secure circle, with the exception of hapless Talam, of course.

"You there! The man in black!" Enroshan shouted down at them as the bridge cleared out. It became obvious that the only ones standing in place were Vicente Kaj and the three 'brothers'. "Are you the leader?"

Henry took a deep breath and resisted the urge to turn around. After all, he was technically a bystander. The question was directed at Vicente Kaj.

The middle-aged man turned around to face the gatehouse and the man atop it. Henry was not surprised that he'd turn to face the Prime Minister without cowering, but at the same time, was surprised that he left his back open, with only Henry and Ash to protect him.

Isn't he trusting us a little too quickly?

"I'm not so much the leader as I am the organizer of the laborers, my lord!" Henry's brows shot up, and he glanced at Ash, who met his gaze and gave him a somewhat impressed nod. Vicente Kaj had proven to be able to attract and keep attention when he spoke that afternoon, as well as keep his composure under the blatant threat of the city lord, but it seemed he could sound even more like a leader than initially observed.

Vicente Kaj was representing all the poor laborers who had been exploited. He could not show any weakness right now, and polite talk could be misconstrued. Sounding distant, but respectful was good enough.

"Vicente Kaj, isn't it? You submitted the demands and sent a list of grievances to the city lord. I have reached your list of demands and read through the grievances submitted. I was not informed of the situation outside until this afternoon. I am still reviewing the grievances, but have detained the landowners named in the list," Enroshan told him. "They will remain detained while we sort through their financial records. Will you send someone to open these gates?"

Henry didn't want to agree just yet. He could still get an advantage.

"Bring out the thieving landowners so that we can see that they have been captured and detained first!" It seemed that Vicente Kaj was not going to agree so easily, either.

"At dawn, we will bring out the detailed seventeen landowners named in the list of grievances, so long as you and your people agree to ensure their safety," Enroshan replied.

"Ensure their physical safety," Henry found himself whispering in a low voice.

Vicente Kaj's eyes flickered over as he heard Henry. The two exchanged silent looks before Vicente Kaj looked back at Enroshan. "There is no need for us to act out and take revenge on the landowners, so long as they are held accountable by law and are punished accordingly. All we want are our wages. Prime Minister, the more pressing question is when will the laborers be paid?"

Enroshan was quiet for a moment, as if silently calculating the time needed to gather all the necessary records, confiscate the money and property, and then organize and distribute the pay. Not to mention that they needed to set up a location where the laborers could pick up the pay, schedule the time, and notify all the victims.

After some thought, he knit his brows and nodded. "Two weeks!"

"Too long!" Vicente Kaj had that answer ready. While two weeks was fair, considering the situation, the laborers had no money for food or housing. From what Henry and the others learned, many were camping outdoors on the outskirts of the city. Food came from money pooled together, and in some cases, confiscated harvest.

Enroshan frowned. "I understand that the laborers are in immediate need of money, but many documents still need to be confiscated and reviewed. We need to confirm the full list of laborers hired during this time."

Vicente Kaj frowned.

Henry let out a quiet cough behind him. "Compensation."

The other man's eyes lit up. If they couldn't get their pay earlier than two weeks, then, to calm the people, compensation should be given. It was only fair, wasn't it?

"Then, what about compensation for the period of delay up until payment?"

"An additional percent of the total original payout will be paid for every week that payment was delayed," Enroshan replied. "This will go back to the week immediately after payment was scheduled to be paid, and up to when the payment is issued."

"Huh...I didn't think he'd agree so easily...." Vicente Kaj muttered under his breath.

"It's not his money; it'll be taken from the confiscated wealth of the landowners," Henry replied. "What about the additional punishment for the landowners. How much is being confiscated? They weren't paying an adsorbent amount to begin with. It's a drop in a bucket to their wealth."

Vicente Kaj gave him a nod. He lifted his chin and met Enroshan's eyes. "Prime Minister, while we agree not to physically harm the landowners ourselves in an act of vigilantism, this is only agreed upon so long as the court punishes them. They defrauded and exploited thousands of laborers; shouldn't they be punished? We are still a country with laws."

"Agreed, sir. With the sheer amount of grievances submitted, it isn't just defrauding and exploitation that they will be charged with," Enroshan replied. "All the land that had employed laborers will be confiscated and redistributed as part of the Imperial Order 783, which will allocate the land back to the people of the region. In addition, the landowners will face the usual fines and prison time for the crime of failing to pay their contracted employees. There are additional charges of assault and harassment that will also add additional punishment."

"Make sure he gets it in writing," Henry whispered. If it wasn't in writing, it didn't count. Henry knew this as a prince and as a merchant.

Vicente Kaj nodded. "That sounds all well and good, my lord, but you will forgive us for demanding that the terms will be agreed upon in writing, then vetted by a third party with no vested interest."

Enroshan raised a brow. "And who would that third party be? They can neither be a laborer, a government official, a soldier, or a landowner."

Henry didn't need to turn his head to know that Vicente Kaj had turned his gaze to him in silence.

He didn't move from his place, but his eyes crinkled up. "You're looking at me, aren't you?"

Vicente Kaj let out a low chuckle and replied in a quiet voice. "If the scion of Snake, Scarab, and Sons can't review a contract, who can?"

Henry's sharp eyes darted over. He knew that Vicente Kaj wasn't an ordinary man. At least, he wasn't an ordinary Ashtari man. If he knew of Snake, Scarab, and Sons, and especially knew that he was one of the owner's sons, then it meant he must've spent significant time outside of Ashtari and dabbled in some sort of business.

That certainly explained how well he could organize a large group of laborers.

Henry still frowned and looked at Ash. "Might as well," his brother replied with a slight shrug.

Knowing that Ash would cover for him, Henry lowered his sword and straightened up. He turned around to face the gatehouse and raised his head to meet Enroshan's eyes.

"I can," he said in a firm, confident voice. Up until that point, everyone was speaking in vulgar, common Ashtari.

The formal words coming from Henry's mouth made Enroshan squint his eyes and seem to give Henry another once over.

"You are not a laborer?" he asked.

"No, we were passing through and were caught up, but I can sympathize with the laborers. Despite this, I have nothing to gain, so I am suitable to act as a third-party witness," Henry replied. "Rest assured, I can read and write formal court Ashtari, as well."

Enroshan narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Your circumstances are acceptable. What is your name?"

"My family name was Majir, but we fled during the Great Famine. We returned, though, go by our foreign names," Henry replied. "I am Rutherford von Sails."

"Mr. von Sails, Mr. Kaj," Enroshan said with an acknowledging nod to both men. "The, tomorrow, at dawn. We will meet at this gatehouse. The offending landowners will be brought forward, and we will finalize the agreement to facilitate payment, additional compensation, and formally order the punishment of the landowners for the crimes of contract breach, assault, and harassment to oppress the laborers. Is this sufficient?"

Vicente Kaj looked at Henry once more. Henry hadn't looked away from Enroshan.

"What about the army? Can you ensure that they will not harass our people or the people of this city during negotiations and any pending trial?"

Enroshan looked at Henry, but called out to the commander. "Commander Shiran!"

"My lord!" The man in light armor swept forward, his dark red cape following behind him as he stepped onto the bridge and saluted the Prime Minister once more.

Enroshan turned his attention to him. "In the following days, we will be proceeding with negotiations with the laborers and the trials to charge the landowners for their crimes. During this period of time, unless you are called to assist with the confiscation of property from the guilty landowners, you and your army are to remain garrisoned outside the city until further notice."

The Commander bowed his head and saluted. "Yes, my lord. We will remain garrisoned and await your order."

He turned around and headed back to the cavalry behind him.

"Is this sufficient?" Enroshan asked.

Vicente Kaj saw Henry make a slight nod and then answered. "We agree to the terms and will meet in the morning, along with various laborer leaders."

Enroshan appeared satisfied and handed his bow to one of the city guards. Before he could step down, Henry took a step forward. "I have a question for the Prime Minister!"

Vicente Kaj almost grimaced. "I thought we were done?" he hissed in a low voice.

"We are not." Henry took another step forward and spoke louder. "The City Lord threatened us this afternoon with the army. He has ignored the plight of the people and allowed the landowners to do as they please, commit acts of violence, and shirk on their responsibilities. I would like to submit a formal grievance against him!"

Ash's brows shot up with excitement. He looked over his shoulder, at the gatehouse.. "Numerous laborers and their family members were hurt during this time, and the City Lord conspired with the landowners and shielded them. He would not do this without benefit, and I second the grievance, and request that the court audit the City Lord."

"Oh...nice...." Vicente Kaj gave the brothers an appreciative nod.

The landowners would not have been so wanton with their corruption if the City Lord was not being corrupt with them. This sort of thing needed to be corrected on the spot.

Enroshan smirked a bit and raised his chin. "The City Lord is already detained in prison on separate charges, including dereliction of duty and insubordination. Corruption charges will also be added."

"Then, we are done here, Prime Minister," Henry replied with a small nod.

Enroshan raised a brow, the smirk still on his face as he appeared satisfied. "Tomorrow at dawn, Mr. Kaj. Mr. von Sails."

He turned around and jumped down to leave. Henry waited until he disappeared before turning around to look towards the cavalry. The soldiers had moved back considerably and appeared to be organizing their retreat so as not to run into each other and cause havoc.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Thoughts?" Ash asked as he remained in place.

"He's met us at every demand and appears to want to work with us," Henry replied. "Only tomorrow will tell if we can really get what the laborers want."

"Thank you for mentioning the City Lord," Vicente Kaj said. "I almost forgot about him."

"Mmm! Mmm!" A muffled sound came from Talam, who was jumping behind Ash, trying to get their attention. Vicente Kaj gave him a strange look as Henry sighed.

"Did you put a silence slip on him?"

"We were in the middle of an important deal. You needed to focus," Ash replied as if keeping Talam from jumping into the conversation was par for the course.

"Hmm?" Talam crinkled his eyes and looked at Ash accusingly.

"Just bear with it a bit longer," Henry said, patting Talam's shoulder. He looked at Ash. "How long does it last?"

"An hour. It was a short one."

"An hour is enough time. I'll take him back and try to find an inn where we can stay the night with our escorts," Henry said. He looked at Vicente Kaj. "If you don't mind, I'll join you in the morning."

The middle-aged man raised his arms and nodded. "By all means, please do. I had hoped to invite you." He smiled, appearing absolutely pleased with the way things were going, including Henry's involvement.

"Have some of your people take Ash to secure the trebuchets," he said.

At this, the other man blinked. "Secure them? We were going to bring them back."

Henry shook his head. "In case anyone changes their mind tomorrow, you can retaliate. However, if they're out in the open, the army may see them."

"They were instructed to garrison outside, but that didn't mean they couldn't come into the city and look around, unofficially," Ash added.

"Having the weapons ready in case our side is attacked is a good idea," Henry told them.

Vicente Kaj raised a brow. "You don't trust the Prime Minister's word?"

"I don't trust the army," Henry replied easily. "The only army I'd trust is one under my control."

The man let out a small laugh and nodded. "You are your mother's son." He looked to the side and waved his arm to get someone's attention. "Take this young man to the trebuchets, keep them out and at the ready in case tomorrow's negotiations sour. Arrange for people to guard it overnight."

"Yes, sir." One of the men agreed, but rubbed the back of his head. "What if the army tries to confiscate them? Siege weapons haven't been used in Ashtar for many years.

"They can't confiscate what they can't find," Ash replied. "I'll make sure of it."

Vicente Kaj took a deep breath and looked at Ash with some uncertainty. "Young man, I can tell immediately that you're smart, but are you sure you can hide the weapons? These aren't small objects."

"I've seen a trebuchet before," Ash replied in a dull voice. He lifted a hand and snapped his fingers, bringing a small white paper slip between his fingers. Instantly, the slip began to glow brighter than a candle in the dark.

"You've heard of Snake, Scarab, and Sons, but you don't know about its second young master?" Henry asked with a slight grin. He motioned one hand to his brother. "Ash Atractas. Mage."

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

When they emerged from their inn, which was reserved with assistance from Vicente Kaj, a crowd of people had already gathered at the plaza just outside its main doors. The sun had yet to rise, but it would soon, marking the start of the negotiations.

Henry wasn't too surprised and appreciated the support of the people.

"Young master! Is the mage coming?" someone asked. Henry almost tripped. Ash was left to protect, and restrain, Talam. The Prime Minister was working with them, but he wasn't their ally. Henry was concerned that Talam would be targeted and harassed by the laborers if they found out that he was the only nephew and heir of the Prime Minister.

"You're a prime target for becoming a hostage," Ash had told Talam the night before, when they were reviewing their plans.

Talam had paled and slumped forward. "But...he is my uncle."

"Then don't cause your uncle any trouble. He thinks you're out, escorting merchants to the capital. If he knows you're here, it may affect his work," Henry had added.

"Besides, didn't you come just to check on your uncle?" Ash had asked when he fell back against a bed. "You saw your uncle. He's fine and seems to have everything under control."

"As long as the negotiations go through, we can leave it to Vicente Kaj, and leave." Talam was disappointed, but understood their point.

He and his escort stayed at the inn with Ash and the two guards. Henry walked out alone, showing that he was either confident or unprepared.

"The mage will be on standby," Henry replied. The innkeeper's son reached him with his horse. "Aside from the leaders, the rest of you should wait elsewhere. Don't congregate in an area where he can be rounded up and attacked in the open. We haven't finalized any agreement yet, so we can't drop our guard."

The earlier excitement in the air dropped at Henry's clear reality. As much as everyone wanted to believe things would get better, they should still prepare for the worst.

If Henry were honest, a small part of him felt that something would go wrong. He just wasn't sure what. The entire conflict the night before had gone too smoothly. He believed that Enroshan Heigoren was sincere, but once more, he didn't trust the army or any other official there.

He rode through the city and towards the bridge. The first rays of sunlight had begun to make the horizon glow orange from purple.

The figure of Vicente Kaj could be seen along with some thin, bare thread-dressed people on their side of the river, appearing to wait for him. If he hadn't figured out that Vicente Kaj not only knew Nera, but was also her subordinate, he would've been suspicious as to why they trusted him so quickly.

They'd only arrived the day before, and had no plans of getting involved. They just found themselves caught up in the injustice.

"Mr. von Sails." Vicente Kaj didn't reveal their identities. "Thank you for coming. These are the leaders of the laborers from various farms."

Henry dismounted and reached forward to shake everyone's hand in greeting. The laborers were all older than him, some still young in their late twenties, and others who were elderly. They were lean, if not skinny, their backs hunched a bit, and their skin turned into a leathery light brown from the sun exposure and hardships of farming.

When he shook their hands, he felt their calloused palms and knotted fingers. His hands were also calloused, but from using a sword. There was a clear difference.

"Master Kaj said that you are trying to start a business in Ashtar?" one of the old women asked. "That's good! That's good! There are so few opportunities."

"If I'm able to grow a business in the capital, I'll expand to the other cities, including this one," Henry said. "My family is in the hospitality business, so sourcing local food, such as the grains and produce farmed here, is invaluable."

He chatted a bit more with them, shared a little information, including that he had a mother and two siblings to support, as well as a fiancée who had followed them there to help.

When the sun peeked out of the horizon, the creaking sounds and low groan of wooden gate doors sounded. Everyone turned their attention to the gatehouse. The portcullis was still firmly rooted on the ground, as the craftsmen would not come to fix the mechanisms until the laborers were assured their pay.

Through the large gaps between the iron bars, the Prime Minister was standing in his official uniform. Some city guards came with a wooden table and pushed it against the portcullis, then spread out some paper, ink, and pens.

"Gentlemen," the Prime Minister greeted with a nod of his head. "Welcome. Thank you for coming."

Vicente Kaj took the lead in leading everyone forward. Just half a step to his right, Henry followed. He gave the Prime Minister a curt nod.

"Good morning, Prime Minister. I believe we can begin as soon as we confirm that the landowners are in custody," Vicente Kaj said.

Enroshan nodded and stepped back. The gatehouse opened up to a wide street that would lead up a winding road to the city's government buildings. "Bring them forward!" They heard the clanking of chains as Enroshan reached into his robe pocket and took out a few folded sheets of paper. "Temir Gorga, seventeen farms totaling one hundred and seven jers of land. He contracted seventy-three full-time laborers for three cycles, and another fifty part-time laborers for the harvests and sowing. Kasaam Farange, fifteen farms...."

There were around a dozen landowners paraded out one by one, their wrists in metal cuffs and one of their ankles clad with a thick, metal ring that connected to a heavy chain, which connected all the detainees. Though their hair and clothes were a bit out of place, and with only mild staining, it seemed as if they hadn't been detained for long.

It was likely that Enroshan had arrested them the day before, when he found out about the grievances that had been ignored and hidden from him.

With each landowner, Henry calculated the amount of land they each had and clenched his jaw. Each of those farms was once a family-owned farm. Even if the families sold them, the circumstances of the sale were forced. They were desperate circumstances, and Henry would be willfully ignorant to ignore that.

Several hundred farms had been confiscated and over a thousand laborers had been exploited. Everyone's face darkened as the numbers grew higher and higher.

"I worked on these document last night, and they add detail to what we discussed. Please take a look." Through the portcullis bars, Enroshan passed several pages to Vicente Kaj.

After he read through one page, he handed it to Henry to review.

Henry only got through half of the first page before he turned towards the laborers with them and asked them to bring a table. He had his own pen and ink.

They nodded and rushed off.

Enroshan squinted his eyes at Henry. "Did you find one of the terms not to your liking?"

"It lacks conditional details, and the list of offenses should start from the most serious to the least," Henry told him as he took another page and read through. "A few specifics could be used so there is no question later. If someone, including the Emperor, finds a loophole, all our work today could be for nothing."

Several laborers looked at each other, surprised, before turning their appreciative gazes towards Henry.

Soon, a wooden table was brought, and Henry reached into his bag to take out some ink and a pen. He laid out the first page and began to explain what changes he wanted to make. Both Vicente Kaj and Enroshan came closer and made their opinions known.

Henry didn't notice that at one point, someone had brought them chairs. Enroshan was leaning forward, sticking his hand through the portcullis to rephrase the wording of a sentence to make it clearer.

Henry made the changes, scratching out the rejected or reworded portions. Vicente Kaj reiterated everything to the laborers so they understood what was going on and wouldn't be cheated again.

It took almost all morning, but the agreement was made, signed, and stamped with Enroshan's official seal. Henry then did one more read-through and pressed his thumbprint as a witness. Two more identical agreements were written out and then signed and stamped. If Henry wasn't used to writing reports and ledgers, his hand would've cramped up long ago. He could still feel part of his hand tensing from having gripped a pen for so long when he pressed his thumb down.

As soon as he did, a collective sigh of relief came from the laborers behind him.

"The agreement has been made, payment must start being released within three days, by the laborer's surname." Vicente Kaj stood up and turned around to face them. "Call the head of the crafts guild. They can fix the portcullis to allow those inside to come out."

Several people ran out, and Enroshan had the table taken away.

"I'd like to invite you and your people to go over the schedule of payment and how to notify the laborers," Enroshan told them. "It'll be too chaotic and can cause trouble if they all come at once in three days. Payouts should be done in staggered groups."

"Do you lack the number of people to do the administrative work?" Henry asked. "I've spoken to several laborers who can read and write. For a small fee up front, they can assist in recording who received their pay and when."

Enroshan almost tossed his head back and laughed. "For a small fee, you say?"

"They were exploited once; they learned a lesson."

"It's fair. I'll pay a part-time rate at the end of each day, once their abilities are confirmed."

Several craftsmen arrived, and they began to take apart the portcullis. From afar, it looked like a solid piece, but if it was, it would be difficult to maneuver. While still solid pieces of metal, they were interlocked together, and when the pieces were unscrewed, parts the size of a normal door could be removed, allowing for a large hole for people to come in and out of while the craftsmen entered and began to work on the mechanism inside the gatehouse.

Enroshan had several city guards stand guard to prevent anyone from harassing the craftsman before he invited Vicente Kaj, Henry, and a few leaders into the walled city on the other side of the river.

Henry got on his horse and followed. Technically, his part had been completed. He had been brought in to act as a third-party witness, but it was clear that he knew how to deal with contracts and paperwork, so he was a welcome addition.

The meeting was held in the city hall. The names of all the laborers were organized by who the landowner was who hired them. As they sorted through, Henry was in charge of scheduling the payment distribution.

They needed an open space where they could line up people, so the wide hall where they were standing would work. Each labor leader of a farm would take charge and be joined by a city official Enroshan would assign after review. Enroshan would also be present to ensure that it went smoothly.

Laborers were to come in order of last name.

As Henry mapped out how the payment tables would be set up in the hall, how people would line up, how many could fit comfortably in the hall at a time, and the rest of the planning, he heard a familiar caw over the sound of everyone else's voices.

His head snapped up, and he narrowed his eyes.

He held out his free hand as he put his other hand down. "Don't speak," he said as he turned his head towards the door. Henry had been working with his head down and focused up until that point, which caused everyone else to look at him. He heard the caw of a raven again, and his chest tightened. He took a deep breath and let out a whistle that echoed off the stone, vaulted ceilings of the city hall.

Before anyone had a chance to ask what was going on, a large black bird swooped in through the open double doors. Cole let out another caw as Henry held out his arm to let Cole land on it.

Everyone looked taken aback. "Is this your bird?" one of the laborers asked with surprise.

"Yes," Henry said as he dropped his pen and began to remove the message from the small canister on Cole's leg. He let out a click of his tongue, and Cole flapped his wings and flew up into the beams so Henry could unravel the message.

"What does it say?" Vicente Kaj seemed to dare ask as Henry's eyes went over the quickly written black letters on the paper. Frowning, Henry handed the paper to Vicente and turned towards the door.

"I have to go!" He shouted and then let out another whistle, different from the one he'd used to call in Cole. Cole still jumped off his ledge and swooped through the doorway once more to follow.

"Von Sails!"

Henry's heart shot to his chest as he ran to where his horse was tied. He undid the leather reins before grabbing hold of the saddle and lifting himself on. "Go!" He pulled the reins to the side as he raced towards the gatehouse.

Ash's message notified him that the army had moved. It wasn't just a few individuals, but entire units began to move, with half re-entering the city and the other half going towards the encampment outside the city, where the laborers had taken shelter.

Henry shot out of the gatehouse, ducking his head to avoid the metal prongs of the portcullis still under maintenance. Immediately beyond the bridge, everything seemed normal. It wasn't until he reached the center of the other side of the river that he began to see people running opposite him.

Screaming and yelling could be heard in the distance as shouts came from all sides of him. People were telling others to run and that the army had come for them. People were confused; news had spread quickly that the army was to remain garrisoned outside the city. Why had they suddenly entered?

Henry felt the knot in the base of his stomach tighten.

In the plaza ahead of him, one of the ones he, Ash, and Talam had gone to the day before to listen to storytellers, the scene was chaos. People were running in all directions; soldiers on horseback were coming from the main street, trying to cut people off and prevent them from running away.

They were using their horses to block paths. People were knocked to the ground; there was blood in the air.

"Naali! Make the horses slip! Raiju! Warning lightning!" He didn't care who heard him as he shouted, which meant the spirit beasts could show themselves.

A cold, chilling wind blew through the plaza before a floating, bluish-white fox appeared. Naali seemed to take a deep breath before blowing, sending icy wind forward. Horses began to slip on the icy road, sending soldiers tumbling.

Raiju didn't shoot lightning immediately. A bellowing roar filled the plaza as flashes of light began to crackle. The massive lightning wolf seemed to fall from the sky and land beside Henry as Henry pulled on the reins.

Lightning was coming from around Raiju's body as he opened his mouth and let out another deafening yell that felt like thunder, just before a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and hit an open area. Stone and pieces of the paved ground flew into the air. People screamed and covered their ears while horses panicked in fear, scrambling to get up and get out.

Henry narrowed his eyes.

"Return!" Henry ordered as he galloped forward. Raiju and Naali jumped and disappeared, as if they were never there.

With his free hand, Henry reached into his bag and pulled out his sword. He didn't want to kill anyone, but had no problem injuring soldiers who were hacking away at civilians.

"It's you!" A man's voice ran out and sounded chastising. Henry turned his head and saw Commander Shiran seated atop a spotted gray and white horse, looking surprised to see him.

Henry pulled back on the reins, but kept his sword at the ready. "I was told that the army was going to remain garrisoned outside! Why did you storm in here and start attacking the citizens?"

Commander Shiran narrowed his eyes. "The City Lord has sent notice that His Highness the Crown Prince has authorized us to subdue the revolt!"

"What revolt?" Henry snapped with distaste. "These people are just laborers trying to get their deserved pay! And weren't you there last night? The City Lord has been arrested!"

"The City Lord has been wrongly detained! He sent approval from the Crown Prince!"

Henry snorted. "What approval could he get from inside a city he couldn't leave for several days!" Henry paused and narrowed his eyes. "Unless he planned this months ago...." His hands gripped the reins, and he almost trembled with anger.

"The seal of the Crown Prince gives us authority! Under the authority of the Crown Prince of Ashtar, our duty is to quell this rebellion!"

"This isn't a rebellion!" Henry wanted to hurl something at him in frustration. "Prove to me that the Crown Prince gave you authority!"

"In what capacity are you allowed to see military orders from the Crown Prince?"

"He isn't, but I am!" A man on a tan horse reached them with a dark expression on his face. Prime Minister Enroshan had removed his official's robe to ride, and left behind his headpiece, tying back long, wavy black hair to keep it out of his face instead. "I demand that you call your people back at once!"

"This is the Crown Prince's orders!" Commander Shiran retorted with a proud look. "The Crown Prince's orders rank above yours, Prime Minister! The revolt must be quelled immediately!"

"As per my report, this is not a revolt! They are our citizens demanding payment! We are arranging it and it will be completed within a month!" Enroshan shouted. "Call them back!"

"Word has already spread of this revolt, my lord, and as such, we are obligated to subdue it!" Commander Shiran kept repeating his words.

Henry's face heated up, and he gripped his sword.

Enroshan rode his horse forward, moving between the Commander and Henry. He reached behind him and pulled out a curved sword. He grit his teeth as a hateful glare bore into the Commander. "I will not allow you to attack innocent Ashtari civilians."

Commander Shiran smirked. "If you dare protect them, then you are in rebellion." The Prime Minister gritted his teeth, and Henry readied himself to fight his way through.

"Commander Shiran and the fifth army command have rebelled!" A loud voice that sounded suspiciously like Ash filled the plaza. "Commander Shiran and the fifth army command have rebelled!"

"What!?" The Commander's eyes went wide as his brows shot up. He looked around frantically for the source of the voice. "Who said that!?"

Henry already noticed the floating slips of paper that seemed to go unnoticed in the chaos. As they glowed, Ash's words repeated over and over, putting the rebellion on the Commander.

Civilians who were attacked looked shocked, but not as shocked as the soldiers.

"Commander Shiran! How dare you use the name of the Crown Prince to attack Kasea City and start a rebellion!" Vicente Kaj finally reached them, breathless, but with eyes filled with almost gleeful satisfaction at the sudden turn. He pointed at the commander hatefully. "You traitor!"

"What are you talking about-"

"Commander Shiran! Put down your weapons and surrender at once!" Enroshan sat up straight upon his horse and pointed his sword at Commander Shiran. "If you surrender and take accountability, I will ensure that beheading won't fall upon your subordinates!"

The change had happened so fast. Ash's voice was still coming from all around them, and the Commander was caught off guard and flustered. He still didn't know where the voice came from. "I'm not rebelling-"

"The entire city knows you're rebelling," Henry said, pointing up at the sky. "Don't you hear it?" He then pointed his sword at the Commander as well. "Commander Shiran and the fifth army command have rebelled."

Enroshan's eyes crinkled up as he smiled. "And it is my duty as Prime Minister to stop you."