Rune was awestruck. The path through the upper class to the Enforcer's Hall was anything short of extraordinary. Structures of marble and limestone lined either side of the street they passed. Elegant but similar designs of arches, patterns, and exotic animals decorated each home of the wealthy.
As they passed one such dwelling, Rune stopped, captivated by the fine craftsmanship of the beautifully sculpted garden that served as an entrance courtyard to a grand house of white marble. An evergreen shrub stood at the center, expertly cut into the shape of a stag. Its underside had hues of red, white, and pink as flowers of various shapes and colors formed a perfect circle around it.
He was in awe. Rune wanted to meet the Master behind such work. He appreciated art, but coming from the side of the city that only worked to survive, seeing it heavily expressed in one area was a sensory overhaul.
"Don't stand there gawking. We haven't got all day," the Madam called out to Rune, whose body had planted itself, refusing to move.
Remembering how to move, he reluctantly moved himself away from the captivating garden as he caught up to the Madam.
A carriage pulled by finely groomed black stallions drove past them, turning right at an intersection. They soon followed and saw it stopped at a large gate.
A few meters away from the stationed guards, the Madam made him come to a halt as her icy eyes rested on his own.
"Listen now, this city may be Eastern Nythian, but in there, there are only Wester Nythians."
Her dyed finger poked him in the chest as she gave him a warning.
"Don't slump. Keep your head straight, and don't look anyone in the eye for more than 2 seconds. Let them know they have nothing over you just because they won a war in name only."
"Yes, Madam."
"Good. Take this paper. It has nothing on it, but if something happens, give it back to me, and I'll know something is up."
Rune took the paper from her hand and tucked it into the pouch within his pants.
One of the two guards at the gate closed the gate, having let the carriage pass, while the other approached them.
"Business."
The Madam raised her hand. "A moment please. We're still waiting for an arrival."
They were?
The guard opened his mouth to speak, but a carriage pulled over just then, Uma, the Madam's maid, sitting in the coachmen's seat at the front.
Placing the reigns on the seat she had been on, she got down carefully, holding onto her long skirt, and tilted her head toward the Madam.
"Apologies, Madam, we had run out of shroud for the corpse."
"Already?"
"We buried 50 the month prior."
"Ah yes, I had forgotten about those pests."
Rune's eyes widened as he saw Maverick come out from the carriage as he carried the corpse over his shoulder.
"Maverick."
"Madam."
"It would seem thanks are in order," she looked at Uma as she frowned, "for somehow having an extra shroud on hand."
"The previous stall owners left it behind. It was just lying unused in the back, so I offered to bring it here and carry the body."
"Yes, yes, how nice of you." The Madam didn't seem happy with the situation. Rune could tell by the way her lips dipped down and the twitch in her upper left cheek.
Maverick turned to look at him. "Rune, good to see again."
"It's good to see you too, Sir."
"Aye, drop the pleasantries, Maverick is just fine."
"Yes, Maverick—Sir."
"You've got the boy rigid with tension, Madam."
The Madam gave the old man a look that spoke of murder.
"If you want to teach the lad how to address those of a higher rank, be my guest, but I must protest a vendor such as yourself has little to no knowledge of how upper-class society works."
Her sudden fury had Rune slump at his shoulders as he tried to make himself smaller.
"Might I remind you your lack of human empathy is what caused many of these kids without parents?"
"I did no such thing. I gave the children and their mothers an opportunity."
"They had to raise themselves, many not making it past ten years of age."
"They're safer on their own. What good is a child who grew up alongside the harlots of Driftwood? I did them a favor. An early death, or a chance given by another with the pockets to raise a proper child."
"Yet many run in the streets."
"Better there than being sold by their mothers never never-ending greed."
Maverick quieted at that.
Rune didn't know much about the history between Maverick and the Madam, but he did know that both believed the other in the wrong for what caused their fallout.
The guard who had been observing the conversation opened the gate without asking what they were there for, having understood the Madam's identity from the exchange.
Giving Maverick one last glare, she walked in quick strides toward the three-story building dedicated to the guards that patrolled Alta.
Rune rushed to catch up as he speed-walked and skipped to keep up with the Madam's pace.
The Madam approached a random guard wearing the standard red uniform with a ribbon on his arm and asked where Ajax was.
"Who's asking?"
The Madam seemed ready to snap his neck. "I'm asking."
Not having his question answered, Uma interjected, preventing the poor guard from an early meeting with his ancestors.
"The Madam requests an audience with Alta's commander."
At the mention of Madam's name, his face became ghostly white, and he quickly darted off down the hall, asking them to follow.
Rune understood the guard's fear. It was well-known that Madam didn't hesitate to kill those who crossed her. Many times, Rune had seen this to be true, with the corpse on Maverick's shoulders a prime example of what befell people who dared to ignore the warnings.
The guards walked past in groups. Some held swords at their waists, while others hauled bags up and down the stairs and hallways. All seemed occupied with one thing or another.
The guard who had been leading them stopped in front of a door, the name Ajax etched in the rich wood by the side of the door. He knocked, and a voice called for them to enter.
They walked in, the smell of smoked Rye filling Rune's nostrils as it settled in his lungs.
There, a man sat on a chair, a pen in his right hand and a long pipe in the other. He hadn't noticed their arrival and continued to sign off papers. Each time he brought another document forward, he took a large inhale from his pipe, blowing out the smoke before continuing with his focus. Through the windows, the sun's rays illuminated his reddish-brown hair, making it appear a deep brown.
Without a hitch, the Madam took the corpse from Maverick and dropped it in front of the commander's desk with a thud.
Rune could see Ajax's jaw ticking as he put his pen down and looked up from the lines of text.
"I thought to be civil and brought you back one of your shortcomings."
Ajax's face immediately smoothed over his irritation as he stood to greet the Madam.
"Madam, pleasure to have you."
He lies.
The voice had returned, picking out the deceits from spoken words.
"Unfortunately, I don't share the same delight of having to see your face."
"Is that so?"
"The formalities are unnecessary; I recognize fake courtesy when I see it."
She tipped her head to the body.
"I thought I should do you the honour of returning one of yours. He didn't seem to know where he stood, so I showed him precisely where he stood."
The commander walked around his desk and crouched at the shroud. He uncovered the cloth, and the pale face of the guard who had disrespected the Madam lay bare.
"He said Ajax was his commander, so I thought it would only be right to bring him back to his owner."
"He's not under my wing, but another."
"It seems you have stopped teaching the young recruits humility and respect."
The commander balled his fist, stood up, and returned to his desk.
"What is it you want?"
"What rightfully belongs to this boy, that is what I want."
"And you came here just for that."
The Madam's voice lowered. "I wouldn't come to you for such a small injunction, but it seems the guards under commanders such as yourself don't know how to complete such a little request."
"Hubert confirmed a while back he had visited the Enforcer's Hall on his way back to deliver proof of this boy's blood ties to his mother."
Ajax's eyes drifted to a paper placed at the corner of his desk that had markings of red ink. He picked it up, bringing it close to his face.
"The boy's name."
"Rune."
"Says here you are related to the deceased, your mother." He put the paper down.
"I guess you need the paper stating an approval for the transfer of his mother's acquisitions."
Getting a pre-filled paper, Rune watched the guard write a couple of words before taking a wooden stamp. He dipped it in ink and brought it upon the signed document.
"This should do it."
The Madam snatched the paper from the desk and walked to the door without another word.
"May the deity guide you home." He called after them.
As they filed out the door, Maverick made a sound of displeasure at the back of his throat before he mumbled out, "heathens."
Everyone gave them a wide breath as they turned to leave.
Rune was glad he made no eye contact. All the guards seemed to be avoiding looking at them as well.
The Madam handed him the paper Ajax had given to her.
"Keep it, it's your now."
Rune took the paper, unsure what to do with it.
"Show it if anyone questions your ownership over what your mother left behind."
Maverick came beside Rune as the mother picked up her pace.
"Terra must be watching over you, boy. A roof over your head, under your name, fate must be looking out for you, Rune."
"I'm only eight. Do you think Elsie and I could live there by ourselves?"
"Age means very little in Driftwood. It's all about whether or not you can pay the tributes the Western Nythians impose on us for the properties under our name. They care very little about who owns what since they cannot own Eastern Nythian land or property. A law they made so they don't cause another civil war this time amongst themselves."
"How much do I have to pay them? They know you won't have much to offer, so they'll only ask you to pay half of your current earnings."
"Half? How am I supposed to feed myself and Elsie?!"
Rune felt confused as he watched Maverick chuckle at his outburst.
"You'll figure something out, Rune. You always do."
*****
(4 years later)
"Ruuuunnnnnneeeeeeee!!!!!"
The sound of his door banging interrupted his concentration as the pencil in Rune's hands faltered on the paper he had in front of him.
Can I not have a single day go by without someone banging on the door?!
Caster and Nilu had already come by earlier before his current intruder, both with tasks that kept him away from the pile of work on his desk.
"Open the door, you bastard!"
"I do have a mother."
"What are you talking about? She's dead, you idiot!"
Rune's eye twitched. "That's harsh."
"So we're trying to hurt each other's feelings now, are we? Let me take care of your part. Yes, I'm a bastard, oh, wow, look at you, struck where it hurts most," he said sarcastically, "but so are you since you don't know your father like every other street rat."
Bane pounded on the door. "You know I'd be greatly indebted to you if you opened this door right about now." He said, his voice coming out through the small crack in the door knob.
"Ruuuuunnnnee! Pleaaassseeeee, don't do this to me!"
Rune continued sketching, using his ash to shade the remaining part of the iron clock he was working on. "You're the biggest rat out there. If I recall correctly, you were the one to snitch my location to a dead someone, thinking you'd become rich overnight," he muttered under his breath.
"I heard that, Rune!"
Rune put his pencil down as he walked to the front door. "Good, I thought I would have to repeat myself."
"For the love of Terra, Rune, just open the door!"
Rune placed his hands on the lock and waited to hear more of Bane's pleas.
"I know you're behind the door," Rune said nothing, enjoying every moment of desperation lacing Bane's voice.
"You sadistic piece of—"
The shouts of guards interrupted Bane, and silence fell behind the door.
As they faded down another nearby street, Bane continued his assault on Rune's door.
Should I turn him in and ask for ransom?
Rune contemplated, weighing the pros and cons of having Bane caught.
"Payment."
"I swear you were raised wrong—"
"The door remains closed until you pay up."
"1 silver—No, no, wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, don't go," Bane begged as he heard Rune's steps move away from the door. "An additional ten coppers for your generosity."
He didn't budge.
"Fine," Bane sighed in reluctance, "20 coppers, that's all I have on me."
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Rune unlocked the lock and yanked back on the stiff wood.
Bane, who had been leaning on the door, fell face-first when Rune opened the door.
"A little warning would be greatly appreciated next time," the boy on the ground muttered.
Rune looked unapologetically at him as he lay on the floor. "I mean, you were the one who was quite eager to enter. Was I not supposed to open the door?"
Bane got up, brushing dust off his shirt and giving Rune an annoyed look.
"Is it so hard for you not to take everything literally?"
"It's called not wanting to get involved."
Bane stood up to his full height, only a fingertip's length taller than he was. A trait the gold-eyed boy loved to shove in his face when Rune asked him to deliver the Reaper's new sketch of a part of the city.
Rune sat back down at his desk and held his sketch from his face, angling it as he examined it for flaws.
"What have you done now?"
Bane sat in a chair across from him, grabbing Rune's cold breakfast Elsie had prepared for him.
From the corner of his eye, Rune saw Bane dip his bread into the cold soup before grabbing the untouched glass of water.
Rune closed his eyes, slowly letting the air in his lungs out as he counted backward from ten.
You will not strangle him. You will not strangle him. You will not strangle—
You lie. The voice whispered.
You don't need to freakin' tell me!
Recently, the voice had started to call out the lies he told himself, making it impossible to deceive himself.
The voice chose to call out the lies he told himself, which only made him even more irritated.
Bane slurped the soup from the bowl, putting it down with a satisfied sigh.
"Well?"
"I may have intercepted the commander's Rye crystals at the checkpoint."
"You what?!"