Chapter 1: A Simple Life of Discontent

  724 FH

  “All will be well…you will see.”

  Amos opened his eyes, the words still ringing in his ears. He sat up slowly from his straw bed, squinting blearily at the sunlight which entered through the poorly thatched roof. He scrubbed at his eyes, ran a hand through his wavy brown hair, and scratched at the thin layer of facial hair growing along his jawline. He covered his face with his hands then pulled them away, his eyes a hundred miles away as they saw the same story from his dream over again.

  Ari’El’s head appeared from a hole in the floor. “Amos, time to get up. Make sure to wake E’Tar as well or he will miss eating before you head out.”

  Her head vanished as Amos grunted assent. He turned to a very large lump on the bed behind him. “E’Tar, wake up.” No response came. An irritated hand slapped a bump in the blankets. “Wake up!”

  E’Tar nearly flung himself from the bed and rammed into Amos as he sputtered with a half snore, “What?! Wh…What is it?”

  Amos glared at the man as he stood in a crouch beside the bed. The man he was staring at was almost entirely naked save for his loincloth and the blanket tangled around his legs. He was massive in size, over six and a half feet tall, and bulky with muscle. He also sported curly brown hair and a beard that was at least several days further in its growth than Amos’s. “It's time to get up. By the way, you stole the blanket again last night.”

  “Hmm? Well, why didn’t you take it back?”

  “And risk tearing it? Now, hurry up and get dressed.”

  Amos climbed down the ladder to the room below which contained a tiny stone fireplace surrounded by stone, a table with three chairs, a wooden cabinet, and a small curtain that hid his sister’s bed. She was crouched by the fire. She removed a pot carefully, her hands wrapped in a padded leather strip, and placed it on the table. Ari’El had grown more beautiful as she had grown older. She had long, wavy, dark brown hair which she usually hid behind a veil. Her thin frame accentuated her form but hid a quiet strength. “The soup is ready. It’s still lentils I am afraid.”

  Amos grimaced and Ari’El continued. “I wasn’t able to obtain any meat from the kitchens yesterday. I’m sorry.”

  “I thought when you started working at the palace we would benefit more.”

  “Not usually, no.”

  Amos quickly shrugged. “It beats Einkorn soup. That should only be put into a loaf of bread. I swear if…”

  A muffled crash came from above and a mutter from E’Tar. “Ow…”

  Amos rolled his eyes and called, “If you put another hole in the roof, you are fixing the entire thing!”

  No response came. Amos shook his head. “We need to buy another blanket as well. He keeps stealing the one we share.”

  “He means well. The loft is small for him though.”

  “It is small for both of us.”

  Ari’El poured him a bowl. “What do you have planned for today?”

  Amos began eating. “Torun has another set of reading and writing lessons planned for today. He is keeping it basic. Then we will practice.”

  Ari’El nodded slowly. “Oh…so no paid work for today?”

  “No. E’Tar will be doing some work around the grounds though. That should bring in a bit.” His face remained fixed on his bowl; his cheeks red. Ari’El nodded again but said nothing. E’Tar came down the ladder, dressed in a sleeveless brown tunic, and smacked his head on the beam exiting the loft.

  “Ouch!”

  “After three years with us, I would think you had mastered that by now,” said Amos.

  E’Tar smiled. “Not yet. Maybe someday. That soup looks good, thank you, Ari’El.”

  “Of course.”

  Amos cleaned his bowl. “Do you have anything we can bring for the midday meal?”

  Ari’El took a wrapped cloth from a wooden cabinet. “I have some bread and cheese for you. It isn’t much, so share it.”

  “Thank you.” Amos glanced at his sister, grinning. “And what of you? Is it all work today or will you be seeing anyone after?”

  She shook her head. “Why are you so determined to see me spend time with a man? Trust me, the only men who would be willing to spend time outside work with me are the ones who would only want favors and would never think about binding themselves to me.”

  “Oh well, perhaps someday.”

  “Perhaps.”

  The pair were out the door before long, walking down the dusty street of Hatisep as Ari’El watched from the doorway. Amos shoved E’Tar. “I’m holding on to the food, not you. Then you won’t be tempted.”

  “But you forget where you put it.”

  “That happened once a year ago! Aren’t you ever going to let that go?!”

  “I was hungry.”

  Ari’El returned to the table and sat before her bowl of lentils. She took her spoon and had a bite before puckering her mouth and plopping the spoon back in the bowl. She looked away in disgust and frustration.

  *

  Amos and E’Tar walked through a busy market with many awnings placed to shelter the rugs from the sun’s heat. Upon them, a myriad of trinkets and baubles could be found along with food and other essentials. The noise of conversation was loud in the air as well as coughing and sneezing from the dust kicked up in the busy dirt plaza. Hawkers cried out as the two walked close together in conversation so as to hear each other.

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  “E’Tar, shouldn’t we do something after we leave the Sanctum?”

  “And what would we do?”

  “I don’t know…something enjoyable! We haven’t done something enjoyable in a very long time!”

  “Ok…we could go out of the city to the oasis.”

  “And do what?”

  “Swim…?”

  Amos sighed, exasperated. “No! We’ve done that a hundred times. What else?”

  “I still don’t know what you mean.”

  “Don’t you see, we don’t have lives…we simply exist. We go about our lives and never do anything interesting or worthwhile. I want to make a change…but I don’t know how.”

  “Change isn’t always good and excitement even less so.”

  Amos snorted. “Don’t I know that to be true. And of course, you do also. Didn’t you have adventures before you came to Hatisep? You still haven’t told me about that tragic backstory.”

  “And I won’t.”

  “But it is tragic, isn’t it?”

  Silence from E’Tar. Amos bumped him lightly on the arm. “Hey, I was joking. I didn’t mean anything by it. Now, really think, what is something enjoyable we can do?”

  A moment passed as they made their way to the market’s edge. Finally, E’Tar spoke. “We could purchase another blanket…”

  Amos sighed as they left the market and moved down the main street toward the largest building in the city, a terraced pyramid. The Athelward sanctum. “Let’s keep thinking about it.”

  *

  Ari’El entered the palace, smaller than the Athelward sanctum, through the servant’s quarters and was immediately given a list of chores by the head servant. “Take that bucket and scrub out the third corridor. A good deal of dirt came through last night with the wind so it will have to be swept first as well. When you are done, come back to the kitchens to help with the midday meal.”

  She could then be found for several hours in that corridor, which was quite long, as she swept and scrubbed it by herself and was almost stepped on several times by guards who either gave her the barest of glances or, if they did take notice, frowned or smirked.

  Meanwhile, Amos and E’Tar arrived at the giant gates of the sanctum, its slanted walls looming overhead. The Athelward Sanctum was an impressive work of architecture, shaped like a massive terraced pyramid and reached to the heavens. The building extended on three sides into the wall around it, but the fourth side held a massive courtyard with several side training grounds and gardens as well, walled off for privacy. Amos gazed up at it in wonder. “They say the Athelward built this three centuries ago. Perhaps even the Keeper himself helped.”

  “Morning Amos, E’Tar. Did you sleep well?”

  Amos nodded to the man on post at the gate. “Quite well, thank you! Torun is waiting I presume?”

  “He’s in his bed-chamber.”

  Amos nodded and he and E’Tar were admitted past the massive double doors. They moved through the large dirt courtyard. At its fringes were many trees, bushes, and benches. They passed through a large open doorway into the dimly lit interior of the pyramid, walked up several flights of steps, and down a stone passage until they found themselves standing before an old wooden door within the stone wall. They knocked on the door and heard Torun call, “Enter.”

  The pair entered the sparsely furnished bedroom with a single window in it that looked on the country outside. Torun, his hair completely white and his beard long, sat hunched in a chair. He looked up and smiled kindly. “Ah! Here at last! Creator bless you this morning my friends!”

  “And you, my friend,” responded Amos, and E’Tar bowed.

  “I wonder, E'Tar, if you might be so kind as to help me down the stairs today. My legs aren’t feeling very up to the task.”

  “Of course!” was E’Tar’s jovial reply. “I’ll carry you down if you wish.”

  “I hardly think that is necessary! But if you insist, I won’t stop you!”

  E’Tar did carry Torun down the steps like a baby and placed him gently down in the doorway to the courtyard. Torun brushed off his robes and leaned on his walking stick. “Thank you! You do make a person feel old.”

  E’Tar’s expression was confused, a nervous half-smile crossing his features.

  Torun chuckled. “I mean to say, I do enjoy it when you carry me down the stairs. I should try not to make a habit of it.”

  E’Tar blushed and Amos responded. “Fret not. He would carry me down if I asked him, he is far too obliging.”

  A group of men in robes similar to Torun walked past and glanced at E’Tar. They hurried past with smirks and began to whisper to one another as they exited the building. E’Tar pulled himself in, his shoulders hunching up, making himself smaller. Amos put a hand on his arm. “I can take Torun from here. I think you are expected in the back vegetable garden?”

  E’Tar nodded and smiled. “I’ll see you at midday. Don’t lose the lunch. Creator bless you, Torun.”

  “And you, my strong man,” responded Torun.

  As E’Tar departed, Torun put a hand on Amos’ shoulder. “Let us retire to a private courtyard for our lessons. Hopefully, we won’t have these meddlesome Athelward disturbing us with their prying eyes and disapproving looks.”

  *

  The sun neared midday when Amos finished his practice. He was forming orbs in his hands as quickly as possible and flinging them at rock posts. His light blue energy missed multiple times, smashing against a rock slab behind and adding more holes to its already pockmarked exterior. Those strikes that did land began to chisel away the stone pillars and one even toppled over, finally finished with its purpose. He was sweating profusely as he struggled to form his orbs. Torun kept count. “Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred. Very good!”

  Amos hunched over, breathing heavily. “How…did I…do?”

  “Not terrible. You missed twenty-six times, mostly in the last thirty-five. It took you about five minutes to launch that many. It was a decent performance. Fairly average for most students here.”

  Amos glanced over at a few other Athelward students who were practicing holding shields in place while teachers flung orbs at them. They had been glancing his way from time to time as he practiced, sizing him up. Amos turned away from their glances, frustration written across his features. “What is the point of all of this?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “This training? What is the point of this training for me, for any of these Athelward here? I am not allowed to use it and must keep myself hidden from the world at large. None of these Athelward use it either!”

  “They have no choice in the matter.” Torun was grave as he frowned at the students, causing them to flinch and look away. “They are allowed to exist within this temple, away from the Athelward of the capital. Only then can they remain free and unharmed.”

  “And in the meantime, they neglect their duty as Athelward…I neglect my duty. We were given this gift to protect people from the dangers of the world. To build monuments like this for people to live in instead of crumbling huts like my home. To heal the body, mind, and soul of the people. To judge and arbitrate among the people and nations to ensure the continuation of justice and peace.”

  “And many an Athelward with these very same intentions turned into tyrannical rulers. They believed they could solve every problem of the world. Without the guidance of the Keeper, they believe it is safer that they remain in confinement.”

  “Much good that does,” said Amos, turning his back on Torun. “He’s vanished from the world and no longer performs his duties. And now this group is split from the main group in the empire’s heart. They fail to perform their duties, like the rest. Instead of being unjust and biased though, they sit in apathy, “training” for no reason whatsoever.”

  “It is the politics of the matter,” said Torun with distaste.

  “And this is where the Athelward have failed.”

  “The Athelward hasn’t failed. The members have failed. The order’s tenants haven’t changed or altered.”

  “The result is still the same! And my training is still pointless. I’m done for the day.”

  “Amos!” Amos stopped at the sound of his tutor’s voice and turned back. Torun stared at him sadly beneath weary eyelids as he sank to a chair. “You are right to ask these questions…and I think you are ready to hear more. Come and visit me again tomorrow. I will let you know more about why I train you. I promise.”

  Amos hesitated before nodding. He continued to the door where he ran into E’Tar. “Amos! Did you lose the food?”

  “No! Let’s go. I’m done for the day.”

  “Oh…but…I haven’t finished yet.”

  “Then I’ll help you finish. Let’s go.”

  “Alright…I don’t have to share my earnings with you, right?”

  “E’Tar! We live together! You literally share your earnings all the time.”

  “Oh, that’s right. Now, where is the food?”