Ashtonya: The Fallen Feather

Beneath the darkness of a land that had never known sunlight or the sound of ocean waves, a procession of slaves was being led across hard, black rocks. Whenever one of them tried to rest or take a longer breath, a whip would strike from above.

Their feet were cracked from walking, almost bleeding despite how dry they had become. Their clothes were nothing more than a few worn-out pieces of fabric, with colors that did not match. Their backs were exposed, covered in wounds that turned red again just as they began to heal.

The man holding the whip was nothing more than another slave. He carried a litter on which sat he who owns them, a young boy of high status among his people. His clothes were made of soft silk, covering most of his body, while other pieces of fabric hung down from the litter itself. He wore an arrogant smile mixed with prideful looks... his features were almost impossible to see.

A crowd stood on both sides, forming a long line. They trembled in fear, feeling pity for the slaves, yet having nothing they could do to help them. The weak light of the torches revealed their shaking bodies as they whispered:

"Thank goodness it wasn't us."

"Even if it wasn't us... it's still terrifying."

"I told them not to take loans from Kristos, even if they had to starve to death."

Suddenly, the litter stopped, and so did the whispers.

A bag of garbage landed on Kristos's face. He turned around to see who had thrown it, only to find something unusual among the crowd: a pearl with pale white skin and black eyes, as if all the darkness of Ashtonya had gathered inside them.

Kristos shouted:

"Catch him immediately!"

Before he could finish speaking, several soldiers in red uniforms appeared. They had already been chasing the person who threw the garbage. Kristos's own guards joined them, and they began chasing the boy.

Kristos stopped one of the soldiers and asked:

"What's going on?"

The soldier bowed and answered, still struggling to catch his breath:

"It's... one of our debtors. Sir."

Kristos frowned and shouted:

"Not only is he a debtor, but you also allowed him to insult me in front of this herd? If you don't bring him to me, I'll kill every last one of you! Do you understand?"

The soldier bent his back even further.

"Yes, sir!"

He then left, running and gasping for air as he tried to catch up with the soldiers chasing the boy.

Kristos took the whip himself and stood on the litter. He began whipping the slave who was carrying it, trying to make him move faster. The beating continued until the slave lost consciousness from the pain... as if acting violently could restore some of his lost dignity.

Kristos frowned once again, spat on him, and ordered the first slave who had been holding the whip to carry the litter.

The slave hesitated at first, especially when he saw Kristos's sharp gaze fixed on him. He approached the litter, but before he could carry it, Kristos ordered:

"Take off your shirt."

The slave hesitated. Kristos stepped down from the litter and ordered the others to remove his shirt. Two of them held him while another two took it off. The slave burst into tears as they forced him to carry the litter, his back receiving an even harsher beating.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, the boy was still running through the dimly lit alleys of Ashtonya. Soldiers rushed around him, and their numbers kept growing as they passed other soldiers. The torchlights went out as they ran past, while the sound of their footsteps shook the hearts of the residents.

As for the boy, he had almost reached his limit. His breathing grew weaker until a soldier finally tackled him from behind and shouted:

"He's here...! We've made it!"

Another soldier answered from behind:

"Let's hurry before Kristos's procession returns."

The soldier tied the boy's hands and said:

"What are we supposed to do now? His house is on the opposite side, and we've been running this whole time!"

The same soldier replied:

"Yes, tell him that, and you'll find your head hanging in front of the church."

The soldier forced the boy to stand and said:

"We serve Dolius, not him. His own guards can take care of the rest."

The other soldier approached the boy and asked:

"Wait... is he asleep?"

He poked the boy's head and said:

"Looks like fear made him lose consciousness."

At that moment, Kristos's guards arrived, wearing their purple uniforms. They took the boy away, leaving him to face his fate.

The soldier in red said to his partner:

"What we do now...? We were supposed to hand the boy to matits."

His partner answered:

"Not our issue... Let him face kristos by himself."

___

The house was barely worthy of being called a palace, considering its dark color and harsh architecture.

The guards entered while the boy was still unconscious. One of them asked about Kristos, and the head servant answered:

"He's taking a bath right now."

The soldier replied:

"I can smell the oils and ash from here... Anyway, how is his mood?"

The head servant took hold of the rope and said:

"I'll take care of things from here."

The two soldiers breathed a sigh of relief and left to carry out their other duties.

The head servant tried to wake the boy, but he refused to open his eyes. He was interrupted by Kristos, who appeared wearing nothing on his upper body.

"What are you trying to do?"

The head servant bowed.

"Sir, sir... this is the boy who dared to... ruin your procession."

Kristos replied:

"I asked you what you were doing, not who he was."

The head servant bowed even lower.

"It seems that he's... sleeping, sir."

Kristos clenched his teeth.

"He's sleeping peacefully while knowing that I intend to kill him...?!"

The head servant murmured:

"Sir...?"

Kristos answered:

"Put him in the dungeon with the slaves. I'll deal with him personally when I'm done."

He applied his Metopion perfume and dressed in his formal clothes, which were black and decorated with gold and silver patterns. He then headed towards the courtyard, with half of his clothing hanging down to the ground.

Half of his guards stood on his right, and the other half on his left, all wearing purple uniforms.

He sat on his golden chair, and the head servant approached him with several wax tablets.

Kristos picked up the first one and read it, then the second and the third. He continued until he grew completely bored.

He then called all the slaves, gathering them into a single line before him.

"All of you have debts that you haven't paid... Is that correct?"

The slaves hesitated to answer. Kristos struck the arm of his chair with his hand and repeated:

"Is that correct?!"

The slaves answered in desperate cries:

"That's correct, sir! Please spare our lives, sir! We don't deserve to live, sir!"

Kristos shouted:

"There's no benefit in your deaths. From this moment onward, you will work in the palace until your debts are paid."

The slaves responded with happiness:

"Thank you for your kindness, sir! Thank you for sparing our lives!"

Kristos looked at the head servant, who understood the signal. He approached and asked:

"Do they spread some kind of stupidity in the markets? Why are they thanking me?"

The head servant replied respectfully:

"Slaves cannot understand the wisdom of your lordship. Sir."

Kristos laughed loudly and said:

"Very well. Your debts will be reduced by half, and you will receive wages that are enough to pay your debts and support yourselves, as well as the slaves who came before you."

He then stopped laughing, his sharp gaze returning.

"Except for you, trash boy."

He struck his chair once again and shouted:

"Everyone leave now, except for him!"

The slaves did not know where they were supposed to go, so the head servant looked at the guards and signaled them to take the slaves away.

Kristos also looked at the head servant, ordering him to leave without saying a word.

However, just before the last soldier could leave, Kristos ordered him to place his sword in front of him and leave as well.

Once the sounds of people had disappeared and the torchlights had grown dimmer, Kristos picked up the sword and walked towards the trash boy.

"Normally... I wouldn't have cared about you throwing garbage at me, nor about your reasons. But there's something about you that makes me strangely curious."

He stopped in front of him and asked:

"What is your name?"

The trash boy answered in a soft but sharp voice:

"I don't know..."

Kristos asked again:

"You have no family or relatives?"

The boy let out a tired sigh. He raised his dark eyes and met Kristos's cold gaze.

The same feeling returned... the same shiver he had hidden the first time.

His heartbeat grew faster until the sword slipped from his hand.

The same thing happened to the trash boy, except for the anger he couldn't understand. The same anger that had made him throw garbage at Kristos despite already being chased by soldiers.

Their eyes remained locked for several minutes until Kristos bent down, bringing their gazes to the same level.

He reached out with his right hand and touched the boy's cheek, but the boy pulled away in disgust.

Kristos asked:

"Just tell me... what are you?"

The boy hesitated.

His condition was no different from Kristos's. His hands were trembling, and his heart was beating faster. He slowly tried to move away without being noticed.

Kristos clenched his teeth once again, so hard that they almost made a grinding sound. He shouted:

"Bozalius! Bring me the whip, now!"

The boy's anger grew even stronger, especially when a young man with hidden features appeared from the shadows of the palace, holding a whip in his hand.

Kristos ordered him to leave after handing over the whip.

He looked at the boy and said:

"The sword would kill you quickly, and I have an overwhelming desire to torture you."

He raised his hand as far as he could, then released the whip.

The sound of it striking the ground echoed through the courtyard, but before the boy could even see it hit him, he was already staring directly into Kristos's eyes, his dark gaze filled with defiance.

He said:

"You can beat me until you're satisfied. Nothing will change the fact that you're nothing but..."

He added coldly:

"Nothing but a child trying to play god."

Kristos couldn't strike the boy.

It was as if something he couldn't understand was stopping him. He eventually dropped the whip, just as he had dropped the sword before.

The sound of approaching footsteps caught his attention, pulling him away from the mystery of the boy.

He looked ahead and saw a middle-aged man wearing a cloak and a long outer scarf wrapped around his shoulders, both in shades of white and ivory.

The man approached Kristos and said:

"Perhaps this is a bad time?"

Kristos picked up his sword and pointed it towards the man.

"Matits... What are you doing in my property?"

Matits smiled and replied:

"To reclaim what belongs to Dolius."

Kristos stepped past the boy and approached Matits.

"Nothing here belongs to the old men... except, perhaps you?"

Matits's smile turned into laughter.

"Then I'll assume you've read the wax tablets. This boy is indebted to Dolius, not you."

Kristos looked even more confused.

"So what? This trash boy insulted my authority. I won't let him go unpunished... even if he belongs to Dolius."

With the same smile, Matits replied:

"The sword and the whip are right in front of you. Punish him however you like, as long as he'll still be alive to pay his debt."

Kristos felt the sharp mockery in Matits's words, just as he felt his own inability to punish the boy.

He took a deep breath and replied:

"How much is the debt? I'll pay it."

Matits's smile disappeared.

"I'm afraid that—"

Kristos placed his sword against Matits's neck and said:

"Go back to that old man and tell him that the boy belongs to me and won't leave this place. Either he accepts the deal, or he can consider the boy a gift."

Matits looked carefully at the boy, then turned his gaze back to Kristos with a mocking smile.

"I understand. You may accept him as a gift."

He then left without looking back.

Kristos shouted Bozalius's name once again. When he arrived, Kristos said:

"He wouldn't have come here himself if this matter wasn't important. Follow him and find out what's going on."

Bozalius disappeared into the darkness.

Kristos turned towards the trash boy and ordered:

"You. Come with me."

However, as he passed beside him, a strange smell caught his attention.

He approached the boy, who immediately moved away.

Kristos called the head servant and said:

"Take him to have a bath first."

The boy's face darkened, and his eyes became even fiercer.

The head servant noticed this, unlike Kristos, who quickly left for his room.

He tried to calm the situation and take the boy to the bath.

The boy refused to go with him and, with clear disgust, agreed only to take the clothes and enter the bath by himself.

---

Meanwhile, some time later, Matits returned to the heart of Ashtonya: the church.

With its endless pillars and massive structure, the church stood in silence.

Two servants opened the doors for him, their faces showing respect and modesty.

He entered and climbed the stairs until he reached another door. He knocked twice, gently, and waited until he heard a voice say:

"Come in."

He opened the door carefully, took three steps forward, stopped on the fourth, and bowed.

He then took another step and said:

"Lord Dolius..."

Dolius interrupted him.

"Did you return empty-handed?"

Matits replied:

"Yes, sir."

Dolius turned around.

His skin was dark, his eyes were yellow, and his hair had lost its original black color, as if time had made it forget what color it once had.

He sat on his stone chair and said:

"Strange. You've been chasing this boy for some time, yet you abandon him just like that?"

Matits replied:

"It turned out that the matter wasn't worth all that trouble, sir."

He then noticed a wax tablet and asked:

"May I?"

Dolius looked at him with a strange expression.

"Go ahead."

Matits picked up the wax tablet and sat down, making strange marks on it.

Then he suddenly asked:

"What would you do if you saw someone you love being tortured?"

Dolius replied:

"Are you asking me?"

Matits raised his eyes towards Dolius and smiled.

"I was merely thinking out loud, sir."

He then stood up from his chair, bowed, and said:

"I'll keep this tablet."

He hid it inside his clothes and left.

However, Dolius stopped him.

"Make sure you return quickly. The bell will ring soon, and the monsters will roam freely."

With the same smile, Matits replied:

"Don't worry, sir... I know my way around the monsters of Ashtonya."

---

The boy finished bathing and put on the colorless clothes of the servants.

The head servant then took him to Kristos's room.

Kristos was sitting at a dining table when the boy entered.

"Eat."

The boy replied:

"I'm not hungry."

Kristos answered:

"I didn't ask whether you were hungry. I ordered you to eat."

The boy dropped his spoon onto the floor.

"Why do you love controlling everything?"

Kristos looked at him in disbelief.

"What nonsense are you talking about? Me?"

The boy replied:

"Loans, orders... You do everything just to control everything. You make me feel an anger I can't bear... and at the same time, you make me sad."

Kristos looked even more surprised and stopped eating.

He swallowed with difficulty and said:

"And what about it? I'm not the only one doing these things. You should be angry with the others too."

The boy's cloudy gaze sank into the linen sheets beneath him.

"I am angry with them already, but you... you're the only one who makes me cry."

Silence filled the room for a few moments as they both looked at each other.

The silence was broken when Bozalius entered without permission.

"Forgive me. I didn't know you had a guest."

Kristos murmured and replied:

"T-There are no guests. He was just about to leave."

He then called the head servant.

"Take the trash boy away. Quickly. Let him sleep with the slaves."

The boy replied:

"I refuse."

The head servant tried to speak kindly to him and convince him to go, but the boy's refusal was final.

Kristos held his head and asked:

"What do you want, then huh? You defend the slaves, yet now you look down on sleeping with them? Are you any better than they are?"

The boy tried to hide his face with his hands and answered in a quiet, hesitant voice:

"That's not what I mean..."

The head servant's eyes widened for a moment. He let out a quiet laugh and said:

"I can take him to the Thesauros, sir."

Kristos replied:

"And does that storage room have heating?"

The head servant smiled.

"Of course, sir. Don't worry, I'll take care of everything."

The head servant left with the boy.

Bozalius made sure they were gone before returning to Kristos.

"He didn't do anything unusual. He returned to the church and then gave a wax tablet to one of the clothing merchants."

Kristos continued eating and said:

"Matits wouldn't abandon someone indebted to Dolius like that. Keep watching him, and leave."

Bozalius nodded and left.

Kristos remained seated, lost in thought.

---

On the other side, Dolius was standing in front of the back door of the church when someone appeared before him.

It was a woman wearing a mask and a red cloak.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

The woman behind the mask replied:

"That's not how people usually say hello."

Dolius answered:

"Hello. Why are you here?"

The girl let out a quiet laugh and said:

"Perhaps I'm here to tell you a story."

Dolius showed some interest.

"A vision?"

The woman raised her eyes towards the ceiling surrounding Ashtonya and said:

"Yes... That sky is truly beautiful."

Dolius raised his eyes as well and replied:

"Soon, we'll fly towards it, Eros."