Of Sand and Empires

(Here is something I've been working on. It can also be found here: https://www.fictionpress.com/s/3166668/ ... nd-Empires)

No one notices a street rat. Kemet, the Great Jewel of the Empire of Sesen, the Oasis Amidst the Sands, was home to the rich and powerful. The Palace of the Emperor towered above even the the halls of the Senate and the gold-encrusted Temple of Kiel. Senators, courtiers, great merchant-princes, renowned generals, and high-ranking priests, priestesses, and magicians lived in luxury high up in the upper levels. Up there, their gardens were filled with fruit trees, flowers, and luxuries she could not even begin to imagine. They even had magnificent marble fountains of crystal clear fresh water meant not for drinking like the sandstone fountains Aisha had to fight among hundreds of others in order to get to it and fill her bucket, but for decoration.

But Kemet wasn't just home to great nobles and rich families who ate off of golden plates in their fine estates. It was home for artisans, poorer merchants who competed with one another for the right to set up their stalls in just the right place, laborers, alchemists, tanners, dyers, bakers, seamstresses, servants, thieves, cutthroats, assassins, slave traders, and slaves. Among so many people, it was easy to overlook two street rats sleeping in the alleys of the Old Merchant Quarter.

"Get up. It's about dawn," Aisha stated, prodding the figure who was only pretending to be asleep. For all appearances, it might have been dead, but Aisha had known Kavi long enough to see through his facade.

"What's the hurry? No one's awake yet. Besides, weren't you the one who said only a fool tries to pickpocket a mark when there's no crowd to hide in?" the boy asked, reluctantly sitting up and leaning against the wall they had been sleeping against.

"I was. And you should be grateful. Without me, you'd have been lashed to death," Aisha told him before grabbing a tuft of his hair. She was careful not to tug too hard, but this early in the morning, she was no more awake than Kavi was. Still, concern laced her voice as she continued, "Your hair is showing."

Just like that, Kavi stiffened, his eyes wide, glancing around them as though someone might be hiding around the corner. Kavi was a lanky boy about her age, give or take a year, dressed in stolen white garments that had become tanned from the dust and sand of the city. He had eyes as green as a senator's garden and could adopt such an innocent look that could convince a tittering courtesan to leave them a coin or two to eat, but what made him stand out was his hair. It was as golden as the Sun and marked him as someone from beyond the northern borders of the Sesen Empire. It was like waving a torch in the night, yelling at slave traders, "Look at me! I'm worth ten boys my age!"

For this reason, Aisha and Kavi bathed his hair in scribe's ink, blackening it to conceal its shine. His skin wasn't so much a problem as it used to. It had tanned and dirt clung to him as much as Aisha. However, getting the ink was tricky.

"I could cover it or shave it off," Kavi offered, but Aisha shook her head.

"A bald head marks you as a slave or an eunuch and a turban could fall off. We have to work for old Azur again," she told him.

Kavi groaned a little.

"I hate the man," he told his friend with a frown.

"Me too," she told him. She ruffled through the over-sewn sacks that contained what meager possessions they had beneath the tarp that served as their shelter. She tossed Kavi a dried piece of fruit, shoving one inside her own mouth as she looked thoughtful for a moment. At last, she smiled slightly.

"Azur is a greedy son of a whore. He's always wants something that doesn't belong to him and we're the best at getting them for him. Well, I'm the best."

Kavi rolled his eyes at her and she couldn't help but grin innocently at him.

"Well... Couldn't we pickpocket a few people or swipe a few bottles of ink when the market is busier?"

"Too few people by ink. Only scribes and Magi, and the servants of people who do write. And we're out of food too. Working for Azur would give us the gold we need to buy both.

Kavi nodded at the plan. He always agreed in the end. As they walked through the city, Aisha could not help but notice how his eyes seemed to take in the buildings around them. They were nothing special in her eyes. Most of the buildings in this quarter of the city were old and crumbling, made mostly of sandstone or bricks of baked mud, Kavi looked like he was seeing something truly strange. With a pang in her chest, Aisha was reminded that he really wasn't from Kumat or even the Empire at all. If you looked closely at his skin, it was still paler than it should be and even if he adapted to the city well, he still needed her at times in situations that a native just knew how to deal with. She briefly wondered what his life was like before coming to the city. Did he know his parents? Were they dead or were they alive thought he was dead? Kavi did not remember and Aisha felt it would be wrong to try to make him remember. At last, almost without noticing, they had arrived at their destination.

"Kavi, stop staring at the clouds. We're here," she told him , though she could not keep a smile from tugging at her lips at his surprised expression as he paid attention. Kavi glanced at the building before them. It looked prosperous compared to its neighbors. The glass was clearer and the tarp above the entrance was new. It was too bad its owner ruined it.

Sure enough, when they entered the shop, the pungent smell of garlic and body odor greeted them. Dusty shelves contained scrolls and books along with instruments of iron, silver, and even gold. Somehow, Aisha knew that they were magical. Scattered throughout the store, there was an assortment of other items that she didn't know the purpose were but instinctively knew they were valuable. Still, they weren't there to gawk.

Aisha wrinkled her nose as the smell of garlic and body odor increased, but smiled as she approached the table near the back of the store. Behind the desk sat a pale, bulbous creature. It was not pale like Kavi's, which had darkened in time, but was still distinctly foreign if you looked close enough. Azur's skin was pale like pus pouring out of a pimple or boil. Aisha showed no sign of her own disgust.

"Ah, Aisha. Kavi. How might I be of service this fine morning," the man whispered, stroking his greying beard. His voice was almost a whisper as fine as silk that came from across the Eastern Sea.

"Oh, Azur. It's not what you can do for us, but what we can do for you," she told him, trying to sound as friendly as she could Kavi had a small smile on his face that was more likely due to amusement at her act than any attempt to please Azur.

"Oh?" the merchant asked, his small eyes examining their bodies, but finding nothing, "Tell me. Did some fool happen to drop an interesting trinket? A scroll perhaps. You know, the fact that something is written down doesn't make it valuable."

"Oh, nothing like that, Azur. How is business? Has Akeem been keeping you well-supplied? How about Bakr? Or Hiba?"

Azur snorted, obviously unhappy, "Those fools would not know a good find if shoved into their eyes-sockets. Nor are their fingers as clever as they think they are. Bakr lost the use of his right ones, along with his whole hand, when he got himself caught. The trinket he was trying to steal is likely locked up in the upper levels for now."

Azur sounded like he was more annoyed at the loss of the trinket than dismayed at the loss of the boy's hand. Aisha vaguely wondered what that particular trinket was, but knew better than to ask. Azur was always as vague as possible when describing the items he wanted. Dealing with stolen items and street rats he was most likely underpaying warranted such caution.

"It is too bad you do not have more capable help. But, for the right price, Kavi and I could..."

"Survive for another few days. A week perhaps," Azur cut in, his yellowing teeth appearing in an amused smile, "I do enjoy your wit, my dear, but do not pretend you are anymore than what you are. You are street rats. Your kind rot and die on the street or in the sewers, but occasionally, a few of you possess talent. Talent enough to get me what I want."

"And just what is it you want," Kavi cut in, having decided that the time for tact was over.

"Oh? What makes you think I want anything at this moment?"

"You always have something you want," Kavi stated. The merchant chuckled.

"Oh, you know me too well, boy. There is indeed, something I want. A key."

"A key? Couldn't you just break the lock?" Kavi asked.

"Sadly no. The lock it goes to isn't easily broken and there is no way to get what I really want without unlocking it," Azura stated seriously. Aisha was itching to ask more questions and Kavi looked like he was about to ask, but Aisha interrupted him.

"Who has it? What does it look like?" she asked him. Azur smiled and reached for a piece of parchment, a quill, and a pot of ink. The key he drew was strange. It had two bars sticking at either end of its point and its handle sort of resembled a phoenix.

"This key belongs to a man by the name of Hadi Aurelius. He is of a long, noble lineage, his father an important Senator and his mother has the privilege of personally knowing the Empress. The current one. I hear the Emperor is fond of her... So, naturally, he frequents Nisera's Embrace."

"The Love Goddess?" Kavi asked. Aisha sighed and Azur raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? I'd have thought a boy your age would be familiar with the establishment. It is... A place of pleasure in an unforgiving world."

"He means a brothel, Kavi. He wants us to rob a noble in a brothel.
"Very good. I'll give you ten Sekemets."

"Ten? You're asking us to sneak into a place that probably has its own guards and rob a noble. We want no fewer than fifty."

"Oh, I suspect it won't be too difficult. Twelve."

"Keep in mind you're not risking your neck. Forty-five."

"Keep in mind how valuable your lives really are. You are easily replaced. Fifteen."

It had taken an hour of arguing with the old merchant, but Aisha managed to exact a price of twenty-three Sekemets. His mouth had almost watered when they were done. Twenty-three Sekemets could feed them for a month, factoring in even the ink they needed. It could feed them for more than a month if they were careful or continued stealing food

Kavi had never been to a brothel before. True, he had walked by them on occasion, catching glimpses of women before looking away quickly. Nisera's Embrace was actually in a quarter a few levels above he and Aisha usually found themselves. The neighborhood was nicer than he was used to. Real glass framed the windows and the buildings were decorated with paint and fine cloth. The buildings themselves were made of sandstone instead of the baked mud brick. The building they stood in front of was particularly nice. A scarlet cloth with gold trimmings draped over the entrance and its door looked to be made of cedar wood. Kavi almost whistled at the sight of it from across the road as he leaned against a wall.

"So, what, do we knock on the door and say we want a career in whoring?" Kavi asked lightly. Aisha rolled her eyes, but she couldn't suppress a small smile.

"Wash your hair off and you can charge as much as you want. You could say hi to the old men for me."

Kavi stuck his tongue at her, suppressing the urge to shiver a little. He'd rather not let his mind go in that direction. He glanced at the building again. The sandstone almost seemed to shine with the early morning sun currently behind it. Sometimes, this city seemed alien to him, though he could not remember much about his life before coming here. He knew he was used to different kinds of buildings, but he could not recall what they were. Dispelling that line of thought for now, he turned to his friend.

"What would you have us do? We don't exactly have the money for me to pretend I wanted to buy a whore for as little as five minutes."

"Oh, I bet you wish we did, Kavi."

"N-no. I would… I do not!" he told her, his face blushing bright red. She smirked as he glared over at her. He was no strange to lewd humor. The streets didn't provide for a sheltered existence. Still, he got flustered and he hated that. Aisha smirked at him.

"Oh. You lack the necessary parts, I see."

"Oi! Who's lacking parts? Your chest is as flat as a stone!"

He grunted as he felt her hit his side. He could feel her glaring at him and he wanted to apologize, but thought better of it. Instead, he waited for her to speak.

"It's a big building with a lot of rooms. We could try to look for a job cleaning rooms and washing bed sheets."

He nodded slightly. It was a good plan. Better than trying to sneak in or pretending to get a job as a whore. Those two options could lead to unsavory complications. Still, he questioned her.

"How do you know they would hire us? They probably have people who do that already."

"Simple. We work for less than the others and count on them trying to trap us into debt by charging for food and board. They would try to if we look like we could grow into pretty whores."

Kavi nodded in agreement. It sounded doable as long as they played their part right. Two naïve starving children begging for work wasn't uncommon and he was certainly starving. The half of a fruit from when they woke up felt like it was days ago. Nor did the scheme sound far-fetched. Sometimes, what Aisha mentioned off-handedly scared him. She knew a lot about the city. She could tell him which slums slavers infested him and which areas of the city were under control of gangs of thugs either because the City Guard didn't bother with it anymore or because the gangs were wealthy enough to buy them off. She could tell him where bodies were dumped or what scams a given person would pull. Kavi had a feeling that, wherever he was from, it was a lot simpler than Kemet. Sometimes he wished he was back there or high up with the nobles and the rich, but then it would mean leaving Aisha and he could never do that.

"I think you're pretty enough. Just wipe off the dirt and the scowl and you'd make a fine whore."

Aisha rolled her eyes and Kavi grinned. He could tell she was at least a little pleased by what he said. At least, she didn't hit him when he said the second part.

"Let's go," she told him, heading for the building, Kavi right behind her.

It was even nicer on the inside than it was on the outside. The floor was soft. Looking down, he could see that it was a scarlet carpet matching the drapes outside. In fact, the whole place seemed to be red from the painted walls to the cushions and drapes.

"You're bringing sand onto the carpet," a stern voice said, interrupting his thoughts. His eyes found an older-looking woman. She was obviously in charge here. She had a roll of parchment clenched in her fist. Her hair was greying and her face was slightly wrinkled, but he could tell she was a beauty once. The front of her dress was open above her breasts, giving him a generous view of them. He fought the urge to blush.

"Are you two here to deliver something? Money for Ammon's debts? It's about time the old pervert paid up. Our girls don't work for charity," she stated.

"Sorry ma'am, we're not here for that," Kavi began only to be interrupted.

"We don't hand out bread for street rats eithers."

"Of course," Aisha told her quickly. Out of the corner of his eyes, Kavi spotted a couple armed men, their hands on their scimitars. They were probably private guards. Aisha continued, "We wouldn't dream of looking for a handout. We're looking for work."

"And what would I need two starving children for? You're far too skinny to be of any use to my customers," the woman told her. Good. They weren't dealing with an underling with no power.

"Of course, we would barely make up for the food you give us that way, but this is a big place isn't it? And a lot of people come here to forget about their troubles," Aisha told her sympathetically, "We hear just about everyone talking about it, don't we Kavi?"

"Yes, we do! All the boys I know dream of coming here for the night and I know that I've seen Azur Sura head here almost every night," Kavi added. The woman sniffed.

"That old slimeball is not heading here anymore. I banned him last week. The last thing I need is someone nosing around my customers. People here desire to be anonymous," she told them, "How do you know him? You don't look like one of his streetrats, but then, I can never tell the difference between you children?"

"Oh, of course not!" Kavi exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised and ignoring the sharp glance Aisha gave him, "The last thing that we need is get in trouble with the Guard!"

The woman nodded, apparently satisfied with his performance. Kavi suppressed the urge to wipe his brow in relief.

"Anyway," Aisha continued, her voice sweet and harmless, "You get a lot of people coming here and using your… "wares". That means that there are a lot of rooms that need to be cleaned, beds that need to be made, and a lot of things to be fetches. While they're here, people would want wine or baths. Not to mention all the house work your "workers" don't have time for."

"Yes, I am well aware of the work that is put into this place. I have owned it for twenty years and have run it for thirty. The question is why I would take in two streetrats and give them a job."

"Because we're cheap. Aisha and I, we are a package deal. We will do the work of two for less than a day's wage between us," Kavi offered.

"I could hire a grown man for the same amount."

"But a grown man would be tempted to take liberties, wouldn't he? And you would have to quarter him or pay him more. A slave would be even more expensive And we can do the work of two grown servants. Please, give us a chance," Aisha told her, her brown eyes wide and pleading. The woman sighed.

"Fine then. I will give you two a chance, curse my tender heart. If you meet with my approval, I will allow you two to stay. I will even give you two meals a day in addition to half a Sekmet."

"One," Aisha argued. Kavi was about to dissuade her from haggling, but he stopped himself. It would look suspicious if they didn't at least try for a higher price.

"Half. You are in no position to make demands, girl. Now get back there and ask for Erin. She should know where to put you to work."