“Don’t move,” the low voice repeats. I know it’s the older man. “I have a gun,” he says and I hear the sound of a rifle cocking.

I stay still, but my mind is racing. Do I flee? Do I drop the bowl? Do I take it with me? The rifle doesn’t concern me too much. I can sprint out of here before the man would shoot, I know it. These weapons take too long to fire. I’ve never understood why anyone uses them. But what then? He would have more than enough time to aim when I was climbing down the rope. Should I fight? I have the steel rod in my backpack. If I run to the next room I can grab it. One hit would knock him down. It would probably kill him. The idea sickens me. I’m the one in the wrong here.

“Get down on the ground,” he commands.

There’s no time to think. I kneel slightly to make him think I’m complying, then sprint out of the room, keeping low behind a table. The man doesn’t shoot, just curses and runs after me. I tear through the house. It’s bigger than I had thought. Maybe I can trap him somewhere? Then I spy the front door. I slide the lock and swing it open. There is a landing and a huge, spiral staircase. I fly down the stairs, my boots angrily clanking on the metal. The staircase seems endless, much longer than the rope climb up. Every level there is another small landing and a door. I race past a family climbing up and get angry looks from the parents.

Finally I reach the ground floor and leave the building. The few people that are on the street stare at me. I hastily put the bowl in my pack. I circle the building and find Layla.

“What happened?” She doesn’t seem too concerned that I didn’t use the rope. Her tone is amused.

“I’ll explain later, but we need to go. Someone saw me.”

Right on cue a handful of guards run through the street next to us. Layla laughs. “I knew you’d have a knack for this.” She takes my hand and pulls me through the streets. We run together, dodging people and leaping over the occasional debris. She keeps laughing as we go, glancing back at me with a wide smile. Maybe it’s the relief from escaping, maybe it’s just Layla, but I start to laugh with her.

We stop running when we enter the square. It is still packed with people and no one seems to notice us. Layla leads me to the wall where we met only an hour ago and drops my hand. It’s strange how natural it felt having her hand in mine, as if I’d known her for years.

“You got it?” She asks.

I reach into my pack and pull the bowl out half way.

“Good choice,” Layla says sounding a bit surprised at my competency. “I was worried you’d grab a fork.” She takes the pack out of my hands and examines the bowl, turning it around in the pack. “Looks like real silver and stones. Look at this seal.” She points to an intricately engraved S on the bottom of the bowl. “This comes from Sianna Port. You’ve heard of the silver mountains, right kid?”

I nod. Sianna Port, located in the silver mountains, is the northernmost city in the east. It’s the richest city in Kostos, after the Delphast, because it produces all of the luxury wares. My mom has a silver pin from Sianna Port that she wears on special occasions.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Layla is still studying the bowl. She tries to dig out one of the stones, but it won’t budge. “We might need to strip it down,” she explains, “if people know it’s missing.”

“I’m sure no one will ask questions.”

Layla arches an eyebrow. “Are you now?”

I shrug casually. It’s funny how calm I feel, as if stealing silver and almost getting shot happens to me every day. Something catches my eye behind Layla. A tall boy about my age is walking towards us. He’s dressed in plain clothes like Layla, sticking out amongst the richly adorned people in the square. Still I can see several girls watch him as he makes his way towards us, their eyes running up his strong body towards his golden hair pushed back from a strong face. He must know they’re watching him. He walks jauntily and grins at one of the girls who’s watching him from under a golden veil. I can’t hear her giggle, but she ducks her head and whispers to one of her friends.

“Layla,” I say quietly and nod towards the boy behind her. She acts quickly, closing the flap of the bag and swiftly turning around.

“Oh, it’s you,” she says. “What do you need?”

“That’s how you greet me?” He says, slinging an arm around her shoulder. He turns to me. “Is that anyway to speak to a friend?”

“Leave him alone, Zeak,” Layla says.

“Fine. We need you, Layla. Loweyes.”

“Again? When will they learn.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“Nothing to concern you, kid,” Layla says. “I have to run, but we’ll speak again soon. Meet me here tomorrow around one?” She starts to walk away without my answer. “Thanks for the bowl, Javin. Couldn’t have done it without you, eh?” She blows me a kiss and then vanishes into the crowd.

I stand there for several moments, watching the space where she disappeared. Now what? The sun sets while I stand in the square. I can’t actually see the sun, but the gray light of the Delphast grows deeper. Shadows lengthen and fade. People return to their homes. I wander down the spiral, walking at a leisurely pace that feels strange after all the time I spent racing to get to the capital. Now that I’m here I’m waiting for some stranger, some girl to tell me where my brother is. Some girl whose convinced me that she’ll actually be able to help. As I walk down the spiral road I get pointed stares from the people I pass. I guess people who look like I do, with torn and dirty clothing, aren’t welcome in this part of the city. I come out of the sky scrapers and enter the flat level of the city. Here at least are some people that look more like me, though no one is quite as dirty.

Near the stables a crowd has gathered around a man wearing an official looking suit of silver and black. He stands on a makeshift stage and shouts at the crowd, most of whom are nodding their heads fervently.

“….and what will YOU do?” I hear the man shout as I join the crowd. “When the westerners try to break free of us? When they come to burn our homes and kill our people? Will we let them? Will we?”

“No!” The crowd roars.

“Kill them all!” A single man shouts, shoving his fist in the air.

“Precisely, my friends,” the man announces. “We will NOT let these western savages wreck Kostos. More importantly, the Kai will not allow it! He is working night and day to safeguard our city and our country. But he needs YOUR help! What is a Kaidom without an army? He has personally sent me to recruit you fine people. Will you join the brave? The ready? Will you become one of the honored few who are fighting for YOUR freedom? Will you?”

The crowd is less exuberant now. The man who shoved his fist in the air hollers in agreement and pushes his way to the front of the crowd. One other joins him. Most retreat away from the man in the suit, talking about the war and how dangerous these times are. My dad had said he wasn’t sure if war was coming. It seems he was wrong. Apparently war is already here.