A Companion for all Time - 3. Chapter 3 - Capital games

It’s really weird being someone. All my life I’ve been a nobody, just another orphan from Zarch, but on the zeppelin I am something more: I am Dragon Master Irion. Though I have no idea what that means or how I am supposed to take it. Avenia is very quiet. She follows me around, elegantly flying around. She shares her point of view with me from time to time. The biggest surprise however was last night’s meal. I had never seen this much food before in one place! They had things I didn’t know the name of, fruits were fresh, and they had sugar cubes! People would kill in Zarch for one sugar cube!! They even had butter, I mean I thought butter was only a legend, but it’s not! It’s creamy and thick and tasty, and I could have eaten it whole! Emma had warned me however that it might be a good idea to take it slow with the food, because, as she had guessed correctly, I was definitely not used to eating this much food at all. Through the meal I followed her example, and copied her every move. She nodded approvingly at me once or twice too. The Prime Chancellor was a bore though. He has this monotonous voice that just puts you to sleep in a second, and he kept talking about how Capital Island was paradise and Zarch hell. I tensed every time he said something along the lines of: “Zarch is just a warehouse for society’s dejects.”

I was furious against him, but General Marius had warned me about the Prime Chancellor. He had also advised me to stay quiet, no sense in making a political enemy so early in what he called my “career.” As if I wanted to do politics with arrogant idiots like the Prime Chancellor.

And he is wrong. I’ve seen beauty in Zarch. Maybe it’s not as common as in Capital Island, but there is some. Once I saw a young man help an orphan by passing for his brother and taking him home with him to save him from gangs. You see gangs don’t attack kids that have parents for fear that one of them has ties with a gang that is more powerful than theirs (which is often the case). Orphans are usually the punching bag of older teens, and before we are sixteen no one will protect us.

Another time I saw two boys kissing in an alley, and for some reason I found it beautiful. I was 12 at the time, and Fill had just turned sixteen. I was sneaking around looking for something to eat when I had seen them. They were a bit older than me but not much, but I couldn’t tell if they were orphans or not. Curiosity overtook me and I stayed there to watch, as I was well hidden from them. They continued kissing for a while before one of them got down on his knees and pulled the others pants down. Revealing a very hard cock, and while I should not have, I enjoyed the view. My own dick grew hard, and by some sort of reflex I started, what I learned later on, jerking off. I won’t continue with what happened between those two boys, I’m already kind of ashamed to bring them up.

Anyways at the end of the meal I was ready to punch the Prime Chancellor in the face. I waited angrily for Emma to give me the ok sign before storming off and locking myself in my room. I punched the innocent pillows of my bed a few times to let my anger escape a little. Oh my bed! I forgot! I even get a bed! I hadn’t slept in a bed for such a long time! This morning when I woke I felt fantastic, but was hit by a pang of guilt as the images of Lin and Fale came to my mind…

Anyways, a few minutes later, I was out of my clothes and in simple white pants, and someone knocked on my door.

“Yes?”

“Dear, it’s Emma.”

I sigh, as I would have enjoyed a bit of solitude, but went to open none the less.

“You were almost perfect tonight dear. We could see you were making efforts and that you weren't comfortable, but for a first it was almost perfect,” she assured me.

I stayed quiet, as the words of the Prime Chancellor were still fresh in my memory, and my anger wasn't quite gone yet.

“I know this is a lot for you, and I just want to help.”

“I know, and thank you. But, may I ask why?”

“I was visiting one of the girl’s orphanage that I fund, and General Mallius contacted me and asked that I take care of you. I was the only one in Zarch at the time that had been to Capital Island, and being of a respected noble family, though not very influential, he knew I knew how to prepare you. I accepted, for two reasons actually: one it was an immense honor to take care of a Dragon Master, and second because, well…”

“Yes?” I ask cautiously.

“My husband died a few years back, and I cannot have children of my own. I thought that this might in a way make up for that.”

For the first time since I had met her she seemed vulnerable, and not so optimistic.

“Of course that idea is completely ridiculous, as you are a man now that you have turned sixteen.”

“Maybe I am a man, but I never had an education. I would like you to teach me, if you don’t mind...”

It seemed like the right thing to do. She seemed honest and loyal, and I needed someone that knew how to survive in Capital Island. In Zarch we sometimes heard rumors about the capital. Political intrigues sometimes turned to murder, and I was cautious with the whole matter. Again I may not have had an education but I’m not stupid, and I know from experience that knowledge can keep you alive, even in the streets of the 6^th.

“It would be my honor and great pleasure Master Irion,” she said formally before curtsying.

“Oh please, I’m not a noble, and I’m kind of used to you calling me dear, no one called me that since… for a long time…”

She smiled at me, a warm smile, the Emma I had known for less than a day was back. It’s weird really how some people are bound to you so quickly and by pure chance. Things could have been much worse if not for Emma.

We talked a bit more before a yawn escaped me, and soon I was alone in my room. I went to the window on one of the walls. I could see the sea of clouds roll by under the ship. I looked up, and I gasped. The stars were out tonight! In Zarch it was exceptional to see them, as smoke usually blocked the sky. On very windy days, the smoke would be cleared and we could see them, but it was very rare. The moon too was beautiful, I had never seen her with this much detail, and silver light seemed to drip from it. It was simply beautiful.

I crawled under the covers, and set my head down on one of the pillows. It was almost too soft for me, and I tossed and turned for a while before finding a position I was comfortable with. Avenia came and nestled near me and let out a purr of satisfaction. I reached out and took my key from the little table next to my bed. As any other night, I talked to Ma’ and Pa’. I fell asleep before I finished telling them about my sixteenth birthday.

This morning I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on my door. It was my breakfast that was being delivered. Once I was past the surprise, I thanked the woman that had brought it and devoured it whole.

Now, after getting dressed and walking around a bit with Avenia, I’m going to go see Emma, she promised that she would help me get an education this morning.

I find her room further in the ship, and politely knock.

“Come in, Irion!” she calls from the other side.

I open the door and step in. Wearing a different but still extravagant dress, Emma is preparing a table in front of her own window.

“Good morning dear and good morning Avenia!”

Obviously she is in her ever positive mood, and optimism literally drips from her voice.

“Good morning Emma,” both Avenia and I say in unison.

“Come sit down Irion we have a lot to do.”

I do as I am told, and go sit in front of the desk she had been setting up. I see a sheet of paper, a wooden pen, and an inkwell. Avenia starts exploring, but finally decides to settle down on top of my head as a sort of crown. It made it hard for me to look up, but i didn't complain. It was good to have her up there, her presence was, in a way, very comforting. We had been together for just a day at most, and already she was part of me.

"Of course I'm part of you," she chuckles in my head, making me smile.

“Do you know how to read and write dear?”

“I’m not very good at it. Ma’ had barely started before she died.”

“I’m so sorry.”

I shrug. I got over my parents’ death years ago. Dwelling on the past can be dangerous in the streets.

She comes near me and hands me a small book. I squint as I try to read the tittle.

“El-Elathia’s h-h-handbook to palitecs?”

“Almost dear, the title of the book is: Elathia’s handbook to politics.”

“What does it talk about?”

“I thought we could do two things at once. Since you will be residing in the capital where politics is the main distraction of every noble, I thought it would be useful for you to have a basic idea of what to expect.”

“I don’t want to get in politics!”

“You won’t have a choice, I’m afraid,” she sighs. “You see, you are going to be one of the most powerful mage of the realm, and people are going to try to get you to support them for political reasons. One day or another you will take sides, and without wanting to you will join the great game of the nobles.”

“So everyone in Capital Island lives for politics?”

“Yes, that sums it up nicely. Capital Island is for the high nobility as it is rather small, and the royal palace takes up most of the space. Hemrend is the island for small nobility like myself and the most skilled artisans, including mages and alchemists. Aladia is the island of the mages, most reside there and you will surely go there for your training, though the King might ask to make an exception to keep you close to him.”

“Why would he do that?”

“You could be very valuable to him, or you might become his doom. He needs to keep you close to control you.”

“He can try at least…” I mutter to myself.

“We will see all of this in the book so let’s get started!”

For the rest of the morning we worked on my reading skills, and I also learned quite a bit about politics. Emma was impressed too, which made me proud for some reason (I had not been praised for something in a while). I’ve always had an excellent memory, and I was surprised that a number of things I learned because of my life in the streets could be applied to Capital Island’s form of entertainment. By the end of my lesson i had a pretty clear map of the political system. The king was the highest authority possible, he was free to do everything as he saw fit. Under him was the High Chancellor Felit, the arrogant man that I had the complete displeasure of dining with last night.

At lunch, his Excellency the Prime Chancellor Felit joined us. He politely inquired as to my morning activities, and, to my satisfaction, he seemed surprised that I had expressed the desire to get an education as quickly as possible. For some reason, his manners towards me changed for the better. He was more respectful of my origins, and he kept his arrogance in check. I could see that he was restraining himself. Reading people was a trick I had picked up over my years of thievery, and it had proven useful in the past, one more thing that the streets had taught me that would be of us to me in the future.

I also spent the afternoon with Emma, and we continued our work. Words are still swirling in my head tonight, and I wonder how I will be able to sleep after I speak with General Mallius who “has expressed an interest in talking to Dragon Master Irion” (I quote the servant that came to get me as I was contemplating the starts from the window of my room).

I finally reach his cabin (the proper word according to the servant I mentioned), and knock on the steel door. As I understand, being a soldier he gets a soldier’s room, even if he is a general. His cabin is much smaller than mine, and has no window to gaze from.

The general must have been waiting for me, because as soon as I knock he opens the door and invites me in.

“Evening boy, erh I mean Dragon Master.”

I look at him puzzled.

“Pardon me, but since it is official now, you are to be called Dragon Master, the ‘boy’ escaped me out of habit.”

“I don’t really care, if you want you can keep on calling me ‘boy’, better than ‘scum’ or ‘bastard orphan’ which are the ones I’m used to.”

A smile ghosts on his lips, but he gets his serious look back on his face.

“I just wanted to warn you, as soon as you get off this ship you will be a pawn in many different political squabbles of Capital Island.”

“I know, Lady Emma has already briefed me on this.”

“Good, and thus it is my duty to also warn you that you will need to be able to defend yourself.”

“I grew up in the 6^th general. You’d be surprised how much I already know on that.”

“I’m not talking of just escaping aggressors, as sometimes that won’t be an option. Tomorrow I’d like to be able to show you a few basic self-defense moves soldiers are required to know and how to wield a simple dagger in case of an emergency.”

The more time passes, the more I regret ever boarding this ship… I sigh and fall into a chair, even though I was not invited to.

“Is this sort of things common in the capital?”

“Thankfully no, and most of the times you will have guards attached to your person.”

“How about in the morning, I have already said to Lady Emma that we would continue on my education tomorrow.”

“The morning should be more than enough to teach you the basics. I will come get you.”

I nod at him and ask:

“Anything else?”

“No. I will see you in the morning?”

“Yes. Good night General.”

“Good night boy.”

I go back to my own cabin and fall on my bed exhausted.

“You should rest,” Avenia tells me.

“Probably,” I answer as I scratch her behind the ears, a spot that I had accidently found that made her purr when I scratched it gently.

I take off my clothes and neatly put them on a chair before jumping under the covers. I reach for my key. I know that I can’t sleep until I ‘talk’ to my parents. Finally, after they know how my day was, I put it back and close my eyes. Avenia rolls herself in a ball next to me, and I drift off into sleep.