2. Chapter 2 #4
“You are a million miles away,” she continued. “Someone needs to choose who gets to run the archery booth, and that someone needs to be you. Otherwise, Sarek and Nonn will hem and haw until my ears wilt.” Her ears sagged as she said that, hanging low along the sides of her head.
There were always plenty of volunteers for the festival, and usually an appointed organizer, though Dreya had taken over that task ever since ascending to her role as advisor.
The entirety of the market would be transformed for the event, but some of the activity would be in the area just outside the start of the residential sector, by the market steps, where Ashmedai and Dreya stood now amongst the bustle of initial stalls being planned and built.
Festival Day was the biggest event of the year, like the liveliest of city fairs.
Since many of the booths, such as archery, were an excuse for advertising a person’s profession or wares, sometimes a lottery needed to be waged.
Other times, Ashmedai had to pick someone, for he was the only person the people believed to be impartial.
He was often more mediator than ruler, really, which was fine by him.
“Sarek,” Ashmedai said. “Nonn has supplied bows for the hunt all year.”
“Very fair,” Dreya agreed.
Ashmedai meant to stay focused after that, but when his gaze drifted once more to the road, this time, he caught sight of Levi returning with Grillo, Kenner, and a full lumber cart. The delight that fluttered through him dwarfed putting attention on anything else.
He’d hoped that having Levi assist with the festival would mean more time to get to know him, that maybe he could have snuck away to watch over Levi. He’d had any number of excuses for Dreya, but she’d shot down every attempt he made to escape.
“He is rather fascinating, isn’t he?”
Ashmedai startled. There was no denying where his attention had shifted. “Yes, he is.”
“I can barely remember being a child, and for me, it wasn’t that long ago.
” Dreya laughed lightly. “Can you imagine what it must be like to experience the world for the first time as an adult? I suppose I might get to find out if the barrier is ever gone. My parents have told me stories of the world before the curse, but they’re farmers.
They never traveled. Not like Luccite, who came from Ruby and had seen the world before settling here. Levi is lucky in a way.”
“Yes, I suppose he is. My dear Dreya,” Ashmedai said before she could jump into whatever topic she planned on next, “can we resume tomorrow? We have made much progress due to your diligence, but we do have weeks yet before the festival.”
She seemed about to protest, but like last night after the council meeting, a kind request was often enough for her to acquiesce. “It has been a long day. Will you be at the castle tomorrow morning or somewhere I need to track down?”
Ashmedai smiled at the gentle tease. “I will be there.”
Levi and the others were nearly back when Ashmedai left Dreya to intercept—
“Ash!”
—only for Klarent to intercept him .
The tentacled scholar blocked Levi from Ashmedai’s sight. He held a load of books and was clearly excited, given the way his beard tentacles quivered.
“Yes, Klarent, how may I help you?” Ashmedai hoped to settle this quickly.
“The festival could use more culture, I thought—more stories and performances, rather than just games and feats of physical skill. So, this year—”
“You’re planning a booth to allow the people to show off more artistic talents?”
“Exactly so! I myself hope to do a few dramatic readings, but it would serve the booth schedule well if your voice joined mine in recruiting. We haven’t filled the open slots nearly enough, and I want the booth to be a resounding success!”
“Certainly, Klarent. I can even mention it at the next city council meeting. Now—”
“And I would like for you to promise to be present for my opening act. Without spoiling the surprise, I have a gift for you.”
“For me?”
“I’m hoping it will be quite the spectacle, so I ask that you not get whisked away to other activities until after I’ve had the opportunity to present it to you at the opening.”
Surprised and warmed in equal measure, Ashmedai smiled fondly at his friend but was still eager to escape.
“I will keep a keen eye on the time and be at the very front, I swear to you. Now—” he tried once more, meaning to sidestep Klarent, only for Klarent to turn on his own with a bright declaration.
“Levi! Lyssy will be so pleased to know you accepted Grillo’s request. He hoped you wouldn’t be too upset that he recommended you.”
The focus of Ashmedai’s drifting thoughts had come to him, with Grillo and Kenner continuing past with the loaded cart. Levi’s eyes were on Ashmedai at first, but they shifted shyly to Klarent.
“Oh, not at all. It was… enjoyable.”
Ashmedai could tell Levi meant that, yet there was something off about him, a twitch and hidden sorrow behind his eyes.
“Lyssy is watching the shop,” Klarent said, “but I’ll let him know. Now, Ash, remember, you promised to be at the opening of my booth.”
Ashmedai offered a small bow. “And a promise is something I never break.”
“I, um… I should head home,” Levi said once they were alone.
“May I accompany you?”
“Y-y-y-you….” Levi trailed off when he couldn’t contain his stuttering, collecting himself and finally answering with a short, “Yes. ”
They walked a pace or two in silence, leaving the hubbub behind them, but eventually, Levi spoke again, as Ashmedai had hoped. He wanted Levi to feel comfortable speaking openly with him.
“So…. Ash, did you enjoy your festival work today?”
“Well enough.” Ashmedai smiled, pleased he hadn’t needed to correct Levi this time. “Some of Dreya’s tasks for me revolved around next week’s hunt. We tend to need more food come Festival Day, given people are more likely to indulge.”
Many things were edible in the Shadow Lands, but there weren’t many animals, and even fewer that were hunted for meat. The people dried most of what they caught to last longer, hunting only monthly and keeping a close eye on the various herds.
“Master Braxton can replicate some foods with alchemy, can’t he?”
“He can, and he does, but while nutritious, something replicated isn’t quite like the real thing.
As I have heard from far too many citizens—it doesn’t taste the same.
” Ashmedai chuckled, enjoying the soft smile Levi echoed back at him.
“If I may ask, why did you wait so long to be among the people more?”
“I-I was nervous,” Levi said with a drop of his head. “I thought they might think me strange.”
Ashmedai stared at him in disbelief.
“I wasn’t born here!” Levi hurried to explain. “I was made. I didn’t know what others might think strange, especially with my stitches and… my eyes.”
“Let me reassure you,” Ashmedai said, “you are wonderfully unique, Levi, like everyone in the Dark Kingdom, but unique in a way all your own.”
“Isn’t that strange?”
“I suppose it is.” Ashmedai chuckled again. “You simply need to stop thinking that strange is a bad thing.”
“Even if my eyes match the Source Crystal?” Levi asked more dejectedly.
Something thick stuck in Ashmedai’s throat, but he managed to say, “It is hardly an unsightly color. The people trust in Brax. They’ll trust you. Has anyone proven otherwise?”
“No. Everyone’s been wonderful.” Levi smiled.
The distance from the market steps to Braxton’s tower wasn’t far, so Ashmedai slowed for their walk to last longer.
“What about you?” Levi asked, keeping pace with him. “You live in the castle all alone. Even Master Braxton made me so he wouldn’t be alone.”
Besides Levi’s adult figure, it was his shrewdness that made Ashmedai think of him as a man and not a creation of only a few weeks. “Maybe I have trouble sometimes thinking my strangeness is a good thing too.”
That caused another smile to brighten Levi’s face, and their stroll almost came to a stop as they enjoyed the quiet moment that passed between them.
Then Levi looked down, continuing onward, and Ashmedai was reminded of the shadows behind those violet eyes.
“Are you all right?” Ashmedai asked. “You seemed off when you returned with Grillo, as if something had upset you.”
Levi often seemed hunched, like he wished he could hide within himself the way he used to hide in his cloak. “I had a… a daydream, I think?”
“A daydream?”
“It was odd. Kenner and I were playing. One minute he was dashing behind a tree, the next, someone else stepped from behind it. Still a boy but… a half-elf with red hair.”
“Like you?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t know. He had no stitches. And I’ve never been a boy.”
“Perhaps you longed that you might have been, watching Kenner. ”
“Perhaps.” Levi gazed timidly at Ashmedai, letting some of his smile return. “Silly, isn’t it?”
“No. We all long for things we can never have.”
Another quiet moment passed, the slow progression of their feet coming to a full stop.
“Were you… going to come in?” Levi asked.
“Oh.” Ashmedai hadn’t realized they were at the tower door until he looked up.
No wonder Levi had stopped. Ashmedai had simply followed his lead.
“Brax might not want to be interrupted unannounced but please let him know that I would like tea again sometime soon. And in general, more often. You and I can be a positive influence on each other, I think. I don’t need to be such a hermit, especially with my dearest friend. ”
“You and Master Braxton are very close,” Levi said. “I guess I thought you were close with everyone.”
“I try to be. Admittedly, I could be better. Brax and I just understand each other more than most.”
Levi seemed hesitant to say more. What he did say was a simple, “Tomorrow?”
“We’ll see each other when you return to assist Grillo. I look forward to it. And Levi,” he called when Levi reached for the door. Ashmedai had his hesitancies too, but he couldn’t deny that he hadn’t found a reason to be less of a hermit in a long time.
He took Levi’s hand and slid his fingers up Levi’s wrist that still bore a line of stitches.
“These are not something you need to hide or be ashamed of, but if you ever wish for me to take more of them away, all you need to do is ask.”
The soft thrum of Levi’s pulse could be felt beneath Ashmedai’s fingers, and he thought he felt its steady beat speed up. “Maybe I will. Good evening, Ash.” Levi slid his hand from Ashmedai’s grasp slowly and offered one last smile.
After Levi entered the tower, Ashmedai couldn’t bring himself to leave right away. He was certain he wasn’t imagining that Levi looked like Cullen, no matter what Braxton said, but it wasn’t only his appearance that was familiar. Levi was gentle and curious like Cullen too.
“Aren’t there better options for the king than a lowly construct?”
Ashmedai jumped. He needed to stop getting so lost in his thoughts.
Braxton had opened the door and was peering at him with a faint scowl. Levi must have gone upstairs, for even a crane of Ashmedai’s neck to see farther inside showed no sign of him.
“You said it yourself,” Ashmedai answered. “He’s different.”
“Is it that, or because he reminds you of another man with violet eyes?”
“You admit it?”
“I admit he’s different, Ash. He isn’t Cullen.”
Hearing or saying the name was always so different from thinking it. “I know. I’ll visit again soon. Good evening, Brax.”
Ashmedai turned to take his leave, and the road back into the city felt lonelier than ever, even with the lights and sounds of the people becoming more vibrant the closer he got to the market steps.
A daydream, Levi had said.
Ashmedai wondered if that’s all it was.