Background James

From far off, the city had the appearance of a well mannered, well plotted land. The raised walls were tinted tan, and as we neared, etched with the structure of a brick wall. Healthy grass swayed beneath our worn feet. I ached to find a warm cot to rest if only for the hour, ached for warm, cooked food that didn’t require preparation of my own. My deprived memory dug up the sweet scent of my aunt’s cooking, cooled pies filled with the fruits of their land.

Sarah watched me warily as we wandered on. I ignored her and took the lead as we closed the distance between us and the city walls.

“Where are we?” Crystal asked in a cracked voice. I winced at the tone that never relented in her young voice. She clutched herself together, eyes wide and fearful. I reached out on impulse and took her tiny hand. She gripped tightly, desperately.

Two men stood on watch at the gates, positioned on either side and heads held proud and stiff. The first man, tall and wide with a salt and pepper mustache, noticed our approach first. The second man, younger than the other by maybe a decade or two with hair sticking out from under his metal helm like hay, gave us a simple glance.

I sucked in a deep breath and tried to stand taller.  Comments I’d received from Fires came flooding back to me of how much older I looked than my age.

“Who goes there, children?” The older man questioned tonelessly.

Sarah looked quickly to me, and I attempted to convey with my eyes I was going to deal with this. Rousing the deepest voice I could muster, I replied, “I am Sander, and these are my sisters Atsuko and Vixen.”

As if detached from the conversation, the man replied, “What is your business here?”

I reached for the first explanation that came to mind. “We’re looking for our parents.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a color of irritation flash in Sarah’s eyes.

The blonde guard turned to us, curious now. “Your parents? I don’t believe I’ve met any man here with three children as the likes of you….” His green eyes soaked in our dirty faces, tattered clothing, and worn shoes. “But… that might be explained by your… statuses. You are street beggars?”

The older man stiffened. “We have no more need of street beggars. Go plague some other city!” He crouched defensively against us.

“We’re not street rats!” Sarah protested.

I shushed her hurriedly. “We come not to cause unrest, sir. Please let us pass.”

He frowned, straightening. “How old are you boy?”

“Seventeen, sir, and my poor, young sister needs rest. Please let us pass these walls,” I responded, motioning to Crystal, who was trembling and cowering into my side.

Just as the old man was about to shut me down, his partner interrupted him and said, “You can’t call every child you meet a street beggar just because we happen to have one sneaky boy who happens to allude capture by your hand. Let them pass.” And without pause, he waved us through.

When we were out of earshot, Sarah glared at me. “‘We’re looking for our parents’?” she questioned. “We should’ve thought of a story before the gate.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes.

“At least we got through,” I grumbled.

“To where though?” Crystal asked.

Sarah shrugged. “We’re going to have to find out. Someone ought to know.” We stayed together as we followed the length of the dirty street. Houses lines each end, short, flat roofs and grimy walls. A group of children ran by us, chasing and tackling each other in the dry, dusty dirt. The farther into the city we walked, the more people were tending to matters outside. Mothers gathered in circles, knitting or weaving and keeping a loose eye on their mingling children. Shop keepers wiping their windows or sweeping their floors. A tavern where a group of men were chuckling and bantering.

Crystal spotted a garden patch and pointed it out to me. “I’m hungry, James.”

“I know,” I replied, holding her back when she tried to reach for it, “but it doesn’t belong to us.” She stared with longing at a lone, red ripe tomato, hanging from its twisting green vine. A glistening drop of morning dew dripped of its smooth, reflective skin.

“I want it,” she whispered sadly.

Swallowing the knot forming in my throat, I said, “We can’t just take it, Crys. We’ll find you some food.” Then like a haunting, ghastly ghost, my own stomach growled. “We’ll find food,” I repeated with a quiet conviction.

As my sister and I stared at the garden only a few feet from us, Sarah had wandered off. Up just ahead, she was conversing with a woman who held a limp carpet tightly in her calloused hands. The woman was frowning and shaking her head.

“Sarah, what was that about?” I asked when Sarah returned.

“I was asking if she could spare me something to eat,” she answered. “And said no.” Crystal whimpered, and the sound made my teeth grit on edge.

“Take her around and see if you can find… I don’t know, a fallen apple or something,” I ordered, waving them off.

Sarah watched me curiously, right eyebrow arched pointedly at me, as she gripped Crystal’s hand and lead her away. My eyes wandered almost automatically to the tomato still hanging like an ornament. Fingers twitching, the stepped away, too tempted to partake and eat.

“Pst…” someone called out, “over here.”

A shadowy figure waved me over from confines of a slit between two houses. Warily, my feet moved toward him.

“Who are you?” I whispered harshly.

The figure stepped into the light, a smirk playing on his lips. He looked a year or so younger than myself but matched my height easily. I immediately noticed his violet eyes, how they glimmered mischievously.

“I’m Seth; who are you?” the boy asked curiously, leaning against the gritty walls. He pushed back his long, dirty blonde hair from his eyes and crossed her arms as he waited for my response.

I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously. “James. Why’d you call me out?”

Seth shrugged. “I saw you and your sisters stalking that vegetable patch. Thought I’d help.” When I glared at him, he added, “You’re not from around here are you?”

I shook my head.

“Where you from?”

“Away. Far away.”

Seth cocked his head, intrigued. “How far is far?”

“Far.”

Seth rolled my cold tone off his shoulders as if he were expecting my lack of cooperation and playing along with it. “Well, wherever you’re from…” he paused as he stared into my eyes. I was suddenly grateful Sarah had reminded Crystal and me to hide our true colors. “…hm… Ice, I don’t suppose you know anything about Naturalist’s territory.”

I offered no response, and the boy squirmed uncomfortably under my challenging gaze.

“Forester is under rule of the Naturalists, and they don’t give up their food easily. Psychics here are starved and scrape together whatever food they can to survive. You’re not gonna find any givers in this part of town,” Seth concluded simply. I knew what he wanted me to say, but I was under no circumstances going to beg him for it. But my stomach had a different agenda, rumbling at the thought of finally finding sustenance. Seth’s cocky grin widened. Leaning towards me, he whispered, “I can find you the best hunting places around here… for a price….”

I scoffed. “I don’t need your help, boy,” I spat, about to walk away.

“What about your little sister there?” Seth asked, making me pause, half turned to escape. Crystal was clutched to Sarah’s side, her arms covering her flat tummy. Her coarse, black hair scratched against her hollowing face, and her limbs were almost skeletal.

Groaning within, I asked, “What’s your price?”

Seth relaxed smugly. “Let me join you.”

This caught me off guard. “Join me?” I chuckled. “Why? What would you gain following me?” Surreptitiously, his eyes jumped to the girls then back quickly, then rolled his eyes to hide the action.

“I’m… bored, you know, of being something of a prince to these oppressed people. I want to… conquer some other challenge….” Seth trailed off quietly.

Sarah was observing us carefully, waiting for the right moment to step in and help. I gave her a quick thrust of my jaw to let her know she wasn’t needed. I looked over the street boy, masking my face with boredom. He wore ripped trousers that matched the dusty floor and a shirt that was missing most of its sleeves. His feet were bare with rough, camouflaging skin.

“Some other challenge?” I mocked. “Like wooing my cousin?”

By the shock that lit his darkened face, I knew I’d guessed correctly. He subtly bit his lip and chewed for a short moment. Hastily, he amended, “Oh no… I wouldn’t… I didn’t think… I just thought… wait, she’s your cousin?”

I gritted my teeth and glowered at him, drawing the corners of my mouth and the line of my brows into the darkest look I could muster. Seth pressed himself against the house wall. I was just about to threaten him when Sarah suddenly showed up beside me. I felt Crystal’s boney fingers grab into my ruined tunic, and my glower transformed into a grimace.

“James, what’s going on?” Sarah asked. She gave Seth a quick one-over as she awaited my response.

“This boy here thinks he can get us some food,” I sniggered. “I don’t trust him.”

To my surprise, Sarah held out her hand toward him. Without a smile, she asked, “Can you really help us? Or were you just trying to act cool?”

Seth’s eyes lingered on her open hand before deciding to take it. I held back a noise of complete disgust as Sarah firmly shook his hand. By the lazy pull of Seth up turned mouth, he enjoyed the contact too much for my liking.

“Crys needs food, and she needs it now; how soon can you get it for her?”

I broke in just as Seth tried to speak. “He has a condition before he agrees to help us.” Seth glared at me, Sarah at him.

“What kind of condition would that be?” she questioned guardedly.

Again, I interjected before he could get a word in. “He wants permission to follow us around like a little puppy.”

Sarah stared at Seth in confusion. Seth glared at me, and then turned to Sarah for correction. “My condition is you let me join your group. I could be of some use. For one, you need food. I know how to get it. Plus, I know this city better than anyone.”

“We’re not exactly planning on staying, whoever you are,” Sarah replied, though she was seriously considering him.

“Seth,” he offered with a nod. “I’m fifteen, closing in on sixteen.”

“Sarah.” I smiled when she didn’t add her age – fourteen – and the boy chewed his lip, disappointed.

“We can find food on our own,” I insisted, grabbing Sarah’s elbow and pulling her to me. She slapped my hand away and stood closer to Seth, sending me a look like I’d just taken a child’s favorite toy. I pouted.

Sarah held out her hand again to Seth, and he took it easily. “Lead the way.”

And so began my intense hatred for the boy who held my place as leader, as guider, as protector.