Chapter 2.1 Goslen's Gambit

The sun looms on the horizon in the newly acquired Kingdom of Goslen. A young boy runs through the streets of its main city, Taratha, being chased by a few of the Emperors' solders. The boy slams into a busy street slightly spreading the crowd.

“Hey watch it!” called a man whom he'd just about knocked over.

“Hey!” another yelled as he watched some of his eggs spill out of his basket only to break on the ground.

The boy looked back as he slowed his speed. He saw his pursuers on the fringe of the crowd looking over the people's heads to see where their target had gone.

'I won't be able to get away if I draw too much attention.' he thought, he slouched over to match the height of the people around him and slowly made his way through the masses of merchants, consumers, builders, and petty handlers. The city was still in a state of disorder with people rebuilding, the need for new trade partners, solders patrolling the streets. He continued down the street without looking up, as the crowd began to thin he moved to the side of the street near a familiar ally. He check back, he could see the guards heads bobbing through the gathering.

“Bell!” a shout came from behind him.

“Shh.” Bell raised a hand to his mouth, “I'm being followed.”

“Well come on, best get inside.” his friend suggested.

Bell waited for another moment peering toward the guards who have gathered in the center of the mass, looking a bit upset and confused. He was satisfied. He had escaped yet another incident with the new occupying force.

“Jo, wait up.”

Before the war broke out between the Kingdom of Goslen and the Iss'pale Empire, Nyedred Bellahonen and Hakien Josannen were just school mates. They both attended the city academy and had wealthy fathers who were called to fight for their kingdom with the last draft and final stand at Goslen Heights.

Bell's father owned a building in the merchant district of Tarathan, one of three major cities in Goslen. Here, the boys lived a back area, fairly secretive, and kept from the knowledge of the occupying Guards. In the basement in a well hidden area in the wall, Bell and Jo stored many of their father's valuables, along with chests of platinum, gold, and silver. They are the only two to know about this area, it is the very reminder of what they lost, and what they have to live with.

“So did you get it?” Jo asked excitedly

“No, they caught me.” Jo's eyes lit up, his face concerned, “I obviously managed to get away, Jo.” Bell smiled, Jo's flipped his concern look to one ready for laughter.

Bell turned a little more serious, “They we taking me to see their squad commander, luckily a woman distracted them long enough for me to escape. I ran away, but they followed. I didn't want to bring any notice to this part of town but I knew mixing in with the crowd was my only chance to really get away. I'm sure there will be a few guards walking these streets for the next couple days. We better tell the boys to keep a low profile.”

“Maybe we should not tell them at all, they hardly know about our intentions. Usually it's just casual talk with them anyway. We both know that every one of the boys who come here have had their fathers killed, but some still live with their mothers, and other work for food as apart of the rebuilding. I don't want our little sanctuary to be found out, or compromised, and I know you don't either.” Jo said exhaling a quick puff of air between his lips. “As long as we pay the taxes for the building we should be fine. We have rent coming in from the two shops out front, and the membership dues every month from the other boys.”

Jo cut him off with that statement, “You know the dues is not for tax, besides, the rental cost should cover it anyway.”

“Who knows, I will have to talk to Frey to see what the new laws will be.”

“Who's Frey?”

“He was a friend of my fathers. I grew up to them laughing together in the rooms on the second floor of this place. He sometime took care of me when my father was out of town.”

Bell's mother had died shortly after giving birth. He was raised by his father, Lorent.

Bell now lives with a band of friends, some from the academy, who had also lost their parents in the war, others who needed shelter from lost homes, others still are there to hang out and talk, sharing their mutual distrust for the new Empire.

Bell and Jo enter the main living room in the back of Bell's building. A few young men rise out of respect in the sight of them both. Other stop their conversing and nod in their direction. There was a general respect for Bell and Jo among everyone in the room. The conversations quickly continued, and before long many of the young men were laughing at some of their stories of the day, talk about their current place of employment, some costumer experiences, and run-ins with the Empire's guard.

“Walren, did you see that guard who was patrolling in front of the smiths yard?” Tel questioned, carrying the conversation.

“I saw him, but nothing special happened at the time, why?”

“He tripped and fell right into the muddy path. His uniform was covered in mud, and he had just started his shift.”

The boys listening started to laugh, and then at once shared their own humorous stories of the day. Chatter filled the room.

Bell caught Walren's attention, and gestured for him to meet with him in the adjacent room. The rest of the boys continued their stories, and played their card games. Some just kept to themselves, reading a book or resting their eyes after a day of labor  or other means to acquire a small wage.

“What is it Bell?” Walren questioned as he closed the door after himself.

“It's not what, it's who.” the tone and atmosphere became more

concerning. “I was chased today by the occupying guard.”

Jo entered the room, the two nodded to him, as he stepped up next to Walren.

“Let's sit and discuss this.”

Bell began to tell them exactly what happened earlier that day.