The Patzau’s council chambers were established in the very same room the last King of Casoya had once slept in. Then died in. Horribly. The room, wide and well lit, had a sweeping view over the city and the bay beyond to the west. The windows loomed tall and narrow, allowing for ample light and air on Caso’s frequently humid days. Due to its size and circular shape, the space was imperfect for most uses, yet ideal for the original Patzau of Casoya, who required a neutral place from which to govern. For ninety years, the eight Patzau formed the city’s ruling government. One Patzau for each of the eight Casoyan guilds. They represented their constituents in all matters of policy and governance.

Patzau Yanata Ashill, leader of the Casoyan Soldiers’ Guild, sat at her place at the round stone table, frustration plain across her face. She ran her fingers through her dark silver-streaked hair. It was down for once, instead of up in her usual military braid. An omen of how tired she was these days. Around the circular table sat six of her seven fellow Patzau. And, like every council meeting these days, the conversation had descended into bickering.

As usual, it was Patzau Hadashenta of the Casoyan Auction House, Powanati of the Banking Guild, and Minoc of the Artisan’s Guild who resumed their dispute from the last meeting. They sat around a wide circular table surrounded by the others: Patzau Adagizhi of the Resources Guild, Onudar of the Worker’s Guild, and Yohati of the Casoyan Guild of Affairs. The only empty seat belonged to the absent Patzau Murocil of the Guild of External Affairs. These were the eight guild leaders—the rulers of Casoya—and their scheduled business was long forgotten.

“That has to be the most imprudent suggestion you’ve ever tabled” Patzau Minoc challenged. He was typically a jovial man, making the suppressed rage ever plainer across his face.

“Taxing your guild more is the best way to fund resources and initiatives across the city.” Patzau Powanati said. “The bankers have reviewed your costs and profits and they are higher than most other sectors across the city.”

“That’s not quite accurate” Patzau Minoc said, gritting his teeth. “You are manipulating–”

“Your guildsmen are profiteers!” Patzau Onudar shouted, cutting him off mid sentence. “Your guildsmen profit heavily from the hard work the labourers and tradesmen of my guild contribute to this fine city.”

“Enough of that” Patzau Yohati scorned, his gaze heavy on Onudar. “I’ll not have this discussion descend into madness like last week. No interrupting!”

Patzau Minoc glared at Patzau Onudar and the middle-aged man scowled back. “You forget that my guild funds many of the projects your labourers rely on” Patzau Minoc said, defensively.

“All the guilds fund the city’s projects” Onudar said with a sneer.

“Don’t be obtuse” Minoc chided. He tapped his ringed fingers noisily and the clacked against the hard stone. “We all know who really makes this city its money. But I’d like to go back to what Patzau Powanati said a moment ago. He said most other sectors implying there’s a guild more profitable than mine” Minoc said, staring directly at Patzau Hadashenta of the Careyago Auction House.

“A deflection tactic” Patzau Hadashenta groaned, exasperated. He then looked to Patzau Yohati for support. Whether or not he got any, Yanata couldn’t tell. “The fact is,” Hadashenta continued, “we need more money to pay for the upkeep of ships and soldiers. To fund infrastructure projects. To increase our presence across the island and suppress these tribal mongrels flocking to the city’s slums.”

Mongrels. Yanata didn’t like that sentiment.

“Then why is my guild the only one targeted for tax increases by this proposal?” Patzau Minoc said. “Why not increase taxes on all three of our most profitable guilds?”

“Because your guild makes the most money.” Patzau Powanati repeated with a smirk.

“That doesn’t answer my question!” Patzau Minoc yelled, slamming his large fists on the table. Spirits, Yanata thought to herself, he’s actually angry. “Your bankers are taxed at a lesser rate. The auction house is taxed at a lesser rate. Quit trying to spoon-feed me this bullshit and just come out and speak the truth” Patzau Minoc growled. “This is a targeted attack. One aimed at weakening the foundations of the artisans and craftsmen in this city. You sprinkle a few coins here and there to hide what you’re doing, but your guild isn’t paying its fair share. Your bankers have become greedy and you most among them. You sell the rest of us out for personal gain, Powanati. My guild brings in the most profit because my guild brings in the most revenue. I have thousands of guild members. Yet you, with mere hundreds, bring in near as much and somehow keep far more of it in your greedy little pockets.”

Chaos erupted in the chamber. Patzau Ashill’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at the boldness of the accusation. The men in the room—well, they were all men save for her and Patzau Murocil who’d had the foresight to not be here—yelled over one another to a cacophony of madness. Yanata had half-a-mind to get physical and separate them herself. Half of the group yelled and enflamed the situation while the others worked their best to calm and cool the anger and tension.

“Enough!” Patzau Yohati yelled, finally silencing the room. “And sit down, Mellen” He added, daring Patzau Minoc to challenge the glare of disapproval. The large man did as he was told and slumped back into his chair brining his fat ring clad fingers into his own grasp, as if holding himself back. “You go too far” Patzau Yohati added. “I will have absolutely no more of this from any of you.”

“I motion to present and debate my tax plan at next weeks meeting” Patzau Powanati said, leaning forward on the table as if to challenge Patzau Minoc. The older larger man didn’t take the bait.

“Hands” Patzau Yohati said. Six of the seven hands met the motion including Yanata’s. There would be no sense in striking down the motion without seeing the details of the plan. “The motion is carried. Patzau Powanati will present a detailed plan at the next Patzau meeting. Anyone else?”

“I motion to have a trio of independent representatives audit the financials of the banking guild for embezzlement and corruption” Patzau Minoc said coldly.

The room erupted in shouts again but was immediately silenced by Yohati. Powanati looked about ready to strangle the larger man. Patzau Yohati could only sigh loudly, weighing how to respond. “This is a very serious accusation, Mellen. One that seems built on anger instead of a foundation truth. I understand that you and Patzau Powanati do not see eye to eye on many issues, but I will only vote to support this motion if you already possess any shred of evidence supporting this accusation. Do you have any evidence?”

“How am I supposed to provide evidence without an audit?” Mellen asked through gritted teeth. “If he has nothing to hide, then there should be no reason to deny an audit.”

“There’s no reason to entertain your delusions” Powanati muttered, “yet here we sit.”

“I will take that answer as a no” the Yohati said with a sad look. “Hands” he repeated. Only Patzau Minoc’s hand rose. Yanata made eye contact with Minoc and saw the look of disappointment in his eye. “Motion denied” Yohati said. “Next meeting, we will hear the presentation and discuss the immediate revisions or changes we might want to see. Novish, come with a fully prepared and well summarized description of the actions and implications of your proposal. After the full proposal and its modifications are fully laid out, we will return the following week to formally and cordially debate this proposal before final voting. Are we all in accord?”

The room echoed in affirmation and the meeting was adjourned. Standing and stretching her legs, Patzau Ashill rushed eagerly from the council room to the waiting chamber where Elvi sat. Next to her sat another soldier, and Patzau Ashill was surprised to see the face of her daughter, Yuromi.

“How was your meeting, ma’am?” Elvi said, rising to her feet. Yuromi waited where she sat, following the order of rank. Yanata cast her a quick glance then looked over her shoulder at the other Patzau as they exited the chamber, partaking in breakout discussions.

“Eventful” she answered, collecting her sword from Elvi. She hooked the scabbard into groove on her hip then watched as Patzau Minoc sulked away with his new Aginjigaade aide at his side. She watched them as they departed down the steps. “Patzau Minoc is riled up at Powanati’s new taxation proposal” she said, watching the man disappear from view. “I mean proper angry” she added, turning back to face Elvi. “He yelled at Powanati and accused him of corruption.”

“I heard” Elvi said.

Yanata let out a laugh at that. “I suppose you would have” she said. “In the ten years he’s been a Patzau, I’ve never once heard him raise his voice like that.”

“Does his claim have any merit?” Elvi asked.

“I wouldn’t have thought so” she answered. “Powanati has been a strong ally for funding projects for ours and Onudar’s guilds. There’s always a chance that I’m missing something. After all, only Yohati has visibility into each of the other guilds, including Powanati’s bankers. But I trust Yohati, and he didn’t seem remotely convinced.”

“Do you think he’s deflecting then?” Elvi asked.

“His guildsmen include a lot of wealthy and powerful families” she answered. “I can’t rule out that he’s simply defending them. He’s got a venomous tongue, that Patzau Minoc. I can never tell if he’s just telling me what I want to hear or the actual truth.” Elvi nodded in understanding. “Tell me” Patzau Ashill added. “His new aide, the young Aginjigaade girl. He usually hides her away. But she was here in the waiting room with you. What’s your impression of her?”

“She’s very shy” Elvi said, “I couldn’t get much of a conversation out of her. You already know she’s from one of the rural villages in the mountains.”

“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. Her sudden appearance at his side has been the subject of much… debate. Is she powerful?”

Elvi concealed her reaction to the question. “You know it’s considered rude for Aginjigaade to snoop around another’s agindan. That would be like going up to a stranger and touching their face” Elvi said with an innocent face.

Yanata tilted her head at her only lifelong friend with unconvinced look. “And?” she pressed.

“And when I accidently brushed her,” she said with a sly grin, “her spirit seemed fairly robust. I can’t be certain, but I got the sensation of a solidity in her aspect. If I had to make an educated guess, earth or stones, metals maybe. Those would be safe bets. They’re common enough aspects. Maybe Nyama or Nature could fit what I felt, but certainly not Fire, Light, or Air.  Impossible to guess at her abilities though. She appears strong considering her age.”

“Blessings,” Yanata said, “she still looks like a child.”

“I think she’s only a little younger than your twins” Elvi countered, casting a quick glace at Yuromi, who was trying not to appear as if she were listening in on the conversation. “You of all people should know how foolish it is to judge a person’s competency on their age and appearance.”

“You’re right” Patzau Ashill said, “It’s just that Minoc’s put a lot of trust in her very quickly. There’re nasty rumours going around about it. That he’s having an affair. That she controls him somehow. It’s the typical bullshit but its far more ubiquitous than I expected” Patzau Ashill said, waving over Yuromi who had been waiting patiently off to the side. “She hasn’t even been around a year.”

“It could be that she’s simply a smart girl and he trusts her judgement. And you know full well why the rumours about her are pervasive” Elvi said, then turning to Yuromi as she joined the conversation.

“Good afternoon, soldier” Yanata said, eyeing her daughter. “Is this guild business or family business?”

“Guild” Yanata answered.

“And you’re ignoring the chain of command again, why?” Yanata asked, looking for a better answer than last time.

“I am not ignoring the chain of command” Yuromi replied with a scowl, “Captain Joakim sent me to deliver a report.”

“Captain Joakim sent you?” Yanata said, curious. “Well, go on then”

“There has been another incident outside the walls in Mudtown” Yuromi explained. “A group of five was patrolling the northern market by the lake when they spotted a wanted gang affiliate. They followed the man into a back alley but found themselves outnumbered and surrounded. The gangsters brutalized all five soldiers, beating three of them to death. A local woman found them and went all the way to the South Gate for help. The gate captain sent two full squads to recover the five soldiers. The squads cracked down hard, stirring up more trouble. No more deaths, but a few soldiers were injured in the fighting.”

“They’re getting bolder” Elvi said. “Last week another patrol was attacked not far from the Lake Gate.” And last season there was that riot after that soldier killed that kid throwing stones.”

“There are too many people congregating outside the city from the rural towns and villages.” Yuromi said. “It’s driving up the cost of food and water. Then there’s all the lepers and beggars outside of the city gates. The increase of petty thieves and gang activity–”

“Alright,” Yanata said interrupting, “enough! I have not forgotten the unrest outside the city. Is this all you have to report?”

“You’re not going to do anything about it?” Yuromi protested. “Good soldiers are dying to the mob of criminals and gangsters outside the gates–”

“Sergeant Ashill!” Yanata interrupted sternly. “Know your place. How we choose to respond to this issue is none of your concern. Your job as a soldier is the follow orders from the chain of command and to mentor and direct the squad members under your command. Do you understand my meaning?”

Yuromi pursed her lips and lowered her gaze. “Yes, Patzau” she said.

“Do not think that because you are my daughter that you have a special right to question your superiors.” Yanata said. “You are dismissed.” Yuromi saluted with a look on her face that was equal parts annoyed and equal parts ashamed. She turned hurriedly and left down the stairs following in the same direction Patzau Minoc had gone.

“You can be tough on her” Elvi said with a soft whistle.

“Save it” Yanata griped.

“Especially when compared to her sister.” Elvi pressed.

“Kuta has the good graces to listen to me and her superior officers” Yanata snapped, surly with her friend. “Spirits, that’s two attacks this week. These gangsters are getting bolder.”

“Or more desperate. Sooner or later the soldiers are going to figure out that attacks are more common place than everyone thinks.” Elvi said. “People are going to die if we don’t make changes.”

“I know” Yanata said.

“If the problem progresses into the city–”

“It wont.” she growled. “The gates are well fortified and well staffed. What we need is to find a way to start routing out these entrenched slum-gangs; a way to pursue a more thorough campaign without having the whole damn tinderbox combust.”

“Targeted military operations?” Elvi suggested.

“Too brazen.” Yanata said, shaking her head. “All it takes is one quasi-innocent death to ignite the whole situation. We can’t be the aggressors or we’ll come off collectively as despots.”

“I think we’re coming off to these people as despots anyway” Elvi said.

“Maybe, but the difference is that we’re not despots” Yanata responded. “Not yet anyway. If the violence begins to grow out of control, or it starts to affect the health of the city, then these people will have the unsavoury misfortune of learning how much worse it can get for them.”

“A future I’d like to avoid at all costs.” Elvi said.

“Me too” Yanata agreed. “But one that may be inevitable. There is no reasoning with people who take because they can. Schedule a chief officers meeting. I want a host of potential solutions presented by the end of the week. In the interim, I want the recon teams to rapidly expand their information networks. I want to know more about who these gang leaders and are what they want.”

“Yes Patzau” Elvi said. “I’ve heard the name Viiran before…”

“Not tonight, Elvi. Collect my squad” Yanata said. “I’m going back to my office.”

“No, no, no! Yanata!” Elvi urged, stepping out of their official roles like a change of garments. “You’ve been spending too much time in the fortress. You need to go home. You need to spend time with your girls, not your paperwork. But, more importantly, you need to get some real sleep.”

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead, Commander” Yanata said with heavy emphasis.

“That’ll be damn soon with how poorly you care for yourself” Elvi grumbled.

“I bathe and sleep and eat just fine” Yanata said, scowling.

“I’m not talking about just your physical health” Elvi said. “And for the record, you barely hit the minimum requirements for the three you mentioned.”

“Enough.” Yanata said, silencing Elvi with the wave of a hand. “I’ll go without your assistance. You are dismissed, Elvi.” Elvi groaned in frustration. Yanata ignored her and turned to make her way down the stairs into the interior of the palace where scores of officials and workers toiled to keep the city functioning.

“And you wonder where Yuromi gets her headstrong rebelliousness from.” Elvi shouted after her.

Yanata ignored her and continued down another two flights of stairs, collecting her retinue of regulars assigned to her protection, and exited from the palace and into the cobbled streets. Yanata walked across the city, not because she needed to, but because she enjoyed being on her own two feet. She liked the visibility it gave her to the people in the city; there goes Patzau Ashill, Patzau and master general. The embodiment of security and safety within the great golden city of Caso. The thought brought a smile to her face. Almost enough to wipe the memory of Elvi’s comments from the back of her mind.

She enjoyed seeing the odd person going about their business. It reminded her of the immense importance of the work she did, both as a leader and as a soldier. It’s important to know what you fight for. As Yanata walked the cobbled streets, the reminders were everywhere. Smells of fragrant meats and skewered vegetables, pungent spices, traders with trinkets, knickknacks and toys for children filled the streets. Shops filled with lanterns and other home items filled one shop, while another hung beautiful garments imported from across the starlight sea. A group of older women sat at the mouth of an alleyway, sipping cups of tea and playing the Casoyan dice game, while an older nobleman walked by in the opposite direction leaning on a finely carved walking cane. Further down the cobbled street, a group of workers swept and cleaned the streets, dropping off mud and other street collections into a large wagon. It was all very familiar and comforting.

People moved from her path as she walked briskly through the dense city streets southwards. The narrow shops and homes in the neighbourhood surrounding the Patzau Palace were built from blackened volcanic stone bricks, expertly cut with beautiful tan brick accents and embellishments including faces, animals, florals, and statues. The homes stood three to four stories high with flatter gabled rooftops made of wood-supported clay tiles. The wealthier modern neighbourhood surrounding the palace shifted into the older historic neighbourhood known as The Spires as Patzau Ashill approached Gorini Plaza and the long ascending road up to the Casoyan fortress. The Spires neighbourhood was well established as the oldest part of the city. Here, the architecture shifted from the modern quarried style into structures built of loose stones held together with an old-style of mortar. The Spires took its modern name from the sharp and jagged rooftops that dominated the homes and buildings inside the neighbourhood. Piercing well aged metal finials still stood on many of the rooftops and pinnacles. Its older name, Thwi Gazen, was old Casoyan, or at least that’s what Yanata’s mother had told her once. A lifetime ago. The name meant “River mouth by the hill,” which had always confused Yanata when she considered that the mouth of the river was further to the north by Dohina Square and Patzau Palace. The district she had just come from.

Passing through the old neighbourhood’s narrower streets, Yanata and her guards started the long tiring climb up towards the fortress. If there were ever army built to advance up a hill against an enemy force, the Casoyan soldiers and officers who slog up this path every day might be the best contenders, she thought to herself. Sweat pursed her brow as much from the days heat as from the steep incline. Several of the soldiers in her detail noticeably fell behind as they climbed the steep embankment. She turned to see two young strong looking men leaning on their lances for support as they hiked up behind her.

“You’ll get used to it, one day.” She shouted back with a wiry smile, surprising the group of soldiers who looked up with a jolt.

They didn’t respond. She wasn’t sure if that was because they didn’t have anything to say, or whether they could have said anything through ragged breaths. Yanata easily crested the hill with only a light burn in her thighs and strode towards the main gateway, the only part of the fortress with merlons and crenellations. She crossed the short stone bridge that led to the gatehouse with a curt nod from the soldiers and the on-duty officer.

As she entered the fortress, she drew a cloth to wipe her brow. The sunbaked heat of the day shifted into a cool musty breeze that wafted from the dark hallways and corridors of the angular outer fortress. The outer structure made up the majority of the fortress and was perched atop stone glacis that wrapped around the peak of the mountain in an angular, almost crescent like shape. Short triangular bastions pierced outwards in the locations where the corners would have met. The entire fortress was built of a motley of earthy coloured bricks and was dominated by walls as thick as ten men and covered by flat earthen rooftops. The inner keep, much smaller and separated from the outer structure by a natural trench, sat in the mouth of the open crescent and loomed over the sheer north face of the mountain. Being high above the city, only short parapets—no higher than a man’s knee—protected soldiers from the sheer fall over each edge. The top of the keep was the highest point in the city, and overlooked the bay, the harbour, and much of the city and fields beyond. On a clear day, one might even see the top of the smoky mountain that seemed to climb endlessly skyward.

Yanata let the cool air circulating through the dark and dreary corridors of the outer fortress refresh her, but never stopped walking. She had things to do. She continued all the way through the outer keep to the long single-arch bridge that crossed the trench to the inner keep. As she crossed the stone bridge towards the officers keep, Yanata looked over at the city below. Despite herself, something in that moment brought her to a stop only partway across the bridge. Perhaps it was the beauty of the view. She leaned over the railing and took in the sight of the great auction house with its majestic domed roof, and the Patzau Palace across from it. The two great domed buildings dominated the skyline, on dwarfed by the mountains beyond. Two air spirits danced through the air like butterflies before her and she watched them unconsciously. Fatigue overcame her. Not because of the hike up to the fortress. She could handle that. It was something else. Yanata supressed those feelings. She could rest when she accomplished her goals. Rest is for the dead.

A familiar voice sounded off to her left coming from the inner keep and Yanata turned at the greeting. “Patzau Ashill” the soldier said, saluting.

“Captain Burm” Yanata said, acknowledging the officer. Two of his junior officers followed behind him, but hung back a few paces. Probably for the best, Yanata thought, unable to put names to faces.

“You’re back from your post in the mountains?” Yanata asked.

“Indeed, we are. We were brought back by the Chief General to aid with the situation in Mudtown” Burm answered. “Rozi and Capu” he added, gesturing to the two officers behind him, “were both sergeants with their own patrol squads, but we have recently shifted into a new elite task force role. Hand selected by Chief General himself.”

“Ah, yes.” Yanata said. “Congratulations on your selection. If you’re anything like your father, you’ll do well in this new role.”

“Thank you, Patzau” Captain Burm responded. “My team is the best. I had full confidence in ours being the best choice.”

“So, you say” she responded. Arrogant like his father too.

“What has stopped you on the bridge?” he inquired, gesturing towards the view knowing full well that wasn’t the reason.

What had stopped me at the bridge? Yanata wasn’t exactly sure.“We do not know each other well, you and I, do we Captain?” Yanata said, turning back to the city below. “A close friend of mine worries I work to hard” she continued.

The captain stared at her, perhaps not quite sure how to respond. The silence stretched and Yanata feared she had revealed too much of her personal issues, but Captain Burm answered her, “My father used to say, ‘a common man knows when he has reached his limit. A better man knows when he has reached his current limit. The best man knows what he must do to grow past it.’”

“I remember your father” she said, and it was true, “and I will do well remember your father’s wise words. Thank you for your insight, Captain.” She saluted, dismissing him and turned away from the city to complete her trek across the bridge. She passed by the two sergeants as she walked and gave them a sidelong glace. The woman, Rozi, reminded her of her daughters. She looked confident in the armour and in herself. The man, Capu, had a wild look in his eyes. Yanata recognized that look. It was one that stemmed from experiencing terrible things; from fighting and death and war. It changes some people. She left Burm and his soldiers behind and ascended the inner keep to her office. There is still far to go before I hit my limit, Yanata thought to herself, reinvigorated.