Nezzar

Part Two: A Thief and A Traitor

Daniel swallowed down the thickness in his throat. Why did he suddenly feel like crying? Now that he stood before the make-shift tabernacle the Levitical priests had set up, the reality of how far he had come hit him. It has been three years. Within that time, his parents had been slain before his eyes, Jerusalem burned and his freedom was taken away. He recalled his time in the wagon, how the burning city had shrunk from his view, how he had cried until he had no more tears. The future had been a bleak stretch before him that day, his sorrow all-consuming.

"I trust I AM will go before us and make the king look upon us with kindness."

And just as Algodon said, he had risen to an unimaginable height in the land of his captivity. Placing a hand over his chest, Daniel mumbled a prayer of thanks.

The long low of the tethered bull drew Daniel's attention. The animal was the best his chief attendant was able to buy within the shortest time. As demanded of the burnt offering sacrifice, Daniel placed a hand upon the head of the bull. Soon after, the high priest led the animal away.

Releasing a long breath, Daniel turned to his entourage awaiting him. He had asked them to stop a small distance away as he presented his burnt offering—an offering he had been unable to give since his captivity.

Apart from the outlandish gifts the king had given him and the many servants and guards, Daniel was mandated to move about with a stream of individuals when inspecting the city or visiting provinces. A scribe, a mostly needless assistant who offered explanations of this and that, guards, and servants wielding fans and a domed shade. It was ridiculous, but also the extravagant way of King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was still yet to recover from his tour of the empire's treasury. The amassed wealth of Babylon was astronomical, even bordering on obscene when compared to the rising tide of poverty within the provinces.

"Is the management of the province to your liking, your excellence?" The Head of the Judean Province, a middle-aged noble of Assur descent, was a man with an eager disposition who smiled a little too much.

That was another peculiar governing method of King Nebuchadnezzar; he never assigned province leaders to provinces that were native to them. It was his odd way of testing how honestly one can serve people who are not their own. Daniel saw the wisdom behind the method but since King Nebuchadnezzar seemed to have slacked in paying mind to the welfare of the provinces in recent years, the province heads simply acted as they pleased.

Fortunately, the Judean Province seemed to be doing well and Daniel had this smiley eager man to thank for that. The homes appeared well-maintained and tidy. The provided farmlands were flourishing and the poverty level was generally low.

"I am pleased with what I see, Adad," Daniel answered as he made his way to the gates of the province. Evening was coming and it would take a full hour before his carriage made it back to his quarters. "I must take my leave now. Remember what I said about the report."

"Of course." Adad bowed so low that Daniel worried for his back.

Daniel had just made it past the gates of the province when a figure caught his attention. The person was standing in front of his carriage and speaking to his guard. When they noticed Daniel, both bowed.

When the stranger straightened, Daniel frowned in recognition. "Hazael?"

The first thing Daniel noticed was the disturbing appearance of his eyes. The right was clouded with blindness while the left had a scar across it. A line that slashed down his eyelids but did not affect the eyeball. Apart from the strangeness of his eyes, he looked well. His attire was of fine quality and his complexion was bright. "What happened to you? There were rumours that Abilsin sent you to the mines but that does not seem to be the case."