Of Heaven And Life

The Kid And The Stone

"I'd rather go somewhere a bit more private before telling this story..." Arthur responded.

"Here is fine. Nobody here can hear you, and the few that can't won't care to remember. You're in my authority." Zhongnu spoke, his piercing grey eyes boring through his soul.

"It has to be told somewhere private, just me and another person. But if you cannot accept that, Imperator, then at least accept a gift." Arthur responded. His hands were positioned away from his abdomen, making it clear he was not reaching for a weapon.

"It is in my left pocket. Please, take it as an apology for my behaviour last time... I made it with the tools from another peacock." Arthur said, a hint of pride at his own craftsmanship slipping through his voice.

"I don't want a gift. I want to know why you insist of having the story told so intimately." The Emperor responded.

Arthur looked at the Emperor, then back down at himself. He had wanted to come here to find a place to stay, but under the Emperor's cold gaze, he had never felt more alone.

"It... ...is a tradition in the village where I was born. It's a folk tale, you see..."

The Emperor scoffed. "You are not in your native village. You are in Shennam, and on top of that, in the Shennamese imperial palace. You are in our country, you will follow our traditions." He said, asserting his claim over the territory of Shennam.

"You would still follow Shennamese tradition even if you abroad... ...look, if you don't want to hear the story, take the gift in my pocket." Arthur said. He was remarkably stubborn, even in the presence of such a figure of authority.

"The great nation of Shennam is worth far more than a village populated by street rats like yourself. Why are you here instead of there?" The Emperor asked, his tone growing frustrated at the younger peacock's audacity.

"I escaped it... ...I couldn't live with the memories I had there. It was like carrying a rock." Arthur said. "I don't know if it's still there. I can't even remember which warlord owned it before the war of 1402. I wander from place to place, that's why a lot of people call me a rat. But I have met a lot of interesting people in this city, which is why I want to stay."

"You have proven no reason for me to allow you to stay in the city, much less give you a place. You have shown me nothing but insolence, distrust and deception. But if you wish, you can tell the story to me in a more private room, but there will have to be at least two guards with us." The Emperor replies, his heart a little struck by the fact that Arthur had to leave his home before he could even remember what it was.

"I'm fine with that too. Cuff my neck if you wish, but I don't mean any harm." Arthur responded, honouring the Emperor's order.

"Where would be ideal? The courtroom, the tea room or a board room?" The Emperor asked, being surprisingly respectful of Arthur's wishes.

"You choose... I'm just a street rat." Arthur says slightly sarcastically.

"Then, the tea room it is. It's the closest." Zhongnu responds. As he walks off, the guard nudges Arthur from behind, forcing him to walk forward.

The two peacocks and the wolf guard walked through the Imperial Palace's grand halls. Twenty years ago, the original palace where Zhongnu resided had been destroyed by incendiary gunpowder weaponry. The entire wood structure burned, but thankfully, Zhongnu was already fleeing north from the coming invaders. After the war had ended, Zhongnu made sure every building in Siaka was at least primarily built out of stone or mortar.

The Palace was a grand and elaborate structure with thousands of feet of winding corridors and hallways, each decorated with vases, carpets and calligraphy, their delicate beauty contrasting with the grey Siaka limestone that starkly defined the architecture's interior.