The story starts here.

You took a deep breath.

“We can be reasonable,” you finally said. “Leave us alone to live as we please and we’ll come to an agreement about the estate.”

“And what will you do if he becomes wild?” Mister Gannon asked.

You looked up at Mister Gannon smiling, as if he had made a joke. “Why do you care? Once you have the money, you’ll leave to wherever you came from. You needn’t concern yourself. Do you think for one moment that I believe you imperials care about the land where I was born or my people? All you care about are your investments.”

“Fine. Fine. I’ll take what’s mine and I’ll leave. Meet me tomorrow at the magistrate’s office and we’ll make arrangements.”

“I’ll be there.”

Once Mister Gannon was gone, Forban became very quiet and withdrawn. “Is that really what you think of us? Is that really what you think of imperials?”

“I have a right to be bitter, Forban, but I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“Do I have a right to be bitter? Tutor? My family may not have been kind to me, but I lost them. I lost them all. Locals did that and I don’t understand why.”

“Your family lived in one of the first imperial buildings constructed on our land. It’s where the occupying soldiers were housed and fed. Do you think I didn’t consider, in moments of weakness, setting it aflame myself?”

“Were the soldiers…”

“You don’t want to know, Forban,” you interrupted. “The truth of things…is unpleasant.”

“I was told there was very little fighting. I was told that casualties were…”

“Forban! Be quiet.”

“Do you intend to keep me ignorant, Tutor?”

After a long pause, you blurted out, “They took bets and then stripped us in the streets.”

“They did what?”

“Is it a man or a woman? Let’s find out.”

“They…they did what?”

“They took what they wanted because they could,” you explained pointedly. “That’s what power can do. You have become powerful. Don’t allow that power to make you cruel. Power is not dangerous. Cruelty is.”

“Yes, Tutor.”

“Now, let’s decide what we are going to offer your uncle so that he leaves as quickly as possible.”

Your son nodded.

The next day you arrived at the magistrate, with all the necessary papers, and waited. He wasn’t there, so you asked around to see if you could find him. Someone suggested that they had left.

You were confused, until a disturbing thought crossed your mind, and you started running.

“Forban,” you said under your breath. “Son.”

You became winded quickly and stopped for a moment. While you were catching your breath, you looked up at the plateau to see smoke.

“No. No…no…”

By the time you were climbing the stone stairs, you were exhausted and pulling yourself up on all fours.

“Forban! Son!”

Once you crawled up to the top, you saw Forban laying on the ground with his back to you. Without thinking, you ran to him and put your arms around him, trying to find out if he was alright.

“Don’t, don’t touch me!” he yelled and moved away quickly. He looked terrified.

“What happened?” you asked, frantically looking around. There was smoke and flame coming from the far buildings and there were burned ruts in the grass around you.

“They came to kill me,” Forban said. “My uncle and his men. They tried to drown me in the stream. They tried to trick me. They said they just wanted to talk to me and that they were thirsty, but I remembered how you looked at my uncle when you said I needed to be protected. When I realized what they were trying to do, I…I was afraid.”

“Are they alive?” you asked.

“No.”

“You were defending yourself.”

“Yes.”

“Son,” you said looking down at your arms. “Promise me, you won’t be cruel. Promise me.”

“I was defending myself. They were trying to kill me!”

“I know. I know. I’m sorry I won’t…” You fell forward and blood poured out of your mouth. “…be there for you.” It became difficult to speak as liquid started filling your throat. “Son, don’t be cruel. Promise.”

“Lafe!”

You fell to the ground and couldn’t move. All you could see was blurry red spikes that used to be grass and all you could smell was soot and blood.

“I should have let them kill me,” you heard Forban sob. “I should have let them kill me.”

You wanted to respond but instead of words forming, your neck spasmed involuntarily for a moment, disturbing the pool of blood that had formed under your head.

“I promise…I promise…I promise I won’t be cruel,” Forban repeated, now crouched near you, looking down at your face. “Tutor, I’ll do well. You taught me well.”

“My beautiful child,” you said, unsure if your words were only in your mind or if you were actually making sound. “Choose life. Choose peace.”

Then you succumbed to the euphoria of your death.

The End