Bones of Salt

Jonathan

In my defense, I didn't come up with the headline.

The others insisted that I did, every Sunday at the meeting, but I never did. I didn't believe in what the newspaper said, in how the words were strung along. I believed in the message.

We usually got arrested once every two weeks by unknown guards and taken to the prison to cool off for a few hours.

But when the King's men came after me, that time, I told the other members of the Brothers United to consider it our new record. We'd made sure people in power noticed us.

The full name was Brothers United Against Injustice but I've always found it terribly long and corny.

"So," one of the men told me while he trying to tie my hands behind my back. "Any last words?"

"Yes," I panted, though I knew he was being insufferable on purpose. I would never be sent to die because of what a newspaper said.

King Abraham had his share of faults but this wasn't one.

"What did the headline say?" I asked.

The guard stopped what he was doing. "Don't be an imbecile, Jonathan Ducas. I know who you are. You wrote it."

I winced. "If you knew me, you'd know the Ducas do not let me use that name. And I'm repeating it now --- what does the headline say?"

The guard almost hissed fire from his nostrils and started reciting. "The King wants us all dead! New problem arises with Creatures, the royal family is characteristically silence."

I might have wanted to handcuff the person who wrote a headline that long, too. It certainly didn't come from me. It must have been an idea of Paul, the self appointed leader who came up with the name of the brotherhood as well.

I wasn't even against the monarchy like the rest of them. I simply believed in a better Solima.

And I might have been just a bit too outspoken about it, since it was what had got me arrested.

I exploited the moment of calm before the storm to unleash my sword and I pointed the tip at the Guard's neck.

"Lower your sword," he said. "You're a Watcher. You don't use it on people."

"I'm terribly sorry, but my sword is made of sardo," I replied. "It snaps in half if I don't use it to fight impurity."

The guard's words were true, in a way. I'd never used my weapon against people. It was one of those things that Watchers swore, other than using our powers to defend the cities from the Creatures. But I'd shown it, countless times, to men such as that one. If they really intended to fight me, then I wouldn't back down from a duel.

The most important thing was making sure I wouldn't scratch anyone so there could be no complaining. I began by using my sword to back the man up against the wall. He dropped the handcuffs, and started looking for his firearm.

I looked at the street behind me. Empty, with just a couple of distracted passerbys. The shops were closed at that hour of day.

That left me with a single idea in my mind, not a very brave one, but an ingenious one all the same.

I started running.

I had underestimated just how many people weren't awake yet that time of morning. There was a fork in the road, and when I took one of the two paths choosing randomly, it was a very crowded street with market stalls. I recognized it as part of Old Solima, and likely the only active part of the city. This also justified why I'd never seen it before --- the Ducas family mostly stuck to the center of Solima, where the rich people lived.