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Despite the firepit in front of him, the cave was cold, damp, and poorly lit. The cushion he sat on was better than the rough stone of the cave floor, but it was a seat that was below his station. Coszeeo deserved better, yearned for better, and previously had better. The fact that everything right now was below the standard he was owed was incredibly demeaning. He didn't even have proper noble attire! He was garbed in just typical synthread clothing and a parka for the cold that was barely large enough for a man who… bore the weight of nobility. He at least still had his crown, but even then it was one that was wrought merely from steel.
Footsteps got his attention and he looked to see one of his fellows carrying stone blocks. The tribe they were staying with had erected crude walls to section off this area of the large series of caverns they dwelled in and were slowly replacing them with chiseled stone blocks. Seeing his finest craftsman hauling such a load made Coszeeo frown.
"Bringas, why do you deign to lower yourself to the savages' level? Let them do their peasant work and don't waste your touch on such trivial tasks."
The genie in question stopped, stared, and rolled his eyes. "Because these good people took us in, so of course I'm going to help. We could be out there begging for scraps in the snow. But instead they're letting you sit on your ass by a fire."
"How rude! I am a Praetor of the Empire! I should have you-"
"Have me what?" Bringas set the blocks down and stood across the fire, arms crossed, and gave an impassive stare. Silence momentarily filled the space between them. "Well? Have me what?"
"Consider yourself fortunate that my Knight isn't here to deal with your insolence."
"Ah yes, lemme quake in fear of the wrath that Coszeeo, Praetor of a pile of smoldering ashes, is planning to unleash upon me and my bloodline." Coszeeo felt his blood boil at the other man's smirking. "I should have left you with your feast as the hall burned down around your gluttony. With you buried in the rubble, you'd be just as helpful as you are now. Now, do you have something useful to say or do? Or can I get back to working to make sure those cave insects don't visit in our sleep?"
The Praetor gritted his teeth. "Heavy is the head that wears the crown. But I'm sure you wouldn't understand that."
"Seriously?" Bringas shook his head before adjusting his parka on his shoulders and bending down to pick up the blocks again. "Why are you still wearing that thing?"
Feeling fury creep into his veins, Coszeeo got up and stormed away. The nerve of that man! Once they were somewhere civilized he was going to ensure the Empire made him pay dearly for these transgressions! Along with whatever other transgressions he could think of too! That man would rue this day!
He'd also rue the day they fled the flashstorm when Bringas insisted they could not rescue the priceless sculpture carved from the finest jade that had been the centerpiece of his throne room! That piece was certainly more valuable than a commoner's life! Yet it had been left behind on Bringas' claims that it was too dangerous to retrieve and too heavy to transport!
Coszeeo stopped when felt his stomach grumble. He was near the seating area that served as this tribe's dining area, so he turned to the shelves of preserved food hoping to find something that his refined palette could consider to be the bare minimum of edibility. Yet there was nothing but that disgusting pemmican. And, worse, he knew it was primarily made of rice and insect meat, so it had quite the uncouth texture to bite into.
He grumbled and debated on what to do for a moment before he heard a door open and the howling of the blizzard roll in. Coszeeo followed the rapidly chilling air to see two of the tribals. The whole tribe was of some sort of vulpine xenotype he had never seen before, a foul abomination of genetic tinkering the Empire would never approve of, and that went for the girl who greeted the one entering. She used a different title like "shaman" or "medicine woman" or something trite, but she was effectively the tribe's doctor as he understood it.
But the more important one was the one stepping inside who was covered in snow. Vulpine like the others, but the tribe's leader, who simply called herself Thunder, had jet black fur, multiple tails, was dressed in garb made of eltex, and carried a sword of the same material at her hip. A striking appearance among even her peers, but only did so in his eyes because the Empire would never allow such a disgusting xenotype to exist. He also had little doubt the eltex she had was illegally acquired.
For now he bit his tongue on such issues. Despite them being unwelcome savages in the realm of the High Stellarch, she and her tribe were assets for him to use. And, in particular, Thunder was the solution to his immediate problems. So he approached to interrupt whatever unimportant conversation the two were having. "Chief Thunder, may I have a word with you?"
The Chief glanced past the girl she was speaking to, said something low to her, and then stepped forward. "What is it, Coszeeo? Is our hospitality treating you well?"
He could feel himself frown. " Praetor Coszeeo, please. And, well, that forgetfulness of my title precisely illustrates my problem. I was about to sit down for a meal and I couldn't help but notice you still only have pemmican. I've had a little bit a few times, but I can hardly stomach such low class food. I'm sure someone of your station can understand my dilemma when it comes to my culinary problem."
Thunder tilted her head slightly and regarded him for several long moments. "No, Praetor , I do not see what the problem is. I eat the same food as my people do. Your people eat the same food as my people. Is that not good enough for you?"
"Um, well…" That was not the answer he was expecting. "I assumed that your own meals would have been prepared more specially. That you would have freshly prepared cuisine suitable for someone above the rabble?"
He hardly noticed her expression darkening. "Please get to your point, Praetor. "
"Well, as a Praetor of the Empire, I normally only have the finest lavish meals created artistically by the best chefs in the region. But, considering your state of poverty, I am willing to settle for- What are you doing? Unhand me!"
Thunder said nothing as she dragged him out the door by his arm. He fought to escape, but her grip was vicelike and he was suddenly aware of just how sharp those claws on her fingertips were. They stepped outside into the blizzard and Coszeeo immediately pulled his parka close and tight, but Thunder didn't seem phased by the cold, wind, or snow despite being dressed in simple tribal garb.
They stopped after a short distance alongside a fence. Thunder gestured to the other side. "Praetor Coszeeo, look out over my fields and tell me how much food we have to prepare your 'special meals' with." She gave him that moment to do so. "As I'm sure you can see, there's nothing. Until my hunters are successful or the world thaws enough to farm, pemmican is all we have."
He pulled his parker tighter against the biting winds. "Then surely you can have your hunters track down something!"
She shook her head. "I meditate by the Anima Tree from dawn until the sun hangs high in the sky so that I may be able to channel the power of the storm to protect my people. Every day, from the Tree, I can see far into the fields beyond this mountain. Even when the skies are clear, I have not seen any herds or stray animals."
She turned back to face him. "Meanwhile, the only hives left in the cave are the ones too dangerous for my people to safely clear out, including that one not far from the door we explicitly warned your people to never pass through. I will not risk the lives of my people when we have more than enough preserved food to last until the spring harvest."
He started to protest, but she shook her head again. "No, there is no arguing. As the storm's herald my word in this land is final. Now, are there any real issues that need addressing?"
He felt himself start to shiver and desperately wanted to go back into the warmth of the cave. But did not want to appear weak before a lesser leader and he still needed to address these critical problems. "Well, as Praetor of the Empire, I should not be sleeping with the common rabble in a barracks. I need my own room built to the requirements of my office. And a throne room erected as well that-"
"No."
"I… Excuse me, what?"
"No. My people barely escaped with their lives from the blood machines ravaging our village less than a year ago. We are not even finished building the security of our new home in case they track us down once more. So, no, I will not have my people waste what little resources we have, resources we need for safety, pampering you."
He felt rage boiling up inside of him, hot enough to thaw the chill from the howling winds and snow. "But I'm a Praetor of the Empire! They are far more powerful than your tribe. If they demand that the needs for my office be met then you are obligated to fulfill them!"
"I took in your people out of sympathy for going through a similar situation to what we experienced only months ago. However…" Thunder simply smirked and gestured to the blizzard-masked fields behind her. "If you're not satisfied with our generosity, then you may leave. If your Empire is so grand and powerful, then surely they will protect you out there, yes?"
Coszeeo gritted his teeth, balled his fists, and reared back to strike. Then he glanced at her sword, recalled the streaks of lightning she so effortlessly smote the bandits in the cave with, and thought better of it. Instead, he fumed as he turned heel and stormed back inside. Despite the relative warmth of the cave, the cold still bit into his bones. And his stomach growled again.
When was the last time he ate? More importantly, when was the last time he ate somewhere warm and dignified?
Grumbling, he scooped up some of the pemmican in the dining area and sat on a bench to eat. He took a bite, felt the way the concoction broke in his mouth, and nearly gagged. He got it down, deigned to go for another bite, but stopped.
"I HAVE HAD IT WITH THIS CAVE!" Several tribals and a couple his commoners stopped to stare as he jumped back to his feet and stormed from the table. "THIS PLACE DOES NOT SUIT A PRAETOR!"
The indignity of it all! How could he, a noble of the Empire, wind up in a place like this? Why was he not being treated as his title not only deserved, but demanded? They should be bowing to him and respecting him! Groveling for his attention! They should at least find some way to meet the bare minimum meal requirements someone such as him should-
Wait… didn't Thunder say there was an insect nest nearby? That meant they had jelly. And while the idea of eating it straight from a nest felt déclassé, he knew that smooth, rich flavor was better than what even some highly skilled chefs could muster. He paced back and forth as he debated on whether stooping to that level would sully him or if satisfying his starving, noble hunger was worth the smear.
Ugh, fine! He would stoop down just this once so he could get an inkling of the treatment he deserved!
"Hey, you moron! Where are-" Bringas' was silenced by the door slamming shut behind him. The one they were supposed to never use. Silencing that man brought him nothing but satisfaction.
It was dark, but he was able to use a torch he had taken off the wall to light the way. The cavern ahead extended only in one direction, so he knew which way to go. Coszeeo picked his way through the rough cave floor as he ventured deeper. He thought he heard some sort of skittering, but he didn't care. Just meant he was getting close to his prize. He could just grab the jelly and escape before the bugs found him. It couldn't be hard, right?
Ah, there it was! The green glob glistened in the torchlight, but he knew what it was on sight. Coszeeo rushed over and kneeled down to scoop it up. And then he screamed as blades dug into his back and shoulders. Coszeeo frantically swung his fist behind him and cried out when his fist crunched against something hard and chitinous. Spines stabbed him again while another bug's mandibles chomped on his leg. A third pounced on him and took him to the ground.
His screams echoed through the entire cave system.