JAY

Vito

Maius

The midday sun would be Jay's enemy for the day, it seemed. No matter how many times he dabbed at his forehead with his kerchief or refilled his flask of water, the heat was unrelenting—just as it always was this time of year in the Pacian Valley. Jay might have loved his home, but he hated the heat.

Jay shifted in his reading nook, trying to get some relief. It was one of the few shady areas in his part of Vito that wasn't drastically far from a cistern of water, which also made it the perfect place to relax on slow days like this one. Whenever Katso was out for the day, Jay could read in peace and watch for any customers in the weary old shopkeeper's place. On a sweltering day like this, he doubted anyone would make the trip to the little bookstore, but he'd rather prove that then be the reason why Katso lost business.

Taking another swing from his flask of water, Jay got back into his book. It was the third one he'd gone through this week—another epic in the tales of Fierro, one of Jay's favorite gods. He'd probably read the saga a million times, but this installment was always his favorite—the tale of how Fierro organized the gods to destroy Oriana, the wicked queen. The god of war would succeed in assembling the Perian Pantheon, destroying the Crownless One before her taste for blood got too strong.

Jay's eyes flew across the page, taking in every word as if he'd never read them before. The familiarity of the story sent ripples of excitement throughout his soul, his heart racing as the story began to pick up momentum. He could practically see Fierro take his stance amongst the gods, in his suit of armor—

A clattering noise jolted Jay from his focus. He jumped, looking up and surveying the shop. From his reading nook, he could see the whole expanse of the hexagonal bookshop—the shelves lining the walls like honeycombs, the crooked front door with its windchimes, the marketplace beyond the dusty windows. Sunlight filtered in through the slats in the door and the roof—something that Jay inevitably would have to fix before the rainy season approached—but even with the light, Jay couldn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"Strange," Jay muttered to himself. He cast another peculiar glance around the room, and then returned to his book.

Jay found peace in books. He always had, since he was a small child. His family didn't have access to them during his childhood—they didn't have access to a lot when they were nomads, always moving from one oasis to the next. But whenever they did settle for a short period of time, Jay's mother would tell him the stories of the gods.

She'd tell him the story of Lucida, the Sun Queen, and how her grace and strength united the warring heavens; of noble Petra, the Protectress of Heroes, on her throne of roses in the mountains; and of Fierro, the first great general of the Legion, and how his fortitude earned him a place in the pantheon. Those stories were more than just stories to Jay, they were truths. Histories, even, from a time long ago.

The memories of his mother's lilting voice always put a smile on Jay's face and another scar down his heart. Those days were long gone now, they had been for quite some time. Those happy, wandering days with the rest of his tribe had been before the rockslide that brought Jay to Vito, in search of purpose and in search of someplace he could call home.

Jay's heart panged at the thought, and he shook his head as if to rattle his heart back into its proper beat. Enough of that, you're lucky to be alive.

Jay got back to his book, although he somehow found it harder to lose himself in the story. It always was difficult getting back into the rhythm of things, of this new life, whenever he caught himself remembering. But he had to focus, or risk losing himself to the daemons inside his head.

Another odd noise echoed through the bookshop, and this time, Jay didn't ignore it. He shut his book, pushing himself to his feet. What was that noise? It sounded metallic, almost like a sword being sheathed, or armor clanking.

Jay's face fell when he realized. Oh.

He crossed from his reading nook over to the small door behind the service counter. To any customer, it probably just looked like a storage closet, some place they hid the brooms and mops. But behind its simple appearance, that door hid something much grander indeed.

Jay rested his hand on the plain copper doorknob, but he did not turn it. Some part of him never wanted him to. Come on, you oaf, just open the door. His hand would tense, and the will would be there, but he always hesitated, without fail. Some things didn't need to see the light of day each time they made themselves known.

Jay set his jaw, the memories he'd summoned still at the forefront of his memory. Maybe that hesitation had won out in the past, but it wouldn't now. He'd take the consequences that came with his curiosity.

Jay swung the door open and the suit of armor hidden inside came clattering down as he did, taking Jay down to the floorboards with it. Grunting, he pushed the pieces of armor aside, sitting up. It felt like some kind of cruel cosmic joke to have this be the cause of the noise. Maybe the gods weren't satisfied with his mother's storytelling, maybe they wanted Jay to relive the very memories that had taken her away from him.

With a trembling hand, Jay picked up a piece of the suit. The whole thing was a standard legionnaire uniform: breastplate, armored trousers, reinforced boots, gauntlets, sword, spear, and shield. Its gilding glinted in the hazy midday sunlight, turning the details into molten gold. Despite himself, Jay slid the gauntlet over his forearm. It fit. He wondered if maybe now that he was old enough, if he could fit into the whole thing.

As soon as the idea blossomed in his head, Jay saw to it to stomp it down. No. He would not put on the suit, never again.

"Lujayn, what are you doing?"

Jay's eyes widened, and he shot to his feet. The armor clanked and clattered as he did, a cacophony of metal screeching and shifting. Katso was standing in the doorway to the shop, his wrinkled face pulled into a puzzled expression. The basket at his waist was full of fruits—plump pomegranates, mangoes, and small bushels of berries. He must have been at the produce vendor across the marketplace. But none of that mattered now, as Katso stared intently at Jay, awaiting an answer.

"I, uh," Jay stammered, holding Katso's gaze as he clambered for an excuse. "I was polishing the armor."

Katso lifted a dark eyebrow. "You were?"

Jay nodded. "I was. Yep, that's what I was doing."

"Your father's suit of armor?"

The words hit Jay like a series of swift punches to the throat—he'd know the feeling. Instead of letting it show, he simply smiled. "Yes."

Katso huffed a breath, stepping into the threshold. He closed the door behind him. "You're a terrible liar, Lujayn. You haven't touched that suit of armor since you arrived here four years ago."

Jay frowned. "You don't know that."

"Oh, don't I?" Katso said as he crossed over to the counter. He set the basket of fruit atop it, taking a mango and tossing it to Jay. "Face it, boy. That suit of armor is as much a daemon to you as the ones of legend and myth."

Jay caught the mango despite himself. Even in the midst of debate, he couldn't resist a good mango. "Aren't you always telling me to face my daemons though?"

"Yes," Katso conceded. "But not quite so literally. Is that a dent in your forehead from the shield when it fell?"

Jay's hand flew up to his forehead. No dent to be found, but his movements made Katso smile his signature mischievous, infectious smile. Jay's own lips threatened his stance on the matter. "How'd you know it fell?"

Katso gave Jay a contemptuous look. What don't I know, Lujayn? "That blessing of yours."

The words took the air out of Jay's lungs. He hadn't been expecting that as an answer. Or hadn't he? It was no secret to Jay whatsoever, but somehow, whenever it came up, it came as a shock.

Jay glanced down at his feet, tossing the mango back and forth. "I hardly see what you mean, Katso."

Katso heaved a dramatic sigh. "My boy, you know as well as I the nature of your blessing."

"I know," Jay grumbled. "But I don't like it."

"Ah, that's a lie," Katso chided. "It is a gift, after all. From Lord Fierro."

Jay's chest tightened. He didn't like to think about it much, this blessing of his. It seemed like another cosmic punch from the universe. Sorry your entire family died. Here's a gift that could have saved them!

When Jay didn't speak again, Katso filled the silent room, his words thumping through Jay's mind. "I know how you feel about that suit of armor, Lujayn. But maybe it might finally be time to put it on."

Jay's head snapped up at that. "What do you mean?"

Katso conveniently avoided Jay's eyes. "I mean that the world is changing, and so are you. This blessing of yours gets stronger every day. Sooner or later, there will be a time when the universe will force you to prove your worth."

Jay scoffed, crossing back over to his reading nook. "A test befitting of the gods?"

"Maybe." Jay could feel Katso's eyes boring into the back of his skull. "But it would help you all the same. You cannot run from your past forever, Lujayn."

"Running is what got me here, wasn't it?" Jay asked. Instead of sitting down, he busied himself with reorganizing the nearest bookshelf. Maybe then Katso would drop the subject.

"Running, yes," Katso conceded. "But also, Lord Fierro himself."

Jay fought the urge to groan, resting his forehead against the bookshelf. "Katso, relent."

"I don't mean to distress you, my boy, but please. These years have been taxing on you. It might finally be time to put those gifts of yours to good use." Katso's voice seemed to flow in through one ear and out the other, but they did their damage on Jay's mind all the same. "Won't you at least try?"

Jay didn't want to try. He didn't want anything to do with this blessing, not if he didn't know how to use it. Not properly, anyway. It had come at a bad time, and it had yet to leave Jay alone, like an unwelcome visitor that did nothing but take. It had taken Jay's patience, it had taken his family, it had taken every sense of normalcy from his life.

But it had also led him to Vito, the capital city Jay had always dreamed of seeing with his own eyes during his childhood in the desert. It had kept him alive this long. What else could it do for him? It was Jay's own personal suit of armor, and yet he couldn't bring himself to put it on.

Jay took a deep breath, He righted himself, pivoting to face Katso and the disheveled suit of armor still littering the floor behind him. Katso watched Jay expectantly, a glimmer in his dark eyes. He had faith in Jay, he always had.

Slowly, Jay lifted his hand in the direction of the suit of armor. He barely had to look at it to feel that tug in the pit of his soul, the metal coming to life like a sixth sense. One by one, the pieces on the wooden floor rattled, until all at once, they shot upwards, recollecting themselves onto the makeshift dummy that typically wore it. The sunlight filtering in from the ceiling caught the suit, and it seemed shinier, more resplendent than ever.

His father's suit. The one he'd worn every day as the leader of their tribe's guard. The one Jay had stolen to make it this far, to Vito.

Katso somehow materialized at Jay's side, patting him on the shoulder. "Well done, Lujayn. We can continue with your lessons tomorrow evening, if you would like."

Jay tore his eyes from the suit to look up at his old mentor. "Are you being serious?"

"When am I not?" Katso asked, an impish glint in his eyes. "You are blessed by the gods, nyath'tekongo. Remember that."

Katso shuffled away, leaving Jay to his thoughts. Nyath'tekongo, Katso had called him. Child of power. Even though Jay was nearly eighteen and by all accounts a man, the endearing nickname had followed him since the moment Katso took him in all those years ago.

Nyath'tekongo, mabe nyasayae. Child of power, goodwill of the gods.

Jay glanced back at the suit of armor, still glinting in the sun. A warm sensation enveloped Jay's forearm and he realized he was still wearing the gauntlet. He took it off, crossing over to the suit and slipping it back opposite its matching partner. But as Jay got to work at putting the suit back in the closet, he felt another ripple of his power, stroking the metal before shutting it out of sight.

Mabe nyasayae, ang mabo obiro? Goodwill of the gods, what good will you do?

<>

Thunder shook the house that night, so violent that Jay couldn't sleep. He typically enjoyed sleeping during rainstorms, but not when it was the middle of a dry season and this particular anomaly of a storm threatened to capsize the house.

Jay sat up in his bed, shocked to find his small room alight with the persistent flashes of lightning from outside his wide-open window. He pushed himself to his feet, using all the strength he could muster to get the window shut. Once he had, rainsplattered and all, Jay spun around to find Katso bursting into his room.

"Oh, thank the gods, you're awake," Katso said. He seemed out of breath. His dark skin was pallid, like he'd just seen a ghost.

Jay frowned. "Of course, I'm awake. This storm is deafening."

As if he'd insulted the storm god himself, another roll of thunder rattled the house. Jay wondered if it was strong enough to survive the night; he'd never seen a storm this powerful in all his years.

"Lujayn, listen to me, we don't have much time." The look in Katso's eyes was one of intensity, so disconcerting that Jay felt all the humor and wit he possessed die out in its presence.

"What are you..." Jay began but trailed off upon seeing what Katso was holding in his wrinkled hands. A knapsack. The same knapsack Jay had carried on his way to Vito all those years ago. It was full, and with another flicker of lightning, Jay could see that the suit of armor had been stuffed inside.

Jay's stomach fell as another rumble of thunder shook the sky. "W-what?"

"Lujayn, I wish I could explain further, but you need to leave," Katso said, shoving the knapsack into Jay's arms with a dissonant clatter. Katso winced at the noise, as if it was somehow louder than the thunder outside and he didn't want to alert anyone.

"Why? Katso, what's going on?" Jay asked. The knapsack in his arms felt like a sack of potatoes. Worse, Jay himself felt like a child again, listening to his father before he went on into the center of a bloodbath.

The walls shook beneath the fervor of the storm. Katso set his hands on Jay's shoulders, his grip like steel. "The gods and I are no longer the only ones aware of your blessings, Lujayn. Your test has come to past, but it is one that you are not ready to fight yet."

Jay blinked. What was he talking about? "But you said—"

"I know what I said, but this is different. There are people after you, mie nyathe, and you must flee. Flee to where it is safe and where people more able than I can protect you. Where they can teach you how to use your gifts and be better prepared for your test."

Jay wondered if he'd somehow used his gift to become the suit of armor himself for how suddenly rigid he felt. His feet were planted on the ground, his very eyes unblinking. His heart felt like it was about to give out.

"I've packed you enough supplies to get you north, to Silva," Katso continued. "You have food, water, and any other tools you may need. There's a map—"

"Katso!" Jay exclaimed, stopping the old man in his ramblings. "Where is all this coming from?"

That's when Jay heard it, in the silence between thunderclaps. Shouting from outside. There were people gathered outside the bookstore's front doors downstairs. Jay could feel the reverberations from their frantic knocking all the way in his room. The realization made his blood run cold. Someone really was after him.

But who? Who could know about his gift? He hardly ever used it, and when he did, he was either alone or with Katso.

Jay started running through all the potential possibilities. Had someone found the suit of armor one day? Had Jay used his abilities around a customer or passerby who then reported him to the town magistrates? Was Jay going to be arrested as a magic-user?

Katso brought Jay out of his head, gripping his hands around the knapsack. "You must go, Lujayn, and swiftly!"

"W-where? Where in Silva do I go?" Jay asked, but Katso was already pushing Jay out of his room and down the tiny hall that separated Jay's room from Katso's. The shouting seemed quieter now, as they were on the opposite side of the building.

Katso didn't answer, not until he shoved aside an old chest and tugged open a trapdoor. Rickety stairs led down into the darkness; this would be Jay's escape route. "You must find others like you, my boy. Others who bear the goodwill of the gods."

"How will I know?" Jay asked, his words hardly above a whisper.

Despite it all, Katso smiled. He pressed a finger to Jay's chest, right above his heart. "The gods will lead you to one another. Follow your heart and trust your senses. That blessing of yours will keep you alive."

As if in response, Jay's abilities fluttered through his body. His senses heightened, Jay tugged on the coat that Katso was thrusting at him and pulled the knapsack over his shoulders. Jay braced Katso's forearm in parting.

"I will see you again." Katso held his gaze.

Jay nodded. "And I you."

A cracking noise floated up from downstairs. Jay's pursuers had broken down the door.

Jay looked down at the trapdoor, mustering all the courage he could, and descended into the storm-torn darkness, on the run for his life once more.