Tales of Sshamath

[Salladin]

//This thread has been created for anyone who wants to write short stories about Sshamath. Please feel free to add yours.

[Salladin]

Ashio walked the streets of Sshamath, a strange city to say the least, he had never seen such a multitude of races gathered in one place, a prospect which made him uneasy to say the least. “Death and Taxes” a merchant had joked when Ashio had enquired about the place.

At first the lights and sounds of this place confused him, humans and Illithids walked the same streets and everyone seemed to play to the same tune, but there was an underbelly to this city as there are in all cities and it didn’t take Ashio long to find it.

He walked in the shadows, it gave him a sense of comfort, there was an eerie silence to the place as if the alley itself was holding its breath, afraid to make a noise, finding an especially dark corner Ashio settled down and wrapped his cloak around him. Not long had passed until the blissful silence was broken several men entered the alley by the look of them they were some rich merchants bodyguards they dragged a dishevelled looking man, likely a local cutpurse into the alley and began beating him mercilessly, Ashio watched from the shadows, the man screamed for a while but that ended soon when one of the assailants pulled out a knife and stabbed him repeatedly, Ashio simply watched as the fools blood flowed onto the dirt packed street creating a pool around the body ‘Death and Taxes’ the merchants voice echoed in his mind.

The guards left and Ashio began to turn away when he detected movements in the shadows across the alleyway, a little boy stepped out then, an expression of horror upon his face, eyes locked upon the body his mouth moving soundlessly. The boy was human likely no older than ten or perhaps eleven, Ashio recognised the look, he had one just like it when he had seen his first death ‘a dead man’s eyes are a curse to those who behold them’ Ashio had wanted to see into that darkness, he wanted to understand it and it had lead him on the path he was on now…….

He frowned and stepped out of the shadows placing a hand on the boys shoulder, the boy did not move clearly in shock, “Boy” Ashio said, again the child did not react, Ashio sighed and stepped in front of him blocking the terrible sight, the boy finally looked at him then, his eyes filled with tear’s, Ashio watched him expressionless there had been no room for weakness when he was young he raised his hand to strike the child across the face when the boy suddenly threw his arms around him in an embrace and began to weep uncontrollably. Ashio was stunned for the first time in a very long time he wasn’t sure what to do, he hesitated a moment and lowered his raised arm and held the boy as he wept.