Knives and Handshakes
"You seem to have a habit for trailing behind me, Lady Amran. Is eating together a part of training I am not aware of?" David eyed the woman behind him with caution.
He'd rather not be seen around her, if his constant and failing attempts at leaving her behind were any hint. His greatest weapon was information, and currently, that limited information told him he'd have the best outcome if he maintained distance from the woman while also leeching any potential benefits he could leech from her.
"I'd think a weak Earthling would like to be seen around a powerful and beautiful woman such as myself."
"Add humble to that list of traits."
A chuckle rang out from Amran's dry throat before silence descended upon the two of them, the only sounds in their entourage coming from the incessant muttering of bypassers and the general chaos of Gomorrah.
"What do you do outside of this tower, Lady Amran?" Not that he could not bear the silence, quite the opposite, in fact. However, this woman struck him as scheming and calculated, albeit rather easygoing. Thus, David wished to distract her. By wielding the flow of conversation into a personal topic, he'd not only come off as a curious disciple but also curtail any attempts she might make at leveraging her power over him.
He slowed his steps to allow her to get a lead over him. Instead, a great force knocked into his back, and he found himself thrown onto the ground.
"Your back was wide open. Trusting, but careless. Had that been a knife or a poisonous needle, you'd be limp on the ground, Earthling."
David glared at Amran, silent. He rubbed the dust off of his clothes and stood back up. Raising his eyebrows, he fought back, "Are you implying I place that trust in the wrong people?"
"Heh…I wouldn't say so. Just a safety tip for Megiddo - a comrade who will not stab your back is the best comrade you'll find, and one who will save you in times of danger is not unlike dry water: impossible to find."
"I thought you had asked a question earlier, Earthling. Apologies, for my duties to you as an instructor come before my duties to you as an answer-giver," Amran folded her arms, creasing her togas in the process.
David's face flushed red. He thought he could control this woman, that she would not see through his subtle interrogation. He was wrong. Amran read through the lines, and even threatened him.
'And here I thought being a public servant made me the biggest hypocrite there was,' Flattery, subtle blackmail and menace were essential crafts of his previous job.
Those green eyes of her suddenly turned from an oasis of life to that of a thorny forest: Touch it too hard, and it will prick you too hard.
"This humble one greets the lady as the sun greets a witch of the dark paths."
Rhythmic footsteps accompanied this unknown voice and approached the two of them. David furrowed his brows. In response to the voice, Amran's still irises had begun shaking so-slightly, a shaking one might not have noticed if they had not fixed her eyes for a while, as he had done.
In slow strides he turned his head to meet the dangerous newcomer. David gulped and performed a single step back. The air got thick and viscous with the man's arrival, as if his mere presence twisted space into an inescapable mud.
David could barely move, but his eyes observed the man's every step. The man's entire demeanor was one of extraordinaire and conspicuity. His attire compelled David to great depths. A suit. It was a piece of clothing that asked to be seen in the midst of togas, robes and bland leather uniforms. In natural movements, the man moved past David as if he did not exist and halted before Amran.
With a flick of his hands, the pressure in the air disappeared, and a smile coated his face when he saw David catching his breath like a drowning animal.
"It's such a pleasure to meet you here, Nicolai."
Presumably named Nicolai, the man waved his right hand and replied, "I would say the same. Coming into acquaintance with a woman such as yourself is a rare occurrence. You'd left quite the impression; this one would babble."
While the two smiled at each other and exchanged pleasantries, it was clear these were no more than superficial.
"And this one comes here to observe that thou'st had taken an Earthling under your wing. He's made quite the decision," Nicolai turned to David and giggled at him akin to a zoo-goer giggling at a dancing monkey.
Quite uncomfortable. David diverted his eyes away, and Nicolai diverted his attention back to Amran.
"Well, you know, they're all quite as useful as you are."
'She thinks Earthlings are useless…' It was hard to forget her ire for Earthlings. That confirmed his suspicions that the two did not like each other.
"This one would not be sure. Not many can express themselves as useful as the Guild's Deputy Secretary-General, if you'd permit me to spread words of glory."
"Hah…of course, you must be quite busy roaming the streets of Gomorrah," Amran placed a hand over her mouth and spoke.
"Indeed, my time has been rightfully preoccupied. I, the Guild, are scouting for potential talents from within this year's batch of Earthlings. This one doesn't look to be the next Greyhound, but he must be quite the catch if the esteemed right-hand of the former Empress of Kasdim took him within her grasp."
Amran eyed him with amusement, and David even caught a hint of…pride?
'Right-hand of the former emp-
"Well, yes, nowhere can an Earthling find a training as rigorous and effective as the one I offer."
Nicolai nodded in a perfunctory manner and swiped at his wrist to reveal a silver watch. "This one casts no doubt on that. We'd no doubt wish to engage in more chatter, but we've got our time preoccupied."
He then turned to David and asked, "What's this one's name? I'm also an Earthling just like you are."
"David Bergstein."
Nicolai extended his hand out to David, expecting a handshake. David swiped his hand down to meet the other man's palm.
However, a strong hand blocked his path. He raised his eyes to find Amran glaring at him, "Your hands are quite sweaty from the training, David, there is no need to shake hands right now, is there?"
Rhetorical questions again…
Nicolai cleared his throat and commented, "Why, for this one minds not the fruit of training if it is for basic courtesy. You seem to be in tension, Lady Amran. Perhaps Lady Atraq was right: this stay at Gomorrah will be of great help to you."
"That will be for me to say. Goodbye, Nicolai."
Her hand slid down to meet David's hands, and she locked their fingers together. Then, she pushed him away and walked at a brisk pace until they were a distance from Nicolai.
Amran threw away his hands and said, "Something came up. I haven't got the time to train you later. Take this opportunity to rest, and we will meet after your mandatory classes tomorrow."
'Is that something…anger?' David scanned Amran's face. It was in a way he never saw: thick veins popped on her forehead, her breathing was irregular, and her teeth chipped away at her dry lips.
"Understood, Lady Amran. Thank you for your training, I will see you tomorrow."
He turned around with the intent to leave.
"David. Don't shake hands with random strangers. Don't give them any way to get close or touch you. Those that want to shake your hands might be the first to forget that when you turn around."
"Understood."
"Oh, and you're weak. That man wanted to infiltrate your mental protections by shaking your hands, a seemingly innocuous gesture. Once we get your physique and magic to a decent level, I'll teach you the most basic of mind protection spells."
With those fleeting words, she disappeared off into...the lantern-lit boulevards of Gomorrah.
David kept those words in mind. He was weak, very weak. Sahul could silence him, Amran could push him around, and that man could infiltrate his very mind? If Gomorrah was this way, then how was Megiddo?
By this time, David came to terms with the reality of his situation. However, he hadn't quite rationalized everything yet. With this encounter came a realization: This was not Earth. If someone terrorized him, there was no police to turn to. If he wanted to win an argument, he could no longer do so through words or credentials. This wasn't a world of abstraction – intelligence, academics, salary. Those could help, but when all came down to it, there was one thing he needed more than all others: power.
He needed power so no one could leave him breathless like Nicolai. He needed power so he could rely on himself, without depending on the fickle and traitorous others.
"Now in the grave, I find you to be in the right, mother."
'No one's going to help you, David. You'll be all alone, scared – and those you thought you loved and they loved you back will abandon you when you bring them no more joy or success. Your father- '
A hollow look passed through his eyes.
"Let's eat."
David ate at the closest restaurant he found and left in haste. He had a clear destination in mind.
Atop him, a signboard with a metal barbell read, "Upside-Down Gymnasium."