A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor

"I suppose that's why the Elder has his Favour system," Beam said lightly, just to test the man's reaction.

"Pah," he spat. "I don't need no Favour system to tell me when to help a neighbour. We didn't need it before he came to power, and I can tell you we won't need it after. Besides, where's he in all this? Not sticking his neck out for the village, I can tell ya."

"You were here when the Elder came to power?" Beam asked with interest.

"Oh aye, 'course most people were. Not many come from outside to settle in like you did. He was born in this village, he was, came back about fifteen years ago, just as the last Elder got elected. Seemed like a fine man back then. He got elected through it. But the years 'av eaten away at his mind.

Not like he used to be, he isn't," the old man said. "'Course, when you get to my age, most of your old friends ain't like they used to be."

"So you've noticed a change in him? How about recently? I haven't seen much of him lately. Is that not odd?" Beam pressed, pleased to have someone so willing to give him information.

The old man just shrugged. "He's been complaining about the cold in the last couple of years. I imagine that's it. When there's a chill in the air, the bones start to ache. Though, if he's been struggling that much, I'd say the old goat needs to retire and give up the helm for someone else. No good ever comes out of holding onto something past its time."

"I see," Beam said with a nod. "I'm in agreement."

The old man smiled at that. "Pleased to hear it. Not many people are. They don't like to hear a break in the tradition. 'Course, the same people merely cower in the background when we're in a crisis like this, so can't say their opinions are worth much. But you lad, you're not even from here, and you're standing up to the soldiers like this?

Good on ya, I say. The village owes you much for it."

"I thought I might inspire more resentment," Beam confessed. "Increasing the frictions between the villagers and the soldiers is a dangerous game after all."

The old man widened his eyes in surprise at that. "Well, I'll be damned. I thought you were just a hot-headed youth, and still, I was praising ya for it, but you have the foresight to realize that as well? And tell me, you reckoned that to be so, but you still went ahead and did it anyway? Why is that?"

"A hope that the village will be stronger if it's unified, I suppose," Beam said.

The old man was nodding away, a big smile on his face. "You're good, you're proper good. I like ya. Alright, you got yourself an ally," the man said, sticking out his hand for a handshake. "I'm Clyde, head of the Carpentry family – not that the major families mean much anymore… I suppose you can just consider us some particularly loud background noise. You're Beam, aye?"

Beam shook his hand and nodded. "Glad to have your support. I'll be counting on your council should I make a misstep."

The old man grinned at that. "From what I can see, you've been making missteps all morning! Ain't no one willing to talk to their superiors like you are. But that's why what you're doing is valuable. Just watch yourself, lad. Be careful to keep your balance on that tightrope that you're walking."

Beam laughed. He had to agree there.

With the old man gone, and the crowd beginning to quieten with them, Judas and Beam left for their little corner of the village square once more, leaning against the barrels. Nila was still busy chatting away with the other villagers that were coming up to her.

"Not used to this," Judas grumbled. "I'm a debt collector, not no goody goody. Don't know what to do when people are thanking me."

"I would say get used to it, but you probably don't have to," Beam said with a smile.

"What was that you little shit!?" Judas said with a sniff, as he slapped his hand against the barrel in a mock display of indignation. "Oh fuck, looks like there's more of them coming in. Isn't that the one you chased off earlier as well?"

Sure enough, where Judas was pointing, there was a party of three soldiers, with the man who they had chased away from the butcher's stall earlier amongst them.

The village centre was growing increasingly busy now, as word spread of all that had been happening there, and people sensed the building of tension in the air.

Beam noticed it too. "I'd been planning to keep this going for a couple of days, but doesn't seem like that going to be possible. Can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing, though."

"You're not frightened?" Judas asked. Beam could see the nervousness on the man's face. "We knew it'd happened from the start, but you can't really stand up to the class above you without stirring something dangerous up."

Beam thought for a moment, as he looked at his hand. He was no stranger to fear, of course. Just the night before, as he fought the Titan, he had wracked the entirety of his body. But here, strangely, it was hardly present. Maybe there was a dim sort of nervousness, but there was no fear. Not anymore.

That surprised him more than anyone. He'd always hated situations like this, at least to some degree, and now he chose it as a solution to his problems. He clenched his fist, wondering when he'd begun to change.

"Well, we'd better get going before they stir things up with the villagers," Beam said with a sigh. The soldiers were already looking through the crowd like predators, clearly searching for Beam and his party, but from the venom in their gazes, they seemed as though they'd settle for anyone.