Chương 1: Atzi

Sostra. A grand city built atop a swamp, full of people and life. The heart of an empire. It was to the distant rumbling sounds of cart traffic that Atzi awoke.

"Blugeh…" Her shack was poorly made, even for the shantytown where she lived. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in her wooden roof; it was afternoon. She rested one scaled arm over her face and groaned, not wanting to wake. Atzi felt like that every day. But she was forced to wake up anyway by things outside her control. Stupid sun, if you weren't so warm, she thought. But you were warmer back home. Atzi slowly pulled herself up, dropping off the scratchy shawl that made for her blanket, and gave a big yawn.

Her red hair lay limp on her face. She scratched between her scales, dark blue with a silvery sheen. I should eat… no, get a drink, she thought. She heard clucking from outside. What the hells is that noise? Atzi picked herself up and peered out through the square hole that was her shack's singular window. In the alley outside, she saw a chicken, scratching at swampy mud, looking for worms. She leaned out her window and hissed at it with everything she could muster.

Splatters of her saliva mixed with poison went flying. The chicken bawked as it ran off down the poor muddy streets. Annoying. Atzi was hungry. Sleepy. Most of all, bored. Things had been so boring these past few years. Every day felt the same - just trying to make ends meet. She'd been on the cusp of the easy life she always dreamed of, about to clutch her claws around the wealth she deserved… Just one more chance and she could prove everyone wrong. Atzi shuffled over to the pillar of wood that supported her roof.

At its base sat everything she owned. A single outfit and an empty coin pouch. She grabbed her fraying linen pants and stepped into them. She took care to position her tail and stick it through the hole in the back. The fabric strained where it met the base. Stupid clothes must have shrunk in the heat. She threw on her shirt. Only after she'd gotten dressed did she run her claws through her messy hair. Her clawed fingers danced around her two small horns as she styled herself into something vaguely 'neat'.

Decent, she slinked outside. She peered left, then right. The coast looked clear.

"Greetings of the Saintess, neighbor!" Atzi groaned. She had 'known' this guy for as long as she'd lived in this shack. He talked about religion all the time, and she didn't even know his name. The one thing she did know about him was that he had a real job, at which he made real money, and the only reason he lived in the slums was he always donated all his money to the Saintess's temple. She thought he was a sucker. After all, who would want to live in the slums if they could find a nicer place? Weirdo!

"Yeah, yeah, saintess." Atzi responded, groggily. Her neighbor smiled at her, his arms folded into the sleeves of his cheap robes.

"Are you excited for the upcoming godscouncil?" he asked, green eyes glinting.

"The festival? Yeah, 'course. Everyone is." Atzi dug a clawed toe into the mud, wanting nothing more than to escape the conversation. Well, and food, and beautiful women, and-"No no, not the festival! That's just something people put on. The council is what matters." Yeah right. The gods are too scary and powerful to care about any of us. You're just getting scammed by the priestesses! Even if they are pretty.

"Sure." He leaned forward and put a hand to his mouth, as though sharing a great secret.

"All the gods will come to the city for the election. Also, I hear every god's temple will be choosing new priests among the faithful. I hope the Saintess chooses me." Atzi didn't know much history, but she did know the Saintess won every election anyway. Why would that change, and what difference would it make for people like her if it did? She gave a fake smile.

"Yeah, I hope she chooses you, too." And I never need to deal with you again! He bowed slightly.

"Thank you for your kindness. May the Saintess bless you!" His smile was bright and wide as he wandered off.

"Thanks be to the Saintess," Atzi muttered sarcastically. What good is it to worship the gods? They don't care about little people like us. They just sit in their temples, or whatever, doing who knows what! They barely ever showed themselves outside of the godcouncil, anyway. Atzi had certainly never been in the same room as any god - not even the Water, even though she was the god back where Atzi had been born. She slinked onward. The conversation had her wanting food and a drink more than ever.

It was then she heard a frenzied clucking. Atzi glanced over towards the direction she'd seen the chicken run, wondering if the stupid thing was following her. She saw a chaotic flock of chickens rushing towards her! Atzi turned tail and fled, trying to not get overrun by chickens.

"Stupid birds!" she yelped.

"Damned things, get back here!" Atzi looked back. Chasing the chickens was a dark-haired man. He looked pretty young, no older than his teens, and he was covered in dirt. An unlucky chicken farmer. As Atzi ran, she thought, If this guy's chasing them… maybe if I catch some he'll let me keep one. A fresh chicken all to myself! Realizing they were just chickens, Atzi spun around, sliding to a halt. She snatched her claws and coiled her tail towards the approaching feathered beasts.

In a single sweeping motion, she caught five of them, two in each claw and one in her tail. Captured, the chickens immediately became docile, clucking quietly in fear. The final, uncaught one pecked angrily at her foot, but its beak just glanced painlessly off her scales. Atzi shouted with pride, "Stupid birds!" The chicken farmer caught up with her, panting.

"Oh, thank the gods." Atzi looked up at him. She internally cursed that she was shorter than someone so young looking.

"I caught your chickens. That was really nice of me, wasn't it?" The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

"Yeah, yeah, real nice." He reached towards his back and pulled off a large sack. He fluffed it open and placed the chicken still pecking at Atzi's foot into it.

"In the sack." You better not cheap out on me! She deposited the chickens in her claws. The farmer looked up at her. Atzi swished the one still wrapped up in her tail from side to side, enticingly.

"I'm really hungry… especially after catching all those chickens…" He sighed.

"Well, at least you didn't try to extort me for them." He dug into his pocket and flipped Atzi a single bronze coin. Yes! Atzi snatched the coin out of the air, grinning. She uncoiled her tail from around the final chicken, and it began running away once more.

"Hey!" The farmer yelled. Atzi wasn't listening, already dancing her way towards the main market streets for a meal. Maybe some pork chops. Or roasted beetle kebab! With beer! She salivated as she walked. When Atzi was excited, so were her poison glands, spurting through her mouth and mixing with her drool. Her purple-tinted saliva sizzled against the gravel and mud. The other houses in the slums weren't much better than her own. People built them where they could with what wood they could scavenge.

Families packed themselves tight, because if they tried to make their places larger, they would collapse under their own weight. The streets were packed with people leaving like Atzi, looking for food or work. There was a point just between the market street and the slums, where the careful stonework of most of Sostra collapsed into loose limestone chunks, embedded in the mud. Atzi stepped claw over claw up the slanted stone, traveling with all the poor people. I'm not poor, just not rich yet.

Ahead she could see the main market street. One and two story buildings ran its length. It ran from Sostra's southern gate all the way past the arena. At that point it became the winding streets that lead upwards to the temple district. But she wasn't going that far. All she needed to do was join the busy throng of people and carts, and wander her way towards a hot food stall. Just thirty more feet, the shortest jaunt, and she would be in the market proper.

Atzi took a ninety degree turn towards her favorite gambling hall. Doubling my earnings is so smart. Then I can eat two hot meals! Atzi thought, confidently striding in. The gambling hall was much nicer than anything in the slums. For one thing, the woodwork held together. This early, there were only a few people present. This place would be much more active come evening. Atzi approached the wooden front desk, giving a toothy grin to Sphira, mistress of the gambling hall.

Sphira smiled back politely, even as she wore the dead eyes of someone all too used to customers. Her black dress accentuated her curves. She looked pretty good for a middle-aged woman, in Atzi's estimate. When I'm rich, maybe we could…

"Hello, Atzi. Come to try your luck?" Sphira asked, brushing a strand of dyed red hair behind her ear. Is she into me? Atzi laughed.

"Of course. Is there a dice game going?" Sphira pointed to a low corner table. Atzi appreciated the grace with which she did so.

"Thanks," Atzi said. Maybe she is into me. Maybe this time I really go for it and try- wait, no, I haven't bathed in ages, there's no way. But next time, definitely next time. Atzi stalked over to the table, glancing at the two people present. There was Frank, of course, the large-in-all-senses dealer. Atzi hated the stupid 'Oh I'm so sorry you lost everything' act he did. Joke's on you buddy, this time I'm winning!

He sat shaking dice in a cup for a single woman wearing light leather armor, a bronze helmet beside her… The outfit of a city guard. Atzi froze up, inspecting the guardswoman from afar. Is she anyone important? she thought. She had short black hair and a few scars. Retired military or adventurer, then. She was too young to have been in the war, though, looking about Atzi's age. Atzi continued moving, trying not to look suspicious. It'd been years, so she doubted any regular guard would know her face.

The reward wasn't enough to sit and memorise it from the posters, but she'd pissed off some of the higher-ups enough that she couldn't risk being seen by them. She walked slowly as she turned over their appearances in her mind. No, she doesn't look like anyone I know. She approached with her head low, just in case. Besides, it's just one game. Then I'll have one more coin and can walk away a winner.

Atzi sat down as Frank tossed two dice under the cup, shook the cup around in his hands, and then slapped the cup on the table.

"Even or odds?" he asked the guardswoman.

"Odds!" the guardswoman shouted. She stared intently at the cup. Atzi slid her coin across the wooden table, to place a bet of her own, but Frank held out a hand to stop her. She wiggled in her cushion impatiently. Hurry up, then! The dealer lifted the cup. Two singular dots. Snake eyes.

"Sorry," Frank meekly apologized to the guardswoman as he scooped up the three bronze in front of her.

"Godsdamnit!" the guardswoman cursed. Her scarred cheek twitched in annoyance. Atzi rolled her eyes. What a sore loser.

"Odds on next," said Atzi, sliding forward her coin again. C'mon seven, my lucky number! She saw it all the time when she played this game, so it had to be. Her tail swished behind her excitedly. She had to wipe a dribble of poison from her lip so she wouldn't be yelled at again, smearing it against her other arm. The guard flicked out three more bronze coins. She gave Atzi a scowl and a stink-eye..

"Odds," she said as well. Atzi gave an awkward, stilted laugh, avoiding the guardwoman's gaze. Just an ordinary lizard, don't mind me. Frank gave a gentle smile.

"Let's see if you're both lucky." He tossed the dice into the cup and shook it again. Atzi gripped the edge of the table as she trailed the motion of the cup up and down. She didn't just want to avoid looking at the guard, she didn't just want to win, but she wanted to be on the lookout for any tricks. She thought she knew every scam there was, and refused to fall for one herself. Only idiots get cheated. Frank lifted the cup. A five and one.

"Oooof." Frank shook his head sorrily. Atzi's expression dropped.

"M-my hot meal…" The guardswoman grunted in annoyance. Frank quickly collected the coins, looking pained as he swept away Atzi's hot meal. If you're so sorry, then give it back! I need to eat, damn it! She couldn't argue, though. Besides the fact she knew it wouldn't get her anywhere, there was a scary looking private guard leaning against a distant wall. If she caused a disturbance, she could end up injured. Plus, what if this bitch tells her bosses about me?

she thought, sneaking a glance at the guardwoman next to her. With no other choice, Atzi groaned and stood up. As she slinked away, she overheard the guardswoman say, "Great, now that my bad luck charm is gone-" Atzi wanted to explode at her. I'm not a bad luck charm! I just got unlucky! It's not my fault! Instead she kept silent. Now what am I gonna do for food? I guess steal something… She barely heard Sphira wish her a good day as she walked outside.

A dark mood overcame her as she remembered all the annoyances of her afternoon. Like her neighbor, who she dealt with too often. So when a passer-by wished her 'blessings of the Saintess', something in her snapped. The Sostrian Empire had nine gods. Only one was really in charge. The same stupid one Atzi's stupid neighbor wouldn't shut up about. The Saintess.

"Fuck the Saintess!" Atzi shouted. She raised a clawed middle finger to the passerby, before turning it towards the distant temple district. Though all the other gods had temples there, the Saintess was the only one to stay in the city. The passers-by pointedly ignored her, hurrying along. Blasphemy wasn't illegal, just taboo. Most wouldn't tempt fate. Atzi wouldn't either on a usual day, but today… she was sick of it all. Screw it. I'm grabbing the biggest coin pouch I see.