Reflection Day was a sacred day in all of Nilvarin. A day when honest folks, working people, tradesmen and a few noble bloods with some semblance of a conscience, all spared a few minutes in the goddess's holy abode to confess their lengthy misdeeds without fear of reparation.

In the city of Pom, Bon Tedoia sat cross-legged in one of the white-walled confession rooms in the high temple of the goddess Ilmonya. There was a thick black curtain temporarily fixed before him by way of anonymity between him and the not-so-much shameful confessor that would sit at the other side of the curtain.

Most times the confessors had a tinge of regret and a healthy dose of remorse in their voice. Other times, which was most of the time, they didn't give a shit. Bon had the impression that to those kinds, confession was just a chore to be done or a duty needed to be fulfilled but who was he to judge? He left that to the goddess.

It was early into the day, and he had barely just listened to a quarter of the men and women lined up outside his door. A confessor sat at the other side of the curtain, and unfortunately for him, the person a woman was of an irksome category. The kind that was consumed by an unhealthy dose of melodrama and persistent self-condemnation of their person for their unrighteous acts.

"I didn't mean to! She provoked me. I was going to walk away but she wouldn't let me. I didn't... It was an accident. Oh, goddess. My soul is condemned. Condemned, priest. I will rot in Mudfell for this." An irking series of sobs succeeded her barely coherent words. It had been like that for over an hour and a half.

Bon was unable to stifle a yawn, one he quickly transitioned into a word of heartfelt sympathy. "Oh, child. Do not condemn yourself, for the goddess forgives all who would come before her and lay their hearts bare before her humble servants."

More sobs followed by sniffling. Sensing an end to this session, he quickly added, "Go now, and know in your heart that you have been forgiven and forgotten. Your soul cleansed of every taint and condemnation."

"Thank you, priest." More sniffling, then a rustle of cloth as she rose from her cushion and left the room. The moment the door closed, Bon rushed from his seat and hooked the bolt from the inside. He had heard enough confessions for one day.

Still in his river-grey priestly robes -with a giant bloodred V running from his shoulders down to his midriff - he used the back exit made for a priest's coming and going at his convenience. The lobby was empty and he seized the opportunity to excuse himself from the temple before another priest spotted him and dragged him into yet another pious duty to the goddess.

"Ilmonya, you know my heart and how much I wish to serve but I am not suited for this sort of service." He said to himself with a conviction he didn't feel. Some part of him knew he ought to work on his piety. Maybe a few more decades from now when I'm getting old and becoming ensnared in the treacherous clutches of time and greying hair.

He stuck to the corners and avoided the windows until he was out through the back alley of the temple. He exhaled in relief and thought of boarding a rickshaw or maybe a carriage for a change.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Bon started and his hand unconsciously went to his dagger concealed in his robe. He turned sharply to see a slim broad broad-shouldered fellow with dusty brown hair casually leaning against the wall.

"Ilmonya, Lan. I was ready to take your eye out."

Lan cocked an eyebrow at that. "You sure you're a priest."

Bon resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm a war priest. There's a distinction. How did you find me or know I was going to be here?"

"Your silver hair makes you stand out."

"No, it doesn't." Bon felt at his hair. "Maybe I should dye it brown again."

Lan made a 'uh' face.

"What? I saw the old man right before I looked in the mirror this morning and Ilmonya curse me if I didn't see a painting of his younger self. I did not like that, Lan."

"So you're going to dye your hair for that reason?"

"You're saying that like it's childish and petty." A pause. "Is it?"

"It is incredibly petty and childish."

Bon frowned. "You're supposed to tell me what I wanted to hear."

"I did." Lan gave a pointed look at his robe.

Vestiges of enlightenment dawned on Bon's features. "That was very cheeky."

"I know."

"Don't do it again."

"I will. What are you going to do about the Crown's summons?" Lan asked as they walked away from the high temple.

An irritated frown marred Bon's pretty face. He thought it pretty anyway. "Like I have a choice in that. Also who told you about it?"

Lan sucked on his teeth. "Tomi did."

"Of course she did."

"Want me to buy you a drink?" Lan wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

Bon smirked. "I'm wearing my priestly robes. A pious man such as myself can't be seen drinking with the likes of you."

Lan snorted. "The likes of me?"

"Haven't you heard? You're a no-good tanner."

"Only Nasben thinks that. On a serious note, Bon, you have to answer that summons."

"I'd be halfway to the capital by now but for your nagging questions."

Lan smacked him on the shoulder.

Bon feigned disbelief and staggered. "You hit me, you hit the goddess."

They both sniggered at the joke like little boys.

*********

"This whole affair is a mystery to me," Nasben said randomly on their third day on the road.

"How you still draw breath is a world's mystery."

Nasben ignored him. "What does the king want with a crazed bastard like you?"

Ilmonya, the irony.

"You tell me you're the one who's cousins with him."

Nasben wrinkled his nose as though he had perceived something rotten. Maybe it was, this was a no-talk area for him. "I haven't seen the man for more than a decade. People change in that time."

Bon glanced to his right at Tomi. She rode quietly on her pony beside him, watching him and Nasben trade jibes like rival merchants on a new market day.

Strapped to her pony's saddle was a lidded basket woven from palm fronds by her hand. Inside it lay Skye, their white pet bunny. Bon's white pet bunny. He found her first no matter what Tomi would have people believe. Bon also named her Skye not BonBon like Tomi insisted.

The last two days were long and backbreaking. Nasben had chafed and complained like an old hag for most of the first day. Barely sober on the second day and feeling spitefully witty on the third day.

"We'll need a miracle to endure one more day on the road with this old man," Bon said to Tomi. She wasn't amused which left him feeling sour. She never was, not when Nasben was involved.

Tomi held the reins of her pony with her teeth so she could sign properly. "You and your papa should stop fighting. You're ..." He didn't get the last part. She noticed his confusion and did the last part again. It was a parody of the love sign.

"Family?" He guessed.

Tomi gave an enthusiastic nod. She pointed at him, then at Nasben, followed by an encouraging nod.

"Absolutely not." He lowered his voice for the next part. "I will not apologize besides the old man started it."

"But why?" Tomi signed again. "Have you tried before?"

"I wasn't taught how to. Leave it, Tomi."

Her shoulders slumped with that and Bon felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He bit his lips not knowing what to say. He couldn't make her a false promise. He never had and would not start now.

A grunt from the old man made him turn his attention to what was before them. Austre, the capital city of Nilvarin, where the king held court.

The city was completely walled and small towns were developed below the wall on all sides. The city also had a port on the west side with warehouses built within and outside the walls by the docks.

Estates also dotted the plains outside the city. Probably lords of higher standings and power in court. Bon had no idea how those things worked. He did but his knowledge wasn't that much better than a commoner's. Sometimes he forgot he was also part of the nobility. Bah, I'm a humble servant of the goddess, titles are beneath me.

Despite the distance they still had to cover before they reached the south gate of the city which had a steady flow of traffic in both directions, Bon could make out spires and golden domes that put the ones at Pom to shame. A place of power and architectural mastery, as dubbed by the bards and poets.

"It's late. We can't go to the palace by this time." Nasben announced. The sun was already closing shop for the day and the moon was shyly taking over the sky for night duty.

"I'm with you on that. I'm not standing before a monarch for the first time unless it's daytime."

"Your names?" One of the city guardsmen at the gate - a man with a button-nose in a leather brown uniform - asked roughly.

"Bon Tedoia. This is Nasben Tedoia and Tomi."

The man scribbled on his notepad, causing Bon to wonder if the fellow could even spell their names. He tried to look at Bon's face inconspicuously as he wrote their names. Guile was also probably beyond him.

He unsurprisingly didn't ask them about their business.

Nasben glared at him as they were allowed inside.

"What?"

"They'll inform the king that we've arrived."

Bon raised his eyebrows. "Well, at least they'll know we're here. We just don't want to see them yet."

Nasben stared at him thoughtfully for a moment. The grin that split his face was the last thing Bon expected.

"Getting a bit rebellious, hmm?"

Bon replied with a grin of his and shrugged. "I had a good teacher."

"Follow me, I know a place."

"They brawl in this place?"

Nasben gave a nonchalant shrug. "You'll see."

The old man led them through a series of well-lit cobbled streets. They were dwarfed on both sides of the road by two-storey high buildings. People still went about their business unperturbed by nightfall.

It turned out their destination was a brawling house. Well, gambling house but usually those two things went together like married couples on a relaxed evening stroll.

"You know we have a little girl with us, right?"

Nasben waved his hand dismissively. "She can wait outside or go play with the horses in the stable or do something kids her age usually do."

The girl doesn't act her age sometimes. Sometimes it seems like there's an adult in that body.

"Fine." He was about to tell Tomi to make herself scarce when she forestalled him with a hand.

"I'll sit outside. Bonbon is with me."

Bon's eyes flickered to the white furball at Tomi's feet. "Skye. And take care of her."

Nasben was already inside the gambling house. That mad old man. He cursed softly before heading inside.

Nasben had entered the gambling house for barely more than a few moments and the old man was already on a table yelling for the attention of the gambling house's patrons.

"Listen up, slackwits. I have ten crowns with me here, ten crowns and whoever can put me on my back gets them."

That certainly got their attention and a few were already on their feet.

"I'll slack that face of yours and feed you that fancy hair."

The first man who charged Nasben probably had a brain the size of his eyeball because he couldn't see or think.

He took Nasben's boot to the face for his troubles. There was a crunch and the fellow staggered back with a broken nose. A fine left hook to the chin- that would have done a professional brawler proud - from Nasben sent him senselessly sprawling.

"Who's next?" Nasben Tedoia asked in his full glorious cockiness.