The Ashen Wrath (Watty's SHORTLIST recipient 2018) CHAPTERED VERSION

*36

Granddad took a deep breath and crossed his legs. "As you know, years ago I served as a scavenger for the lords of The Walled City. I scoured the wastes searching for objects the Privus fancied. During my tenure, I portrayed myself as a loyal Thrall, dedicated to my masters in every way, but I was always searching for a way to betray them. Over time, I became proficient at maintaining my ruse and pleasing the lords...so much so, their drones ceased accompanying me on my travels."

"Unbelievable!" I said, completely enthralled.

"Unbeknownst to me, someone had noticed my autonomous nature. While traveling the road to The Walled City, a woman beckoned to me from the edge of the forest. Wary but intrigued, I met her behind a stand of pines. She stood nearly seven feet tall, with flowing blonde hair and piercing blue eyes."

I recognized the description from The Ten Tomes. "What? You met a Privus outside the wall?"

"Yes. Her name was Sheln. She had become an outcast after publicly criticizing the Privus' treatment of the Thrall. A high crime."

"Wow...face to face with a Privus! She left The Walled City?"

"Not exactly. Instead of executing Sheln, the Privus High Lord secretly sent her beyond the wall to take advantage of her proficient skills in biology and chemistry—under heavy surveillance of course."

My confusion was evident. "Biology and...what?"

"They're types of science," said Granddad.

"Right," I said, "go on."

"Keeping Sheln captive outside the city allowed the High Lord's secret projects to continue without scrutiny. In exchange for her compliance, she was allowed to live."

All the lies, secrets and strife somehow made the Privus seem more human. "What did Sheln want from you?"

"Sheln had witnessed me collecting objects on the edge of her zone that clearly held no interest to the Privus. I was terrified when she confronted me, but I soon learned she shared my hatred for the Privus lords. She further earned my trust by alerting me to a stretch of time in the morning when the drones were not watching the Thrall, or her. It kept us safe while we talked. It's the same stretch of time I'm using now to tell you all of this."

It was the perfect time to tell Granddad my secrets...but I didn't.

"Sheln begged my help in finding something in the ruins of a nearby city—a burnt husk of a place once known as Portland. I told her I was familiar with the area."

"You've been to a city? Incredible!" I was on the edge of my seat.

"To understand the rest requires some knowledge of the technology inside The Walled City." Granddad paused to carefully choose his next words. "The Privus' are revered in The Ten Tomes for their extended longevity and robust immune systems. However, these attributes aren't natural, but reliant on miniscule robots in their blood stream known as nanobots."

"Bots? Like drones?"

"In a way. Invisible to the naked eye, these machines are injected into each Privus when they are young. They scour the blood for harmful bacteria and viruses—anything irregular—and kill the minuscule invaders, keeping their host healthy."

I nodded. "I think I understand. Is that all the nanobots are used for?"

"No," said Granddad. "Thrall attendants are assigned to each Privus lord or lady undergoing Synaptic Rejuvenation. These servants are injected with nanobots to make them completely subservient. It strips away their will and desires."