"Boom, boom, boom..."
One shell after another rained down from the sky, throwing Ava City into chaos. Cries and screams echoed throughout the city, as frightened citizens scrambled through the streets.
Akeul had no time to concern himself with work; he grabbed his apprentice and ran towards the backyard. Suddenly, he stopped amidst a pile of clutter, and while clearing the messy debris, said, "Hurry and help, let's hide in the cellar."
Understanding the gravity of the situation, the young boy nodded and quickly joined in. The original purpose of this hidden cellar was for the blacksmith owner to evade the tax officers.
How could one do business in the Ottoman Empire and not evade taxes? Even though it was just a small blacksmith shop, at its peak, the owner and workers numbered over a dozen.
