Finn only caught fragments and did his best to ignore them. Instead, his eyes were trained on a pair of massive doors along the southern edge of the hall, the portal guarded by nearly a dozen more soldiers and mages.
It was strange. Nervous anticipation surged through his veins – his palms sweaty and his heart thumping in his chest. After weeks spent inside the hall, Finn had never stepped foot into the city of Lahab itself. He’d only glimpsed the spiraling towers that loomed over the walls of the guild hall and caught the occasional shout or buzz of noise from what he assumed were the city’s residents.
Yet this was it. He was finally leaving the guild hall – taking one small step toward his own freedom even as he started the next leg of the Emir’s competition.
At a gesture from Abbad, the guards beside the door created a defensive line, blocking access to the door from the other students and pinning Finn and his companions between the portal and a row of steel and flesh. The mages began to cast a series of spells, and as they completed the incantation, a glowing set of symbols appeared along the surface of the door – spinning and clicking into place like magical tumblers. Within only seconds, the last spell completed, and the massive doorway drifted open with a creak of wood and a shower of dust.
Is this meant to keep the other residents out or the mages inside? Finn wondered.
Although he didn’t have time to consider that question.
“Welcome to Lahab,” Abbad announced.
Finn passed through the doorway with cautious steps and took in his first real glimpse of the city itself.
Bright sunlight beat down on buildings crammed together in a haphazard pattern. Their sandstone walls were colored in varying shades of beige and yellow that merged seamlessly with the fine dusting of sand that coated the roadway. The stone structures were cobbled together, their stones set so close to one another that it created the illusion that Finn was looking at one continuous structure. The weathered and pockmarked stone stretched up into the sky, tapering and spiraling up into the air to create the towers that Finn had seen loom above the walls of the guild hall.
And between these buildings were the residents of Lahab, wrapped in heavy cloths and silks. The staves and robes normally worn by the mages were gone and replaced with dusty baskets and heavy leather packs. Their feet kicked up a fine cloud of sand as they trod through the city’s narrow streets, making it appear as though a thick yellow fog had settled across the city. To block out the sand, the residents had taken to covering their mouths and noses behind thick cotton masks. The city’s citizens barely spared the group a glance, only a few eyes rising to watch the Mage Guild’s gates open.
Abbad didn’t give Finn and his companions long to stand and gape. With a solid thud, the door slammed shut behind them, and the wards snapped back into place with a crackle of energy. The librarian tugged up the cowl of his robe to cover his mouth and set off toward the south, ignoring the city’s residents who parted before the heavily armed company of mages and soldiers, eyeing them warily as they passed.
They walked in silence as Finn took in the city around him. Like Abbad and his two companions, he tugged the hem of his robe up and over his mouth to block out the sand, now realizing why the mages’ robes had all been designed with a hood to block out the harsh sunlight and a loose fold of cloth along the wearer’s neck to offer a makeshift mask. This had never been an issue among the manicured halls of the guild.
“What the hell is that thing?” Kyyle murmured as they neared the city center, pointing at a massive creature visible above a nearby building.
“I have no idea,” Finn replied.
They got a good look at the creature as they rounded a corner, and the city’s market came into view, a wave of noise breaking against the group – the product of the hundreds of residents squeezed between the narrow stalls. The monster was at least twenty feet tall, its torso hovering atop six spindly, stilt-like legs covered in thick, plated chitin. The creature reminded Finn of a giant water strider, eye stalks sprouting from what he could only assume was its face. Even more strangely, bundles of goods rested along its back.
“That’s a Sand Strider,” Julia answered softly, eyeing Abbad and the nearby guards warily to see if they were monitoring their conversation. “The merchants use them to haul goods. They can step over the buildings, so they’re quite useful for moving inventory between the Merchant Guild and the market.”
“I would have thought the merchants would run the market, or it would be part of their guild,” Finn offered. “Is that not the case?”
“Not quite. The market is actually open to the public, and residents can set up stalls,” she offered, pointing to a large tent selling sandstone bricks. The signs seemed to indicate that it was owned by a private quarry.
“The merchants are really more like crafters with sanctioned monopolies in certain products. They sell most of the useful equipment and weapons, and the rest of the residents tend to deal in more practical day-to-day items. Fun fact, it’s actually illegal for anyone else to sell weapons and armor,” she explained.
“Which would make black market goods that much more valuable, wouldn’t it?” Kyyle observed with a raised eyebrow.
This earned him a grin from Julia. “Not that I would know anything about that,” she offered with a wave of her hand. “Anyway, the merchant stalls are easy to identify since they’re all marked with their emblem.” She gestured further along the row. Finn could indeed see that the strider was lingering beside a row of stalls all emblazoned with the same logo – a green hammer and anvil.
“The city itself is roughly circular, broken up into four sections like the spokes of a wheel. The Merchant Guild is located to the west, and the Fighter Guild is to the east – with the Mage Guild occupying the northern edge. The palace is located along the southern wall,” she explained.
Finn glanced at his daughter; his brow furrowed in thought. “You seem really familiar with Lahab. Did you spend a lot of time here during the beta?” he asked, keeping his voice low.
Julia grimaced, and her eyes were distant as she replied. “I guess you could say that. Although, I didn’t spend most of my time in the city.”
“Then where did you—” Kyyle began to ask.
A commotion suddenly interrupted their conversation, a shout rising across the crowd. The group turned to the source of the noise. A resident was shouting at one of the merchants – the man inspecting his stall. “You akhdir can’t close my stall!”
“You lack the proper resale certification for this equipment,” the merchant replied calmly. The green-liveried guards around him reached for their weapons as they created a defensive circle around their leader and eyed the other residents in the market. “We will have to take your inventory into custody.”
Finn inspected the other residents carefully. The surrounding crowd grew more dense with each passing second, their eyes angry. The silence was unnerving. They were as quiet as death, watching the scene play out with a tension that was almost palpable. After having participated in hundreds of duels, Finn could detect an undercurrent of violence ripple through these people, and he had to resist the urge to summon his own blades.
“I sell only packs and travel equipment,” the man pleaded. “Those aren’t on the list of restricted goods.”
“They are now,” the merchant replied coolly. “The list was updated yesterday and posted at our guild hall by order of the Emir.”
The man’s eyes widened, and Finn heard a soft murmur ripple through the crowd at this announcement. “Please. I didn’t see the notice. Please, at least let me sell these goods so that I can buy new inventory.”
“You know the law,” the merchant snapped, waving his guards forward. “Restricted goods are confiscated for the guild. Remove yourself from the stall.”
The man ignored the order and instead sunk to his knees, tears streaming down his face. “Please… we have nothing else. Think of my family.” As the guards neared, one shoved the man to the
side, his head hitting the edge of a nearby beam. Blood soon dripped from his scalp as he cradled his head and groaned in pain.
The crowd reacted then, surging forward – their murmurs rising into a deadly hum. The merchant and his guards seemed to realize this, pulling their weapons with a scrape of steel. “You lot stay back. This is guild business. Anyone who intervenes will be cut down where they stand.”
“This isn’t the time for this,” Abbad said softly, eyeing the crowd that now pressed in around them and locked them in place. “Damn it,” he muttered, one of the rare times Finn had heard the librarian cuss.
At a gesture from Abbad, the mages and soldiers encircling them surged forward to reinforce the merchants. At the sight of the mage guild troops, the residents seemed to draw back slightly, looking on with sullen, glaring eyes. Abbad received a nod from the merchant but didn’t return the gesture.
“Greed will be the death of that guild,” Abbad muttered. “Give me just a moment. I may be able to defuse this situation, and we can be on our way,” he offered to the group before heading toward the merchant.
Finn’s hand hovered above one of his blades, and he turned to watch the townsfolk that immediately moved to fill the gap as the mage guards moved away. He accidentally bumped into an elderly man standing nearby, throwing him off balance. He immediately grabbed for the man’s arm, holding him steady and giving him a chance to regain his feet. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there,” Finn offered.
The older man clutched at his arm. “It’s fine—” He cut off sharply as he saw the marks along Finn’s right arm, his robe pulling away from his wrist. Finn abruptly shoved the cloth back down to cover the Seer’s mark.
“Najmat Alhidad,” the old man murmured, his eyes going round as he stared at Finn. At his words, others in the crowd looked at Finn in surprise, and a whisper rippled through the residents like a wave. He saw more heads swivel to stare at them.
“What does that mean?” Finn asked the man in confusion, suddenly wary of how many people lingered around them and the sudden lack of guards. Abbad’s warning was still fresh in his mind.
“He will come in a blaze of flame and fire and purify the corruption that plagues the sands,” the old man replied quietly, clutching at Finn’s arm with a surprising strength. “He is the Najmat Alhidad.”
Julia abruptly stepped forward and ripped Finn free. “Back away now,” she hissed at the older man, a blade suddenly in hand and pointed at his neck. The old man was unperturbed by the dagger. His eyes remained locked on Finn, and he murmured that strange phrase over and over again.
“Uh, I don’t like this,” Kyyle said, eyeing the crowd nervously as it pushed in closer – the residents attempting to get a good look at Finn. “Mobs and mysterious chanting are never a good combination.”
“Back down that alley slowly,” Julia directed, pointing at a space between two nearby buildings and placing herself between the crowd and her companions. They both followed her instructions, stepping away slowly. Meanwhile, the crowd surged toward them, the murmurs rising.
Finn heard those words repeated again and again.
“Najmat alhidad.”
Once they entered the alley, Julia glanced at Kyyle with a harried look. “You want to build us a barrier? Like right the hell now.”
With a quick nod, the earth mage’s fingers began moving, green tendrils of energy winding around his hands and curling up his staff. Liquid sandstone soon drifted away from the nearby buildings, cutting off the crowd and forming a wall that swiftly increased in height. Only a moment later, they stood in a walled-off alcove.
Safe. At least for the moment.
“We can cut through this alley and then circle back around to the south side of the market to meet up with Abbad,” Julia muttered, her hands swiping at the air as she pulled up her map. “Hopefully, he’ll have the foresight to keep moving through the market.”
Finn was barely paying attention to her words – his eyes still on the makeshift wall and his thoughts troubled. Why had that man reacted to his tattoo that way? He couldn’t quite place the look in those peoples’ eyes. It wasn’t the fear and anger directed toward the merchant. It almost looked like… hope?
“What were they calling me?” Finn asked Julia. “Najmat Alhidad?”
Julia grimaced, glancing away. “It’s a silly myth. Part of the lore of this world.”
“So, you know what it means?” Kyyle asked.
She focused her attention on them, her eyes hardening. “It means Mourning Star.”
Finn stared at her in surprise. Why would they call him that? What did it mean? Was this some sort of ploy by the other guilds? An attempt to cut them off from the other mages? Or was there something more at work here? Maybe the Seer’s involvement?
Julia shook her head. “Bullshit legends don’t matter right now. We need to move quickly before the mages realize we’re gone and decide we tried to escape. Otherwise, we’re going to have every guard in the city gunning for us. Let’s move.”
Without waiting for a reply, she headed down the alley, setting a brisk pace. Finn and Kyyle shared a confused look but then moved to follow.
Maybe answers would come in time.
***
“Finally!” Abbad exclaimed. The normally stoic librarian looked relieved as he saw Finn and his companion emerge from a nearby alley. The group had circled the market to the west to avoid the crowd.
“We got pressured out of the market,” Finn offered, not mentioning the strange encounter with the old man or the other residents. Kyyle and Julia both just nodded and kept their mouths shut, a point that Abbad noted with a furrowed brow.
“Hmm, well, we are safe now. At least we made it through the city without shedding any blood. The palace is not far,” the librarian said, gesturing toward the south.
A wall was now visible overtop the adjacent buildings, spearing nearly thirty feet into the air but staying below the lip of the fortification that ringed the city proper. Behind that interior wall was a palatial structure, adorned with curling towers and ornate stonework. Even from this distance, Finn’s guess was that the palace was at least a few hundred thousand square feet. Apparently, the Emir felt like he needed some room to roam.
Abbad seemed to read his thoughts. “The Emir houses his own royal guard on the palace grounds.” At Finn’s questioning glance, he continued. “His servants and soldiers are a mixture of warriors and mages. He also retains his own merchants and crafters, although the Merchant Guild attempts to keep control of its most talented artisans.”
“So, he buys recruits from the guilds too?” Finn asked.
Abbad arched a single eyebrow. “You cannot purchase what you already own. As a citizen of Lahab, you are the property of the Emir the moment you set foot here. This goes for the travelers as well as the residents.”
“Hmph. I’d love to see him try to conscript me,” Julia muttered, her fingers lingering on the hilt of one of her many blades. The guards around them flinched at her words and the implied threat in her voice – a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by Finn.
Abbad glanced at her evenly. “I doubt the Emir would have much use for a common thief.” Her eyes flashed angrily, and she opened her mouth to snap at him, but he cut her off. “Stop. That anger you feel boiling in your veins will not serve you well here. It is important to acknowledge when someone is more powerful than you. Only the most foolhardy would poke a dragon with a butter knife,” he offered, gesturing at the blade she now gripped in one hand.
Julia choked back her response and stormed ahead a few steps, putting some distance between herself and Abbad. Yet Finn’s eyes were on Abbad.
“Do you need to keep goading her like that?” Finn asked softly.
Abbad watched Julia’s back, and Finn thought for a moment that he saw a glimmer of compassion in the librarian’s eyes. “This world has not been kind to that one,” Abbad said simply. “Trust me when I say I take no pleasure in antagonizing her. But she must learn to c
ontrol that anger – or others will control it for her.”
Finn’s brow furrowed at that comment, and he and Kyyle shared a look, relaying the same message. What the hell did that mean?
Although, they weren’t given much chance to ponder on yet another of the librarian’s cryptic statements as Abbad rounded on the pair. “My warning to Julia goes for you two as well. Be careful what you say and how you act in front of the Emir. This is a man accustomed to immediate obedience. He will not look kindly on the attitude often displayed among the travelers.” The undercurrent of worry in the librarian’s voice was prominent.
At least that warning was clear, Finn thought to himself. Although the librarian’s words were unnecessary. Finn had met his share of self-important assholes and lived more than long enough to know when to keep his mouth shut.
His eyes drifted back to the palace gates that loomed ahead of them. As they approached, their guards eyed the gates warily, as though reluctant to enter. Finn felt a moment of doubt flicker at the edges of his mind. What had the Emir done to engender such fear? Perhaps this wasn’t quite the same thing as dealing with an arrogant CEO…
“Okay, I’m starting to wonder if maybe this was a mistake,” Kyyle murmured, noticing the same tension.
Finn snorted. “And I have a feeling it isn’t going to get any easier from here.”
Dozens of unanswered questions still swam through his mind, the events feeling disconnected and yet oddly related. The murmured words in the market. The uncertain meeting with the Emir. His daughter and her history with this place.
His bargain with the Seer.
Finn didn’t enjoy the sensation. This feeling that he was stumbling around blindly in the dark – not with so much hanging in the balance. It was enough to leave his palms sweaty and to cause a heavy feeling to sink toward the bottom of his stomach.
He balled his hands into fists, his fingernails cutting into his palms as he summoned a tendril of his fire mana. The warmth surged through Finn, burning away his doubt and anxiety. Now wasn’t the time for those emotions. He couldn’t let them hold him back.
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