I gave the box with the four lights to Arwia for safekeeping, mounted on the chariot behind Huzzi-Ya, and raised my arm. Dime landed and we departed. As we circled around the villa I gave him instructions.

"Once we are in the great market, you'll bring the chariot back. Don't worry about me. I'll have Honey Cake and Bloodstone with me."

The chariot soon was going down the street just as the sun reached the top of the mountains to the west. I hoped I was doing not the right thing, but the choice with the least cust for me and everyone else. I could've bombed the Enshi from above if I wanted and he seemed to be aware of that. He took Brandon as a hostage. The situation wasn't good.

I needed to stick to my plan. Make my acquisition too expensive. If he dared touch me, the entire city would fight on my side. The judicial system was in shambles with two magistrates out. The court sorcerer suffering from burnout. He was in a precarious situation. He wouldn't dare lose the trust of the people. I was sure he would attempt to use Brandon against me. That would make him also lose the respect of the army as I knew the soldiers looked forward to Brandon.

We reached the great market and the last-hour-of-sunlight rush was in full throttle. The chariot entered the square and I straightened my back. With a mental command, Dime shouts his raptorial war cry. I look behind us and Penny is following, faithful. All eyes fall on me and my bashfulness threaten to surface.

I channel every politician rally video I've ever seen and hated. I need to show confidence and power. I keep looking around. There are several groups of people looking at me, but most just take in the novelty and go on with their errands. Everyone here is super busy trying to nail the last trades of the day or getting their groceries. There's one group of five people that don't follow the pattern. They are wandering around, ignoring merchants and just getting the lay of the land. Stealing glances at me all the time too. I should take note of them.

I find Abil-Kisu among a crowd of merchants.

"Huzzi-Ya, over there. There's Abil-Kisu."

"I see him," He moves the chariot next to the merchants and stop.

Abil-Kisu had seen us from far away, but he didn't interrupt his conversation to draw attention to me until we come closer. Only when all the other merchants stopped paying attention to gawk at me is that he introduces me. Bero-Mabii and another guy wearing priest robes nod, acknowledging my presence. I hoped that was the priest of Enki.

"Gentlemen, I believe you know miss Sandra Rinaldi, yes? The one that was thrown into the depths and returned and the person responsible for that devilish sound that took over the town yesterday."

Well. Given who is Iron Maiden's mascot, I can't even rebuke the accusation that heavy metal is hellish.

"I guess that's me. I'm sorry if my music disturbed you, I was just celebrating the sunlight after four months fighting monsters in the depths."

"Four months!" The merchant lord snaps his fingers. "Four months and not a single scratch on her skin."

I get down from the chariot and take the leather bag and the convex glass disk. Dime jumps and perches on a nearby awning. Penny comes and stays a half pace behind me. I send Dime the mental image of the Enshi and tell him to go around and look for either him or Brandon.

"To be honest, honorable Abil-Kisu, I was injured. But I'd rather not talk about it. At least not today. I'm expecting someone very important to negotiate a deal. Allow me to explain."

I look around for a suitable wall. Once I found one, I pointed.

"Gentlemen, shall we move over there? I'm going to show you something marvelous the likes of which never appeared upon this world."

"Yes, yes. It will be something that will tear scales out of our eyes, I am sure," Abil-Kisu said, acting as my wingman. "Come, come, all of you."

The other merchants seemed reluctant, but it was Abil-Kisu we were talking about. I moved next to the wall and took one plastic bag with raw silicon. I had to shape a mount for the lens and the iPad, then measure the...

Damn, I need to know the focal distance of this lens. Should've done that before leaving home, actually.

I just mount the lens next to the ground and lift a thin wall a few meters in front of the lens. Now, a punctual source at the focus will become parallel beams once through the lens. I took one of the orbs meant for the Enshi and moved it around. Once the light on the silicon became roughly the shape of the lens, I stopped. Then I asked Bero-Mabii to hold the ball in place while I built the support for the iPad and linked both together. The object to be projected had to stay between F and 2F. I left the room because I had to move it back and forth to focus the image.

Then I stored the ball back in its pouch and formed the rest of the projector casing around the lens. I put the iPad at 1.5F and shifted the size of the legs until I could see a faint outline of the home screen in the wall. I shifted the screen brightness to maximum and set the iPad to display a landscape photo album while I waited for the day to become fully dark.

"I need it to become dark before I start. But I will project the image of something that happened earlier to me today on that wall," I explained out loud.

I talked to the merchants and explained what was going on here with the lens. They were also interested in the iPad but I tried to misdirect the talk away from the device. The screen shut off on its own so that's a plus.

On the corner of my sight, I saw those five guys watching closely. At the time I didn't consider it strange, because I was pretty proud of my projector and thought the natural reaction would be to stop and watch. I even made Penny move so they could see it better.

Yay for situational awareness. Or lack thereof.

Because the next moment, I ignored them and went to make modifications to the projector. I put the speakers on the top and paired them to the iPad, and put on some ambient music. I had a music folder with Mozart for babies so that's what played.

Another torrent of questions regarding the music and I had to reveal to Abil-Kisu they were from my world, just as the songs I played from the hill yesterday. He was greatly interested, saying we could charge bards to come and learn the tunes. I needed to keep the merchants' interest and the talk soon deviated on how to open an academy. A center of learning that would attract people and businesses from all over the world.

It finally got dark and I saw no sign of the Enshi. I was expecting guards to slowly filter and mingle with the general population but it didn't happen. I also had to encase the lights in silicon because they were getting too conspicuous. I stowed them in a corner of the projector, on the inside.

"Okay. I'm starting the projection. Watch this motion picture." There was no word for video, film, or other related terms.

The video started with an overview of the city. They were confused at first but someone shouted, "I can see my house!" and then the crowd was entranced. They started conversations but were soon silenced by those that wanted to hear the music. I should've made that sequence longer.

It then played the visit of the envoy. Abil-Kisu recognized him, "That's Bel-Said. One of the Enshi trusted ambassadors. I see the Enshi is really interested in you," He said then gave me another look over. "And I don't blame him. You are magnificent, miss Rinaldi."

I blushed at the compliment but the undertones were too grim.

As the conversation clearly derailed, I felt bad for overlaying my own voice. I really didn't give him an opening to explain himself, and now he sounded like a total jerk. One that came short of just kidnapping me in my own house. Then it came to the really tense part. I looked around, and the market had stopped. Everyone was watching.

Tiwatura's voice rang from outside the camera angle. "Dagger!" And then it all shook as I went to the ground but I was able to keep Bel-Said mostly in my field of view. It showed him drawing the dagger, then the camera moves to show Arwia dropping the wine and back to him.

My plea to Tarhun rang loud. I heard some spectators mumbling prayers.

I should've frozen the video there but I was frozen myself. The crowd held their breath and then Bel-Said cut his own throat and fell down on the floor.

It showed me rushing to do first aid. This part had no voiceover, no music. My desperation was genuine. The first aid, the destruction of his clothes, Nanna's words regarding the nature of the poison.

"Treachery!" Someone said.

"That's the caravanserai witch!" Another recognized Nanna.

Then us cauterizing the wound, Kali-Maru stitching the wounds, and my concerns about Arwia's safety. My hands covered in blood. Bel-Said being gently carried to a guest room in my house and me talking to Huzzi-Ya. It ended with the veteran gladiator's voice.

"Don't worry, mistress. He was a fool to try that but he will survive. I've seen wounds like that. He might lose his voice, but you saved the life he tried to take, his own."

The video ended and froze on the last frame, a mirror in front of his nose with condensation and my voice.

"The fool is alive. Enshi's plot failed."

That last line was added later. That was my narrative. I didn't skew the events, just the emotions behind them. I felt bad for hiding my disgust and painting the diplomat as a jerk, but I was at war. And I was at the same time the general and the grand prize.

Abil-Kisu said, "When did that happen? Was it today?" I nodded. "Then it explains why you were so keen on bringing us here. The Enshi cannot go over the rule of the law, isn't it right, priest Ruto-Ka?"

Enki's priest nodded. "That is a grave accusation, but there's proof. We will have to talk to the Enshi."

"Treachery. He sent his man to her house to make it look like she murdered a diplomat!" Bero-Mabii inflamed the conversation. "She is Tarhun's blessed maiden! You saw how her prayer saved that man's life! She is kind and just. I won't stand for that!"

Shouts and mumbles of support from the crowd. I was giddy inside. My plan was working.

And the key player was just entering the arena. A crier shouted. "Make way for the magnanimous Enshi!"

He came. (Kita!)

Penny-Gu whinnied and almost reared. She was skittish around those same five men and I scolded her.

"Honey Cake, don't harass the spectators!"

She backed off. I wanted my crowd so badly that I made an injustice toward the mare.

The guards were opening a path toward us. I saw the fat guy and Brandon trailing behind and to his right. I opened the projector and stored the devices and the lens, also retrieving the bag with the light balls. Finally, the Enshi came and stopped a few meters from us.

The crier shouted, "The magnanimous Enshi Es-Kina! Lord of the city and purveyor of prosperity. All kneel."

I couldn't kneel with my dress. It would show my leg up to the granny panties. So I bowed a respectful saikeirei.

"Rise," the fat Enshi said. "Miss Rinaldi, we finally meet. Captain Brandon here told me many tales of your bravery. I wonder why you refused my invitation to a stroll through my gardens and invited me here. Explain?"

Even his voice sounded greasy to me. Up in the nearest awning, Dime was aiming to pluck his eyes off. I sent him the mental image of standing his ground.

"I wanted to give the magnanimous Enshi this humble gift. It is a treasure from the depths."

I extended him the bag but he didn't pick it up. The crier took it and opened.

"Two high-quality light balls. Estimated value, six gold mina."

I had no idea if that was good or bad. My eyes met Abil-Kisu's and the merchant nodded with a smile.

"A rare and marvelous gift, indeed!" Enshi Es-Kina took the bag and removed the enchanted eyes from inside. The light was really pretty and calming it dispelled the darkness of the night but also cast long and sinister shadows behind me. I was entranced with the former and unfortunately ignored the latter. "We are thankful for this gift. However, I must say you murdered my envoy and you are to be sentenced to death."

I was appalled. "He is not dead, Es-Kina!" Ruto-Ka, the priest of Enki took a step forward. "We were just shown that your man tried to kill himself to incriminate the lady, but he is alive and well."

"She is a sorceress. She could've charmed him into doing that. She is the reason the town lost our court sorcerer. My nephew also fell to the machinations of that witch!" He pointed at me then broke my heart. "Captain Brandon, seize that woman!"

I heard snickering from behind me. The Enshi's eyes trailed to the source of the snickering and I looked behind me. The five men. Strangers. Even in this diverse city, they looked and acted like outsiders.

Both priests tried to shield me. Abil-Kisu was the one to speak.

"Magnanimous Enshi, I must beseech you to review that judgment. We are not in times of war, are we? This must be overseen by a magistrate. Our code must be respected," There was a veiled threat on the last line of the merchant lord. Abil-Kisu was a cornerstone of the town's economy, even more after I sold him the assets from the four merchants.

The crowd also mumbled some support, but they were afraid of the Enshi.

"She even charmed the priests and the merchants!" One of the five thugs shouted. "Away with her!"

The Enshi sighed when he heard that. There was a link between them and I felt it was the key to unraveling this situation. Solving this mystery. I didn't have full information and my actions were limited because of that. Who were these men?

"What is your purpose, Es-Kina?" I asked him. "Because you are the one plotting, turning friend against friend, raising false accusations and sacrificing your loyal men to frame innocent people!"

Bad timing. I acted on impulse and as I saw his face become a scowl of anger, I knew I had screwed up. I forgot my first impression. This was not a negotiation between equals. I could never make those men consider me his equal. Because of his station, because of my gender, because of my origins.

"I am king of this city! All that live here are under my rule. I can let live and kill at my whim."

I put my hand on my back and called Tarhun's tablet. I checked the Enshi, he was a believer. The five thugs too. In fact, only a few in the crowd were not. I sent the divine object back to storage and felt my confidence soar.

"Are you throwing away the code?" Ruto-Ka, the priest of Enki asked.

"Are you going against Tarhun's designs? Our great god sent this woman here for a purpose! To stand against her is to stand against Tarhun himself!" Bero-Mabii exulted.

The crowd's mood was turning against Es-Kina.

"Magnanimous and merciful Enshi," I said with a curtsy. "I am sure we can reach an agreement. If you only told me what is troubling you..."

His gaze shifted from me to my side, straight were these five men were. They were the key, what could I do about them?"

"There's no agreement!" He roared.

"Then I must finish my trial as the code demands. Let's go to the abyss, send your nephew the magistrate to his part of the trial and wait for his triumphant return one year and a day. Priest Ruto-Ka, would you oversee it?"

"I will," The priest of Enki answered.

"Then after the trial is over, I will submit to your wise rule."

The Enshi was a weak man. Not because he was a man, far from that, but because he was a sheltered existence. I bet he was fed sweet lies his whole life.

"That... that... a year!" For a moment I saw fear in his eyes. And it was directed at those five men.

"Brandon, Honey Cake, Bloodstone, everyone! Seize those five men!" I shouted.

They were not the Enshi's men. He wouldn't show fear and deference to his own men, the Enshi was too haughty for that.

"No!" The Enshi shouted and there was a concern, I might dare say desperation in his voice.

The five thugs ran, shoving the crowd away from their path. Penny ran after them and trampled two. Dime flew from above, dove and scratched the neck of another with his talons, soaring up as the man started to spray blood.

I didn't think it could happen in real life. But it did.

The other two hesitated and looked behind to see the fate of their friends. What they saw was the chest of a caramel horse bashing them to the ground.

"Enshi Es-Kina, do you know these foreigners? Who are they? What do they want? What do they have to do with everything else here? Are they threatening you? These foreigners?"

I blurted my barrage of questions without giving them a second thought. It all made sense now. They had a strong foreigner vibe in the way they seemed to look at everything with appraising eyes like a repo man taking your Playstation away. they were wandering the market without any goods, staring at me, and they had a clear connection to the Enshi.

A weird theory came to mind. They were spies for a foreign power. One that was threatening Es-Kina.

"Brandon, they are spies. Capture them!"

I knew my animals wouldn't let them escape but I was concerned Dime would kill them. The captain abandoned his post in the Enshi's escort and ran. The Enshi was furious.

"Do you still want me to call that mistrial? To save your beloved nephew that reminds you of your dead sister?" I asked him to try and change his attention to other issues. It also linked what was happening with the video I showed the crowd.

It had the unintended effect of destabilizing the Enshi. I believed his mind was too busy juggling many variables, as his face showed several emotions in a rapid sequence. Then he blurted.

"No! Why would I care about that betrayer and usurper that was plotting against my life with his merchant friend and the... TREACHEROUS WOMAN. KILL HER!"

Almost had him. So there is a foreign power threatening the Enshi, the magistrate-nephew, and his merchant friend...

Hama-Tula, he is the merchant friend. Now that makes a lot of sense. One thing I'd never understood. That tentacle monster had a lot of spikes on his tentacles, but when he went for my leg during the river trial I only felt the suction cups. It was the magistrate-cousin pet. It wasn't absurd to think he could control his pet the same way I can with Penny and Dime.

Then his goal wasn't to kill me in the trial, it was to capture me.

I felt a wave of disgust. Was everything until now because of me? Because they wanted me that much? Hama-Tula said why he wanted me. He wanted to offer me as a gift to some prince whose name I didn't remember. It was Mar-something.

I didn't have time to sift my memories. The rest of the Enshi honor guard was coming to get me.

I made my best surprised face, pointed to a street behind the Enshi, and shouted. "Hey, isn't that His Royal Highness the Prince Mar..."

The obese Enshi jumped and turned around. "Prince Marduk-Sapik-Ziarat? Here? Impossible!"

He was afraid. Very afraid of prince who's-my-bride. Not me, by the way.

The guards stopped and returned to make a circle around the Enshi, weapons pointed outward.

I felt dismay coming from Dime. As if someone stole his prey. Probably the prince's spies, captured by Brandon.

"Hama-Tula and the Enshi's nephew were conspiring with Prince Marduk-Sipat-Ziarat!" I stated. "The Prince promised them riches and probably to instate the traitor as the new Enshi once they opened the city gates to him!"

Whatever saved my cute ass right then would fly out of my mouth.

"You ruined it all, woman!" The Enshi turned and pointed at me.

"No. Magnanimous Enshi Es-Kina, you are mistaken," I replied to him. "You almost ruined it all. I can be one's best friend but also one's worst enemy. See the loyalty I have with Hama-Tula, Brandon, and the priests here. I befriended a God. Tarhun and I are allies forevermore. Now, I offer you my friendship, my counsel. I have four thousand years of wisdom from my world. My people achieved great deeds, they even soared up among the clouds whenever they wanted. But we also know how to inflict great sorrow and destruction.

"I offer you my friendship, Es-Kina. I hope the wise Enshi can see the benefits of having me as a friend. I survived the depths and came out without a single scratch on my skin. My offer is truthful and without deceit. I saved your ambassador from his own stupidity. The man is alive and recovering in my guest room. And if you don't believe me, you can ask Abil-Kisu or Brandon. Be my friend. Be my Ally.

"I can make this city into the jewel of the world. People will speak of your wisdom and foresight thousands of years to come. Your name will become immortal. This is the moment of truth. Greatness here," I extended my hand. "Or ruin. Choose. Ask for advice if you don't believe me. The priests are here.

I went overboard. As I type these words, I cringe inside.

"I see the respect and awe the people of your city has for you. Were you to walk naked through these streets, mothers would tear their babies' blankets to make your clothes. Tarhun sent me to your city, of all the cities in this world. Why do you think that was? Those that were conspiring to betray you, who took them down?"

I stopped because I was distracted by Dime. He was extremely dismayed that the man whose neck he cut didn't die. Someone must've managed to close the wound and stop the blood loss.

"No. Your words are poison... I can't trust you or any woman."

I was about to reply when Abil-Kisu gently held my arm. "Allow me," He whispered to me.

"Magnanimous Enshi," Abil-Kisu addressed him with respect and his over-the-top flourishes, "I understand your concerns now. During the last few months, you were recruiting and drafting young men into the army, more than the usual amount. I also heard rumors from travelers and caravans that the way southwest is blocked or that a large army passed. That way lies the domains of Prince Marduk. Should we be preparing for war, my liege?"

Some merchants went white. They are all birds of a feather. When the leader of the flock points his beak north, every other bird will follow. But the way he ended his speech was also very important. It showed determination to stay by the Enshi's side.

"It can all be solved if we give him that woman. One woman for the safety of the whole city!" The Enshi replied.

I stopped to study that man. He was fat and physically unimpressive. A couch potato. This city was a major trading hub, the meeting point of all the caravans from the south going north to the capital and lands beyond across the sea of grass. The plateau I 'spawned' on. He has obviously no military training, no conditioning, and little self-control. His was a sheltered existence, eating grapes bought with tax money.

I didn't have to do anything else, because Abil-Kisu nailed his coffin, "And do you believe he will march forty thousand men for a month, spending wages, supplies, food, to come here and leave with only a woman? The Lady Rinaldi is blessed by Tarhun himself and a very important person, but you can't sate an army's hunger for gold with a single woman, can you now?"

No. No-no-no. There are no sating armies with a single woman, especially not this one. Hard pass.

Bero-Mabii nodded. "He has to pay his troops even if he gets his prize. Otherwise, he will have a rebellion."

I felt Penny approaching. I glanced behind and saw Brandon pushing the four spies bound in ropes.

"Once you give him the woman," Abil-Kisu continued, "You will prove to him that you can be cornered and threatened. He will know you are weak and then he will attack the city. We had a bad harvest and are enduring a severe drought. The city won't resist a siege."

The Enshi was scared. His mouth was slightly open as his eyes darted between everyone present. Some merchants went away, packing his things. The rats would flee before the siege closed the way out.

"And if I don't give him the woman, he will use the fact to inflame his troops. And then attack anyway."

"We will fight!" Brandon shouted from a few meters behind me. "The Prince can try to lay siege to our city, but we will make him pay. And Sandra can give us weapons. I am sure she knows of powerful weapons from her world."

I felt a cold shiver run up my spine. It felt terribly wrong. I shook my head. "I won't, Brandon." I turned to meet his eyes. "I can't. I won't lie to you, I know of several weapons. Terrible weapons. Weapons that can let a soldier kill hundreds of men from a great distance. But I won't make weapons or reveal their secrets. They are terrible as I said. Not worth the cost. I won't have that burden on my conscience.

"If you try to force me to make weapons, I will jump on Honey Cake now and ride to prince MarLame right now. Or jump back into the abyss. I will not reveal the secrets of my world's weapons."

I sobbed. It was a hard decision to make. The silly me felt glad for not putting heavy makeup. My eyeliner would be running now. Then I felt Brandon's hand on my shoulder.

"Won't you help?" He asked me. "I know you want to help."

I took a step forward and rested my head against his tabard, feeling the links of his chainmail underneath.

"I will help. But not with weapons. Not with tactics to kill with more efficiency. I know what I can do."

There were ways to defeat an army without killing. Even Sun-Tsu had praised winning without fighting.

"I know you will. If there's someone that can defeat an army forty thousand strong without killing, that one is you."

I hit his chest. "You assume too much!" I pout with my inner Natalie Portman.

"But you will try," He stated, not asked.

I gently pulled away so I could see his eyes, "I will try. But the Enshi is footing the bill," I snickered. Turning around and resting my back against his chest, I faced the ruler of the city. "So, do we have a deal? You hand me over tho Prince Loser'sHarem54, I'll destroy him then come back here and destroy you. You be my friend, I help us survive this thing with the least damage I can."

"You dare threaten me?" The Enshi roared at me.

I felt like I was done right then and there. I came, showed my video, spoke my mind, negotiated my freedom, unraveled the conspiracy plot. The Enshi now had a siege panic to handle. Abil-Kisu was right, the town wouldn't survive a siege. Not without leadership.

"No. Not at all. Just telling you what is going to happen. You can choose your path. I surely will choose mine. I apologize."

His scowl shifted. "Arrest her, captain," He told Brandon.

I felt his hands on my shoulders. I looked up, from where I was it seemed he was conflicted, but who knew? I couldn't read him.

"I'm sorry, Sandra," He mumbled as his grip strengthened and pinned me so hard it was painful. In more than one sense.

Asshole. I heard Nanna cackling right on my ear, telling me how foolish was I to trust him and how much of a traditionalist he was and that I would NEVER be able to either accept him or shape him into the man I wanted. The Brandon I was 'infatuated with' as Abil-Kisu put was a construct of my mind. He too believed that I was not a person but a breeder or a tool or whatever.

I was probably rushing to conclusions and not seeing beyond my own shortcomings but I couldn't. Biased, uninformed, prejudiced. Working on stereotypes. Maybe the Brandon I wanted was there all along and I didn't see it but I wasn't a goddess. I was a person with a limited understanding of the world.

"Sorry my ass," I barked back at him. "A good commander knows when to ignore a stupid order by the sovereign. You know very well the Enshi is not in his right mind and he is dooming himself and this whole city. You know what is the right thing to do but you cowardly excuse yourself from thinking for yourself under that 'orders' bullshit."

And in my rage and desperation, I fucked everything up. I used one last card.

"And you up there, Tarhun!" I challenged the heavens. "What is the thing with this indirect assholery? Don't you recognize aggression as such just because it isn't drawing blood? The Enshi is attacking me, unjustly robbing me of my freedom! And if that doesn't violate our treaty, I have a few things for you here."

I thought about it when they tossed me in the river for the first time. Why was I being punished by Tarhun worshippers? Maybe because it was a judicial trial but the monster was instructed to capture me, not harm. But the pit? The pit was pure douchebaggery. I should have some sort of diplomatic immunity. But now I noticed. The ones that threw me in the pit didn't hurt me, the rocks did. Oh, well. If that is the game he wanted to play...

"They are called the Bible, Quran, Talmud, Vedas, and Sutras! I am not hurting you if I just tell people there's a lot of other gods and they might be a hundred times cooler than you, am I? They are the ones to chose to listen to religious propaganda that was carefully honed over four thousand years. You wouldn't mind sharing this world with them, would you?"

*KRATHOOOM*

He does mind. Very much.

I saw the lightning strike in front of me, blinding everyone else. I felt the static and Brandon's grip tighten on my shoulders. Anyone could guess who it struck.

The King is dead, long live the nephew.