Chapter 55

Year 163 – Fall – Quintus Mensis – 29th day

Almuharib, town-state of the forsaken

Carved from within the southern flank of a large mountain, a few hundreds of houses seemed to be piled up on one another. The houses were following the mountainside all the way to its peak. Seventeen floors of houses with large stained-glass windows were letting the sunlight into the town. On both the ceiling and the floor of each level were carved hundreds of small holes split apart from one another by a foot of length. Small mirrors filled them, and a glittering light was reflected from them. For more than a mile away from the town, the dirt and sand was made of pale dust, and small shattered bones were strewn around the ground by the hundreds.

Derfel – “Barbarians built this?”

Ethen – “Slaves did! And we’ll be joining them soon enough.”

Lanaya – “Don’t give up so fast. Aren’t you supposed to be a proud eagle?”

Ethen – “An eagle without its wings isn’t an eagle anymore.”

Lanaya – “And what if I could offer you your freedom again?”

Ethen – “And let the rest of my people behind while you use me for your own endless killing? No freedom can bring back the dead. No, I know too well the wish I have cannot be answered.”

Derfel – “What’s that proposal?”

Ethen – “She’s messing with you, Derfel. Don’t catch her bait like a mindless fish.”

Lanaya – “You might change your mind once you hear me tonight. Until then, think of what you seek. A life of slavery or a life of freedom? I can offer you both.”

When the large group of travellers arrived at the entrance, a few guards pointed crossbows at them. Alphael walked up to them and spoke in a foreign tongue.

Owen – “It always baffles me how they can talk with so few words.”

Brys – “Me friend. Me want enter!”

Owen – “Me friend, too. Open door!”

Jorra – “It’s more complex than it seems. You should try to learn it.”

Owen – “No need. I’m not the one doing the talking.”

Tally – “What are they saying?”

Jorra – “They are talking about the numbers of mouths to feed during the time we’ll be there.”

Lanaya – “Stay focused, I don’t want the slaves to try anything while we are entering the town. We’ll lead them to the arena, and our job will be done.”

As the travellers entered the town, they saw hundreds of small beams of light upholstering the floor and the ceiling. No candles, no wood, and no oil were burning, yet the long alley within the mountain was fully enlightened by gleams of light. About halfway through the first floor, they opened a large iron door leading further into the mountain. A hundred feet further, the tunnel led to a large open area. It was an arena dug within the rocks all the way up to the peak of the mountain. The sky was blue, and the wall seemed impossible to climb. On the fifth floor and all those above were located balconies for an audience to watch. The many slaves had been brought to an arena carved within the mountain that opened up to the sky.

Alphael – “Now that we’ve arrived, it’s time for me to respect my engagement. I’ll give you a discount on the slaves, so you’ll have up to 10 slaves for 50 Utos each instead of 100.”

Lanaya – “Good, but first I’ll go buy what we need from the Celestial Traders.”

Alphael – “As you wish.”

The Silver Lining then walked inside the town until they reached the 15th floor, where the Celestial Traders were located. When they arrived near their shop, a few guards blocked their way.

Guard 1 – “No weapons are allowed near the stand, and only four of you may come at a time.”

Lanaya – “Wasn’t it five people last time?”

Guard 2 – “A change of procedure.”

Lanaya – “Something happened?”

Guard 1 – “No idea, but it’s the rule so you’ll have to submit to them if you want to trade.”

Lanaya – “Who wants to carry the boxes of coins?”

A dead silence then followed her request.

Owen – “I bet you miss the presence of Jurren.”

Lanaya – “So Owen will come.”

Owen – “I don’t want to.”

Tally – “That’s what happens when you can’t shut your mouth.”

Owen – “You say that, but you’re coming as well.”

Tally – “Of course I’m coming, Nelis isn’t here.”

Lanaya – “I still need one more gentle soul to carry the boxes.”

Lato – “I’ll do it.”

Amlodd – “Lato, the saviour of poor souls.”

Cled – “He didn’t save Owen, though.”

Owen – “I’m sorry, did I hear you wanted to skip your meal tonight?”

Cled – “No . . . I haven’t said anything.”

Guard 1 – “You can follow me.”

The four of them entered a room. Inside were waiting two more guards playing a game of Prika. To their side, a dog was sleeping.

Guard 4 – “Sum or cut?”

Guard 1 – “You can wait here. The trader will arrive soon.”

Guard 5 – “Sum.”

Owen – “Is he dead?”

The old dog wasn’t moving an inch.

Guard 5 – “Maybe.”

Tally – “Maybe?”

Guard 5 – “It’s not my dog, I don’t know.”

Lanaya – “Don’t worry, he’s breathing.”

Guard 5 – “I’d rather him be dead.”

Guard 4 – “Hey, don’t say that.”

Guard 5 – “Why? What’s the point of having a hunting dog if all he does is sleep?”

The trader arrived, followed by three more guards.

The trader – “He doesn’t just sleep. C’mon Barky, show them you’re a good dog!”

The dog raised his head and opened his mouth to bark, but no sound came out. After that, he went back to sleep.

Lanaya – “Barky, eh?”

The trader – “Anyway, what did you come for this time?”

Lanaya – “We brought some Utos to buy more ingredients.”

The trader – “I’m listening.”

Tally – “We need two bags of white willow barks, one of conium maculatum flowers, one of salt, and one of sulphur.”

Lanaya – “Two of sulphur.”

The trader – “Alright, alright.”

He opened a large book and looked up something.

The trader – “Sorry, can you repeat the name of the conimathingy flower?”

Tally – “Conium maculatum.”

The trader – “No . . . no . . . oh! There it is. It will be a total of 800 Utos and it will arrive for the Secundus Mensis of 164 in the Union calendar.”

Lanaya – “It doesn’t add up. How is it that much? The white willow bark and sulphur together got to be around 200 Utos. Salt is usually cheaper. You’re saying conium maculatum is more than 500?”

The trader – “Not exactly. Like you know, since you are part of it, the Union is currently having a civil war with the Kalator. So, we lowered the value of Utos currency to the price of its metal minus the prices of smelting them back into ingot. Besides, conium maculatum flowers cannot grow in the North, so we are selling them for a higher price than elsewhere.”

Lanaya – “That’s horse shit. There’s no difference between bringing a rock from the South or anything else from the South.”

The trader – “I suppose I could give you a discount of 50 Utos since you’re a good client.”

Lanaya – “Aside from me and the cult of Iran Arcum, how many clients do you have here? Be honest.”

The trader – “Why do you care?”

Lanaya – “If I stopped buying stuff from you, it would hurt you way more than if you gave me a better discount.”

The trader – “Where would you go to buy these ingredients then? Further southeast? To Rock Eden? Or do you happen to need my help in order to acquire these ingredients?”

Lanaya – “And what if I had a new client for you?”

The trader – “The Kalator?”

Lanaya – “Perhaps.”

The trader – “Why would we need you to contact them? You’re not even his underling. You’re just a mercenary, a sellsword.”

Lanaya – “Like you’d ever send a contact in wartime. This war isn’t going to end soon. It could last for years.”

The trader – “Let’s assume that we happen to have an agreement, I’d still have to talk to the high council, and I’d have an answer next year.”

Lanaya – “Well, then give me a discount now, and when I come back, if they are not interested, I’ll pay the rest. If they are, I’ll do the job.”

The trader – “I don’t intend to mix things. I’ll give you a total discount of 50 Utos. Then, as a different deal, I’ll talk to the high council, and if they are interested, they’ll hire you to do it.”

Lanaya – “Make the discount 80, and we have a deal.”

The trader – “No.”

The few guards seemed to be looking at Lanaya with some animosity.

Lanaya – “Then we’re leaving.”

The trader – “I know you will come back.”

Lanaya – “It might not be as a friend if I do.”

Lanaya and her three companions walked toward the doorway.

The trader – “I’ll accept 65.”

Lanaya turned toward him.

The trader – “I won’t go higher.”

Lanaya – “Deal. I’ll be back in an instant with the coins.”

Lanaya went outside of the shop and counted the currency. As the four of them brought the gold inside the shop, the trader wrote something on a piece of paper.

Lanaya – “The count is there. Can you confirm it?”

The trader examined each piece as he counted them and once he was done, he gave the piece of paper to Lanaya and opened an envelope which he held before her.

Lanaya read the piece of paper and placed it back into the envelope. Using a nearby table, the trader grabbed a candle and poured some wax before sealing the envelope with his talisman.

The trader – “This is your proof. Keep it closed and only open it in front of me next year to see if something is missing. If you broke the seal, you’ll have to take the package the way it is even if some items are missing.”

Lanaya grabbed the envelope and gave it to Tally.

Lanaya – “I know. We’ll be going now.”

The trader – “It’s been a pleasure.”

The town was getting darker as the sun was fading, so the Silver Lining went to the Inn of Almuharib.

Alphael – “You took your time. I was about to go to sleep.”

Lanaya – “I would have woken you up.”

Alphael – “Follow me, so we can get done with it.”

The two of them left the inn and walked through the town until they reached the entrance of the arena.

Alphael – “Once you have found ten slaves, each additional one will be at full price, is it fine with you?”

Lanaya – “Yes, open the door.”

Alphael – “Before that, I asked them to keep the roof open a bit longer than usual.”

Lanaya – “You mean they can close it?”

Alphael – “Of course they can. Just imagine how dangerous it would be if a leopard or an owl entered the town from the top of the mountain every night.”

Lanaya – “I can only imagine the number of slaves who died during the construction of this town.”

Alphael – “Barely a few hundred, maybe a thousand. From what I’ve heard, the Celestial Traders built it long ago in exchange for owning a part of the town for free.”

Lanaya – “I wouldn’t call hundreds a few.”

Alphael – “Well, compared to those who died in the pit, a few hundred isn’t much.”

Alphael opened the door, and Lanaya entered the arena.

Alphael – “Once you are done, you just tell the two guards up there. They are in charge of closing the roof. They’ll hear you if you shout. I’ll be outside to unlock the door once you are ready to leave. Good hunt.”

Lanaya – “It’s not a game.”

Alphael closed the door behind her and locked it back.

Lanaya walked toward the slaves. Most of them were girls, and their inevitable fates had already engraved a mark in their eyes. Their eyes were past the point of sorrow. They were empty. The strain of their walk had left them in a pitiful state. One meal a day had made them weak and tired. A few of them were already reaching their limits, and their chance of surviving the upcoming travel was out of the question. Lanaya walked in front of them, but they didn’t seem to care anymore. Barely a few tens were looking at her.

Lanaya – “People of the Vale, I came to talk. All of you have the right to hate me and despise my actions. But remorse is a cage of the past. It can’t bring back the dead. If you wish to die and join them, I can offer it to you. Right here, right now! But if you wish to live, two paths await you. The first leads to a life of slavery, submission, and sorrow, while the other leads to an interstice of hope and despair. Most of you will end up slaves of your own consciences, enchained by the iron of a lord, but for those whose hope still enlightens their heart, I beg you to hear my words.”

Lanaya – “The Kalator didn’t need my help to take Avem, yet if I hadn’t taken part in this battle, far more would have died. None of you would be alive and hundreds of Northern folks, sons, fathers, and even daughters wouldn’t have passed the winter. In this world, where sole war remains, one cannot hope for a life of peace. But with the help of a guide, even the worst sailors may breach through the most violent storms. At my own sorrow, I am not the stars guiding those who have lost their course. But if you allow me your help, together, we can build a land for the living, a land of peace where the children of our children won’t be tormented by this everlasting rage that corrupts our world. Together, we can build a requiem of life, a beacon of fate where the lost souls may find a way back to port. A way back to the home we’ve once lost . . .”

Lanaya breathed slowly and waited, but a heavy silence regained the room. A lone tear flowed down her lower eyelid.

Lanaya – “I TRULY WISH TO HELP YOU! But I can’t if you don’t help me do it.”

Ethen – “You’ve ravaged our lands, our dreams, and our hopes! You said you’d kill us right here? Then do it! I’m ready to die.”

Ethen rose up and walked toward her. He closed his eyes and raised his arm, offering his corpse to the witness of the gods. Lanaya looked at him with pity in her eyes.

Lanaya – “Go back and sit. I don’t want to kill you. I don’t want to kill any of you.”

Ethen – “What happened to the cold-blooded witch who murdered our people like they were pigs?”

Ethen looked her in the eyes. A rage filled him, making his voice crack.

Ethen – “Don’t you dare act full of compassion.”

Three tears were streaming down her cheek. He lowered his eyes to the ground and saw she had a dagger attached to her left boot. She wasn’t wearing armour; it was his chance.

Ethen crouched to her leg and grabbed the dagger. As he rose to stab her neck, Lanaya pushed his arm to the side and punched Ethen in the guts so hard he lost all his breath. She grabbed his arm again and forcefully took the dagger off his hand before pushing him back to the ground. Exhausted from both the travel and the starvation, Ethen remained on the ground as he stared at her with anger.

Lanaya – “You are brave. But you are a prisoner of your past. I, too, would wish the past still existed, but it is no more and all we can do is walk forward.”

Lanaya stored her dagger back to its small scabbard at the side of her boots. The prisoners were looking at her, frightened, exhausted, and angry.

Lanaya – “CAN’T YOU UNDERSTAND? This fury in your heart is the same that carried the Kalator to your lands. I know asking you to join me is a poisoned gift. To join the cause of your despair. What kind of person would go so low? But if you value the life of the children of your children more than your own, then I beg you to leave your pride in this arena and join my side.”

Derfel – “I will join you.”

Lanaya – “You, who wants to join me, what’s your name?”

Derfel – “Derfel.”

Lanaya walked toward him and used her dagger to cut his ties.

Lanaya – “Welcome to the Silver Lining.”

She walked back to the front and looked at the rest of them.

Lanaya – “Is there anyone else who wishes to come by my side?”

Hearing no answer, Lanaya made a strong whistle and looked up to see the guards. Using the language of the East, she told them it was done. She looked at Derfel and asked him to follow her as she left the arena. Alphael opened the door, and as they left, the sound of a rotating chain reverberated across the town, leaving the arena in the shadow.