The storm just wouldn't stop. It was the third day since Melo entered the Weeping Widow Desert. His mouth was parched and his throat hurt from the dust in the air, but he didn't dare drink any water. Water was precious, especially when you had to carry it with you everywhere.

He barely slept those three days. Time, same as water, is a precious resource when traveling through the desert. And same as water, he was out of time. But the destination was close.

He pushed and walked as the wind was blowing even harder than a moment before. His eyes were almost closed because of the sand being blown into his face, but he kept on walking. His hands were red from the scorching sun, and his feet burned as well. All that pain was worth it if he could reach the city of Zay. He had heard about this place from his father who had been there once for a short visit.

"Quies" he whispered. The sand storm around him got just a bit weaker but did not disappear completely. He saved his powers for days just in case. He could easily stop the storm but his mission required to be stealthy. The stronger the magic, the easier it would be to detect. A powerful spell could draw attention from miles away.

And then he saw it: the city of Zay. It was huge! So much bigger than anything he had ever seen. It looked like a city built by giants, or maybe gods. It was made of white stone, which seemed to glow in the sunlight.

It wasn't easy to see the details of the buildings because they were covered with gold. There were golden domes, columns, statues, walls... Everything was covered in gold.

The closer he came, the more he realized how big it really was. He couldn't believe that such a place existed. He started running towards the gates. He wanted to get inside as fast as possible.

He ran until he reached the gate. He was panting and sweating heavily, but he didn't slow down.

 "Open!" he shouted at the guards. They opened the door, and he rushed inside.

"Welcome to the city of Zay," said the guard.

"Thank you," replied Melo.

"What brings you here?" asked the guard, looking at the robes of the traveler.

"I just want to rest for a few days until I am ready to travel again" Melo lied. He had no intention of resting. He had a mission. He needed to fulfill it.

"Of course," answered the guard. "There are many inns in this city. You can find one anywhere you wish. Let me escort you to one."

Melo nodded and followed the guard to the closest inn. It was a large building, which was built entirely of marble. It had a beautiful garden surrounding it, with fountains and colorful flowers.

"Here you go," said the guard.

Melo thanked the man and went inside. It was a very fancy establishment. The common room had a bar and tables where people were sitting and drinking wine. Some were playing cards. Others were talking loudly.

"May I help you?" asked a woman behind the counter. She was tall and slim, wearing a long dress with a white lace collar.

"One pint of your best ale," said Melo.

"Of course," she answered. "Coming right up."

She took a glass and filled it with ale. She put it on the counter and smiled at him.

"You must be tired after that journey," she said.

"Yes, very much so," he answered. "I have traveled all the way from far away. It was a very long trip."

"I see. What brings you here?" she inquired.

"Actually my travel destination is not here but I couldn't resist coming here first," he explained. "I heard the rumors and I had to know."

"Oh? What kind of rumors?"

"They say that people of Zay are of unusual beauty and full of life. I heard that they live much longer than other humans. Much, much longer. I'm curious to know if these rumors are true," he added. "And I looked around and I have not seen an old or sick person yet."

"Well, I think you'll like it here. We're a friendly bunch," she answered.

"Indeed, indeed. I will enjoy myself very much." She smiled at him and gave him a wink.

He was sipping his drink when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Excuse me," said a man. "Can I join you?"

Melo turned around. It was a handsome man. He was dressed in a black suit and a red tie. His hair was light brown and short.

"Sure," he said.

"I'm Nidhi," said the man. "I may have overheard you talking to the bartender. You mentioned that you wanted to see for yourself if the rumors were true. I can show you around if you want. In exchange, I would love to hear about your adventures. You see, I am a writer. I love to hear interesting stories".

"I don't mind telling you," Melo answered.

"Good. Let's go then," he said.

Nidhi led Melo to the garden. He pointed out some plants that he had never seen before.

"This is a Spicy Gutweed. It brings vitality to our people. As you could probably notice, we are a city of young people. And even those not so young look much younger by just eating this plant once a week. This is also a River Thorn. It helps us with memory and concentration. And finally, this is a Gray Sugarcane. A popular herb used in cooking. It also has health benefits." The city was truly full of plants Melo has never seen before. He listened to the man explaining their uses and properties.

"There is a festival at the palace tomorrow," Nidhi told him. "It is called the Festival of Flowers. Everyone dresses up in colorful clothes and gathers there. They dance and sing songs. It is quite fun to watch. And after the festival, you can enjoy the Ceremony of Life."

"Sounds like a great time," Melo answered.

"The queen will be giving a speech during the festival. It is a very important event. You should definitely come and listen to her. She always has something interesting to tell."

"That sounds fascinating," he said. "Where do I need to go?"

"Just follow the road that leads to the palace. It's a big building with a golden dome on top. There are guards outside who will let you in. Once you're inside, head to the left. You will find the throne room straight ahead of you. It is the place where the main ceremony happens. Make sure to arrive early because it gets crowded quickly."

"I will take your advice into consideration," Melo said. "Thank you very much for the information."

"My pleasure," replied Nidhi. "If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask. Meanwhile, you promised me a story"

"Oh yes," he said. "I have many stories to tell. What kind of story would you like to hear? I'm not sure which one would be suitable for you."

"Have you met any magical creature? I'd love to hear about that."

"I have," Melo answered. "I've encountered a Kirk just before traveling here. Have you heard about it?".

"No, I haven't," said Nidhi. "What kind of creature is a Kirk?"

"It is a mythical creature that resembles a small tree. If you are not careful, it could actually strangle you. Well, it tried to strangle me. But it didn't succeed."

"How did you manage to escape?" he asked.

Stolen novel; please report.

"You see, the creature fears fire. But how do I create a fire in the middle of being strangled? I had to think quickly. Thankfully I had a bent glass on me. It focused the light on one spot. So I burned a hole through the creature's neck. It ran away after that."

"Interesting," said Nidhi. "I think I would like to hear more about this."

"Of course," he said. "But I am exhausted after all the traveling. I'm going to go back to my room and rest. I'll tell you the whole story tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I hope we have enough time..." Nidhi said quietly as if he was thinking about something.

"What do you mean? I plan to stay here for a few days. We have plenty of time!" Melo joyfully exclaimed.

"Yes, yes, you are right. I am looking forward to talking more to you!" the man said and smiled.

Melo waved to the man and headed back to the inn. He ordered a room for the night and paid with his gold coin. He then went upstairs to the room. He took off his coat and lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes. He needed to be fully rested and alert. His life depended on it.

***

The next morning, Melo woke up and went downstairs. Nidhi was already waiting for him, dressed in a colorful dress. "I worried that my explanation was too confusing to you. How about we go to the palace together? " he asked.

"That would be great" Melo replied. "Let's go."

They walked together towards the palace. People were everywhere, enjoying the festival. They passed through the main gate and entered the garden. The place was packed with people. Melo could barely move. He saw Nidhi trying to get around the crowd. She kept bumping into people. The festival was really spectacular. He spotted several performers singing and dancing. Some of them wore colorful costumes. He noticed that they were holding a large bouquet in their hands.

"Everything looks spectacular!" Melo said to Nidhi.

"Yes, it does" Nidhi replied with a smile.

Melo looked at the performers. They seemed to be having a lot of fun. But he could not enjoy himself. He knew that this is the moment when the real show starts. And it was not pleasant at all. He talked to the bartender about the rumors. But it was not the whole story. This city has a dark secret. And it was about to be revealed.

"The ceremony is about to start!" said Nidhi while pushing Melo towards the throne room.

The room was crowded. Everyone wanted to see the queen. But the room was not big enough to contain everyone. But somehow, Melo and Nidhi were greeted by the guard and escorted inside.

"Welcome to the Ceremony of Life!" a loud, high-pitched voice echoed.

A woman wearing a black robe and a black crown entered the room. Her face was hidden behind a veil, but her body was exposed. She had long hair, white skin, and a beautiful figure. She was walking slowly, looking around the room.

"Today we celebrate our life, our youth, and beauty! And we celebrate the prosperity of the city of Zay! " she continued and the crowd cheered.

She approached the throne and sat down.

"I would also like to welcome our special guest from afar," she said and turned her head towards Melo. He twitched. He knew what was coming but was still a bit surprised.

"What is your name traveler?" she inquired as the room went quiet.

"My name is Melo. Thank you for inviting me to the ceremony." Melo answered trying to see through the veil.

"You are most welcome! You see, we were waiting for you, my dear Melo." said the queen, lowering her voice a bit.

"You were?" the traveler asked.

"Yes, we are very thankful you are here. The Zeno was getting really tired" she said waving her hand towards the guards. "Bring him in"

The guards left the room and came back with someone. This "someone" was an old man and the guards were escorting him to the throne. He was really standing out in the room full of young people.

"Youth" the queen started "is something precious. It should be cherished and protected. It can only be prolonged if you take care of your body and mind. The plants we grow help us with that. But you cannot be young forever. Unless you bend the rules a bit."

She paused and stared at the old man. He did look happy. He was looking at Melo.

"You see, life itself is like a coin. It is valuable, but it can also be transferred from one hand to another. At least that is what I can do" she continued.

"You are a Gyo" Melo whispered turning his eyes away from the old man to the woman in the black veil. The queen twitched.

"How do you know that?" she asked in a surprised voice.

"That is why am I here. You know, the rumors cannot be contained like that. The truth always comes out sooner or later."

"Is that so?" the queen asked with a hint of anger in her voice. "And how much do you know?"

"Almost everything. You are a magical creature that can transfer life force from one person to another. And you used this force to create a city full of riches and wonders. But there is one thing I do not know. Why? Your power is well documented but the reason behind your actions is not. You see, I am a hobbyist of some sort. I look out for magical creatures. Some people call me a bounty hunter. But what I really hunt is the knowledge. But I don't reject the coin too. That is actually what brings me here" Melo explained.

"Interesting. I have never met anyone who knew so much about my kind. And you are right, my dear Melo. I created this city of marble and gold, but the reason is not your business. What I need you to do is just stay steady as I suck the life out of you and give it to our dear Zeno. He's been waiting for his medicine for way too long".

Melo felt a cold shiver run down his spine. Gyo was a powerful creature and it wasn't easy to kill it. Even the most powerful mages would struggle against such a creature. But he was prepared. The artifact was ready. But as soon as he put a hand in his pocket to grab it, everyone in the room started to slowly approach him. I guess everyone was thankful for their prolonged youth. He did not have the time to use the artifact. He had to take care of this problem first.

"Serpentio" he whispered launching an endless stream of snakes from inside his sleeve. They slithered across the floor, heading straight for the crowd. Snakes were not the best creatures to fight with. But they could be very useful in this particular situation. As the crowd approached, the snakes started to bite their legs and arms. Most of the people fell to the ground screaming. The rest ran towards the exit, leaving the room almost empty except for the queen, old man, guards, and Melo. Guards started swaying their swords around, slashing and slicing snakes, trying to get rid of them.

"Quickly!" the queen shouted. "Get him!"

Melo raised his hands, summoning just the right magic to counter the attack. He opened his eyes wide, focusing on the armor of the guards who started approaching him after dealing with all the snakes. His eyes were glowing bright blue. A thin layer of energy was covering his body. He was ready.

The guards were moving fast, swinging their swords in every direction, trying to hit him. Melo was dodging each and every blow, trying to focus on the incantation.

"Lique" he shouted towards the guards. The moment the word left his lips, the room started to get hot. But getting hot was only a side effect of the spell. The real target was the armor of the guards. The metal started to glow, melting, flowing, running through the fingers and toes of the guards. First, their armor, then their bodies turned into puddles of molten metal mixed with blood and flesh.

Melo grabbed the queen and pulled her close.

"Now it's your turn," he said, but it was too late. The queen's body pushed away Melo as she was transforming into her real form. Her black robes turned into black, dried-out skin, her crown became a thick, leathery growth of flesh and her veil unmasked her face. Green, eyes with thin pupils and a dragon-like long face was staring at Melo. She was not human anymore. She showed her real form.

Gyo is a name that scholars use for the creature but for the common people, it is just Death. Melo looked at her skinny body and partially translucent skin. He could see the bones under her skin. This creature did not look alive. It was just a shell. But its look was very deceitful and it was strong enough to take his life force.

Melo closed his eyes and quickly whispered "Velox" just before the creature threw its long, scissor-like claws at him. The power of the spell allowed him to avoid the attack, making him quick enough to dodge it.

"You are going to die," the creature said with a low growl.

"I may" Melo replied. "But not yet."

He chanted the words of the spell. The spell was simple but powerful. And it could give him just enough time to turn the tide.

"Protecto" he said. A large bubble of shining energy appeared above his head, slowly expanding around his body. It was a protective spell, slowing down any attack inside its area of influence.

"Do you really think you can stop me?" the queen asked.

"Maybe" Melo replied.

Gyo threw its body towards Melo, attacking him with its claws again. Melo managed to dodge the attack and cast the spell again. The bubble of energy expanded further, protecting him from the claws.

"Not so fast," the queen said, looking at Melo with her green eyes. "I have many more tricks up my sleeve," she said, opening her mouth and spitting out a small fireball. The fireball flew towards Melo and exploded inside the bubble of energy. The explosion made Melo lose his balance and fall to the ground. He felt his lungs burning. He tried to breathe but it was hard. He was suffocating.

"Damn it!" he yelled, coughing.

Gyo approached him slowly, looking at its prey as it was about to die. Its long tongue licked the air, tasting the scent of Melo's life. It reached out with its claws, grabbing Melo by the neck. It lifted him up and opened his mouth. Melo felt the cold wind, like ice, blowing towards the creature. It was sucking his life away.

"Close enough" Melo whispered and smiled, even though he was facing Death. He put his hand into his robes and pulled out the artifact. It was a small metal figure of a mouse. He extended his arm and threw it inside the creature's mouth.

"Eat it," he hissed.

Gyo started convulsing. It shook violently, its eyes rolled up and it fell to the floor. The artifact was called "the death of a thousand rats". It was not just a simple piece of metal. It was a magical object, created by a powerful spell, giving it the ability to drain the life force of any living being. As Gyo was a creature that drain the life force, its body was particularly affected by this type of magic.

"Arca" he said after he took out a small vial from his other pocket. The vial was empty at first, but as he said the word, Gyo started to turn into black liquid, flowing out of its body.

"What are you doing?" the creature asked.

"I was paid to kill you, but I am not sure if I want to. I will just contain you for now." Melo said. He took the vial and pointed it towards the melting creature. The liquid pouring out of the creature started to flow through the air towards the container until the last drop was in it. And when it filled up, he started walking toward the exit.

"Wait" he heard a shaking voice from behind. The old man was staring at him.

"I have to go," Melo said. "There are other things that need my attention."

"No," the old man said. "You don't understand. You cannot leave me here alone. If you do, I will die, from old age. You are a mage. You can clearly help me, right?"

"Lifeforce is not something to be created. It can only be stolen. And I am not a thief."

Melo turned around and left the room.

***