“Alright, let’s go.”
Mostly everyone was more than happy to follow me after witnessing the Exalted Gloom in all her glory. Mostly because of the prospects of the night ahead, but also to get far, far away from her. Only those of the Black Plume and the Order stayed, choosing to embark on their journey without the presence of their clerics and priestesses; and only those associated with either pantheon showed any eagerness to see her again, offering wistful looks behind them as we fell at ludicrous speeds over the mountains and across the rolling hills of the Ligin Kingdom, over the dark woods of the Vrurian Empire, and past the walled border of Nevstan to slow above a bustling city of wide avenues and districts of towering buildings and vast courtyards.
The City of Bards, as it was called, sat inside a roughly diamond-shaped wall centered atop the main road. Yet, its gates were open to any passersby, opening their endless street carts and stalls to the many travelers making their way to Mazi from the port city of Whamebon further up the road to the northeast.
We came to a landing a few ways away from the city just before dawn. Many of the Commanders ran off to the city at once and I left them to their whims. Except, of course, Hogaz and Captain Vexx, who took to the skies after me.
Our feet came to a rest on the upper deck of the Moonsliver naught minutes later. Specifically, the second deck of the conning tower, where we promptly entered the officer’s lounge to see their amiable breakfast interrupted by Vexx’s shrill command.
“ATTENTION ON DECK!”
They shot up at once, flinging scraps of eggs and potatoes and fresh fruits about the table while they flicked their eyes nervously between themselves and us.
“As you were.” I waved midway to my seat and sent some mental commands to the nearby undead to fix me a plate, then turned to them with a gesture to Vexx. “Just listen as you eat.”
“This ship is magnificent, we all agree.” Vexx began. “Too magnificent, I daresay. Too complex for us to utilize properly. If we were to use this ship, we would first need to train. And train more in order to understand our roles within this vast organization.”
“Because of that,” Hogaz began. “The training will be split into two parts, one year in length each. The first is to learn the inner workings of the ship. And the second will be done later when you will formally be inducted into the Legio Noctis. What the latter will consist of is up to him.” He gestured to me. “But the former will consist of us battling against illusions and ships helmed by the undead.”
“Once you graduate from the former, the lot of you will become Captains and you Captains will become Commanders," I said, looking Vexx, Riptide, and the others in the eye before continuing. "Hogaz will then become an Admiral. Once you finish your Legion training in the middle of the year, you will have gained two promotions. Hogaz will then become the Imperator of the Noctis Fleets. You Captains will be Fleet Admirals, and the best of you lot will be their distinguished Commanders, Captains, and Admirals.
“For now, however, you’ll join us for a night of relaxation in Chor, and then you’ll go on to parley with the other pirate factions around the peninsula. What you do after making contact is up to you, but only after you’ve met the lot of them and recruited many sailors, pirates, and dockworkers along the way will you create your stronghold.”
“All agreed?” Vex then turned her eyes over the rest of the nodding crew and then turned back to me expectantly. “When do we begin?”
I met her glistening eyes with a devious smirk before I suffused the entirety of the ship in pale light. “Right now.” I Chortled, then full-on laughed once the light faded and they simultaneously turned to the nearest window to gaze upon a curved horizon of choppy waters.
A solitary island dotted the perpetual of Hogaz’s water world in Eotrom, Oceania. A volcanic isle, it was, with many coves and fjords of varying widths, depths, and altitudes lining the coast. The oceans, deep enough to have a floor comprised of ice VII, were filled with fleets of state-of-the-art cruisers, destroyers, and submarines helmed by undead crews, toiling away to aim the guns and cannons toward the Moonsliver.
“Have fun.” I chuckled. And with a final wave, I Bamfed Hogaz to the outskirts of Chor, leaving his Doppelganger to train with his troops.
We appeared just within the woodline overlooking the city, far enough so the guards and travelers couldn’t hear Hogaz’s agonized screams or see his eyes glow in a pale light.
He screamed and writhed for seconds onto minutes after the tattoos, knowledge, and visions burned into his body and mind, then lay in the grass for minutes more, staring absently to the skies until I gave him a swift kick to the ankle.
“Stop daydreaming!”
He shook himself awake and shot to his feet at once, dumbfounded by the sudden realization that he regularly lost time and was mentally broken by the immense deposit of naval and maritime knowledge he just received.
Giving him time to peruse his thoughts, I guided him away from the southern gate and several armored guards conversing or waving to those who approached and passed.
“Where are we going?” He eventually asked as we approached the northern wall.
“Posh cities with no apparent slums always have a darker side,” I smirked. “Not just a criminal underworld or black market, but beggars and the homeless kept away from the main avenues. In this case.” I turned towards a small annex raised between the east-heading road and the city wall. “They have a segregated gate for them.”
“Welcome to Chor, City of Bards!” a halfling kid, maybe a few years younger than myself but half as tall, bounded up to us within moments. Dressed in rags, with tan skin, green eyes, and a ponytail of brown hair, she acted dissimilar to her appearance by leaps and bounds. Almost as if she was unaware of the small reaper clawing away at her feet. “Care for a joke?” She skipped around us, thumbing a lute as she did so.
“Or.” She stopped suddenly to lean forward on one leg. “I can show you inside for a small fee.”
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“Sure.” I flicked her a gold coin with a careless shrug. “The rest comes later.”
She tried hard not to beam wide after catching it, succeeding only when she read the words minted into its surface.
“Eotrom?” She muttered, glancing me up and down for a few moments before taking a hard, incredulous look at Hogaz. Then, with a shrug, she led us through a crawlspace.
Hogaz seemed surprised at me entering it willingly and seemed embarrassed at doing it himself, looking around this way and that once he came to his feet on the other side.
“Welcome to the Shadowed Gate!” The kid said, gesturing to the many dirty alleys and small courts filled with people of all ages having jam sessions. “This is where all great bards of Chor come from, whether they like it or not. The famous Glazar Strip is just ahead. It runs north from Smith Gate to the Central Square. If you’re here for the concert or just want some food, that’s the place to go.”
“I’m looking for an auction. Or otherwise, somewhere I can buy something… interesting. Who knows.” I smirked. “I may buy you something as well.”
“I’ll hold you to it!” she winked, then followed us down several aisles, stopping at a seemingly closed storefront to knock twice, then once.
An old man opened and frowned immediately after seeing her, then stopped closing the stall after seeing my raised brows and Hogaz’s curious gaze.
“Upgraded from shite jokes and window shoppin’ eh, Rick?” He chortled and turned back to the halfling, smiling greedily.
“Yeah, something like that.” She said, pausing to cough. “You gonna let us in or what?”
He didn’t answer. Only squinted at Hogaz and I for an awkward moment until I flicked a gold coin his way. Then, he disappeared and opened a side door a moment later. Shouting. “Come right in! We’ve got an excellent selection, mind you. But our prices aren’t cheap!”
“Quality items never are,” I assured his doubts with a smile before ducking through a bead curtain.
“Indeed.” He chortled behind me. “And I give you a fair welcome to Buke’s Bizarre Bazaar! One-stop shop for all your exotic needs! Please!” He gestured around to what appeared to be a hundred display cases in this room alone. “Peruse our stock. And feel free to ask if there’s any… particular interests you have.”
“I’ll be certain to.”
He shadowed Hogaz, who shadowed me and the kid as I browsed the store- a five-chambered complex carved below the city block above. Four rooms were placed around the central, smallest cube in which we entered. Within it was the general stock. Mostly musical instruments, but also a few decorative weapons or armor sets and a wide range of gems, goblets, baubles, and trinkets for your average horde collector or hasty spender.
The module directly ahead, labeled ‘Arcane,’ was a fine selection of enchanted weapons, potions, scrolls, and other items that I took the time to appraise, gaining insight for enchantments to make in a few short weeks until the merchant grew visibly frustrated. “I’m interested in the finest burnbud, tobacco, and drugs you have; as well as seeds of every type of crop.” I turned to him before he could voice his concerns. “In bulk.”
“Ah.” He recoiled in place before turning on his heels. “Right this way.”
I followed him to the adjacent module, labeled ‘Apothecary,’ to first peruse and sample a wide variety of blends and strains before buying several few kilos of everything sampled. Then, I went on to pick out as many potion ingredients as I could while Buke gathered an impressive stock of seeds for agricultural and industrial crops.
“I must say.” He gestured to my pipe after penciling in the numbers. “I’ve never seen one sample so my strains with naught a cough! I daresay, it must be the result of that fine piece in your grasp. May I ask where you procured it?”
“I made it,” I casually said, focusing instead on the ghostly assistant packaging my wares into neat bundles.
“A fine make.” The girl suddenly said. “What’s it made from, unicorn horn?”
The merchant rolled his eyes at her hushed giggles. “A terrible joke, as always, Rickley.”
“Practice makes perfect.” She sneered.
“A comedian?” I turned to her.
“A struggling one.” The merchant muttered.
“In practice!” she sternly corrected, then placed her small hands on her proud hips to shout. “Rickley Ravenbrook, at your service!"
“Quite the interesting name.” I smiled. “Well met. I am Amun.”
The merchant dropped his smile immediately. “From the Bodhi Tree? Yes.” He quickly answered himself before turning to my companion. “Yes. And you’re… Hogaz! I thought you both looked familiar!”
“You know of us?” the half-orc asked.
“Everyone in the peninsula does,” Rickley said. “And probably Polaris too. The mid-year events are shown to every major city in the Peninsula. And everyone beyond hears the tales about it if they didn't see it as well. I'd be more surprised if people didn't know about you.”
“But we didn’t get to see your event,” Buke said to me. “How strange.”
“Very.” I absently nodded.
“Incredibly.” He nodded back and squinted harder. “More so, when considering the dark tree that appeared when your encounter was to take place.”
“Inconceivably mysterious indeed.” I smiled. “Perhaps I’ll tell you if the conditions are right. That aside, I’ll certainly pay a premium price in exchange for exotic and rare creatures.”
His eyes widened twice their size. “Oh! Right this way!” Again, he led me across the complex, where the two remaining modules were connected to make a large superstructure. An acrid smell and the perpetual noise of many creatures barraged my senses the moment we stepped inside, held back by some magical barrier in the doorframe. “We have an array of exotic pets and beasts of burden in our stock. Many of them require someone of high animal handling skill, mind you, but I’m sure a man of your talents can manage.”
“Your reputation precedes you.” Hogaz chuckled in disbelief.
“It precedes you both,” Buke assured him. Then turned to lead me to a large curtained cell that leaked an all-too familiar smell. “Here, we have the most demanding of such creatures-”
“A browl,” I growled before he could even approach the curtain. “If I lay eyes on that abomination it will be destroyed.”
“Say no more! Say no more!” He hurriedly backpedaled. “We have other creatures! Riding beasts! Horses and lizards, both fast and strong. Magnificent felines. Powerful canines. Ferocious reptiles and-”
“Anything that can fly?”
“Well…” His hands curled inwards to his chest. “We do have in our possession, a griffon egg. “
My eyebrows raised immediately.
“But!” he quickly flashed his palms. “It was procured by our allies in the Ligin Kingdom. This one was for a contact in Vruria, who claims it will help stave threats from the Mazi Council. It is one of many spread throughout the land, kept in secret before they are hatched.
“Not so much of a secret anymore.” Hogaz chortled under his breath.
“However.” He let the word trail on. “Such fragile things are commonly damaged during incubation. I’m sure it would be of no surprise if this egg was found to be… inert, come hatching time.”
“One million gold.” I casually and quickly offered. “Including any related tomes or instructions on rearing them that you may or may not have.”
Of course, Mani could see and learn from the griffin riders of Ligin from its position above, but there was always the risk of them doing something wrong or failing to do something entirely. Human- or rather, humanoid error still existed. And every bit of knowledge counted for something.
“Of course.” He bowed, trying hard to hide his budding excitement while he sent an unseen assistant to prepare the item. “Anything else?” he greedily asked.
“Yeah.” I gestured to the halfling. “Whatever Rickley wants.”
“You don’t need to say it.” The merchant happily smiled.
After his assistant returned with a pair of magical drums, I paid the man and walked Rickley to her shoddy accommodations and gave her a gold bar for her help, then emerged on the Strip moments later with my wares stowed safely away in a temporal dimension.
“Do you always just… throw gold at people?” Hogaz asked with a flair of his hand. "A thousand gold for walking you around the city?"
"What else am I supposed to do with it?” I snorted. “Now let’s go. We’ve got a concert to catch.”