Jackul made his way off the moored whaleship and onto the port city’s great stone wharf where other whaleships and armored cargoships were in the process of loading or unloading their stores. The great wharf itself stretched 3 miles with the Iron Colossus mounted at its tip. Jackul noted that upon close inspection, the Colossus was sinking into its foundation and tilted ever so slightly as if it was about to begin a tremendous fall.
The entire length of the wharf was filled with every vessel imaginable the world around. Bridges all along its length lead from the wharf in spiderweb like fashion to the city center of Lizan Al Ghul, whose gilded rooftop buildings reflected the light of the sun as a piercing would in the middle of a tongue.
Before stepping completely off the whaleship, Jackul patted the still floating whale hovering just above the wharf, quietly thanking her for his safe journey across the sea. The creature gave a low rumbling coo in return to its parting friend. Jackul took one last look at the silver-lined parchment reflecting the sun's morning light and pressed it back into the pages of his leather-bound travel book, his only other important possession on this journey, a gift from an old friend.
Upon taking his first steps on solid ground, Jackul immediately felt out of balance and out of place amongst the thronging crowds on the wharf leading to the town's main port district outside the city’s center. Not too far in the distance and further inland, he could see a gilded feather emblem gleaming in the sun's morning light atop a tall colonnaded mason building.
Taking in the whole panorama scene now of the Great Wharf against the heavily populated and structured peninsula, Jackul’s mouth opened involuntarily as crew members and other passengers elbowed their way past the absent minded young man. Despite the jostling, Jackul swung his head around one more time to take in the entire view of the city’s architecture both new and ancient as throngs of people from all around the world went about their business in the New World.
The colonnaded mason building with feather emblem atop was the Guildhall, and its presence was made known not just through the detail inscribed in its facets, but also in the shear immensity compared to all the other nearby buildings. It was an ostentatious structure with gold inscriptions placed at the summit of marble steps along a main junction leading up from the Great Wharf. Along the other sprawling branches of the main port junction were numerous other diminutive buildings both ancient and new that lined the peninsula.
As awe crept its way up along Jackul’s spine, a few individuals cast curious glances at Jackul as a smile crept its way up along the corner of his mouth. With a great breath of the already humid morning air filled with the scent of spices and smells he had never known, Jackul thought about how he could truly start anew here without the specter of his homeland attached to his every move. While Cambria attracted those from every walk of life, from criminal to noble, all were united by the fact that they sought life anew here: a second chance or better yet “Redemption,” as inscribed on the Iron Colossus itself.
Making his way past the sprawling crowds loading and unloading their cargo, Jackul headed up one of the connecting bridges from the wharf to the Port City’s main junction where all the roads appeared to converge and radiate out in jumbled, snake-like fashion. Where the roads met, a multi layered fountain danced with water. Gold encrusted sculptures of the Fire and Mirror Serpents sat mounted in a clever mechanism that had them chasing one another around the main spout as water gushed skyward. Several guards, Guild feathers crested atop their helms, stood at attention around the structure ensuring no one would dare break the serpents’ dance. In the midst of this display, Jackul took a moment to walk around the circumference of the immense fountain taking in the view down each road.
Along one road, the Guildhall continued to shine in the distance, a brilliant pearl of a building among jagged stones. The Guildhall acted as a courthouse, bank, and government all in one building, this was where the money of Lizan Al Ghul coalesced among all the trade hubs surrounding the continent and where all the main traffic to and fro passed. The stories Jackul had heard and read about this place did no justice to the sense of power and authority this building exuded among its denizens. Few royals among the Ring had such a lavish structure to call their own.
Continuing his walk around the fountain, Jackul peered up a road stretching to the tip of the peninsula where shore met sea, many beautiful houses with mosaic patterns lining their outside came into view. Although, the more inland Jackul looked, the more the houses became conspicuously run down. Beautiful ancient stone houses covered in grasping vines transformed into shacks made of every type of mismatched wood imaginable the closer to the main junction Jackul looked.
Along the peninsula stretching inland, Jackul could just make out the top of the Old Wall in the far distance. Upon sailing in, the Old Wall appeared as a nation’s border upon a map, thick and without detail. Yet, at this vantage point, his expression moved from awe to complete incredulity at the sheer scale of the ancient structure. Jackul finally understood what an ant must see if it ever bothers to look up at a human.
Even at this distance, leagues away, and beyond the horizon, he felt the enormity of the structure as one feels the weight of an iceberg through sight alone knowing the vast majority of its mass remains far below and beyond one’s sight.
Jackul’s thoughts raced back in time to his days sketching in the royal library’s books. He reconsidered the words of famous scholars who suggested the ridiculous notion that the structure was built by a race of dead giants. But from what he could see, it was hard to believe otherwise.
The Old Wall was the only reason this massive port city existed. Only sparsely settled towns existed along the coasts of Cambria due to constant attacks from the continent's local mega fauna - more commonly termed “monsters” amongst the denizens of the Port City and beyond-.
Although these “monsters” were the norm just beyond the wall throughout the continent of Cambria, the heavily manned Old Wall and the technologies therein prevented any breach that could easily render the port city uninhabitable. As a result, the population of Lizan Al Ghul could flourish as the most remote city in all the known world, far richer than nearly every city within the Ring due to the flow of its goods. But, the ravages of time were taking their toll on the crumbling structure. That much was evident, even at the distance where Jackul stood as he followed a gray jagged line along the top of the wall where it met the blue backdrop of the sky, the image of a convict’s rotting, grimaced smile wormed its way into Jackul’s mind. He shooed away the awful memory from the Golden Lion’s Throne as he continued to gaze at the immense wall at the base of the peninsula.
Sealed within the Old Wall were ancient technologies whose genius had either been deliberately destroyed or lost to time. Even the greatest researchers employed by the Guild's coffers could not recover most of these secrets hidden deep within the bowels of the Old Wall. It was common knowledge amongst the denizens of Lizan Al Ghul, that the Old was was dying. Half a league away, beyond the Old Wall pushing forth into the continent, another wall was near complete in its construction. Despite being a shadow of the Old Wall in both size and function, this New Wall was deemed by the Guild to be capable of defending the peninsula against any known leviathan class monster. Even the fabulously rich governor of Lizan Al Ghul himself, Lord Boromule Justicus, had a habit of inviting royalty from across the Ring to ensure his investors that the New Wall would ensure untrammeled trade from the interior in lieu of the Old Wall’s rot.
Jackul finally took his attention away from the distant wall and walked over to the serpent fountain in the center of the junction to take a seat. Ensuring enough distance from any nearby guard to avoid suspicion, Jackul's thoughts turned to his friend Markov as he stared at the twin leviathan serpents dancing in the center of the fountain. He pulled out the leather bound book from his satchel and began to sketch the scene before him despite the dense crowds. Markov ceaseless questions would only ever be answered by a sketch rather than Jackul’s own minced words.
But, as soon as the cast away noble laid charcoal to paper, a small girl bumped into Jackul’s side causing him to nearly stumble into the fountain’s water despite her diminutive size. Turning in a flurry, he caught the airborne notebook by the tips of his fingers and breathed a sigh of relief. Regaining his composure with a blush caused by the idle stares of a few onlookers, he whipped around to reprimand the small girl. But before any words could leave his lips, the girl already facing him flashed a knife’s blade at her belt.
Her emerald green eyes peaked between her red curls and just under the threadbare hood of her cloak. Jackul's sharp eyes made out the obscured edge of a ghastly wound above her left eyebrow. She made off with even greater haste now into the crowds lining the shops along the residential road. Her diminutive form allowed her to disappear as quickly as she arrived.
"Hey! Girl!" Jackul yelled, but she was already gone now. Jackul reflexively checked himself assuming she was a pick-pocket. Hardly a stranger to thieves in his homeland, he made the routine body check, but nothing was missing from his pockets or from his satchel. His thoughts refocused as he considered if the girl had simply made a mistake. He was dressed well enough to attract a theif’s attention, but he made sure not to dress extravagantly as a noble for more reasons than that particular one. He wore an ornate patterned tunic unfit for the tropical climate marking him from Verdanta figuring most would take him for a rich merchant son’s ready to take on a his apprenticeship.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
What was the little girl after? he wondered for a minute longer as he began to walk away from the scene.
Then lightning raced up his spine.
Jackul reached for his leather notebook and frantically flipped through the pages. The silver lined parchment was gone. He looked back toward the motley crowd the girl disappeared into. Gone. He ran in her direction at a desperate pace bumping and shoving his way through the crowd.
Groping thoughts raced through his head as he looked around the market. A myriad of people of all shapes, sizes, and dresses moved past him as he ran. A wagon riding past pulled by what appeared to be two immense, feathered lizards nearly ran him over. The feathered beasts screamed at Jackul in a willowing scream as they passed by. The rider, clad in linen with iridescent scales sewn in shouted a foreign curse at Jackul and rode past. Eyes in the crowds followed him now from the commotion he caused. He continued his frantic pace past a garbed woman a time and a half taller than himself with thin but sturdy limbs. Some around him dressed in plain linens obscuring every contour of their bodies while others dressed in linens so thin it left little to the imagination. Merchants hawked their goods and beckoned with a laugh at Jackul to stop by and relax.
A wave of commotion followed Jackul through the great crowd in the port's main junction as he continued his blind pursuit. Turning their heads in annoyance from a game of dice, a few guards with the Guild's crest atop their thinly mailed helmets turned their sites on the young man running through the junction.
"You there, boy, stop!" one called out in a booming echo cutting through the din of the crowds. He stood and jaunted over to Jackul along with another guard.
Jackul froze and turned to face a sun-tanned guard. He jumbled his words in a panic explaining that a small girl had stolen his identification papers for the Guild here in Lizan Al'Ghul. Already out of breath from his modest amount of running, he explained his situation and history between breaths to the guards. Quickly leaning on the history of his pedigree, he mentioned his royal family line appearing all the taller after straightening his back. The other guard catching up to the first chuckled to himself already knowing the story of this lad from the clothes he wore.
"That paper means everything to me. Without it, I can't prove my identity to the Guild officials here," Jackul was adamant on this last point as Quintenus was to him when the parchment was delivered. Jackul remembered his words explicitly: 'Don't you lose this ticket boy, else you're good as dead in that port.'
"We can help you, but I need to know how heavy is your wallet, boy? There's a lot of crime and not enough time to solve it all." The guard grinned revealing broken teeth.
"Hold on," the other guard spoke up, "this 'girl’ who stole your ticket, did she have green eyes, fair skin, and a deep cut under her eyebrow?"
Jackul was elated, "Yes, you know her?"
"Your ticket's gone, noble boy. Sell your boots and get a ticket home." The guard that said this looked to the other guard and said in a hushed voice, "More meat."
The guard snorted in reply, "That 'girl' is older than she looks, and she's a professional. Your ticket is gone. Now go home and join a monastery like the other noble boys." He turned to the other guard with broken teeth who was still smiling, "Less meat for the monsters."
Stepping forward, eyes in a haze of disbelief, Jackul continued asking for help. The guards who were already walking back into the crowds spat on the ground and ignored his plea.
Jackul stood alone amongst thralls of people in the city. That letter meant everything to him. He could not prove his identity without that parchment nor could he go back home where his face was known amongst the Lion’s Throne. Jackul looked back at the outline of the colonnaded building of the Guildhall up the marble steps not too far off where he had come from. His shoulders slumped even more now that he saw more similarly dressed guards at the entryway.
The next hour was composed of Jackul making his way up the marble steps to the Guild Hall only to be turned away after a similar discussion. A throng of officials had just passed inside, and Jackul followed close behind in an attempt to look inconspicuous despite his attire. Seeing through the petty rouse, the guard to Jackul's right snarled and ripped the boy from the throng of officials indifferent to the spectacle. The young noble boy jumbled his words in a stream of consciousness.
"You're a noble, huh? Well, I'm a hairless warg and he," pointing to the other guard, "is the most beautiful whore in all Lizan Al'Ghul. There Mr. Verdanta! Woof!" the guard threw back his head cackling in delight. "I like you, boy, so I'll only tell you once. Go!"
Jackul continued to plead until the soldiers stamped their great spears and screamed at the boy to go before they bloodied the marble steps.
Sullenly, Jackul's jaunt down the stair slowed to a shuffle as he sat on the last step far to the side to avoid traffic. He put his head in his hands to let his thoughts collect, and then he looked into the distance where the massive whaleship that brought him here was still moored.
No going back. You can't go back. 'Brother…' he cut the thought. Jackul clasped his hands against his forehead in thought talking to himself. He ran through the events in his mind, "Why didn't she steal my coin? She must have seen me come off the whaleship and picked me out by my clothes." Slowly, gears started to turn in Jackul's mind. He started to feel ill as he looked at the darker patterns in the marble move into familiar shapes in front of him, "Did brother change his mind?" He sat silently, letting his mind drift as he unconsciously began rubbing his neck. 'That girl must have known about my pass to become a hunter…'
Jackul shot straight up suddenly causing a few officials passing by to look reflexively on their way up the steps. 'She should have taken my coin as well.' Jackul promptly strode back to the market square in the middle of the great junction where all roads met and purchased some much-needed food. After nearly choking on his meal in a rush, he made his way over to a shop selling linen clothing more suitable for the tropical climate. He purchased beige linens that he had seen some day workers wear earlier. A plan began to take definite shape within his mind. “I came here to be a hunter,” he thought to himself.
Later, in the afternoon, he found his way to a shadowed alleyway between two buildings overlooking the market square. The architecture of the city placed the market square at the base of a large 'bowl' that connected to the main junction road from the port. Here the buildings surrounded the market at the base in a great semicircle like a giant amphitheater. It was here that Jackul figured he could look down and see the greatest number of people all throughout the port city moving about their daily business.
After moving into a nearby alleyway, he ripped apart a few of the new linens he had just purchased and proceeded to wrap them around his face as if he had suffered some grave injury or mutilation. Then, he stuffed his old linens and boots in his satchel. When he was just about done, he looked in a puddle at his reflection and smiled at the unrecognizable figure who looked back at him. With a whisper, he said to himself, "My first day in Cambria. Look at me now, Mom."
Having turned around his mood around, Jackul walked amongst the citizens and travelers of Lizan Al Ghul in the great circles surrounding the market square. Not so desperate yet as to hope for accidentally running into the thief-girl amongst the crowds, he instead searched for another alley in which he could perch and look out with his sharp eyes. At last, he grew tired as the sun fell further in the sky. He found a lonely corner of the town a few levels up where few soldiers patrolled. Nestling himself inside an alleyway, Jackul peered down at the market seeing the entire square. He leaned up against some rubbish and focused his eyes to search for the girl with the red mop and emerald eyes. Although cosmopolitan by any measure amongst the Ring of Nations, there were few with such a color to their hair in Port Lizan Al'Ghul.
---
Twilight was beginning to set in now as Jackul's patience waned. His eyes, heavy with the exertion of weeks of travel, began playing tricks as he started falling in and out of sleep. The long bout of travel and lack of rest on shore had taken a toll on his stamina and he wanted nothing more than to rest his head on a feathered pillow and drift into a dreamless sleep. "Come on now," he said softly to himself, "Sit and wait until your prey comes out and take your shot." He looked at some of the wealthier citizens in their embroidered linens in the crowds, "and here I thought there wasn't enough bait for you, thief."
The absurdity and ridiculousness of the whole situation soon to set in. There was little if any chance Jackul could outsmart a well known criminal, and that realization began to make itself known to the young noble as he watched the sun reach for the horizon. More likely than not, he would not find the girl and would have little choice beyond taking that same whaleship back to Verdanta to face his brother’s mercy. “You said you wouldn’t kill me, Mustafa. You said you would not drown me, and here I am in the mainland. You promised me that, brother.” Jackul’s thoughts became muddled.
With not better idea coming to mind, gloomily, Jackul pulled out his satchel and shook off some of the sleepiness by fishing out his notebook, and began writing an account of his surroundings he could share with his friend Markov once they met back up. 'Hope it's not too cold for you up there' Jackul thought as he scribbled his notes and drew sketches of the world in front of him.
It was getting too dark to write now, so Jackul put the notebook away. His thoughts moved to the man who had given it to him years ago when he was with his mother. That man had traveled the world and upon coming to Verdanta, had taken a liking to Jackul's mother, Nadia. As a parting gift for the boy, he gave him his notebook detailing his personal travels throughout the world far beyond the lands of Verdanta in the Ring of Nations and beyond. Although Nadia objected, the man was adamant and explained that he had no use for the notebook as his job was finished. To this day, after reading the entire notebook several times, Jackul has no idea what that job could have possibly been. The man appeared as nothing more than a traveling merchant.
Sleep finally overwhelmed Jackul and he began to slump over. With hardly another thought he started falling backward now onto a soft pile of rubbish where he could rest for the night in the humid tropical air. But as he started to lean back he felt a leg kick underneath the cloth and his eyes grew wide and his heart immediately began to sprint. The smell of alcohol filled Jackul's nose from amidst the surrounding rubbish.
The person behind Jackul screamed in fright.
The person moved quickly and threw a clay bottle at Jackul who moved too slowly to dodge the object as it collided with his teeth. His left hand flew to his mouth while he dove forward with his right hand grabbing the form by the cloth around its neck and pushing forward until both collapsed on a rubbish heap in the back of the alley. Jackul squirmed on top of the person keeping his grip on the clothes around its neck. The person produced a familiar knife but paused when she looked up at Jackul. Then it hit Jackul as his bloodied left hand dropped from his open mouth along with a chipped piece of a tooth.
"Hello again, whelp," the red haired girl said with a fresh smell of alcohol off her breath and ears swollen with blood.