The next couple of days during our journey went by at a brisk pace. Blessedly, not all days in the Blasted Lands were full of strife and a battle for our survival. Around the third day, it had become monotonous. Most of our time could be summed up with a single word. “Walking.” Around the afternoon on the third day, we left the jungle and found ourselves marching through empty grasslands next to the great river. Once we were out in the open it became very evident that it was the beginning of summer, and the sun became unfriendly to us.

At night beside the campfire, Brutus would tell stories of his escapades. A particular tale revolved around how he took the head of a great general. If a lesser man told this account to us, then I would call him a liar, yet Brutus was akin to an ancient hero of old, and thus if anything any story he did tell would be believed almost without question. One rumor that flooded the ranks during our time in the Roharim legion was that he was the product of Atreus: the Roharim God of war. Personally, I believe that he had been blessed at a very young age. At least blessed to have the means to slowly mold his body of clay into one of marble. There is an old Roharim philosophy: “The greatest tragedy of a man is to grow old without seeing what beauty and strength his body is capable of.”

In the morning, we made our final leg of the journey. Eventually, we saw the city on the horizon. I half expected a mud hut or some ramshackle hodgepodge of straw and sand, yet I was pleasantly surprised. The city was quite large. The river was wide and deep enough for large ships to sail through without effort. There was a large row of palm trees that rested at the river’s edges. On the opposite side of the river were large fields of grain and vegetables being tended to. The city itself was protected with large walls made of sandstone that reached almost a hundred feet high. It made even Brutus feel small.

I noticed that there were two types of guards patrolling around the city gates. First were the city guards of Akari. They wore bronze vambraces with hints of red painted on them that matched their greaves. They wore a white battle skirt around their waists that had the emblem of a fish woven into both sides where the hips rested. They wore bronze chest pieces that were decorated with the addition to fish tails that crossed each other. They wore helmets that would cover their face. The masks were made in the image of a fish, and they were all equipped with a long spear that seemed to be their primary weapon. On their backs was a round bronze shield, and on their hips was a curved sword. A “Khopesh” if I remember correctly.

The second type of guards that patrolled around the streets was none other than the same people who we found at that destroyed outpost. The ones that followed the multi-armed goddess. I instantly had a distaste for them but kept myself calm and focused. My objective was simple. I needed to figure out how things worked in the Blasted Lands, and this city was the perfect place to do just that.

The guards let us pass without an issue and we proceeded beyond the wall. Our eyes were met with a vast vista of tall buildings carved in sandstone and decorated with bright colors. The banners of this city were blood red with the symbol of a fish swimming above the waves in gold colors. This city was wealthy and it showed. The river fish in this area was their main resource. This was displayed through many of the fish iconography: statues; graffiti; decor and even fashion.

We soon found ourselves in the market district that was flooded with goods and services from all corners of the blasted lands. The streets were patrolled by both the River Guards as the main city called them, and the other soldiers who had a far more ominous name. “The children of Ashara.” That was the name of their Goddess. I must have stared at them for a while, for Brutus tapped me on the shoulder and jogged me away from the distraction.

“Brother, what is wrong?”

I turned to look him in the eyes for a moment before averting my gaze.

“It's nothing. Something about those men put me on edge. I saw an idol of their Goddess, and was disgusted at the sight of it.”

I made sure to lower my voice. As much as their goddess’s appearance disturbed me, I couldn’t speak out against it. These people appeared to be in charge —being able to bypass exclusive areas that the common civilian or even the noble were barred from— and should not be engaged unless they gave me a reason to.

We continued our trek into the town, bypassing many of the merchant stalls that offered us exotic goods of all shapes and sizes. Some of these sellers appeared to be legitimate while others tried to swindle me in multiple areas. One such charlatan tried to offer me a “Cure-all potion.” I remember the man’s name very clearly, for it was marked upon his stall and he continuously referred to himself and the stall as such. “Salazar: The Magnificent.”

He approached me first offering his potion. He was an overweight man wearing the finest of robes with multiple rings placed on each of his fingers.

“Good evening sir! How are you!?”

Even now I can think of this man’s voice. It was like the cry of a thousand cats being flayed alive to the tune of scraping metal. Even that short greeting was enough to make my skin crawl and my eardrums nearly break.

“Go away.” I politely said to him and tried to make my exit, yet he stood in front of me.

“I am Salazar: The Magnificent! Oh dear, sir! Oh, dear! Look at yourself! You look ill!”

“What did you just say to me?” I was in my physical prime and felt as healthy as a horse, and this man had the gall to say that I was sickly? He was already getting on my nerves, yet he continued.

“Well, my friend, I have the cure-all for you. Introducing Salazar: The Magnificent’s cure-all potion! Perhaps you are feeling unwell and you need instant relief? Well, my tonic is just the thing you need! Aches and pains? Gone! Boils and sores? History! And that's not even the least of what it can do for you!”

“Maybe you have trouble having a baby? Maybe she is infertile or you can’t get it up anymore.”

“Do you want me to”

“But none of that matters anymore! Now with my elixir, you will be able to be irresistible to women! You’ll be having more children than the entire population of Akari itself!”

He continued to blather on about his concoction. Fortunately for me, he was too focused on trying to sell me his garbage to pay attention to Cao Tzu. She snuck over to the stall and opened a bottle to examine it. She was immediately hit with a revolting stench. She then signed over to me before being caught by this con man.

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“Hey! Y-You can’t be looking at that, you haven’t paid for it!”

It was already too late for him. Cao Tzu’s message came to me loud and clear, and I silently gestured for Brutus to pick the round man up by the scruff of his shirt.

He kicked helplessly in the air. “W-What are you doing?! L-Let me go this instant!”

I leaned forward into his face, so it would be the only thing that he could see as Brutus held him off of the ground.

“Cat Piss.”

“W-What?!”

“Cat piss. You were going to sell me a bottle of aged cat piss and call it a ‘cure’ were you not?”

“I-I… What are you talking about?!”

“My companion over there opened a bottle and smelled it. She smelled the unmistakable scent of cat piss.”

“T-Thats crazy, you have no proof!”

I took a bottle from Cao Tzu’s hand and smelt it. It was unmistakable as I recoiled from the bottle and set it aside, putting the top back on it.

“You were going to have me drink that. I would have gotten very sick. And if I got sick, then we would have a huge problem. Brutus over here does not take kindly when someone puts me and my comrades in harm's way. Brutus, tell the man what would happen if I got sick.”

Brutus lifted the man to his eye level and faced him directly.

“I will rip your arms off and then beat you to death with them.”

You should have seen the merchant's face. It was priceless. The absolute terror was a thing of beauty. I gestured for Brutus to put the man down and he ran surprisingly fast for a fat man. I cackled like a madman as I watched him waddle all the way down the street.

After our little escapade with the merchant, we decided to spend our coin at the nearest inn. I believed it was the most sensible thing to do at that point. I would be able to get information from the common folk while also keeping my ear wide open for business ventures. After all, our purses would get lighter as time went on. That was a fact.

On our way to the nearest inn, we came upon a sight that would seem insignificant at first, but would later prove to be very fortuitous. As we were about to exit the market district, we found a slave auction. These slaves were captured from all over the Blasted Lands. They varied in size, strength, and race. Some were of Cao Tzu’s people while others were not. One slave stood out above the rest. Like me, he was of Northman descent. He was strong and handsome, like most Northmen. He had a full beard of dark brown hair. The sides of his head were shaven while the top of his head would form a long tail-like braid down his back. His eyes were hazel and his left eye had been scarred with a diagonal slash sloping from the top right of his bow to the bottom left of his eye where it met with the cheek. His back was an extremely grizzly sight. He had been whipped to the point that bone was visible.

I had never seen a feature in any man since that had this man’s look. His eyes were somehow aware and yet not. The candles were lit and someone was home, but the door was locked and refused entry from any outsiders. I looked at this man and I pitied him.

Now, as a warrior of Roharim, slaves are not new to me. The republic had many slaves throughout all walks of life. Yet while others may see slaves as nothing more than beasts of burden, —if even to call them that to dignify them as living creatures and not a machine— I saw slaves for their true potential. When you take everything away from a human being, you set them up to be remolded. When someone knocks you down a pitch-blackened pit and leaves you to die, you have only two options. You can languish there and die, leaving yourself forever shamed and your abuser free to do his crimes yet again, or you can climb up and take your revenge. I would give these slaves their revenge. I would see that man again.

Brutus nudged me on my shoulder to get my attention. I had been apparently staring for a short while and held him and Cao Tzu up. I nodded and walked again. I turned to look at the auction once again and took a mental note of the slave masters.

We arrived at the Inn. It was a hovel but it would do. We went inside and found several examples of the worst humanity had to offer. Criminals made their dealings in that place while whores offered their bodies for the right coin. I spoke with the innkeeper about our rooms. A silver for a night. A gold coin bought us a hundred nights. He bit into the coin to make sure it was real and was delighted when it was genuine. We ordered drinks and sat at a booth at the corner of the inn.

It was the first drink I had since I was nailed to the cross, and I savored every sip. Even this cheap watered-down swill was something that I enjoyed. I took these simple pleasures for granted before. The first thing I wanted for myself as soon as I got to a city was the pleasure of drinking alongside the good company. I took another healthy swig of ale before I sat the mug down. I examined my arm for a moment and took some of the armor off to get a good look at my wrist. Even after all this time, —especially now that I tell you my story— I can still feel the pain in my wrists. It lingered then as it does now. Some nights I feel the pain all over again: the agonizing throbbing of the nail first piercing my wrists; the pain of ripping my arms off of the cross; the burning of the hot embers sealing my wounds. The pain will never truly leave me.

I sipped my next drink and enjoyed a nice quiet evening to myself over the brutal struggles I’d experienced previously. Little did I know that I was being watched.

I never saw her. I learned later that she had been watching me, yet even today I don’t know when. Did she start watching me when I first entered the Inn, or was it sooner? Had she seen me dealing with the merchant or had she been watching me since my arrival? Perhaps she was there when I found that destroyed camp and followed me ever since. I do know now that she had been watching me for a while. Even if I saw her at that moment, I wouldn’t have noticed her or seen her features.

I was never aware of being watched at all. She sat there silently among the crowd; her eyes transfixed on me and my fellows for quite some time. She watched me like a hawk or a wolf examining its prey. If I had seen her eyes, I not only would have seen the radiant beauty of their violet colors but the sharp intellect behind them as well. She was in no way, shape, or form an idiot. Anyone who deemed her so would be woefully mistaken and sign their own death warrant.

She was like a viper in tall grass. It was impossible to see her, but she saw me. I can’t even begin to tell you what she was thinking, whether she wanted me dead or just to study me like a racehorse. Yet if I had seen her I would have recognized the threat she posed. After all, the most beautiful serpents are the most venomous.

Yet I did not see her so my night was blissfully ignorant. I learned about this when I finally met her, but that would be getting ahead of myself. My point is that she saw me long before I saw her.

After our drink and a warm meal, we went upstairs to discuss the plans for the next day. We would share a room together, though to ensure Brutus did not try anything with Cao Tzu, I gave him some gold from my purse to ensure that he would spend it on those who freely opened their legs up. Before letting him leave, I spoke of my intentions for the next day.

“I noticed that there were plenty of slaves in the city. I wish to free them.”

Brutus Gawked at me. “What? Why?”

“Because if we free them, who do you think they will thank?”

“I thought you said you wanted to learn about how the people live in the Blasted Lands.”

“I do. The best way to do that is to get allies. We will cover far more ground with more than just the three of us. Cao Tzu can’t even speak and I don’t believe there are many people who can understand her.”

“Well alright then… What happens after you get your small army?”

I smiled brightly and gave Brutus a gleefully determined look.

“A very good choice of words, Brutus. A very good choice of words.”