After almost an hour, it seemed that the undead horde had completely passed through the valley. So Victor and Marcos were able to continue their journey.
The winding roads took Victor and Marcos through a dense forest, where the sun's rays could barely penetrate the treetops. This forest was known in the Athina Kingdom as the Forest of Oblivion, as it was a vast region where thousands upon thousands of people had disappeared over the years. The Forest of Oblivion was like a natural barrier that divided the north of the Athina Kingdom from its borders with the Dark Continent.
It was recommended for travelers who needed to cross the Forest of Oblivion not to leave the common route, and Victor and Marcos did exactly as protocol dictated. However, the common route meandered through the forest, which made the journey long and time-consuming. Only two days later did they manage to leave the Forest of Oblivion. The landscape gradually changed and the trees parted, revealing the vibrant horizon of the Kozáni plains. The city rose majestically on the horizon with its imposing walls standing out against the azure sky.
The pointed towers were like a symbol of the greatness of Kozáni, known as the Jewel of the North.
As they approached the gates, Victor and Marcos were stopped by guards in gleaming white armor, the hallmarks of the royal guard protecting Kozáni. The soldiers, with cautious glances, asked for identification and the purpose of the visit. Marcos, used to such procedures, presented the necessary documents while Victor remained silent. With the merchant's permission granted, the cart moved into the city.
Kozáni pulsed with a unique energy, a mosaic of colors and sounds, ranging from street vendors offering their wares to street musicians playing lively tunes.
The city's buildings were rustic and made of stone, but they stood tall, with intricate carvings adorning their façades, witnesses to the city's rich cultural heritage. Kozáni was a merchant town almost a thousand years old.
When they reached the Municipal Market Square, Victor and Marcos came across an impressive sight. Stalls of all shapes and sizes stretched across the gigantic square, displaying a variety of products ranging from exotic southern spices to impeccably forged armor.
"Come, noble lords and ladies! The rarest spices from the Orient are on sale here, brought by our brave seafaring merchants!"
"Listen up! The region's finest vintages of wine and beer are available at my stall. Quench your thirst with the nectar of the gods!"
"Don't miss out, brave warriors! Sharp swords, tough armor, and magical artifacts! Equip yourself for the next battle and emerge victorious!"
A profusion of aromas also invaded Victor and Marcos' senses as they passed the enthusiastic traders and food stalls, which all looked delicious.
Marcos stopped the cart near a stable, turned to Victor, and said:
"This is where I'm staying. I intend to unload what I've brought and then go and see some acquaintances, what about you? When are you going back to Serenity?"
"You don't have to worry about me, Marcos. My search for Wanda should take some time and she may not even be in this town anymore. Anyway, take this." Victor tossed Marcos a bag of coins after getting off the wagon.
The merchant opened the pouch and saw that it was filled to the brim with bronze coins. There must have been almost a hundred of them in there.
"That's for the good company during the journey." Victor said.
Marcos was surprised, but he knew it wouldn't be polite to deny a man's kindness, so he thanked Victor with a nod and watched him turn away without saying anything more.
For someone as experienced as Victor, Kozáni, the richest city in the north, was somewhat familiar. So although the streets had changed subtly since his last visit less than ten years ago, the essence of the city remained unchanged.
If twilight was coloring the sky in shades of orange when he said goodbye to Marcos, minutes later the whole sky had become a profusion of dark tones whose only element that stood out was the waning moon.
Moving away from the city center, i.e. the Municipal Market Square, Victor reached the outskirts of the city, the area where the ground was still dirt and mud. The fact that Kozáni was a wealthy city full of markets didn't cancel out the fact that poverty was also present.
In these dirty alleys, he found a tavern with a discreet façade, but with a peculiar charm in his eyes. The old wooden doors of this place creaked slightly when Victor pushed them open, revealing a cozy atmosphere lit by torches hanging from the stone walls. The place was well-kept and had top-of-the-range furniture, but unlike ordinary taverns, it wasn't spacious. There were only a couple of tables and a counter for customers to sit at. Even though it was a warm place on a cold night, there were only two customers apart from Victor.
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Victor easily found a seat in one of the corners of the counter and sat down. The other customers didn't even seem to notice him as they continued to laugh and chat amongst themselves.
Before long, a middle-aged man wearing a black apron finally came out of the kitchen and approached the counter area. Seeing Victor's lowered head, with his long white hair tied up in a ponytail, the man smiled.
"Hello, how are you? What would you like to drink?" greeted the man, revealing a shrewd smile as he put his apron back on.
The man's name was Kyrillos, a dark-skinned man with no hair on his head or facial hair. He was like a smooth, chocolate-colored amber stone.
Victor noticed that Kyrillos pretended not to recognize him. "I'll just have a coffee, please," replied Victor, keeping his head down.
Kyrillos understood the request and nodded discreetly. He then began to prepare the dark drink. In codes, ordering a coffee was like saying to Kyrillos:
"I can wait until everyone leaves, then we can talk freely."
While waiting for his coffee, Victor observed the other customers in the tavern. The two men were quieter now, indicating that they had finally noticed Victor's presence. One of them mumbled something while pointing at a crumpled piece of paper, the other just nodded in response.
Soon, Kyrillos placed a cup of coffee in front of Victor and said:
"Here's your coffee, sir."
"Thank you."
Victor was in no hurry to enjoy his coffee, which remained hot until the customers had left.
Kyrillos then went to the entrance of the tavern and locked the door. He also switched off the outside light and closed the curtains of the small window that overlooked the alley. Finally, he went back behind the counter and began filling two large mugs with beer.
"It's been a long time, Victor Shieldman. Man, I thought you were dead," said Kyrillos with a friendly smile.
Victor kept his gaze serious and replied in a casual tone, "Sometimes the past comes back, doesn't it? This time, I need information about Wanda. What do you know?"
Kyrillos didn't extend the greeting. He could see in his friend's eyes that something was out of place.
"The waters are deeper and darker here than when you left, my friend. Yes, Wanda was here, but I don't know much. Why are you after her? I never imagined you as an owl father."
"A messenger of the Athina Kingdom came to my house three days ago. He wanted me to sign some papers, but coming from royalty, I don't know if they really wanted me to do that or if they wanted to confirm that she wasn't there. Anyway, I heard a rumor that she was here, that she even killed a Trasgo, and anything you know will be of great help so that I can find her and understand the situation."
Kyrillos realized that the conversation was even more serious than he had imagined, so he didn't smile anymore. "Two and a half months ago, she was in the Hunters' Association building here. She took a Rank-A mission, I believe it was a mission to eliminate the Trasgo you mentioned." Kyrillos placed the two mugs on the counter and slipped one of them into Victor's hands, while the other stayed with him. "However, there are serious rumors that she was looking for something in this town."
"In other words, the mission was just a cover, an excuse for her to be in town."
Kyrillos nodded in agreement. "Do you know about anything she might have been looking for?"
"No, she hasn't sent me any letters for three months. I thought she was somewhere in the southeast and that's why the letters were taking longer to arrive."
The black man took a sip from his mug, wiped the foam off with the back of his mouth, and said:
"Do you want my opinion on this? I think this time she's up to her neck in some shit, some business of the kind you don't find in the stalls of the Municipal Market Square."
"You 'think'? Kyrillos, you're not the kind of man to just deduce something," Victor retorted with a hardened expression, then looked into the informant's eyes strangely. "What else do you know? I'm sure you're hiding something."
Kyrillos looked at the entrance again, as if he was afraid of someone entering, then leaned forward to whisper.
"It's just a rumor I heard a while ago, but it's so dead that it must have disappeared from the streets by now. It seems that Wanda got a thief called Robe out of jail, a thief that most of the city's nobles wanted on the gallows, including the Duke of Kozáni, Olyno."
"Oly-who?"
"Why, Duke Olyno. Seriously, what kind of hole were you in? Duke Olyno inherited most of the property after his father, Duke Forthel, died two years ago. However, while his father is known for being kind to the people, Olyno is the opposite, and the bastard is still young and handsome. Rumour has it that he may be the first candidate for king to come from the North in a long time. If, for some reason, Wanda was working with the thief who stole jewelry personally commissioned by the Duke, Olyno may have been very angry with her and you know..." Kyrillos made a gesture with his hands like a rope tying a neck.
"Hmm. I'm not interested in speculative rubbish like that, and you know that even a Duke wouldn't dare lift a finger against a Rank-S." Victor said and began to drink the beer in front of him. In a single gulp, he emptied the mug. "But I understand what you're saying. You mean that if anyone in this town might know about Wanda's whereabouts, it's the duke and that I should start by asking him somehow."
"Exactly."
"However, I have a different way of thinking. Knowing that my daughter was involved with a notorious thief is much more useful than knowing that a random duke might be angry with her. I know the next place to look, thank you." Victor stood up, leaving a silver coin on the counter as a sign of gratitude.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"Where does someone go when they want to find information about thieves in this city? To Crooked Alley, of course."
The Crooked Alley was what they called the most putrid and fetid place in Kozáni, where you could find all kinds of bad company and illegal things. Drugs and slaves were sold openly, without any concern from the authorities, and if Wanda was really working with the thief called Robe, that's where Victor would probably find the answers he was looking for.
However, at the moment he made the decision to go to Crooked Alley, Victor still didn't realize that he was walking towards his own death.