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Chapter 43: Repeating History

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“Emperor Taimoor Confirmed Dead! What’s Next For The Kingdom of Midaharia?”

They were on Nabill for less than two hours before the media published a ‘special report.’ Of course, the reporters didn’t have all the facts but as Isa read over the speculative laden paper, it didn’t seem to matter.

It was probably better the public didn’t know the whole truth. A panic would erupt if word spread of the ‘creature cloud’ that lingered over the capital. On its present course, the entire Ahrman Empire and the Kingdom of Midaharia would be covered completely in a matter of a week or so.

And there was nothing stopping it from heading in Nabill’s direction if it wanted.

He could only hope Idris and Jericha were successful in their mission back to Ras Almal. More importantly, he hoped that Idris was able to retain their most prized strategic, military secrets. One of them, anyway.

Before their chariot departed and long before Jericha boarded, he and Idris were quick to remove several suitcases from the vessel. They were kept away from prying eyes until the sun began its descent. Isa and Badr moved hastily as they loaded their secrets onto a trolley and traveled downtown.

With its tall and dark brick buildings, trims that twisted fancy patterns around large windows, and endless rows of houses, Nabiil was a city like no other. Its engineers were making huge advances in transportation that kept the metropolis ahead of the rest of the world. There was even talk of horseless modes of travel well beyond the steam-powered wagons and trolleys that owned the streets.

Perhaps after the current storm had passed Isa would return to the city for more of a leisurely visit. But, as always, business was more important than pleasure for a Midaharian general.

They disembarked from the trolley and walked the rest of the way to a small metal shop. Overshadowed by much taller buildings, the two-story brick building could easily be missed if not for its green glowing sign that read, “Metal Works” hanging above its door. Similar signs illuminated nearly all the businesses in the area, from carpenter shops to pastry markets. And there was always a customer or three coming and going from each.

Inside the ‘Metal Works’ shop weapons of all shapes and sizes hung on every wall. Some of the most extravagant and uniquely designed drew Badr in for a closer look. Wide and long, the sword sported a steel cover over one side with the head of an eagle that extended over its hilt in a breathtaking array of steel feathers.

“Thinking of buying?” the shop owner inquired from behind a pair of glasses that straddled the tip of his wide nose. Seated behind a counter, the older man hadn’t raised his head from the book in front of him once since the two generals entered the shop. “It’ll set you back by quite a lot.”

“How much is a lot?” Badr asked, carefully stroking the sword’s polished blade like a kitten.

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“More than you can afford, Badr,” Isa interrupted. “There are damages to the Grand Hotel to pay for, remember?”

“Ahrman skunk!” Badr said, recalling his hatred for Sisten.

Isa carried one of the suitcases over to the counter. “You don’t make the weapons for sale here, do you?”

“No, that would be my grandsons’ job,” the shop owner said. “They make them; I sell them.”

“How are they with long-range projectiles?” asked Isa.

“They could design a bow for you, for the right price.”

“I’m not talking about a bow.” Isa sat the suitcase on top of the shopkeeper’s book and opened it. The remains of a hand cannon used by Alba’s invading skeleton warriors dazzled in the old man’s eyes. “I’m talking about something more powerful.”

“Where did you..?” the shopkeeper began. Leaning over for a closer look, the shopkeeper was captivated by what he saw. “Why, that almost looks brand new..!”

With his gaze fixated on the weapon, the shopkeeper reached under the counter and removed an eyeglass case. He wasted no time switching eyewear. “Where did you say you came by this?”

“I didn’t,” Isa replied. “Are you familiar with this type of weaponry?”

The shopkeeper carefully lifted the triple barrel end as if it were a newborn child. “I can’t believe how pristine it is. It’s remarkable!”

“What is it? Made of gold??” Badr asked, impatiently. “What’s the big deal here?”

The old shopkeeper jumped off his stool, rushed over to the glass door, and flipped the ‘OPEN’ sign over to ‘CLOSED’. He strolled past the counter to a shut door. “Come with me,” he insisted, unlocking the door and pushing it ajar. “And bring that with you.”

They followed the shopkeeper down into a small basement. He pulled a string hanging over his head and the room was illuminated by a tiny orb affixed to the ceiling.

“Is that a new type of lantern?” Isa asked, trying hard not to stare directly into the source of light.

“It is,” the shopkeeper said, pulling a thick book from a dusty shelf. “Actually it’s a prototype, just like all the shop lights you see in this district.” He glanced up at the light and shook his head. “Probably burn the whole place down, too.”

He placed the book on a table and thumbed through it. Worn and wrinkled, its pages looked older than the man turning them. “I suppose you two have never heard of the Saucian Nation?”

“Not at all,” Isa replied, watching the pages flip by. Although he was intrigued by a few items he saw in the book, Isa didn’t want to encourage the shopkeeper to stop his search. They had been there longer than he wanted already.

“The Saucian Nation was around some three or four thousand years ago, a long ways from here. They were warring people that never got along, from what I understand. Always fighting and looking for bigger and better ways to kill each other.” He finally stopped flipping through the book and turned it around to face Isa and Badr. “They invented that weapon you have there and wiped each other out.”

Illustrations of an armed conflict between two different parties covered the pages. Isa looked closely at the men whose dark hair was long enough for two. They brandished the same long cannons as the ones that were used against the capital, and some were even small enough to be used in both hands. Below the illustration was a detailed image of the long-ranged weapons.

A footnote written under an old picture of the actual weapon, read; “Broken fragments were all that remained of a silah nariin, unearthed beneath the ruins of Saucia.”

“I was a history student eons ago,” the old shopkeeper said. “Long lost civilizations captivated me the most. You can imagine how intrigued I was when you showed me that weapon. Silah Nariins just aren’t made anymore and for good reason.”

“The world has evolved since the time of the Saucian,” Isa said, fingering his glasses into their proper place. “We have more sophisticated ways of destroying one another.”

"I can't argue with that," the shopkeeper chuckled. “But, why bring that to my shop then?”

“For an upgrade.”