It was in the late afternoon when Elwin and Phee approached the western gates of Sarigold City. Blue was not walking with her two fleshy compatriots… but she was present, obvious to those who knew what to expect.

Outside the gates, there was a sizeable queue owing to the present political circumstances. It seemed that city officials were extra cautious about who could enter the city.

To Elwin’s surprise, there was also a rather large group of people camped outside the city walls. Judging from their attire, grooming, makeshift shelters, and even food situation, it was apparent that it was a community of outcasts.

Elwin was drawing looks from all sorts of people.

Elwin unwittingly met the haggard gaze of an older man from the camp. Before realising it, the elf found the man’s exhausted eyes burning their way into Elwin’s soul. Finding himself staring with wide eyes, Elwin forced himself to look away with unexpected shame.

“There are more homeless outside the city than there used to be,” Phee noted quietly, her voice coming from somewhere on Elwin’s right.

“Homeless?” Elwin asked hollowly. Ellenia had no such homelessness issues, as even the most desperate Ellenian could often fashion themselves home from one of the thousands of trees in the forest and live off the land in comfort. The sheltered elf had no idea how to handle the sight before his eyes.

“Many of them must have been displaced because of the unrest caused by the invasion.”

Elwin wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

The long line crawled forward.

The sun beat down on their shoulders.

A small girl hovered around the line, begging. She was given a small package, presumably of food and water, by an Angel. Then she was promptly shooed away before she could reach Elwin’s.

Though he wasn’t sure what he could do as an individual, the pitiful sight drew his heart. At least the Angels were taking some responsibility for the discord they had sown.

After an hour or so, Phee, Elwin and Blue finally reached the head of the queue, where two figures sat at a wooden table before the gates. A open ledger rested upon it.

“State your business.” The tired customs officer asked, an older man in his forties. The first signs of grey were entering his balding head, but his constitution was strong. He was someone who had served Sarigold for some time it seemed.

The second figure at the customs station was an un-helmeted Angel, standing at attention nearby, regarding them with suspicion.

Elwin caught himself staring at the Angel. Clean-shaven, with an air of self-righteousness about him, emanating from his shiny white and gold beetle-like armour. Cold, unflinching brown eyes stared back.

Phee was surprised to see Lucina’s forces so integrated with the Sarigold authorities but managed to keep her reaction in check.

“We are adventurers from the west. Here to resupply and be commissioned new quests.” Elwin declared, with as much strength and valor he could muster in voice, even as his body ached from the heat and exertion.

All that he needed to do was convince the officers that he was nothing to worry about.

He was covered from head-to-toe in armour cast from familiar silver material. Intricate engravings and designs trimmed its edges, while silver wings sprouted from his back.

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“Meet their expectations, and they’ll not suspect. That is the first, and most crucial step to deceiving someone.” Phee had said.

“We’ll start with you, the adventurer in shining armour. Your name?” the customs officer asked.

Elwin was aware of everyone else around them staring at his extravagant armour in awe.

“Celebrad of house Galadriel.” The young elf managed to say without stumbling.

“An elf, eh? I can’t tell beneath all that armour.” The customs officer said as he looked from Elwin to flicking through the records he held. Then he suddenly froze, looking up slowly at Elwin’s face, studying it for an ounce of surprise or trepidation. “I see no ‘Celebrad’ amidst the knights in the Adventurer’s Guild records.”

Hearing this, the nearby Angel placed a hand on his weapon.

“Ah… please check among the artisans. This armour is merely the reward from our previous commission. I am not actually a knight.” Elwin quickly explained as his heart pounded in his chest. He managed to put on a somewhat confident smile.

The customs officer met Elwin’s gaze suspiciously.

But the middle-aged man’s concerns were quickly cleared as he found what he was looking for.

“My mistake, sir. Welcome to Sarigold. Next!”

Elwin breathed a quiet sigh of relief from beneath his armour as he walked through the gates. He had used his brother’s name. Elwin himself was still yet to be registered with the Adventurers Guild.

The elf stepped past the gates, through Sarigold’s thick outer walls of polished sandstone brick, and emerged into the bustling City of Sarigold.

Shouting, chattering, and the distant sound of hooves on dirt.

This was the outer city limits. Dust and rags were a common sight amidst the low buildings, which sank towards the earth like sickly things. Thin children ran along the streets and played in the gutters, their caregivers peering over them from sagging cloth shelters nearby. Past the sorry scene, numerous decadent, gold-trimmed domes could be seen where the wealthy lived near the city centre.

The naive young elf stopped in his tracks to take in the sights, sounds, and regrettably, the smells.

“Good job getting in.” Said Blue reassuringly in Elwin’s ear.

Phee soon joined them, silently stepping alongside them on the other side of the gate.

“How did you get in so easily?” asked Elwin in surprise.

“The Bloodstones have several trusted personas ready to use at any time. You should expect nothing less from us, or rather, from Rolynd’s planning ability.” Phee explained. “There’s a reason Al Dherjza was able to develop so rapidly in recent times.”

The plan, suggested by Blue, was to reach the Sarigold’s Grand Library in the city’s central district. Sarigold was a place of great knowledge after all, and many a rumour and legend tended to be passed around with coin.

Blue suspected that the Grand Library held books that one would struggle to find elsewhere, particularly in the library’s restricted section that was famously costly to enter. There were stories of unknowing patrons being charged exorbitant amounts after spending a whole day there. After all, one was charged based on the amount of time spent perusing its exquisite knowledge.

Luckily with Blue’s (literally) photographic memory and superhuman processing abilities, the three of them were in a uniquely favourable position to take advantage of the system.

And, if the library failed, there was a good chance they could pick up the trail from an information dealer… so long as they had the coin.

Rolynd was quite convinced that the Shimmering Sea, between the golden domes of Sarigold City, and the enchanted sandstone-carved homes of Al Dherjza, was home to a Labyrinth Gate… but they had no idea where in the million square kilometres it could possibly be.

According to Phee, Al Dherjzan forces had apparently searched the area for the greater part of a year, but without any success. The sheer size of the Shimmering Sea combined with the geographical difficulty of supplying an expedition there made the great expanse an even greater mystery. And that was before one considered the danger of the giant metal serpents that swam amongst the sandy dunes.

Navigational routes and techniques used to cross the sea by merchants and ferrymen alike were closely guarded secrets no amount of wealth could pay for.

Elwin, Blue and Phee began to make their way to the centre of Sarigold. Passing by slum-houses and people sleeping on the sides of the road. Elwin in particular was taken aback at the sight of poverty. The homeless and outcasts outside the gates had been enough of a shock, but subconsciously he had expected that to be the extent of the problem.

“I don’t understand, how can people be starving like this?” Elwin asked aloud, full of sadness and confusion.

At a naïve statement like this, Kari would’ve scoffed and shaken his head.

Phee looked at Elwin with a mixture of offence and confusion, but then with a sort of pity. She opened her mouth to respond, but Blue spoke first.

“I suppose when you live in such a privileged place as Ellenia, you don’t learn about such problems as this. Did you not pay attention in your classes?” the priestess asked.