The Twice-Enchanted Blade: Part 2

Mooring at the docks, we noticed an unexpected welcoming committee waiting for us. An important-looking bearded man, dressed in an ornate robe and wearing an impressive dark-blue turban, greeted us with a well-practiced smile. He was flanked by about a dozen guards dressed in silver parade armor.

“Ah, the expedition from Manea! We have been expecting you. I am Nuri-bey, the harbormaster of S’urchin, and I am here to extend our welcome in the name of His Highness Emir Suleiman. In his correspondence with His Majesty King Philoctetes, His Highness noticed your organization was frequently mentioned and grew interested in meeting you personally. I am here to make sure you enter the country without any issue with the customs officers, after which you will be put under the care of the mayor’s office. It is His Highness’ personal wish that your transit through our territory should be a comfortable one”.

We followed him through the docks, where Nuri-bey theatrically explained to the customs workers that we were special envoys from Manea and were to be let through pronto, along with all our belongings. I am certain the workers were briefed about this beforehand, and that this little speech was orchestrated for our ears, to accentuate Al-Tenian hospitality.

“Looks like you worried for nothing”, I smirked smugly at Annabel, “It seems everything was dealt with on a higher level”.

“This one time I’m glad I was wrong”, she responded.

Once we were out on the streets, another official greeted us, escorting us to a khan, which was reserved for our personal use. The building was luxurious, and it was evident that Al-Tenians spared no expense trying to make us feel at home.

We were informed that we would leave for the capital city of Zh’el-Ezniq on the third morning from our arrival, when a barge would be organized to take us upstream. Once there, the emir intended to throw a reception party for us in order to hear the stories of our exploits in detail. I found it slightly humorous that two respectable monarchs were exchanging correspondence about the misadventures of what amounted to a ragtag group of government-sanctioned tomb raiders, but I kept such musings to myself.

I spent the next morning mostly lounging around the khan’s lush inner garden, then took a walk around the town’s labyrinthine narrow streets, most of which were covered from above by sheets of fabric attached to opposing walls – an important protection from heat. The following day, most of us went to check out the local bazaars. They all converged at a central plaza, itself full of merchants and entertainers of every stripe, with a huge, intricately designed fountain in the middle. From there, a maze of streets and smaller squares was filled to the brim with peddlers selling their wares. It was said that anything could be found in S’urchin’s bazaars, as merchandise from all corners of the world converged in this location. From spell tomes and rare books, to spices and live animals, to such a variety of fabrics and jewelry that one could find something desirable regardless of the depth of one’s purse, to exotic weapons and armor – everything was up for purchase. Annabel and Civet went on a shopping spree, while Spiridon and Iocasta spent most of the day trying to prevent them from wasting all of our funds. As for myself, I found a strange suit of armor made of some sort of beige chitin. What I found stranger still is that it was almost a perfect fit for me, as most of my armor had to be tailor-made to suit my strange proportions. The merchant spun a yarn about golden cities and dangerous dragon-infested mountains through which the armor had to make its way, but it seemed to me that it came from some southern kingdom he was unfamiliar with, and he likely got it second- or third-hand. I managed to get him to lower the price first by pointing out that the armor’s unusual size made it difficult to sell, and then threatening to leave the store, acting as if I were outraged by how much he was asking. Eventually, we agreed on a price I was willing to pay – still a nifty sum, but since our travel expenses were unexpectedly handled by the Al-Teinan government, I was willing to splurge – and, judging by the smug smile the peddler was trying his best to hide, he probably got it for way less himself.

The following day, our journey was to continue. Our barge was a large, comfortable vessel, staffed by experienced boatmen. It was a typical type of transport along the Torcus – a small-draft boat dragged by a sauropod. These turtle-shelled, long-necked monstrosities couldn’t swim, but instead walked along the river bottom. In spite of their intimidating size, they were perfectly tame and were content doing their job as long as they were getting fed.

It was a mere two days’ journey from S’Urchin to Zh’el-Ezniq, the river flanked on both sides by rich farmland. We reached the ancient city and were given accommodation within its imposing stone citadel. The next day, the Emir organized a grand feast in our honor. “Well, well, if it isn’t the future Duke of Tetrahendor!”, he took particular notice of Rhombus, “I don’t know if you remember me, but your father brought you along on a diplomatic mission when you were this little”, he made a motion with his hand indicating the typical size of a toddler.

“It pains me greatly to have to say that I scarcely remember that journey, Your Highness”, responded the young noble, with an uncharacteristic amount of tact, “but for the fact that I found my first foray into travelling both terrifying and fascinating, and that I found your kind presence comforting”.

Emir was a middle-aged, gray-bearded man with the look of someone who had been a fierce warrior once but had considerably mellowed out in the meantime. He dressed fairly modestly for a person of his station, wearing simple white garments, but he radiated authority. It was clear he was the most important person in the room, and not any of the extravagantly dressed government officials, who seemed downright gaudy in comparison.

It was a pleasant evening, all things considered. The Emir showed a similar interest in our exploit as the King, so he spent a good chunk of time talking to us. The food provided for the occasion was exquisite. Though I am sure the ruler himself would have preferred a simpler meal, there was a number of high-ranking officials present who were used to luxury, and the Emir was a gracious host. There was pastry sculpted in various shapes, stuffed with all sorts of fillings; different kinds of meat and fish, the highlight of which was an entire roast terror bird with a suckling pig stuffed inside it; there were rice dishes and vegetable dishes and weird delicacies such as larks’ tongues in aspic; in the end there was a selection of sweets and fruits, some of which I hadn’t seen before and a few I haven’t seen since. It wouldn’t be right, of course, for men of such high status as some present were to dine without entertainment, so there were musicians and dancers and jugglers and fire eaters. The event lasted until the early hours of the morning, but we were not to laze around the following day. Some time back, Emir’s men had discovered some unfamiliar ancient ruins that were buried under sand. He spared no expense to dig them out and was ecstatic to show them off to foreign experts in all things antique as soon as possible.

I didn’t know quite what to expect, but upon getting to the ruins, I would be shocked beyond my wildest dreams.