Even though his village was one of the closest to the city, it would still take time to arrive there. Luckily, he was by himself, he had a horse, and he didn't have a heavy load. For a large group, it would probably take seven or eight hours, but he would likely be there in five hours.
He stopped only a few times to rest his horse. By the time he reached the city gates, there was still time before the sun was overhead.
He had only ever been there once in his lifetime. Usually, quite a few people from the village went to the city to trade after the harvest, and twice a year, trade caravans came to them. Adventurers and archaeologists had also been visiting their village frequently in recent years. All of these people passed through the city of Thage.
Actually, the city's name used to be Thagham, but after the war, the Symranians called it Thage because it was easier to pronounce.
Arsh approached the southern gate. There were guards to keep records of people and goods entering and leaving the city. Some of the guards stationed there were Kurshan, while others were Symranian. He showed his identification documents to them and pass the gates without a problem.
As he entered the city, he realized nothing had changed, not even in the slightest, since he had come here as a child with his father for the first time. The streets were crowded with thousands of people, each looking different, dressed differently, and speaking different languages.
Two-story, sand-colored Thagham-style buildings stood side by side along the streets. Under the awnings on the ground floors, small stools were scattered about where people sat in the shade. The fronts of some shops overflowed with carpets, copperware, and clay pots.
Spicy aromas drifting from the shops mingled with the scent of incense being sold at a stall a little farther ahead.
As Arsh moved deeper into the city, he noticed the silhouette of the streets beginning to change. The Symran-style buildings he had seen in books rose in the city center, their many-storied structures casting shadows over the streets and the traditional Thagham houses.
He didn't go into the city center. Instead, he headed for the outer districts. It was hard to move through the crowded streets with a horse. Since he wouldn't need it anymore, he sold his horse. Then, he started looking for a place to stay for a few days. After walking around for a while, he picked an inn that looked clean enough.
There wasn't much in the room. A chair and a table by the window, along with a bed, were the only pieces of furniture. After tossing his belongings onto the bed, he slumped into the chair. The fast journey had worn him out. But there were things he had to do before the day ended. As he sat there for a while, watching the people passing by outside, he went over his plan in his head.
Searching for Professor Millway and his group within the city was pointless now. They had most likely left already. Even if they were still here, he needed more information about them: their names, where they were staying, where they came from, and where they were going next... If they had already left Thage or were about to leave, they only had two options: the train or the ship.
Arsh thought they had probably left by ship, but he still needed to find out which city they were headed to. He had a couple of guesses, but he needed to narrow it down to one. Otherwise, it would be a long time before he could find them. He had to act fast to keep from missing his chance.
The night before he set out, the Surhamil elders had told him about a man named Nesame. They wanted Arsh to ask him for help and inform him about the deaths of his relatives. He originally from Surhamil, but he had moved to the city after marrying a woman from Thage. He now worked as a guard at the gates.
Arsh planned to find him today. He hoped that through Nesame, he could get the information he needed from the city's records.
After resting for a while, Arsh asked the innkeeper for the location of the guard office and left. Security seemed high around the office. He could see many guards in navy blue uniforms, carrying guns on every corner. When he arrived at the guard office, he saw Kurshan guards standing watch at the entrance to the courtyard.
Arsh approached the men.
"Arianna's blessing be upon you. I'm looking for a relative of mine who works as a guard. How can I find him?"
"What is your relative's name?" asked the bearded guard.
"His name is Nesame."
The guard shook his head. "He is on duty at the west gate right now. Come back this afternoon."
Arsh thanked them and left.
Until he could find Nesame, Arsh decided to take care of his other tasks. He had plenty of money with him. The elders had been generous. They had even added some of their own savings to his.
But carrying so much cash was a problem. People back home who had done business in Thage advised him to deposit his money in a bank. He knew such a system existed, but he wasn't sure how it worked. They had told him to go to Moneta Bank. If he deposited his money there, he could withdraw it safely in other cities or Symran colonies. It was a safer way to travel.
When he entered the bank, he was met with strange stares from the people inside. The security guard at the door stopped him and asked why he had come. After pausing for a moment, he led him to a woman sitting behind a desk in a partitioned area.
Arsh was well aware that everyone in the bank was looking at him as if he didn't belong there. He understood why. He was the only person dressed that way, in his long white tunic and the veil covering his face.
When the young woman saw Arsh, she scoffed.
"Yes? State your business," she said, without even looking him in the eye.
"I want to deposit money. One thousand aurins," he said in Symranian. This time, the woman's eyes turned toward him with curiosity. She pulled some papers and a pen from her desk drawer and handed them to him.
"I see. Please fill out these forms."
Arsh ifted the veil from his face and began filling out the papers. The woman watched him for a moment, then asked,
"Can you read them?"
She wanted to be sure that he could understand Symranian. She was usually responsible for the Kurshans, as she was the only one in the bank who could speak their language. Generally, it was difficult to deal with people who had no idea how the banking system worked.
'Of course,' Arsh said with a smile.
The woman smiled back. It was interesting for her to see a native speak Symranian so well.
But something seemed off. This guy looked very young.
"Hmm… If you want to open an account, you need to be of age. We can't open one for a minor without a guardian. How old are you?"
Arsh looked at her in bewilderment. No one had told him about this.
"I don't have a guardian. I lost them recently and inherited this money. It wouldn't be safe for me to carry this much money on my own, would it?"
The woman wasn't sure what to do.
"No, of course not. Wait here for a moment."
When she returned, she gave a slight smile before sitting down.
"I've spoken with the manager. Unfortunately, we cannot help you. Since you're a minor, you need a guardian or a guarantor to make a deposit."
Realizing there was no point in arguing, Arsh thanked her and left the bank.
He hadn't met Nesame yet, but perhaps he could ask him to be his guarantor. But he needed to secure at least some of the money he had with him. During his journey, this money was the only thing he could rely on.
After wandering the streets for a while and getting something to eat, he started walking toward the guard office again to find Nesame. But then, he got a strange feeling.
He felt like someone was following him.
'Is it possible someone saw me at the bank and is tailing me now?' he thought, picking up his pace.
He wasn't sure if someone was actually following him or if he was imagining it. His instincts had been sharp in the desert, but the city was a different story. There were too many people, and he couldn't fully sense his surroundings.
'Whatever. I'm going to the guard office,' he thought. 'If someone really is following me, they'll stop once I get there.'
When he arrived, the guards at the door were different this time. Arsh repeated the same question he had asked in the morning. After scrutinizing him for a moment, one of the guards finally gestured for him to follow.
"Come with me," the guard said.
He led Arsh into the courtyard and told him to wait there. A few minutes later, a man in his thirties with a short beard appeared alongside the guard. He was of medium height and looked at Arsh with furrowed brows, as if he wasn't sure whether he recognized him or not.
When they reached the courtyard, Arsh greeted Nesame.
"May Arienne's blessing be upon you. I was sent by the elders of Surhamil. Do you have a moment?"
When Nesame heard the name of his hometown, a smile appeared on his face.
"Of course, brother. Come with me."
They left the courtyard together and sat on stools at a tea shop across the street.
"If I'm not mistaken, you're not from our town. Who are you, and what brings you here? Tell me," he said with a friendly smile.
Arsh calmly summarized what had happened. But as he spoke, he noticed the change in Nesame's expression. A few of the people from their town had been his friends and distant relatives. Hearing about their deaths left him in shock.
"When he first saw Arsh, his face had brightened, thinking he had brought news from home, but now it was frozen. He didn't speak for a moment, then finally asked,
"Why?"
"I guess the reason doesn't matter," Arsh replied.
They sat in silence for a while. Arsh didn't want to beat around the bush.
"Can you help me?"
Nesame looked at the young boy. He couldn't even imagine the fear Arsh must have felt, yet his face showed no emotion. If it had been him, he probably would have gone crazy after such an event.
"Whatever you need, just tell me. If it is something I am capable of, I will help."
"You work at the gate. You can see the records of everyone who enters the city, right? Help me find the records of the people who did this to our people. I need their names, where they came from, and where they went... Even the smallest piece of information you can find is important to me."
"I can do it, but it will take time. I don't have the right to look at the records myself, but I can ask the other guards. Let's meet again tomorrow. Where are you staying?"
Arsh told him the name of his inn. Then, he described every detail he could remember about Professor Millway and his men.
After talking for a while, they went their separate ways.
…
Late at night, Arsh arrived at the inn and went straight to his room.
Inside, there was no light. Only a thin beam of moonlight slipped through the closed curtain, illuminating a single corner while the rest of the room remained in darkness.
Arsh let himself collapse onto the bed, feeling exhausted.
A few seconds passed. He exhaled slowly, then spoke into the darkness.
"Who are you?"