As Kaelan was carried back through the twilight streets of Qarth, he reflected on the evening's events. He had made a powerful connection in Mathos Mallarawan—a member of the Thirteen, one of the most influential men in the city. Such an alliance could open doors that would otherwise remain firmly closed to the son of a failed spice merchant.
But there was risk too. The politics of Qarth were deadly, and aligning himself with any faction meant making enemies of others. He would need to tread carefully, using his powers not just to find lost trinkets but to navigate the treacherous currents of power.
By the time he reached his home, night had fully fallen. The city glowed with thousands of lamps and torches, the stars above dimmed by their light. Kaelan dismissed the bearers with a generous tip, then entered his residence, immediately connecting with the scorpions he had left on guard.
All was well. No intruders had attempted entry during his absence.
With his immediate security assured, Kaelan turned his thoughts to the future. His encounters today had confirmed two things: his powers gave him unique advantages in Qarth, and those advantages would make him both valuable and vulnerable.
He needed a more permanent solution to his security concerns. While the scorpions provided a stopgap measure, they wouldn't deter determined attackers. And with wealth accumulating—he now had over sixteen hundred honors to his name, a substantial fortune—he would soon become a tempting target.
The traditional approach would be to hire guards, but that raised problems of trust. How could he be certain of their loyalty? And if he used slaves, the moral complications weighed heavily on him.
No, he needed a different approach. One that leveraged his unique abilities while minimizing his vulnerabilities.
An idea began to form in his mind—a way to establish himself more firmly in Qarth's complex economy while simultaneously addressing his security concerns. The port district was the lifeblood of the city, with merchants from across the known world bringing goods to its wharves. And one of the greatest concerns for those merchants was the safety of their wares during storage.
Vermin were a perpetual problem in warehouses—rats and insects destroying valuable goods, eating through packaging, contaminating foodstuffs. A warehouse guaranteed to be free of such pests would command premium prices.
And who better to ensure such conditions than someone who could control every insect within a three-block radius?
The next morning, Kaelan rose early and made his way to the port district, seeking out the harbormaster. The official, a portly man with the weathered face of a former sailor, listened skeptically to Kaelan's proposal.
"Bug-free storage?" the harbormaster repeated, eyebrows raised. "Every warehouse in Qarth claims the same, boy. They hire rat-catchers and spread poison and still the vermin return."
"My methods are different," Kaelan replied confidently. "So different, in fact, that I'm willing to make an extraordinary guarantee: If a single customer experiences insect damage to their goods in my warehouse, I will not only waive all fees but reimburse them for any losses. Additionally, any valuable items my team discovers during our cleaning processes will be returned to their owners at no charge."
The harbormaster's skepticism visibly deepened. "Bold claims require bold evidence. How would you demonstrate such capability?"
"Allow me to lease one of the smaller warehouses on the eastern wharf—that abandoned one with the damaged roof. Give me one week to prepare it, then send your most skeptical merchants to inspect. If they aren't satisfied, I'll pay a penalty of two hundred honors for wasting your time."
The wager caught the harbormaster's attention. Two hundred honors was a significant sum, suggesting either tremendous confidence or foolish recklessness.
"Very well," he agreed after a moment's consideration. "One week. But the lease will cost you three hundred honors upfront, refundable only if you succeed."
Kaelan concealed his satisfaction as they sealed the agreement. Three hundred honors was steep, but the potential returns were worth the investment. By midday, he had signed the necessary documents and taken possession of his warehouse—a sturdy stone structure that had fallen into disrepair after its roof partially collapsed during a storm.
The first order of business was to arrange for the roof's repair, which he managed by seeking out a contractor recommended by the harbormaster. The work would take three days and cost another two hundred honors, but it was essential for the warehouse to be weatherproof.
While the repairs were underway, Kaelan began the process of making the warehouse truly insect-free—not by eliminating bugs, but by bringing them under his absolute control. He established colonies at strategic points throughout the structure, hidden from casual inspection but positioned to provide complete coverage. Any insect that entered the warehouse would immediately fall under his influence, becoming part of his security system rather than a threat to stored goods.
He also used his growing network of insect spies to identify potential clients, directing his swarm to locate merchants who had recently experienced losses due to vermin. By listening through flies and beetles, he compiled a list of frustrated traders who might be receptive to his unique offering.
On the afternoon of the fourth day, as the roof repairs neared completion, Kaelan was inspecting the warehouse when a commotion at the entrance caught his attention. Through his swarm, he became aware of several men entering—the harbormaster, accompanied by two richly dressed merchants.
"Here he is," the harbormaster announced, gesturing toward Kaelan. "The young man with the extraordinary claims."
One of the merchants, a thin man with a pointed beard dyed blue in the Tyroshi fashion, looked around the warehouse with obvious disdain. "I see nothing extraordinary here, merely an old building with a new roof."
"The extraordinary part isn't visible to the eye, Master...?" Kaelan let the question hang.
"Lazos," the merchant supplied curtly. "Dorio Lazos of Tyrosh. I import dyes and textiles, which are particularly vulnerable to insect damage. The harbormaster tells me you guarantee complete protection from such vermin?"
"I do," Kaelan confirmed. "No insect will damage any goods stored in this warehouse. I stake my reputation and my coin on it."
The second merchant, a corpulent Pentoshi with oiled ringlets and heavy gold chains, laughed derisively. "Bold words from a boy. I've been trading for thirty years, and I've never seen a warehouse completely free of pests. What magic do you claim to possess?"
"Not magic," Kaelan replied smoothly. "Simply effective methods developed through careful study. But rather than debate, perhaps a demonstration would be more convincing?"
He guided them to a corner of the warehouse where he had prepared a simple test. Three crates sat side by side, each containing sacks of grain. Two of the crates were sealed normally; the third had been left partially open.
"These crates have been here for three days," Kaelan explained. "Two are sealed as normal. The third, as you can see, has been left open to deliberately invite infestation." He gestured to the merchants. "Inspect them yourselves. See if you can find a single weevil, moth, or beetle in any of them."
The merchants exchanged skeptical glances but approached the crates. With the harbormaster observing, they opened each one, digging through the grain sacks with increasing disbelief.
"Nothing," the Tyroshi admitted reluctantly. "Not even in the open crate."
"Impossible," the Pentoshi muttered, continuing to sift through the grain. "There are always pests in grain storage. Always."
"Not in my warehouse," Kaelan stated simply.
What the merchants couldn't see was that there were indeed insects present—hundreds of them, in fact. But each was under Kaelan's direct control, instructed to avoid the grain entirely and remain hidden from view.
The harbormaster looked impressed despite himself. "I've never seen anything like it. Though who's to say how long it will last?"
"Hence my guarantee," Kaelan replied. "The first month's storage is half-price for all clients. If a single customer finds insect damage, all fees are waived and damages reimbursed." He turned to the merchants. "What do you say, gentlemen? Would you care to be among my first clients?"
The Tyroshi merchant stroked his pointed beard thoughtfully. "Half price for the first month, with a guarantee of no insect damage... It's an intriguing offer. I have a shipment of silks arriving tomorrow that requires storage."
"And I," the Pentoshi added, "have spices and preserves that are particularly attractive to vermin. I would be willing to try your services, though I remain skeptical of your methods."
"Skepticism is the merchant's shield," Kaelan acknowledged with a slight bow. "I ask only for the opportunity to prove the value of my services."
By sunset, he had secured his first contracts—modest agreements to store the incoming shipments of both merchants, with the harbormaster witnessing the terms. It was a small beginning, but Kaelan knew that word would spread quickly if he delivered on his promises. And with his abilities, he had no doubt that he would.
As he returned to his residence that evening, Kaelan felt a surge of satisfaction. In less than a week, he had established himself as a property owner, made a valuable connection with a member of the Thirteen, and launched a business that played to his unique strengths. For someone who had arrived in Qarth with nothing but the clothes on his back and the power to control insects, it was a remarkable beginning.
But as he settled in for the night, his scorpion guards positioned strategically throughout his home, Kaelan couldn't shake a nagging concern. His rapid rise would inevitably attract attention—not all of it welcome. And while his powers gave him significant advantages, they wouldn't protect him from a knife in the dark or a poisoned cup.
He needed more than just wealth. He needed protection, influence, allies. In a city like Qarth, where power was measured in gold and blood, he would need to tread carefully indeed.