Valisar hummed with life under the midday sun, its bustling streets a vibrant tapestry of color and sound. Shops lined the cobblestone paths, their awnings fluttering in the breeze as merchants hawked their wares—spiced breads, glittering jewelry, and bolts of silk that shimmered like captured sunlight. Children darted through the crowds, their laughter mingling with the calls of vendors and the clatter of horse-drawn carts. People from all walks of life thronged the avenues: nobles in fine velvets, artisans with calloused hands, and travelers cloaked in road-dust. The air was rich with the scents of roasted nuts, fresh herbs, and blooming flowers from nearby gardens, an illusion of prosperity and peace.
Magnus Caldryn and Rhea Varyn had arrived in the capital the previous night, weary from the road, but undeterred. After securing rooms at a modest tavern on the city's edge, they had bathed to wash away the grime of travel. The hot water had soothed Magnus's lingering aches from the Black Mountain skirmish, his Level Two Shadow Dantian pulsing faintly as it recovered.
Now, refreshed and dressed in plain tunics to blend with the locals, they sat at a wooden table in the tavern's common room. The innkeeper had served them plates of sizzling pork fry, the meat tender and spiced with garlic and herbs, alongside mugs of clear water. Magnus ate methodically, his crimson eyes scanning the room, while Rhea picked at her food, her grey eyes alert for any sign of pursuit from the Gilded Ledger or the Valisar kingdom's shadows.
"This city looks too perfect," Rhea muttered between bites, her voice low. "The undercity's where the real rot hides. We need to move soon the scroll's map points to a grate in the market district."
Magnus nodded, his sinister smile hidden behind a sip of water. "We'll scout first. Valisar supports that criminal hub for a reason. We'll find that woman and make them spill everything."
After finishing their meal, they paid with a few zerk coins and ventured into the busy streets. The avenues were alive with energy: a street performer juggled flaming torches to the cheers of a crowd, a baker handed out samples of honeyed pastries to wide-eyed children, and merchants bartered loudly over exotic spices from distant lands. Magnus and Rhea roamed with purpose, their cloaks drawn close to avoid attention. But the city's facade of harmony shattered when they turned into a narrower alley.
A burly man in rough clothes towered over a small boy, his fist raised as he shouted, "You little thief! Steal from me again, and I'll break your bones!"
The child, no older than ten, cowered on the ground, his thin frame bruised and his eyes wide with terror. A few onlookers glanced over but hurried past, unwilling to intervene.
Magnus's crimson eyes flashed with rage. He stepped forward, seizing the man's wrist in a vice-like grip. The man yelped, turning with a snarl, but froze as shadows coiled around Magnus like living tendrils, crimson eyes burning with menace.
"If you touch this kid again," Magnus growled, his voice low and chilling, "you'll see my wrath."
The man paled, his bravado crumbling under the weight of Magnus's aura. "H-he stole my bread!" he stammered.
Magnus tightened his grip until bones creaked, forcing the man to wince and release the boy. With a shove, he sent the brute stumbling back. The onlookers whispered in awe as the bully fled into the crowd.
Rhea watched from a few steps away, her grey eyes narrowed but approving.
Magnus knelt beside the child, his expression softening slightly. The boy trembled, dirt-streaked and malnourished, his clothes little more than rags. Magnus pulled a waterskin from his belt and handed it to him.
"Here, drink."
The boy took it hesitantly, gulping down the cool water. Magnus then offered a strip of beef jerky from his travel rations. "Eat this. It'll help."
The boy's eyes widened, and he snatched the jerky, tearing into it hungrily. Between bites, Magnus asked gently, "Why were you stealing?"
Tears welled in the child's eyes. "My mom... she's hungry and sick. I was stealing food for her." His voice cracked, his small shoulders shaking as he wiped his face with a dirty sleeve.
Magnus felt a rare twinge in his chest. Alex Laurus had known no such vulnerability, but this boy's plight stirred something human in him. He patted the child's head, his large hand unexpectedly gentle.
"What's your name, boy?"
The boy sniffled. "Avar."
Magnus nodded. "Avar, can you show me your place?"
The child hesitated, fear clouding his face. "Why?"
Magnus's voice held a quiet promise, "I Want to meet the head of that place"
Avar's eyes widened in panic, his body tensing. "No, no! Please, they'll kill my mother!" His breaths came in short gasps, panic seizing him as tears streamed down his cheeks.
Magnus knelt lower, pulling him into a gentle embrace. "Shh, it's okay. I won't let anything happen to you."
Slowly, Avar's shaking subsided, replaced with reluctant trust. "Okay... I'll show you."
They followed him through twisting alleys. The vibrant market gave way to a darker Valisar. The gleaming city was only a polished mask, this was its hidden face. Shanties huddled in narrow streets, the air thick with sewage and despair. Beggars lined the corners, hollow eyes pleading for scraps, while criminals prowled like wolves.
In one alley, a group of thugs beat a frail man, kicking him as he curled on the ground.
"Please, don't take my money," the man begged weakly. "I just wanted a gift for my daughter—her birthday is coming…"
The lead criminal laughed, a cruel kekeke echoing. "It's our money now, old man." With a flash of steel, he slashed the man's chest open, blood spilling into the dirt. The victim gasped, clutching the wound as life ebbed away, while the thugs rifled his pockets without remorse.
Magnus's hands twitched toward his sabers, crimson eyes blazing with murderous intent. "What is this kingdom?" he growled. "The rich stay rich, and the poor are beaten, starved, slaughtered like animals."
Rhea's grey eyes hardened. "Valisar is rotten to the core. No wonder they harbor the Gilded Ledger."
Magnus was ready to unleash his shadow qi and paint the alley red, but Avar clutched his arm desperately. "Please don't! If you fight, they'll kill us all. Please…"
Magnus bit his lip, swallowing his fury. Wait, you bastards. Soon you'll taste these sabers.
"Alright, Avar," he said, his voice strained. "Lead on."
They reached a dilapidated shack on the slum's edge, its walls patched with scraps of wood and cloth, the roof sagging under neglect. Inside, the air was stale, lit by a single flickering candle.
A woman lay on a threadbare bed, emaciated and pale, her breathing shallow. She lifted her head weakly as Avar rushed in, a faint smile crossing her lips.
"My son... you came," she whispered, her voice fragile.
Avar held up the jerky with trembling hands. "Mom, I got food. This man gave it to me. Please, eat."
Her gaunt face softened with gratitude. "Oh, Avar... you didn't steal again, did you?" She took a small bite, savoring it as strength flickered in her eyes. "This… this is good. But where did it come from?"
Avar looked back toward the door. "They helped me. The man stopped the shopkeeper from hurting me."
The woman's gaze shifted, her weak eyes widening as she saw Magnus's imposing frame in the doorway, crimson eyes softened for the moment, and Rhea beside him, watchful yet kind.
"Who… who are you?" she asked faintly, fear and hope warring in her expression.
Magnus stepped forward, his voice gentle. "We're friends. My name is Magnus, and this is Rhea. We want to help."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Help? In this place? The criminals… they'll come for us if you stir trouble."
Magnus knelt by her bed, resolve burning in his crimson gaze. "Not if I stir it first. Tell me about Valisar the real Valisar. Why is it like this?"
And as she spoke of corruption, of nobles fattening themselves while the poor were ground to dust beneath the heel of the kingdom, Magnus's rage built anew. The Gilded Ledger was only a piece of the puzzle. The true enemy was the Valisar kingdom itself.
Avar clutched his mother's hand tightly, the shadows outside deepening, promising a storm to come.
To be continued in Chapter 13…