Ali asked Erold to come with him to explore the city of Babylon, so that no one would deceive him, and also to find out where he could find his friend, or obtain any useful information.
Before they left, Ali turned to Jasmine (in an affectionate voice): "Jasmine, do you want anything from the market?"
Jasmine: "No."
Ali and Erold left together. But moments later, Jasmine remembered with surprise and disappointment that there were no vegetables in the house. She tried to catch up with her father but found no trace of him. She said (in a bored voice): "Fine... I'll get them myself."
In the market, Ali was telling Erold about the city: "Here in Babylon, there are many sorcerers, some of whom can actually help you get information. We have some of the best sorcerers, but some are also charlatans."
Erold replied (in a calm voice): "Alright... I have nothing to lose, let's go."
Ali introduced Erold to the market: small shops selling food, and others selling strange things; some valuable, some just junk. There were shops for sorcerers; some selling potions, some working in divination and information gathering, and others claiming to have spells to boost physical strength.
Erold smiled simply, as if he knew everything he saw, but he pretended ignorance and said: "I want to go to one of the senior divination sorcerers."
Ali was surprised and said: "Man, this is your first day in Babylon, and you want to go to senior sorcerers? This could bring you trouble. It is true that you can enter their shops, but no one enters their shrines. The place is monitored by guards and requires a permit."
Erold (with slight annoyance): "Pfff... Is there any way to get in there?"
Ali: "Yes. Tomorrow, the Festival of the Stars will be held. It takes place in the sorcerers' shrines. If we want to enter, we need to bring them something to offer as a sacrifice... a goat."
Ali then continued, explaining the types of shrines: "There is the Shrine of Knowledge, where sorcerers provide predictions about what will happen in the coming days. They are called Star Sorcerers and believe you can acquire the power of a star. But honestly... I don't believe in such nonsense."
He then continued with scorn: "And in the Shrine of Spells, they teach spells to students. Their power varies according to the essence of the mind of each person. And the Shrine of Love? That's for the gullible, those looking for love by any means possible."
Ali then said with clear annoyance: "Damn them, man... they are all losers." Then he changed his tone and said indifferently: "And there is an old, dilapidated shrine that no one enters, even rats stay away from it. If we want them to allow us to enter any of these shrines, we need to bring them a goat, in exchange for their services."
Erold (in surprise): "Why don't they ask for money like the rest of the sorcerers? Is it possible that they sell the goats?"
Ali: "No... the people of Babylon value goats highly. But I don't know why they ask for them."
We move to Jasmine. She returned from the market, and while she was exploring an alley, three unknown men noticed her. She was trying to explore the city alone, as she had dreamed of for a long time; every time she went out with her father, he would tell her: "Babylon is like a hive of wasps, normal from the outside but terrible inside. Don't try to explore it internally. It's dangerous, my child."
She entered the alley, and one of the men grabbed her and said: "Look what we have here! A golden or silver dinar? How much will they pay for you in the slave market?"
Jasmine's eyes widened in fear, and the unknown man's hand covered her mouth while she tried to speak. The other two men approached, and one of them said in astonishment: "A beautiful girl! She might become a servant for the ministers, or even something better... in the Royal Palace!"
Elsewhere, Erold felt something strange. He placed his hand on his hip and said: "Damn... I didn't bring my sword." Then he added in annoyance: "How could I go out without my sword?"
He ran quickly, and Ali called out to him: "Where are you going?" But the road was crowded with people, so he decided to climb and jump between the houses. Erold was a strange mixture of speed and agility.
He found the alley and stood on a rooftop overlooking it. He looked at the scene and analyzed the situation in his mind: Three people... two careless, and the third distracted... but I don't have a weapon.
He noticed that the two men had daggers on their waists, and he said: "So be it..."
The two slave traders were talking to the man restraining Jasmine: "You are very lucky today, Ughrabi. What you found is not to be gambled away, but sold for abundant money." He was laughing.
Ughrabi replied, laughing: "That's why I won't gamble, man." Then he turned his back to them and said in a choked voice: "Guard me until we get out of the tunnels."
A strange sound, like a fast hum, was heard behind Ughrabi.
Erold jumped like a gust of wind from the rooftop to behind the men. He quickly drew their daggers and plunged them into their necks with complete coldness, and said: "I think this rude child does not belong to you, let her go before you regret it, man."
Erold (with complete coldness): "I told you... let her go."
Ughrabi (angrily): "Damn you! I'll kill her just like you killed my companions, I don't care about the money!"
Erold (calmly): "Fine... I wanted you to live."
Ughrabi: "You sound arrogant, man!"
Jasmine suddenly fell from his hands. Ughrabi looked at her, then at his left wrist... his hand was severed, and blood was heavily pouring from it. His hand fell next to Jasmine's face. She opened her eyes in astonishment: "What happened?!"
The man looked at his right hand... it was severed too! He screamed: "What did you do?!"
Erold (mockingly): "How are you still holding your dagger, man?"
The man fell, bleeding, noticing that the tendons in his feet had been cut, and he pleaded: "Please... don't let me die like this."
Erold untied Jasmine's bonds, ignored the man, and said: "Let's go, little one."
The scene shifts to Ali, searching for Erold: "This man is crazy... if I don't find him, he'll get into trouble."
He sees a man with sharp features, with long hair that had some white streaks, carrying a small girl on his shoulder.
Ali shouted: "Jasmine?! What are you doing here alone? How did you two meet? And where did you go, Erold?"
Erold told him everything. Ali's expression changed, and he said (in fear): "Slave traders... the cursed ones. They only care about money. I'll kill them! Where are they?!"
Erold replied coldly: "I killed them."
Ali was surprised: "Three slave traders?! Alone?!"
Erold said: "One of them mentioned his name... Ughrabi."
Ali was shocked: "U-Ughrabi?! Impossible! He was a knight in the Royal Court! He was expelled because of his severity... but he was one of Babylon's most skilled knights! How did you kill him?!"
Erold replied: "I was lucky."
Jasmine looked at him, still on his shoulder, and said: "Luck? Hah! If you are that fast, why didn't you catch me before I fell?"
Erold (teasingly): "I wanted you to fall, you sharp-tongue."
Jasmine screamed, choking him between her legs: "Who's sharp-tongue, you old man?!"
Ali laughed a little and said: "I haven't seen Jasmine like this in a while... Thank you, Erold. Truly, thank you... I owe you my life."
Erold: "Man, you saved me. This is repaying the favor."
Ali smiled and said: "You got it then."