Chapter 31 - 29- Mazrakh (I)

The Travelling Market had another name. They called it Mazrakh, a home of Greed and Secrets.

The market could barely be found, and those who did find it were usually people who already had business with the ones who gathered there. They had set up at the foot of Mount Gali, or at least the harmless ones had.

These were the merchants who sold stolen jewels, slightly cursed artifacts, strange potions, and other things that, at first glance, could pass for the usual goods found in any night market. Lanterns hung from crooked wooden stalls, merchants called out to passing customers, and people moved through the narrow paths as if this were nothing more than an ordinary market.

But it wasn’t.

The real Black Market was inside the mountain.

The true Mazrakh was inside a cave behind an illusion of black stone, almost impossible to notice unless you already knew where to look. There were guards around the entrance. They dressed like ordinary people, some disguised as merchants, but there were weapons hidden beneath their cloaks.

That was the entrance for buyers.

The merchants took another route, and that was the route Darian was on. It was at the side of the mountain, and this time the guards actually looked like guards. There was a line where they checked the goods being brought in and decided whether they were worthy of entering the market.

Darian looked behind him to where Ryver stood with Neria, both of them in chains. He had gotten Ryver a collar. The elf clearly didn’t like it, but he had no choice to wear it.

Neria had been quiet, though her eyes kept wandering everywhere, taking in everything around her. There were other merchants waiting in line with cages, covered carts, and other people bound in chains. Some of the goods were animals, while others were people.

He had covered Neria’s face with a bit of dirt and made her wear rags, fitting the description of a typical slave about to be sold. He had tried to do the same for Ryver, but the elf had forbidden him from putting dirt on his face.

So he looked slightly cleaner.

When it was close to their turn, Darian stepped back slightly without turning toward them. His voice was low enough that only the two of them could hear. "The both of you keep to the plan."

His pupils moved to the corner of his eye, giving him a better look at Neria.

"Behave."

Neria lowered her head.

She understood what he meant. No questions. No crying. No trying anything strange. They were supposed to look like nothing more than slaves brought here to be sold.

Soon it was their turn.

Darian grabbed both their chains and pulled them forward, forcing them to move closer to the table.

A burly-looking man stood behind it, a large beard covering most of his face. A scarf was wrapped around his head, and a sword rested at his side. His eyes moved over Darian first before looking at the two behind him.

"Name and goods," he asked gruffly his accent still thick.

"I go by... Zeke." Darian stepped aside, giving the man a better look at them. "And I am selling an Alsharra Elf and a Calypso."

The man’s eyes narrowed. "Calypsos don’t have legs."

His eyes drifted toward Neria, lingering on her legs a bit more than Darian would like before moving toward Ryver. "And Alsharras are dead."

Darian gave a cold chuckle.

"I only sell the rarest things, my friend." He grabbed Neria by the arm and forced her closer. "You can test them. She’s truly a Calypso, and he’s an Alsharra Elf."

The man’s expression changed slightly. He looked more interested now, though he tried not to show it.

His eyes moved over Neria again.

"Musi, bring the orb."

A younger man standing nearby nodded and disappeared behind the small wooden building beside them.

Neria kept her head lowered, but Darian could feel her fingers tightening around the chains.

He glanced at her for only a moment.

She looked nervous.

Couldn’t really blame her.

The younger man came out holding a glowing orb carefully with both hands. He walked toward the table slowly, as if the thing in his hands could break from the slightest movement. He placed it gently on the table before stepping back, leaving the bigger man to examine it.

Without a word, the man grabbed Neria by the arm and pulled her closer. He reached for the dagger at his side, drawing it without much thought.

Darian’s hand moved before he could even think about it. He yanked Neria back, his eyes narrowing at the man.

The man raised a brow. "I need her blood."

He twirled the blade between his fingers, a small smirk appearing on his face. "So quick to have her back?"

Darian frowned. "I don’t like others hurting what belongs to me."

He reached into his belt and pulled out his own dagger.

Neria looked up at him, but Darian didn’t give her time to question what he was doing. He took her hand and held one of her fingers between his own. With the tip of the dagger, he pricked the flesh.

Neria winced.

A small bead of red blood formed on her fingertip. Darian guided her hand toward the orb, letting the blood fall onto its surface.

For a moment, nothing happened.

The man stared at the orb, then at Neria. Suspicion slowly crept into his expression.

Darian remained still, watching him carefully.

Then the orb suddenly lit up.

A bright blue glow spread through the glass, filling it from the inside.

The burly guard’s eyes widened. He quickly grabbed the orb from the table, staring at the blue light in disbelief.

"Wait... She really is a Calypso."

Darian gave him a smug look. "Told you. I only sell the rarest."

The man barely seemed to hear him. His eyes went back to Neria, and his expression changed from disbelief to something far more interested.

"How much is she?" he asked. "I can buy her off your hands right now."

Darian’s expression hardened.

There was something in the man’s voice that he didn’t like. His eyes wandered over Neria in a way that made Darian’s hand slowly tighten around the dagger.

"She’s only to be sold to the highest bidder." His voice was cold enough to snap the man out of whatever thoughts he was having.

The guard looked at him for a moment before giving a small scoff. "Of course."

Darian didn’t lower his dagger.

Neria remained beside him, her head lowered as she had been instructed.

The man placed the glowing orb back on the table.

"And the elf?" His eyes moved toward Ryver. "Let’s see if your other claim is worth anything too."

Darian pulled Ryver closer, grabbing his hand and doing the same thing he had done with Neria. He pricked the tip of his finger and held it over the orb, letting a few drops of blood fall onto its surface.

The orb glowed a soft green before slowly dying down after a few seconds.

The man nodded. "Mm... You’re really legit?" He raised his head and looked behind them. His eyes moved over Darian, then Ryver and Neria again before he frowned slightly. "Only these two?"

"Rarities are hard to find," Darian said coolly.

The guard nodded, apparently taking his explanation without question. He reached into a bag beneath the table and pulled out a small token. An eye had been carved into its surface.

The Mazrakh Merchant’s Token.

He handed it to Darian.

Darian took it without saying anything, turning it slightly between his fingers before putting it away.

He grabbed their chains again and began pulling them along. As they passed through the entrance, he heard the guard call after him.

"If you ever find a Calypso like that, I’d like to buy her... Or this one."

Darian’s lips pressed together.

For a moment, he seriously considered turning around and punching the man.

Instead, he forced himself to keep walking.

He turned his head slightly. "Of course..." The words came out tight.

Soon they were inside.

His grip on their chains loosened, and after they reached the merchant’s caves, he stopped pulling altogether.

The place was far bigger than he had expected.

There were merchants everywhere, their voices filling the caves. Some were talking among themselves, while others were arguing over stall space. A few were standing beside their goods, checking cages and crates to make sure everything was still intact.

There were creatures Darian had never seen before, along with weapons, strange objects, and people being treated like nothing more than merchandise.

Neria’s eyes wandered around the place despite the fact that she was supposed to be playing a slave. Darian noticed the way she kept looking around, trying to take everything in even though she couldn’t see properly.

He was about to tell her to stop when she suddenly bumped into someone.

The man turned immediately.

"Watch your slave, idiot!"

He pulled his cage closer as he passed them. Inside was a Phoenix, its feathers glowing faintly beneath the dim lights of the cave.

Darian pulled Neria closer before she could stumble again.

"Sorry. I couldn’t see him..." she apologized quietly, lowering her head.

Darian sighed, "It’s not your fault."

His eyes roamed over the crowded cave, searching for somewhere they could stand without drawing too much attention. He finally found a small space between two merchant crates.

He pulled them along.

"We need to find Dhull," Ryver said.

Darian nodded, his eyes already roaming across the crowded caves. "He must be with the other information tra—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Across the cave, among the merchants and their goods, stood someone he knew better than he wanted to.

Someone who was trouble.

The Emperor’s right-hand man.