Bleist stopped beside Bellator to catch his breath for a moment before he had to start weighing his words again. He was capable of doing so, some would say he was very good at it, but it was exhausting all the same. What's more, it was slowly becoming apparent that something he'd previously been unable to imagine living without seemed to bring nothing but trouble, and his thoughts kept drifting towards his apprentice. Ever since Draco had turned up, everything had been changing. Some things quickly, others more slowly. For some reason, that thought brought a wry smile to his face.
'It seems someone has been watching the lake very closely.' Darius almost flinched at the sound of Rex's voice right behind him. 'You could say it's a truly royal welcome.'
'Yes, and Lieutenant Al-Satar was the first to arrive, not the governor.' The colonel turned to his deputy. 'Perhaps that's for the best. I'm not particularly keen on meeting Murphy.'
'I'm afraid we can't avoid it.' The corporal smiled wryly. 'Do you remember those sentries at the gate?'
Darius managed to let out a few expletives before biting his tongue.
'I would have forgotten all about them,' he said gloomily and quickly peered into the saddlebags. Inside was a small box with its illicit contents. 'Indeed, that will need sorting out too.'
'At least that should go smoothly.'
'Don't count your chickens before they're hatched.' Darius no longer had the slightest inclination to assume that anything would go well.
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The welcome on the quay must have been organised at short notice. The military cleared almost everyone away from the ferry mooring and cordoned off that section of the harbour fairly tightly. However, this did not mean that the traces of everyday life suddenly vanished from the area. Old bins, hastily cleared stalls, rubbish strewn across the cobblestones, partially unloaded carts – it was all there. And in the middle of it all stood a lieutenant in what looked like a new grey infantry uniform and a turban on his head. It seemed that units serving in Africa were in the habit of adding this item to their military attire. A scimitar with an ornate hilt hung from the officer's belt. The middle-aged man of Arab appearance seemed nervous and perhaps a little frightened. He stood at full attention the whole time, his uncertain gaze following every Guardsman moving across the deck of the mooring barge.
Darius disembarked first, followed immediately by Rex and the imposing, heavily armoured men of the Ruby Guard. It was only when they approached the welcoming committee that the lieutenant had a chance to notice the insignia worn by Bleist, and the local commander's knees buckled and his face turned ashen. Even standing in the scorching heat pouring down from the sky, the man was drenched in cold sweat. However, he retained enough common sense to involuntarily move towards the Guardsmen and salute, giving it his all.
'Lieutenant Imar Al-Satar of the Land Army of the Kingdom of Atlantis, commander of the Bushtabhar garrison!' he chanted with practised ease. 'It is an honour to welcome such distinguished guests.' Yet the officer's face told a completely different story; clearly, he would have preferred the uninvited visitors to vanish as quickly as possible.
-Colonel Darius Bleist of the Azure Guard, Military Advisor to the Grand Master.' Earl glanced over all the soldiers present, noticing nothing suspicious. 'This is my deputy, Corporal Rex Interdale.' He pointed to his subordinate, who was once again playing the part of a stern and strict officer. 'I must admit, I wasn't expecting a welcome.'
'I apologize; had I known earlier, I would have prepared something…'
'Not necessary,' Darius interrupted him. 'I didn't want a formal welcome at all, so please don't worry. Nevertheless, thank you.'
'It's my duty, Colonel.' Al-Satar almost bit his tongue. 'I imagine you gentlemen are tired after such a long journey. Rooms have been prepared for you in the citadel, so if you would like...'
'Indeed, a conversation in a more private setting would be advisable.' Bleist noticed the lieutenant's face twitch involuntarily.
'But of course, please follow me...'
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The journey through Bushtabhar was by no means unpleasant. The town itself was teeming with life, filled with the buzz of conversation, crowds hurrying in all directions, loud cries, and a myriad of sounds merging into a strange symphony. The side streets and every available space were crammed with all manner of stalls, drawing crowds of people. Yet everyone almost instinctively parted before the passing unit. Darius even had the impression that everyone present was doing their utmost not to look in the direction of the soldiers.
He, too, quickly gave up looking around, for from the height of his bess's saddle he could see little more than the tops of heads in the jostling crowd. He suspected that a leisurely stroll through Bushtabhar must have been an interesting experience. He had no desire, however, to find out if that was actually the case. He had a job to do, not time for sightseeing. And this heat, too. He grumbled to himself. The sooner we get out of here, the better.
They found themselves in front of the citadel quite unexpectedly. A winding alley, covered with coloured sheets of fabric, suddenly opened out onto a square, on the other side of which rose a hill topped with fortifications. A narrow path wound its way uphill to an open gate. As they drove up it, they had the chance to take in a slightly better view of the city, which from this perspective revealed a somewhat different side of Bushtabhar. Whilst from the opposite shore of the lake they had seen the harbour, the most important buildings and houses stretching far in both directions, from this vantage point they had the opportunity to see what had previously been hidden from their view.
The citadel, the temple and the governor's palace were situated on the town's main square, which was rectangular in shape and had its shorter side facing the lake. The entire area was planted with tall date palms providing at least some shade. The fortress had been erected, as it were, at the northern end of the square, the temple roughly halfway along the eastern edge, and the palace on the western side, slightly closer to the fortifications. The obelisk, visible from afar, rose on the far side of the square, and it was only when looking at it from this vantage point that Darius realised just how enormous it was. The sandstone monument, set at ground level, reached the height of the fortress towers' roofs. Furthermore, the entire pyramid was covered in gilded symbols that glistened in the reflected sunlight. Unfortunately, they were too far away to make out the alphabet, though even standing at the foot of the obelisk and knowing the script and language, it would have been difficult to make out even a small fragment of the inscription. The final landmark was a massive building rising above the city's rooftops, just beyond the temple.
That, however, was where the resemblance to the earlier panorama ended. The fairytale-like city buildings stretched only along the lake's shore, whilst the further one moved away from it, the smaller and poorer they became. On the very outskirts of Bushtabhar, one could see small huts cobbled together from whatever materials were to hand, arranged in a haphazard manner. They looked pitiful, even compared to the village they had left not so long ago. Interestingly, the city had no traditional walls. Beyond the slums, circular watchtowers had been built, connected by magical barriers. It was a rather modern solution, unheard of in older architecture.
When they passed through the citadel gate, they found themselves in blissful shade. Here, the soldiers no longer looked as fresh as those who had accompanied the lieutenant as a welcoming committee. It was clear that their service was taking its toll on them. Dusty, faded uniforms, weather-beaten faces, weapons bearing the marks of battle: all this testified to the hardships they faced on a daily basis. Bushtabhar must have been peaceful only on the surface.
Al-Satar invited Darius inside. It was cooler within the fortress walls; one might even say it was pleasant, although the narrow corridors gave a stifling impression, as if one were in a room that was too small. Fortunately, they soon found themselves in the citadel commander's office.
The large room, with its narrow windows set high up, could hardly be called opulent, though it had surely been so in the past. A few simple pieces of furniture, filing cabinets and a staff table with a map spread out on it were all that was to be found here.
'I apologize for the mess.' It was clear the officer was a little embarrassed. He certainly hadn't planned on inviting anyone into his office, so he hadn't really bothered about its state. 'Please take a seat, Colonel,' he said in a slightly faltering voice and gestured towards one of the two armchairs in the room.
Darius accepted the offer, but Rex tactfully stepped back towards the door and listened quietly to the conversation. It was good to have someone to ensure discretion, although the Ruby Guards on the other side were surely a deterrent to any misdeeds.
'Don't be nervous, Lieutenant.' Bleist was finally able to take off his helmet and wipe his forehead. 'I just have a few questions.'
'I'll explain everything you need to know.' The soldier refrained from standing to attention and cautiously sat down opposite the earl.
'I'm here regarding the murder.' There was no point in beating about the bush. Darius didn't really have anything to gain here. All he needed was to meet the medic who had examined Rocha's body and to examine the evidence secured at the scene. As for the other tasks, he could keep quiet about them for now. 'A week ago, a soldier, a former City Watchman, was murdered in a village to the north of here.'
The officer blinked a few times and took a deep breath. It seemed he had expected a lot, but not this. Al-Satar pondered something for a moment.
'Yes, something like that did happen, though I must admit I didn't pay it much attention,' he said in a rather apologetic tone. 'Was he… an acquaintance of yours, Colonel? I don't mean to pry…' he added quickly, as soon as he realised that asking questions wasn't exactly welcome in this sort of conversation with the Guard.
'No, I didn't know him.' Bleist understood the lieutenant's surprise perfectly well. Nor was he surprised by his lack of interest in the matter. After all, the officer had far more important and urgent matters on his mind. Judging by the state of the entrance to the enclave, not everything was going in the right direction. 'It's no secret why I'm looking into this matter. News of the murder has caused some... tension in the capital. I won't hide the fact that both the Marshal and the Grand Master are keen to see the matter resolved swiftly and thoroughly. So they sent me.' He pulled two official documents from the pouch on his belt. 'Along with authorisations confirming my authority over both the military and the administration.' He didn't really need the first one, because his very membership of the Guard guaranteed him authority over soldiers of equal or lower rank, which for Darius meant he could freely command the entire army general staff at headquarters in Alexandria. Essentially, only the generals of the Guard and the Crown Marshal ranked above him. However, having an additional document could make things much easier.
The lieutenant, however, must have interpreted this declaration somewhat differently. He turned pale and trembled like a leaf. The sight of the official seals made a greater impression on him than the heavily armoured Ruby Guard.
'Getting back to the reason I'm here,' Bleist put the documents away. 'I'd like to speak to the medic who examined the body, look through the evidence, and check the documents in your files.'
'O-of course, Colonel.' Al-Satar quickly stood up and walked over to a bookcase piled high with papers, from which he pulled out a rather thick file. 'Here are all the papers.' He sat down nervously on the edge of an old armchair. 'You will find our surgeon in the temple, Colonel; his name is Erthvat Oxern. When there is nothing urgent in the citadel, he helps the poor at the Maratias' sanctuary. He also has all the evidence we've gathered. He was on site, so it was simpler that way.' The lieutenant shrugged. 'Is there anything else I can do?'
'Where can I find the city archives?' Darius opened the folder and skimmed the first page.
'In the administration building.' The officer sighed heavily. 'That colossus with the whitewashed walls.'
'Good, thank you.' Bleist closed the documents and picked them up. Rex moved silently closer and took the bundle. 'Can you tell me anything about this crime?'
'Not much.' The lieutenant shook his head. 'All I know is that this situation arose, so I sent the medic and a few rookies to check it out. They came back with the body and everything they found. As Oxern suggested, I sent a report to headquarters along with a request for investigators to be sent. After that, I forgot about it.'
'Hmmm… In that case, I suppose we'll start by speaking to the surgeon. Thank you very much, Lieutenant.' Darius stood up and began to get ready to leave. 'By the way…' He stopped mid-step. 'I'd like to ask you to arrange accommodation for our unit.'
'Of course, no problem at all.' The lieutenant didn't seem particularly pleased, but he was certainly somewhat relieved for some reason. 'The Citadel is large, and our garrison… Well, there will certainly be plenty of room for you, Colonel, and the rest of the Guardsmen.'
Bleist nodded in thanks and walked towards the door.
'See you later, Lieutenant.' Earl stepped out into the corridor, escorted by the officer.