Jace and her companions had been travelling for a few hours when they rounded a bend and nearly collided with a merchant caravan.

  Protected by four guards in front and three in the rear. They were heavily armed and armored, and included an obvious Chained Summons among their number.

  Behind them were a dozen porters carrying crates, sacks, and tightly wrapped bundles. In the center of the caravan, swaying gently on a cushioned panquin, lounged a merchant who frowned as the caravan stopped.

  Marian muttered, “Keep to the side, let them pass.”

  Hina bowed her head instinctively. “Do not look at the merchant.”

  Richard snickered at the pampered-looking man.

  “Richard,” Jace warned, “Do not draw attention.”

  The Chained Summons noticed them first and raised a hand, then turned to speak to the merchant.

  Jace, seeing that she might need to intervene, stepped forward, with the others guarding her fnks and rear.

  “We will move to the side to let you pass,” she said clearly.

  “I thank you, my dy,” the merchant bowed, then ordered them forward.

  As they passed, his eyes lingered on Jace’s, and then he gave another polite bow before the group vanished into the darkness.

  Only when the echoes faded did Marian exhale. “Okay, that was tense.”

  Hina nodded. “Yes, but it’s a good sign. Means we are close to guild roads.”

  Richard adjusted his pack. “Thank God, somewhere civilized.”

  “Civilized?” Marian snorted. “That guy would sell his own mother for pocket change.”

  “Huh, so just like back home,” he grinned.

  Jace studied the wide, clean corridor ahead, lit by steady blue mps. Very different from the way they had been travelling through, which mostly smelled of death. Here, the air smelled faintly of incense.

  “We still need to be careful who we meet,” she pointed out. “Any number of those merchants might recognize the two of you.”

  “Yes, master,” Hina murmured.

  “So what now?” Richard eyed the way forward.

  “Now,” Jace said, pointing down the corridor, “we find a travel lodge. Perhaps if we were lucky, a safe one.”

  Marian grinned. “And pray they don’t think you’re some lost princess.”

  They passed four more groups of travelers, their eyes on them, especially Jace, before warily letting them pass. Finally, what seemed like hours ter, the corridor widened into a cavernous hall, its ceiling lost somewhere in the shadows above.

  At the end of a long flight of stairs, two massive bronze doors dominated the far wall, each engraved with familiar ancient geometric patterns. From the looks of it, the metal was old, burnished by centuries of hands, but still rather imposing.

  “Beware the balrog,” Richard murmured, looking over the pce.

  “Hush, you,” Marian gave him a poke. “Looks like we need to go that way.”

  Below them, a score of guards patrolled the hall, wearing steel helms and reinforced mail shirts with shiny bronze ptes. Their halberds, however, appeared well-used, and they all seemed professional and well-drilled. These were no mere merchant guards.

  Around them, others in deep blue robes moved among the lines of travelers, checking tax stamps, verifying merchant seals, and inspecting sve colrs.

  Overall, the pce was loud and crowded.

  In one corner, two enormous cats dozed on raised stone, the size of small horses; they mostly ignored the crowd, their long tails flicked occasionally.

  Richard stared. “Those are really big cats.”

  Marian elbowed him. “Yeah, they are and don’t make eye contact. If you upset one, it will just tear your arm off if you're lucky.”

  Hina added, “They don’t have horses here.”

  Richard looked at her, surprised. “And people actually ride those things.”

  “Yes.”

  Jace ignored the discussion, noticing that everyone who passed through was stopped and questioned by the Civil Servants and, occasionally, by the guards. Even the sves were checked for proper armbands and ownership papers. Off to the side, a small group of adventurers looking bored was quickly waved through after brief questioning.

  “Looks like they are stopping everyone,” she murmured.

  Marian frowned, “It's fine, we should, you should be okay.”

  Hina nodded.

  Then a shout came from the front of the group.

  “Hold! You there, stop that man!” One of the blue-robed men called out and ran forward.

  A small man near the front of the line froze as two guards suddenly descended on him. One yanked open his satchel, revealing a bundle wrapped in cloth. The guard quickly tore it open, and a cascade of glittering blue gemstones spilled onto the floor.

  The hall went silent.

  The man, in a panic, bolted but only made it three steps before the other guard’s halberd smmed into his back, knocking him ft. Then two more guards stepped forward, grabbed the poor soul by the arms, and dragged him away, his screams echoing around the chamber.

  Two civil servants began to calmly collect the gemstones, setting them gently into a smaller bag brought by another.

  Richard whispered. “Fuck me, okay, note to self. Don’t try to smuggle anything.”

  Marian smirked, “Yeah, they don’t mess around here.”

  “Also, pay your taxes.” Hina nodded, looking down the corridor where the man vanished.

  And then it was their turn, or well, rather Jace’s.

  However, the moment she strode forward, people stepped out of the way, and surprisingly, the guards stiffened. One older guard with a silver medallion on his chest immediately stepped aside, bowing his head.

  “My Lady. You may pass.”

  Another waved them through without even gncing at the others.

  Richard blinked. “Seriously? That’s it?”

  “Quiet, not the pce,” Jace muttered.

  Snow drifted down in zy fkes as the four stepped through the massive bronze doors and slowly made their way down a crowded ramp. The air was cold, but it didn't bother them, especially Jace and Richard. They had finally escaped the necropolis. Although dangers y ahead, they survived.

  Despite the snowfall, the nd beyond the walls was surprisingly not barren. However, they didn’t really know what to expect. Off in the distance, trees dotted the slopes, hardy evergreens growing strong in the volcanic soil.

  Jace wasn’t surprised. Although the eruption had destroyed everything long ago, it must have left rich, fertile soil behind. Actually, the nd around her looked a lot like the rugged countryside she and her parents had visited in southern Italy.

  Beyond the stone ramp, closer to the necropolis, the buildings appeared to be carved from the same pale stone that made up the tombs inside. Although it was difficult to tell, their walls were most likely thick, their roofs steep to shed snow, and their windows narrow to keep out the cold.

  The architecture, in fact, felt both familiar and ancient.

  Richard blinked, “Is it morning?”

  “Losing track of time in there’s pretty common,” Marian pointed to the men and women passing them in the streets. “From the looks of things, it’s not much past dawn.”

  A few gnced at Jace, then immediately stepped aside, giving her a wide berth.

  Richard grinned.

  Jace ignored him, though her cheeks colored faintly.

  He then took in the scene with wide eyes. “Wow. This is actually kinda nice. For a city built on top of a giant death maze.”

  “The pce should be safe enough,” Marian commented, then looked toward Hina, who nodded.

  As the shutters were being lifted and doors unlocked, the first food vendors began setting up their stalls. The smell hit them first: warm bread, spiced meat, and roasted vegetables.

  Richard’s stomach growled loud enough for all of them to hear.

  Jace ughed. “Okay, okay. Let’s get breakfast.”

  They approached a nearby stall where a man was slicing roasted meat and stuffing it into warm ftbread and pickled vegetables.

  When he noticed the group approach, he straightened, eyes widening.

  “Honored one,” he said, bowing slightly. “What may I prepare for you?”

  Jace opened her mouth, but Marian stepped forward.

  “Four wraps,” she said. “We just came out of the necropolis.”

  The vendor blinked, then smiled broadly. “Ah! Then you need food. Real food.” He began happily assembling the wraps. “Three copper each.”

  Marian scoffed. “Two.”

  “Three.”

  “Two and a half.”

  A pause, then a nod. “Fine. Two and a half.”

  Richard whispered, “You’re good.”

  Marian winked at him, then bowed as Jace handed her the money.

  When the wraps were ready, the vendor handed the first one to Marian, who passed it behind her.

  He then froze.

  “You, you eat street food?” he asked, stunned.

  Jace blinked, looking down at the meal. “Should I not?”

  Hina bowed. “We came from the necropolis, and we were all hungry.”

  The vendor rexed. “Ah, yes, then good, eat.”

  Jace took a bite, and her eyes widened. “Oh, this is delicious.”

  Richard ughed, then his eyes opened wide as he took a bite. “Damn, you're right.”

  Marian wiped her hands. “Hey, quick question. We’re looking for a travel lodge. Nothing fancy, just safe, you know.”

  The vendor looked at Jace again, then nodded slowly.

  “Then you will want the better lodges,” he said, then pointed down the road. “Two streets north, past the smithy.”

  He then leaned in, “My cousin is one of the guards, it’s a good pce. The lodge-keeper’s honest. Look for the blue banners, or” He then hesitated. “If you wish more privacy, there is a smaller lodge beyond a red door near the market square. It’s a little more expensive, but it's quiet.”

  Marian cpped her hands. “The one with the blue banner sounds perfect. Thanks.”

  The vendor bowed again. “Safe travels, honored one.”

  Jace inclined her head as the group headed off, enjoying their meal.