Kael stepped into the streets of Djurah once again, his boots pounding the stone beneath him. The city hummed with life, but beneath the surface, there was a current of tension that he couldn't ignore. The weight of the city's decay pressed against his shoulders as he navigated through the maze of narrow alleys and crowded marketplaces.
The city was alive, yet it was dying. Djurah was a beast, broken and bleeding, struggling to hold its ground in the harsh desert world. Its streets reeked of both wealth and desperation, as if the city itself was a reminder of everything the Shifting Empire had once been, and everything it had lost.
As Neyla had said, the Vulture's Nest was where the real power lay. The city's underbelly, where alliances were made in shadows, and betrayal was as common as the wind that blew through the sand. It wasn't a place for the faint of heart, but Kael had never been one to turn away from danger. In fact, he sought it.
The Vulture's Nest was hidden in plain sight. A simple tavern tucked away behind a narrow street, with a crooked sign hanging above the door, bearing the image of a vulture. The air around it smelled of alcohol, sweat, and the faint, sour tang of old blood. Kael could feel the pulse of the place as soon as he approached—low murmurs, the scrape of steel against wood, the hiss of a knife being sharpened. It wasn't just a tavern; it was a meeting place for the desperate, the powerful, and everyone in between.
The door creaked as Kael entered, and the room fell silent for a heartbeat. Eyes turned to him—strangers in dark corners, faces half-hidden in shadow, their gazes lingering for just a moment too long. He didn't care. He had no time for games.
The air inside was thick, the smell of stale smoke and unwashed bodies clinging to the walls. The murmur of voices returned, but it was quieter now, more wary. The Vulture's Nest had a reputation. And Kael had a name that was worth hearing.
He crossed the room, moving with purpose. At the far end of the tavern, a man sat alone at a table, his fingers lazily tracing the rim of a glass. He was dressed in a fine black robe, a sharp contrast to the ragged figures around him. His face was covered with a mask—only his eyes visible, gleaming with the same sharpness that Kael had seen in Neyla's.
The man's gaze followed Kael's every move, and Kael knew he had been expected. The question wasn't whether the man had been watching him—it was why.
"Sit," the man said, his voice smooth like velvet, but with a coldness that sent a shiver down Kael's spine. "I assume you're here for business, not pleasure."
Kael didn't need to be told twice. He sat across from the man, leaning forward slightly, the weight of his blade still present at his side. "I'm looking for Sadar al-Sharif."
The man's eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't flinch. "A lot of people are looking for the prince these days. You're not the first."
Kael's hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. "I don't care about the others. I care about him. And I will find him."
The man studied him for a long moment, his fingers still tracing the edge of his glass. "And what will you do when you find him?"
Kael's gaze didn't waver. "I'll end him."
The man let out a low chuckle. "Bold words. And yet, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
"I know enough," Kael said, his voice cold. "I know Sadar's soldiers patrol the streets like wolves. I know he's as much a monster as the empire that birthed him. I know I'm the one who has to stop him."
The man's eyes glinted with something like amusement. "And what if you're wrong? What if the prince isn't your enemy after all? What if the real threat is something far older, far darker, than any man can control?"
Kael's brow furrowed, but he didn't answer. The man's words hung in the air like a riddle, and Kael wasn't sure whether he was being baited or warned.
"Listen to me, soldier," the man continued, his tone shifting, becoming more urgent. "There's more happening here than you understand. The prince—he's not just a ruler. He's part of something that's been building for centuries. And you? You're nothing more than a pawn in a game you can't even begin to grasp."
Kael's patience thinned. "I'm not here for riddles or games. Tell me where I can find him."
The man sighed, leaning back in his chair. "If you truly want to find him, you'll need to go deeper. Down below the city, beneath the foundations. That's where the prince hides. That's where his real power lies."
Kael felt a knot form in his stomach. "What do you mean? Underground?"
The man nodded. "The palace's secrets are buried deep. Beneath the sands, beneath the stone. There's an ancient tomb—one that was sealed away long before Sadar ever took the throne. He's been digging into it, trying to uncover what lies beneath."
Kael's mind raced. An ancient tomb? Beneath Djurah? He had heard rumors of hidden places beneath the city—whispers of things long forgotten, powerful artifacts buried by time. But he had never imagined they would be connected to the prince.
"What is he looking for?" Kael demanded.
The man's eyes gleamed. "The question, my friend, is not what he's looking for. The question is, what will happen when he finds it?"
Kael's chest tightened. He had come here for one reason: to end the prince's reign of terror. But now, the man before him was telling him that the prince's actions were part of something much larger, something that threatened more than just Djurah. It threatened the very foundation of the Shifting Empire.
"Where do I find this tomb?" Kael asked, his voice low.
The man smiled, his teeth flashing in the dim light. "Ah, now that's the question, isn't it? To find it, you must first find the key. And to do that, you'll need to speak with the Alik'ar—an ancient order of priests who guard the tomb's entrance. They've kept its location a secret for centuries."
Kael felt his heart pound. The Alik'ar. The ancient order. They were legends—whispers among the people. No one knew where they had come from or why they guarded the tomb, but their name was enough to send shivers through the bravest of men.
"Where do I find them?" Kael asked.
The man's gaze sharpened. "You're too eager. But if you must, I'll give you the answer. The Alik'ar don't hide in the shadows. They walk among the people. But they've learned to stay unseen, to blend into the crowds."
He paused, as if measuring Kael's reaction. "The key to finding them lies in the market. There's a woman there—her name is Zara. She knows more than she lets on. If anyone can lead you to the Alik'ar, it's her."
Kael stood, his decision made. "Thank you."
The man chuckled softly, the sound filled with dark amusement. "You don't know what you're walking into, soldier. But you will. And when you do, remember this: There are worse things in Djurah than a prince."
Kael didn't answer. He had come for one thing, and now, he had a new lead—one that would take him deeper into the city's veins. If the Alik'ar held the key to finding the prince, then they were his next target.
He walked out of the Vulture's Nest, the weight of the city's secrets pressing on his back. The prince was no longer his only enemy. And as the sun dipped below the horizon, Kael knew that the real battle had only just begun.