Death in Cair Para

[Hadash]

Brummagen, Goldecia | Alvan 20, 1582

Ildus, got off the tram and crossed the street. After wandering for five minutes, the young student finally found the place he was looking for. He entered in "Joyful Knowledge", which seemed to him a bit petulant and weird name for a small bookshop. Once he entered, he felt the shop looked as an ordinary antiquary bookshop, only that everything -the store, the floor, the desk, the bookshelves, even the book themselves- didn't look too old, but rather new and relatively clean. However, the place lacked any kind of decoration and advertisements.

There wasn't anyone nearby the desk, so Ildus decided to touch that small bell, timidly at first.

A young woman, but slighly older than Ildus, came. "Yes, yes! I'm coming", she replied in Florinthian language, although with a harsh accent. "What can I do for you?".

Although he hadn't seen that woman before, Ildus felt that not only her voice, but her factions, looked very familar to him. "Yes, yes", he replied, a bit nervous. "My name is...Michael. I am looking for an old history book, that is...It's called the Fountain of Life".

"'The Fountain of Life', I see", she replied. "Yes, that book. Wait a minute". She returned with a box, where there was a book inside.

"Ajsha...", Ildus said. He could see how the woman kept looking coldly at him, as she didn't exactly trust him.

"Let me wrap the book", she said. "Do you want anything else?", she asked.

"No...", Ilsat replied. "No, thank you. That was all I was looking for. I guess".

"Fine", she said. "Actually it is a rather common book, so we will accept anything you are willing to give us".

"Ah...", Ilsat babbled. He left just a few coins on the desk. "I hope it's enough".

"Yes, it is enough", she answered. "Remember to check the last chapter, they are always the most interesting ones. And don't come back here".

"Alright", Ilsat said. "Goodbye", he added before leaving the store.

While he was returning home, his nervous could only grow, feeling terribly paranoid about every person he found and everything he heard.

Ilsat decided to rest a bit, two hours later, he prepared himself a tea. Before he finished it, he came back to his bedroom and opened his backpack.

There was the book he was looking for, The Fountain of Life. Such title didn't appear anywhere on the cover, though. The book seemed written in A'sirian language, or maybe one of those languages spoken in Eastern Galasia, Ilsat though. A language he didn't speak, in any case. But it didn't take long to guess that it was likely a book about Bal-Jawadi, the 15th-century Akhadist scholar, probably a biography.

Ilsat, who had been studying Medicine in the local university in Brummagen for eight months, didn't know much about theology. Religion never interested him much, despite the attemps of his grandmother, a very religious woman and a pious Akhadic believer.

He suddenly remembered the shop assistant's words, and flicked through the book, looking those final chapters. There, at the beginning of the last chapter, he found a note. The note, a small pice of paper, was just an address and date.

"Alvan 22, 16:00", he read. At the other side of the paper, there were written a few words in his native language. "Bring back the book and wait. Don't talk with anyone".

---

The next two days, Ilsat went to the university as usual, but anyone could see that he was considerably worried about something. He tried to avoid as much as possible his few closer acquaintances in the university, although -to tell the truth- he hadn't many.

He came to the place of meeting five minutes before, despite punctuality wasn't exactly Ilsat's greatest virtue. It was an ordinary Goldecian pub, and he decided to sit down in a table nearby the door. Four minutes later, the waitress came. It was clear that service wasn't great, although not as bad as the cleanliness of the place.

"What would you like to have?", the Goldecian waitress asked. She looked indifferently at Ilsat at first but she couldn't avoid to stare at Ilsat's book, the one he had bought two days before, which was on the table.

"A lemon soda", Ilsat replied, after thinking for a while. He thought that drinking alcohol wouldn't be a great idea. Ilsat could realize that the waitress seemed uneasy about something.

Ilsat kept waiting. He had almost finished his drink and he was thinking if it wasn't better to leave the place. However, ten minutes later, a man approached him.

"Do you mind if I sit down?", the man said. Ilsat kept looking at the man, but he didn't reply.

The man sat down and they kept silent for a while. "The Fountain of Life", the man said in Florinthian. He sounded a fluent Florinthian speaker, but he spoke without the local accent. He didn't look as a native Goldecian either. It wouldn't very difficult for anyone to guess that both men were foreigners. When the waitress came, the man simply asked for a bottle of water.

The man, who was in his 30s and with a serious and not very friendly look, passed Ilsat a note. "Wait ten minutes and come where it is written. Go walking, it is not far. There is no hurry, but don't go to slow". Then the man left, before he could even open the bottle. Ilsat didn't say anything, and simply waited as the man had told you. He opened the bottle of water and asked the waitress for the bill. Then he left the pub.

Ilsat went to the address said. It was a dirty alley. He wondered if all this had just been just a game, or even worse, a trap. Before Ilsat could change his mind, a black car with dark glass stopped in front of him. The door opened and he could recognize the same man he had just met a few minutes ago, in that dirty pub.

"Kerergak", the man told Ilsat. Then he got in the only car which was parked in that street and left the place. Ilsat doubted but finally he got in the black car.

Ilsat sat on the backseat. It was a big and spacious car. In front of him was two men, both wearing a suit. One was young, only a few years older than him. He had a very serious expression. The other man, who was older but not too much, was smiling. But he smiled in a calm and mysterious way. That only made Ilsat a bit more nervous. The conversation which followed occurred entirely in a Near East language, which we will translate for our beloved Westerner readers:

"Nice to meet you, Ilsat", the man said. "I wondered if you were ready".

"I am", Ilsat replied, quickly, although visibly nervous.

"I see", the man replied. "If you're not willing to help, it is time to say it. We can't allow mistakes".

"I have been prepared for long", Ilsat replied. "It has been a long wait".

"I can imagine", the man replied. "It is always great to find young people willing to help. Of course, we could have finished this job in a more conventional way. But after the last incident, we aren't sure how safe our movements are. If you are successful, but I hope you will, you will be rewarded. If that's your concern".

"Well, not entirely", Ilsat answered. "I mean...".

"Of course, I understand", the man interrupted him. Ilsat hit the ceiling of the car with his head after a pothole. The man smiled but his face turned serious suddenly. "Alright, let's enter in details". The other man opened a briefcase, which he gave to Ilsat.

"Here there is everything you need", the first man told Ilsat. "Well, almost everything". Ilsat looked inside, he could see some tickets, a few papers and folders, and some rolls of banknotes.

"You will leave to Cair Para this weekend", the man continued. "I know it is a long way but I hope the train is comfortable enough. It is more discreet and there is no a hurry, after all. You will find in the dossier one everything you need to know about your movements. There is enough money for all your costs, even more than you need. You will be in Cair Para for three weeks. Relax there, enjoy the place and do what a real tourist would do. Be discreet, try to be unnoticed, while you start to know the places. Choose a motel not too close to the center, but not too far either. Where you can move freely and fast".

"Alright", Ilsat replied.

"At the date indicated, you will meet our man in Cair Para", the man said. "Give him this briefcase, it is better not leaving anything behind. And remember, don't talk about this to anyone".

"I understand", Ilsat answered. "I won't".

"Don't take notes and don't keep anything besides that you need: the tickets, the money", the man said. "Memorize everything, and burn the rest as soon as you can. Tomorrow, if that is possible".

"I have a good memory, that's not an issue", Ilsat replied with a smile. For some reason, he found confidence now.

"In case you needed and you feel you're not strong enough to resist if something goes wrong", the man added, "there is a capsule. Be careful with it. Ilsat felt like choking for a second. "Don't think much about it, and just do it. That's how it is done".

"Yes, I suppose that's the truth...", Ilsat replied.

"When the day comes, everyone of us would have left the country. So you're alone on this. Maybe one day we will meet again, who knows". The car suddenly stopped. "Yes, this is the place. Turn to the left there, where's that closed ice-cream shop, the one with the pink puppet on the wall and down there you can return home on the metro. Good luck".

Before Ilsat could say goodbye, the door closed and the black car left.

[Hadash]

Cair Para, Goldecia | Quartyr 26, 1582


Ilsat's stay in Cair Para took more than expected. He had time to familiarize himself with the most famous streets and neighborhoods. When he came, doubts piled up inside his head. Not exactly for remorsement, but rather because he wondered how his life would be after this, even if he was successful and he could leave safe enough. But doubts and fear faded away very soon, and Ilsat tried to keep his mind relaxed.

As expected, he met with his contact in Cair Para that morning. Until that day, he had been on his own in the western city. Ilsat came early, and he entered the local of the meeting, a local pizzeria in one of Cair Para main suburbs. He asked for a beer and left the book on the table. A few minutes later, a man came and sat down without asking. Although it was sunny enough, the man was wearing a t-shirt and a thick jacket. He was barely a few years older than Ïlsat.

"Oh, of course, I forgot about it", the man said while he stubbed his cigarette out. "The Fountain of Life...he really loves those games. Maybe he believes he's a supervillain or something like that". He told Ilsat that his name was Aydar, or at least that was the name, or at least that was the name he was using.

"Let's go", Aydar said. "There is nothing to do here".

Aydar stopped next to a car. The car doesn't look to old, but it wasn't too new either. "It's modest but functional", he said.

They came to a abandoned parking, where the car stopped. Aydar brought a box from the trunk. "Open it", he said. Ilsat could see that, covered with a plastic, there was a gun and a few bullets. "Do you know to use this one?".

"Yes, I do", Ilsat said, although he hadn't use a gun in a long time.

"Good, let's move", Aydar said. Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of a small square, somewhere 2 km from the center of the city.

"This is the place", Aydar told Ilsat. "Unfortunately, you haven't a day and an hour, but it's the only place where you will be able to have two minutes, enough to escape. There, next to that closed bakery, the number 48", Aydar added, pointing to an old building. "What's there, I have no idea, but our friend comes there at least one or two evenings per week".

"You can wait there, in that cafe", Aydar continued. "He rarely stays more than 40 minutes. As you can see, the street is too narrow, so their car usually waits on the square. That would give you enough time to turn to the right and use the motorbike. Follow the instruction as I told in the parking. And pray so that the engine doesn't get cold that day".

"Is that all?", Ilsat asked.

"No", Aydar asked. "Go straight ahead down the alley, and you will to a road. Ignore the first intersection. Cross the road and there is a shopping mall. Enter, and one the right there is a toilet. Use the last one, the one with an out of order note. There is some kind of fake grille, which is empty. There you would find a bag, with a few clothing and the keys. You can leave the gun there. Someone will pick it up. Then leave as soon as possible. You know the rest".

"Well, it's easy to say, but it can be done, I guess", Ilsat replied.

"Let's hope that's the case", Aydar replied. "I'm leaving tomorrow, so you're doing this alone".

[Hadash]

Cair Para, Goldecia | Fein 4, 1582


Ilsat had been waiting for three days, and he felt this day wasn't going to be different. However, while he was getting lost in his own thoughts, Ilsat could see a car stopped next to the small square. The car coincided with the description, although he wasn't able to recognize the man who had got off the car. The man entered in the building number 48, as expected.

Ilsat asked for another soda drink and waited for another ten minutes. Then he requested the bill to the waiter, and sat down for a while in one of the benches of the square. Later, he simply prowled through the streets nearby the alley, waiting for his moment.

Almost an hour later, the lights of the entrance hall switched on, and a man left the building.

Although his hair was more grey and he seemed heftier than Ilsat imagined, he could easily recognize him: he was Kreshnik Mirditë, but well-known as Kreshnik II, the former and last King of Arbërë from 1541 and 1568.

Ilsat approached to him, with his helmet in his hand. When they were closer, he simply said: "Jashtëzakonshëm!". Before the man could react, Ilsat pulled a gun out, and shot three time against time. The former monarch was hit three times, twice on the chest, and a third time on his head.

His body simply collapsed to the ground. Ilsat could see two men getting off the car, which had suddenly stopped at the end of the square. He shoot two shots against them, and started to run to the closest alley.

There, above some pipes, there were, as expected, some keys, and a motorbike along the wall. He started it and left the place as fast as he could. He could hear the noise of the bullets moving around him.

He stopped the motorbike at the end of the alley, leavint the motorbike and the helmet falling to the ground, and he crossed the street, entering in the shopping mall. Once he was there, Ilsat wasn't sure if it was better moving slowly, or rather running as fast as possible. He tried to move quickly, but without drawing attention. He entered in the toilets, where he changed his clothes, and left the gun hidden in the corner, as he was told. Then, he tried to leave the place as soon as possible.

He left the shopping mall, through the second floor exit, and run toward the subway entrance.

When the train started to move, he felt relieved for a while, and tried to remember his next move.

[Hadash]

Rivaralda, Magentina | Zechyr 10, 1583

It took Ildus more than expected to leave Kvaenna, and after travelling through several countries, his arrival to Caladria was more accidental and chaotic than planned. Surprised by the coup d'etat the next day, he was forced to stay there, without leaving his cheap hotel, for more than a mouth. Finally, he was able to find a plane and take the first commercial flight to Rivaralda, the Magentinian capital city. This time, he hoped his visit would be calmer and shorter.

As soon as he left the airport, Ildus took a bus which left him on Rivaralda Northern train station. From there, he called a telephone number he had written in a small piece of paper.

"Mishe sanakh oun oukh bi kharakh...", he said, with a slow and unsure tone. A silence followed. Then address was given from the other side, twice. Ildus tried to note it down as quickly as possible. Then the communication ended.

Ildus bought a map of the city in the souvenir shop. It took him a while to find the street, but he finally did. It wasn't too far from there, so he decided to walking.

---

He easily found the street he was looking for. It was a old and rather short building in the middle of what, it seemed, a rather new neighborhood. Or at least they buildings seemed quite new, or maybe just recently repainted. They quite constrasted which the other building, of rather depressing unpainted and darker bricks. The building door was opened, or rather it was broken and therefore it didn't close completely. He address said that the house was at the third floor, so he decided to walk through the stair. There was an old woman waiting the elevator. Ildus simply timidly smiled. He did not speak a word of Castlian.

To his surprise, a woman opened the door. He realized it was the same woman he had met in that small bookshop in Brummagen.

"Are you going to stay there all day?", she asked, this time in Kyrzbek language.

"No, no", Ildus replied.

"You can leave your bags there", she said, while leaving her gun on the table. "You can sleep for a while. I guess you're tired and we aren't going to stay here long. I'm preparing a tea anyway".

"Where are we going?", Ildus asked.

"Palmenta".

---

One hour after leaving Rivaralda, they stopped in an abandoned service station, not far from a small village nearby the coast.

"Why are we going there?", he asked.

"There is only a flight per week to Kyrzbekistan from Rivaralda", she replied. "Our travel will be longest but we will arrive sooner".

"Have you a cigarette?", she asked after a while.

"No...", Ildus answered. "Well, I believe I have still one in my bag. Wait a minute".

"What's this shit?", she asked while lighting her cigarette. "Carpathian tobacco?".

"I don't know", he replied. "I haven't smoked it before".

"It's fine", she replied, indifferently.

"What's your name?", he asked.

"Well, I'll be Mona now. And you'll be my husband for a while", she replied.

"What?", Ildus said.

"Pontius Longius", she answered while giving Ildus a plastic bag. "That's your name now. Look carefully and remember everything you need to know. We're from New Galasia. Let me to talk and everything will be fine".

Ildus opened the bag and he found a passport and other documents with the details she mentioned.

"Give me your last passport and any documents you have now", she ordered him. "Now, we'll have something to eat before we go to Palmenta".

She ended her cigarette and burned a pile of papers, including Ildus' passport. Then, they returned to the car, and stopped in a small restaurant nearby.

That night, they arrived to Palmenta in their rented car. The next day, they left the country.

[Hadash]

Sequoia City, Sequoia | Zechyr 14, 1583

They came to Sequoia City without incidences. They stayed at a small and noisy motel in one of the suburbs of the city. It was a calm area nearby the bus station, and that was all they needed.

The next day, they caught a bus to the center of the city.

"It feels completely nauseating hot and damb compared with Kvaenna, isn't it?", she told Ilsat.

Finally, they arrived to the Kyrzbekistani embassy in Sequoia City. Although they entered through the backdoor, the embassy seemed quite busy that day.

"I am glad you were able come", a diplomat attaché known as Rinat told them as soon as they entered into the embassy. "Today it is being a busy day. Come with me, I will give you everything you need on our office". Ilsat felt that she and Rinat had met before.

There, they were informed about their next steps, and they were given new documents, some money, and transport tickets.

When they left the room and they moved along the hall, they could see a group of people talking in the nearby assembly room. Two men wearing suits, likely bodyguards, along a woman and an older man. Ilsat felt he had seen that woman before, or at least he had seen her face somewhere.

"Is that really...?", Ilsat asked.

"Yes, she is Mavzida Läkuz", she replied. "She has been Deputy Commissar for Foreign Affairs for a while".

"That's right", the man who had received them said. "A delegation from Kyrzbekistan is being on official visit to this country. But now we have to go".

---

A black car was waiting them in the embassy parking lot. They car left and about twenty minutes later it stopped in front of one of the main train stations of Sequoia City.

"You're going to Nouveau Vannes now. While you could have left today, it will be safer this way", he explained them before they left the car. "We have an appartment there, as I told you before. You'll stay there two days, and then you'll leave. Compared to the rest of your travel it will be quite boring, I know".

"What will it happen now, after this?", Ilsat asked twenty-seven minutes later, once their train started moving.

"Nothing", she replied. "As it should. Just relax. Your next months are likely to become a bit tedious".