Gheribia was living through another busy morning, just like always.
The market in the heart of the city buzzed with movement. Vendors' voices rose from every corner, blending with the sound of footsteps and the creaking of wooden carts.
At the entrance of the market, an apple stall owner stood waving a red basket and shouting loudly:
"Apples! Fresh apples from the farms!"
A woman approached and looked at the baskets.
The merchant said:
"The basket is fifty Aur."
She immediately shook her head.
"Too much… twenty-five Aur."
The merchant smiled and said:
"Twenty-five? That's the price for half of it. Let's say forty."
She thought for a moment, then took out the coins.
"Alright."
In the neighboring aisle, the smells of the market mixed in the air.
The scent of salted fish from the fishermen's stalls, the smell of grilled meat from the butchers' fires, and between them the aroma of hot bread coming from the bakery.
Children ran between the crowds laughing.
"Catch him!"
"Faster!"
One of them nearly crashed into a merchant's table, causing the man to shout angrily while the children laughed and disappeared into the narrow alleys.
Near the bakery, two girls stood looking at the loaves on display.
The first one said:
"Which bread is better for tonight's dinner?"
The other pointed at a round loaf.
"What about Toumi bread?"
The first shook her head.
"It's too salty… let's choose Western bread. It's less salty and slightly sweet."
The second hesitated a little.
"But it doesn't look fresh… and it's a little more expensive than Toumi bread."
The baker leaned forward from behind the counter with a smile:
"It is fresh. It came out of the oven this morning. And the price difference is only two Aur."
The two girls exchanged looks before one of them chose a loaf and placed the coins on the table.
On a nearby side street, the jewelry shop was quieter than the rest of the market.
A young man stood in front of a glass display box looking at the rings inside.
The merchant lifted one of them and said:
"This is a good ring… three hundred Aur."
The young man hesitated slightly while looking at another ring.
The merchant continued:
"We have rings from two hundred to five hundred Aur. Depends on what you want."
After a moment of thought, the young man pointed to a simple ring with a small stone.
"This one… I'll take it."
He slowly pulled out the coins, as if imagining the moment he would present it.
Outside, the market continued its life the same way.
Vendors calling out,Customers bargaining,And children running between the stone alleys.
And Gheribia looked like a city living a completely ordinary day.
Among the crowded masses in Gheribia's market, several men passed through wearing dusty travel clothes.
They walked quietly, not stopping at the stalls, not bargaining with merchants like the other customers. They simply walked among the people as if they were only searching for their way.
Most people in the market didn't notice them.
But above the stone wall, one of the guards was watching the street with eyes used to catching small details.
His gaze landed on one of those men when the edge of the man's cloak shifted slightly as he walked.
The handle of a knife appeared at his waist.
The guard narrowed his eyes a little.
It wasn't the handle of a merchant's knife, the kind travelers carried to cut rope or food.
It was the handle of a military knife… short and heavy.
The guard followed the man with his eyes for several moments before noticing something else.
He wasn't carrying just one knife… only.
As evening arrived, Gheribia slowly began to calm down.
The children who had been running through the alleys hours earlier scattered one after another, their mothers calling them from windows as they returned home slowly or with reluctant grumbling.
The merchants began closing their stalls.
Cloths were folded, baskets lifted, and metal coins clinked inside small pouches.
"We'll continue selling tomorrow."
One of them said while pulling a wooden board to close his shop.
The guards began their patrols through the stone streets.
But the city had not slept yet.
Oil lamps were lit on the walls and above the tavern doors.
Laughter spilled from the restaurants, and the smell of grilled meat filled the air.
Hours passed slowly.
The moon rose gradually…
Until it settled in the middle of the sky.
Midnight.
One guard walked through a narrow alley near the wall, his spear resting on his shoulder.
He stretched slightly and yawned.
"What a job…" he muttered quietly to himself."Cold… darkness… and endless patrols."
He rubbed his tired eyes.
"If another hour passes without anything happening, I'll fall asleep standing…"
At that moment a shadow moved at the end of the alley.
The guard stopped.
A figure slowly stepped out of the darkness.
He wore a long travel cloak that covered his entire body. Even his face was hidden.
The guard raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"You…!"
He stepped forward.
"What are you doing here at this time—"
Suddenly something metallic flashed in the stranger's hand.
A short dagger.
He didn't give the guard time to finish the sentence.
The stranger moved with lightning speed.One step forward, his hand rising in a short sharp arc.
The dagger pierced directly beneath the guard's helmet.
The guard's voice stopped in his throat.
The stranger caught his body before it fell and quietly dragged him into the shadows.
The alley returned to silence.
Elsewhere outside the city, a cavalry camp was lit by several torches.
Inside one of the large tents, a man sat behind a wooden desk reviewing several documents.
A knight stood before him upright.
"Yes, sir."
He bowed slightly and then left the tent.
The man remained alone.
He sighed tiredly while leaning back in his chair.
"When will I be rid of this boredom…"
Before he could finish the sentence, a young voice came from behind him.
Calm… and clear.
"I'll get rid of it for you now."
The man froze.
His eyes widened as he quickly rose from the chair.
"Who—"
He didn't finish.
A young man wearing a travel cloak leapt from behind the inner curtain of the tent.
His movement was as fast as an arrow.
One hand clamped over the man's mouth, while the dagger in the other hand plunged deep into his chest with a single strike.
The body trembled for a moment… then collapsed.
The boy let him fall to the ground, then poured oil over the cloth floor.
Moments later, flames burst through the tent.
On top of Gheribia's wall, a girl wearing travel clothes stood watching the horizon.
Suddenly she saw flames rising in the distance.
She smiled.
She whispered excitedly:
"I received the signal…"
Then she said with cheerful enthusiasm:
"And now the fun begins!"
She turned toward the outside of the wall.
She pulled out a small smoke bomb and threw it in front of the main gate.
The bomb exploded into a thick gray cloud.
She shouted at the top of her voice:
"Come on!!"
From the darkness behind the smoke, a huge man burst forward like a storm.
A massive body, wide shoulders, and muscles that looked carved from stone.In his hands were two enormous war axes.
The King of Mercenaries.
He ran toward the gate with heavy steps that shook the ground.
One of the guards shouted:
"Alarm—!"
But the giant had already arrived.
He burst into loud, mad laughter as he leapt one step forward.
"Haaaaah!!"
He swung his right axe in a massive sideways strike at the first guard.
The blow shattered the shield and hurled the man two meters backward.
At the same moment he spun half his body, the second axe rising from below to above, ripping open another guard's chest and dropping him instantly.
A third guard tried to raise his spear.
But the giant charged straight at him.
With his shoulder alone he slammed him hard into the gate door, then the axe fell vertically.
One strike.
The guard collapsed.
The last two rushed him together.
But the King of Mercenaries was laughing even louder.
He stepped one step back… then suddenly lunged forward.
The first axe slid horizontally across both their spears.
The second axe fell immediately after with a cleaving strike.
They fell at the same moment.
The giant stood among the five bodies.
His chest rising and falling, a wide grin on his face.
Then he slammed his axes against the gate door while shouting with laughter:
"Open the way!"