11

THE HARBOR CITY

THREE DAYS AFTER MY MEETING WITH INACTIC I, FINALLY, BEHELD THE HARBOR CITY. Babylon asit was called but it's people.

From the sand dune I stood at I could see that it was easily five times bigger than Akkad. And, as I discovered as I walked though the streets, it was just as crowded.

I led my horse past stands of things from elaborate jewelry to glimmering metal weaponry.

As varied was the city's exports, so was it's people. From people of the Nubian tribe to the people from the farthest side of the known world this city seem to have every kind of tribe and people anyone could think of .

I traveled through the city's twisted streets to the harbor.

And I saw that there where many trading harbor masters in this place. But there was one I was looking for in particular.

Before I left Jesup had spoken of a Seti, so that is who I was looking for. After asking a few sailors, I finally found the mud brick made, harbor master's home I was looking for.

It must have had two levels to it as I saw but it still looked humble, for a rich trading harbor master.

Quickly, I tied my horse to a hitching post and went to the crude door and knocked.

"Come in," Spoke a soft feminine voice.

I pushed open the door to a nice sized room, walls adorned with maps of all kind and furniture and cushions of materials I had never seen.

Across the door from which I had entered was a small table, and at it sat a girl, perhaps a year or two younger then myself, she was pretty with curly dark hair and warm brown skin. She wore a crisp white tunic made of a material that I had never seen before.

"May I help you?" She asked, looking at me curiously.

"I'm here to see Seti," I said making my way to the front of her table. "I was told that he would be here."

The girl nodded.

"Follow me," She said, getting up from her table.

The girl led me to a door near by her table, and through it to a small corridor. Which had another door at it's end.

The girl grabbed hold of its wooden door handle and pulled it open. As she did so we were greeted by a voice yelling.

"Damn this map maker!" The voice proclaimed. "The mountains are no where near that place! Even the gods themselves would be disgraced!"

"Father," Spoke the girl, entering the room.

I followed her in to a nice sized room, with couches of the same strange materials as her tunic in vibrant colors. There was a table near a window that overlooked the sea on this table was a pile of parchment maps.

The owner of the voice had looked up when the girl had spoken, a man with slightly gray hair, a tunic made of deep red linen edged in gold. His face was worn yet he had a slight boyish air to him.

"Yes, My dear?" he said, his voice calmer than before.

"This young man wishes to speak with you," said the girl, gesturing to me.

The man looked to me and nodded.

"Very well," He said. "Thank you, daughter."

The girl nodded and went behind me to the door. Leaving me and the man alone.

The man stood up walked to me and held out his hand.

"I am Seti," He said. "And, unless my eyes are giving out on me, your are an Akkadian warrior in need of a trip on a galley correct?"

I took his hand saying, "Yes, but how-?"

Seti just smiled, and he let go of my wrist.

"I have several friends among the Akkadian tribe."

Remembering something I asked, "Does that include an Akkadian named Jesup, the son of Kornith?"

"Why, yes," He said walking to the seat behind his table, he motioned for me to take the seat across from him "He's saved my life more than once. Do you know him?"

"Yes, He is my older brother," I said, sitting down.

The man leaned foreword as to get a better look at me.

"You're Mathayus aren't you?" He asked.

"He mentioned me?" I asked, surprised.

"More than one occasion. But all good things I can assure you."

I nodded.

"So what brings you to the Harbor City, Akkadian?" Seti asked, his voice business-like.

"I need to get on a galley that is going to Crete. And soon." I stated.

"Soon? That doesn't sound good. What's the emergency?"

I took a deep breath.

"It's about a sorcerer named Magus," I said.

"Wait," Seti said, stopping me before I could say anything else. "Isn't Magus that sorcerer whose been reeking havoc on the desert tribes?"

"Yes."

"What did he do to anger the Akkadians?"

I took a deep breath.

"He nearly killed us out," I said softly. I don't know how, but I somehow managed to tell him without too much difficulty.

"What?"

"They're dead. Every one of them besides Me, Jesup, and Rama."

"Oh by the gods," Seti breathed.

I said nothing, I just stared at the dirt floor.

"So you're going to Crete to get something that will stop him, I'm guessing?"

"Yes," I said strongly. "I am."

Seti sorted through the pile of parchment on his table. He shifted though the papers until he found one.

"The next ship for Crete leaves at noon tomorrow on the dock just out there," Seti said pointing a finger over his shoulder and out the window to a dock just out side. "I know the captain well enough to get you a free passage. In the meantime I invite you to stay and my brother-in-laws inn. It's just down the road. Tell him I sent you and you should have no trouble."

I couldn't help but be surprised how much Seti was wanting to help me.

"Thank you," I said, getting up.

"It's the least I can do, Mathayus. And it's about damn time someone gets rid of the bastard sorcerer. He's really been bad for trading, you know?"

I nodded in understanding.

"Well, Thank you once again," I said.

And I went to the door.

---

Later, that evening at dusk I found myself at that inn that Seti had suggested. My room was decent-sized with a small table where I put my supplies, and my weapons, the cot that was to be my bed was in the corner, with sheets of brown linen.

But I was in no mood to sleep. So I sat at one of the chairs at the table, sharpening my knifes and my scimitar. I thought quietly of how much I missed Latana, Karatas, and King Urmhet. I also wondered about the parting message Inactic had let me off with, the words echoing in my mind.

There is a message that you will receive from a prophet... The message is one you must hear.

Suddenly there was another slight salty breeze form the sea that flitted from the widow that was across from the chair I sat at.

There was something on the air that left me felling a little drowsy, but I kept on sharpening my scimitar. But as the wind kept blowing I swear I could smell something both sweet and strong in the air.

As time progressed I was finding it hard to keep my eyes open. And I could swear I heard a voice as soft as a whisper and as gentle as a lullaby call my name.

Fatigue was suddenly overwhelming me. I wearily sat my scimitar down on to the table and made my way to the cot. As I did I could hear an unearthly chanting. A part of me wanted to find out who was chanting and calling my name. But most of me just wanted to rest my eyes.

I fell on to the cot as the voice called my name, as loud as a person speaking. And fell I fell in to a trance-like state even deeper than sleeping.