5. Lazulis City


It was nighttime, now, and after a whole day of scavenging and exploring, Zael felt a bit more prepared. He had some apples, some wild herbs he found growing in the wilderness, and he even found a few stray arrows lying around while avoiding other Gurak soldiers patrolling the island.

Zael knew he had his chance to sneak in. He waited carefully, trying ot keep his face covered with a scarf. Arganan had reluctantly handed Zael his own scarf to cover his face, and Zael was surprised that the dead man could even offer up his own clothing to a living one. Perhaps Arganan wasn't as untouchable as Zael initially thought, despite his deceased state. That was something he had to examine later, though, after entering the city.

The guards started changing places. Zael decided to make his move.

He made it right through the main gates, just before the new soldiers made their way to their posts. They must have assumed he was a fellow Gurak, given that they couldn't see his face, as they gave him nods of acknowledgement. Zael offered an awkward nod back in return, before taking a look around.

Lazulis City was full of buildings. Despite it being nighttime, it was bustling with some activity in the open streets. Gurak, tall and small alike, gathered around taverns, conversed with each other quietly as they walked with each other, and a few were trying to sell the last wares of the day, calling out to the passing people. Zael even noticed a couple other humans among the crowd of Gurak, though they were mostly rushing home or heading for the taverns rather than leisurely walking. Zael noticed a few Gurak guards pass by, and he guessed they were on patrol

"Heading for the castle will be difficult." Arganan was beside Zael, and, just as Zael expected, no one seemed to notice Arganan at all. "There are even more guards, there, than at the main entrance. It would be best if you found a small tavern or something to hide at."

"I don't have any money, though." Zael pointed out.

"Couldn't you sneak into a spare room?" Arganan shrugged. Zael noticed the scars lining the side of Arganan's neck, creeping upwards and under where his large eyepatch covered the left half of his face. Where had those scars come from? Did he get those when he died, or before then? Either way, the scars must be the reason why Arganan wore a scarf and eyepatch in the first place. "Or there must be a spare alley, somewhere."

"If I do sleep outside," Zael finally managed, "Will you keep watch? Do you sleep?"

"I don't sleep." The older man muttered, shaking his head. "Sometimes I wish I could. But given the entire situation, I'll keep an eye out for you."

"Thank you." That was all Zael could muster. He wondered if Arganan had any peace at all, since dying. Could ghosts have any sensations that were close to sleeping for regular people?


The good news was that Zael did find a random street corner to sleep in. He even managed to take a blanket off a passing hay cart to use for himself. Hopefully the people here would just leave him alone in the corner, where he was.

He knew it wasn't great, and even Arganan hadn't approved, but both men knew it was better than nothing. At least, for tonight. The plan was to wake up tomorrow, find something to eat, and survey the area and see who patrolled where in town. And hopefully, hopefully, find a way to get into Lazulis Castle.

Zael leaned back against the alley wall, trying to close his eyes as he wrapped the blanket about himself. Taking a deep breath, he sighed, hoping to drown out the sounds of the people from the main streets with his breathing.

"Hey, mister?"

That wasn't Arganan speaking. Zael opened his eyes, jolting as he looked up at the source of the voice.

Just a few feet ahead of him was a young woman standing there, with red hair that fell to around her chin. Some of it was pushed back with a blue bandanna or scarf tied around her head, and she wore a white, shortsleeved tunic underneath a green and brown patterned dress with brown boots. Her appearance reminded him of someone. He wasn't sure who, but it seemed so familiar.

"Are you alone?" She asked, offering him a hand. She seemed concerned, given her wide eyes. "I have a spare room if you want to sleep there, for the night."

"A-are you sure?" Zael's eyes widened as he faced her, and he moved to stand. She was an inch or two shorter than him, for sure. "I mean, I don't really have a lot of money to pay for lodging, so…"

"Of course!" She nodded. "We humans have to stick together. I don't see why I shouldn't help you."

"Er…okay." At least he had lodging for the night. He'd take that chance. "Thanks."

She opened the back door of what Zael assumed was a tavern, smiling at him. "Come in. And by the way, my name's Ariela."

"Ariela?" He blinked. "I'm, er…" what should he call himself? He probably couldn't say his own name, because she might recognize him as the 'savior of Lazulis' from a hundred years ago. Did the people nowadays even know his name? It was better to be on the safe side, for now.

"Elza." He finally managed. "Elza's my name."

"Elza?" Ariela smiled up at him, and the vision of a redhaired woman giving him sandwiches came to mind, briefly. "That's a very nice name. Come in!"

Zael entered through the back door with Ariela. It seemed that Ariela didn't notice Arganan at all, despite being by Zael's side, and Zael attributed it to the fact that Arganan was and still would be a dead man walking.

To his surprise, there were Gurak and humans both mingling in the tavern. Most of the Gurak kept to each other's company, and same with the humans, interestingly enough. At least there weren't any fights, though. Not today.

"You look like you came from a rock, no offense." He heard Ariela chuckle, before escorting him up the stairs. "They're always like this."

"Are they?" Zael raised a brow.

"Of course they are." Ariela looked him in the eye, staring. "Humans and Gurak try not to fraternize much with each other. It's been like that since Zangurak took over this place."

Zael supposed that made a lot of sense. Humans and Gurak harboring hatred for each other, despite it being years since the Gurak took over, was something that was not easily let go of or accepted to soon.

"Have you never seen humans and Gurak liket his before?" She frowned. "I mean, I know there are some Gurak trying to take over various areas of the Empire's mainland, so you might've seen some there, but…here, in Lazulis, Gurak and humans not interacting with each other much despite living in the same city is pretty common."

"I haven't been to Lazulis Island before." Zael lied, offering her a sheepish look. "I got to this place by a shipwreck. I washed up on shore the other day, and I just managed to get into the city earlier."

"I'm so sorry to hear that, Elza." Ariela frowned at that. "Feel free to stay here as much as you need, okay? I don't imagine you have coin to pay for your stay here, given the shipwreck…Maybe you could run a few errands for me, in exchange?"

"That sounds fair." He nodded. "I accept that offer. I'm just thankful that you offered me a place to stay as is."

"Of course." She smiled. "As I mentioned, we humans have to stick together." A sigh left her. "Some Gurak just leave us be as long as we don't make trouble, but…others, not so much. You're lucky you didn't get assaulted by any Gurak up until now."

Zael decided not to ask about that last part. This woman's name was Ariela, right? Why was that name so familiar?

"How were you called Ariela?" He asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Well, my mum named me after my grandma's name. Grandma lived back before the Gurak took over this island, a hundred years ago!" Ariela smiled, before a sigh left her. "My mum told me about the stories Grandma Ariela told her. Stories of a man that used to come to her tavern with his friends. They were mercs." The younger woman sighed again, shaking her head. "One of them was apparently the savior of Lazulis, a hundred years ago, but he failed his mission, hence why the Gurak took over this island." She frowned, shaking her head. "I feel bad for him. It must've been a lot of pressure."

Zael wished he could tell her that he was, indeed, the same man that she was talking about. He wished he could tell her that his actual name was Zael, and that he was here to save all of Lazulis from Zangurak and finally stop him. However…he couldn't. Not now.

Maybe after he saved the world, he'd come clean. He owed that to her, at least.

"Does Ariela still live now?" Zael asked. He thought he recalled a blond man flirting with Ariela, only for Ariela to pretend to ignore him instead. "Your grandma, that is."

"Oh, no." The young woman shook her head. "She already passed fifteen years ago. It's amazing that she lived so long, though. A good hundred-something years in total."

Zael doubted that many of the citizens of Lazulis would know of him too well. They probably talked about him through the generations, now that he thought about it, but there would be very few people left, if any, that recognized him from a hundred years ago.

He closed his eyes briefly, and vaguely recalled a night of drinking, where an olive-skinned, golden-eyed man actually staggered about drunk as he congratulated Zael on being promoted to knight-in-training.

Wait. Hadn't Arganan told him that there was a man with golden eyes that he knew? What was his name? Dagran?

Zael swallowed and offered his condolences for her to lose her grandma of the same as her. Eventually, not-Grandma-Ariela left him to settle into his room, and Zael looked towards Arganan, who hadn't said a thing during his and Ariela's conversation.

"I used to be here?" Zael asked.

Arganan raised a brow, leaning against the wall behind him. "I wouldn't know. I never set foot in here. Rarely left the castle, remember?"

"Yeah. But…" Zael took a deep breath, inhaling the smell of worn linens and food wafting up from the kitchens below. "I think I remember being here. Me and the others…stayed here, while we were under contract."

"Must have been before I promoted you and Dagran, then." Arganan hummed, closing his good eye briefly. A sigh left him as he shook his head lightly. "I wonder..if he survived, like you did, back when Cailsta dragged you all the way to that hidden chamber. I assume he didn't, but…"

Zael frowned lightly, observing the older man. "You seem to have a soft spot for him."

Arganan didn't reply, closing his good eye, before speaking again. "You should get some sleep. I'm sure you'll need it."

Zael decided to go straight to sleep. There was no point in staying awake for much longer. Besides, if he had tasks to do for Ariela in exchange for keeping his room at this tavern, he needed all the energy he could get.