Purattu paused before climbing the steps into the actual complex and looked back at the small group of Seers.

“Remember, the situation could very well be bad, like it was when we arrived on Mannemid. We need to be ready to fight at a moment’s notice. Nobody get killed, alright? That’s the last thing I need, to have my conscripts dead before I get them back to Sin-Amuhhu.

“If there’s fighting, follow my orders without question and without hesitation. In my absence, listen to Xerxes or Kashtiliash.

“If there’s no fighting, well… you still need to follow my orders. We’ll assess the Abhorrent situation, make sure it’s under control, then conscript the best Seers they have available and nearby before continuing to the next starisle. We have a deadline to get back to Sin-Amuhhu and I want to beat it. Any questions?”

There were none.

Xerxes expected Hannemid to be completely exotic to him. In some ways it was. For instance, the climate was different than the city where Xerxes had grown up. Instead of it being dry and dusty, it obviously rained a lot. And when they stepped out, it seemed earlier than it should be. The sun was higher in the sky.

The architecture looked more like that in Harborview, except not as decrepit. However, in terms of the fashion, the art, the cut of the stones on the street, and numerous other small details, everything looked similar to Isin.

No massive Abhorrent invasion plagued the city.

In fact, an investigation revealed that, as far as anyone could tell, the Abhorrent hadn’t arrived on Hannemid at all. There hadn’t been a single attack, nor any unusual meteor showers.

Purattu was obviously intent on moving as quickly as possible through the various planets. When they weren’t traveling, they were eating. When they weren’t eating, they were sleeping. Whenever they had a spare moment, he forced them to spend it in meditation or rune study. No conversation. No time for relaxation. He did lead morning prayer on a regular basis, though. After a few such prayers, Xerxes noticed that Purattu never said ‘Pontifarch,’ which was odd.

There’s no way he’s a member of the One Faith, is there? he thought. There wasn’t an opportunity to ask. Nor did Xerxes find a chance to ask Gandash about his opinion, or his thoughts on the whirlwind of events in general. There just wasn’t time.

The constant activity also made it impossible to get to know the other Seers.

They conscripted some mages from the pool available in the city surrounding the Gateway, then left for Jehannemid after only two days. Unlike the Gateway complexes on Mannemid, Humusi, and Hannemid, all of which were surrounded by civilization, the Jehannemid complex was located amidst craggy mountains a good distance away from the nearest city. For Unsighted on horseback, the journey to the capital would have taken days. Moving at the speed of Seers, the trip went much faster.

Once out of the mountains and into civilization, they found that the Abhorrent had arrived even earlier than on Mannemid. However, there were no gigantic high-level juveniles.

Purattu and the Seers provided a bit of help cleaning out some of the remaining Abhorrent. It wasn’t a particularly difficult task. There was no spellcasting involved, and Xerxes only used his sword once.

When the work was done, the Head Mage offered to hold a banquet in celebration. Xerxes expected Purattu to decline the offer, but he didn’t. During the event, Purattu explained his conscription mission.

“We would be honored to send our best and brightest with you, High Mystic Purattu,” the Head Mage said.

“Good,” Purattu said. “Before leaving, I’d like to check the mage population of your sister city, Puabi.”

“Er, that’s probably not necessary. We here in the capital—”

“Cut the bullshit,” Purattu interrupted. “I know there’s political tension between the capital and Sheik Hatim. Has it escalated into outright war?”

“Not war per se, but—”

“So it has. You do know who Sheik Hatim is, right?”

“Of course. He’s the son-in-law of… K-Kingallu.”

“High Archon Kingallu of Sin-Amuhhu. I honestly can’t believe you have the guts to openly clash with the family member of one of the most powerful mages in the Great Reef.”

The Head Mage puffed his chest up. “We aren’t clashing with him, I’ll have you know. He’s the one who—”

“I don’t care,” Purattu interrupted. “I just want to make sure I’m taking the best Seers to Sin-Amuhhu, so I’ll be heading over to Puabi tomorrow.”

“It’s on the other side of the continent, some one hundred a fifty leagues away. The roads are winding, and if you go off them—”

“I’m a High Mystic, remember?”

“Right….”

“I’ll leave first thing in the morning and be back before the dinner hour.”

That meant that Xerxes and the other off-world mages had an actual free day.

“Make the best use of it,” Purattu said before disappearing.

“What does that mean?” said one of the mages they’d picked up on Hannemid.

Xerxes grinned. “He didn’t mention meditation or study. My guess is he wants us to loosen up a bit.”

“I don’t know…” Gandash said.

Xerxes shoved his shoulder. “Come on, Gandy. Let’s just look around. We’ve been going nonstop for days now.”

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

All of the other mages followed suit.

As Xerxes donned his wide-brimmed cap and stepped out into the street, he suddenly found himself thinking about Bel. How long had it been since he dragged her out of the tavern in Kisiga on the fateful day when Gem died? Glancing over, he saw an odd expression on Gandash’s face and assumed similar thoughts were going through his head. Reaching down, he triple-checked that he had his component pouch, as well as a good knife. As for his sword, it was a bit too bulky to take along for a shopping trip. Besides, the city was well-patrolled by the local guard.

They spent the morning wandering the capital. It had its own characteristic flair, but was similar enough to Mannemid that they didn’t feel out of place.

Gandash bought some trinkets at a market. A ring. A letter opener. A piece of coral. Xerxes kept his eyes open for longswords and dolphin jewelry but didn’t see any, so in the end, he saved his money.

“Let’s get something to eat,” Xerxes said. “I’m famished.”

“We have to try some of those saffron falafels. You’ve seen the signs, right?”

“Yeah.” Saffron falafels were some sort of specialty in this city. And apparently, saffron was as pricey as it was back home. “They’re expensive though.”

“Come on, my treat.”

Xerxes gritted his teeth but tried to smile. “It’s fine, Gandy. I’ll pass. Let’s save our money for when we get to Sin-Amuhhu.”

“Hmm… fine.”

Instead of the saffron falafels, they picked a street meat vendor with small tables set up by the side of the road. Just before selecting a table to sit at, Xerxes noticed a familiar face a few tables down.

“Oh, hey!” he said, rather loudly. “Kashtiliash?”

The bearded Seer was sitting there with his legs stretched out and his arms crossed. Upon hearing Xerxes’ greeting, he looked over and gave them a nod.