Eudaimonia: Maya's Journey

Bispolis

It took them another two weeks to reach Bispolis.

Bispolis was the kingdom's second largest city. They entered it and were surprised to see that the city resembled an ant's nest. Overcrowded streets went in all directions, no one took any notice of each other, and makeshift stalls stood in the middle of the streets selling all types of junk. It was dirty and full of rubbish on the floor, closely resembling a dump. The buildings had greyish coloured walls and were made of four or five storeys, giving the impression they could fall down at any moment.

Merchants from all across Altador and the neighbouring country of Anishi came here to sell their merchandise and then leave. The majority of the permanent residents were inn and tavern owners and staff. There were an incredible number of places where you could sleep and eat and Bispolis was capable of hosting hundreds of thousands of visitors each month. It was also a perfect hideout for criminals as there were thousands of fresh faces every day, and under those conditions it was easy to stay incognito and make money. It would be easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find someone.

They took refuge at the Tartare Inn, a dirty place located in the backstreets where there was less noise and it was a lot calmer. There, they gathered information about crossing the desert. That is how they met Ignus.

Ignus was in his thirties; he was tall and slender, had a ravaging smile, and was undeniably eloquent. They immediately warmed to him and him to them, even though in his case there was a certain amount of disinterest. He revealed to them that he was a bounty hunter. Most of the time he was hired privately but the king and the government would use his specific set of skills from time to time as well. Currently, a really rich landowner had hired him to find the brigand responsible for robbing his gold cargo. A few weeks back, Ignus's new patron had fallen for a trap whilst moving some of his gold to a safer location. The convoy never arrived at its new destination.

Ignus's investigation, like many other times, had led him to Bispolis. He had identified the mastermind, whose name was Domino, and Bispolis was his refuge. He managed to find where his shelter was, however, the problem was now to find out how to isolate him, as he was very smart and very cautious. He never went anywhere without an armada of gangsters.

Maya and North had entered the inn, while Ignus had been in the middle of thinking about how he was going to crack this case. After talking to them, he formulated a plan but he would need their help. In exchange he would guarantee to help them find the best way to cross the Wasabi Desert.

The deal was fair and they accepted without hesitation. Once they had been briefed, they put the plan into action and travelled to the Timber Quarter, where Domino was hiding.

Two men were guarding the building. Beramute was in charge of starting a fight with them. He walked past them and shoved one of them in the process. The thugs immediately reacted as expected and insulted him and tried to push him back. Acknowledging the strength of their opponent, one of the sentinels went to get reinforcements from inside the building. About ten men emerged, but by that time it was too late for the other guard as Beramute had disposed of him and he was lying on the floor unconscious. They all attacked him at once. Without further ado, North and Utaka also intervened. The general chaos drove the remaining thieves outside to join the conflict.

Maya's job was to make sure no one escaped by taking advantage of the confusion. Domino, who was still inside realised he was being set up. He climbed to the top floor, opened the window in the mansard, had a look to see if the passage on the roof was secure and as he couldn't see anyone he jumped on the tiles and made a run from building to building.

Ignus, who had counted on Domino's well-documented paranoia, had anticipated this move as the most likely thing to happen. He had hidden behind a chimney and patiently observed the criminal's escape, until he had him in his firing line. Ignus was a crossbow master and never missed a shot. He meticulously stretched the cord of his weapon, to the point it was really tense, he aimed carefully and gently pressed the trigger to release the bolt. A scream followed almost instantly. He had shot Domino's leg. In great pain, Domino was cursing and rolling on a flat bit of the roof. In no rush, the bounty hunter picked him up and tied him up.

When he came down Maya, North, Beramute, and Utaka were waiting for him. They had got the best of the outlaws and had gathered the gold, over three hundred golden coins, enough to buy a castle.

Once back at the inn, Ignus gave them two gold coins and the address of his informer, Larsen. From what Ignus said Larsen was the most knowledgeable and resourceful person in the region. He could get you anything if you paid the right price but he warned them he could be a little shady.

Ignus had to take Domino back to his client, as there was an extra reward for his capture so he didn't linger much longer. He thanked them, wished them luck, and departed.