Chapter 19: The Black Market
The city of Barovik rose like a wall of gray stone and red roofs, nestled among low hills covered with yellowed pasture. From a distance, it seemed respectable — but up close, it revealed cracks in the walls, muddy streets, and too many people for its decaying infrastructure.
It was a commercial center out of necessity, not glory: caravans came and went every day, bringing goods, rumors, diseases, and promises of wealth that almost never materialized.
The south gate creaked as it opened, wooden beams with axe marks and rust where old nails gave way. And through this gate, leaning on an improvised staff, a man stumbled in.
Ergan was unrecognizable to anyone who had seen him before. His nose still crooked and swollen, purple up to his eyes. His right arm barely moved, his collarbone clearly broken. Each step was a creak of poorly set bones and a muffled groan.
His face, covered in dry mud mixed with clotted blood, drew glances — but no one helped him. In Barovik, a man dying in the street was a useful reminder to stay out of trouble.
He coughed, spitting blood onto the crooked cobblestone ground. But he kept going.
The Iron Wing guild was housed in an old two-story stone building, renovated just enough to keep the walls standing. Wooden signs hung askew with the poorly painted symbol of an iron wing hammered into shape.
Inside, the main hall was cold, lit by oil lamps that cast giant shadows on the peeling walls. Several men and women played cards or cleaned weapons, laughing and speaking quietly, but they stopped when Ergan entered.
He staggered to the makeshift counter — a plank supported by barrels.
Behind it, flipping through a notebook with impeccable handwriting, was the guild leader.
Ser Mordell.
Very long black hair, tied in a low ponytail that swayed like a veil. Aristocratic clothes — a vest embroidered with golden threads (a bit frayed), a white ruffled shirt (yellowed with age), tight pants, and high boots that seemed polished to the point of wearing out. A fake ring sparkled on his thin finger.