AS-3 Take Me Out to the Grand Bazaar

Titi...

Fetch!

(Fetches the ball)

(Brings it back)

Who's the cutest little thing? You are!

Stop fooling around, Titi!

I've always wanted a pet, but my family wouldn't let me have one. Look how cute it is!

It's not a pet, its part of the museum's collection.

Tell that to Pepe. She's yelling at part of the museum's collection.

SAY THAT AGAIN?

I apologize, Pepe Khanum, but I am unable to answer. My memories of the trove's location remain vague.

You sure you don't want to stop her? I'm starting to feel sorry for that corpse cowering in a corner.

Well, try harder! Maybe you'll remember then.

I'm afraid that would be futile...

They who split my memories distributed them evenly across all the gems, to ensure that the secret could not be easily accessed.

There are five gems in total. You may have to find all of them before I can tell you the answer.

Where are the rest of the gems? You must know that, right?

(Shakes head)

You don't?

The army that defeated me consisted of many padishahs and lords ameer... They took the gems with them when they left.

It's like looking for a needle in a haystack...

There must be another way! Use that golden brain of yours!

Please, hanimefendi... have patience...

Then tell me something useful!

There is a faint resonance between the gems that I can sense if I am in their proximity.

Are you kidding me? You want me to take you across all of Sargon? This city alone holds thousands of gems!

I think I sense one faintly...

...

Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!

Look, Anat, she's trying to remove part of the museum's collection!

...

Pepe, Zubayr Effendi is a valued part of the museum's collection. We must ensure that he is stored under appropriate conditions, and I can't allow him to be exposed to the elements.

Leave that thought and do your research here. Do NOT go out.

Forty-percent increase in funding next year?

No.

Double?

My staff will be watching you at all times. Senebty.

What's come over her?

Zubayr Effendi, I know it's not exactly polite to ask a man for his funeral effects, but I would be remiss...

Can I borrow this for a couple of days?

(Spins rapidly)

...

Of course, hanimefendi.

You can come out now, Zubayr. There's no one here.

How do you go through a hole like that at your size? It's like you turned liquid or something.

My body is extremely flexible, allowing me to pass through narrow spaces.

I thought I would have to tear down the wall, if you couldn't get out.

There is no need.

Why didn't you use your Originium Arts? I almost hit my head crawling through the hole.

You didn't ask.

Well... you should close it back up. Wouldn't want anyone else to see it.

As you wish.

Centuries ago, there was nothing but sand. Now, tall buildings line the streets. Such prosperity.

Lamps line the banks of the river flowing gently through the city. It reminds me of Shar-Cheshmeh, built upon an oasis.

Shahr-Cheshmeh, the City of Springs? I thought it was just a legend. No one has found it in centuries.

No, it was very real. Its padishah was a despot who challenged the Shah's authority on multiple occasions. I had to pay him a personal visit.

And then?

And then it was no more.

Did... the whole city have to pay for the sins of a single padishah?

I did nothing but cut the padishah's head off and throw it into a spring. It was the chained slaves who burned the city to the ground.

If you visited yourself, you would be shocked by the filth and stink. They made sacrifices in the water, but the water system was... primitive.

Please, stop. I can almost smell it.

I see. Can we go to the river?

No, not that way!

It's early. The banks of the river are still brightly lit. Anat would kill me if someone saw the museum's collection walking the streets.

I know a place. Follow me.

Curator Anat, we've taken inventory of the collection. Here it is...

...Medjehtiqedti Khanum? What are you doing here?

Anat went to meet a guest, so I'm taking over some of the documents.

'The Padishah's statue wasn't damaged in an accident; it was missing one eyeball to begin with! Who wrote this?'

Ha...

How's my impression?

But it's true that the statue's records are wrong. Be careful next time.

R-Really? Let me see who was in charge.

Izaja and Inaja. I think they were under your...

Ahem... here, Age of Shadow exhibits counted twice. Make sure you double-check.

This is...?

My favorite place in the city.

You like empty streets.

It's not like this during the day. Everything in Menat-Ha'mait goes through here.

Merchants from all across the country come here to trade gems, furs, spices, crafts... people come from other countries too, often making large transactions.

If we're going to find a gem somewhere, this would be it.

Deep in the Grand Bazaar is a trading post dedicated to gems. Virtually every gem in the city passes through it.

Do you sense the gem we're looking for?

...

Are you listening?

Forgive me...

I am curious about the crafts being sold here. In my time, animal sculptures like these were guardians of tombs, companions for the dead.

Now, though, they are being peddled on the streets as everyday items.

Well... it's a decorative sculpture for home use. Twenty-five dinars.

From the murals on the walls, to the hieroglyphs all around... many things feel so familiar, yet so strange at the same time.

Perhaps we should go and see a few more places?

Medjehtiqedti Hanimefendi, the great families have sent inquiries.

The padishahs take the solemnity of Sargonian history so seriously. How do we explain this incident to them?

Just tell them it was an intern's mistake and we'll deal with it accordingly.

Deal with whom?

The acting curator, perhaps?

...Huh?

Is it really true, Titi?

There was unexplained access made using your pass both last night and this morning... what if someone investigates?

That can't be! I wiped all the records clean.

So you've finally admitted it.

I didn't... I...

Well, this I can cover up... but the mummy coming back to life, on the eve of the Flood Festival, is another matter.

What's your plan?

To keep the museum closed until things blow over.

No way!

Look at that badgir!

A windcatcher, yes, the most common type of tower here. Those openings catch the cool, high winds and guide them into the building through vents.

Cool air flows into the space below, pushing the hot air out the opposite side.

I didn't know you were an architect.

I'm not. But I met the talented architect who invented the badgir.

Do you sense the gems yet?

I'm sorry... I can't sense any nearby. Maybe I could tell you something else.

Are you not curious how the gems retain one's memory and consciousness?

Well...

I AM curious. I figured it was some kind of Sarkaz witchcraft related to the Zhayedan.

People in my time believed that life consists of three parts: Body, Name, and Soul.

Body is the physical vessel, and Name is the identity known to others. The Soul, however, is what truly makes us human; it is the emotions and experiences that form our character.

All three parts must be preserved together, in order for life to be eternal.

The Body can be replaced with something more durable. The Name can retain its meaning by being passed on through generations.

I know. That's the genesis of Sargonian noble heritage.

The Soul, however, is the frailest of the three.

During the Age of Shadow, it was discovered that part of the Soul can be preserved, in a manner of speaking, by etching it upon a pure gem with Originium circuits.

Like the gem in your chest...

Yes.

I've only ever read about it in ancient texts... Scholars call it superstition, borne out of a lack of understanding of the nature of life.

That is a misinterpretation.

However, the true mystery, the method by which a life's journey is engraved, has long since been lost to time.

Or, it might exist, to some degree... gems with engraved Originium circuits can still be found in this city.

Last year, a gem with Originium circuits that could change the ambient temperature in a small area was sold at auction for an incredible price.

Some things survive the test of time, only to become barely recognizable.

The sun's about to rise. We should get back before the museum opens. Let's go.

The museum is just ahead. I don't want to crawl through another hole. Why don't we use your Arts to make a shortcut?

One moment, Pepe.

Have you sensed the gem?

No...

I would like to see the sunrise.

The one thing that the passage of time cannot change.

...

Okay. Just for a bit.

How lucky. It is still bright, glorious, brilliant.

It still brings warmth.

Inudi harek, Horakhet.

Is it time to go back?

You can stay a while longer, if you like being in the sun.

We have a little bit of time.

The sun is up.

Four days... no, five, since Narantuya went missing.

Focus, Ajazi! This work requires attention to detail!

You're sure that the communicator fell into this drainage outlet when we left the museum, right?

I'm sure.

Well, we've been dredging through it every day, but we haven't found a shadow of it.

We can't reach Narantuya if we don't find it. if we can't reach Narantuya... what will we do?

...I remember Narantuya saying we should find a way to get money when she's not around.

You're right, Ajani!

We need to pull a big job.

That way, we can buy a new communicator and get in touch with the boss!

Let's go. We've got work to do at the museum.

Alright...

Huh?

Hey, Ajazi, I think I hooked something!

What do you think, Lazvar?

A hue like the night sky, and the wavy patterns it like lava gently flowing across it...

It was dug up from the deep Obsidian veins decades ago. It's a rare treasure today, given the state of Mount Siesta.

The gem vendors in town dare not give a hasty quote for it, and you've been away from the post these past few days...

There is no Originium circuit on this gem.

I'm afraid I cannot give you a high price for it.

Three hundred and seventy dinars.

B-But a Siestan collector offered a much higher price for it! The equivalent of thirty-seven thousand dinars!

Could you perhaps be mistaken?

You could always go back to that collector.

Ah, er, well, it's not that I don't trust the overseer's eyes and scales...

But if we were in Londinium, Lungmen, or Siesta...

We're in Menat-Ha'mait.

There are treasures here beyond reckoning. The sand beneath your feet was perhaps at one time gems brighter than the stars.

That is why we value the power of a gem far more than its appearance.

Three hundred and seventy dinars is the most I can give for an ordinary Obsidian, with no Originium circuits or special powers.

Can we really sell a rock that we reeled in from the sewers?

Even the roads in this city are paved with gems. Try holding it under the sun.

What am I supposed to see?

Nothing. It's like the plastic handle of my toothbrush.

Well, don't be discouraged, Ajani. It could help Narantuya's great endeavor, even if it's not worth much.

Like, she could enjoy ice water for an entire week once she comes back. Added with lemon slices and dried dates for sure.

Hey, you! Yeah, you, behind the counter.

Me?

Yeah. You're the receptionist, right?

Receptionist? No—

It's our first time here. We want to... to... what do we want to do, Ajazi?

To get this gem appraised and sell it for good money!

Yeah, that's right. Do you know where the queue for gem appraisals is?

...Give it to me. I can appraise it.

Wow, even the receptionist at the gem trading post knows how to appraise gems!

At first glance, it is a pale sapphire of low-purity.

Low-purity? Sounds like dried dates are off the menu.

Well, the lemon slices still have a chance.

The Originium circuits are clearly visible. Hm? This is...

What is it? Is there something wrong with the circuits?

Meh, never mind, Ajazi. The gem probably doesn't do anything, judging by his reaction.

...No, it does. The Originium circuits on this gem can induce excitement in small animals.

It makes small animals excited...?

Where are you going, Ajani?

Back to work at the museum, of course! You know how much money we're making per hour carrying boxes?

Forget that blue toothbrush handle! Can't afford to waste our time here!

Hey, wait for me!

Wait, your gem—

I was going to say I could offer fifty thousand dinars for it...

Meow...

Mio? You're back early.

(Dejected) Meow...

...It's okay, you tried. It's not easy to see him, is it?

...

Hey, Mio, try this.

(Touches the pale blue gem with a paw)

(Sniffs)

(Purrs excitedly)

(Rolls in ecstasy)

Glad you like it... what's that? You found your motivation again?

Alright, then, go with Woof to find the gems.

They've finally converged upon this city.

Shh, stay in the grass and don't come out. I had to be real careful to get you out during the day.

The grass is too short. It can't hide my ears.

Then get lower!

Uh...

Father, that girl is rummaging in the grass.

Shh, it's not polite to point. She must be drunk.

No! I can still see them!

She's about to fall into the grass. Should we help?

Shh, pretend not to see her. A little fall never hurt anyone. It's being seen falling that's really embarrassing.

This is where the events leading up to the Flood Festival are held, and all the competitors are here today to sign up. It would be very awkward to run into her during the competition.

It's a Menat-Ha'mait tradition to sink various items into the river as a sacrifice to the river god ahead of the Flood Festival, praying for good luck.

Guess where we can find the rarest gems in the city.

In the river.

Wait here while I go get one of the bush trimming carts. You can sit in the bin for collecting fallen leaves.

That way, we can get you to the river without anyone finding out!

Are you sure this is a good idea?

Come on, stop tugging at my shirt and act your age!

Stay hidden and stay put! I'll be back soon!

...

Meow... meooow...

A... creature?

(Lifts tail elegantly)

Ah, many statues here were carved in your likeness.

(Wags tail proudly)

Beautiful. No wonder the people here love you so much.

(Holds up backside with dignity)

Do you want me to pet you? But you're too far, and Pepe told me not to move from here.

(Makes a deliberate display)

Can you come closer?

(Shakes tail irritably)

Please don't be angry. Perhaps I can move forward a little.

Meow...

Meow!

Wait!

Hey, Zubayr, stop gawking at cloudbeasts. Look what I've found!

...

...Why do you look so dour?

I am not dour.

Then get in here. I've measured it, it should fit you with room to spare.

It's a little dirty...

Dirty? Just some fallen leaves and a piece of scrap paper. You were dug out of a hole filled with sand and dirt!

...I respectfully decline.

Alright, alright, I'll clean it. Fallen leaves... scrap paper... it's a leaflet. It's not even that dirty.

Harvest Gathering? What is that?

Part of the local festivities... competitors display their most valued possessions, and the winners get prizes from the sponsors.

Many of the prizes are familiar. The second-place prize, in particular, brings back memories.

Of course it does, Zubayr.

Do I still have to go into the bin?

Of course. I cleaned it for you.

Mmh...

(Mumbles in sleep)

This way... the mummy won't...

...Whoa!

Is she finally awake?

—Damn. I'm glad that was just a dream.

I don't want to be haunted by the dead this young.

Please don't throw the vessel. Even if it is your own, you may not harm others while using it.

Sorry. I thought it was my knife I was throwing.

Apology accepted. Good morning.

...

Wait, morning?

Oh... it was you who saved my life?

Thank you so much, kind soul! Once I get out of here, I'll have all my subordinates remember your name!

So...

How much do you want?

I'm sorry?

If you mean the bread and fruit that I brought back from my morning jog, these were gift from others that should not be valued in terms of money.

I wasn't asking about that, or why I don't get good stuff like that when I walk the streets.

—Wait, you mean it's free?

Good. The sun is my witness, no taking back your word.

I appreciate the kindness.

How are you feeling?

Based on my medical knowledge, I do not believe you're injured, but you had been unconscious for a long time...

Oh, I'd forgotten to sleep for a while. Guess I was making up for it.

No worries. Consider it a... bad hereditary habit.

Hereditary?

As long as it's nothing serious. Feeling unwell anywhere?

...

That was the tenth floor... I didn't think I would ever wake up from that.

Wow, is that what dying feels like? It's terrible! Thank you for saving my life.

They say that one can never truly die, if her name continues to be spoken after her death.

But if eternal life means an eternal nightmare of being chased by mummies to the ends of the sands... then I must reconsider whether it's worth it to have my name known all across Sargon.

You jumped from the window because you wanted to have your name known all across Sargon?

Hm? I suppose.

I fail to understand the Sargonian obsession with such tradition... I sympathize. Had things not been going well for you in life?

Racked up a debt. It's been a pretty big headache.

Say, I want to ask you...

You saved my life, and I ought to repay you.

Do you want to work for me? I'm planning something of a great endeavor.

What?

I remember now. I made a wish when I fell from the building.

I guess you're that 'competent subordinate' granted by fate.

...

Very well. I'm happy to be of help, if it alleviates your stress and gives you the will to live.

Anat! Anat! Look what I found!

I don't know what you found, but I found that you've been sneaking away with the museum's collection again.

And putting him in a dirty... leaf bin.

Sorry, I just couldn't bear to watch him waste away in the museum, so I took him out to get some fresh air.

Is that so?

Er... yes, Anat Hanim, I was interested in seeing the outside.

See? Let's drop this and talk about the good stuff I found.

Hm... a creased leaflet?

Look what it says!

The typical pre-festival events.

Wait, is that...?

The third gem that Zubayr and I have been looking for!

Didn't you say you took Zubayr out because he was wasting away in the museum?

Kill two fowlbeasts with one stone, as they say.

Did you think about how to get the gem? Second-place is not exactly easy to get.

The Harvest Gathering attracts the rich and noble, eager to show off their treasures. I know of at least two padishahs who are visiting anonymously.

I can help you appraise ancient artifacts, or volunteer myself as the entry...

No worries, that's the easy part.

The hard part is finishing second.

The entry has to be extraordinary, but not unique. It must represent an era, but not symbolize it.

You need finish exactly second to get the 'large gem with unique characteristics and Shah-era markings'.

How to finish second...? That is the question.

...

Heheh.

Do you have an idea?

Heknu, Horakhet.

Entering with a Horakhet statue? Not a bad choice.

No, I'm just expressing my gratitude for His inspiration. I'm not entering an item associated with Him.

Look at the circle He's casting on the ground. Doesn't it look like...?

I see. You plan to enter with a talisman engraved with a royal name. The cartouche is the symbol of good fortune and warding against evil. Perhaps that will catch the attention of the judges...

What are you people talking about?

Isn't this oval of light just like a golden slipper?

Slipper?

Yes. I'm winning that gem with a golden slipper that's been passed down through my family for generations!

I don't want to keep crouching behind this wall. Can I go in with you?

Stop complaining. I got you your ice cream. Can you actually taste it though?

No... I'm just curious what all those people were queuing for.

Is your curiosity satisfied? Eat up, or your head is going to melt in the sun.

Ice treat created in my image... I'm surprised how popular I am here.

Hm...

You may not be able to taste it, but you can feel the coolness, right?

Not so much a sensation as an impulse...

An impulse to jump into the river, allow the water to flow over me, and have a good swim.

That's just how we normally spend the summer, isn't it? Oh right... gold sinks in water.

That's why I described it as an impulse.

Alright, alright, be patient, and I'll take you to the largest artificial lake in town once the sun goes down and the competition has ended.

I'll be going. See you later.

...

(Pulls up cape)

♪The papyrus reeds sway by the river, its waters of purest lazurite♪

♪It wends its way by the golden dunes, fed by our gifts of gems♪

I knew you were here when I smelled synthesized courmarin.

My watch tells me the competition doesn't start for another thirty minutes. I thought it was unfashionable in the new city to arrive on time.

Twenty-seven minutes and fifty seconds, to be precise. My watch is more accurate.

After all, its mechanism is based on the machine that the Shah of Past and Future invented after he discovered the artifact that gave mastery over time.

Your idea of time is as vague as that sundial in the museum. You do not understand that the every grain of sand passing through the hourglass is a gold coin, when one arrives too early and has to wait.

True, I believe this antique was last calibrated when the sundial was dug up. I wonder where your ancestors were, at the time.

Perhaps I should inform them that it's actually 11:25, and both of them should adjust their watches.

This sports watch is waterproof and dustproof, and has a compass on it. I wear it on my monthly climb of the Heria Mountains, and I can recommend it to them based on firsthand experience.

Don't bother them. You got some free time, go try some other drinks.

I like this iced guava juice more than the herbal tea.

I'll get a few more cups if you want.

I'm fine, I'm no padishah, I know how to use my hands.

So... you're not contemplating suicide?

No.

Why would I, when you can get all sorts of free drinks just walking through a city garden like this—

If I may say so, my hundred-thousand dinar burdenbeast pulls the carriage faster. It could knock a grown man down with its wake.

If I may say so, stability is the most important thing, and that's what the burdenbeasts of my ranch offer.

Oh!—Novsh! My cup!

Unlike you, I don't have to pull down the curtains to stop sand sent flying by a carriage, or juice spilled by passersby.

What are these people doing here? This place is for drinks!

Don't worry, I caught it. Not a single drop of guava juice was spilled.

Let's find a place to sit by the roadside.

...

(Mutters) She's the competent subordinate I've been wishing for alright... but am I even the boss, at this rate?

(Mutters) I should introduce her to Ajazi and Ajani.

Did you say something?

No, I was just thinking I would take a trip to the museum after I've tried all the drinks here.

You're going there too?

Yeah, but I'm not as interested as you in the artifacts. I just lost something and I need to start searching from the last place I saw it.

Not a single beep from my communicator after all this time? Not one call?

Unfortunately, the museum has remained closed ever since the incident, and I doubt the management would promptly contact the owners of lost items as promised.

Whenever I close my eyes, I think back to the day when I glimpsed a fragment of the lost glory of ancient Minos, and the disarray within that grand museum.

Setting everything aside, it is unbelievable that the staff could not recall the locations of the exhibit halls and the routes to them.

Leading dozens of panicking tourists to the Northeast... to the Minoan exhibit, where there were no exits.

I must strongly express my dissatisfaction when I have a chance to meet with museum management.

Ha... I changed my mind. Let's not go to the museum today.

Excuse me. I see you're enjoying the drinks we have on offer today.

The two of you have lingered here for a while. Perhaps you are interested in participating in the Harvest Gathering?

You appear to be tourists. This pamphlet will give you details about this key event leading up to the Flood Festival.

Not interested.

Let's go, Aspasia... Aspasia?

...

Fate has smiled on me at last.

Narantuya, you say you have visited the museum. Perhaps you know what this is.

No idea... isn't it just a simple old cup?

This is my family goblet!

The other goblet, to be precise.