A lone, hooded man bent over from wear of time, trudged along the windy sands of the Fertile Crescent, in the land now known as Syria, headed towards the city of Damascus. The man’s cloak was covered in symbols that glowed even in the blazing sun of the barren wasteland of the desert. Ahead of him were construction workers working on a shrine to the current king of Damascus. As the man approached the workers, there was a dark miasma around him, distorting the man’s shape. Then in the blink of an eye and an unearthly scream, the workers were gone, and the man with a satisfied grin headed to the palace.

· · ·

            Elijiah was a young man with the fair skin of a farmer, but with the golden brown hair of a prince, and his piercing blue eyes similar that of eagle. Elijiah was a lowly servant working in the palace, but was liked by all especially the King’s eccentric son, Aashiq. Elijiah and Aashiq were best of friends, even though Elijiah was a lowly servant and Aashiq was a prince. Today the two were planning the spy on the King during his meeting with the merchant’s guild to discuss tax payments to the King. The pair had snuck in before the meeting started and hid in the closet full of the King’s treasures, which the King liked to be near at all times. The boys didn’t care much for gold or precious gems, so they had no urge to steal them.

            “We are going to get in big trouble, if we get found.” whispered Elijiah

            “Don’t worry everything will be fine.” Aashiq whispered back, “and if we get caught, its only a merchant meeting, not a meeting for battle plans, so the is no harm in listening in.”

            “If you say so,” Elijiah reluctantly said.

            “Shhhhh! The meeting is about to start.” Then quietly the merchants came into the room in single file, following closely behind the King.