The Fall of Everything [Rewrite]

The Rhazgord had no intelligence unit. The only thing that could be called similar was a scout unit. The purpose of this unit, as the name suggests, was to gather information about the enemy, but this information was not very comprehensive. They were responsible for finding out things like the enemy's position, number of troops and defensive fortifications. In short, the men under Corvus' command did not have the skills needed to track down the men who were watching the camp and find out who they were.
It is very likely that the people watching the camp were not from Rhazgord. This meant that other countries were involved. Corvus gave orders to maximize security measures and went to bed to recover from the journey. There was nothing else he could do now.
Belisarius was so nervous that he kept watch over his cart until morning. Zarqa and the soldiers from the scouts had kept watch throughout the night, trying to track down any strangers who might have been watching the camp. But the information gathered was not even just a general guess: The enemies had disappeared into the darkness of the city, their numbers were unknown and they were moving with extreme caution.
With nothing to do, Corvus, with some persuasion, took Belisarius with him to explore the city of Bahoz. The first thing that caught Corvus' attention was the abundance of inns and merchants in the city. It made sense that many merchants would be here. The city was close to the borders and relatively safe. But there was an inn every two steps and it only took a glance to realize that most of them were empty. Tanar's uneasiness and the events of the night made Corvus suspicious of even the smallest details.
Corvus and Belisarius noticed something else in their conversations with the city's residents and merchants. Almost all of the merchants came from three specific countries. These three countries were all medium-sized kingdoms close to Rhazgord. Given the distance, it made sense that the number of merchants from these three countries would be plentiful, but the people of the city said that merchants from other countries were heavily taxed, while those who were citizens of one of these three countries were hardly taxed at all.
Corvus could not control his sense of suspicion, for every step he took, he found something else interesting about the city. Something was definitely going on in the city of Bahoz, but he could not put the pieces together. Finally he decided to see Tanar. As if Tanar was waiting for Corvus to think about him, he suddenly appeared in front of Corvus.
"I was just coming to report to you!" Tanar said and greeted Belisarius as if surprised to see him. "It is an honor to see you here, Prince Belisarius." His voice was full of flattery and he had a mastery of the Adler language that one would not expect from a Rhazgordian.
Corvus said not a word, but his curious and impatient gaze screamed "speak! ".
"There are about ten bandit groups in the area, two of them large. Some of them are not from Rhazgord..." He had more to say, but Corvus' angry glare made him take a step or two back. Only yesterday he had told Corvus that bandits were not a big problem, but now he was talking about ten bandit groups. As much as Corvus wanted to broach the subject, he preferred to remain silent. "Go on! " he said in a tone that betrayed his anger.
"We have found the camp of several bandit groups and I have already sent my men. I will bring you their heads before morning."
Corvus nodded at these words. "I don't intend to stay around here for long, Tanar. As soon as I have the bandits' heads, I will leave." He put his hand on Tanar's shoulder and continued, "The more you help me, the faster you will be rid of me." Tanar tried to tell Corvus that he was honored and happy to have in Bahoz a warrior who had proven his ability at such a young age, but Corvus ignored him. He was hungry and had other things he wanted to talk to Tanar about.
"There are things I need to talk to you about." he looked around. "Shall we talk here, standing up, or at a nice dining table." Tanar moved quickly, trying not to lose the softness in Corvus' voice.
On the way to where they were to eat, Belisarius approached Corvus and asked in a low voice, "Did you introduce me to Tanar yesterday?" Corvus thought for a moment and then said, "No. Things were tense, so I couldn't think of it.Why is that?" Belisarius thought for a moment and then said, "I am sure I have never met Tanar before. And I don't think his face is very well known around here." Corvus was about to say something when they reached the place where they were going to eat. A nice table was prepared in a short time.
After a few bites, Corvus interjected. "Look Tanar. I understand you. You are playing with taxes to make some extra money from a few merchants. But you have to do it in balance. You understand that I'm trying to stabilize Rhazgord trade, and Bahoz is very important for that."
Tanar knew nothing of Corvus' plans, but he had heard many rumors. Clearly young Corvus wanted to change things and he had the support of his family. At least until his father returned.
"As you know, Corvus, we Rhazgordians eat a lot! So I've been doing a favor for a few merchants to feed my men, but if it's a problem for you, I'll cut it off." he said, and sipped his drink, not breaking his smile for a moment.
Corvus had a feeling that the reason for the favoritism to the merchants was not so simple, but pressing Tanar might make things worse. He needed to observe and gather more information.
Tanar turned to Belisarius, who had not understood much of the conversation, and said, "I did not expect to see you here, Prince Belisarius. I assume you are close to Corvus."
Belisarius swallowed the food in his mouth and replied. "Yes. When the Rhazgord mercenaries came to help my kingdom, Corvus and I met and became good friends." He paused for a moment and pointed to Tanar with his fork - he was the only one using a fork - and said,"Were you among the mercenaries?"
"Unfortunately," he said with feigned sadness, "since I took charge of the city I have not been able to participate in the battles and ..."
Belisarius suddenly interjected, "And... how do you know me then?" It was an unexpected question for Tanar. There was no answer he could give. After all, he had learned from the masked men that Belisarius was in town and he couldn't say that.
"As you know, there are many merchants in our city. One of them saw you yesterday and told me. And I apologize for not recognizing you yesterday."
Tanar's excuse was reasonable, but neither Corvus nor Belisarius believed him. After dinner, despite Tanar's insistence, Corvus went back to see the city with Belisarius. They were walking through one of the crowded streets of the city. Ever since he and Tanar had parted, he had a feeling he was being followed. Belisarius had felt it too. While Corvus and Belisarius were wondering how to spot their followers, a couple of small children passed them quickly. Thanks to his reflexes, Corvus managed to avoid hitting the children, but as they ran, he ran into several people. Except for one person. Corvus locked his eyes with this robed man who was skillfully avoiding the children. He was standing a few meters behind Corvus and Belisarius, and he didn't look like he was from Rhazgord. Before Belisarius even realized what was happening, Corvus rushed towards the robed man.
Corvus was close to him when suddenly the robed man skillfully dodged, taking advantage of the narrow streets of the city. The man's movements showed that he knew these streets like the back of his hand. Despite this escape, Corvus was determined not to lose sight of his prey. He glanced behind him at Belisarius, who had realized at the last moment what had happened, but had fallen behind. Corvus quickened his pace, keeping his breathing even. At the shouts of Corvus and Belisarius, many tried to stop the robed man, but they only slowed him down.
The streets of the city of Bahoz were full of wide squares and narrow, labyrinthine alleys, typical of Rhazgord architecture. The city was built with a mixture of stone and wooden structures, and every corner seemed to have been specially designed for escape. Houses and shops rose irregularly in the streets, creating obstacles in which the robed man gained time. But thanks to Corvus' agility and warrior skills, the narrow streets only slowed him down, not stopped him.
As the men's screams echoed through the streets, some Bahoz residents poked their heads out of their windows to watch what was happening. As the robed man entered a marketplace, several merchants and city dwellers stepped back in surprise. Corvus' sharp gaze captured every detail as he watched the man's sudden maneuvers.
But a group of local warriors accidentally blocked Corvus' path. Their main aim was to stop the robed man. This allowed the man to gain a little more distance. Corvus paused for a moment in anger, but quickly found a side passage and resumed the pursuit. The chase became more challenging as the streets narrowed. Sudden turns between the city's narrow alleys, waterways and small passageways laid out like traps, seemed to put the robed man one step ahead. But Corvus did not fall for these traps, strategically calculating each turn as his next move.
As they approached a corner, an old woman waved her walking stick at the robed man. Once again the man dodged with a nimble move, but this one helped Corvus close the distance. The robed man was now only a few steps ahead. But the obstacles were not over.
When the robed man entered a narrow passage, Corvus was about to dive in after him when suddenly a shepherd and his sheep appeared. The sheep were moving slowly, covering almost the entire pass. The shepherd panicked, but tried to keep his flock together. Corvus quickly jumped over one sheep, then tried to dodge several more without trampling them. The sheep made a "meee " sound and ran left and right.
Finally they entered a narrow alley. This was one of the most isolated corners of Bahoz; the shadows of the buildings made the streets dark and eerie. Corvus felt his prey tighten, he was about to grab it when he felt the urge to kill in the back of his neck. He stopped for a moment and turned quickly, his sword ready. At the beginning of the street, for just a moment, he saw a figure disappearing into the darkness. Before he realized who it was, the chase had lost its target.
Corvus stopped in the middle of the narrow alley where he had lost track of the fleeing man, his breaths hardly calming as they rose and fell rapidly in his chest. Anger filled his muscles like a hurricane. He clenched his fists and pounded hard on the stone wall beside him, not even noticing the pain radiating from his knuckles. Small pieces of the stone wall began to fall from the impact of his fists, but this did nothing to quell the rage that had reached boiling point inside him. He had never experienced such failure on a mission before. He felt cheated, trapped.
The man he was chasing was certainly no ordinary man. The agility with which he fled, the extraordinary speed with which he maneuvered, and his ability to find his way through even the most complex city streets set him apart from the average street thug. But it was the second man who got on Corvus' nerves the most. The threat of death he felt on his back in that alley ... Those cold, calculating eyes. The presence of the second man meant that his prey was part of a much more complicated structure. Both men were skilled, that was clear. Worse, they had consumed Lightstone, which meant that they were not only dangerous, but also had a solid background. This fact echoed in Corvus' mind, the fact that unknown forces were at large in his country, infuriated him.
His eyes darted to the shadowy streets around him, as if the darkness harbored another threat lurking around every corner. Far from calming his anger, his anxiety grew exponentially. Corvus would have to face not only these two men, but perhaps many more. There was no point in staying here a single moment longer. Seeing how skilled his enemies were and how effective they were in the dark, just walking around this dark city alone was getting on his nerves, and then Belisarius came to his mind. Belisarius was left behind. Corvus quickly dived back into the city streets to find Belisarius. Soon he found Belisarius running around, sword in hand, and together they returned to the camp.
On the way back, the sky had already begun to descend and the narrow streets of the city of Bahoz were plunged into a gloomy darkness that rose between the stone buildings. The street lamps cast a faint glow, but Corvus' eyes were always alert. As he rounded each corner, he watched his back, waiting for a move from the shadows. Anything. His sword was at the ready at his side, but even in this dangerous city, perhaps the unseen was the most dangerous. As he reached the campsite, the anger in his heart gave way to a deeper worry. For himself, for his friend and for his men.