While travelling in southern Memphis, Bayek noticed a merchant yelling for help to stop a boy from stealing.
Man:Thief! Thief! Medjay! Catch that little good-for-nothing. Hurry! Every (poor peasant) around here thinks they deserve a handout... Bring that neket iadet (piece of shit) back here! He will get a taste of the lash for every bite of fruit he steals. Why are you still talking to me? Go, go!
Bayek chased after the boy.
Bayek:The further you run, the worse it will go between us!
Child: (laughing) A Medjay should be quicker than you!
Bayek:How can a child so small run so fast?
The boy led Bayek to an open rooftop and jumped into the room, filled with bandits.
Bandit 1:What'd you bring us today, guttersnipe?
Child:An apple.
Bandit 1:An apple? Boy, get back out there and find us something heartier. A few apples aren't worth the cost of keeping you. Should we have Mistress Gaia deal with him?
Child:No, no!
Bandit 2:We will decide what to do with you later.
The child left.
Bandit 1:Damn gutter brats. So unreliable.
Bandit 2:What do you expect? They ran wild in the streets for years.
Bandit 1:Quit your mewling!
Bayek fighting the bandits
Bayek finally jumped and attacked the bandits.
Child:Hit them hard! Go, Medjay! Get them! Punch them in the teeth!
Bayek killed the bandits.
Child:You did it! I knew you could do it.
Bayek:Did you bring me here to get rid of these bandits?
Bayek:How did a smart boy like you get tricked into working for bandits?
Child:I don't work for them! This mean old lady locked up a bunch of us kids. She makes us steal for her.
Bayek:Locked up?
Child:Yeah. My sister was going to save us, and she said to meet her in the shipyard by the river, but she never came! Will you look for her? I'll steal you an apple...
Bayek:You don't need to buy my help. It is yours for free. What is your sister's name?
Child:Kawit. And mine's Iphri. If you find Kawit, tell her I'm mad at her!
Bayek arriving at the shipyard
Bayek travelled to the shipyard, where he discovered a burnt trireme.
Man:I looked at her twice. The second time, she was stealing my biggest jar of oil. She vanished like a demon in daylight. When I came back, ruffians were destroying my stock! May the lot of you sink to the bottom of the Nile.
Bayek left the merchant alone.
Bayek:I think I understand what happened here.
Bayek reconstructed the scene in his imagination. In it, Kawit stole a jug of oil and spread it on the ship. At night, she set the ship aflame. As the ship burned, Kawit used the opportunity to free the children in the cage.
Bayek:Kawit stole an oil jar from that oaf of a merchant, then hid until nightfall. Under cover of darkness, she spread oil on the ship and set it aflame. The blaze spread to the whole vessel. While the ship burned, Kawit freed the children held on the docks. But the bandits must have caught her. Whoever owns this ship was responsible for the kidnappings.
Bayek searched for the ship, which had a distinctive sail. With Senu's help, he tracked the ship docked outside of Memphis near a hideout, with a child hiding onboard from the bandits.
Bayek:A child hiding. And there's that colorful sail. The bandits are out searching for the child.
Bayek infiltrated the camp.
Bandit 1:That little witch who set the fire probably freed them.
Bandit 2:Should we set the bushes on fire?
Bandit 3:Where are those little shits?
Bandit 1:Birds hiding among reeds—we'll scare them out.
Bandit 3:If we don't find those kids, Mistress Gaia'll have our hides!
Bandit 2:They're children. They can't have gotten far.
Bayek found a child aboard the ship.
Child:The bandits won't stop looking for me! I can't get away!
Bayek:I will see to it. Cover your eyes.
Bayek killed the bandits.
Bayek:I need to talk to that child.
Bayek finding a young girl on the ship
Bayek boarded the ship and approach the child.
Bayek:Your brother sent me here. Where is Kawit?
Child:They took her and everyone else to a house in the city. Some rich lady named Gaia owns it. It's by the temple of Hathor. Will you save my family?
Bayek:By the Mother Goddess, I will.
Bayek returned to Memphis and searched for the villa. While infiltrating the place, he overheard Gaia Afrania's men talking and learned that they were former kidnapped children themselves.
Soldier 1:So what do you miss most about your family?
Soldier 2: Oh, Mother's cooking, definitely. She makes a delicious mustard partridge. She always took such good care of us. Sometimes I wonder why I left home.
Soldier 1:I know why I left home.
Soldier 2:I'd hate to see what she'd think of me now.
Bayek slew the soldiers, recovering a key from one of them.
Bayek:Why would the guard carry this key? It must unlock something important.
Bayek entered the upper floor and found a bunch of letters.
Bayek:Gaia kept up quite an exchange of letters. I could learn more about her reading these.
Gaia's Letters
G. We were expecting shipment to Alexandria. Where are the twenty bags of grain? The bags are needed for our contacts in Alexandria immediately. If you can't deliver, let us know and we'll find a new supplier. There's enough grain in the countryside that we're intent on taking matters into our own hands. A.
No need to be so coy, Aemilius, this is just between us. I suggest you do try and find a new supplier. Perhaps they can train their bags of grain faster than I, but I doubt it. — Gaia.
G. Our clients grow tried at your lack of progress. A.
Again, Aemilius, no need to pretend we're anything other than business people working on an arrangement between each other. You can use my name. I have found this batch of Egyptian grain a little more tiresome than normal. Be assured you will have your shipment within the week. — Gaia
G. The clients were very happy with this Egyptian grain. They especially happy that it was so well reconstituted into a new form. They would like another batch in two months time as is normal. A.
Aemilius, it will be as you say. My fondest regards, Gaia
G. It has been longer than the agreed upon time. A.
We grow impatient, Gaia. It cannot be that hard to find a new batch of whelps. Aemilius
Aemilius, These heathens are impossible. I will be able to discuss the particulars of this with you in person shortly. I look forwar— (The letter is unfinished)
Bayek found an entrance to the villa's basement. He killed the soldiers and ventured in further, only to discover children locked in a cage.
Kawit:Over here!
Bayek:I do not have the key to your cell.
Kawit:Then go get it from one of those sun-struck cows of bandits! Go and get the key from those wax-for-brains! I said that one of those dung-stuffed bandits has the key! Go kill them and get it! The key! Go... and get... the key!
Bayek left to acquire the key, then returned once he had it.
Bayek killed a guard with a key.
Bayek:Why would the guard carry this key? It must unlock something important.
