Basim arrived at Karkh's new bureau. Before entering, he read a note on a nearby wall.
A Mysterious Note
Hidden One, if you have the time there is a... commodity on the streets you should know of. It is called "Secret Spice", and rumor has it that people are almost out to kill just for a sample. No one really knows it's [sic] origin, but I have a feeling you'll be able to find out. Perhaps the spice stall at the Great Bazaar can provide some answers.
Basim entered the bureau.
Roshan:Basim! Over here.
Basim met with Roshan and Rebekah in the bureau
Rebekah:Hmm. You seem shorter than I remembered, Basim.
Basim:And you still have not grown a single digit, Rebekah.
Roshan:Now, we're not here as enemies.
Basim:No, but we never held back on the training ground.
Rebekah:Roshan tells me you are a local here.
Basim:In a manner of speaking. I lived here a time before I left for Anbar.
Rebekah:This place is no different from the places I'm used to. The rich wipe their shit with the clothes of the poor.
Basim:That is the Karkh I remember.
The Hidden Ones discussing the Order presence in the district
Roshan:It is your Karkh no longer. Rebekah has uncovered a district tainted by corruption... stronger than usual.
Rebekah:Rumors of harassment from officials, and goods being controlled and seized. We think someone here has a hold over the district.
Rebekah:A grand auction is happening, the Da'irat Al-mal. An annual show of silk robes comparing their golden spoons. No surprise, but this event is invite only. There is a high chance one of our targets will attend.
Basim:So, gain entry into the auction and find the one behind this.
Rebekah: Mumtaz! (How delightful!) You catch on quick.
Basim:Finding it hard to keep up?
Roshan:There might be clues if we trace trouble to the root. I can show you where they are brewing. Join me outside when you're ready.
Roshan left and headed outside. Before leaving, Basim spoke to Rebekah to learn more.
Basim asking Rebekah about the auction
Basim:What else do you know about the Da'irat Al-mal?
Rebekah:A specially curated place, one for the rich to display their bounty.
Basim:Does an event like that happen frequently here?
Rebekah:If the local merchants are to be believed, it happens once a year. But I'm sure there are no shortages of parties for the wealthy. What else?
Basim:What have you learnt about Karkh? I want to see it from fresh eyes.
Rebekah:Nothing that I'm not used to. Corruption, poverty... But the souq is vibrant. The spices, the materials... and oh, the tools! So many things I could experiment with.
Basim:Already thinking about taking a break?
Rebekah:Oh, calm down. I know where my focus lies. What else?
Basim:You know a little bit about me and where I am from. What about you, Rebekah?
Rebekah:Since when do you want to know more about me?
Basim:Come now, we are on the same side. Does not hurt to get to know who you are working with.
Rebekah:Hmph. Well, I'm not from here but let's just say my parents would not be out of place at an event like the Grand Auction.
Basim:You came from riches?
Rebekah:Shamefully so. As a child I never enjoyed the glamor, the dress up, and the manners. It was all so suffocating. It all changed when I stepped outside of our gates one day and saw the world for what it really is. I've never turned back since. What else?
Basim:No more questions. Shukran (Thank you), Rebekah.
Once finished, Basim headed outside of the bureau and met with Roshan.
Basim:Master.
Roshan:Are you ready, Basim? Karkh awaits.
Basim:Ready. Let us move.
Roshan:Follow me.
Basim following Roshan on the streets
Basim followed Roshan out of the bureau to the streets.
Roshan:Ever thought you would return here, to Karkh?
Basim:No. Much of my childhood was spent along these streets, finding friendship with rats and roaches. Some memories are good, most are bitter.
Roshan:Memories only serve to distract us. The Order has spread their influence into every crack in the city, turning Baghdad into their farm.
Basim:That will change.
Roshan:Responsibility lies heavy on our shoulders. The Order's blight falls over Karkh, and we are the only ones who can cure it.
Basim:How has Rebekah been adjusting to Karkh?
Roshan:She does not like the politics, but she has to fulfill her duty. Karkh is an acquired taste. Businesses at each other's throats, the obsession over money, perfume...
Basim:People here are happy to be lost in their own paradise.
Roshan:A paradise that can only be afforded by the wealthy, and often, corrupted.
Roshan:Come, we're nearly there.
They reached near the entrance to the Great Bazaar.
Roshan:Welcome back to Karkh.
Basim:Spice still clings to the air.
Basim asking Roshan about her first killing
Basim pondered a moment after he saw Roshan drawing her Hidden Blade.
Basim:What was it like, the first time you took a life?
Roshan:I barely recall. It was a man I used to know well. Before all this. Before the Hidden Ones.
Basim:You do not remember...?
Roshan turned behind to face Basim.
Roshan telling Basim bits of her pass
Roshan:My memories are buried next to him. I refused to let his death haunt me, the way his breath haunted me when he was alive. I won't let the past define me. This is why I now consider myself the daughter of no one. If we do not quell the storm within us while awake, it takes us in our dreams. Like with you... and your jinni.
Roshan turned back and walked along the streets, with Basim following her behind shortly.
Roshan:Now. The souq. Like Rebekah said, some guards came through recently. Breaking bottles, smashing crates.
Basim:What caused this aggression?
They stopped at the square in front of the Great Bazaar.
Roshan:Let's find out. I've also heard they're seizing foreign goods, mostly from the East Road.
Basim telling Roshan of someone he knew would might have clues
Basim:The East Road? I believe I know someone who can help. It has been an age, hopefully he's still around. I would be happy to see him again.
Roshan:Do not let nostalgia cloud reality, Basim.
Basim:I will not. I know nothing stays the same.
Roshan took her leave.
Basim:It has been some time... I wonder what has changed around here. Maybe I could first pay an old friend a visit.
