Arabesque

Galliresse

Martyrdom would triumph.

Morbid thoughts plagued Donnò Galliresse as he stood on the rampart high above the city of Tivisis and gazed out at the emerald waters beyond the port.

He held his composure until his advisor, Niccolo Arzani, had left him alone. Better not to show any trace of weakness, even to those he trusted the most. Galliresse needed fresh air and perspective, so he forced himself up the hundreds of stairs of the citadel. 

From his lofty post in the Summer Citadel he could see the ancient paths wending haphazardly down to the sea. Galliresse watched the people below engage in trade as though it were just another day. But he knew that death would soon arrive in the harbor. He could feel that reality in the pit of his stomach; he fought the nausea that came with it.

A small man with delicate features and thinning white hair, Galliresse projected the aura of someone much more physically impressive. Beneath an air of placid introspection was a man of fierce competence. Already, at the young age of fifty-one, he controlled the greatest of the free cities in all of Givenh, perhaps the whole of Mir'aj.

As Lord of Tivisis, he held the highest position one could obtain unless born of royal lineage. Galliresse was proud of his accomplishments and the power he wielded.

The envy of Givenh and the islands of Miranes', Tivisis was unrivaled in its volume of trade. The city was open, vibrant, and fiercely independent. In the great port, numerous ships laden with wares from Qatana, Rajanahar, Zaraniz, and Khorbard kept the city's lifeblood flowing unabated.

Galliresse ensured that the merchant houses were given full leeway in exchange for the influx of gold arriving in the form of duty imposts. He knew that with this openness came certain risks. Due to the sheer numbers of people passing through its port, it was quite easy to 'become lost' in Tivisis—and there was a significant criminal element. To Galliresse, this was the cost of commerce.

Under his command, the city had gained even more autonomy from Givenh and positioned itself favorably in recent shipping treaties with Qatana. Even the Rassan Majalis felt the influence of Tivisis and seldom interfered on its behalf. There was too much gold to be made.

Yet, a dangerous cult headed by an influential cleric threatened this prosperity. The charismatic words of Ashraf Berdouni drew many to him. His message to the citizens of Tivisis was one of condemnation and abstinence. Not from carnal pleasures, but something much more mysterious: the banning of Azza in all of its forms.

Galliresse did not know the reason for the pronouncement, only that the message was beginning to take hold. Trade in Azza had given Tivisis its proserity and independence. Oils, candles, incense, and more were made from the substance. Now the decree from Berdouni could destroy it all. Yet Galliresse let it go on.

He had his reasons.

Word arrived from the misal'ayn tower of Burj al-Ansour that two Carac summoners had set sail from Janeirah in the kingdom of Nahkeel. Galliresse was unsure of their exact purpose, but heknew that whatever brought them to Tivisis, it was not an act of mercy. Galliresse believed the rumors—that Carac was a forsaken place and its inhabitants harbored a love for dark, evil things.

The storm would not stop the summoners bloodthirsty pilgrimage.

But perhaps Munif could, before the violent end came. He was a capable jassaj agent, the best Galliresse knew, and he was sailing on the same ship. There were also a team of royal Qatani spies waiting somewhere in Tivivis. 

"I wonder if their presence will be of any use," Galliresse wondered aloud. Or, he reflected, if they will be able to affect the outcome of the events that are about to unfold.

He did not know the answers.