9th of August, 2006, Wednesday – the Zeta Squad had teleported out of Spain. They appeared in Death Valley, Eastern California, USA. It was around four in the afternoon. The scorching sun greeted them, accompanied by brief hot gusts of dry air – the kind which pulled moisture straight out of your lungs.

  The squad stood on a rocky ridge with scattered boulders stretching out where the ground sloped away into a pale emptiness. The rocks radiated heat, and the distant salt flats shimmered like water.

  Gina quickly brought out scarves for everyone from her umro bag.

  “Put on your robes, guys,” the captain said. “And cover your faces and heads with the scarves. The heat here can kill you.”

  It was 42 degrees Celsius – a warmer welcome than the squad had hoped for.

  Camille looked around. “Why are we even here?” She wrapped the scarf around her head and added, “There’s nothing out there for miles.”

  “Corrupted arcanists are contaminating the land.” Hugo patted his sister on the shoulder. “We are simply looking for answers. And what better place to start than this?”

  “This?” said Marcus. “The nothingness?”

  “The biggest market of magical charms and artifacts is currently at Badwater, about two kilometres from here.”

  “You want us to walk two kilometres in this heat?”

  “No.” The senior Zaatsu smiled. “We’ll use what we learn for a living. Ki-propulsions and a bit of running should get us there in minutes.”

  The Zeta Squad moved quickly thereafter. They used cloaking spells to mask their presence and moved in streaks of motion that barely disturbed the silence. Heat and Ki bent the air around them as they crossed the parched valley floor. Even the Ki currents felt off in the valley. It felt sluggish, as though the place swallowed every ounce of vitality and gave nothing back.

  In minutes, they arrived at the Badwater Basin – an endorheic basin in the Death Valley.

  “We’re here,” said Hugo.

  The others looked around, confused. No vegetation. No animals. No sounds. There was nothing there – just an eerie stillness. The only movement was of their own shadows cut sharp on the salt and the faint ripple of hot air. The earth there was not earth at all. It was just a crust of salt, sharp-edged and dry as bone. And beneath it lay the lowest point of the continent – 86 meters below sea level, quiet and merciless.

  “Where?” Camille asked.

  Hugo smiled. “This is exactly what our Regal Palace looks like to those who don’t know where it is.”

  He crouched and placed his right palm flat on the ground. The heat bit into his skin, and he reflexively flinched, lifting his hand a fraction. A thin veil of Ki shimmered around his palm as he steadied himself and pressed down again, this time through the invisible barrier. He took a deep breath and whispered, “TEXEMES-TEXER. AXAROS-TEXON. VIVAXUM-EXIMUS. LAXUM-POL…”

  A faint aura engulfed him. As he looked up, it rushed ahead. Dust rose from the ground as a pathway carved itself open in front of them.

  The group looked on in astonishment. “Looks like a tunnel,” said Camille.

  Hugo pushed himself back to his feet. He glanced briefly at his palm, half-checking for burns that were not there, then brushed the dust from his hands. “That’s the entrance to the Moving Bazaar,” he said. “Gina, Marc, you guys are gonna have to stay here to keep an eye on who enters and leaves. The rest of us will go in and see if we can’t find anything useful.”

  They nodded. He added, “It might take us a while to get back. Keep yourselves hydrated and remain out of sight. Ok?”

  The duo nodded once again. “Understood,” said Marcus.

  Hugo looked at Camille and Neil. “Camouflage spells, guys.”

  “What for?” asked Neil.

  “Your cloaks, and even the faces just to be sure. No one inside should know that you’re from the Eye.”

  “Why?”

  “That’s how infiltration works.”

  The duo used a camouflaging spell to alter the appearance of their cloaks. Instead of the usual beige, they appeared black now and the Eye insignia vanished completely. Moreover, a masking spell rendered their faces unrecognizable.

  “Good,” said Hugo as he nodded. He too masked himself and camouflaged his cloak, and off they went.

  Gina and Marcus watched as the trio walked into the tunnel. As soon as they stepped inside, the entrance vanished.

  “Master Baylis said to stay out of sight,” Gina said. “There’s nothing here to hide behind.”

  “True that.” Marcus nodded. “Let’s head up to the rocks again. We’ll be able to hide there while keeping an eye on this area.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”

  The duo quickly went up to the rocky area once more and hid themselves behind some boulders.

  Hugo, Camille, and Neil had crossed through.

  “It’s an actual bazaar,” Camille whispered, observing around, as they walked out of the tunnel on the other side.

  “And it’s huge,” Neil added with a gasp. “It feels like it’s stretched out for miles.”

  Hugo nodded and said, “Indeed. Stay sharp though. Keep your faces hidden and pockets and bags protected. The lift artists here are unusually skilled and can steal from more than just your bags.”

  The elder brother led, and the younger siblings followed, weaving through the maze that was the Moving Bazaar. Famed for its stalls of magical artifacts, charms, potions, and weapons, the Bazaar was a one-stop haven for Cultists and rogues alike. But behind its shimmering stalls and courteous vendors, an entire ring of black-marketeers thrived. Illegal relics, banned tomes, and cursed objects were traded in whispers and sealed deals.

  “We should have taken off the cloaks,” Neil said. “It’s hardly 30 degrees in here.”

  “Well below 30,” Hugo responded. “And it stays consistent throughout the year.”

  Camille looked at him. “Woah. Really?”

  “Yup. The weather here never changes.”

  Neil looked up saying, “You said the place is like the Palace. Hardly seems like it. It’s atmosphere is nothing like the outside.”

  “Indeed.” Hugo nodded. “The Palace and Ayn are merely hidden. This place doesn’t even exist on the same plane as the rest of the world.”

  The Bazaar too was hidden like the Regal Palace – invisible, translucent, and untethered. Yet, the enchantment concealing it was far more intricate than any used by the Eye or known by its masters. Within its boundaries, the climate never shifted: temperatures remained mild, air pressure steady, humidity constant. The Bazaar itself never lingered in one place for more than a month, had no single entry point, and could not be found by anyone who had not already set foot within its bounds.

  “It felt like you used quite a bit of Ki to reveal the entrance back there,” said Camille. “The spell seemed complicated too.”

  Hugo took a deep breath and then chuckled. “Yup… getting in is complicated.”

  The spell to reveal the entrance changed with every location – a long, complex incantation demanding absolute precision.

  They walked in deeper. The further they went, the busier it got. The Bazaar buzzed with restless energy. Merchants were calling from every doorway and edge of every tent with voices laced with enchantments to draw attention. Camille and Neil stared at the stalls overflowing with talismans, potions, and weapons that shimmered with faint Ki, and worked hard to avoid the swift-tongued hustlers weaving through the crowd, eager to bargain, flatter, or swindle before their next mark vanished into the maze. Every turn was a riot of colour, sound, and promise – part market, part illusion.

  Neil rushed ahead and caught up with Hugo. “Hey, bro,” he said. “How much of this is black?”

  “The stuff visible on the outside is hardly ever illegal... you’ve got to dig inside.” The elder Zaatsu leaned closer. “But to be honest, illegal items far outweigh the legal, visible ones.”

  Camille cut in between the duo. “Then why doesn’t the Eye or Order shut it down?” she asked.

  Hugo smiled as he looked at her and said, “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard of the Haymati…”

  If anyone ever attempted to attack the Moving Bazaar and shut its operations down, they would face the Haymati: phantoms – hundreds strong – who rose from the shadows and fell from the sky to defend it. And not one person had ever survived a bout with the Haymati.

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  Some believed they were remnants of the ancient Order of Assassins, cursed by the Mystics of the Sanctums of Prostasia to guard the Bazaar for an eternity. Others claimed they were the spirits of fallen Sanctum masters themselves. Yet both tales were disputed, for even the earliest records of the Sanctums spoke of the Bazaar’s existence – an establishment said to predate their rise. And even then, it was guarded by the Haymati.

  “Haymati live here?” she asked wide eyed. “Oh my God!”

  Hugo nodded. “Yup…”

  Neil stared wide-eyed. “I thought they were a myth.”

  The captain eventually stopped at a stall. Leaning forward, he began observing the artifacts set up for sale while his siblings stood either side of him.

  Camille leaned closer and whispered, “What are we looking for?”

  “Him,” he whispered back as a salesman approached.

  “How may I be of service, good folks?” the man asked.

  The Sokidu looked up and saw the salesman wearing a weathered leather vest over a pale shirt, the kind of thing cowboys used to wear. But he had topped it off with a faded baseball cap, like a man who had traded horses for hustles.

  “We are looking for a levitation charm,” Hugo said. “Do you have one?”

  The younger siblings were surprised. They took another look at the two tables in front of them, laden with handmade jewellery and decoration items, and the many display panels behind the man with similar objects. They were charmed alright, but to enhance their beauty and appeal. Nothing strong enough to physically assist in flying.

  The salesman placed his hands on the table between them and slowly leaned ahead. “Why don’t you step inside, sir?” he said in a low, hushed voice. “I believe you’ll like what I’ve got behind the curtains…”

  Hugo nodded. The man led the trio into a narrow long room hidden behind a thick covering of curtains. The place was air-conditioned and adorned with fancy lights. The siblings noticed many powerful mystical charms on the shelves on either side.

  Eventually, they noticed the man sitting behind a table at the far edge of the room. By the lines on his face, whiteness in hair, and the receding hair line, he looked more than half a century old. He was wearing a burgundy three-piece suit and had glasses on. A derby hat was hung from a hanger on the wall behind him which had the name of the establishment written on it – The Constellation. There were some books on his table, but all the covers had been hidden with tapes. There was an ash tray on one edge of the table besides a phone set.

  As Hugo, Camille, and Neil approached, the suited man placed the cigarette in his hand on the edge of the ash tray and subtly pushed his chair back.

  The salesman went and whispered something in the senior man’s ear and then quietly walked outside.

  “Good day, folks,” he said getting up. “I am the owner of this shop. My associate tells me you are in need of a levitation charm?”

  “We are,” Hugo said with a nod. His siblings noticed that he talked in a different, lower pitched voice. “It has been a while since I last visited the bazaar – more than half a decade actually.”

  “Ah, I see now. A lot has changed since, sir. Common commodities have become rare jewels and rarities have become extinct.”

  “What do you mean?”

  The man walked over, crossed the Zeta Squad members, and picked a box up from behind them. As he blew on it a puff of dust rose from the top. After further dusting it off with his handkerchief, he opened it and showed it to Hugo. “This is the last one I have.”

  “That’s a charm alright,” said Hugo moving closer. He picked it up and examined it closely. “How much did you say you want for this?”

  “I didn’t say anything, sir.”

  “Hmm…” Hugo showed it to Neil who nodded. It was an actual charm of levitation which could give its wielder the powers of stable flight by creating Ki-charged air pockets.

  “I don’t remember coming here before,” the Zaatsu said, looking at the shop owner. “But I did hear about a man by the name of Moro who always had charms of all sorts for sale.”

  “You are well informed, my friend,” he replied with a smile. “Moro Gonzalez, at your service.”

  “Then tell me the price of this charm, Mr Gonzalez.”

  Moro smirked. “Two thousand, only…”

  The Zaatsu jerked his head forward, eyes wide. “What?! Levitation charms are not that rare.”

  “You really need to ask around, wizard,” Moro said with a loud chuckle. “Back when you last visited, yes, they were not that rare. But I alone sold more than five thousand levitation charms in the pocket of O-3 till late O-5!”

  “How come?”

  “I am but a humble collector and a profiteer, sir. I don’t ask such cumbersome questions. My business flourished in the period, and I couldn’t care less about anything else.”

  The trio began looking at each other.

  “So, do you have the gold then?” he further asked.

  “Mr Gonzalez,” said Hugo, turning towards him. “I hear you also deal in information.”

  “Hmm… I do actually.”

  “Then tell me how many charms in total were picked up from your outlets in the bazaar in that same time period?”

  “Ha-ha-ha,” Moro laughed and took his glasses off. “Thousands upon thousands of ‘em.”

  “And why did the sales go up so fast?”

  “Oh, I’m afraid I cannot tell you that. My hands are tied, sir.”

  “I am willing to pay you.”

  “Even if you pay me ten times more than the amount for the charm, I will still not be able to help.”

  “Then perhaps that will be all,” said the senior Zaatsu and put his left hand out. Leaning ahead, Moro grabbed it with both his hands.

  Standing on the captain’s right, Neil could not see, but Camille saw the shop owner putting away two peculiar looking gold coins in his pockets.

  “A token of thanks,” Hugo said, smiling. “Just don’t tell anyone that someone came looking for a levitation charm.”

  Half-bowed, Moro nodded. “You are too kind.”

  Leaving the Constellation, the trio moved farther into the bazaar and stopped and sat at an eatery called ‘Chai Ki Dukan’. It was a busy tea shop. From the English breakfast of Scottish origin, the Japanese Sencha, African Mint tea, Chai from the Indian subcontinent, and the Chinese Jasmine, all varieties were served and were highly acclaimed by all visitors. The outlet also sold cakes, pastries, pies, and other baked items.

  Hugo ordered three cups of mint tea and some doughnuts.

  “Keep the cloaking spells on, guys.” The captain removed his scarf and pushed himself back in his chair.

  Camille and Neil slowly sat on the two other chairs around the small table in front of their brother.

  “So, we’re just having tea,” Neil quietly said. “I thought we came looking for the Hearth.”

  Hugo shrugged. “We just confirmed their presence. Did we not?”

  “But why are we drinking tea?”

  “Ah.” After a sigh, he chuckled. “Memories… terrible little things.”

  Camille leaned ahead, smiling. “You used to come here with Lana, didn’t you?”

  Hugo looked away. “Her favourite tea spot in the world…”

  Neil pushed himself ahead and placed both wrists on the table. But before he could say anything, Camille placed a hand on his knee and squeezed hard.

  He met her eyes; she mouthed, ‘shut it or I will kill you!’

  The tea and doughnuts were served soon. Neil took a sip and nodded. “No surprises there. This is good stuff.”

  “Alright.” Hugo took a sip and placed the cup of tea on the table. “Let’s get down to it.”

  “Right.”

  “When I fought him, Derek was wearing the Charms of Zeke and the Minotaur.” He leaned in. “His wizards were wearing charmed attire as well. Faris gave me a few details.”

  Camille nodded. “Yup. Their defensive strength was amped up.”

  “Well, we need to gather intel about all these charms and we’ll have to ask around for the stuff. But we’re looking for similar items to see if they have or had the things we are actually looking for. Have a doughnut.”

  He pushed the plate towards Neil who picked one. Camille was already having one. He turned to her and said, “Cami, you have learned a lot about magical artifacts. I want you to roam around and see what you can find. Don’t ask specifically about any particular charm. The market has many different outlets but functions pretty much as a single entity. The moment you start looking for something, many sellers get notified of it. So, you need to ask for the best defensive charms at one shop and then for a Ki repellent at another… just nothing specific. Understood?”

  She nodded and said, “And strength enhancers or Ki multipliers, I get it.”

  “Hold on a minute.” With a narrowed gaze, Neil stared at his brother. “Weren’t we looking for Vincent?”

  Hugo took another sip. “They looked for Vincent for months, Neil. Nothing. Couldn’t even find a trace. The Order tried their way to allow two Zaatsus to finally book a meeting with him but what happened? He beat the living daylights out of them and escaped. The only way we were able to get him was by understanding what he wanted and then standing in his way. Right now, we don’t know what he wants. But I think there is a good chance that if we learn more about the Devil’s Hearth, we’ll end up in his way again.”

  “Is that why you’re looking for the Devil’s Hearth?” Camille asked.

  “That too. Primarily, we’re looking to understand how a bunch of wizards were able to acquire so many charms, illegal enhancement charms without alerting the Eye.”

  Looking at Neil, the captain said, “You can also look for the charms and stuff but first, find a man who goes by the name of Argus Spencer. Tall, slim as a toothpick, bald at the top, and whatever hair he has on his face must have gone completely white by now – the guy is of Northern European origins and sells more defensive charms than anyone I am aware of.”

  He waited a few moments and took a few sips. “And one more thing.” The senior Zaatsu looked around for a few moments before turning back to his siblings. “You might encounter a man by the name of Samir Haddad – a short gorilla.”

  Camille smiled. “Gorilla?”

  “Mm-hmm. He’s one of the hairiest men I’ve ever seen in my life.”

  “Oh… yikes.”

  “He’s hardly five feet tall, usually sells lies, but he knows a lot about the business in this bazaar. He will be wearing a Keffiyeh and an old Hawaiian t-shirt. If you find him, without saying anything else, offer him exactly three small coins and one large coin and ask him ‘Where is the Devil’s Hearth?’... If he knows something, he’ll cough it up. Got it?”

  “Small coins, large coins?” Camille raised just one eyebrow. “What does that mean?”

  “Look behind you…”

  The siblings turned around.

  Hugo leaned closer. “Do you see that square shop with the sign on top that says the Obol Vault?”

  They nodded. The shop was busier than most but was the only one with an actual line and people being served one after the other.

  “Do you know what it is?”

  The duo looked back at him. “What?” asked Camille.

  “That’s a currency exchange. All the currencies of the world are accepted there on the day’s open market rates and are exchanged for Obols – gold coins that got a silver centre with a drop of water engraved on it – the currency of the Moving Bazaar.”

  The Zaatsu then brought out a bag of these coins from his pocket and placed it on the table. “Take it,” he said. “There’s 10 large coins and 18 small ones in it.”

  Neil observed the bag and then looked at his step-brother. “But you didn’t go to any exchange…”

  Hugo paused for a few moments too many, but then quickly said, “The last time I was here…” After taking a deep breath, he added, “Now, finish up your tea and get going.”

  “What about you?” asked Camille. “Where will you go?”

  “I will look for an old acquaintance… he might have some answers for us. After that I will also look for Samir and Spencer.”

  Finishing up, the trio got up. “Stay alert and be careful,” the captain warned. “And let’s meet up back here in an hour.”

  Agreeing, all parties dispersed, thereafter.