Abrax looked at Lael with a rather stern look. He needed information and fast. "Speak, I have no time to waste."
Lael nodded, he knew that the man was in a hurry. "The Piper as he is called is one of the most famous slave traders around. He isn't often found but when he does, the victims are rendered helpless. I don't know much about him, but I do know that he is a close associate with Maharaj the tavern owner."
Abrax nodded. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together and blending in, he was about to leave when he was stopped by Lael.
"Abrax, before you go. I've yet to give you the details, Maharaj is excepted to return at noon. So I think it's best we strategize about what we are going to do in case we come up short."
Abrax looked over his shoulder, he calmed himself down. He agreed to what Lael said, he rather plan than change things on the spot.
Lael seeing he got the attention of Abrax, took out a map from the drawer of the table and unfolded it on the surface. "Come here."
Abrax nodded and trudged over to the table, he gazed at the map on top of the desk and looked at Lael.
Lael feeling the scrutinizing gaze of Abrax on him, took it as a signal to elaborate. " This is a map I managed to find of the whole Abalone city, there are multiple sections on this map that lead to the auction house. It's wise to plan out our attack instead of charging in blindly."
Abrax placed a hand on his chin, putting his cogitate abilities on the line. He reflected on the strategy for a couple of minutes, after that short period of thinking, Abrax pointed at the pipelines leading in and out of the city.
"See this here? A couple of men will have to move into these pipelines to close in the auction house from all sides."
Like a true strategist, Abrax poked another point on the map. "While the first fifty are infiltrating the pipelines. The second division made up of fifty soldiers, will come through the front. Cause as much mayhem as they can."
Lael found himself nodding to the layout plan. Even though it wasn't full proof, it was enough to make him feel reassured. "Good, what about us?"
Abrax feigned his annoyance, Lael was becoming a bothersome fella on his side. "You and the other one are to disguise yourself as one of the nobles and make sure to station the remaining men around the perimeter of the auction house. Don't let them engage."
"What about you?"
Abrax smirked and headed to the door. He opened the door slightly and then looked over his shoulder. "As for me, you'll see when the auction begins."
With that, he left Lael's office and the Lafayette manor with his camel.
He trudged through the desert heading back to Avalon, along the way he kept pondering on what Femi had asked him to do.
Dethrone the pharaoh!
Abrax was by no means a fool, he knew that to dethrone the pharaoh he would not only need military strength but also the power to fight off, the magical power the Pharaohs were blessed with. It was one of the main reasons a certain lineage managed to stay in the royalty line for thousands of years.
The condescending amount of magical power!
Magic so powerful, even the strongest of sorcerers kneel in the presence of such power. The power of pharaohs was undeniable and absolute.
As he was still wondering he found a cloaked silhouette on the ground, Abrax stopped before the cloaked individual and knelt next to it, poking the thing with his finger.
"Are you still alive?"
The individual underneath the cloak perked up at the voice. They raised their head and looked at the owner of the voice.
Abrax resisted the urge to jump back in shock and a bit of disgust. The person looked like a human but was far from one, long nose with worts on it. Their eyes were sickly looking; with one being wide open while the other narrowed, the person had long ears and jagged teeth.
Abrax knew that there were many kinds of things in the world, but what he had seen was the first even for him. "Who might you be? Are you even a human being?"
The person shook their head. "No, I'm not a human being, please do heed what I have to say because I do believe it was destiny that intertwined our paths."
Abrax looked at the thing with a skeptical look but chose to remain silent nonetheless.
"Your journey is one filled with pain and misery, the forces you are trying to go against will overwhelm you and plunge you into despair, all you hold dear will cease to exist if you continue down this path. Darkness awaits you... For the gods are watching."
Abrax would've normally scoffed at this had it not been for the individual's optics radiating a hallowed glow. The words of the man put him on edge.
The gods are watching?
All I hold dear?
My journey?
Do they mean the one I'm undertaking or something else?
He was conflicted, he didn't know what to make of this. But he chose yet again to not mind it, Maharaj came first and foremost.
"That was truly touching but I do believe you have the wrong person."
The humanoid-cloaked individual merely shook their heads and let out a peal of hoarse laughter. " You will seek me out in the future."
Just as they appeared, they vanished to nothingness leaving Abrax staring at the sand.
Who was that individual?
He shrugged and boarded his camel as they continued on their journey to Avalon.
By the time they reached the town, the sun had just passed its zenith heading more west. Abrax got off his camel just in time to witness a carriage pulled by strong-looking horses stop at the tavern.
He watched as a person got off the carriage and he already had a vague idea of who that person was.
"That must be him!"
Abrax smashed his fists together, cracking the fingerbones for a bit. "Showtime"
He walked up to the entrance of the tavern and stood there for a moment before kicking the door.
Body enhancement; inhumane strength.
Mana surged throughout his body, filling every pore he had, and in units traveled to the sole of his boot. As the foot collided with the door, the force generated by the kick exploded outward.
Boom!
The whole front section of the tavern was blown to smithereens, dust, and debris flew up as Abrax entered using the dust as means to hide only leaving his silhouette visible.
"Maharaj, the grim reaper has come to claim your soul."