NOVEL NEXT Chapter 12: Runaway
The Return of Otto and Mike Bai
After Otto and Mike Bai returned to the merchant's lodge, they found that a payment for the silk goods had already been delivered—an impressive sum of 1,500 golden Nomismas. At this, everyone gathered around, hopeful eyes fixed on Mike Bai.
Mike Bai wasted no time. He distributed the profits according to each person's investment share. As they watched the coins flow into their purses, they showered Mike Bai with praise. Even Otto, who was usually serious and reserved, could not help but express his feelings. "Mike Bai has grown up. He can take care of himself now!"
Mike Bai humbly bowed his head, but inside, he was thinking, What is that old monster up to? Never mind. I'll be gone in a couple of days, and when I am, let the floodwaters rise.
And so, the day before their departure arrived. Mike Bai decided to take one last stroll around the city and visit the Hagia Sophia.
The Hagia Sophia was renowned for its massive dome. Built during the reign of Emperor Justinian, it was a masterpiece of Byzantine architecture, a perfect fusion of Roman decorative fountains and colonnades, the Silk Road's silks, African jewels, European sculptures, and Egyptian obelisks.
As the cathedral of the universal bishop of the Orthodox Church, it housed no holy icons but was adorned with stunning mosaics of the Virgin Mary and angels on its walls.
Mike Bai stood in the colonnade, admiring one such mosaic of the Virgin, marveling at the craftsmanship. In his mind, however, he was calculating how much a painting like this might fetch.
"Quite beautiful, isn't it, child?" A priest, dressed in black, approached him.
"Tell me, child, what do you see?"
Mike Bai smiled politely but thought inwardly, Money.
He responded aloud, "Compassion and love."
"Praise be to the Virgin Mary," the priest said, clearly pleased. "In the Virgin Mary, the wisdom of heaven and the wisdom of creation are united. The Holy Spirit and the nature of humanity are merged into one..."
Mike Bai, who could hardly understand what the priest was babbling about, nodded along, feigning interest.
"Thank you for your teachings," Mike Bai said, pretending to be devout. "Please accept these 10 golden Nomismas as a donation to the Lord's work." He dropped the coins into the donation box.
The priest beamed even more, grabbing Mike Bai's hand as if eager to continue the sermon. At that moment, another priest whispered something into his ear, and his expression changed immediately.
"Child, while we welcome you to visit again, you must leave now," the priest said sternly. He pulled out two long black robes from the prayer room. "This may offer you a little help. May the Lord bless you."
Mike Bai, hearing the distant sounds of commotion, felt a sense of unease. After offering a hurried farewell, he took the robes and quickly ushered William out the door.
In the port district, the others were still preparing for the journey, with DeMour directing workers to load the goods Mike Bai had bought. Just then, March burst in, almost out of breath.
"My Lords, the situation is dire. We must depart today."
"What's happened?" Baron Otto inquired.
"Emperor Andronikos' cousin has staged a coup. The imperial navy and army are now under his command. The entire city is nearly under his control," March explained urgently. "He's issued an edict to confiscate all Venetian property. The city is in chaos. The guards at the gate can hold for a little while, but if we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"
"Where's Mike Bai?" Otto asked, scanning the crowd and realizing Mike Bai and William had left earlier that morning.
"My little Mike Bai… May the Lord protect him."
Back with Mike Bai, he and William, cloaked in their black robes, managed to slip out of the cathedral. On the streets, many intersections were already under martial law. Soldiers in golden-scaled armor were searching for people like Mike Bai—the "Latins."
"This is bad!" Mike Bai whispered, hiding in an alley, watching in horror as a foreign merchant was robbed and then slain in the street, his blood staining the cobblestones.
The soldiers mocked the corpse, then shouted something to each other. From too far away, Mike Bai only caught snippets of words like "child" and "capture."
Damn it! That old monster isn't going to go this far just to catch me, is he? I should have stayed inside today.
"We'll have to take it one step at a time." Mike Bai, feeling a headache coming on, muttered, "The main roads are blocked. We'll have to stick to the alleys."
Trying to orient themselves toward the port, Mike Bai and William weaved through narrow, dark alleys. Despite the grandeur of Constantinople, its slums were no different from those of any other city—dilapidated houses, chaotic streets, and ragged, desperate people.
Normally, the poor would look at Mike Bai, a foreigner with money, with jealousy. But today, the looks they received were filled with naked greed, as if Mike Bai and William were fat sheep ready to be slaughtered.
Sensing the danger, William drew his sword, glaring fiercely at the onlookers.
The greed in their eyes cooled a little, but the number of unfriendly figures lurking in the shadows only increased.
"We need to move faster," Mike Bai urged, pulling William forward.
They had no idea how long they wandered, the labyrinth of alleys and buildings blocking out the sunlight. It felt like they were hopelessly lost.
Suddenly, two figures—one large, one small—came rushing toward them. The larger figure appeared injured, leaving a trail of blood behind.
"They're over there!" Three soldiers in golden armor appeared, chasing after them.
Without hesitation, Mike Bai and William turned and fled. The injured pair followed close behind, while the soldiers, weighed down by their heavy armor, struggled to keep up. The chase continued, a tense pursuit through the dark alleyways.
Eventually, the group was cornered at a dead end.
"Isn't Rome supposed to have great city planning? Aren't all roads supposed to lead to Rome?" Mike Bai panted, bitterly reflecting on their predicament.
Just then, the three soldiers arrived at the alley entrance. Seeing their quarry trapped, they paused to catch their breath.
William immediately stepped forward, drawing his sword to engage the soldiers. The man in the robe pushed the injured figure toward Mike Bai, drawing a short sword in defense.
Although the soldiers were clad in armor, they were wary of engaging William, who was clearly in survival mode. Meanwhile, the other two soldiers focused on subduing the injured man.
The battle raged on, but as Mike Bai was backing away, he stepped on something and slipped to the ground.
The soldier captain laughed mockingly, but Mike Bai, from the ground, grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it straight at the captain's eyes.
Dust filled the air, blinding the captain, who roared in anger and slashed wildly, his sword cutting through debris.
"I'll kill you, you little brat!" the captain shouted, his eyes burning with rage, his sword raised high.
Just then, a sharp twang echoed through the alley.
A crossbow bolt, gleaming in the dim light, pierced the captain's armor and buried itself deep in his gut. He froze, a look of disbelief on his face, before collapsing in agony.
"Good riddance," Mike Bai spat, reloading the crossbow.
Another shot rang out, sending a second soldier to the ground. As the third soldier rushed forward, William swiftly dealt with him, driving his sword through the man's chest.
"Are you alright?" William asked, rushing to Mike Bai's side.
"I'm fine," Mike Bai said, his heart racing as he realized just how close they'd come to death. He had modified his crossbow in preparation for something like this, and today it had proved invaluable.
Still, looking at the three dead soldiers, he stumbled to the wall and vomited.
It was then that he noticed a young girl, no more than eight years old, standing nearby, her face streaked with dirt. Despite her young age, her features were delicate, her skin pale and smooth, though dirt covered her face.
The girl was kneeling beside the man who had protected her, crying uncontrollably.
"Are you alright?" Mike Bai asked gently, stepping closer. The girl looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.
"Where are your parents?" William asked, his voice softer now.
At the mention of her parents, the little girl recoiled into Mike Bai's chest, sobbing.
"Papa... he... he died three years ago... Mama... she's... gone too... Now, it's just me and my brother... but now... I'm all alone."
Mike Bai felt a pang of sorrow, imagining the once-happy family torn apart by today's chaos.
"Come with us," Mike Bai said, his voice firm, though unsure of what the future held.
After a long silence, the girl nodded weakly, wiping her tears.
But as Mike Bai looked around at the closed-off roads, he muttered, "What now? How are we going to get out of here?"
Then he noticed the sewer grate at his feet and a thought struck him.
"Wait… the sewers?" Mike Bai smiled, a plan forming in his mind.
William pulled the grate open, and the three of them descended into the sewers of Constantinople. The stench was overwhelming, the black water swirling with filth and refuse, but it was their only option.
As they crawled through the dark tunnels, the girl clutched Mike Bai's hand tightly, her fear palpable. Mike Bai smiled reassuringly, though inside, he was just as uncertain as she was.