An Allegory of Stones [Part 3] | novella
The sphere of influence is growing for Al-Jabr's mysterious militants, motivated in part by Jov's discoveries. As the city embraces a newfound sense of purpose, the moral order begins to crumble.
ĪÎI.
Jov pressed Yöunus for answers about what he meant, but the elder remained cryptic and elusive. Within three days, the NPCs had collaborated with Yöunus to determine all the possible locations of holes within the bounds of Al-Jabr. They then distributed this information to the surrounding communities.
Soon the apartment blocks were awash with muted chatter. Families were encouraged to look out for anything strange or suspicious. The children in particular proved most useful, eagerly searching for signs of magic among them.
The aged were more hesitant; the counsel women worked to reassure them. The elders held fast to their ghost stories, but were not eager to divulge what they had seen or heard to the NPCs. With old age, fears of DELETION loomed ever-present and convinced them to remain silent; to hold onto their beloved incarceration for as long as possible.
Jov did not blame them.
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