CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33 – THE CITY OF GOLDEN CHAINS

The road sloped gently downhill, and with each step, the view unfolded like a merchant’s unfurled tapestry.

From a distance, Jemil had thought the city’s name was just poetic flair. But standing here now, staring down into the sunlit valley, he realized it was literal.

The city gleamed.

Not in a subtle, "nice polish on the windows" kind of way—no. The streets shimmered like they’d been forged from actual gold bricks, the buildings dripped with ornate chains linking balcony to balcony, and even the streetlamps were wrapped in golden coils that glimmered like sleeping serpents.

If a dragon had coughed up its hoard, hired an architect, and then said "Make it sexy," this is what you’d get.

"Pfft," Nyssa muttered beside him, adjusting the strap of her armor so that it hugged her curves just a little more snugly. "This place is compensating for something."

Kaelina gave her a flat look. "It’s more than vanity. Everything here is enchanted."

Jemil glanced at her. "You mean... like cursed gold?"

"Not cursed. Bound." She gestured subtly at a passing carriage, the horses’ necks decorated with thin golden collars that pulsed faintly in time with their breaths. "The entire city is built on contract magic. Every deal is a chain—literally. Break the deal, the chain tightens. Sometimes enough to kill."

Jemil stared down at the shimmering streets. "...You mean this is basically an economy run by magical mafia jewelry."

"That’s... not entirely wrong," Kaelina admitted.

They continued down, but Jemil was acutely aware that he was not the main attraction here—his wives were.

Lyra walked ahead, wings flaring slightly whenever a passerby looked for too long. The red membranes caught the sunlight, scattering fire across her leather-clad figure in a way that made every curve look sculpted for battle and temptation.

Nyssa moved more like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs—playful, fluid, and fully aware of the chaos she caused. She tossed a wink at one gawking merchant, and the poor man walked straight into a stall of hanging fish.

Kaelina, of course, was all steel and caution. But Jemil noticed the way her hips swayed beneath the long folds of her coat, whether she realized it or not. And judging from the glances she kept sending him when she thought he wasn’t looking... oh, she realized it.

"Careful," Nyssa murmured, falling into step beside him. "If you stare at Kaelina like that in public, people will think you already own her."

Lyra’s voice cut in from the front, sharp as a dagger. "As if he doesn’t."

Kaelina shot Lyra a glare that could cut steel. "I am no one’s property."

Nyssa smirked. "We’ll see about that."

By the time they reached the gates, Jemil could already feel the eyes on them—hungry, appraising eyes.

They hadn’t made it five minutes into the bustling marketplace before the first "welcoming committee" arrived.

Two men stepped from the shade of a golden awning, their armor a mix of leather and chain—golden chain, naturally—worn like sashes across their torsos.

One had a thin mustache and a smile sharp enough to cut glass; the other had the thick neck of someone who broke bones for a living.

"Welcome, traveler," Mustache said with a shallow bow. "You’ve brought... quite the exotic companions." His gaze slid over Lyra, Nyssa, and Kaelina like he was pricing fruit. "If I may—what’s your opening price?"

Jemil blinked. "...For what?"

The man’s grin widened. "For them, of course."

Lyra’s wings flared in a burst of crimson light. "Try that again and you’ll be coughing feathers."

Nyssa leaned toward him with a slow, feline smile. "And if my price is your tongue?"

The man chuckled, unfazed. "Everything’s for sale in the City of Golden Chains, my lady. Perhaps you just haven’t heard the right number yet."

"Not for sale," Jemil said flatly. "Not now. Not ever."

The big one shifted forward—until a deep, amused voice cut through the tension.

"Let him be. He’s already bound by more chains than he knows."

The brokers stepped aside as a new figure approached—a tall man in a gold-embroidered robe, face shadowed by a wide hat, parchment in hand.

When his gaze landed on Jemil, his smile was almost friendly.

"Jemil, Beast Tamer," the man said smoothly. "I’ve been waiting for you."

Jemil’s guard went up. "Funny. I’m not here for you."

The man chuckled. "And yet... you will be. In this city, every man signs a contract eventually. The only question is whether you survive yours."

Kaelina stiffened. "...You."

"You know him?" Jemil asked.

Her jaw tightened. "Unfortunately."

The man tipped his hat slightly. "Still holding grudges, I see. Don’t worry, Kaelina—we’ll settle those soon enough. But first..." His gaze swept over the wives, lingering in a way Jemil didn’t like. "...I insist you join me for a drink. I promise the terms will be... irresistible."

Nyssa leaned into Jemil’s shoulder, whispering in his ear, "We should at least hear him out. Worst case, you get drunk and I carry you home."

Lyra smirked. "Best case, we set the place on fire."

Kaelina didn’t say anything, but her hand rested on her sword hilt the entire time.

Jemil sighed. This was going to be one of those days.

Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 34: The Contract That Bites

The golden-robed stranger doesn’t waste time. One moment, Jemil and his wives are standing in the busy street; the next, they’re seated in a private lounge draped in chains so delicate they hum with magic. Every link is a contract waiting to be claimed.

On the table between them rests a single sheet of parchment, blank except for one glowing line: Sign here.

The offer is intoxicating—access to the Vault of Beasts, a hidden marketplace where even extinct creatures can be bought and bound. It’s the kind of power Jemil has only dreamed of... but there’s a hook buried deep.

The price isn’t measured in gold or favors.

It’s measured in possession.

And the stranger’s gaze makes it very clear who he intends to claim.

Nyssa leans back with a catlike grin, clearly entertained by the dance of temptation. Lyra’s wings twitch with restrained violence, eager to burn the paper before it’s read. Kaelina’s voice is steady when she warns Jemil not to sign—but her eyes tell a different story.

Because she’s been here before.

Because she once signed her name... and she still bears the chain.

Now, Jemil must decide: walk away and lose the opportunity of a lifetime, or accept a bargain that could make him the most powerful summoner alive—at the risk of becoming someone else’s property.

And in the City of Golden Chains, once the ink dries...

there’s no escape.

CTA:

Every deal in this city comes with a chain. If you were Jemil, would you take the risk... or walk away before it’s too late?