Chapter 47: Ambition Beyond the Seas
Grandfather Arthur Ferguson returned to the mist of England, but he was not the same merchant who had left. He carried on his finger the "Ring of Reflection" and in his mind, secrets beyond human imagination. Harnessing the hidden powers of that ring, Arthur established the "Great Merchants' Association." With a foresight that seemed like sorcery, he never missed an opportunity, until his wealth rivaled national treasuries and his influence shook the global market.
This sudden rise in power did not go unnoticed by the Royal Court. The King realized that the stability of his realm required an alliance with the rising "Merchant King." To cement this bond, the King offered Arthur his sister's hand in marriage, officially weaving the Ferguson family into the royal fabric. Although this marriage granted him immunity and power that noble families could only dream of, Arthur's heart was anchored elsewhere.
He would sit for hours in his private library, turning the pages of the sorcerer Malakar's book. He was obsessed with what he read about the "Other World" and the "Dark King" who ruled shadow entities with absolute authority. His curiosity extended to the vast sands of Egypt, where he read about the secrets of the Pharaohs, the curses that guarded their power, and the rituals of crossing between worlds at which they excelled. He saw in their monuments a key to immortality, or perhaps a means to summon the entity he had read about.
One morning, as the largest trade caravan in the family's history was preparing to set sail for Egyptian ports, Arthur made his final decision. He did not send an agent this time; he decided to lead the expedition himself. His goal was not spices or textiles; he was searching for the "Gateway"—the link between the texts of Malakar's book and the ancient sands of Giza.
Arthur bid farewell to his royal wife and left behind the luxury of palaces to board his ship, heading East. There, the sands awaited him, ready to finally reveal the face of Toula and the pact that would alter the destiny of his bloodline forever