Bai Xiaowen nodded in agreement.
Herbart handed Bai Xiaowen the golden pocket watch, then turned and left the gate.
Bai Xiaowen watched the old man go, deep in thought. If it were only a matter of delivering a message, they could have sent any guard. The fact that Herbart had gone himself showed that the witch Kelowen held considerable standing in Utu Town, much like a spiritual leader.
"Why are you so wary of outsiders?" Bai Xiaowen asked. "I thought this watch would have cleared me of suspicion. I'm not a demon."
The two guards seemed somewhat displeased with Bai Xiaowen, but his high charisma kept them from refusing to talk.
"A few years ago, across the Black Marsh, there was a city-state called Ketzko," one guard said slowly. "Ketzko was the last human haven in the Black Marsh. But overnight, it sank underground. Almost no one escaped... Warriors tried to reach it, only to find it had become a maze. They couldn't get far inside."
"Since then, Ketzko has been called the City of Forgetting," the other guard said.
"Did none of the City of Forgetting's residents escape?" Bai Xiaowen asked.
"A few survivors reportedly got away, and all sorts of rumors sprang up about why Ketzko sank. The most widely accepted story is that a very, very powerful demon lord slipped into the city-state. He cast a terrifying spell that turned Ketzko into the City of Forgetting."
Bai Xiaowen finally understood why the guards were so wary of travelers.
"What do you know about this demon lord?" Bai Xiaowen asked.
The guard glanced at him. "You know about the Seven Demon Lords of Hell, right?"
"I've heard of them," Bai Xiaowen said. He knew the seven demon lords from the Diablo games, though they were probably different from