The Burning Wilds, the City of Pig Iron.
Perched atop an iron hemisphere several li in radius, the city displayed a mottled sheen, encircled by flowing rivers of fire.
Beyond the brass gates, monstrous, terrifying beasts patrolled the perimeter—colossal pyrohydras, flame pythons, and other horrors.
Rasping hisses echoed across the fiery rivers. Starving, they would devour any uninvited trespasser who dared approach.
Within the city stood fountains of flame, burning palaces, and mansions crafted from charcoal.
It was already a spectacle in its own right, yet it remained merely a crude imitation of the legendary City of Brass.
According to the fire dwarves, it couldn't match a ten-thousandth of that fabled metropolis.
Though there might be some exaggeration in the claim, it spoke volumes of the legendary City of Brass's majesty, as well as the fire dwarves' superb craftsmanship.
"Glory to the Great Sultan!"
"Praise the Lord of Flames!"
And now, within the tallest brass structure at the city's heart, melodious pipes played without pause, accompanied by boisterous cheers and roaring shouts.
This was an exceptionally grand banquet. Every efreeti in the city had gathered here to celebrate the arrival of the new Emir.
The Grand Sultan was an efreeti of extraordinary power and dominion, aided by various sheikhs, governors, and noble emirs, while his direct retainers were six formidable pashas.
The star of tonight's feast was Hamid Abdul, an efreeti noble of illustrious blood—and the Emir dispatched by the Grand Sultan to take dominion over the City of Pig Iron.
"By the Lord of Flames!"
"What a magnificent occasion! The City of Pig Iron hasn't been this lively in centuries!"
"Let us welcome the new Emir of the City of Pig Iron—the noble Hamid!"
"Hamid!"
The efreet roared in acclaim.
Surrounded by an entourage of retainers, a towering, burly efreeti appeared in the brass hall.
"Praise the noble and mighty—Hamid Abdul!" someone shouted.
This efreeti noble was far taller than ordinary efreet, standing a full five meters high.
The brawny giant possessed fiery crimson skin, eyes glowing like burning coals, and a pair of pitch-black horns curving from his brow, with wisps of smoke curling up from his body.
Draped over his molten-red skin were robes woven from exquisite silk and satin, adorned with torcs, chains, and rings of pure gold.
Yet upon closer inspection, one would notice that a piece of his finger was missing, concealed beneath an ornate golden knuckle guard.
Hamid looked around, then spoke in a deep, booming voice:
"By the Lord of Flames, welcome, all, to my inaugural banquet!"
"I stand here as the will of the Great Sultan, governing this City of Pig Iron on his behalf so that the efreeti domain may grow ever stronger and more glorious!"
Pouring scalding wine into his chalice, the efreeti raised the smoking brass goblet high and proclaimed loudly:
"Everyone, let us drink to our hearts' content tonight!"
"I shall forge a mighty host! You will march and conquer beside me, plundering those lowly wretches so that the City of Pig Iron overflows with more slaves and greater riches!"
"Praise Lord Hamid!"
"A true and worthy Emir! The voice of the Grand Sultan!"
Amid the roaring cheers, the efreeti noble tilted his head back, drained his cup in a single draught, and exhaled a cloud of smoke pungent with alcohol.
Efreet viewed all other creatures as either enemies or prospective serfs.
They regularly raided the Material Plane and the Elemental Planes, capturing slaves to drag back to their estates across the Elemental Plane of Fire.
Hamid's proclamation struck right at the core of their desires, moving them to break into song.
"We are the masters of the Elemental Plane of Fire! We are mighty genies!"
"Plunder! Pillage!"
"Lowly races will grovel beneath our boots! Slaves to our will!"
They drank deeply of the wine, gorged on charred loaves and scorched meat, and freely tossed about plundered gold and gemstones.
Hamid flushed with excitement, relishing the spectacle. This was precisely what he wanted.
The only blemish was that at the previous banquet, he had run into an unexpected mishap—his finger had been severed by a human mongrel from the Material Plane.
"Curse that wretched mongrel..."
"To dare provoke a noble efreeti... I will show you what true hell feels like..."
At the thought, the fire noble rubbed the gold knuckle guard harshly, gnashing his teeth as his mind conjured vivid scenes of that human being tortured.
Efreet were deceitful, cunning, and ruthlessly cruel. They would stop at nothing to exact vengeance upon anyone who crossed them—and Hamid was no exception.
He simply hadn't managed to succeed yet.
"Hmph. Today is my celebration; I won't waste my mood on that pathetic human mongrel..."
Ripping a hind leg off a roasted flame drake, Hamid tossed the meat into his maw and chewed voraciously, throwing himself into the feast.
As elemental spirits of fire, they had no biological need for food, yet they never refused the pleasure of a charred, savory meal.
Yet amidst this raucous celebration, a discordant voice suddenly cut through the din.
"Lord Emir."
"How is it, then, that I heard... you recently had a finger lopped off by a human girl?"
"Isn't that right, venerable Hamid the Fingerless?"
Instantly, the hall fell dead silent.
Terrified efreet dropped their spoons and plates, sending a cacophony of clatters and clangs ringing against the tabletops.
Bang!
The efreeti noble slammed his palm onto the table, cracking the surface beneath his hand.
"Who was that?!"
"Who dares speak?!"
Hamid's molten-red visage turned black as coal. Thick fumes poured from his mouth and nostrils, and a blazing plume of uncontainable fury erupted from his crown.
Because that had struck his rawest nerve!
Efreet were an inherently bellicose race. As a high-born noble and the freshly appointed Emir of the City of Pig Iron, to have had his finger sliced off by a mere human in plain view of others...
It was an unspeakable humiliation!
Worse yet, the derogatory moniker "the Fingerless" had secretly begun circulating among the local efreet in recent days.
If this continued, his authority as Emir would be completely undermined!
At that thought, the efreeti noble roared:
"Despicable coward!"
"Where is the courage bestowed upon you by the Lord of Flames? You had the guts to speak it—do you lack the spine to show yourself?"
Hamid swept an oppressive, suffocating glare across the efreet present.
The efreet bowed their heads nervously, exchanging furtive glances, but not one dared step forward to claim responsibility and bear the Emir's wrath.
"Hmph."
Hamid gave a chilling snort.
"Too cowardly to own it, then! Wretched, sniveling rat—the Lord of Flames will punish you for your insolence!"
Seeing them cowed into silence, he began pacing the hall, his voice rising: "Do you truly believe... I lack the stomach to take vengeance on that human mongrel?"
"You are all mistaken!"
"It was deliberate! Burning that mongrel to ash on the spot would have been far too merciful! I will make her taste the absolute depths of despair!"
The more Hamid spoke, the more inflamed and impassioned he became.
"I will make that mongrel watch with her own eyes as I raze her laughable kingdom to dust! Her home will burn to ashes! The lord she serves will be crushed beneath my boot..."
Clap! Clap! Clap!
A crisp, rhythmic clapping rang out, cutting Hamid off mid-sentence.
Then, that same voice from before chimed in, calm and dripping with unvarnished mockery.
"Well said."
"What a magnificent daydream you've spun, esteemed Lord Hamid the Fingerless!"
Chapter 445