Tales of Xalthia
Chapter 25: Trading City
Tsuki and the others have arrived in Ersheath after being out at sea for 4 days. Upon arrival in a small, seasside port called Velika, they were met with a medium-sized force of knights commanded by an Esseand commander by the name of Caz Tanix. Because they had arrived in an unmarked ship and had Melphi with them, they were met with immediate hostilities by Caz and his knights. However, thanks to Ramza stepping in before things got out of hand, they were able to sort things out. However, this raised a lot of questions that involved Ramza. He wore a cloak with decorated medals and appeared to even give Caz and his soldiers orders to which they listened to. Tsuki tried to push him for answers but he refused to answer him at the moment. Now, they were off riding a carriage with their destination being Esseand, the Kingdom of Staves.
The trip from Velika to Esseand was a moderately long one as Velika was located on the southeastern coastline of Ersheath while Esseand was far off to the west, towards a series of mountains and ridgelines. The trip would take them at least two days by carriage, at the minimum. It was bad news for Tsuki and his companions because they had just spent 4 days out at sea and now they were stuck in a carriage for at least two more days. Worst of all, Tsuki, Lynette and Ruko had to shake off their sea legs. While they became somewhat adjusted to sea travel, they needed to get back to the normal motions. Thankfully, no one was hanging out the carriage windows, heaving their guts out. Their carriage ride would take them through the main town of Velika first. Velika was broken up into two sections, divided by a bit of wilderness.
Velika was one of the biggest trading cities on this side of the world. Merchants would come from all over to sell their goods and seek out new competition. For foreigners, getting to Velika used to pose a challenge because they would have to go through a port further to the north. In order to bring in more commerce, a small port mainly used for commercial vessels was constructed closer to the town. This would cut travel time down significantly to roughly an hour or so via carriage Because the roads are used often by merchants, the wilderness that separates the town and port is closely monitored and maintained. As they traveled, Ramza ended up caving and told Tsuki and the others just a little bit more about himself and what his connection was with the Esseand military.
As it turns out, Ramza was a former General of the Esseand military. Prior to his time as a mercenary, he had served the royal family closely for only 5 years. He first joined the knights at the age of 29 and worked as an average security guard at a nearby fortress. He was a diligent knight that had exceptional skills considering the fact that he mainly used a heavy, two-handed weapon. His superiors and trainers all saw the great potential that he had as a knight and that would come into full view of everyone's eyes just two years into being a knight. Ramza quickly rose through the ranks and continued to exceed the expectations of his peers and even those of the royal family. It was near his 2 year anniversary being a knight that he would attain the rank of General, becoming the first person to attain such a rank in the history of Esseand in such a short amount of time. He garnered favor far and wide all across Esseand and even to some outlying towns and villages beyond the walls of Esseand. Ramza would soon be looked up on by lower ranked knights as an inspiration and role model. The cloak that he carries with him was known as the General's Cloak, a special accessory given to the Generals of Esseand to show off their achievement and authority.
Ramza would go though the next 3 years, serving as one of Esseand's top Generals. For someong who managed to attain such a rank after only being a knight for 2 years, he had a long, bright future ahead of him. However, he suddenly put in his resignation as General and left the Esseand military with little warning. His abrupt, unexpected resignation sent shockwaves throughout Esseand and many people and officials asked him why he made such a decision with no warning ahead of time. To this day, he has yet to give his answer as to why he suddenly resigned. The only thing he told everyone as for his reasons why was that there were some personal problems that he was going through and with how busy he was serving as a General of Esseand, he didn't have the freedom to fix these problems, whatever they were. Because he would refuse to elaborate on his reasons, many rumors circulated around Esseand for a good while. Most believe that there might have been some family trouble or there were health-related issues that would have prevented him from performing his duties. Others had less savory beliefs such as that he was dealing with some case of addiction or handling drugs or taking part in other illegal activity to which none of that was ever proven.
After putting in his resignation and leaving the military, he signed up with the Mercenary's Guild and started his new career path. The freedom a mercenary has is what mainly appealed to him because whatever his personal problems were, he was confident that he could find some answers as a mercenary where he wouldn't be able to as a General. He would then make short work of all the Guild tasks that were thrown at him and, much like his rank in the military, he quickly rose through the ranks as a mercenary, eventually becoming a B-rank mercenary where he currently sits at now. Even though he has resigned from his duties as a General, the king of Esseand allowed him to keep his General's Cloak, a gesture that was normally unthinkable and even reckless in the eyes of politicians. Many of the knights and officials in the service of the royal family still widely respect and admire Ramza because of his accomplishments. Which is why, even though he was no longer their acting superior on official documents, his commands are still generally listened to and obeyed because of all the good faith and trust they have in him. However, Ramza never liked the special treatment he was given, even when he was still serving the kingdom. Because of that, he rarely ever brought out his General's Cloak. He just simply didn't want to deal with it and the weight it carried. Every time he would visit Ersheath, it would be as a mercenary, not a former General. This time, however, he needed to make use of the various connections he's made in order to help Tsuki and the others.
Ramza took about a good 45 minutes or so to tell Tsuki and the others some information about his backstory. There was a lot that he withheld because he either felt that it wasn't necessary for them to know about or that he wasn't ready to discuss such matters. Tsuki and the others all felt the same way; that there was more to his history that they weren't being told. Particularly, the reasons why he was no longer serving as a General. For someone like him to resign at such a young age when they had a promising future ahead of them, it was almost unprecedented. It didn't make sense in to their eyes and probably less sense in the eyes of the people that he's formed so many connections with. However, they knew that he wouldn't even entertain their questions and curiousity into it any futher so they didn't even bother asking him to go into anymore detail. They felt that once he was ready to talk about the things he hasn't told them, he will on his own in due time.
Tsuki was leaning back in his seat with his arm resting on the window sill of the carriage as he listened to the story Ramza told them. Part of him was surprised but another part of him wasn't at the same time. "A General in the Esseand military, huh? I knew that there had to be more about you than what you have led on but I didn't think it was something of that degree" he said.
Elle shook her head. She knew that there had to be some history about him. He was way too formal when meeting with Taichi and Emma. He knew the proper mannerisms and even his own body language showed signs. "It wasn't too hard to guess. I figured that you had military experience of some kind when we first met" she said.
Ruko had his arms folded in front of him as he stared at Ramza closely. He was particularly interested in the General's Cloak that he had around his neck. "I think it's pretty impressive that you're still able to command active military personnel around still even when you're no longer in the service. It really goes to show just how deep-rooted the respect and trust people have in you" he said. He always thought Ramza was just a hardened mercenary but to hear his backstory was pretty inspiring for him.
Ramza took the General's Cloak off and set it down on his lap, carefully folding it up. "As I said, His Majesty kept insisting that I keep it despite how much I tried to push back on it. Honestly, it's a bit of a hassle but I suppose during times like this, the connections and authority that comes with it comes in handy" he said.
Lynette giggled a bit at his response, holding her hand up with a grin on her face. "The royal family must really trust you if they allowed you to keep the same amount of authority as you had when in the service. What are they like?" she asked. Since they were going to be meeting with the royal family anyway, she was curious as to what kind of people they were.
Ramza set the folded up robe on the empty space next to him and sat back, putting his right leg over his left and folded his arms. "His Majesty is a well-rounded individual. He's strong-willed and astute. I can't say if he's as strong as King Taichi is in comparison but he has a firm hand on things, considering he's the sole person in charge" he said.
Melphi tilted her head a bit on the last thing he said. She rarely ever left her mountain home since her last big adventure came to a close so she wasn't all that aware when it came to political matters. However, she had a high interest in what he said. "Wait, the sole person in charge? Meaning it's just him? What happened to the Queen and Prince?" she asked.
Ramza fell silent. He almost didn't want to answer her question as he had a grave look on his face. Caz ended up stepping into their conversation from the driver's seat of the carriage. "Her Majesty, the Queen...she went missing over a year ago" he said.
Melphi's eyes widened as she had a genuine shocked expression on her face. Everyone could tell that she was visibly upset by this news. "What...? Missing? What about the Prince...?" she asked.
Caz shook his head slowly. "After a month had gone by since her disappearance, the Prince set out on his own to find her. We...haven't seen or heard anything from him since" he said. He glanced back to look at Melphi and was surprised to see the genuine shock on her face. There was also a small hint of sadness and worry. It threw him off to see a Dragonkin react in that way. He could tell that she wasn't faking it.
Melphi tightly gripped the fabric of her shorts, her mouth trembling a bit as she looked down. "I-I see..." she said.
Ramza saw her reaction when she was told about the Queen. For a Dragonkin, he didn't expect to see her react the way she did. However, he had a gut feeling that she wouldn't talk about it even if he had asked. "It's unfortunate but it is what it is. Because of that, His Majesty has his hands full running an entire kingdom on his own" he said.
Cheria tilted her head. She was a bit saddened when they said that the Queen and Prince were missing but also impressed at the same time. "Do you know why she went missing?" she asked.
Caz shook his head. "Not a clue. The last time anyone saw her, she was on her way to Velika to oversee expansion efforts. She was accompanied by her bodyguard and a squad of knights as protection. The trip from the capital to Velika should have taken them less than a day, maybe less than that. However, when she failed to arrive at the expected time, a search party was sent out from both Velika and the capital" he said. He let out a heavy sigh as he remembered that day very clearly. He was part of the search party that was sent out from the capital. What he saw was a heavy scene. "We discovered the carriage that they left on about halfway between the two cities, forced off the side of the road and toppled over. The squad of knights that accompanied Her Majesty were all scattered around on the ground, dead. Her Majesty, as well as her bodyguard, weren't accounted for. It was obvious that they came under that we could find of Her Majesty was a ripped piece of cloth from her clothes along with a pendant that His Majesty had given to her" he said.
Ramza scratched the back of his head. He wasn't there when the scene of the incident was discovered but he remembered being summoned by His Majesty not long after this had happened. "His Majesty believes that she, along with her bodyguard, were captured by whoever attacked them" he said.
Nagi tilted her head. "Captured? What made him think that?" she asked.
Ramza looked out the window for a bit, taking a moment before answering her. "At first, I didn't understand it myself and for a long time, I always wondered why he thought that. But then, when Melphi told us about the Wayward Stone, it immediately clicked" he said. When Cheria had shown off the necklace that Emma had given her and had Melphi explain its significance, it all came to him.
Melphi had her eyes closed, her arms crossed as her head hung low. "Embedded in that pendant was a Wayward Stone..." she said.
Ramza nodded at her. "Sure was. His Majesty always cherished the Stone as if it were a national treasure. He wouldn't allow anyone to touch it. During my time serving under him as General, he would show it to me a few times, saying that it was something he couldn't part with. That is, until he had a fateful encounter with a young woman that would eventually become Esseand's Queen" he said. He had a few visions of his past during his time as General flash into his mind. He could remember just how fondly he would talk about this young woman. It was like love at first sight. He had completely fallen for her after their first meeting and the love he had for her only grew stronger as each day passed.
Caz looked back at Ramza and could see a smirk on his face as he remembered the past. "You were still new to your position back then, weren't you?" he asked. He then turned his head back around and looked towards the road that they were traveling on. "His Majesty was very well connected with his people. He would disguise himself and head out into town to mingle with the townspeople often. It was during one of his little walks around town that he met a young woman, working as a waitress at a cafe" he said.
Tsuki raised an eyebrow with interest. "Wait, you mean she wasn't born into royalty?" he asked. It was pretty common knowledge that royal families tend to marry other people in a similar position of power.
Cheria looked over at Tsuki, shrugging her shoulders at him. For her, it wasn't all that much of a shock to her. "Is it that much of a surprise? Not many royal families do traditional political wedding ceremonies anymore" she said. She could relate to this personally. Her father, Taichi, wasn't born into royalty. He was a simple wandering swordsman that was passing through Eresseas during one of its many festivals one day when he met Emma.
Caz nodded at them. Talking about the past was starting to make him a little nostalgic. Those days were pretty quiet for Esseand. "Her name was Amelia Wright, a 25 year old woman working two jobs so that she could support herself and her son. Her son's name was Gael Wright and was around 13 years old back then" he said.
Ramza shook his head a bit. "His Majesty fell pretty hard for her. He was captivated instantly by her looks and warm personality. He would make it a habit of his to visit her at the cafe she worked at. He would even invite her out from time to time. They grew pretty close to each other as the days turned into months. Within a year, they were both madly in love with each other but there was one thing that stopped His Majesty from confessing his love" he said. He could remember the talks he had with His Majesty and how he would voice his complaints and worries. "He still hadn't told her who he really was and he was worried and scared of how she might react. So, I had to give him a little push and with enough encouragement, he took her out to one of the flower fields nearby where they could be alone and told her who he was" he said.
Ruko couldn't help but let out a light chuckle. "She freaked out, didn't she?" he asked.
Ramza had a similar reaction. "That's putting it mildly, to say the least. Naturally, she flipped out. The man that she had been spending so much time with and fell madly in love with was the king himself. It's only natural for her to react in that way. After she had gotten over her initial reaction, he had confessed his love for her and wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. Of course, she questioned her own worth, thinking that she didn't deserve someone like him but he didn't care. He loved her and no one else" he said. Without his encouragement, he probably wouldn't have gathered enough courage to confess. With how popular she was at the cafe that she worked at, it was only going to be a matter of time before someone else came into the pictures.
Cheria put her hand up to her heart, her eyes closed with a smile on her face. "A confession in the middle of a flower field, huh? It's a bit cliche but still has its romantic charms to it" she said.
Caz glanced back at them for a brief moment. "It took both her and Gael some time to adjust to their new lifestyle but His Majesty was there for them every step of the way. When the time of their wedding came, he not only gave her a ring for the occasion but also a matching pendant where he had the Wayward Stone he had cherished for so long embedded into it. Naturally, by this point, she was already aware of what it was and the significance behind it and vowed to keep it close to her at all times" he said. He then had a flashback roll through his head when they discovered their carriage wreck and the pendant with the Wayward Stone left behind. "She must have tossed away the pendant before being captured" he said.
Melphi nodded to herself. It made sense to her now on why he assumed that they had been captured rather than killed. "Which means, she must have imbued her Mana Signature within the stone. Because she did that, all he has to do is feel for it within the Stone..." she said. Since her Mana Signature wasn't "recorded" in her own Stone or Cheria's, there was no way for her to find out herself. "Have you ever seen the Stone have a reaction of some kind? The Stone would light up if it did" she said.
Caz held a hand up to his chin as he leaned his head back in thought. It didn't take him long to remember something that had happened fairly recently. "Come to think of it, I did notice something a few days ago. It was before I was sent out to the port when I noticed that His Majesty was holding onto something. It had a warm yellow glow to it" he said.
Melphi let out a slight sigh of relief. "Then, it's safe to say that Her Majesty is alive somewhere. Once a persons' Mana Signature is imbued or "recorded" within a Wayward Stone, anyone that has one can feel it if they know how to. A Stone wouldn't react to someone's Mana Signature if that person were dead" she said. There was at least some good news to go off on, at the very least. It only just begs the question of where she was at.
Elle leaned back in her seat, stretching her arms up over her head a bit as she rolled her head across her shoulders. "I suppose the important thing to take from this is that the Queen is alive. It's unfortunate that we don't know where she is or who has her in captivity but there's not much we can do with the little amount of information we have. For the time being, let's just focus on the task at hand..." she said. She turned her head over to the side to look at Phi, who was sitting up in the seat, still unconscious. Thankfully, the medicine that Melphi had given here were still in effect.
Tsuki nodded. "I agree. There's too much going on right now for us to make any solid plan of action. Once we get Phi taken care of and on the road to recovery, we can think about what we should do next" he said. Honestly, he didn't want to become involved in business that relates to Esseand. Being a foreigner and a knight of a different kingdom, it wasn't his place to step in. Getting involved with another kingdom's affairs would violate Eresseas' neutral agreement.
Caz tilted his head. It seemed like there was a lot more that was going on than what they have said. "By the way you made it sound, it seems like you guys are entangled with some pretty big stuff. Mind if I ask about it?" he asked. He was curious about what they were keeping from him. He could tell from the first moment he laid eyes on them that they weren't just your typical group of adventurers out to visit new lands.
Ramza shook his head. It wasn't a good idea to openly talk about who Tsuki and the others actually were or about what has occurred in Cayhill. There was only one person that they could openly talk to about matters like these. "I'm sorry. Like I said, things are...complicated. It's another reason why we need to meet with His Majesty as soon as possible" he said.
Caz wanted to know what was so urgent and secretive but he knew that prying for answers wasn't going to get him anywhere. "Alright then. I'll leave it at that. Must be pretty big if you showed up, invoking your General's Cloak" he said.
The conversation started to wind down as the carriage continued along the main road. They could start to see the walls to the city portion of Velika rising over the hillside. It took them about another 20 minutes to reach the gates that lead into the city. Once they were through the gates, they were met with a daunting sight. Velika was a huge, crowded city. Buildings stretched high up into the sky, numerous street vendors and side alleyways that weaved their way through the city. It was an extremely busy city where a lot of commerce was taking place. Compared to the Business District of Eresseas, Velika was about four times larger and expansive. Eresseas was a busy city too but it didn't even hold a candle to Velika.
Most of Tsuki's group couldn't believe a city like this existed. The biggest city that Cayhill has was Briswater and just on the scale of Velika alone, it makes Briswater look like newly established city. All Tsuki and the others could do was stare out the windows of the carriage in amazement as they passed by several major businesses and various street vendors. However, it wasn't just the abundance of street vendors and crowd sizes that surprised them. As they looked at the people, they were able to see something that they've never seen before. Mixed in with ordinary Humans, they were able to make out other Human-like figures, all having different types of ears, tails and other unique physical features.
Cheria had her head sticking out of the carriage window as she looked at all the different kinds of people that they were passing by. "This is incredible...!" she said with excitement. She pulled her head back into the carriage and looked over at Melphi. "Are these more Faeries!?" she asked.
Caz nodded at her and looked out towards the side of the road. "Sure are. Around these parts, the presence of Faeries as as common as ordinary Humans. Especially around here, you can find a wide variety of them. Wolfkin and Foxkin are pretty common around here as opposed to other races but sometimes, you'll find others passing through" he said. It was always an interesting thing for him to see. So many different cultures coming together. It was pretty wild. "Not only do we get Faeries passing through, there's also a few Dwarves and Elves that come to sell their wares. Even friendly Beasts tend to come through here" he said.
Ruko tilted his head a bit when he mentioned friendly monsters. He understands that there are a few races and breeds of monsters out there that are friendly and non-hostile such as the Rhybgaro. What he didn't understand, however, was that there were some races and breeds that had a heightened level of intellect to be able to interact and communicate with Humans. "Friendly Beasts, huh...? How does that work?" he asked. It was a weird thing for him to think about. Monsters and Humans co-existing together. Even though Faeries are literally the offspring of a Human and Beast parent.
Melphi shook her head a bit. "It's pretty simple. When it comes down to it, they can either be looked upon as Beasts or straight-up monsters. Creatures that roam open fields or abandoned ruins and such with no intelligence, we refer to those as monsters. Creatures that hunt and kill mindlessly without prejudice. However, creatures that have a heightened sense of intelligence capable enough to develop common sense and verbal speech are classified as Beasts" she said. Monsters were just as much of a threat to Beasts as they were to Humans. Beasts wouldn't hesitate to strike down monsters. "Of course, just like there both good and bad Humans, the same applies to Beasts. So long as there's no malicious intentions, Beasts can come and go freely and have the same rights as Humans do..." she said, trailing off at the end. She soon fell silent with her head lowered and had a grim expression on her face. She wanted to say something else but refrained from doing that. She soon glanced up and saw the looks of Ramza and Caz. They both had a similar expression as they could tell what she was about to say. It was a very delicate issue and probably wasn't best to bring it all up right now.
Tsuki watched all the people lingering around on the sides of the streets and around the various street vendors. Seeing other Humans having friendly and cheerful conversations with Beasts was an interesting sight. Since Cayhill never had something like this, it made him wonder just what else was out there. "I dont know about you guys but I'm starting to get excited about all of this. We're not even that far in and we've already witnessed some incredible things" he said.
Lynette nodded at him, holding a hand up to her chest. "I'm with you there. Just thinking about what else could be out there is making me anxious with excitement" she said. She remembers feeling a similar way when she first set out with Tsuki from Crescentia. She was very eager for the trip ahead.
Ramza chuckled a bit. With how they were acting, it's like they were newly appointed adventurers, ready to set out and explore the vast unknown. "That, my friends, is the fire that fuels all adventurers and mercenaries. The vast unknown, discoveries that are yet to be made, not knowing what to expect, the thrill...all of those are important feelings. If nothing else, let those feelings be what drives you to push onward" he said. He remembered his beginner days as a mercenary. It was such a different feeling than what he had serving as a General. The sense of freedom and knowing that he wasn't shackled down by anything was almost liberating.
Nagi could see that they were all starting to get excited and pumped up for the road ahead. However, it was best that they temper their excitement a little bit. "Just try to keep it in check. It won't do anyone any good if we all crash and burn from being overly excited" she said. Truth be told, she felt the same as everyone else. She was excited to see new things that were out there. However, she was able to keep her emotions in check better than the rest because it's something that she used to do while still in captivity.
As they drove through the streets, Caz decided to talk more about Velika and what happens there. The town portion of Velika is essentially one giant circle encased by a wall. The town was divded into 4 different business sections: Recreational, Government, Manufacturing and Vanguard. In the center of the town, there was a large fortress-type structure.
Recreational Business is a section dedicated to any and all types of businesses that have to do with recreation. From simple furniture shops to land development, you can find pretty much all you need. Since Velika is visited frequently by merchants and travelers from all over, you can possibly find some unique merchandise that come from other parts of the world. Government Business is a section where various types of businesses related to government matters are housed and ran. You can find a wide assortment of various banks, finance companies, law firms as well as a few businesses related to Esseand's military and defensive systems. It was a very tight-knit section and has the most security to it because of what's there. Manufacturing Business is a section for the local gatherers and craftsmen. The businesses in this section dedicate themselves to the procuring and creation of various goods that are then shipped out to other districts or other parts of the world as need be. Recreational and Manufacturing Business share close relationship as the two business sections benefit off of each other. Vanguard Busines is a section solely for the purpose of selling armaments to adventurers, mercenaries and knights. There is a wide variety of shops in this business section that sell many different types of weapons and armor as well as other necessary supplies needed such as various types of Gels and other restoratives.
The fortress-like structure in the center of town is where everything is maintained and regulated. Long before Velika became known as the Trading City, it was once a fortress that was heavily fortified. It used to be one of Esseand's strongholds back when things between them and Dolothlond were on more hostile terms. However, when the time of peace finally came for them where they settled their differences, Velika soon fell into disuse. It was by the decision of one of Esseand's former kings that Velika would be restructured and transformed into something that could actually benefit people rather than just sit there and fall apart from the tests of time. After serving as one of Esseand's main strongholds for almost 350 years, it was transformed into the Trading City. A fortress that had its gates closed to the outside now had them wide open like a falcon's wings. A large statue of a falcon was built in front of the fortress to express its transformed freedom.
Velika wasn't a government-operated city like Eresseas or Briswater were. Velika is operated and maintained by a group known as the Merchant's Association. It runs similarly like the Mercenary and Explorer's Guilds but under different fundamentals. Each section of Velika appoints two people in charge: a Vizier and Secretary. The Viziers of each section are all one body, essentially. It's akin to a council of ministers that maintains a kingdom. The only difference is that there is no one in the Merchant's Association that was considered "top dog". There was no higher power that they answered to except for Esseand under certain conditions and situations. Whenever decisions are made or there are new laws and regulations that need to be passed for Velika, the four Viziers all gather together and discuss things until they all reach some form of mutual agreement. The former fortress was now a safe haven for merchants from all around.
As the carriage rolled through the streets, they eventually pulled out into the central plaza where the fortress-like structure stood. The carriage would then come to a slow stop right by a set of stairs that led up to the fortress. When it came to a full stop, Caz glanced back Tsuki and the others. Since they needed to go through this area to get to the other side of town where the other set of gates were, he figured that he would let them take in the sights a little bit since they Tsuki and his companions were mostly first-time visitors. "Feast your eyes on this. This is where all the magic happens. Where all of Velika's lifeblood flows out from. Formerly known as Velika Fortress, now known as Falcon Hall" he said.
Tsuki looked out the window at the large structure. It definitely looked like a fortress no matter how you looked at it. The stone material used to build it appeared to be quite tough and durable. The sight of it was almost daunting to him. "It has that imposing factor to it, that's for sure" he said.
Cheria took one look at the massive fortress that stood before them. She then turned to the other side of the carriage to look out at the sprawling town that surrounded it. It dawned on her that the town portion was constructed much later around the former fortress. "It's pretty crazy to think that all of this around us was nothing but fields and grasslands at one point" she said.
Ramza scratched the back of his head a bit, mumbling to himself. "Velika has undergone many expansions. According to the history books, the town started out as a simple little village of sorts. Started out as a small trading outpost way back in the day. Now, look at it" he said. Velika has pretty much established itself as a defined monument to the advancement of human civilization.
Caz nodded as Ramza spoke. "It's change and growth is one of Esseand's more proud achievements, to say the least. The fact that it's not operated and maintined by the royal family and still can reach the levels of success that it has goes to show how capable and resourceful people can be" he said. Since Velika has established itself as a trading city, there isn't a day where the place doesn't bring in large profits.
The city had its faults though. It was the ideal place for growing merchants to be able to sell their wares and do business. For merchants, it was a common dream and goal to be able to set up shop in Velika and expand their business to new, greater heights. However, they also have to contend with many other merchants that might possibly offer the same things. Business life in Velika is often compared to a bloody battlefield. Considering all the competition they'd be facing, growing a business would prove to have its challenges. New, aspiring merchants wouldn't last more than a day in Velika. Competition would drive them out in a heartbeat if they weren't an already well-established business. The city is busy on a daily basis but there are some occasions where things are so busy that it's like a high-stakes battle taking place. These occurrances are often jokingly, and apropriately, named Merchant Wars. Business within Velika is fierce and unrelenting. It takes a certain type of individual to be able to handle everything the city had to offer.
After taking in the sights of the fortress, the carriage moved on through the central plaza and down another one of the main streets heading west. They were now entering into the Vanguard Business section. This area saw a lot of adventurers, travelers, knights and mercenaries because of what's sold and offered. There were even a fair amount of pubs and small inns scattered around. Amongst the crowds, they were able to spot seasoned adventurers who looked like they've had their fair share of conflits and new, fresh-faced ones. They passed by a lot of shops that sold a large variety of weapons. The place looked like a fully functioning armory with how many there were. As they moved on, they noticed that they were soon coming up to a familiar-looking building.
Ruko pointed out towards the oncoming building as he noticed the sigil above the main entrance. "Hey, that must be the Mercenary Guild Branch of Velika" he said.
Ramza looked to where Ruko was pointing. "Sure is. Velika is where most of the mercenaries tend to gather. Mercenaries can take on bigger jobs that other branches don't offer such as monsters that are classified as extremely dangerous or jobs that would require mercenaries to travel to dangerous places. Personally, I'm not all that familiar with it. I would used to avoid coming here if I could avoid it. Some of the mercenaries that come here have...unique characters to them..." he said. He then noticed something going on around the front entrance to the guild. Looked like a fight of some kind as people were starting to gather around. "Right as I was talking about it too. Caz, stop the carriage for a sec, would you?" he asked. Since what was happening was taking place on property belonging to the Mercenary Guild, knight officials aren't obligated to intervene. As a mercenary, he couldn't just walk away and ignore this.
Caz brought the carriage to a full stop, making sure to leave a bit of distance between them and what was going on at the Guild Branch entrance. Ramza opened the door and stepped out of the carriage and made his way over towards the crowd, leaving his General's Cloak behind. The cloak would serve him no good here as the authority of the cloak wasn't recognized.
Tsuki wanted to see if he could help so he followed Ramza out of the carriage. "I'll see if I can help. Everyone else, wait here" he said. He then folloowed him as they approached the gathered crowd.
In the center of the crowd, a young man around Tsuki's age appears to have been shoved down to the ground by a party of three; two males and one female. The party of three that were seemingly ganging up on the young man all appeared to be around Ramza's age. One of the males had what appeared to be a burn mark on the left side of his face with long, black hair and red eyes. He carried a katana as a weapon. The other male had an eyepatch over his right eye with short, silver hair and green eyes. He carried a large, heavy hammer for a weapon. As for the female, she had long, violet hair tied back in a ponytail with blue eyes. She carried two shortswords and two daggers. The two shortswords were strapped on her waist and two daggers were strapped to her left and right thighs. All of them wore old but well-crafted and maintained armor. They all appeared to be seasoned mercenaries and acted like they owned the place. Meanwhile, the young man that had been shoved to the ground wore fairly light armor with a bow and a set of arrows on his back along with a shortsword strapped to the back of his waist. Ramza and Tsuki decided to hang back in the crowd to figure out what was going on before doing anything.
The young man on the ground looked frustrated about something. The side is face was swollen as if he had just been punched. He looked up at the party of three that stood over him. "I don't understand this! I helped contribute too, you know!" he shouted at them.
The man with the burn mark looked down at him with a hint of arrogance. "Yes, you did contribute by pointing us in the right direction. But, you were absolutely useless in the fight. None of your attacks did anything to the monster and we ended up having to cover for you the whole time" he said.
The other man with the eyepatch shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head before tapping on his chestplate. It looks like a good chunk of it had been ripped to shreds. "Because of your incompetence, look at what happened to my armor. This armor is made out of strong titanium. Do you realize how much Gald it'll cost to replace it?" he asked. Titanium around these parts was pretty hard to come by so weapons and armor that contain titanium go for a higher price than most and the cost to repair even higher.
The female of the group had her arms folded in front of her. In her right hand, she was holding a small, brown bag that presumably carried Gald coins that they received from their job turn-ins. "Be thankful we didn't leave you behind. Your scouting skills are pretty good but other than that, you're just dead weight. Your share of the rewards is more than enough to compensate for us" she said, sneering at him.
The young man got up onto his feet and threw his arm to the side in anger, stomping his foot on the ground. "That's not right and you know it! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have even found the thing in the first place!" he shouted.
As the group argued, Ramza watched in silence. This was exactly the reason why he made every effort to avoid coming to this area. "Internal party dispute, huh?" he mumbled.
Tsuki looked at Ramza. The situation was getting more heated and he had a feeling of how it was going to end. "Does this happen often?" he asked.
Ramza sighed a bit. "Unfortunately. Mercenaries don't have to work alone. They're allowed to form up to a party of 4 to take on jobs. Depending on the type of job that is taken, that party number can increase to a maximum of 8 members" he said. He scratched the back of his head a bit as he watched the party argue for a bit more. "This is what happens when mercenaries become too cocky and arrogant. They flaunt their egos and take advantage of those weaker than them" he said. It's a shameful display to watch. People like them give mercenaries and the Mercenary Guild in general a bad name. "Remember how I mentioned that the Guild will take in just about anyone, regardless of their background? Well, this is a perfect example of those corrupt mercenaries who abuse their power" he said. Based on their high-and-mighty attitudes and the gear they had on them, he figured that the party of 3 were all A-ranks.
The power gap between F-rank and B-rank mercenaries weren't all that significant. However, to become an A-rank, you need to do more than simply contribute to the Guild by completing requests and various other jobs. One of the qualifications to become an A-rank is that you need to be able to prove yourself. B-rank mercenaries are put through a tough combat scenario against a particular A-rank mercenary. Depending on where the B-rank mercenary is undergoing the promotion exam, they have to fight against whoever the Guild Branch leader was and be able to beat him. This was not a simple task because each Guild Branch leader was different. There were some Guild Branch leaders have strength that could rival an S-rank. Others could be exceptionally skilled, far beyond that of B-rank mercenaries. Depending on who you're fighting against, you can be met with a challenge or an impossible battle. A B-rank can challenge as many Guild Branch leaders as they want but if they were to lose the fight, they will be unable to undergo another promotion exam for a month. A-rank mercenaries are looked up upon with respect and are granted various benefits that the lower ranks don't have and are viewed as some of the strongest mercenaries out there. Of course, against the likes of Shana Aska, a genuine S-rank mercenary, they don't hold a candle to her.
Tsuki watched in silence as the argument started to grow more heated by the minute. He could see that the crowd was also starting to become concerned. The mercenaries that were a part of the crowd refused to do anything, most likely because they can't. "This is getting worse. Should we intervene?" he asked. Personally, he didn't care what rank the mercenaries had. No one was unbeatable. Their rank was simply just a letter.
Ramza thought about the options they could take. It was weird that all of this was going on for the past several minutes and yet the Guild Branch leader hasn't came out to put a stop to the fighting himself. Something like this is usually dealt with fairly quickly. "Something is odd about this. Where's the Guild Branch leader?" he asked.
Out of nowhere, a woman's voice came shouting out from the other side of the crowd. "Please, all of you! Enough of the violence!" the voice shouted out.
Soon after that, a woman in maid-like attire came running out from the other side of the crowd and stood in front of the young man. The woman had short, brown hair and violet eyes and appeared to be around the same age as him, if not a little older. The appearance of the woman caused the crowd around them to panic a bit more.
The woman opened her arms up and held them as if to protect the young man. "Can't you see that your arguing is causing an inconvenience for everyone!?" she shouted.
The young man was surprised by the woman's sudden appearance as she put herself between him and the party of mercenaries. She was putting herself in harm's way. "Lilai, no! You're going to get yourself hurt!" he said.
The woman named Lilai shook her head and refused to move. "I don't care! I'm not going to stand by and watch as some arrogant meathead, a one-eyed pirate wannabeOut of nowhere, a woman's voice came shouting out from the other side of the crowd. "Please, all of you! Enough of the violence!" the voice shouted out.
Soon after that, a woman in maid-like attire came running out from the other side of the crowd and stood in front of the young man. The woman had short, brown hair and violet eyes and appeared to be around the same age as him, if not a little older. The appearance of the woman caused the crowd around them to panic a bit more.
The woman opened her arms up and held them as if to protect the young man. "Can't you see that your arguing is causing an inconvenience for everyone!?" she shouted.
The young man was surprised by the woman's sudden appearance as she put herself between him and the party of mercenaries. She was putting herself in harm's way. "Lilai, no! You're going to get yourself hurt!" he said.
The woman named Lilai shook her head and refused to move. "I don't care! I'm not going to stand by and watch as some arrogant meathead, a one-eyed cyclops and a woman who looks like she came out of sleazytown hurts my brother!" she said, glaring at the three in defiance without a hint of fear.
The crowd got a bit of a good laugh out of her comments but the party of mercenaries didn't. They were visibly upset by the woman's insults to the point where the man with the eyepatch took the hammer off his back, slamming it down on the ground and put it over his shoulder, gripping the shaft of it with two hands. "A cyclops, huh? It would seem that this wench needs to learn respect!" he said. He then charged at the woman and readied his hammer to strike at her.
The crowd went into a panic as they watched the scene unfold. The young man grabbed onto the woman and put himself between the two of them, using his body as a shield to protect her. However, the attack would never make contact as Ramza had stepped out from the crowd, taking the greatsword off his back the moment he man drew his weapon against a civilian. His blade glowed a faint green color as he swung it in a uppercut motion with the tip of the blade scrapping against the concrete. As the blade lifted from the ground, he released a blast of wind towards the man where his hammer swing was knocked back by the blast of wind, making him stumble back a bit.
As he stepped out from the crowd and intervened, all eyes were on him. The onlookers immediately recognized Ramza and even started calling out his name in low whispers. It wasn't all that surprising for Tsuki that everyone knew him, given his history as serving as a General for a few years. The mercenaries, however, didn't care for him in the slightest. They all had the look of disdain when Ramza stepped towards them.
Ramza put himself between the young man and woman and the mercenaries. He glared at the mercenaries with a piercing gaze. "Bearing arms against an unarmed civilian? Did you take a few hits to the head to go along with that busted up scrap metal you call armor? You do realize that's a violation against Mercenary Code, right?" he asked.
The man who got knocked back scoffed at him, giving him a look of disgust. "Stay out of it. This doesn't concern you in the slightest, pal" he said.
The other man had an irritated look on his face. He wasn't pleased that someone of a lower rank interfered with theme. "He's right. This is no place for a washed-out General-turned-mercenary to stick their nose into. Just who do you think you are?" he asked.
The woman let out a loud, arrogant laugh and spoke in a mocking tone. "You've got some nerve, picking a fight with a party of A-ranks. You should follow everyone else's example and not get involved" she said. She then let out a sigh and shook her head. "You lower ranks should learn to respect those superior to you" she said.
Ramza simply shook his head, ignoring their provacative comments. Despite his stance on the moral high ground, the fact remains that they were all A-rank mercenaries. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he would have a difficult time taking on three of them. That's why he wanted to avoid a fight but it doesn't seem like that's going to happen. "It's people like you that give us honest, hard working mercenaries a bad name. I don't know what filthy rat hole you three crawled out from but I suggest you hightail it back there before you do something you'll regret" he said.
The man holding the hammer readied his weapon for another attack as he leaned forward, ready to charge. "Cocky little shit, huh? Know your place, maggot!" he shouted.
The man soon charged at Ramza, swinging his hammer from the side in a vertical motion. Ramza rushed forward to meet him halfway so the two he protected didn't get dragged into the fight, swinging his sword and blocking his attack. Using an extra amount of force and effort, he was able to block and parry the man's attack, causing him to stumble back. The man, however, quickly recovered and jumped up into the air. He swung the hammer over his head and brought it down over Ramza. Again, he blocked the attack but he felt the force behind it. He felt himself being pushed a bit into the ground under him as he was just barely able to maintain his defensive stance. Despite their attitudes, they were genuine A-ranks. He could feel their power just from one swing. As the two clashed, the man with the katana drew his weapon from the sheath. His eyes and blade started to glow violet before he took off charging towards him. He was going to strike at Ramza while his companion had him pinned down.
Tsuki saw the pincer strategy coming a mile away. It was easy to predict with it being 3-on-1. Tsuki drew the Caliburn from his sheath as his eyes turned from azure blue to blood red, feeling the familiar power surge run through his body. He then charged at the man with the katana and swung his sword at him with a good amount of force and power. The man saw him coming towards him and was forced to stop and defend himself. The man clashed swords with Tsuki for a brief time before jumping back.
The man looked at Tsuki with an even more irritated look than before. "Who the hell is this runt? Another fighter looking to be a hero?" he asked.
Tsuki stared at the man with his blood red eyes. He soon spoke out in a deeper vocal tone. "Apologies. I just wanted to see what it was like to face off against an A-rank mercenary. Since you three seemed so willing, I figured that it was a good opportunity" he said. Naturally, that was a lie but he needed to say something in return.
The woman took a good look at Tsuki. Based on the level of gear he had, she couldn't help but laugh a bit. His armor was rather basic and didn't offer a whole lot in terms of protection. She did take an interest in the Caliburn though. "I must say, that's quite an exquisite sword you have there. The craftsmanship behind it is flawless. It puts everything we've seen around here to shame. How about this? You hand over that sword to us and we'll walk away and pretend none of this happened" she said. A sword of that quality would fetch a high price. If they could sell it, then they wouldn't need to worry about money for a good while.
Tsuki shook his head at the woman's offer. "Hate to tell you this but this sword only recognizes one person. You'll have to kill me if you want it" he said, almost provoking them. His whole demeanor had changed. He was more aggressive in this state than he is normally, probably due to the influence of whatever ancient power that fuels him.
The woman chuckled a bit. "That can certainly be arranged..." she said. She then glanced over at the man holding the katana. "Be a dear and kill the boy. Try to leave the sword undamaged as much as you can" she said.
The man had a smirk on his face as he readied himself for another attack. "Gladly. You only have yourself to blame for this, runt" he said.
Suddenly, the man shot towards Tsuki with incredible speed. He ran around him so fast that it was difficult to predict where he would attack from. Tsuki remained calm and closed his eyes, taking in a few deep breaths. The world around him grew dark as he used his senses to feel the man's movements. It was as if time had slowed down a bit for him as he could start to see tha man moving around him.
As Tsuki went into a meditative-like state, the man that was toying with him was mocking him. "What's wrong? Get cold feet by my incredible speed? Don't worry, this'll all be over in an instant" he said.
Tsuki used his senses to try and predict where he was going to make his move. After a few moments, he sensed the man slowing down slightly and then charged at him again, swinging his katana. For Tsuki, it was all still happening in slow motion as he predicted his movements. However, Tsuki didn't want to cause too much harm. Tsuki soon opened his eyes, grabbing onto the Caliburn's sheath and pulling it out from the waist strap. In one smooth motion, he quickly rotated his body around, swinging the sheath as he narrowly dodges the man's slash and slammed the sheath against the man's stomach with great force and power. It caused the man to stop dead in his tracks for a few moments before dropping his katana to the ground and letting out a loud, painful groan. He put his arms over his stomach as he took a few steps back before dropping to his knees and crouching over in pain. He ended up coughing up a bit of blood from the impact. Since his sheath was magically reinforced by Allie way back in Briswater, it was essentially a secondary weapon for non-lethal takedowns using blunt force.
For Tsuki, it felt like minutes had gone by. However, in the eyes of the crowd, the brief clash between him and the man happened in an instant. They didn't even know what fully happened. What they did know was that an A-rank mercenary was taken down by someone who wasn't even affiliated with the Mercenary Guild in a single, non-lethal strike. This caused some form of excitement and wonder amongst the crowd. The woman especially got all excited for Tsuki.
Meanwhile, the man crouched over in pain had trouble coming to grips with what just happened. "What...just happened...?" he said in a pained voice.
The other man watched as his companion was struck down with extreme ease with nothing but a sheath of all things. He couldn't believe his eyes. "N-no way...just from a single attack...?" he said to himself.
The man tried to reach for his katana and soon managed to grab onto the hilt when Tsuki walked up to him and stomped his foot down on the man's hand, making him shout out more in pain. He looked down at the man, giving him the same, unrelenting hard stare. "Is that really all you got? Pathetic. For an A-rank mercenary, I'm actually a little disappointed. You've got impressive speed but your arrogance served as your downfall" he said.
The man looked up at Tsuki with a pained expression. "How can this be...? How could I lose...to a runt like you!?" he asked. He shot quick glances towards the woman, sending her a non-verbal signal. With his attention focused on him, his female companion could come in behind and strike him.
The woman caught onto the glances, nodding at him in response. She then drew the pair of shortswords from her waist and quickly approached Tsuki from behind. She ran at him with a good amount of speed while concealing the sounds of her footsteps. The crowd saw that Tsuki was about to be attacked from behind, some of them even shouting at him to look out. Tsuki soon turned his head and looked towards the woman who was just about within striking distance.
The woman had an arrogant grin on her face as she readied her weapons for attack. "Too late! You're wide open, boy!" she shouted.
Moments later, the Caliburn started to glow as Allie's voice rang through Tsuki's mind. "Master!" she shouted. Light came out from the Caliburn and gathered between Tsuki and the woman. Seconds later, Allie had materialized in front of them. This caused the onlooking crowd to become more excited. As for the woman, she was already in mid-swing and wasn't able to stop herself or prepare for any sort of defense of a counterattack. Allie held her arms out towards the woman as her eyes started to glow violet as the wind around her picked up. "Wind Cutter!" she shouted. A strong blast of wind shot out from her hands and collided into the woman, knocking her back off her feet and making her back hit up against a the half-stone wall of the Guild Branch. The attack and subsequent impact against the wall effectively knocked the woman out cold.
When the dust settled, everyone was stunned and speechless. Two A-rank mercenaries had been taken out by a young boy and child with a single strike to each of them. No one could understand where Allie had came from either. She literally appeared out of thin air so it was a natural reaction for people. It was for reasons like this that Tsuki didn't want her manifesting in the middle of a large crowd. However, she did it in response to defending Tsuki so it was unavoidable. Meanwhile, the last remaining A-rank mercenary started to get cold feet. Not so much against Ramza but from watching both of his comrades be taken out effortlessly. He ended up surrendering at that point as he soon dropped down to his knees.
With the fighting coming to a close, a collective sigh of relief could be heard being made by the onlookers. A lot of them were pretty nervous and anxious about how the whole ordeal was going to end. With the help of other nearby mercenaries, they were able to restrain the A-rank mercenaries and disarm them. Meanwhile, some were tending to the young man and woman that were initially at the start of it. The rest were huddled around Tsuki, Allie and Ramza as they all talked back and forth in excitement, praise and wonder. The excitement amongst the crowd lasted for a few more minutes.
It wasn't much longer later when a deep, commanding voice came ringing out from the opposite end of the crowd in the direction of the town exit that Tsuki and his companions were headed towards. "Well now, isn't this quite an interesting scene" the voice said.
Stepping out from the crowd was a man in heavy, red armor with a fur pelt around its collar. He had long, spikey brown hair and silver eyes, carrying a unique-looking greatsword on his back. He had various small scars all over both of his arms and appeared to be middle aged. He had all the looks and features of a true, hardened battle veteran. The crowd took notice of the man as several mercenaries approached him. It would appear that the mercenaries knew the man and filled him in on what has happened here.
Allie tilted her head a bit when she saw the man. She could feel great power coming from him. It felt a little familiar but she wasn't sure what it was. "That man..." she said.
Tsuki looked down at Allie. "What about him? What do you feel?" he asked.
Allie wasn't sure how to describe it. The power she was feeling had a similar feeling to her own but she could see that the man was clearly a Human. "I don't know. I just felt the presence of a spirit's power, that's all" she said.
Ramza shrugged his shoulders. "Not surprising. Tsuki isn't the only one to make a binding contract with a spirit. It's rare but there are some people out there that have a connection with spirits. That man happens to be one of them and he's a force to be reckoned with" he said. While he hasn't seen it himself personally, there are rumors that this man had a contract for powerful Fire-based spirit. It was said that he took down an entire hideout of bandits and traffickers.
The man nodded as he listened to the rest of their stories before shifting his focus over towards Ramza, Tsuki and Allie. He soon made his way over towards them, waving at them as he approached. "I watched everything from the crowds. You three have my gratitude for stepping in before blood was spilled. Thank you" he said, giving them a slight bow.
Ramza looked at the man and sighed, shaking his head. "Well, none of this would have happened if a certain Guild Branch leader had stepped in earlier" he said.
The man scratched the back of his head. "You certainly have a point. However, I've been out of town on Guild business for the last three days. I only just got back when I heard from people that there was some trouble brewing around here. I was about to intervene before you stepped in" he said.
Moments later, a woman approached him and bowed at the man. "Boss, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. You had put me in charge of things while you were gone and I allowed for this to happen" she said. The woman had braided, light orange hair that went halfway down her back with brown eyes. She looked to be in about her late twenties.
The man raised his hand and patted the woman on her head gently. "Don't fret about it, my dear. Those three have been notorious for causing trouble. They won't be getting off so easily this time for attempting harm on a civilian" he said. He then shifted his gaze over towards Tsuki and Allie. "Don't think I've forgotten about you two. You've got me pretty curious about you but first, allow me to introduce ourselves. My name is Enzo Marcellus, the Mercenary Guild Branch leader of Velika. This here is Odette Chantel, my Vice and future Branch leader" he said.
Tsuki sheathed the Caliburn and strapped it back onto his waist. "I'm Tsuki Himura. I'm...an adventurer of sorts, I suppose. This is Allie, one of my companions" he said. He had to stop himself from saying his occupation.
Enzo nodded at them and took an extra hard look at Allie. By all appearances, she looked like an ordinary young girl but it was clear from not only what he had witnessed earlier but the feeling she gives off that she wasn't Human. "Correct me if I'm wrong but Allie wouldn't happen to be a spirit, would she?" he asked, getting straight to the point.
Allie tilted her head at him. She was a bit surprised that he was able to tell right away. "You can tell?" she asked.
Enzo nodded at her. "Of course. It's easy to spot the spirit belonging to a fellow pactmaker. Although, you're the first I've seen to have a Human form. You also have a deep reservoir of Aer and Mana. Far deeper than any spirit I've come across so far" he said. He was pretty fascinated with her. He had never seen anything like Allie before.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head. He wasn't sure how to respond as there was much about Allie that still remained a mystery. Her memory loss didn't help either. "Supposedly, she's on the same levels as one of the Great Spirits but aside from that, we don't know much about her either. She's suffering from amnesia" he said.
Enzo held his hand up to chin, staring at Allie as he pondered. "The Great Spirits, huh? That definitely could explain the deep reservoir but there's something else about her that I can't quite put my finger on" he said.
Odette held her hand up to her chin and tilted her head as she stared at Allie closely. "Hmm...if Lola were around, maybe she'd be able to tell us more" she said.
Allie tilted her head at Odette as she inched closer to Tsuki, hiding behind him a bit and grabbing onto the back of his shirt. She was feeling a bit uneasy and uncomfortable with both of them staring at her. "Umm..." she mumbled.
Tsuki put his hand gently on top of her head to help her settle down. "Alright, you're making her feel uneasy" he said. It was always somewhat refreshing to see Allie act like the way she is. There are times were she plays the innocent game, intentionally or not, times where she can be rather cold and stubborn and then there's times like these where she properly acts like a young child.
Enzo bowed at them slightly. "My apologies" he said. He then shifted his focus over to Tsuki. He was pretty impressed about his skills. He wasn't a mercenary and he didn't look all that strong but yet he was able to bring down an A-rank mercenary with a single strike with a non-fatal blow. "You've got some potential, kid. Your combat skills have some real style to them. How's about you become a mercenary?" he asked. He needs a lot of work to refine his talents but pushed into the right direction, he could see him go far as a mercenary. He may not have the potential to become the next S-rank mercenary but definitely an A-rank.
Tsuki tilted his head a bit. The prospect of a mercenary appealed to him a little bit. It would probably be a good fit for him. However, he's got his obligations as a knight so it was an offer he would have to refuse. "Thank you for the offer but I've got some...obligations that require my attention right now" he said.
Enzo raised an eyebrow slightly as he declined his offer. Just by looking at him, he could tell he wasn't the type of person that could be pushed into accepting such an offer but he wasn't going to give up on him. "Obligations, huh? Then, once you've cleared those obligations, come by and visit. I'll get you set right straight away" he said. He then looked over at a couple mercenaries standing around the three that had been restrained and made a hand gesture towards them. The mercenaries pulled them up onto their feet and escorted them into the building. He then gave Ramza a quick glance. "I would love to stick around and chat but I need to have a few words with our three troublemakers. I'll have some tea ready so stop by next time you're in town" he said. He then waved them off and walked towards the Guild Branch building.
Odette bowed to them one last time before following Enzo. The crowds started to disperse moments later and as they did that, the carriage that they rode on slowly pulled up alongside them. Caz looked at them in wonderment and curiousity as he soon laid eyes on Allie. He couldn't see everything that happened but he heard the word spirit being spoken a number of times by various people in the crowd. As for the others inside, they all expressed mild concerns for them but weren't all that worried. in the end.
Caz scratched the back of his head as he looked at Tsuki and Allie. "Looks like there's more to you than meets the eye. I had no idea you commanded a spirit. I've seen many spirits in my day but none like her. What kind of spirit is she?" he asked.
Allie tilted her head a bit at his question, giving him her signature innocent yet detached looks. "Allie is Allie. What else can she be?" she asked.
Caz let out a faint nervous laugh and sweat as she replied to him. "I-I see..." he said.
Cheria stuck her head out through the window and looks down at the three of them. "You guys okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" she asked.
Tsuki shook his head and tapped his chest. "No harm done. For A-ranks, they were pushovers" he said. He was expecting something more of a challenge from them but after facing off against opponents like Caius, Mike or even those strange entities, they felt weak.
Ramza shrugged his shoulders. "Keep in mind that they were A-ranks for a reason. We were simply just lucky that they were blinded by their own arrogance" he said.
Ruko looked over towards the Guild building and pondered for a moment. "I guess no matter where you go or what you do for a living, you're always going to find people like that" he said.
Elle let out a faint sigh, her shoulders sinking. "Corruption is everywhere, unfortunately. It just happens to run pretty rampant among the Mercenary Guild due to their rather loose application process" she said.
Tsuki opened the door to the carriage and stepped up inside of it. "We got enough on our plate anyway. There's no point in adding another set of problems to it right now like becoming a mercenary" he said. He walked over towards Cheria and sat down next to her.
Allie, who refused to go back into the Caliburn, stepped into the carriage after Tsuki and sat down in his lap and leaned back against him. "Don't the mercenaries have like special treatment or something? Allie thinks Master should consider it" she said.
Ramza followed Tsuki up into the carriage and closed the door behind him before sitting back down across from him. "Allie's got a point. Becoming a mercenary does have its own benefits so don't throw out the offer just yet. It might come in handy later on" he said.
Tsuki scratched the back of his head. He didn't fully understand why he would need to become a mercenary to begin with. However, it was something to think about for the future if both Allie and Ramza were insisting on it. "I'll keep it in mind..." he said. He then looked down at Allie, who made herself comfortable in his lap. "You know, there's a bit more room next to Cheria. You don't have to sit on my lap" he said.
Allie shook her head. She's been cooped up in the sword for too long and wanted some fresh air. She tilted her head back to look up at Tsuki. "Allie wants to sit here and be with everyone. Is that not okay?" she asked.
Ramza looked at the two of them. Having her suddenly appear like that again, while he understood why she did that out of the blue, would pose a potential problem down the road. "Honestly, I think she should stay out of the Caliburn unless she needs to recover or rest. Having her appear like that in front of a crowd might make for some issues. Not everyone is all that keen when it comes to spirits" he said.
Nagi tilted her head at his response. She was reminded of the story that Melphi had told them about the past conflict with spirits. "Are they still not looked upon too kindly? I thought that dispute ended centuries ago" she said.
Melphi shook her head a bit. "Ever since that confict ended, there has always been a stigma against spirits. It's not as much of a widespread hatred anymore but people in this day and age still oppose spirits. That's why you have groups such as Draxus roaming around" she said.
Lynette tilted her head a bit. She was curious at the mention of Draxus. Despite their brief history with them, they really didn't know all too much about them as a group. "What do spirits have to do with Draxus?" she asked.
Melphi leaned her head back and took in a deep breath. "As you know, Draxus is a cult of radical Humans who have little care about the lives of others. A cult that's been established and built around the belief and resurrection of the Archfiend, Sarex. The people they use for their rituals either have a deep reservoir of Aer and Mana or are connected in some way to spirits. They use the energy from those people to fuel their resurrection process" she said.
Ruko held his hand up to his chin in thought. Despite what Draxus seems to think and believe, there has never been any solid evidence to support their beliefs. "None of that has ever been proven though. The vast majority simply believe that they pay tribute to some long-dead demon" he said.
Elle shook her head at him. "It's not all that crazy when you think about it. You can use that same argument for people who still worship the Great Spirits. If previous theories of the Great Spirits existing as Wellsprings are true, then it's not all that crazy to assume that Sarex's revival could be a very real thing as well" she said. She then glanced over at Nagi who had a gloomy expression. She didn't want to pry but she had to ask. "Nagi, was there anything out of the ordinary that you saw?" she asked.
Nagi was silent for a few minutes. She still hasn't fully mentally recovered from her trauma of being held captive. She's been trying her hardest to bury everything that she saw and witnessed into the back of her mind but she knows that she won't be able to avoid the topic forever. "When they do their rituals, they form this strange incantation circle around the individual. They are then given a powerful shock in order to weaken their mind and body. Once that's done, they attempt to assimilate their bodies into the incantation circle. If it fails, what results is a mangled corpse. If it succeeds, they're devoured completely" she said. She folded her arms, holding onto each arm as she pressed them tightly up against her stomach, her body trembling a bit as she remembered the graphic scenes.
Tsuki and Lynette looked at each other as they shared the same expression. They both had flashbacks go through their minds of the pile of corpses that they discovered from one of the dungeon cells of Prophet Castle. It almost made them both sick to their stomachs having to remember them.
Caz was listening in on their conversation as the carriage started moving once more. The topic of Draxus caught his attention immediately. "Wait, from what you're saying, it sounds like you've experienced things yourself" he said, looking back in the cabin.
Cheria nodded, sitting closer next to Nagi to put her left arm around her to hold her. "She's a survivor. Tsuki and Lynette saved her from years of captivity a few weeks ago" she said. She leaned her head closer to her and pressed it up against hers. "It'll be okay. You don't have to say anything" she said calmy and gentlly.
Nagi took several deep breaths as she slowly tried to calm herself down. After about a minute or two, she was able to settle down with Cheria providing some comforting words. "I'm okay. Thank you..." she said.
Caz saw the look on Nagi's face. She had true, genuine fear and anxiety. He could tell that she had a pretty severe case of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He deemed it unnecessary to try and pry anymore information out of them for her sake. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything" he said.
Melphi shook her head. She was the one that initially brought up Draxus so she was the one to blame. "No, I shouldn't have brought up the topic in the first place. If I knew of your circumstances, I wouldn't have mentioned them" she said.
Nagi shook her head, looking up at the both of them. They had nothing to feel sorry about. "Please, don't worry about it. I know that this isn't something that will go away anytime soon but it's getting better with each passing day" she said.
They decided to shift the tone of the conversation to something less gloomy and negative as they started to talk about other things. Caz told them a little bit more about Velika and it's surrounding area, going into a little more depth about each section of the city as the carriage made its way down through the streets and crowds towards the town exit. There was more of Velika to see but they were on borrowed time right now. They'll be in Ersheath for quite some time so there would be plenty of opportunities to explore when Phi has recovered. After about another 15 minutes, they had reached the town exit. They were briefly stopped by gate guards and, following protocol, inspected the carriage. Naturally, when they saw Melphi, they become on edge but with Caz and Ramza there to briefly explain things, they were allowed to leave. Seeing everyone's reactions to seeing a Dragonkin made them understand why Melphi hides her appearance. It was a little sad for Cheria, Lynette and Nagi because Melphi had a gorgeous look to her with her vibrant, long red hair.
The carriage soon pulled out from the town gates and was soon back out into the wilderness. They still had a long trip to Esseand so they had to rely on their own supplies until then. Thankfully, everyone pretty much stocked up on everything before leaving Basilwell and didn't touch much of their own supplies and used what was given to them during their overseas voyage. The wilderness was vast and far reaching. It had a different feeling to it compared to the Great Plains in Cayhill. There were many small batches of forests, many hillsides both big and small and mountains off in the distance. They were on a new continent too so that also meant a new local variety of monsters to encounter. Some of them were pretty excited and eager to see what awaited them.
The carriage continued along the dirt path which saw a decent amount of traffic. They had passed several small parties of adventurers, explorers and mercenaries as they traversed through the wilderness. There were even some instances where they could see mercenaries fighting off monsters not too far off from the path and adventurers gathering herbs and other materials. Compared to their travels around Cayhill, they didn't see a whole lot of activity out in the wilderness except for the usual routine of monster encounters. The weather was pretty nice too. Clear skies with a few small clouds here and there and the temperature was comfortably cool.
Ersheath was a continent that had three types of climates to it. To the far south of Ersheath near the border town, the grassy plains were divided by a long stretch of mountains. On the other side of those mountains was the mountainous terrain of Nargelond. The grassy plains stretched across a vast portion of Ersheath. North of Esseand and from their current location, the grassy plains turned into a small desert where temperatures skyrocketed. It was a bit of a harsh environment but with the use of Earth and Water Artes, life was pretty prosperous in the desert. There was one major town in the middle of the desert that's referred to many as the "Jewel of the Sands". Northwest from there, the desert briefly transitions back to grass plains before hitting a mountain ravine pass. Beyond that was a divided mix of grass plains and large, abundant forests. There were at least a few towns in that area along with a few smaller settlements. Further beyond that to the far northern region was a snowfield where it's cold year-round. The environment there was a harsh one, more so than it was living in the desert. Due to the unexpected weather patterns, not many people live that far north. One day, it could be clear skies and cool, brisk temperatures and the next could be an intense, unexpected snowstorm where temperatures plummet down into the single digits, or even sub-zero. There were two major settlements, a small village along the western coastline and a small city. Dividing the snowfields from the rest of the continent, however, was a fortified gate that was controlled by Nargelond forces that have occupied the northern region. No one knows exactly why part of their land was seized and it was an even greater mystery that Esseand's king refuses to retaliate in any way.
Their trek along through the wilderness went on without end and before they knew it, almost two days had passed since they left the port of Velika. Tsuki and everyone else was starting to get antsy from not being able to do much for almost a week now. They've had to rely on the supplies that they had with them since they didn't stop anywhere in Velika. Thankfully, most of their own supplies were untouched as they mostly used what was given to them before their overseas voyage. They've had to stop along the road several times to prepare meals, fight off monster encounters and rest for the night. Traffic along the road started to slow down as they weren't seeing as many people out as much. Off in the distance though, they were starting to come up to their destination. The main road that they were traveling appeared to split off into two directions. One path diverted south towards where the border town would be and the other path went north towards a U-shaped clearing surrounded by mountains. At the far end of that clearing, they could make out a fairly large cityscape nestled right along the mountains.
From where they were, they could see that the city was small and compact and had multiple levels to it. There appeared to be three levels to the city with a grand castle sitting at the very top. The city looked as if it was incorporated within the mountains that surrounded it. It was nothing like they've ever seen before. It was like something out of some fantasy novel. Going off appearances, the city looked to serve also as a fortress of sorts. Tall, thick walls of stone and concrete surrounded the lower level of the town in a circular shape and appeared to go into the mountain itself. The carriage went along the northern path as they made their approach towards the large, compact city. It was about another 20 minutes before they pulled up to the front gates. The gates themselves were quite massive. The gates were made out of a strong, reinforced type of steel and towered over them. It was a sight that Tsuki and the others had no words for. At first, they weren't sure if they were about to entry some large, elaborate fortress or a city.
The carriage came to a stop just outside of the gates. Ahead of them appeared to a small line of people looking to gain entry into the city so they had to wait their turn. Meanwhile, Caz took the time to introduce to them of their destination as he looked back into the carriage. "I would like to welcome you all to Esseand, the Kingdom of Staves. It's quite the city, isn't it?" he asked.
Tsuki scratched his head as he looked out the window. He couldn't see much of the city itself because of the surrounding walls but from what he could see beyond the gates and what towered over them, it was a daunting sight. "It's definitely got a unique design to it. On the outside, it looks small but then then you take into account of the different levels that the city has and it becomes a different story" he said.
Cheria was excited to see what was beyond the front gates. Based of what she was able to glimpse, it looked like the mountains were also a part of the city itself. "It's like the city was molded into the side of the mountain. I've never seen anything like it before!" she said, her eyes glowing with excitement.
Ramza nodded at them. "According to history, this city was built alongside the mountain to make use of its inner caverns. Centuries ago, this used to be a small Dwarvan settlement. With the discovery of Mythril and various other metals, commerce around here exploded and live thrived for a long time. Of course, that also painted a large target on the mines themselves for those who wanted to claim it for themselves. Because of a partnership and for mutual gain, Esseand established a foothold here" he said. There has been a lot of history within Ersheath and a lot of it is believed to be made or or exaggerated by a lot of people, particularly about the origins of Esseand.
Ruko tilted his head a bit and raised an eyebrow. "Wait, a foothold? So, you're saying that this hasn't always been Esseand?" he asked.
Ramza nodded at him. "Correct. Esseand was located elsewhere although where, I couldn't tell you. When Sarex re-emerged in the year 2000, Esseand got swept up into the conflict and was completely annihilated. Countless lives were lost but thankfully, the royal bloodline lived on with a single surviving member. At the time, Velika didn't exist so the survivors sought refuge at the Dwarvan settlement where they were welcomed with open arms. Over time, the settlement greatly grew and expanded to what it is today and became the new Esseand" he said. He remembered that he would always used to be subjected to long lecture hours done by a certain eccentric girl who was crazy obsessed with history and archaeology. He was probably told where Esseand used to be but didn't remember because he would lose interest in the conversation.
Caz leaned back against the outside of the cabin, folding his arms in front of him and looked up towards the sky while the carriage slowly made its way up through the line. "It's because of that, Velika was constructed and served as a stronghold. Of course, in the year 2500 when Sarex appeared yet again, nothing happened over here and with relations with Dolothlond having resolved themselves, that's when it was decided to turn it into a trading city" he said.
Lynette looked out through the window towards the front gates as they slowly got closer to them. She's read about Dwarves but never seen one before. "So, will we get to see any Dwarves then?" she asked.
Caz let out a bit of a sigh as he shook his head. "Unfortunately, no. The mines here have long dried up on Mythril and other useful metals and since Dwarven livelihood thrives on those types of things, they were forced to seek out new veins. The vast majority of Dwarves have either migrated towards Nargelond or further north towards the snowfields. The mines have since been repurposed for city expansion and safe havens or emergency passages in case something happens" he said. It was unfortunate that the mines had dried up on useful metals. Because of that, while the city had its usual levels of business, it's significantly diminished to what it used to be.
Lynette had that look of disappointment on her face. She had always wanted to meet a Dwarf. "Oh..." she said with a sigh.
Ruko patted her on the back softly. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll run into one eventually" he said. He wasn't positive but he had a gut feeling that they were going to be in for a long journey. They'll have plenty of opportunities to see things that they couldn't in Cayhill.
Allie stared out the window towards the mountains that surrounded them. She looked like she was in a bit of a trance. "Allie senses various lesser Earth Spirits" she said.
Lynette tilted her head a bit. It dawned on her on how a lot of the city's architecture and surrounding area seems to be heavily influenced by Earth Artes. "Now that you mention, a lot of the nearby structures looks manmade" she said.
Ramza nodded at them. "As expected. You'll find the best of the best when it comes to Earth Arte wielders around here" he said.
Allie looked over at Ramza. "The element of Earth here is rather weak but Allie senses a stronger presence nearby somewhere..." she said.
Caz was surprised that she was able to pick up on that. Although if she was anything like what Tsuki and the others have said already, then it came as no surprise. "You're probably picking up on the Wellspring. It's not too far from here. You'll find it in a small cave not too far west of here" he said.
Ruko was reminded of the Wellspring that had been in the Cavern of Solace before it disappeared. "There's a Wellspring near here too?" he asked.
Caz nodded. "Yep. It's been there for as long as I can remember. Because of the obvious dangers, we've had to seal off the cave so people wouldn't wander in" he said. He pulled his arms back to stretch, letting out a slight yawn. "One of our top researchers has been studying the Wellspring for some time now. She's truly fascinated by it. Claims that there's more to Wellsprings than we realize" he said.
The fact that someone else seems to have brought up the underlying mysteries of Wellsprings intrigued Lynette. "We were talking about that a while ago. We speculated that the Wellsprings are, in fact, the Great Spirits. It would make sense, given the amount of Aer being released. There's never been more than one Wellspring at a time that have the same elemental consistency" she said.
Caz let out a slight chuckle. What she said basically alligned to what their top researcher said although she went into more detail because of how much she's studied them. "Yeah, that's what she's theorized as well. She's been trying to figure out how to condense the Aer to make it safe to study further although she's had no luck on that front" he said.
Melphi listened to them talk silently. Given what she has experienced throughout her years, they wouldn't be too far from the truth. Many Faeries have also been trying to learn the secrets of the Wellsprings. It was one of the few things that Humans and Faeries shared common goals and interests in. "Condensing free-flowing, unrefined Aer requires careful and precise methods. There's a reason why things such as Boosters and Blastia are somewhat hard to come by" she said.
Boosters and Blastia are basically catalysts that serve to house condensed Aer. That, in turn, fuels a person's Mana which allows them to fight on levels they can't normally reach. At least, not without some serious training efforts. Although they served the same purpose, Boosters and Blastia are different in a number of ways. Boosters were the first to be made to house condensed Aer. They had a deep reservoir so they would be able to take in a significant amount at a time. While this was useful, it was also dangerous. There were no security measures put into Boosters to help regulate the Aer that's held within it. If someone were to use a Booster for a prolonged period of time, they could potentially suffer the same effects as if you walked right up to a Wellspring. Boosters have since been practically outlawed for public use and are only employed in dire circumstances by military forces only.
Blastia, however, was a different story. Humans have refined the fundamentals of Boosters and came up with a safe alternative. Blastia had several security and safety measures implanted withn them to prevent excess flow of Aer through the user's body. This helps regulate how much Aer a person utilizes at any given time. Plus, it offers better control over it. With Blastia, people didn't have to worry about exposing themselves to the effects of prolonged exposure to Aer. The process to refine Blastia, however, is a lengthy process. The same principles apply to refining Boosters. The key to a proper Booster or Blastia is to find a suitable catalyst. That object would have to be of pure, uncompromising material such as gemstones or crystals and capable enough to store Aer. The objects elemental affinity also plays a vital role to a proper Booster or Blastia. The creation of Boosters and Blastia follow a similar process although certain steps taken during the creation process were different. Because of the addtional steps for Blastia, they were harder to create and were typically made to order.
Ranza scratched the back of his head. "Well, if it's her that's leading the charge, then I'm sure she'll figure something out" he said.
Nagi looked at Ramza, tilting her head. "Oh? Do you know who she is?" she asked.
Ramza shrugged his shoulders a bit. "You can say that. She's an acquaintence of sorts" he said.
Tsuki held his hand up to his chin. If this person was as knowledgeable about Wellsprings as they make her out to be, then she might be someone worth paying a visit. "We should see what she has to say later on. She might have information that might be beneficial for us" he said.
Ramza grumbled a bit. If he had to be honest, he didn't want to meet with her. She can be a little too eccentric for him. However, if Wellsprings were indeed linked to Great Spirits, her expertise was essential. "We'll worry about that later. Right now, we need to meet up with His Majesty first. Anything else comes afterwards" he said.
The carriage soon pulled up to the front gates and was stopped by two knights who saluted Caz.
The guard standing off to the left soon dropped his salute. "Captain Tanix! Back so soon?" he asked.
Caz looked at the guard off the the left and nodded. "Yes. I've got some people who need to speak with His Majesty about some important business" he said.
The same guard nodded and waved his hand at the other knight, signalling him to inspect the carriage. "Oh? We'll make the inspections quick then" he said. While the other knight went around to check the rest of the carriage, he remained standing next to Caz. "I apologize for this. Things have been a bit hectic since yesterday morning" he said.
Caz thought something was weird. Usually, there aren't many inspections upon entry into the city. They typically happen when there's a big event going on but there shouldn't be anything happening. "I did think it was weird. Has something happened?" he asked.
The guard nodded slowly with a troubled look on his face. "Duskhold Outpost was attacked the other night" he said.
The new came as a shock to Caz. Since he's been away for a few days, news updates were fairly slow. "What!? By who!?" he asked.
The guard shook his head in response. They still had little information as to why the outpost was targetted but it was clear on who attacked it. "Dragon Riders. The place was completely wrecked with several buildings burnt down. They must have used the cover of night to slip past our border defenses" he said.
Duskhold Outpost was a small outpost out of the way of public eye. It was located further south down the road about halfway to the border town. The place mainly served as a rest and resupply area for travelers. Because it was a small place, there were only a handful of knights stationed there to make sure the place is maintained and operated.
It didn't make sense to Caz. There was no strategic purpose for Duskhold to be targetted. It posed no threat to Dolothlond's Dragon Riders. "That doesn't sound right. Why would the Dragon Riders attack what basically amounts to a civilian outpost?" he asked.
The guard didn't know how to answer him. The whole situation baffled everyone. The attack came out of nowhere with no provocation whatsoever. "We're not sure. They're looking into it at Croix but haven't-" he said.
As the two of them talked, the other knight finished up his inspection of the carriage itself. Nothing was out of the ordinary but he needed to inspect the inside of the cabin. However, as he opened the door to take a look inside, he laid eyes on Melphi and saw her on full display with her torns and tail exposed. Naturally, this put him on alert as he quickly stepped back and drew the spear off his back. "You there! Step out of the cabin!" he shouted.
The other guard's shout caught the attention of the other guard that was talking with Caz. "Hey, what's wrong over there?" he asked. He then ran over to the other knight and saw what made him go on full alert which he promptly followed suit. "A Dragonkin!?" he shouted.
Caz had a feeling this would happen. The moment that he saw inspections were happening, he knew that Melphi would get picked out immediately. He got a strange sense of deja vu. "Ahhh...I suppose I should have warned you" he said.
The knight that had been inspecting the carriage looked over towards Caz. "What's the meaning of this, Captain!? Why would you bring a Dragonkin here!?" he asked, demanding an answer.
Caz scratched the back of his head, not sure how to respond. Not even he was told the full story as to why Melphi was with Tsuki and the others to begin with. "Well, you see..." he said. He didn't know how to answer them which made the situation worse.
Ramza sighed heavily as he put on his General's Cloak, standing up and stood in front of the entrance to the cabin. "Now, let's all settle down here. No need to attract any unnecessary attention. Believe it or not, the Dragonkin is traveling with us for good reasons. Reasons that, I'm afraid, can only be discussed with His Majesty" he said, putting on his commanding aura.
The two knights took one good look at Ramza and recognized him almost immediately, prompting them both to stand at attention, saluting him and holding that position as if they were statues. "G-General Tokatsu!" they both said in unison.
Ramza scratched the back of his head. All of the formalities was starting to make him itch. "I'll take any responsibility if something happens relating to this group. We've come seeking an audience with His Majesty. He should have been notified of our arrival already" he said.
The knight that had been talknig to Caz stepped away from the carriage, pulling the other knight with him. "Y-yes sir! Y-you may proceed!" he said.
Seeing all the knights so far react to Ramza in a formal manner was something that Tsuki wasn't going to get used to anytime soon. He saw him take charge back at the port but to see it again really solidified the fact that he was, at one point, a respected General of Esseand. "It's amazing just how much authority you still have despite no longer being in the service..." he said.
Ramza stepped back towards his seat and sat back down, letting out an audible sigh. "Honestly, it can be a real hassle. Not just for me but for the other knights as well" he said.
Caz shrugged his shoulders and readied the carriage to start moving. "At least it helps expedite things. That could of turned out bad" he said.
Melphi sighed, sitting back in her seat with her arms folded in front of her and eyes closed. "It didn't always used to be this way but ever since Dolothlond's sudden change a few years ago, Human and Dragonkin relations have soured" she said.
Cheria tilted her head a bit. "What happened?" she asked. If relations took a turn for the worse, then it could be possible to mend those relations and get them back on friendly terms like the rest of the Faeries.
Melphi shook her head at her response. "That's something you're going to have to see for yourself" she said. It was better for them to see what was happening behind the scenes rather than explaining it.
Soon after that, the carriage started to move once more as it pulled into the front gates of Esseand. With a full view of the city, they could see just how much the place towered over them. To them, everything looked cramped, compacted and appeared like a difficult place to live. Buildings were closely huddled together to fit and the streets looked narrow and winding. There looked to be only one main road and many side roads that snaked through the various alleys and openings between buildings. The town layout had a bit of a confusing, maze-like design to it. A person unfamiliar with the layout could find themselves getting lost easily. The townspeople had no problems making a comfortable living there though. Various small merchant stalls were set up around spots along the roads and the knights of Esseand could be seen all over, blending into the crowd.
The buildings were made out of smooth, decorated stone and looked to be pretty thick and tough. Not like standard stone housing but nothing that would make anything stand out too much. The streets were of a cobblestone design with various bits of greenery and shrubbery here and there. Because of the tight space, there wasn't anything extravagent compared to what Eresseas had in terms of overall decoration and design but Esseand most certainly had it's own charms to it. Being right up against a mountainside also gave them unique views too as various waterfalls could be seen on the mountainside from the town. The place had a more rustic feel to it rather than a modern one like Eresseas.
The carriage slowly made its way up the winding streets with their true destination on the upper levels of Esseand. People immediately took notice of the carriage mainly because they were able to see Ramza through the windows which caused some excitement as they passed by. It made it even more clear to Tsuki and everyone else just how well-known and respected Ramza was to not just the knights but to the average citizens as well. Their reactions were the same kind of reactions as the Royal Eight receive from the citizens of Cayhill. For Tsuki, it felt a little weird for him to be on the other side of that because he was so used to people paying their respects towards him and his colleagues. Of course, that also made it sting a bit when he thinks about Mike and Stahler being part of that and knowing they've betrayed that respect. It was a tough pill to swallow but maybe for once, this might actually be a good change for Tsuki, not being at the center of attention for once. With what potentially awaits them, he knows that this feeling wasn't going to last so he was going to take advantage of it as much as he can. First, it was Tsuki showing the way. Now, it was Ramza's turn to take hold of the reins as his knowledge and history with Esseand will surely become a driving force for their journey ahead.
To be continued...