Crossroad

Another week had gone by before the sight of tall buildings could be seen on the horizon. At first, Amber thought she had somehow returned to Central Town but there were several key differences that had become more apparent the closer the Karsha Clan got. The structures were shorter, in far better condition, and populated with citizens rather than scavengers and monsters. The outer trade market alone made the busiest days in Central Town look like a small meeting between neighbors by comparison.

"I think she broke," Jasah joked as he rode on his horse.

"Perhaps," Illegra shrugged as she guided the Yirmak slowly through the market, "But I recall a certain guardsman looking just as wide eyed as she does now the first time he saw the city."

"Well… I mean… Fair enough," Jasah sighed.

"Where do I even start with this place?" Amber gapped at the commotion around her.

Beings she had never read (let alone seen) walking about, exotic goods, technological and magical equipment from around the world… It was everything a drifter could have ever fantasized of finding. Was this really what the rest of the world had to offer?

"Just wait until you get into the city proper," Jasah chuckled.

"Market places are often a good place to start if you're looking for anything in particular. However, I think the best place for you to start would be a bathhouse since you've been complaining the entire trip," Illegra offered.

"Huh? Oh yeah. It's just...look at all of this!" Amber exclaimed as she gestured towards the market.

"Yep, she broke all right," Jasah laughed.

Edward was unimpressed with the city he was looking at from the back of the Setseke. Crossroad was just another surface city to him and another stopping point on his wanderings. For now, his biggest interests were to find a bookstore, find somewhere to sleep for the foreseeable future, find some temporary employment, and figure out the next place he will travel to next. Preferably in that order but life is often fickle and throws unexpected surprises in the way of plans.

Such as seeing Coalition equipment for sale along with a WH4-L3 "Humpback" submarine moored in the port at the far side of the city.

"How did one of those get all the way down here?" he asked out loud in mild shock.

"Welcome to Crossroad my friend," the workshop owner said, "The city truly lives up to its name. If nations are going to do trade with one another, it usually goes through here one way or another."

Edward hummed at the statement and continued staring at the Humpback. After getting over his shock, he had began to wonder who would end up buying it. It was an old but venerable model that could handle most of the underwater threats of the Iceshelf. However, who on the surface would want such a vessel and how would they maintain it? Unless the entire power grid was replaced, it would require fuel rods and getting radioactive elements was dangerous. Then there was the myriad of other issues such as supplies, crew upkeep, general repairs, and actually knowing how to operate it in the first place. As far as Edward was concerned, the submarine was out of its element and would have been better off sold back home rather than in Crossroad.

Well, at least I can resupply on ammunition if they're selling, he thought as he glanced at the rest of the marketplace.

By the time the Karsha Clan found a place to unpack, Amber had partially gotten over her excitement. The unpacking had gone smoothly enough and the Saltfire Bazaar had been set up while the rest of the facilities were being carefully taken off the Setseke.

"I suppose this is where we part ways," Illegra said as Amber finished organizing the pots and pans.

"Are you sure? Don't I still have a debt to pay off?" Amber asked.

"Nonsense. You've worked all through the trip and fought on our behalf," Jasah waved his hand in dismissal, "Besides, you've got an entire city to explore."

"Well...if you say so," Amber shrugged before heading for her pack.

"Here, consider this some compensation for your hard work. You're going to need the pay as well so don't bother declining," Illegra provided a sack filled with coins.

Amber nodded and stored the pouch in her pack. Throwing the pack over her shoulder, she took a deep breath as she prepared to exit the Bazaar.

"Amber," Jasah called just before she stepped out, "May your fortunes never run dry."

"Heh, we're trading farewell sayings?" she smiled over her shoulder, "May your travels bring you good fortunes, both of you."

With a straightening of her hat and a wave, she stepped out of the Bazaar and into the busy marketplace of Crossroad.

"You know, I don't think we've seen the last of her," Illegra said to Jasah.

"No, we haven't," Jasah agreed.

Amber walked deeper into the marketplace and was further amazed at what she saw. Electrical lights mixed with magical fixtures, working automobiles next to carriages drawn by animals, a city filled with hundreds of people in organized chaos. Where does she start? What should she do first? Would it be better to find work or to simply bask in it all? What about the rest of the world?

"Okay, one thing at a time Amber," she said to herself as she walked through the marketplace, "Figure out where everything is, get a proper bath, then find a place for the night."

After asking a few people for directions, she found a map that gave a rough overview of the city as well as a vendor who offered to update her holomap.

"Been a while since I've had someone with a holomap show up to my stall," the vendor said as she worked on the device, "Been even longer since someone came from Central Town. You look just as bright eyed as the last young man who came here."

"Any advice for a bright eyed drifter who has no clue what she is doing then?" Amber chuckled nervously as she glanced at the other shoppers around her.

"Unless you plan on leaving some time soon, I'd suggest going to the Wanderer's Inn. There are other taverns of course but it's the perfect place for mercenaries and travelers such as yourself. It's near the residential quarters but close enough to the trade districts to see all sorts of business. It's a good place to find work which you no doubt are going to be looking for."

"What kind of work?"

"It would be easier to say what kind isn't available," the vendor shrugged, "Just be sure to keep your eyes and ears open and you'll find plenty of work to do."

Amber paid the vendor and set off to look for the Wanderer's Inn. Along the way, she glanced at the pedestrians and other travelers. Some were carrying traditional swords and bows, others simple clothes, and then there were those that she was unsure if they were actually wearing anything. The most bizarre cases being the seven foot tall winged and horned beings and the blind reptilian creatures.

"Somehow not the strangest thing I have seen, which is probably saying something," she said as she slowly walked past a group of these beings.

Shaking her head, she continued onwards. A streetband of Guardians, men, and an Avian played in a small square for an audience, a group of children running through the stalls and getting yelled at by vendors, loud honks and various noises from animals in the streets beyond the marketplace… The longer she looked the more she was intrigued by what she saw. It was similar to Central Town but much more alive and filled with an energy that seemed almost alien in nature to her.

Her casual looks eventually came to an end when she arrived at her destination, however. Checking the sign above the doorway for confirmation, she saw that she had indeed reached the Wanderer's Inn. With a shrug, she walked inside.

Sil had been sitting at a table enjoying a bowl of clam chowder when the door opened. He had paid the Karsha Clan in Light crystals he had scavenged for passage to Crossroad and upon arrival he left the Clan as promptly as he had arrived. He had been more interested in simply wandering and finding something to eat than sticking around in one place for long. Even so, he kept his senses sharp to pick up on what was going around him.

"What...the...hell?" a familiar voice asked slowly from the doorway.

Pausing in his lunch, he looked towards the door to see the same person he had met a week prior. Her expression was that of pure and utter shock. Looking at what she was staring at, he could somewhat understand since it took him a moment to process it also.

"Yes? Can I help you?" the tavern owner floated over to her.

"Uh… You're a ghost…" she said awkwardly.

"Haunt actually but yes," the tavern owner said bluntly, "And how is that an issue exactly?"

"Oh! It's not a problem! Just…"

"Surprised… Central Town?"

"Yeah… That obvious huh?"

"First meal is on the house. After that everything is going to cost ya," the owner shrugged and floated away to serve another patron.

Sil chuckled at the exchange and continued enjoying his chowder. After she stood there, their eyes met and he instantly went rigged. After a few seconds, he gestured to an empty chair next to him which she walked to and sat in.

"Didn't expect to see you again," he said as he resumed eating his chowder.

"I seem to have the penchant for running into strangers I just met these days," she shrugged, "It was Sil right?"

"Yes and you were…" he waved a spoon in thought as he struggled to remember her name.

"Amber," she said.

"Ah yes. That's what it was again."

They sat in an awkward silence while he ate his soup. The rest of the tavern seemed to fade into nothingness.

"Hey uh…" Amber started quietly, "Since I have the feeling we're going to be running into each other often based on recent events…"

"Yeah?" Sil asked when she tailed off.

"I was wondering if you could explain the Light to me. I keep meeting Guardians and most of my questions revolve around it. So...what is it exactly? It's not a magic that I've read about and it seems to be exclusive to Guardians."

Sil blinked in surprise. He was half expecting for her to comment on his attempts to hide his defining features. Instead she wanted to know about the Light? True it was rare outside of the lands overseen by Spirit Trees but knowledge about it was readily available. Were her lands so devoid of Guardians that not even basic knowledge about the Light was available? It would explain her reaction during their first meeting even more than mere unfamiliarity but such a lack of knowledge was still surprising.

"I could answer some things," he said uneasily, not wanting to delve too deeply into his "gift" unless necessary.

"Is it something you can't share?" she asked, picking up on his anxiety.

Damn it. "No, it's fine. Just not used to explaining it," he answered with a half truth, "So...what do you want to know?"

Edward paid for the shotgun shells and revolver bullets he had selected and started to store them in his belt pouches. After wandering the marketplace, he was disappointed in not finding a new crime novel to read. Somehow, all the ones he had found were the same ones from back home or out of stock. In the end, he gave up for the day and decided to find someplace to get a meal and hopefully a job.

Now if I were a surface tavern in a busy trade city where would I be?, he thought as he walked through the marketplace.

Along the way, he passed several unique individuals that were somewhat recognizable to him. Kazanji, Eyeless Ones, Moki, Guardians, and Vaulters were the most obvious but then there were those that still made him take a second glance to process what he was looking at. Florans, Nidya, walking skeletons, and Allayi were the more bizarre peoples that had caught him off guard. Nevertheless, Crossroad was proving to live up to its reputation as a melting pot of cultures. Everyone seemed to just accept what was going on around them and went about their lives without a care.

Well this easily fits my definition of what the surface is like, he thought as he noticed a tavern sign, Let's see if I can't find some work to do while I'm here.

Walking inside, he noticed two things right away. The first was that he had yet again found Amber despite having no intentions to do so. The second was the fact that a ghost was serving drinks behind the counter. If he had to choose which was stranger, it was seeing Amber again.

Can I call her a friend at this point? Maybe… Eh, sure why not. Just go with it Ed, he shrugged and walked over to a table.

"Huh? Oh it's him again," Amber shrugged as she saw Edward sit down on the other end of the room.

"I assume he's the one of the strangers you keep running into," Sil stated rather than asked as he pushed his empty bowl aside.

"Yup that's him all right," Amber gave a slight stretch to loosen some muscles and caught a whiff of herself, "Anyway, I should probably get myself a room. Thanks for answering my questions."

"You're welcome," Sil said as she got up.

Amber walked over to the tavern owner and arranged to have a room for a week as well as her clothes washed. Accepting the room eky, she went up to the second floor and found her room. It was small and modest, but serviceable with a bed, nightstand, and a desk. What had her full attention however was the small bathroom that was off to the side of the main door, particularly the bathtub.

"Finally," she huffed as she set her pack down on the bed and stripped to bathe.

After Amber had left, Sil had gotten up to look for any potential jobs which were listed on the other side of the room. Most of his options were mercenary work that he was not suited for or would require multiple individuals. There was one job that he knew he could do easily but he was hesitant to grab it.

"Saw you talking with Amber," a voice said from behind him, "New friend of hers?"

"I suppose," Sil turned to see the same man from before with his helmet off, "If what she said about running into you is true then I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot. I'm Sil."

"Edward," the man shrugged before he looked at the board, "Hmm… You take any jobs yet?"

"Not yet."

"Mind if I take the mechanics job?"

What's a mechanic? "Go ahead. I'm still deciding on what to do," Sil shrugged.

The man nodded and tore a sheet off the board before returning to his table. Sil sighed and looked at the board again. After a glance at the other jobs, he reluctantly tore off a sheet.

Courier and delivery… Hopefully no one will ask questions, he thought as harsh memories came to mind before he left the tavern.

"To Mom and Dad,

I have traveled to Crossroad after crossing the Belran Desert. The city is incredible and I've barely explored it. If I were to try to put everything in words I would fill the entire sheet. To avoid that, I'll simply say that I now understand that there truly is more to this world than simply Central Town.

The journey here was unique. Icehaven is real and we have a clan of Guardians just a week away from town. As for the Desert, I hate it. The heat is murderous and I would rather not cross it again. Even so, I met people while crossing that miserable stretch of sand. There was the Karsha Clan whom I traveled with to reach Crossroad. If it weren't for them, I would have never reached this place. Who would have thought a drifter would spend time cooking to pay off a debt for traveling? I certainly didn't.

I also have had the unusual misfortune of running into a new acquaintance repeatedly. He claims to be from the 'Europan Coalition' which is apparently underwater. I know it sounds absurd but since he stated this as a fact with enough bluntness to make butter knives sharp by comparison I'm going to accept it as the truth.

I know this does not go into the greatest of detail about my journey. Considering my expeditions into the wilds causing you both to worry, it might be the best I don't. I mostly wanted to let you know that I am fine and staying true to my promise to write. I love you both more than words can ever say and nothing will ever change this.

May your travels bring you good fortunes,

Amber"