Agoria was a sizable continent and one of the four major continents in Helm. The population was predominantly human. Of the four land masses Agoria was the most diverse. Lochland was ruled by five elven kingdoms. Mauna, the mountain island of the highlanders and mountaineers, was ruled by the Shogar. Far to the east was the continent of the horde, where goblins, kobolds, and bugbears lived. Oceans separated each continent, and except for the horde, who were just shits, there was little conflict between the other fractions. The constant raiding of the horde probably contributed to the overall peace.

The Dragon Spine mountain range stretched from the north to the south of Agoria. The high mountains collected a lot of water and filled the land with rivers and lakes. Two empires and one kingdom divided the continent into three nations. The Alderi Empire claimed nearly three-quarters of the continent, leaving the Greia Empire and Lackia Kingdom to squabble over the northern quarter.

Coalville was a large city thirty miles north of the capital city of Alderi. It was the third largest city in Alderi and considered a shopping haven nationwide.

A branching cluster of mountains from the Dragon's Spine and its close proximity to the capitol provided ample protection. Being the closest major city to the Frontier also led to an influx of adventurers, which in turn created more security. Bounties and quests had a quick turnaround.

The portal into the city once brought travelers outside of the city wall. Opportunistic merchants braved the dangers of setting up shop to get an edge on the market. The gamble paid off. Within a year of the first shop setting up by the portal, an entire outer market district was created along with a new city wall. In response, the inner district dug deep into its pockets to create a pristine shopping experience that catered to deeper pockets.

The city was essentially split in two. The outer district catered to ordinary travelers, merchants, and adventurers—regular folk. The inner district catered to the nobility, the wealthy, and the powerful. Strict trading laws were established to further bridge the gap between the districts, dictating what items were allowed to be sold in the lower district, and gold passes were created to enter the inner district.

I stepped out of the portal and immediately felt my mana restricted within and without. The portal was guarded by four guards who sported high gear scores in the thousands and pauldrons that discouraged anyone but mages from messing with them. Even mages would question their chances in a fight against the portal guards. It would take someone skilled in mana-less combat to have a chance against these guards.

The four guards barely paid attention as I followed the path out of the enclosed portal. I walked out of the hub and was greeted by another guard. The unhelmed guard kept her helm off so that she could smile and greet each traveler with a quick welcome.

"Welcome to Coalville. Keep your weapons holstered and register with the city center if you want a mana permit."

"Thank you," I said to the blonde guard as I walked by. She gave me a slight nod before she gave the same welcome to the travelers behind me.

There was no need to ask where the city center or shops were. Signs marked the way to points of interest, making it difficult to get lost. The closest building to the portal was The First General Store; next to it was The First Bank, followed by an inn, tavern, shops, and trade stores, such as tailors, blacksmiths, fletchers, and cobblers—all of which had the distinction of First in their title. The further I traveled from the Grand Market Center, the more creative store names became. The Great Forge was a massive building seen from the portal. Next to it was the city center, which served as a general guild hub for the guilds like adventurers, fighters, and crafters.

I kept my hood on and my presence as small as possible as I made my way through the dispersed crowd of shoppers filling the streets. I didn't understand the Jesters, how they hunted, or what Flint and Lana did to hide us from them before. I knew they were looking for me, and I no longer had the protection of my squad to hide me from them. The fact that a sage was stationed in a small town like Cyanne meant that Jester's operation was extensive. They wanted to track down Lana and were committed to the task.

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I couldn't wrap my mind around how they found us in the first place. Was it happenstance, were they tipped off, or something else? The whole mission into the Bloodwoods felt off to me, but I didn't know if it was connected to the High King.

There were too many unknowns for me to feel comfortable walking out in the open. The fact was, I was hunted, and anyone could be a hunter. I needed to keep my head low until I was stronger and had a better picture of my enemies.

A couple blocks west of the portal, I entered the city center. It was impossible to miss by staying on the main path heading west of the hub. The center was a massive building built over the main paths' intersection, cutting north, south, east, and west. Coalville's outer and inner districts had foot traffic only, making buildings like the city center more feasible. I don't think it would work the same if massive carts or mounts were moving in and out of the building.

As I stepped through the west entrance, I was greeted by a high-ranking guard. There was a constant murmur of noise from the ongoing transactions and the cool air runes pushing in fresh air. On both sides of the path were guild shops. Most of them were guilds specific to the outer district, such as the academy and security. I ignored the invitations to sign up and walked toward the city registration desk.

The man at the city center's main desk wore a formal robe of fine material. The golden trim shimmered each time he moved. His hair was neatly trimmed, as was his mustache, which he stroked as he stood up before placing his hands behind his back.

"Good morning, traveler," he said in a nasal voice and gave me a crooked smile. "What can I do for you?"

"Morn'n." I smiled back. I could almost see the man cringe when he heard the lazy tongue. "Just want to buy a pass to the inner district." The outer district might have a portal ring. I didn't want just any ring, though. I needed one that could be bound to me and had few limitations.

"Purpose?" The attendant made it a point to look down on me—harsh but fair. I wasn't exactly high-ranked, and my attire, though high-quality, wasn't exactly high class. It certainly didn't scream 'noble.' The man pulled out a gold band from a drawer. The band was covered in runes. Not only did it give access to the inner district, but it could hold credits and be used for shopping.

"Shopping and research." I maintained my smile.

"I am sure you can find everything you need here in the outer district." The attendant sat down and rested the band on his lap. He smiled crookedly once more. "Tell me what you are looking for, and I will direct you to the right outlets."

I heard a sharp whistle just as my back was blasted with pain. Instinctively, I stepped to the side. Two quarrels sped by, both hitting the attendant in the throat. My vision blurred as I watched the purpled-robed man reach for his bleeding neck and choke on blood. He collapsed to the floor, his face pale and hands grasping at his neck. His eyes were wide open and terrified.

Panic erupted all around the city center.

My limbs felt droopy, but I threw myself over the counter to take cover just as three more quarrels slammed into the desk.

My breathing was slow and labored. I wanted nothing more than to close my eyes and sleep.

So much for subtle, these Jesters were cracked. How did they even find me? Was it even the Jesters? A bunch of questions ran through my mind. The thoughts were helping me stay alert. I needed to focus, though. Whether this was the Jesters or not, I wanted to avoid getting caught or involved.

A couple of slaps to my face and a mental surge of determination shook the remaining drowsiness. Reaching behind my back, I found the bolt and, with great effort, pulled it out.

I pulled the gold band from the dead attendant's hands and placed it on my wrist. The attendant's co-workers behind the table with me were focused on the struggle on the other side. I could hear a battle on the other side of the building. Shouted orders mixed with screams of panic. The three attendants taking cover started channeling their mana. I was glad to see they would be able to fend for themselves.

I grabbed three runes from my bandolier and threw one down ten yards to my left. As smoke filled the building, I ran for the exit, throwing more runes ahead to cover my path.

I sprint for the exit. If I was lucky, the attackers wouldn't have someone waiting at the door. I wasn't lucky.

I cursed my luck, drew the mana pistol, and fired. Fortunately, the mana pistol was already loaded with pellets and mana. I fired another round into the shocked man holding his belly with red hands. My second shot was higher, and the man fell back as I passed him. With my other hand, I threw another smoke rune and kept running toward the inner district.