Excerpt from A Guide to Hollowcrest

If you want to spot the aristocrats, many of the richest people and maybe even the Queen, then the place to go is Crest Hill. This area of the city sits on an impressive hill almost in the centre of the city. Technically it is between Skystone and Waterrun, but residents will simply talk about it as if it is a city of its own right.

Of course, unless you have an invite, this isn’t somewhere that you can go and look around. Tourists are not welcome here unless they have a formal invitation from one of the residents.

Crest Hill is home to most of the largest and most impressive properties in the city. They are almost never available to buy and simply pass between one member of a family and another. Many have been in the same family for generations, passing to the designated heir or the most powerful member of the family, depending on the traditions of the residents. Occasionally, newcomers do manage to acquire property in the area but this is very rare.

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“That’s impressive,” Jake said, staring up at their destination.

“That’s expensive,” Drak replied, adjusting his necktie for the tenth time since they had left the house.

The pair were standing at the foot of the wide path leading to the gala’s venue, the home of another eld called Lirien Highsong. And it was easily the most impressive house that Jake had seen since he arrived in Hollowcrest.

The house was mostly six stories high with four towers that reached another storey higher. The towers were placed two at each end of the building and two at equal distances between them. Rather than the usual squared walls, the building had a more organic look to it as the towers were all rounded in shape. There were also two smaller, thinner towers that were set towards the back of the house.

A line of people slowly made their way up the path to the main entrance, which Jake and Drak joined the end. Jake kept their invites in hand because they had already been asked to show them three times as they walked from the Loop station. People here in Crest Hill were keen to make sure everyone there was meant to be.

As they made their way up the path, Jake glanced around. This was a very different part of the city from the areas he’d visited before. The houses were all sizeable and very impressive, he guessed that most with some kind of formal gardens laid out around them. But then, you couldn’t really tell as all of the properties had large hedges or fences that hid them mostly from view.

They reached the main entrance, a double doorway around twice the height of the usual doors, where a pair of elves were checking invites. Jake held out theirs, which received a long, pointed look before being returned. They were waved inside.

The first thing Jake noticed inside the house was the massive crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling in the entrance hall. It was definitely the biggest chandelier he’d ever seen and each crystal seemed to sparkle with an almost impossible range of colours.

“Let’s explore a bit,” Drak suggested, gesturing to his left. Jake nodded and they turned in that direction.

The room to the left of the main entrance hall looked to be some kind of parlour with a range of seats of different sizes spread around the room. A luxurious rug filled the middle of the room, with another smaller chandelier hanging over it.

The room was filled with a wide variety of different people from all different races. They were all well dressed, with a rainbow of colours on show for all genders. These were people who knew what the fashions of the year were and made sure their clothes matched it perfectly.

There was a low rumble of conversation in the room with the occasional louder voice or exclamation as conversations became more excited. Most all of the guests had some kind of drink in hand and some were eating small appetizers that must be available somewhere else.

“Do you know anyone?” Jake asked Drak quietly, stepping to one side of the door but staying just inside the room. He was feeling a little overwhelmed among the elite and rich of the city.

“Not yet,” Drak replied confidently. He looked around and headed across to where a female Dragonkin was involved in a conversation with a grey haired human.

Jake watched him go, wishing he had a little of his partner’s confidence in social situations.

“Ah, a fellow alchemist!” a voice said enthusiastically from the doorway. Jake turned to see a stocky gnome dressed in a suit much like his own but a different shade of brown. He was standing on a vine-like construct that raised him up to almost Jake’s eye level.

Jake smiled. “What makes you say that?” he asked, wondering if he had potion spilled on his jacket on something.

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The gnome gestured to the jacket. “We alchemists always choose the jackets with the most pockets!” he said with a big grin.

Jake grinned himself, realising that he had chosen the jacket from Asher’s selection for its many pockets without even knowing why he had done it. “I’m Jake.”

“Harvey,” he replied, holding out a hand which Jake shook. “First time at one of these events?”

“I’m still pretty new in the city,” Jake said. “I’m here with my friend and business partner,” he added, gesturing to Drak.

As they both looked, the Dragonkin was talking to the female he’d spied across the room, who stood around one head taller than him. But things didn’t appear to be going well. Especially not when she slapped him on the snout and stormed away.

“I don’t think his approach was viewed favourably,” Harvey said with some amusement.

Drak saw their attention, grinned and shrugged, then moved to the next room.

“He’s pretty tough-skinned, even for a Dragonkin,” Jake said with a smile.

“Ah, here’s our host,” Harvey said, nodding carefully to the elf who had just walked into the room from the door across from where they were standing. “Lirien Highsong is the lord of this manor. I don’t see his wife or their two children, they must be coming along soon.”

“He’s an elf?” Jake observed, not knowing anything about their host apart from his name.

“Yes, from one of the old families. He was magically powerful enough for a marriage to Lady Highsong. She’s one of the most powerful elven casters in the city and this place is hers. So he’s really only a lord due to marriage,” Harvey explained.

“Interesting,” Jake agreed, watching the elf move from one person to another, offering a word or shaking a hand. The way that the crowds seemed to part for him to move smoothly reminded him of their walk through Vine Road with Asher to visit the tailor store.

Harvey continued to point out relevant people in the room as they passed through. He pointed out everyone from wealthy merchants to aristocrats and even people who, like Jake, didn’t seem to quite fit into the gathering. Jake struggled to keep it all right in his head, but it was better than trying to walk around the room and start conversations with random strangers.

“That’s Flair, she’s a rising star in MENU,” Harvey said, pointing to a fire gnassi wearing an elaborate suit and talking to a small group of people. She was wearing an eye-catching fitted long dress with a split down one side in shades of red and orange.

“MENU?” Jake asked, frowning.

“They are the ones that handle all that weird stuff. You know, the stuff that the Monster Hunter Guild can’t touch due to the laws, but the Bounty Hunters can’t handle?”

“Must admit, I haven’t heard of them, but I’ve only been here a few weeks,” Jake admitted. He wasn’t even sure he’d seen a fire gnassi before.

“That human over there, the thin fellow with the big hat?” Harvey continued, pointing to a man in a classic formal suit. “That’s Marcus Philip of the Philip Trading Company. They are one of the biggest merchant companies in Skystone. There’s not much they don’t trade in.”

A slender half-elf dressed in a formal military-style uniform walked past the pair from the main entrance. “That’s Arctorian, one of the commanders of Hollowcrest Army,” Harvey said softly. The elf glanced in their direction and the gnome gave him a nod of the head, which the elf returned.

“Here comes our host,” Harvey said softly, nodding slightly to one side.

Lirien Highsong said something with a bold laugh to the group next to them and moved over to where Jake and Harvey were standing. Lirien had sharp features with deep brown eyes. He had golden hair, worn longer and tied back. He was wearing an elaborate old gold-coloured tuxedo jacket with long tails with a silvery white bell-sleeve lace shirt under it. His trousers were equally flowing with wide legs and silver accent stitching and as he walked, you could see he wore slightly heeled boots that added a little more to his height.

“Good evening, gentlemen, good to see you here. I don’t believe we’ve met,” Lirien said, shaking hands with Harvey and then turning to Jake. He words were slower, almost lethargic, but there was still a strong hint of arrogance in there.

“Jake Delta,” he said, shaking the offered hand.

“Ah, one of Asher’s strays,” Lirien said with a touch of distaste in his tone. “Are you one of his errand boys? But no, you are too skinny for that. I assume you work in his bar, then?”

Jake swallowed his instant reply, deciding that insulting the lord of the manor to his face probably wasn’t the best move at this point. “Actually, I’m an associate of Asher’s. My partner and I run an alchemy business.”

Lirien gave him a long stare. “I’d imagine this is your first time at a gala of this calibre then,” he commented snidely.

Jake resisted another sarcastic urge. “Your wife has a very beautiful home,” he commented instead. He wasn’t really sure that was a polite insult for an elf but he had to say something.

A tiny flicker in his eyes said that the slight jibe had not been wasted on the elf. But his false smile returned almost instantly. “Yes, it is a beautiful house. Have a good evening, gentlemen, I’m sure this will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you, Mr Delta.”

The elf left them and Harvey let out a sigh. “I hate dealing with these powerful elves, they always come with a powerful attitude,” he said quietly. “Want to get a drink?”

“I definitely do,” Jake replied.

They crossed the room and Harvey headed across another room to where the drinks were assembled on an elaborate bar at the far side of the room. He selected a glass of something pale gold coloured and handed one to Jake.

Jake sipped it and appreciated the flavour, which reminded him a little of caramel. He was about to ask Harvey a little more about himself when he heard some shouting.

“Something’s going on,” Harvey said, frowning. “It’s rare for there to be any trouble at this kind of event.”

The shouting grew louder and seemed to be coming from the other side of the house, across the main hallway from where Jake and Drak had first entered.

“Should we check it out?” Jake said, placing his half-finished drink on the bar.

Harvey considered. “I guess we should. There could be some good gossip to be uncovered,” he agreed, finishing his drink in a single swig.

They headed in the direction of the shouting.