Chapter 46

Knick reached back from his driver’s seat and whacked my feet off the cart’s edge, where I'd set my boots crossed one over the other. They fell heavily back into the cart, waking me abruptly from my nap. “We’re here,” he said as the cart came to a halt in front of the high white walls of South City at the foot of The Mountain. There were several carts in front of us lined up before the gates of the city. It appeared a few guards were giving the carts’ contents a once-over before their leader marked something on a small board and waved the carts on through. Looked to be merchants from the clothing of the drivers. We had passed a great number of other carts on the road going in both directions. By and large they’d carried either food, booze or lumber to the north and a great deal of what went south was either practical household items, luxury goods, clothing, or stone from the quarries on the east and west sides of the mountain.

The guards quickly finished with the three carts ahead of us, and we pulled up right in front of the gate when our turn came. The guards seemed somewhat taken aback by our appearance. Two of the other merchants in front of us had had a few guards, but they didn’t really compare to Hammer in his full plate armor and intimidating helmet, its black furred mohawk waving in the breeze and steel spikes glinting in the noon sun. The guards kept their distance from him as they approached our cart. Knick grinned at the one on his side, and the man took a sudden step back in alarm. I laughed. These guys are puppies compared to my friends.

I stood up in the back of the cart and addressed their leader where he stood leaning against the gate’s wall in the shadows. “Good day to you, sir! I’m afraid it’s our first time in this city and we don’t exactly know the protocol necessary to enter. Any chance you could explain what you’re looking for?” I smiled cheerfully as the man made his way over to my side of the cart.

“What the fuck are adventurers doing south of the mountain? There’s never any work for you lot down south and even less coin,” said the man with a slightly rude tone.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about, good sir. We’re just simple travelers from all the way down south in TIga, at the end of the road.” I pointed a thumb back over my shoulder. “We had some wares we thought might sell well on The Mountain and so made the rather long journey up here.”

The man snorted, “Nothing simple about someone with gear like that giant’s wearing,” he pointed at Hammer.

I shrugged, “He does good work, doesn’t he? He’s a master smith in his own right. The goods he spent much of this past winter forging are what we wish to sell. I daresay they’re of the finest quality I’ve seen anywhere south of The Mountain.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” said the guard as he approached the side of the cart. I threw back the tarp and opened one of the long chests stacked in the back of the cart. The guard gasped as he saw them. “I happen to have seen a few pieces of actual steel come through this gate,” he said reverently. “I’d know that metal anywhere, the way it shines. I daresay, sir, you are absolutely correct. These will sell very well on The Mountain.”

“Out of curiosity, how well do you think these will sell?” I asked as I closed the long chest and opened a much smaller wooden box beside it. I drew out a roll of leather and with a single movement unrolled it on top of the closed chest.

The guard was staring wide eyed at the large number of long chests and smaller boxes stacked in the back of the cart. Then he slowly reached forward hesitantly and pulled one of Knick’s knives out of the unrolled piece of cheap oiled leather. “I-is that blade steel?” he asked incredulously.

“Why, yes it is. You have an excellent eye, sir. Our resident blademaster is quite good in the forge himself and managed to create a very sizable stock as well over the winter.” I said proudly as I held out an open hand towards the front of the cart to indicate Knick where he sat holding the reins.

He stared at the blade in his hand and then carefully replaced it in its leather roll, which I quickly deposited back into its box, tossing the tarp back over the load. “Well, sir, if you aren’t rich already you certainly will be once you sell all of these. Unfortunately, there is a rather large tax on weapons coming into the city, which is why no one really does it much. It’s usually the other way around. I’m afraid the price is one hundred gold per cart. Most people can’t make a profit with that high of a tax. With this much steel though… You’ll clear that easily, sir, but I can’t let you in without payment on the tax first,” he said apologetically.

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“No problem at all, my good man. However, for a payment of that size I would like some sort of receipt to prove that I’ve made said payment. Wouldn’t do to have an unscrupulous tax collector trying to shake me down later. I’m sure you understand.” I turned to Ara. “Ara, dear, would you please take out one hundred gold for the nice guardsman.”

“Of course, my lord,” said Ara, bobbing her head as she began pulling out a pack that I’d placed four fifty gold pouches inside for basic walking around money. I’d figured it’d probably be a bad idea to advertise how much gold we have on top of the already valuable steel, so my treasure chest, as I thought of it, was well buried under everything else in the center of the cart.

“L-l-lord?!” stammered the guard. “U-uh, no taxes will need to be paid then, my lord. I wasn’t aware you were a noble. Nobles are exempt from paying taxes on their possessions upon entry to the city. That said, I’m required to ask for proof of magic to verify your nobility as I’m afraid I’ve never heard of a noble of your description, and, if I may ask, my lord, what is your name?”.

“Who, me?” I asked, pointing a finger at myself. “I’m Nameless of Tiga. Ever since I picked up some magic though, people have been adding Lord to the front of my lack of a name.” I chuckled. “Down in Tiga they called me The Bloody Hunter. In Lake City, the count called me The Gambler.” I pulled out a snake blade, held out my left hand, and drew the blade across my palm. Blood immediately began pooling, and I tilted my hand to dump a small streamer of blood at the guard's feet as he took a surprised step back. I grinned at the guard and ran my healing magic through my hand. The cut sealed itself as if it had never been there. “But plain old Nameless has always suited me just fine. I’d be happy to show you that magic again using your own hand if you’d prefer, sir.” I laughed at his stricken face. “No? Well, as you prefer of course. Nobody ever seems to say yes to that particular offer for some reason. Now, I did have one last question before we enter this fine city of yours. What exactly did you mean when you referred to us as ‘adventurers’?” I asked.

“I-I didn’t mean no offense, my lord. I just thought you were from the adventurer’s guild given how you’re all dressed. The guild is straight ahead, down the street from the gate, at the square in the center of the city, my lord. I believe you’ll see what I mean if you pass through there.” He held his fist to his chest and bowed deeply, his men followed suit.

“Thank you kindly for the information, sir, much appreciated.” I turned my attention forward as I retook my seat in the back of the cart. “Onwards, if you please, Knick!” I said cheerfully. “You have no idea how badly I wish to see this adventurer’s guild.” Knick clicked his tongue and gave the reins a neat flick. Goliath trotted into the city with us in tow.

As we cleared the short tunnel through the gate I looked up at The Mountain towering over the city. It seemed impossible. A massive tower of stone sloping dramatically up from the flat land surrounding it and soaring thousands upon thousands of feet into the air. The edge of the mountain where it sloped down to the ground was nearly vertical, far too steep to climb. I had heard from travelers and merchants at various bars along the road that no one had ever successfully attacked the mountain, and I now believed it. That place would be a stone cold bitch to assault with a conventional army. There were four clearly visible tiers up the sides of the massive pillar of stone, and each contained their own cities wrapping around the entirety of The Mountain. It was my understanding that each of the four cities at The Mountain's base protected one of the roads that led up to the first tier. I’m looking forward to finding out what’s up there.

We drove slowly through the crowded streets of the city looking around at the myriad bustling folk going about their business. There were more people here than I’d seen anywhere else in this world by a considerable margin, Lake City didn’t even come close. I suppose it’s all part of a big support system for The Mountain itself. It’s not like they can grow food up there after all.

I smiled to myself as I stared up at the distant top tier. At each of the cardinal directions stood a majestic castle with impossible seeming towers hanging sideways out over the massive drop to the next tier. I could only see three from the south side of the mountain. The one on the left stood out a pure black against the blue sky. The castle in the center was the same stone gray as the road the cart rolled over as well as The Mountain itself, and the castle on the east side of The Mountain was a dark red. My companions gazed up at The Mountain as well.

“Well, I’ve got dibs on the black castle. Which one do you guys want?” I asked flippantly.

“I like red,” responded Knick with zero hesitation.

I laughed, “Knick has dibs on the red one Hammer. You want the gray one? Or do you want to see the castle on the other side before you choose?” I asked through my laughter.

Hammer sighed, not unamused, “Well, if both of my best friends have castles, I don’t think I’ll be in need of a place to stay, so it’s all the same to me,” he responded dryly.

We were chuckling together as we pulled into the large circular plaza at the center of town which was dominated by a massive, intricately beautiful, fountain standing fully two stories high in the center. The surrounding buildings were all constructed of stone and were at least three stories high, though some few even had a fourth. I checked their signs, and quickly identified the adventurer’s guild. I directed Knick to pull up next to it.

Fuck me. Was that an elf that just went inside?

I have always wanted to see an adventurer’s guild. I smiled widely. This world is starting to grow on me.