Four passages of the sun have passed since the adventurers left Florescent Woods. Their first adventure at the ruins was both perilous and life-changing. It almost cost their lives to liberate the sacred Motherlode. Their sacrifice had fruition as they accomplished two goals. They not only protected the forest’s inhabitants but also discovered the real threat.
The adventurers boarded a carriage heading to the famous Capital City of Arche. Their quarter-beast coachman slowly chewed a reed of wheat to pass the time. Milas lazily watched the view as they passed over groves of trees and rivers. It felt like an eternity for her, waiting for their arrival in the city.
“Are we there yet?” Milas pouted as she leaned toward the edge of the carriage.
“Just count the trees.” Corbin tiredly replied for the twentieth time around.
“This is like carrying a very bored child across the country.” Rez took a huff from his medicinal herbs to chill out.
“If supposedly we’re a family, who would be the parents and the children?” Nia played around with Rez’s idea.
“Nope.” Corbin refused to join their game and faced away. He hid his reddened face, slightly annoyed but embarrassed.
“Nia, you’ll be my mom and Rez is my deadbeat uncle.” Milas pointed her finger at the two who seemed to enjoy the silly banter.
“Slow down, missy. I’m still young!”
Rez noticed Corbin refused to join their conversation.
“Anyway Corbin, what convinced Milas and you to bring the letter to the Capital City?”.
“I’ve got nothing else to do.”
“Come on Corbin, won’t you like to do something adventurous or noble? Besides, remember our deal?” Milas nagged the reserved half-orc.
“I know. You have beaten me, so I accompany you.”
“Other than that, what convinced you to accept the forest shaman’s request?” Nia probed Corbin with her question.
“It’s only bringing a letter. A simple errand.”
“I hope it’s just a delivery, not another life-threatening, derring-do.” Rez pinched his fully consumed medicinal herb and pocketed its ashes.
“We are almost there, adventurers.” The coachman’s fluffy ears leaned forward in eagerness. He spitted the chewed reed from his mouth.
Approaching the massive city gate, two imposing guards greeted them. One was a bearded human and the other was an orange troll. They have elegant plate armor and sharp spears. No weapons from bandits could pierce them. They looked vigilant in their spot, showing no hints of laziness.
“Welcome to the Capital City of Arche, travelers. Mind if we know your destination?” The human guard sternly inquired the adventurers.
‘We’re delivering this letter.” Corbin slipped the letter from his left pocket.
“Do you know a captain named Fuji?” Milas butted in, anticipating exiting the carriage.
“Oh Captain Fuji, we don’t know about his whereabouts. He doesn’t like to stay in one place. He often itches for action,” The troll guard guffawed back, taking the situation lightly.
“In the meantime, feel free to explore the city. But watch out for muggers and swindlers.” Together, the city guards opened the majestic city gate. It slowly lifted as gears twisted, clicked, and tapped with a metallic noise. The adventurers exited the carriage one by one. They grabbed their belongings and emptied the carriage.
“I’ll be on my way. Take care, adventurers!” The coachman rode back to the southwest. The city gate closes down, and a heavy thud dropped.
The Capital City of Arche boasted itself as the central hub of trade and culture. It has endured centuries of subjugation, famine, invasion, corruption, and anarchy. Today marked the sixth civilization ruled by King Remus. The aged king propagated order for the past years. He established interspecies communities among the once-separate races. This made Arche a stronger nation than ever. Merging several cultures inside a vast city. Anyone can freely barter, practice their home culture and contribute to the city. Individuals from different walks of life felt the allure of the city, promising them a bright future.
“Woah, this one looks amazing!” Milas’s eyes glistened as she saw the cityscape. Her eyes widened like a lupus pup. She can’t resist her curiosity since her stay at the Lotus Hill convent for years. She peeked through each of the store windows, wondering how much their fancy merchandise cost.
“Come back here, you’ll get lost” Corbin was getting irritated by Milas’s meandering.
“Relax Corbin, she’s just a kid. She would eventually get tired of snooping around.” Rez laughed at Corbin. Nia quietly observes her companions having their time.
“A flock of city avians swooped at the rooftop. City critters crawled out of the gutters. A rabid city lupus chased down a domestic felicia biting a lump of meat. A pudgy ogre baby cried as his parents refused to buy him souvenirs.
In the middle of the street was a bustling bazaar. Crowded by various strangers. Citizens fell in line to meet a famous elven actress. A goblin painted three human nobles posing in the florae bed. Two orc mercenaries grabbed some lunch at the local tavern. A gnome musician played his fiddle with his pet simia, performing for spare change.
“Dwarven crafts, nothing beats handcrafted equipment!” A dwarven vendor traded with a human chef carrying a cart full of utensils.
“Don’t want to get mugged? Take this zapper and crack! Can even take down orcs, ogres, and trolls!” An enthusiastic goblin salesman displayed his quirky wares to gullible bystanders. He demonstrated it to his ogre assistant. The salesman prodded his willing assistant and shocked him down. The bystanders feverishly clapped with enjoyment.
“Headaches, colds, stomachaches, heartaches? I have a wonderful tonic for your illness. A dragonkin merchant hissed and offered his questionable tonic to the elderly.
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“The end is neigh, the sky is falling! Repent now or else the gods would smite you!” A scrawny beggar waved a placard with jumbled inscriptions.
“They were right. This place is a mess.”
“Well, it depends on the individual, Corbin. Some prefer solace in the forest. Others call cities home.” Nia looked at the city’s brighter side. Unlike the Fluorescent Forest, the Capital City of Arche was quite chaotic but lively.
“Haven't you ever stayed in a city? You can find everything you need. Food, shelter, protection, jobs, and women! I mean companions.” Rez bragged about his long experience as a city dweller.
“And you’re planning to chase skirts again, hmmm?!” Milas bantered, knowing that Rez would waste his time in a tavern.
“You would rather stay at the orcish garrison.” Corbin bit back at Rez.
“Since our captain loves to wander around, our first order is to find a place to stay,” Rez bought a city map from a roaming paperboy. He scanned and pinpointed any potential lodging. He tossed a copper coin to the human paperboy. The paperboy caught the coin and left in contentment.
“The map says here are some of the decent-looking inns.” The adventurers followed Rez’s navigation, but each stop reached dead ends.
“We’re full, sorry.” The dwarven innkeeper apologized for the shortcoming.
“That would cost 20 argentum per head.” A lady troll innkeeper snorted out.
“We don’t accept rugged vagrants!” A snobbish innkeeper yelled at the adventurers.
“This is way too difficult. Where should we stay?”
“We’ll find the right inn. Just be patient Milas.” Rez has exhausted all his conning techniques for either free or discounted lodging. The innkeepers outsmarted him.
“We’ll stay at the outskirts.” Corbin has one plan in mind. The outskirts seemed to be quieter than the bustling city.
“The problem is that outside the city there are wandering monsters and bandits.” Nia looked worried that they would put their journey to a halt.
“Are you looking for free lodging?” A mustached human in peasant’s clothes approached the weary adventurers. They have spent hours circling around the city.
“We do.” Corbin agreed. He can feel the weight of his sword also dragging him down..
“We'll lead you to a nicer inn. We got food and shelter for weary adventurers!” The mustached human called his taller companion. Brushing off his dark bangs, he carried the adventurer’s supplies effortlessly. Lifting the supplies was just a chore for the taller human.
The group walked for a long while until arriving at a street corner. The street corner looked shady and rarely visited by passers-by. Despite being tired, Corbin tried to stay vigilant. The others were exhausted from paying any attention. Arriving at a quiet corner, the strangers made a sudden move.
“Three, two, one. Patricio, run!” The mustached human signaled his companion to grip the supplies in his underarms.
“So long fools!” The taller man zipped within seconds. The man with a mustache taunted them by blowing a raspberry.
“COME BACK!” The half-orc furiously rushed while his companions had a delayed reaction. The muggers slipped through gaps and bounced at the walls. They could beat the dexterity of a pesky simia.
“You know the drill. Take the other side.” Corbin pointed out Milas and Rez to take a detour. Nia decided to follow Corbin.
“Brian, they look too smart for adventurers.”
“Nah, they are too gullible. They fell for the oldest trick in the book.”
When the two muggers were about to enter their hideout, the adventurers cornered them. A large wall blocks their way. The muggers know some escape route, pretending to be outmatched.
“Please give us back our supplies.” Nia negotiated while avoiding unnecessary violence.
“There’s no escape!” Milas cracked her knuckles, looking pissed off.
“Well, well. Too bad this is our turf and we are at an advantage.” The mugger pulled out a crude wooden bat wrapped with spikes and chains. The taller mugger threw the supplies at a corner, then brandishes a pair of curved daggers. Homeless city dwellers enjoyed watching the coming street brawl. Some of them hollered for the unfair duel.
“Mind if I break some ribs, Corbin?” Milas grinned manically. Her exhaustion and anger overwhelmed her usual kindness.
“Your call.”
“Are you sure Milas can handle them? They are somehow armed.” Nia worried about Milas since she would take the two troublemakers by herself.
“Let her play. They’ll regret approaching her.” Rez snidely remarked and enjoys the one-sided beat down.
The two muggers recklessly charged toward Milas. Their fighting stance was awkward and out of balance. The bearded mugger carried his bat and predictably swung it downwards at Milas. His weapon was so heavy, each swing cost tremendous stamina. The taller mugger gripped his daggers in reverse but made messy swipes that hit nothing. In the eyes of Milas, the muggers were like greenhorns holding weapons for the first time. Milas proceeded to beat them up. She made a low kick at their shins. Her precise strikes impeded their movement. Milas weaved with finesse, keeping her safe from the reckless attacks. A series of punches to the gut and jaw made the two muggers black and blue.
“We’re out of their league, Brian! They're tough!”
“I thought this was a good idea, Patricio. They're ain’t mere travelers!.”
The muggers dropped their weapons and fled cowardly. Rez and Corbin retrieved their supplies from the corner. As the two muggers maneuvered the streets, they bumped into a huge figure.
“Watch where you’re going, you bumbling meathead!” Brain angrily retorted to the obstacle. He tries to push him but to no avail.
The humongous adventurer smiled while he looks at his back. He has olive skin, tied dreadlocks, a shaved beard, a bandana with plated metal, and a warrior’s garment. His garment was mostly cloth, but it has leather protection on his vital spots.
“Huh. so you’re the troublemakers that the guards are talking about.” The warrior drew his heavy sword from his waist, readying himself to swing it skilfully.
“We surrender! Please don’t chop us like taurus meat!’ The muggers plead for their lives. They knelt and drew fake tears from their eyes.
“Chopping you? I’m not that cruel. Maybe you should apologize to them.”
The adventurers caught up and prepared to strike down the muggers. Their savior made a shrill whistle at the city guards. Fortunately, they were patrolling the run-down streets. They captured the trembling muggers and tied their hands.
“Welcome strangers, I hope your trip in the city wasn’t that too bad.” He chugged a flask of sugar water from his waistband.
“Thank you, warrior. We’re sorry for bothering you.” Nia gratefully bowed down.
“No need for the formalities.” The warrior laughed after packing up his flask.
“Captain Fuji, where shall we imprison the muggers?” A female city guard asked the warrior casually.
“At the south prison, they’re just minimal threats. Release them a few weeks later. They should learn their lessons by that time.”
“You’re Captain Fuji? Corbin, hand out the letter!” Milas pushed Corbin towards the captain. The half-orc pulls out the forest shaman’s letter from his pocket.
“I see. It’s an emergency letter. Looks very urgent. By the way, have you found a place to stay? It’s going late right now.”
Black avians cawed from the street lamps and trees. The moon was nearly on the eastern horizon. Some domestic feliciae and a homeless human slept together in a dirty bin.
“That’s the problem.” Milas sighed as her puffy eyes blinked.
“Don’t worry, we have a lodge for adventurers like you. You can stay there as long as you accept the city’s jobs.”
“Jobs? I’m quite curious.” Nia took an interest in what jobs they would take.
“They range from menial to complicated ones. I guarantee they are honest jobs. The king even approves this system. We have been employing adventurers who need jobs.” Fuji then glanced at the rugged half-orc.
“You there. Looks like your sword is about to break. The job of warriors like us is to take care of our weapons.”
“I just looted it from a battlefield, from a dead knight.”
“So, you’re a soldier or mercenary? You have quite a form for an adventurer.”
Corbin stared at Fuji as he casually blabbers.
“You might need a new weapon that suits you. Weapons serve as our extension. It lets us fight efficiently. It also defines who you are.”
“Any weapons would suffice.”
“More of a pragmatic warrior, eh? I like your attitude. I’ll get you a perfect weapon tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s visit the adventurer’s lodge.” Fuji leads the adventures back to civilization. Corbin was still defensive after the scuffle with the muggers.. Milas and Rez were excited to sleep for the night. Nia felt relieved to find a place to rest.