“Reason for visiting?” The guard asked, attempting to sound bored despite his anxiety.
His colleagues didn’t blame him either. He was charged with stopping every person attempting to enter Zolis, the capital of Lissura, and questioning them. An ordinarily boring job, but now, he had stopped a giant in black armor. A giant so tall that simply looking down at the guard seemed like the he was glaring and planning on the guard’s death.
Despite Fenrir not attempting to be scary, his mere appearance and presence terrified everyone around him.
“I am an Adventurer. I outgrew the jobs in my hometown of Vrens so I figured I would come check out the jobs available in the Capital.” Fenrir responded with practiced words.
“Duration of your visit?” the guard asked, beginning to regain a semblance of confidence.
“I’m not sure. I guess it depends what sort of jobs I can get.”
“Where will you be staying?”
“No idea. I’ve never been in the Capital before so I have no idea what sort of lodgings are available. Do you have any suggestions? I have some money, but would prefer to not waste.”
The guard, realizing that the giant before him was just like any other Adventurer, grew calm.
“I’d say the Floating Wyvern has the best rooms for the coins they charge, but their food is not great. For that, I’d suggest going to the Impish Tavern. You’ll find both on the street to the right of the main square. Just straight-ahead about three hundred yards.”
“Thank you sir.” Fenrir said respectfully, despite not feeling any respect towards the man before him.
It wouldn’t matter what he had said, the guard would have suggested those two places simply because they paid him to do so. Fenrir had simply said those things to blend in. He had neither the need to sleep or eat. Once he was inside the walls, he would vanish and no ordinary person would have even the faintest hope of catching or pursuing him.
“Very well then, you may enter. If you plan on staying for longer than a month, please go to the closest City Records building.”
“I will. Thank you.”
The guard waved him through, which Fenrir was more than glad to do.
Before, Fenrir had seen the walls from a distance. He had spent a few hours studying them from afar and it impressed him, but going through the gate only improved upon it. With the guards stopping and filtering those entering and leaving, there was nowhere near as many people going through the gate as there were attempting to do so.
The walls were over a hundred feet thick and there was a portcullis every twenty feet. Mage Lights illuminated the tunnel, allowing just enough light for the average person to see, but not enough for them to see the weapons pointed at them.
With his [Dark Sight] and [Seeker Sight], Fenrir could see the numerous murder holes that lines the walls and even the ceiling of the tunnel, murder holes that were each manned by a soldier wielding a crossbow that remained trained on each person entering or leaving. At any moment, the portcullises could slam down and the soldiers could fire their bolts, killing whoever remained.
Enchantments lined the tunnel, strengthening the already reinforced stone blocks as well as reducing the effect most magics would have on them.
It was a lethal combination that deterred the conventional people from even thinking about causing any trouble.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Far away, within the Ancient Forest, Alaster nodded to himself atop Nightmare.
The defenses Zolis and Galmore boasted were similar but were for different needs. While Galmore had to put everything they had into keeping everything out. Zolis had to keep order and security even with hundreds of strangers entering and leaving the city every day. Alaster hoped he would not have to personally test those defenses of either city, yet somehow believed he would someday.
Eventually, however, Fenrir reached the other end of the tunnel, entering the city proper while also being assaulted by the sounds and scents of said city. Tens of hundreds of people filled the streets, each going their own way with their own goal. Some where carrying things, some where pulling carts, some had nothing.
It was quite clear who the Adventurers were as they were the only ones with any personal space. No one wanted to bump into the guy with a sword and the professional habit of using it.
Yet while others had only a foot or two of free space, Fenrir kept a consistent three feet, despite the crowded chaos. Despite the helmet not being removeable, Fenrir did have a face, and he grinned at the idea of what damage such a crowd could cause if they became panicked.
He was even tempted to do something now but restrained himself. He first had to study his environment before he attempted to change it.
And in such a large city, that extended for miles around the large castle built atop a small mountain, there were bound to be numerous diverse environments. Fenrir just had to learn about them, and how to best manipulate them to suit his purposes.
Fenrir stuck to the sides of the street as he walked, hoping to stick out less. It helped, but not by much. He still saw people fearfully avoiding him. He still saw children marvel at him. But Fenrir was not too worried about it. If his duty was truly to blend in, then Alaster would have made him smaller and more common looking.
Alleyways connected different streets together, designed to be narrow chokeholds defenders could protect and hold back a vast enemy at every turn, but now turned into protections against the weather for the less fortunate. Those with nowhere else to go.
It was just the beginning of winter, there was only a little snow at the very tops of some buildings, yet already, Fenrir spotted a few beggars shivering in the alleys, huddling around small fires they created from burning trash.
It was a disparaging sight. If they were already shivering before winter even truly hit, many would not survive to spring. And without anyone to claim them, their bodies would be collected and broken down to further fertilize the underground military farms. They did not have the space or resources to respect the bodies of those they had not even respected in life.
Fenrir spotted a deserted alley and entered, though he was not there for long.
The moment he had entered the city, countless Shadow Assassins had jumped from his shadow to the countless many around him, quickly traveling around the city. It would still be many days before the Shadows reached the other end of the city, and a few weeks before they could properly spread. They had to move slowly to avoid detection.
Until such a time as they could properly spread, Fenrir was content to study the things that intrigued him.
Disappearing into the shadows, Fenrir appeared in a deserted room, a room that had clearly not shown any travel or entrance for many years. Fenrir was there to hide until he learned that which he needed to make the first step.
For now, Fenrir focused the Shadow’s spying on the Outer City, or the slums, as they truly were.
If one wanted to learn the nature of the city, they had to first learn the nature of their poorest. They would be the ones to speak the truth of what was happening. While those of higher castes would wish to conceal the truth to avoid shaming themselves or their political aspirations. And those of middle castes would desire to keep the truth to themselves to avoid angering those capable of destroying them.
Those of the slums were typically those who had nothing to lose. So they spoke the truth, uncaring of what could happen. However, only very rarely would anything happen for the truth they spoke for they held no power. What use were the words of someone without the power to do anything.
That was Fenrir’s goal. For now, while he was still spreading his eyes and ears, he would focus on the poorest and most broken of Zolis. The people, those in power turned a blind eye towards. The people, those with the ability to aid, ignored. Fenrir’s first targets were the ones that were hidden in plain sight.
Fenrir would first spread his influence and power among the slums, where he could do so without the prying eyes of the authorities. He would also begin building his army. Alaster held all the summons, but that did not mean that Fenrir could not make more that he could personally make use of.
Fenrir would build his power in the authorities’ blind spot. And once they finally learned of his existence, it would be too late. He would have built a dam, a dam that would be broken once the spotlight was finally on him and release an unstoppable flood that would drown whoever he wanted. Or whoever got in the way.