Chapter 30 The City of Change.
Ohhh money!
The mother of all life!
The very breath of civilization!
Hold onto her. But not too tight.
If she won’t flow, you won’t see her anymore.
Kilako, the Golden Prince of Gains.
{27} Tonisha (June) the 1st
Morning!
After an amazing breakfast, I leave the hag’s shop. I memorize the streets and the way to find the little shop again. I then head to the inn I’ve left my horse at.
To my relief Loyal is still there. No one stole him. He neighs when he sees me, exposing his white teeth in what I interpret as a smile. Not that I can tell for sure with his horse face.
“Hey Loyal… how have you been? They’re treating you well here?” I pat his neck and he neighs again.
I can’t just sell him… But I don’t need a horse anymore… what will I have him around for? Keeping him here will cost money… Yeah, how much? A couple of coppers or silvers every week? I can afford it. Is it something I can afford for five years? Probably… is it worth it?
I don’t have anyone I care about right now… and he saved my life…
Let’s exchange some of my gems with gold… I’m sure Sharla can help me with that…
“I’ll be back to check on you later ok?” Another neigh.
Great… How am I supposed to talk with a horse? Is he intelligent or not? He was intelligent enough to save my life, he stays with me unless he wants to leave.
I walk out of the stables into the inn. The blue robes I wear are too large for me and I have to lift the hems to make sure they won’t drag on the ground too much. I should get some new clothes while I’m at it as well…
I find Sharla on her way back from a table of merchants. I wave to get her attention. “Hey there…”
“Oh Marisha! Hi! You didn’t come back last night, I was getting worried. You look… better.”
“Yeah, I got my arm back.” I wave at her again.
“I’m so happy for you!” She gives me her brightest smile. “Are you still renting that room? I wasn’t sure what to tell my mistress, so I kept it reserved for you.”
“Aw, sorry, I hadn’t thought about it. I won’t be needing the room, but I’ll pay you for last night. I’m here to settle my tab anyway. Is it ok if I let my horse stay in the stables? How much will be the fee for that?”
“Ten coppers a day.”
Thirty coppers is a silver, so it’s one silver for three days… fifteen silvers is a gold… so it’s a gold for forty-five days… maintaining a horse is expansive… eats more than a family of commoners… Considering a single gem is a hundred gold, and I was able to keep that annoying hag away from my gems... I should be able to easily afford it…
Wait! I’m assuming the ratio is the same as Mansel’a… what if the ratio is different here?
“So um… Sharla. Is the ratio here thirty coppers for a silver, and fifteen silvers for a gold?”
“No. fifty copper pieces are a silver scale, and ten silver scales is a golden pea.”
Simpler to calculate at least… five days for a silver, fifty days for a gold and seven gold a year... cheaper than Mansel’a…
“You said you know someone who can exchange gems for gold. Can you show me where he lives?”
“Marisha…” She shifts awkwardly. “I’m working.”
Right! “Can I hire you then?”
“You’ll need to speak to my mistress.”
“I can’t. I don’t speak this local language yet, that’s why I want to hire you actually… You’ll have to do it for me.”
She chuckles awkwardly. “Alright. Come with me then.”
I follow her behind the counter into the kitchen. She tugs the arm of a lean woman wearing a green coif and exchanges words with her in their language.
I’ll need to buy a dictionary for this language… as well as a teacher… maybe Sharla can teach me… I could buy her slave contract… but I’ll have to worry about her food and a place to stay if I do… We’ll see what the price for living space around here is… Why am I so worried? Two hundred gems should be more than enough to live comfortably for five years.
Not if I spend my money blindly. Since I don’t have any income, I’ll need to conserve as much as I can. I also need these gems to open the next mana pool.
But It’s no reason to hold back. I need to relax and live more comfortably now. I’m free… I’m no longer a slave. Yes I can’t go home, but I can do what I want…
Keep telling yourself that…
The tanned woman in the green coif turns to me with a frown on her face. She shoves a lock of dark hair under her coif and taps her thigh with a large wooden spoon. I smile at her awkwardly and her frown deepens. She says something to Sharla.
“The mistress wants three golden peas to hire me for a day.”
“Sharla, is this a shakedown?” It's obviously a shakedown...
She shifts awkwardly and eyes the woman in the coif who barks something in her language. She nods apologetically and turns to me. “She says no haggling. Three golden peas, take it or leave it. Slaves are being traded by gold, and renting one for gold is... well. It's normal, but not if it's just a day, people rarely rent slaves for a day. But she doesn't really trust you.”
“Fine. Is it ok if I pay by the end of the day? I do need to exchange my gems for coins.”
Sharla translates my words. The innkeeper’s brown eyes widen. For the first time I see emotion in them when she looks at me. Fear, mixed with hatred and something else I can’t define.
She turns and gives a dismissive reply, then goes back to her utensils and kitchen staff.
The innkeeper uses her wooden spoon to hit the head of a teenage girl. The girl jumps and apologizes in a torrent of words I don’t understand. Another hit on the head, and the teenage girl runs outside. The innkeeper in the green coif nods in satisfaction, hands on her hips.
“She said you don’t have to pay.”
“Why not?”
“You’re a mage. She doesn’t want to anger you.”
“I’m not a mage,” I tell her. “I’m barely an apprentice, and I no longer…”
“She doesn’t know that, and it doesn’t matter to her. Apprentice, or a mage, to us common folk it’s the same thing really.”
I guess it gets me some privileges… “I’ll pay her a single gold piece by the end of the day, is that acceptable?”
“Yup. That's the average price I believe. No one ever rented me for a day before." Sharla grins, she takes off her apron, and follow me outside. So? Where do we begin?”
“First I want you to show me to the man who exchanges money.”
“Oh yeah! Come on. It’s the temple of Kilako, and it’s not very far from here.” She steps ahead excitingly, her ginger curls dancing around with each energetic step.
Turns out, not very far is a thirty minutes walk through crowded streets and markets, but the temple of Kilako is quite a sight.
The gigantic statue of the fat merchant god is made out of pure gold, and the peacock behind him is made out of intricate golden threads. Tall windows near the ceiling shed light on the temple and the statue. The sunlight reflects off the gold making it shine brightly.
The temple itself is akin to a loud roofed market. People are wearing different colors and outfits from all over the world. Different races and looks. It’s a blur of colors. From a pale albino-looking woman—a race I don’t recognize—she has silvery hair and faint purple eyes wearing a soft purple dress. To a dark-skinned orc wearing scarlet red. There are a pair of axes and a long curved dagger in his belt.
Sharla explains that people don’t come here to trade goods. That’s happening outside in the market. People come here for appraisals, exchange of currencies, or favors from the temple. Sharla leads me through the sea of strangers like an experienced sailor. We soon find ourselves in a small isolated room at the very edge of the temple. The room holds lavish golden decorations, a pair of comfortable chairs, and a desk occupied by a man in gold robes. I take a seat, while Sharla exchanges words with the priest behind the desk.
“He’ll exchange gold for gems, ninety-five gold for one gem. It’s only ninety-five because he takes a percentage for the temple.” She translates.
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“Thanks. I’ll exchange twenty gems for now.” I count twenty gems and put them on his desk.
The man smiles politely, stands up, and bows deeply toward me. He then hands me nineteen fat purses of gold. I frown in confusion when he looks at me and the gold with expectations.
“He wants you to count the gold. To make sure he didn’t cheat you,” Sharla explains.
“If he expects me to count the money like this, I don’t think he would cheat me. The next time I’ll exchange gold here I’ll count it though. Counting nineteen hundred gold coins is a lot of work, just tell him I trust him.”
“That’ll offend him you know.”
“Why?”
Sharla sighs. “Their religion is silly. He’s a Safid of Kilako, he’s supposed to cheat you by the decree of his god, at least to a degree. He won’t rob you blind, but he will cut corners wherever he can. I’m pretty sure the temple doesn’t get five percent, it’s more like one or two percent, he pockets some of this… Anyway, what I mean to say is: A show of blind trust shows that you’re underestimating his ability to cheat you. It’s offensive to a Safid of Kilako, and he will cheat you a lot more if you do that.”
This is a pain… I roll my eyes and spill the first leathery purse on the desk. I count each coin by putting it back in the purse. I observe the coin, this golden piece is different than the ones we had back in Mansel’a. Instead of the king’s face there’s a curving of a tree on one side of the coin and a peacock on the other. Peacock, peas. the God of Trade’s favorite animal. I guess it makes sense.
Counting takes a while. I already know he wouldn’t cheat me, not if I’m socially expected to count the money in front of his eyes. I hate this… This is a pointless ritual of a religion that has nothing to do with me.
The ninth purse I spill on the table has fifty silver coins instead of gold. Wha, look at that! The guy literally waited for me to count while doing something like this?! Is he out of his mind? Don't these people fear mages? I narrow my eyes at him. He hands me another purse with a sheepish smile, collecting the coins from his desk.
“Thanks Sharla.” I’m giving her a tip for this… I’m really glad I hired someone decent and competent as a guide…
“You’re welcome.” She answers with a bright smile.
Once I’m done, I stand up. The Safid holds my palm in his greasy hands and smiles saying something I don’t understand. “It’s an honor to work with you milady mage.” Sharla translates.
“Thank you, I might come again in the future. Don’t try and cheat me again. I won’t be nice if you get caught.”
Sharla translates my words, and the man seems rather happy. I roll my eyes when we leave his small office. The gods are all crazy... but I guess some people like counting coins or something...
As we make our way toward the exit Sharla stops me and listens attentively to a young man who stands on a stage shouting something. I notice that most people in the temple stop what they were doing and listen to that same young man.
I roll my eyes in annoyance waiting for it to be over.
It takes a while, the man reads some sort of list. When he’s finally done we leave the temple.
“What was that about?” I ask Sharla when we step outside into the bustling market. The square is filled with street stalls, each stall is guarded by one or two men holding weapons. Merchants call out advertising their merchandise loudly, mainly in Sinteo, but I hear one or two more languages. No one here speaks Toml'a. I was really lucky running into Sharla of all people...
Cloth of all types are put on display: Silk, velvet, linen, wool, hemp, cotton, and so many others I don’t recognize. Containers of various sizes: Pottery, clay, metal, wood, leather, something that looks like wax, and more I do not recognize. Sacks of grain: wheat, oats, barley, rye, rice, and yellowish large grain that I don’t recognize. This place is clearly prospering.
“That was a crier acolyte from the temple of Noxi. He read the new laws for this month. From now on thieves will be executed too. Last month they’d only lose their hand. The tax rate for craftsmen increased by…”
Sharla’s words catch my attention and I cut her in the middle of her sentence. “Wait! What do you mean the new laws for this month?! The law here changes every month?!”
The corners of her mouth thins. “Yeah, Axero is called the City of Change for a reason. The council of masks decides on five new laws every month. Or an abolishment of laws, also the tax rates for everyone and…”
“The council of masks?”
“Yeah. The city is ruled by the council of masks. Axero doesn’t have a king like Mansel’a, or the other kingdoms back home.”
“And they put out a new set of laws every month?”
Her hair ringlets dance around with her rapid nods. “Yeah, pretty much. Five new law changes and the taxes change every month too. It rarely matters to me because I'm a slave, but there are some laws for slaves too.”
This doesn’t make any sense! “How does the city even function? How do people know what the law is if it simply changes every month?!”
“They send out criers by the beginning of each month to announce the new law. If you can’t keep up with these criers, you might end up in a cell or lose your head. That’s life here.”
“Great… this is just great… can you tell me what the current laws are?”
“I think the temple of Noxi has a list if you want to take look. It’s two hours walk to the nearest temple though. It’s mostly the usual sensible laws like: don’t kill, don’t steal, don’t trespass, don’t rape et cetera. Some laws are rather weird though - like: you’re not allowed to own a turtle, no one in Axero is allowed to own a turtle. Why? No idea, some crazy who sits in the council of masks decided it’d be funny to make such a law, or he really hates turtles. I’ve once been flogged for picking a cat off the streets. Apparently, it’s forbidden as well. Cats are to roam freely and hunt for mice! Or so the law says.”
“You’re joking…”
“I wish I was.” She opens the back of her dress and shows me the scars of the whip lashes across her back.
“I’m sorry.”
She closes her dress with a mirthless chuckle. “Better than losing my head… Where are we headed now by the way?”
“To the best tailor you know, I need new clothes.” I look around and find that we’re at the slave market. Men, women, children, from multiple different races I recognize and don’t recognize stand behind the stalls. The only thing they wear are their shackles. Some of them are even in cages. Most of them are marred by whips or various different scars, save for groups of young women and a few young handsome men who has flawless skin.
I hug myself as I walk between the stalls, I can read the numbers of the price tags, it uses the same numeric runes as Toml'a. The starved children slave prices are about fifty gold each. The adult ones range from two hundred gold coins to eight hundred, and there are so many of them, more than all of my money could buy. I can’t help these people… I don’t have the money to buy them all, and even if I did it wouldn’t stop this. I’m no longer a slave, I don’t have to fear it so much. I don’t have to sympathize with them so much... that is no longer my life! It's a part of this damn world... I can't change it...
The words sound hollow in my head.
“Rich or simple?”
“What?”
“You want me to bring you to a rich tailor who’ll make you custom-made clothes? Or a simple street stall that sells second-hand hemp and wool clothing?” Sharla doesn't even look at the slaves, she's her cheery usual self.
How can she stay so cheerful?! Is it because she lucked with a good owner? Or because she doesn't want to think about it? And how can I buy myself a rich dress when these people are naked and chained?! I should buy something simple… I don’t need luxury…
No! I’m no longer a slave! I’m a noble! I can wear the things I used to wear before everything happened to me! This is how the world works. My past experience is an eye opener, true. But I don’t have to torment myself for the sake of people I don’t know. I’ll do my best to help within reason, but not go out of my way to change the world.
“How much will a rich dress cost?”
“No idea. I never needed a custom-made dress. A gold coin for a dress maybe? Nothing you can’t afford with that pile in your belt.”
“You’re right, might as well get comfortable. Rich it is… So, who sits on the council of masks?” They may not be a king, but they’re probably the nobility or influential merchants or…
“No idea. They have eleven masks, and anyone can wear them. They meet every month to decide on a new law.”
“Wait, anyone can wear these masks?! Then how do they stay in power? What stops me from faking one of these masks and…”
“They can’t be faked. Not unless you’re willing to invest a whole lot of money in faking one accurately, and then you’ll have to contend with the real one and I have no idea what the rules for that are… Regardless, these masks are intricate, and they’re made out of rare metals and gems…” She catches herself. “Or so I’ve heard at least, I’ve never seen one.”
She totally saw one of these masks and doesn’t want me to know about it… I don’t blame her though… I doubt it was a fun experience for her… “What about stealing one?”
“If you manage to steal one of the masks, you effectively become one of the eleven rulers of Axero city. The same applies if you kill the previous owner and take the mask. They are the most influential people in the city though, and each of them has a small army of mercenary guards.”
“So, the city guards we see here are all private armies?”
“The council pays them each month I think? I don’t know. Look this is common knowledge around here, but I don’t know how all the details work. I’m a slave and a barmaid, not a politician." She shrugs and points at a nearby building. "Here’s the tailor’s place.”
This shop is spacious. Wooden statues display different dresses, each of them is a breathtaking work of art. Despite the large space, there aren’t any customers. A burly orc stands near the entrance guarding the place.
A middle-aged woman with heavy makeup welcomes us. She’s wearing one of the dresses from the display, fitted especially for her. I have to admit that she’d probably look rather average without the makeup and dress.
I don’t need anything that complex… I just need something to wear every day that isn’t an oversized robe… I wouldn’t mind wearing these stunning dresses… If they’re cheap… I’m limiting my clothing budget to ten gold pieces, I can’t throw money around for luxury… I have no idea what these five years will bring and I need to save as much money as I can…
Sharla exchanges a few words with a middle-aged woman. “The owner asks how may she help you?”
“I need everyday clothes, undergarments too if she can make them, and I'll return the ones you borrowed me too. I’m not looking for anything too intricate like those dresses.” I gesture at her display with the gorgeous dresses, “but I don’t want to wear hemp or wool either.” It itches…
Sharla translates back and forth. “You came to the right place then, she wants you to come with her to the back.”
After she has my measurements we strike a deal. I get six outfits, a fur coat, and three sets of undergarments for ten gold coins. Three of my outfits are thick velvet for colder days, and three are silk for the summer. The woman promises to make even my summer dresses closed at the back after she sees my lightning scar. I'm pretty sure I get this deal much cheaper than it should have been thanks to Sharla's haggling, a vague promise in my name to come again and mentioning that I'm a mage. These are all assumptions based on the woman's reactions, assumptions I confirm with a shifty awkward Sharla the moment we leave the shop.
The shopping round continues. Next is a book store. I buy a “Toml’a – Sinteo” dictionary to learn the local language. Then back to the market to get some everyday necessities for myself. A hairbrush, pins, and the like, along with a small makeup kit. I even buy a few cheap fake jewelry such as a fake golden necklace and earrings. I miss having something like that on me in person, even if it’s not the real thing anymore. I have to prove to myself that I’m no longer a slave, and this is the best way to do it.
Once we’re done it’s already late afternoon. I thank Sharla, pay her fees for her mistress, along with Loyal’s stable fees. I tip Sharla with an extra gold coin, then head back to the maven of mysteries for the godly meal the old woman gives me.
*~*~*
Power level: 2nd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10:
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 66
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5:
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 18 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Light: Affinity 3:
Water: Affinity 6:
Earth: Affinity 1:
Wood: Affinity 2:
Gravity: Affinity 9: formed: 41 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light body. Alino’s Heavy body.
Focus capability: 9 patterns
Social status: A clerk at the maven of mysteries.
Wealth: 211 gems. 1886 gold coins, 12 silvers, 35 coppers.
Items:
Two simple healing potions.
two potions with unknown effects.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment presumably keep the pouches’ content fresh.
Various spell materials.
Companions:
Injuries and scars: Back, lightning scar.