Going through the bustling streets Allen started to reassess her initial impression from large village to a small town, thinking back to her observations from atop the hill she couldn't see how such a mistake was possible until they reached a cross section of the road and she sighted all the way down the hill to the camp outside the wall, with dirt walkways and a single paved road she now understood her previous misconceptions.
Sprawling all over the hill with only the wall visible from the other side, the town was invisible from the other side so she figured it was the village defense against the wilderness, from the inside it was different, and Allen wanted to know if it was a quirk of the game of an effect created by Players or Locals.
Following Chess at a brisk pace, Allen didn't get to see much of the town, but didn't care to either, her map automatically updated for use at any time, entering an old two story house made of wood, a split corridor going straight and to her right leading to a flight of stairs at the edge of the building, the design was ancient even when Allen was young but it was just one more thing the game preserved through the centuries.
Another corridor split at the top, this time going straight or left they went ahead and finally stopped at an unmarked door Allen would never have noticed on her own.
Entering at someone's call after a single knock Allen found a neat little office with books stacked on shelves and a heavy desk hastily cleaned by pushing paperwork to one side, all these completely normal things started to grate on Allen's nerves.
After fighting a mountain sized dragon, pirates, giants, deals with titans and the dreaded Admin, her life coming to this stop with a simple heavy desk office just made everything swirl in her mind, surreal images of toy trains chasing her across ash filled sky cluttered in her vision when she was startled awake in a simple bed at a small spartan room.
Vertigo hit when her legs touched the floor too soon but no ocean motion could be fealt beside that, taking her a moment to understand the bed was just lower than what she was used to, and then thinking she hadn't slept in a bed for over a thousand years, that way only leads to where Allen locked her unwanted past so she just skipped it and returned to here and now.
Out through the door she found the little office where Chess and a woman were talking, "almost called a healer for you girl", Chess drew his hands out, "don't need all that drama in my life like that", turning back to the woman, "this here is Jam and she'll rent you a room with no questions asked", nodding to himself, "so you don't go talking about our business to nobody".
Stolen story; please report.
"It will be five gold or fifty credits per week for just a room", the woman put her hands on a written paper, "this is the contract", pointing at where Allen should sign, "all the extra services we provide are listed with prices here and in the booklet there", handing over a small notebook, "if you make a mess or cause any trouble with the guard there is a list of fines at the end there and I will be sure to collect those before you ever leave this town".
Jam's sharp voice held a compelling tone and Allen wasn't sure what to do, reading through the contract and noting there were fines for returning after curfew, littering or even not walking fast enough in the hallway she could smell the trap from a mile away, but these were Chess's connections and she mostly trusted him to act to his own interests in completing the quest, and she needed a place to rest and recoup, so finding nothing that was overly wicked she finally signed the contract and passed the down paymen for two weeks.
Ringing a bell, Jam called a young woman to the office and introduced her as Maory, then told her to take Allen to room sixteen and show her the communal area, instructing both to return within twenty minutes.
Following the quiet girl Allen passed unremarkable hallways and down a flight of stairs and another bend before reaching the door marked sixteen, the room had the same spartan decor of where she had woken up, with the adition of a dresser and a closet in opposite corners it was enough for her.
Down the hall was a communal area where people plied their crafts, "only work in the communal area if you want to avoid the fines", was the first thing she ever heard Maory say, "the cooking area is separated by that door", lowering her head and whispering "any guests you bring into the house pay a gold coin per visit", speaking up with a blush, "guests caught without paying the toll will be double fined", then looking Allen straight in the face, "reporting a tenant on a fineable offense will get you half their fine", her eyes wondering up and sideways, "so you will always get caught" nodding as if to herself she lead Allen to the bathrooms and baths, "unclean toilets are an easy fine so there are always kids here looking to report tenants", adding after a thought, "guest fines will go to the tennant who brought them so alway clean after use", at the stairs she added "you can only use communal areas in your own floor unless you pay the guest fee" and lead her back to the office where chess seemed to have finished his business with Jam and lead Allen back to the street.
Following Chess through the town Allen started to think this may have been a bad decision, but after already paying, even if she could afford the loss, she decided to sleep on it at least a couple of nights without death looming around every corner and at worst she would pay the fines and leave.
The smithy was a bustling courtyard surrounded by several buildings and surprised her by both size and activities.