Once Ob woke up. He saw Abigail and Vincent talking. Vincent looked up, “he wakes!” The hunter cheered. He hands him some meat and bread for breakfast.
“Thanks,” Ob said. “How long was I out?”
“Just the night,” Abigail said. “So what happened?”
“I got ambushed. Group of 5 men came after me-“ Ob started explaining.
“-six” Vincent said. “They were a part of Moris’ crew. We ran into him last night.”
“That alpha wolf jerk-off??” Ob exclaimed. “Goodnight, when will he just leave me alone?”
“Not likely ever,” Abigail said. “Did you kill them,” she asked grimly.
Ob shook his head. He retold the story of what happened last night. He spared no detail. He told them how he helped keep the supposed leader alive, he told him the shadow strategy. After telling stories the group decided they would continue on their journey. Ob had looked over the loot as they went back to walking. It was nothing special; a few swords, a couple hundred gold pieces, and some potions. It was clear to Ob, they were trained well to not carry anything too exposing on their personage, in case something goes wrong. Which it did, for them. Bummed out he stored it in his inventory. He created a tab in his inventory for junk rewards to sell.
It has been several days since the group had escaped the maroon goblins. The team was a cohesive force at this point. Spending time together on the road and traveling to the big city of Andohull had given them a lot of time to train, talk, and become friends. Abigail was grateful to have Ob around on their team. Something about his presence was great; he was a calming person. It was as if his presence, his aura, automatically calmed the area they were interacting in. She thought it to be a trait of the Celestine race, but she had felt that before when she first saw him and Eclipse at the park.
Vincent was staring at a piece of parchment paper he had received from his mother. It was delivered to him by Messenger Hawk. His tribe specifically uses a warrior hawk; they are large with a wingspan of 5 feet, talons the size of kitchen knives, and a beak that is 6 inches long. These birds are trained in combat, hunting, and messaging. The letter from his mother informed him that his grandma had passed to the ancestral tribe. This was no surprise to Vincent; of course, he had known his grandma had passed while she was passing. The second letter he had received was wondering if he was okay as the messenger hawk had not found him the first time, which was highly unusual.
Vincent stopped to write his mother back. Letting her know that he was chosen for the Ancestral Bow and Grandma had given it to him as she was transitioning to the astral tribe. He also informed her that he was alright now; he had been taken by some maroon goblins, but they escaped and were on their way to Andohull. He loved talking to his mom; she would tell story after story and was also a great listener. In his letter, he wrote about his relationship with Abigail and how they had met Ob; he elected not to tell her about his dragon or that he is a draconian. That would not be good to break over a letter. He signed the page with a "love, Vincent" and sent the bird back toward his tribe.
"Pen and paper," Ob chimed in, "classic, I love it."
"How do you communicate in your world?" Abigail asked.
"Much more convenient. We have these devices that you speak through, and the other person on the other device can hear you." Ob responded, "Or you can write out a message and send it instantly; we call it texting."
"You speak of these things, and yet you say your world is desolate of magic," Abigail said with her eyes wide. "How is that so?"
"We just call it technology; they could be viewed as the same somewhat, I guess." Ob looked up while saying that, voice trailing off. "I can sense you; you can come out now."
"Oi, very good love." a familiar female voice said out from behind a tree, "that time I was using magic to cover my senses. My my, you have changed. You used to be human, and now, you're definitely not human." Maeva said, walking up to the group.
"Why are you tailing us?" Ob asked, ignoring her comments.
"Not a fan of small talk, aye? I was hired to spy and follow you around and to report back to my boss. I had only just started, and here ye are ruining my contract."
"If it serves a purpose, I enjoy it. I bet you won't tell us who hired you, huh?"
"Right, you are, big man. Besides, I can't be the only one following a Draconian, now can I?" The way she said the word made it seem like she wanted them to all turn in shock. She planned it perfectly; this was the moment she would finally get the jump on the man who always sensed her. To her dismay, they had no sudden reaction. They all knew. His party members just stared at her blankly. They were not impressed with the reveal, and he must have told them.
"I imagine not. I am also not trying to hide who I am." Ob said with a half smile. "If people have an issue with me or my party or whoever, they can come and speak to me directly," he said, still smiling.
Who was this man? Why did he seem so calm when it came to grave dangers and people not liking him? It almost seemed like he was challenging anyone to do something to him. Does he know that he is level 10? It's not a very high level to be that bold. She loved it, though. Maeva had always been described as feisty. She didn't care for rules, didn't care that people always overlooked her because of her size, her looks, being a female, or whatever the reasoning is. She wanted to rebel in the face of authority. This man is doing just that. It was intriguing to her.
"I'm Ob," he said, interrupting her thoughts.
"Hmmm, not a fan of small talk but a fan of pleasantries; I can respect that," Maeva said, shaking Ob's extended hand. "I'm Maeva."
"I am Abigail," Abigail said, coming up to shake the small woman's hand.
"I'm Vincent," Vincent said, following Abigail's lead.
"Nice to meet y'all. Well, if ye don't mind, I am going to report what I found to my employer." Maeva said her final greeting and then took off quickly.
The group watched as she ran away; she was extremely fast, and in a moment, she was out of sight. "How do you sense her Ob?" Vincent asked.
"She used magic to hide her, and I can now sense magic in things." Ob responded, "The trees all have the same magical potential, but the one she was hiding behind does not. I saw how much more magic potential was over there, around that tree. I then focused my senses and sensed her aura slightly. How did she know my level? I thought we couldn't identify without permission?"
"That is correct, but you can always see a person's level. That is public for all to see." Abigail responded.
"I see," Ob said, still looking in the direction of Maeva. Something about her was intriguing, and it was not just her looks. The way she talked, the way she interacted with them. It was standoffish, but it also seemed like she yearned for something more. Ob filed those thoughts to explore later, and it was time to go towards the big city.
Ob knew they were close, not for any other reason but the ground. The ground turned from a red mulch forest pathway that was truly only marked because people would use it to travel frequently to a gray brick pathway. The new pathway was very obvious; it was intentional and a signal that you were almost there. "Welcome to your first big city, my friend." Vincent leaned in to tell Ob. "Welcome to Andohull, the mountain city."
As they approached the massive city, Ob could hear the hustle and bustle of a city that was always moving. The city was circular, and it was like a high-rising semi-sphere. There were no gates or walls to protect anything. There were rows and rows of houses. It seemed like the city was built in levels on a mountain range. On the bottom level, there were nothing but houses, and this district was huge. There were at least 6000 houses that made up the town district. The houses were all built very similarly with slight tweaks. Each house was a single story apart from a few every dozen or so. The single-story houses all had flat roofs with small arches going over them. There were no carports since cars didn't exist in this dimension. They would have two smaller windows on each side of the house and a large one to the left or right of the front door. There was grass along the sides of all the houses but no fences. The grass was not typical grass, and it glowed a faint red.
The larger two-story houses looked very similar, with just a second house built on top of it. Ob guessed that the way the buildings were designed was to keep heat in more effectively, being that they were on top of a mountain. He also presumed this is why all the houses were on the smaller to allow better insulation of heat, a small hot box.
The next district above looked like all parks and open sky, not a building in sight. Ob thought about how pretty that district must be, and he was excited to explore all the different terrains and parks that area had to offer. The third district looked like more significant, more official buildings. The buildings were more spread out, but they took over more space. Ob couldn't see the architecture of the bigger buildings from this distance but was excited to get closer. He had not been disappointed by a building yet.
The final district at the top looked like a large building, but he couldn't describe how big it was. It looked like a massive dojo on top of the mountain that would overlook the city. "That is the Crusader Federation HQ for the Andohull division. It oversees all of the small towns that surround the city." Abigail told Ob.
"Where would the other three federations be?" Ob asked
"They would be in the third district or the business district."
"Great, I'm getting tired, and it's getting dark; let's try to find a semi-permanent place to live." The group all agreed and started to head into the town in search of a place where they could stay. They enter into the main square of the housing district. In the middle was a pillar that pointed to the sky; Ob estimated it to be 60 feet tall. There were different symbols on the ground circling the pillar. All but one symbol looked familiar, and it was one of Goldar, the god he had met in the other town. The district was busy, carts being pulled by what looked like donkeys with lion heads, vendors selling all kinds of foods and items. There were worshippers of different gods in the main square. Ob looked at how civil all the worshippers were, and there wasn't a hierarchy, and it didn't seem like there was war. He was impressed but knew not to believe this to be the case for every scenario.
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Continuing in the main square, they saw some men dancing. They were using fire, water, and wind magic to perform these wonderful tricks with music being played in the background. It was mesmerizing, and the music was catchy. There was some sort of string instrument and some sort of brass; Ob did not know a lot about musical instruments besides the basics, couldn't identify the instruments, but loved the sound they played.
Ob was enjoying the taste of the city. It was clear that there was a lot to offer. He was quite excited to explore more and see what he could learn. He wondered if there was a secret place where Draconians met; he wondered if there were any more Draconians left. The group approaches a sign with six different arrows pointing in 6 different directions. "We need to head this way," Abigail said after reading the sign, "It leads us to the Inn Alley, where there are several inns for us to choose from. How much money do we have?"
Ob, looking around cautiously, said simply, "Plenty," then headed off in the direction that Abigail had pointed out.
"What's the matter, Ob?" Vincent asked, catching up to Ob. Vincent had sensed eyes looking on them, but he assumed it was because they were very new and looked like travelers. "Did you feel all the eyes on us too?"
"Yes," Ob responded, "that's not it, though. I don't trust big cities. There are always pickpockets, thieves, or" Ob paused as a group of five appeared in front of them. They were all wearing the same thing: white ninja-looking suits with a symbol on the front. "Troublemakers," Ob finished.
"Hey, Joby," the one on the far right said, "looks like we got some newcomers. I think we need to show them a warm Andohull welcome."
"You might be right there, Booney," the one in the middle, presumably Joby, said. The group were all the same height, and they were all brandishing the same weapons. What distinguished them was their eyes, each of them a different color. "It's a good thing, we of the white fang party, have come to give them a warm welcome," you couldn't see his smile through the mask, but Ob imagined it to be one of a supervillain.
The white fangs? Ob thought to himself, What a lame name. Ob, electing not to start any conflict right away, only thought to himself.
"We're good, and we don't need a welcome party." Ob said flatly, "Thanks anyway," he took a step toward the group to push past them, and as he began to walk by, Joby grabbed his arm.
"That's not how this works," he whispered, "you dare deny our hospitality?”
Ob, looking at his arm being held, replied, "Uh-oh, I shouldn't have done that. Let go of my arm."
"Or what? You three gonna beat us five?"
"I could beat you five by myself, let alone the help of the other two," this got some laughter from the white fang party, "but I am tired. We've had a long day, and you're reaching the end of my patience."
"I would listen to him," Abigail spoke up, "We may be unassuming or look as if we are not tough, but I assure you that is a wrong assumption. Much like my friend here, you're reaching the end of my forbearance," she said taking Mystery out of its sheath, "I suggest that you let us through or leave with bruises if you are lucky." Vincent was no longer next to them; he had slipped away to get a better shot while Ob and Abigail were talking. Ob disappeared into the shadows and reappeared next to Abigail; Joby looked bewildered, then angry.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," another voice said from behind the group, a skinny man who teetered when he walked approached the group. He was wearing the same symbol as the others, but it was in a formal suit. Not a suit ready for combat. "I apologize for my goons here," the man said smoothly, the voice of a trained politician, "I am Praxily VonderFang, the oldest child of the VonderFang family here in Andohull," he said with a bow. "Pleased to meet you."
"Sure," Ob said
Praxily's face slightly twisted in anger at the disrespect that this man had just shown him. Does he not know who his family is? How powerful his family is? He could ruin his life in an instant for just that little bit of disrespect; he was next in line to run the family, and he could not stand for such insolence. But he did; these newcomers would be perfect recruits. "Please allow us to accommodate you all to stay with us at our lodging; it is nice, I must say."
"No, thank you," Ob said again without any additional response.
"Now, you are going to deny an aristocrat an offer of hospitality?"
"I am, and here is why; the offer came after your goons, as you say, threatened us. I do not know how your family runs itself, nor will I pass judgment on that. However, I will assess the situation at hand. My friends and I are tired; our tolerance for BS is at an all-time low. So thank you, Praxily, for your aquitaine and your kindness, but we will make our own path." Once again, Ob began to walk and walked through them. This time, Joby didn't grab his arm.
"Not a good start to this city, Draconian," Praxily said in a way that was meant to be insulting.
"I know what I am. I do not care what you think," Ob said, continuing to walk away without looking back.
Vincent caught up to the group after scaling the building to get the best shots if a fight broke out. "That was annoying, huh?" he said.
"I hate bullies," is all Ob said.
Abigail and Vincent shared a look, "Never mind them, let us find a spot to stay."
"I can help you with that," a female voice said, approaching them, "You're Ob, no?"
"I am," Ob said calmly, "how can I help you?"
"You already have," the woman said, giggling, "you are as charming as my cousin said you were."
"Your cousin is Prancey? Very nice to meet you," Ob nobs and slightly bows, not offering a hand, remembering what Pracney had told him about druid tradition.
"Yes," she replied, bowing slightly deeper, "I am Helvuna. I am the owner of this bed and breakfast inn, "the lazy susan." It would be my honor to have you all as guests."
The couple looked at Ob, and it was his call. Abigail vaguely remembers the woman at the trades hall that they are referring to. She definitely doesn't recall there being anything extraordinary in their interaction that would cause her to reach out to her cousin to let her know about the party. This would be a fun conversation after they are settled. They turned to follow Helvuna into her Inn.
Helvuna was also a halfling like her cousin Pracney. She had tan skin. She had white horns and blonde hair that was a deep green towards the bottom. She was average height, with forest green eyes. She wore a soft smile that was warm and welcoming. She looked to be about Ob's age, which prompted him to say, "You seem young to be running an inn."
She giggled again, "I inherited it from my Aunt Susan, she had just passed away last year. I was the better cook of my cousins and family, so they felt it would be the best place for me to go. My cousin Prancey visits every weekend. I am sure you will see her again."
"I am sorry for your loss," Ob said quietly and respectfully.
Her eyes, slightly watery, replied, "Thank you." After walking into the Inn, she looks at the group with a large smile and says, "Would you like to have three separate rooms or a suite?"
"A suite would be ideal," Abigail responded.
"We have one suite available that has two bedrooms, a large central living space, a balcony, and a kitchen." Ob was about to respond, done deal, but then he realized. Vincent and Abigail may have never spent a night together in the same room. He wasn't sure how they would feel about it so soon into their relationship.
Vincent smiled. This was something he knew was going to happen as they were forming a team. Most places would accommodate a crusader party well, but it wasn't until they were fully formed and official. While they had dinner a few nights ago, he had discussed with Abigail what he thought would be best. The two of them set hard boundaries but elected to give Ob and Eclipse their own space. He wasn't concerned about breaking any boundaries. They were sealed with a hunter's oath. This was not something he took lightly. Abigail, trying to mask her disappointment a little, was even more attracted to Vincent. He wanted to do things right by her, and this level of commitment was welcomed.
"That arrangement is perfect. Thank you Helvuna." Vincent responded. He looked at Ob, letting him know they were prepared for this. Ob looked back and nodded.
“Perfect,” Helvuna said. She walked back to grab the keys. She was out shortly. "Right this way," She beckoned them to follow. She led the group past the kitchen towards the back, where they found stairs. The smell from the kitchen was heavenly. Ob's stomach started screaming that it was hungry and needed food. "We'll be back down here as soon as we are done upstairs," Ob said to Helvuna. She laughed and kept walking.
"I think Helvuna has a thing for you, Ob," Abigail said through dragon speech. "It is quite cute."
"I'm a fan," Vincent said.
Ob ignored them and kept walking. The couple looked at each other and laughed. As they entered the room, they were awestruck. It was beautiful, and the decor was that of a forest cabin. There was a tree that was being grown out of the middle of the living space, and there was a bar seating around the tree. Behind the tree was a large window that overlooked the rest of the housing district, with a view of the other mountain in the distance. It was facing the direction of the sunset, which painted the room a golden color. Ob wasn't sure what the directions were in this dimension, but he didn't care; it was beautiful.
Their rooms were on the opposite side of the tree in the center. Ob walked into his room and saw a shower and a bathtub, both big enough to fit him. That was a common problem for him in his home world. Before entering the bathroom was a big bed; it was probably the size of a king, but he didn't know if the sizes were similar. He saw a wardrobe and walked up to it, half expecting it to be a portal; he chuckled to himself. Then, he walked out to his own personal balcony, this one facing the other direction; again, he saw the housing district and the main square.
After putting his stuff down, he walks back to the tree to see Helvuna still standing there, "Satisfied?" She asked in a flirtatious way.
She was quite attractive. Her hair was tied in braids that wrapped around his head. Ob thought it looked great. Usually, he likes hair down, but something about this was beautiful. He responds and says, "hell yes," this place is hella comfortable. "How much do we owe you? Per night?"
"A night is 25 gold per night for the stay, 35 a night if you want meals included," She responded. She also thought Ob was very attractive; his eyes were magically altered, and she assumed it had to do with a soul-link. She could tell when people used magic to alter their features. Ob was not one of those people. He was just an attractive man. Everything about him screamed power. Everything about him screamed peace at the same time. She couldn't help but be attracted to him like a magnet.
"We will pay you 105 a night," Ob said, with a tone that was playful but also non-negotiable.
"That is very generous. As I said, charming." Helvuna looked at Ob and recalled what her cousin had written. "I just met the strangest man," Prancey said, "He apologized for shaking my hand because of the druid law, he had no idea, but he could tell I hesitated. My god even gave him a gift, for how he treated us. It was quite nice. I think he is a Draconian, which is great, we need more Draconians like him. He is very kind. I think he might be coming to Andohull, if he does, I suggest you meet him." She listened to her older cousin. She really appreciated the relationship the two of them had. A draconian, she thought, I love dragons, us druids do in secret.
She had the group follow her to the kitchen, and she went to the back to make her magic. She crafted magical food that had manna recovery and health recovery mixed in. She served dinner, which appeared to be a meat dish that looked like pork ribs, some sort of fried fish-looking dish, with a medley of veggies that were steamed. She put the plates down in front of them and poured them some drinks for the group. Ob asked for some tea, and she gave him some very yummy white tea.
The group asked her to join; they wanted to spend time with their generous host. She did sit with them and began to listen to all the stories they had to tell. She wondered if she would ever meet a dragon being next to a Draconian.