Levi looked at the massive city fade into view as they got closer. Spiral towers, tall terracotta buildings with different colored pastel rooves, and some much larger buildings that were not castles but were definitely castle-like. Levi thought that Arvendon was big, which it was. This city was ten times the size. The Capital City had to be at least the size of Los Angeles. He couldn't help but whistle at the size of the city. It was large but definitely not the largest city he had ever seen; the benefits of living in densely populated places his whole life.

As they got closer, he saw that the city was pretty flat, which would be nice for walking around; hilly cities sucked. Especially since they had no idea where they were going, having to walk in a city this big would have been a nightmare. Another thing he noticed as they got closer were different vehicles. This world did have different modes of transportation, which was nice. It would make traveling a lot easier, even though he did have Anza, which is something to consider at the very least.

Once the boat docked, they were met by a group of people Levi assumed to be guards. They were dressed in orange rogues' armor, which was simple orange leather armor draped over a black tunic, with black pants and boots that looked like they took hours to tie up. Levi wondered why they looked a bit more modern.

One of them said, "Inspection before entering the Capital City. " Levi nodded; it made sense; he was prepared for something like this. Levi patiently waited his turn while a group of teenagers pushed their way to the front.

One of them was wearing a fancy cloak that matched the color of the guards. He had dark black hair, pale skin in direct contrast to it, and dark brown eyes. Levi wondered if he was just that white or if his whole family was that white.

"Master Simon," the guard said with a bow. "I hope your trip was well."

"It was," the leader said. "Until we had an unfortunate incident with peasants. " He gave Piper a pointed look, who simply smiled.

"Did he just call you a peasant?" Levi whispered.

"He did," Piper said. "He's unaware of who I am, which is perfect."

"Are we going to get in trouble the second we step foot in the city?" he asked.

"Very likely, yep," Piper responded.

"So much for not meeting any aristocrats," Levi teased.

"Yes, yes, I jinxed us…" Piper said, rolling her eyes. Levi smirked and nudged her shoulder. It was quickly their turn before they reached the guards.

"Name and business coming into Capital City?" guard one said.

"Levi Winters, shopping for supplies before a long journey," he told the truth. The guard looked him over.

"Are these are your companions?" he asked.

"Yessir," Levi said with a smile. The guard paused, his eyes lingered on Tycen, and then nodded. Levi narrowed his eyes while the guard was looking. Then plastered a smile the moment the guard looked back.

"Welcome to Capital City," he said. Letting Levi through, the team made their way into the massive city. It was busy. The dock was full of different people doing many different tasks: fishermen selling their catches, ferrymen calling out for final boarding, guards, travelers, and so many other people. It was somewhat overwhelming.

They kept walking past the docks onto one of the main streets. Levi was hungry and wanted to get some food. They walked over to this restaurant that wasn't very full.

"Good evening," the waitress said. "I am Suni, I will be serving you today. Four?"

"Yes, please," Levi said. She nodded, then showed them to their table. Sitting down, she brought them a kettle with tea inside and the menu. After perusing the menu for a bit, Suni returned.

"All ready to order?" she asked. The team nodded and ordered their various dishes. The restaurant was a noodle house that served noodles in many different forms: soups, fried, boiled, pan-fried, and curries. Tycen ordered a boiled noodle dish with some kind of protein that Levi didn't recognize. Anna ordered a pan-fried noodle dish with extra veggies. Piper ordered a noodle dish with fish and curry. Levi ordered the fried noodle dish with extra veggies and fish.

The food came out quickly, causing Levi's mouth to salivate at the intense aroma wafting from it. It looked delicious and smelled enticing, and he was ready to dive in. Just as he was about to eat, he felt an aggressive aura enter the building. He turned to see two people walk in. Levi frowned.

"For the record," Levi said. "If I don't get to enjoy my meal, it's definitely you're fault." He gestured to the two people at the door.

"Who are they?" Anna asked.

"My guess is that they are related to the person who called miss Piper here peasant."

There was a male and a female, both with dark black hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes. They looked over where Levi and his team were sitting and made a b-line towards them.

"This is a Calder family restaurant only," the male said. "Beat it."

"I’m good thanks though," Levi said. "We’ve had a long journey and I'm starving and my food is right here." He went to take a bite of the food. With a swiftness rivaling Piper, his plate of food went flying into the wall. Levi frowned. "That was rude. I was really looking forward to that."

"I don't care, newcomer," he said. "This is our family restaurant and we didn't give you permission to eat here. And his kind is not welcome." He pointed at Tycen, who was not paying attention at all, simply eating his meal happily. Levi's frown deepened. It wasn't fair that Tycen got to keep eating. Why didn't his food get thrown into the wall? How lame. Oh, and the racism, that was lame too, but his food.

"What's your name?" Levi said, pretty calmly.

"Bradley Calder," Bradley said. "You clearly are new here since you don't know my face."

"Sure, dude," Levi said. "And yours?" Levi said, peering at the woman who hadn't said a word.

"It matters not what my name is," she said. "You are unworthy of it."

"Okay," Levi said with a chuckle. "Girl with long black hair it is. You mind ordering me another one of that fried noodle dish, it looked great and now mine is on the wall?"

"You dare ask for a favor?"

"I wasn't really asking but sounding polite. Seems like a foreign concept to you." Levi looked as his friends finished their meals. He gave a fake cry to his friends as they all looked at him with satisfied looks. "Y'all suck."

"It's time to go," Bradley said through gritted teeth. His aura began to spike; Levi could see the sword on his hip was starting to glow. He raised an eyebrow.

"Look, dude, you're more than welcome to leave; you don't need my permission. Also, I don't know what trick you two are tryna play with the auras, but you're not 4-star. You're nowhere near it."

"You know nothing about us," the girl snapped.

"We've established that already," Levi said. "Anyway, it was nice chatting with you, Bronson was it? and the girl with long black hair." The four of them pushed their way past the two siblings. He paid Suni for the meal. She smiled apologetically, and he smiled back. It wasn't her fault.

"It’s BRADLEY,” He roared. “Where do you think you're going?" Bradley called from the restaurant. Levi rolled his eyes at the call. By the time Calder made it out of the restaurant, they were gone without a trace.

"So," Levi said, looking at Piper. "Do you think he was there because of Simon or because we really did go to the wrong restaurant?"

"He seemed to be more upset about the restaurant than me. Considering he didn’t throw my delicious food against the wall," Piper said teasingly sticking her tongue playfully out at Levi. Levi pushed her shoulder gently and frowned. He was genuinely upset that he didn’t get a chance to eat that food. "It also would have been entirely too quick for them to appear." She said thoughtfully.

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"This city sucks," Tycen said.

"At least that one house does," Levi mused. "The Calders, interesting. It matters not," Levi said in his best mocking voice. "We have shopping to do." The group had been standing on the roof of the restaurant, while having their aura hidden. They had gotten quite skilled at it through the teachings of Piper. The benefits of having a team member from a family of assassins. Once they saw the two Calders walk away in a bout of frustration, they jumped off the rough.

Levi walked back into the restaurant. "Hey Suni, could you tell me where a good place to shop for adventuring gear would be?"

She bowed, "yes. In the Adventure Guild district, there will be many shops there. It is straight down this street, then a sharp right at the fountain. The district looks like a big park with grass, trees, and benches. There all around the central area will be shops, you'll be able to tell it is the adventure district because people will look like adventurers."

Levi mentally took down the instructions. He nodded, "that's great thanks so much." Levi led the group down the bustling street. They passed by different food carts, cheap potions, and dealers; it reminded Levi of a big city. He shook his head and chuckled to himself. Big cities are the same everywhere. He thought. Levi was never a fan of big cities. He had been to quite a few when he was younger as family vacations. His dad, bless his soul, loved big cities. Levi did not share the same sentiment.

They were all too crowded, noisy, and filled with people doing their own thing at a fast pace. Yes, he understood that everywhere, people did their own thing, but it was just different in big cities. He had some iota of hope that magical big cities would be different; they were not. Various humans of all different ethnic backgrounds moved along the busy street; they bumped, rubbed shoulders, pushed past, and some occasionally said, "Excuse me."

"We're being followed," Piper said. Levi frowned and pushed out his senses behind him. He found two people that were staring at them and tracing their every move. They were using the chaos of the crowds to mask their tracking.

"How did you… nevermind," Levi said. "Let them follow, for the time being."

"Any idea who could be following us?" Anna asked.

"Anyone," Tycen said. "I think you undersold how much they don't like other races."

"If they have a problem, then they better know how to fight," Levi said.

"Maybe," Anna replied. "We do not start a fight in the city where we are clearly guests. Maybe we approach it diplomatically." She gave Levi a sharp look that showed she meant business and was serious about what she suggested. Levi's jaw tensed as he looked back. With a great deal of reluctance, he nodded. "Thank you. They have kept a relative distance. We shall keep going to our destination and see if they make a move."

"Understood," Levi said. Piper looped her arm in his and rested her head on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay, love," Piper whispered, her breath tickling his ear. He smiled, and the tension washed away. They approached the large fountain. Levi looked at the fountain and felt like Suni undersold the massive structure. It was about fifty yards long and had many statues made of gold, copper, iron, and steel. Each statue was expertly done, and the details were unmatched. Levi looked in amazement at each of the statues; there were four main statues among the twelve in total. The four main statues all were made of golden metal.

They all struck hero poses, with water shooting out of their palms, feet, or chests, respectively. It was some of the best sculpture work he had ever seen in this world or the other.

"Just brilliant," Levi said.

"It is a remarkable piece of art," Anna said.

"The history of the statues is even more remarkable," an elderly voice said to the right of the group. They all turned their heads to see an older woman. She had beautiful tan skin and brown hair with streaks of gray running through it. She stood tall, exuding confidence. She wore an elegant blue dress with a light scarf draped around her neck.

"Are the four statues the four houses?" Anna asked.

"It is," she responded with a nod. "They all fought together to bring this place into a haven. It was not easy. The battle lasted decades, and they lost many territories and friends. The statue is meant to remind people of the struggle that built this nation and this city. The fountain is called "the Ties that Binds," meaning we are to continue to be tied together.

"That's beautiful name," Piper said. "Such rich history."

"Indeed," the older woman said. "You four are a lovely team. I hope that you find major success in this city and whatever city you serve."

"Thank you, ma'am," Tycen said. "Those are kind words."

"Grandma!" another voice shouted.

"Oh, my handler, also known as my granddaughter, beckons," she said with a soft smile. "All the best," she nodded. She turned as a woman Levi's age approached. She had short, light brown hair, tan skin, and blue eyes. She wore fitted clothes that showed off her body. It was the typical Qu’ant style. Levi looked at her clothes and felt the bits of mana coming off of it. These clothes were not just for looking good, they were for combat as well. The woman was pretty tall and definitely was a magic user. Her body was toned in a way that magic did upon ranking up. Her aura control was phenomenal; it was clear that she was well-trained.

"I apologize if my grandma here bored you with a history lesson," she said with a soft smile. "She may seem fragile but she is sneaky."

"Oh hush child, no one was bored," her grandma said with a soft whack.

"It's all good," Levi said. "The lesson was great, I am grateful to learn."

"Well, aren't you a charmer?" the young woman said smoothly. Hold on to him tight, missy. A lot of women in this city would snatch him up in a second, " she said with a friendly wink to Piper.

"Are you one of those woman?" Piper asked. The woman held up her hands with a small chuckle.

"No no no," she said. "I'm engaged, sadly, don't look at me like that grandma, you hate it just as much as I do."

"Yes, but I am not as open with my disdain, young lady," the grandma said.

The woman turned her gaze to Tycen. " You're an avian, right? I love your wings; they're beautiful."

"Uh, thank you," Tycen said. He flustered his words. Levi slowly turned his head and smirked at Tycen. To Tycen's credit, he hid his utter disdain for Levi very well at that moment. "Have you seen many avian?"

"Not in person, sadly," she replied. "People love their backwater traditions here. You're my first, congratulations." Tycen got very still. He was already a rather still man, but this time, it was a new level of skill. Enough for Levi to notice, not for the new pretty girl to notice.

He gave an awkward chuckle, "thanks, I guess… not sure what to say to that."

"Fair enough," she replied. "I'm Izzy," she said, holding out a hand to shake. She started with Piper. "Izzy Avington."

"Piper Vendular," Piper said.

"Levi Winters," Levi said.

"Tycen," Tycen said.

"I'm Silvy," Anna said, shaking Izzy's hand.

"It's a Pleasure to meet you all," Izzy said. I hope to see you all around." She said this before turning to her grandma. "Are you ready to go, grandma?"

"Sure," her grandma said. "Thank you for indulging this old woman in her stories, it was great."

"Thanks for the lesson," Levi said. They waved as they made their way through the crowd and out of sight. Levi paused to look at Tycen. "Sooooooo."

"Shut it," Tycen said. "Shut it." The group burst into laughter. Izzy looked back to see Tycen standing above the crowd. She pushed one strand of hair behind her ear as she looked at the very handsome avian man.

"He was very handsome," her grandma said.

"He was taken remember grandma, I don't do that. I leave that business for Jenna."

"Not him, you silly girl. The avian, Tycen, was his name," her grandma chided. He clearly was flustered by your looks, which is only natural; you are stunning."

"Thanks grandma," Izzy said with a gentle smile.

"I would know, you get your looks from me," she said with a laugh.

"There it is," Izzy said, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't matter, he's not human AND I'm engaged."

"Pishposh about that bogus engagement," her grandma said. "Bradley is a tool, and he wouldn't be able to lead anyways. Just brawn no brains. You need someone who will be able to challenge you intellectually."

"And you think Tycen will be able to? How did you come to that conclusion?"

"He and the other one, Silvy? They were the smart ones of that team. The girl attached the boy have different roles. I think the boy would be the leader and probably the strongest on the team. The girl… I am not sure but they all play big roles on the team. They are a well balanced team."

"You got all of that from telling them the history of the statues?" Izzy asked in disbelief.

"Yes child, did I teach you nothing about how adventure teams stand, respond to random people, act in different company, etc? These are ways to tell even the simplest of things." Her grandma said. Izzy gave her a blank stare, and Grandma rolled her eyes.

"So you telling me the skinny boy is the strongest?" Izzy said.

"Did you not sense any of their auras?" her grandmother asked.

"No," Izzy said. "I tried but they were well protected."

"Exactly," Grandma said. "Where was the source of the protection coming from? Levi, was that his name?"

"Yes that was his name."

"That boy has more tricks up his sleeve than he lets others believe. I will say this, when you pursue Tycen, that team will be a great team to have as allies. I am concerned that they have deep secrets."

"Can we take a sip of tea and calm down," Izzy said. "Who said anything about me pursuing Tycen? Apart from the fact that I am meant to be getting married, he's an avian. I cannot pursue a race outside of human. Not with the entire nation always looking, assessing, and judging my every move. The nation would fall apart."

"You say that as if it is a bad thing if this broken nation falls more."

"It would be grandma," Izzy said. It's not happening. Besides, I'll never see them again, so it doesn't matter. We're almost home. Can we drop this, please? I do not need to give my father another reason to put pressure on me."

"It will be our secret, the ties that bind us."