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The coolness of the tent and the burgeoning sounds of the day were a strict contrast to the last few days. Gage took his time as he pulled out his pack. From it, he took out what food and water he had left, laying it out on the blanket next to the meal bundle from Rosehip. There wasn’t much, but with the meal from Rosehip and the water he bought, it should last a day or two.
He was setting out some food and water for Eshu when Elfric and Aeliana stepped out of their respective rooms. “Good morning.” He nodded to the spread. “The food from Rosehip came in last night and I picked up some water this morning. Ten tally a jar. From what they said, this is the best time to get water. It just gets more expensive during the day. Even got some suggestions of what to get for some necessities.”
“Total,” Aeliana started with a gesture towards the family’s room, “We received ten tally.”
Elfric pulled out his token. “I received ten as well.” He rubbed a thumb over his token, his gaze unfocused.
Gage let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Right. I don’t think they are going to be paying out much more than they need to. Everything just came together, what? Ten days ago?” He began counting on his fingers. “Yeah, ten days ago. They would have had to act fast to get all of this set up so quickly. Act like you know what you are doing, people will follow, I guess.”
“It would be a good suggestion that, if we are to work as a…” Aeliana searched for the right word, “A clan, that we all take the day to explore, learn, and earn. At least enough to get through tomorrow.”
Gage handed each of them a bread roll and then held his up. “To tomorrow then.” Three bread rolls bumped together.
…
The first thing Gage did was find his way back to Rosehip’s stall. Her counter was swamped with a morning rush. He gave her a small wave from the back of the crowd before moving on. As long as he could find his way back here, he could find his way home.
To start the day, he wandered. As he checked out his surrounding area, he noticed a few things. The first thing was that the tent city was more of a tent village. Everything had been thrown up a little bit hodge podge, but it looked like a few main tents had been put up. From there they sprawled out until they grew into each other. The village itself, barring the spire in the center which seemed to be exclusively kumdahari, was only about a mile across.
The second thing he noticed was the actual amount of people. It was certainly busy, but what he had thought was like walking through the streets of New York, was more akin to a busy main street in a tourist town. Packed, but not stacked up on top of each other.
A majority of those he saw were dwarves and elves. The various animal-folk, while often quite large, were few outside of Rosehip’s stall. There were only a handful of skryftlings, and a few times he thought he saw some humans.
The final thing he noticed was the types of jobs available. The most common jobs were the ones handed out by the kumdahari. While they were numerous, he learned quickly that they were the least desirable and most dangerous jobs. Not to mention the tally they tended to provide was low. At least the jobs were dependable, which also meant demand for them was high as a result, in spite of the conditions.
If you had a craft or items that you could provide, you could essentially set your own prices. So far this seemed to be mostly self-regulated, due to both the amount of tally people had access to as well as competitive prices. It was the cost of materials that kept the prices from dropping too far. If this was a bigger settlement with easier access to supplies, he doubted it would work as well as it was.
It was magic that was the least available, the most useful, and the most expensive. From what he learned there were only a handful of people who could do any magic in the settlement. As much as he would like to meet with an actual mage, Gage decided it was best to secure some form of work first. Among his group they only had twenty-five tally.
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This place is insane. Gage found himself in a small alcove and looking out at one of the bazaar areas. The center of this one had a stall that sold various things made of stone. Sandstone to be specific. He watched as one of the sahra’zar, as the dwarves with sandy-red hair were called, literally reached into a pile of sand and began to shape it. It was a slow process, but a fascinating one.
Magic. Dwarves. Elves. Whatever that thing is. A creature that looked like a mix between the crocodile and a skryftling, with slightly more draconic features, passed him by. Not to mention, everyone seems rather… buff. Like they were built for survival. He mulled over that last thought for a bit, before taking a small sip of water and moving on.
The village had three bazaars. Rosehip’s food stall was the center of one such bazaar. It was because of this that most of the residential tents were in that area. The second was the sand crafters, which was surrounded by tents of other workspaces. The final bazaar was dedicated to selling. It carried a wide variety of goods which looked to be scavenged or perhaps personal items that were being sold out of desperation. The only goods in constant supply were those made from sandstone by the dwarves.
Gage stood outside one of the stalls that sold the water jars, or vaults as people were calling them. The cheapest was ten tally and was about twice the size of the morning jar, that also came with a ladle. He shook his head with a sigh and moved on.
“My Lord?” Ma’tuk was stationed just above his shoulder, its voice was soft and even. It was just enough for him to hear his archon among the crowd.
“Yeah, Ma’tuk?” Gage continued to look around, glad he had left Eshu back at the tent with Faelenor. He was certain the dog would have either run off in this crowd to chase one of the new scents, which assaulted his own, poor nose, or would stop to introduce himself to everyone.
The orb flew around Gage’s head to rest on his other shoulder. “I do not like this place.”
Gage frowned at that, “Any particular reason why?”
The orb bounced in place, thinking its words over carefully. “It is not like you.”
“What do you mean by that?” Gage looked sideways to the orb who stayed quiet. As he opened his mouth to speak, another voice cut in through the crowd.
“I stand before you today not as a harbinger of doom, but as a guardian of our cherished home. We find ourselves at a crossroads, facing challenges that threaten the very fabric of our burgeoning society. It is a time of uncertainty, of scarcity, and of difficult choices.”
Gage followed the voice, and the crowd. In the center of the bazaar stood a kumdahari. The elf had charcoal skin, with a slight silver luster. Unlike every other kumdahari Gage had seen, the speaker had tousled, white hair. He was also the only kumdahari he had seen wearing a shirt. It was more of a cover, tied about the throat and waist, though there were no actual sides or back. The gold clasp holding the cloth in place matched the bands of gold around his biceps and wrists. A simple, gold drop pendant hung around his neck.
The elf continued to speak, turning slowly as he did so, so that he could address everyone. “Our generosity, while noble, has stretched our limits to the breaking point. We cannot ignore the reality before us. Our land is finite, our provisions dwindling.” It was primarily the kumdahari that gathered around him. Others listened, but even fewer seemed to actually understand his words. “We cannot continue to welcome all who come to us, draining our resources and straining our hospitality. We must prioritize the welfare of those already in our care, ensuring our safety and prosperity above all else.”
“It is with a heavy heart that I say this. We must establish boundaries, both physical and metaphorical, to safeguard our homes and preserve what remains of our strength. We must tighten our borders, regulate our resources, and ensure that those who call the Akalahari home are given the support they deserve.” Gage watched the crowd. Many of the kumdahari were stone faced. Others seemed pleased by the elf’s speech, while others still looked… uncomfortable.
Gage looked back to the elf and froze. The speaker was looking directly at him, for a few moments he was transfixed by the silver-blue eyes. The elf’s gaze shifted to the side, to Gage’s shoulder, and his eyes narrowed for a heartbeat. “But,” the elf picked back up and continued to address the bazaar, “let us not dwell solely on the challenges we face. Let us instead look to the future with hope and determination. The emergence of the Tally, a symbol of our newfound unity and resilience, presents an opportunity for us to chart a new course forward. With this currency, we can incentivize productivity, reward innovation, and foster prosperity for all who contribute to our society.”
He held up his hands, palms out, “My fellows, I urge you to stand with me in this pivotal moment. Together, we shall overcome all, strengthen our bonds, and secure ourselves in this new world. Thank you, and may the Ancestors guide us in the days ahead.” With that, the elf turned and walked towards the spire. A few kumdahari trailed after him. It took a few moments before chatter resumed in the bazaar, though slightly subdued.
“Ma’tuk,” Gage started, “I think I agree with you. I do not like this place.”