- "Please step up sir. We'll need any form of identification."
Alaric notices the officers and knights guarding the gate and reception desk. Looking at them from afar, hiding in a bush, he knew in his heart what would happen.
- "Dammit! What am I supposed to do?! I can't just walk in there." Alaric snarly thought to himself
- "I could just try to play it off and run in without identifying myself… but.. those guards do look scary. Bad idea."
Alaric turns his back on the bush which was where he was looking at the gate from. He sits down, and ponders to himself far into the green grass, tan trail of dirt, and the blue sky.
- "…What if I-"
*Clang!*
The immediate noise interrupts Alaric, catching his attention.
As he looks at the trail, he notices a horse leading a carriage, carrying it. Sitting in the driver's seat of the carriage he notices a frail man looking within his 50's. As Alaric observes the carriage, he makes a final thought, leading to his decision.
- "…Perfect!"
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once at the gate, the man and his carriage are stopped at the gate by the guard.
- "Hold on sir, We'll need identification and reason for coming."
- "Right, I'm here to deliver goods to the guild." The man had responded, giving him his merchant's identification
As the guard looks at the man's identification. He continuously glances at the man, his carriage and then back at his identification, taking his time very slowly, with suspicion.
- "... Go ahead sir." The guard finally states, handing back his merchant's identification.
The gates are slowly opened for him by the guards, every clanking and silent screeching noise is made as if the gate was already worn out, ready to fall. In fact, it made Alaric begin to think his journey was already going to end.
As the gate opens, man rides through. He rides further, with much chattering and social sounds from the civilians engulfing him. Loud ruckus was being made surrounding the carriage. His carriage continuously clanked on the cobblestone till no more as he arrived at the city's guild.
- "I've reached my destination, young child." weakly stated the frail man.
Just then, briefly peeking out of the carriage, Alaric jumps out, pushing his arm to get over the carriage. Alaric begins stretching, making sure that his body is fully flexible and ready to embrace the world. He then walks up to the man.
- "Thank you mister!"
- "No issue kid, stay safe!" responded the man taking his carriage to the back of the guilds building.
As Alaric finishes giving his gratitude, he turns around to see what was the loud crowd and talk that he was able to hear. As his head slowly turns around, Alaric's eyes light up again as if he had just been blessed.
Greeting him is an amazing city. The bright sun shines on both Alaric and the area filled with people of all kinds. Demi-Humans, Mixed, humans, and reptiles being used to carry out carriages.
- "This-... This is amazing! Everyone here looks so different!"
As he looks around, he takes notes of the lively things.
The air mixed with the aroma of butter, sugar, and milk. The warmth coming from a baker having his door open to customers, willingly inviting them. The baker repeatedly massaged the dough and shaped it into what looked like breadsticks. As the baker placed a batch into the oven, he pulled out a different batch from it. Slowly and carefully with precision, almost if this were his life's work, he slid it into the tray rack, placing it to cool down. All done with genuine and caring effort.
Children ran through the stalls and roads of the town with laughter flailing out of their mouths. They were all chasing each other in a game of what looked like tag, allowing their feet's to rapidly hit the ground and rise repeatedly. One was even holding up a paper grocery bag over his head, letting the wind push it back, feeling the air hit his hand as if he were flying. Following the children were the 2 chaperones. Both of them walking slowly behind the kids yet still being able to catch up to them.
At one of the stalls, it could be seen that one of the merchant's in the stall were promoting their hand woven cloaks, jackets, and robes to a customer. The merchant began to talk about how detailed the clothing pieces were, how precise, and how well efficient they were for any purpose such as concealing an appearance or for the cold time.
Alaric turns around again to fix his gaze on the guild that the merchant earlier had dropped him off. The guild hall was towering over him, surrounding the tan bricks were what looked like ancient symbols. Hanging over the roof and doors were flags, vibrant and beautiful, depicting intricate crests and unfamiliar symbols—an unspoken language of power and legacy. The pride emitting from the building could be told by its bold appearance. It was so strong even when there were shadow's casting over it.
- "...Ah…" Alaric breathes. His gaze sweeps across the city, drinking in the sights.
- "Alright, step one in any RPG, understanding your surroundings!"
Alaric begins to walk past the stalls, still amazed by the view of the city. He could see people laughing together, harmonizing, and even drinking together. Just seeing made Alaric's lips curl in awe.
After walking for a few minutes, Alaric catches someone resembling an officer making sure that carriages were getting through safely. The man with a navy uniform fit for the night, under his jacket a white collar, medals dangling from his chest, an epaulette on one of his shoulders. The Officer resembled that of what Alaric could perfectly imagine one in a fantasy world.
The Officer was signaling carriages when to come through. The position seemed too important for the man to leave his post.
- "He looks too busy. But I really don't want to ask anyone else…- Let's just go for it."
As Alaric walks up to him, the officer twists his body towards Alaric, showing that he acknowledged his presence.
- "Pardon me Officer, I'm a venturing tourist from a far. I'm a bit lost so I was hoping you could give me some information about this city? I'd really appreciate anything."
- "Hm…- I understand your situation, but I am not allowed to leave my post, unless it is urgent. But if you're here, that means you must have gone through the gate."
- "...Yea?"
Alaric looks at the officer confused, pondering about that question. He wondered what significance did it matter about him entering the city's gate.
- "Did they not brief you of the city when you had presented them your Identification?"
Looking at the officer now gazing down on him, a shadow now casting over the center of his face, discreetly showing that he had suspicion of Alaric. By what the officer had asked him, Alaric realized that he had to be very careful. Just even by looking at the officer, sweat dropped down his temple, more beginning to form. Alaric picked himself up flailing his hands around himself, almost as if he was trying to grab the nearest handle of excuse around him.
- "No, no, no- I just uh- forgot what they said.- I mean hah! I'm quite the busy man y'know?.. -But I get what you're saying, I was kind of expecting that answer. Thank you though, I'll be on my way."
Alaric turns around as fast as he can, trying to end the conversation in a flow that shows kindness and generosity and not rudeness. Alaric began stepping away, getting just a few steps away from him.
- "Please, halt!" The officer had declared.
Alaric's stomach twisted. His muscles tensed, frozen. Every part of him screamed run, but his feet wouldn't move.
He froze. His breath hitched. Sweat began running further down Alaric. His own face covered in a shadow, hiding his eyes widened in fear. Alaric began turning around, expecting to be caught sneaking his way into the city and kicked out or even punished.
- "Please do take this, It is the change I have left from my latest purchase." The officer had 2 gold coins and 2 silver coins placed out on his hand, allowing Alaric to take it.
- "...-Huh?"
- "It would be negligent of me to let any civilian wander without aid. My duty is to protect and assist."
Alaric stared down at the coins the officer had placed out on his hand. He reached his hand out, pocketing it.
- "Thank you." Alaric breathed out, letting his nerves flow out, now retaining his calmness.
- "If you walk the same way you came, the guild will be there. They hold information over the city. It's within your best interest to visit the area."
- "Right… Time to take a hundred more steps…" Alaric sighed under his mouth as he turned. Letting the air out of his mouth.
- "Thank you again, I mean it!"
- "No need, young one."
Alaric began walking away, making his way back to the guild as the officer had said. As he walked away, the officer stared at Alaric, his back turned to him. Standing, continuously looking at him, till he began walking away to return back to his post.
—------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- "Right, to the guild. For a moment I thought I was screwed." Alaric breathed
- "I won't lie though, they seem so kind around here. I could get used to it around here, it's so damn sweet!"
His eyes moved upward from his hand. Clenching the money he pocketed from the officer. As his eyes fixed upward, the streets seemed off. He had remembered seeing a bakery and stalls but now he saw restaurants and shops. Seeing the people laughing between each other.
- "Uh…- he said straight, right?"
Alaric turned to an alley walking through,
Then another one,
Then running to another,
And another,
Another.
- "...- There's no way I got lost daydreaming!?" He loudly expressed, his mouth opened, gaped in shock.
- "How is that even possible!? Rgh! I'll just have to keep looking." Alaric exclaimed in distress
He begins walking into another ally, this time was different though. Walking through, the walls felt more nerving and closer, as he walked through he felt everything was much closer to him.
- "Something doesn't feel right..." Alaric thought to himself.
As he pondered. His footsteps sounded off, almost if there was a second impact being made as his foot hit the ground or at minimum his footsteps were delayed. It made him really nervous, convincing him to slowly turn around.
- "..Uh-"
Swoosh!
- "WOA-"
Thud!
Alaric could feel the rigid bricks behind him as they slammed and pressed against his back. The pain of the uneven bricks hitting his back forced him to gasp. His white button up collar being held by a hand very tightly, also pushing him backwards.
- "Listen carefully! Hand everything you got!" demanded the voice in front of Alaric.
- "What the hell!"
As Alaric was pinned to the wall, he felt an object begin to hover over his stomach. He could feel a sharp edge begin to touch him.
- "I mean it! Don't think that I'm soft!"
Alaric slowly opens his eyes, expecting to see a brute or assassin. Something sinister is what he thought had got him. One that truly couldn't care for anyone but themselves. As his eyes open trembling, his pupils fixate on them, the thief that was holding.
- "Do you hear me!?"
Holding him captive was a short girl, a ragged cloth wrapped around her head with ears stitched to it and 2 lines drawn on it, almost emphasizing eyes, and 2 triangle folds stitched to the cloth over her eyebrows. Her pinkish hair with a bang between her eyebrows, her yellow eyes staring Alaric mischievously and her medium-length hair tied to a ponytail shaped into an oval, with her bangs and hair in front free. Covering her was a grey winter jacket opened, exposing her white t-shirt, high khaki shorts that seem to have been torn from the bottom to be made into shorts, white stockings covering her legs, they seem to have been someone else's by the way it reaches her thighs, and finally her leather worn brown boots. Alaric could see a dagger being pointed to his stomach
- "Oh my god!"
- "Hm?"
- "You're so damn cute!"
- "Ah-!" The thief began trembling, her cheeks flushed in red, but began fearing that she had chosen the wrong person to mug. Her mind began screaming, "A pervert."
- "It's just like those animes where the hero gets mugged at the start but it ends up being a cute girl! This is the dream!"
- "What the hell are you even saying!"
His face showed a smile almost able to touch his eyes. As he hears the girl respond, his expression immediately changes.
- "OH MY GOD, I'M BEING MUGGED!"
- "You just now noticed!?"
Seeing the girl distracted by his reaction time, Alaric takes advantage of the situation. He slaps the dagger off her hand, making sure to only get the weapon off her hand and nothing else. As he hears the dagger clank on to the ground, he bolts towards the exit of the alley.
- "Not so fast you idiot!"
As Alaric reaches the end of the alley and enters the streets, a sudden impact is made, slamming and mushing itself into Alaric's back, launching him into the alley across him. The impact forced air out of Alaric, his eyes widened as his pupils shrank.
- "AAH-!"
Crash!
Surrounded by torn and broken pieces of crates and wood. Pain flared up his arm as he pushed against the shattered wood, his fingers trembling. A deep red scraped across his skin, heat pulsing beneath the wound. He sucked in a sharp breath, forcing himself upright.
As he raises his hand to a crate beside him to pull himself up, the sun shone on the end of a dagger pointing at him from his sight.
- "Don't make this harder than it has to be! Just give me whatever you've got!"
- "Wa- Wait! I really don't have much! If anything, we're kinda on the same boat!"
- "And in that boat, I'm the one trying to live!"
- "Just hear me out!"
Silence fills the air as the two look into each other's eyes. Alaric begins twitching, his eyes narrowed in weakness but also in plea. The thief looks at him, as she towered over his body. Her eyes narrow, still staring at Alaric's brownish eyes. Then she lowers her dagger, slowly
- "Go ahead. Talk."
- "Uh…- Right…" Alaric begins lifting himself upward, pushing his body up with the crate that he had his hand on.
Now fully standing, Alaric pats his button up shirt and speaks as the girl told him to do so.
- "Well i'm actually kinda lost, I got here sneaking through the gate thanks to a merchant I found. I'm flat broke too. I am sorry for getting your hopes up."
- "You're lost?"
As she questioned, she placed her dagger into her back belt.
- "Well I can't lie, if what you're saying is true then it's just outright wrong for me to rob someone who is doing worse than me. Go ahead, go your way."
- "Ah- Wait."
The girl looks at Alaric, her eyebrows lifting, surprised that he still wants to talk.
- "Could you- uh- show me around here? I don't really want to waste anymore time trying to find the guild." Requested Alaric, scratching the back of his head with his eyes closed and smiling.
Hearing his request, the words entering her ears, she begins to ponder. Closing her eyes and hand on her chin with her other hand holding up her arm.
- "Well I need to make some profit today, on top of that… I want papa to eat better today…"
- "Uh…mmh…" Alaric grunts, worrying that she may leave him
- "But I know that he would want me to help those who need it."
Alaric eyes widen alongside his mouth stretching upward.
- "Alright! I'll show you around."
- "Perfect!"
- "Just stay close. It's quite easy to get lost through the crowd."
As the girl takes the first footstep, she is immediately halted by Alaric.
- "Wait!"
- "Huh?"
- "Well to start off the tour we should trade names, no? I mean how would I even refer to you during all of this?"
The girl turns, twisting her body to face Alaric.
- "What's your name?"
- "I'm glad you asked!"
Alaric eyes close in confidence. He then poses again, almost the same as he had done for Calistra. Finally landing on his victorious pose again.
- "The name's Alaric! I am an addict for games, mangas, and other stuff! And I absolutely hate school!"
Alaric folds from his pose, resting his hands from the pose.
- "You?"
- "Well that was weird, anyways."
As she finished up speaking a gust of wind flew through as she grabbed a piece of her hair by her ear.
- "My name is Rin, Rin Bellrose."
Alaric's eye glistened as Rin introduced herself.
- "Wow… that's a really pretty name."
- "Enough with the weird compliments. Let's get going."
Just like Rin had demanded, they began walking, reaching the exit of the alley way.