by Aaron Oster
“It really doesn’t matter who helps,” he tried to say.
“She’s a girl,” Aika replied coldly. “You don’t get to help.”
“Why is Aika talking to me like that?” Roy asked as the shorter girl helped the towering Beast into a set of robes.
“How am I supposed to know? You humans are weird,” Geon answered.
“Why do I even bother asking you things?”
“Because some part of your feeble mind recognizes my superior intellect,” Geon said smugly.
“Where did you get those?” Roy asked, turning to Hermit.
“I actually got them last night,” Hermit replied. “I had some things to fetch from my old campsite, and these just happened to be lying around.”
“You traveled all the way back to your campsite?” Roy asked skeptically. “That’s, like, five hundred miles from here.”
“And?” Hermit asked.
Right. He’s an all-powerful Martial Artist. Of course, he can travel a thousand miles in one night, Roy thought in annoyance.
“Can I please have a Core?” he asked, realizing that his mood was likely stemming from his soreness, which could be solved by Essence intake.
“You have thirty minutes, then the roads will start to fill up,” Hermit said, tossing him a Core.
Roy caught it deftly and immediately sank to the ground, pulling on the Core as he stilled his breathing. Cycling was far more efficient now, and he soon had a steady stream of Essence pouring into his Core. From there, he cycled it through his channels, soothing sore muscles and easing tension.
By the time his thirty minutes were up, Roy felt much better. His Core was swollen with Essence, and he’d even managed to push a bit more, absorbing a little extra to allow his Core to expand. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see that the road, which was just fifty feet from where he sat, was now flush with people, carts, and animals. How hadn’t he heard that? It wasn’t like they were being quiet or anything.
“Your situational awareness needs some work,” Hermit said, making him start in surprise. “How else would you fail to notice all that noise?”
“Yes, sir,” Roy sighed, getting back to his feet.
Aika was sitting a few feet away, her legs folded and eyes closed. A diamond-shaped Light-Essence Core was held between her hands as she cycled. Ferry sat beside her, her tail swishing back and forth as she gnawed on a Darkness Core. It was the strangest sight Roy had ever seen — a large humanoid ferret, dressed in a set of blue and gold robes, chewing on a Core.
“Why is she doing that?” Roy asked in an undertone.
“That’s how Beasts absorb Essence,” Hermit said. “Did you think that would change because of her appearance?”
“Well, yes, actually,” Roy replied, watching as another sliver of the Core was broken off and vanished down her throat.
“Beasts are fundamentally different than humans, even the ones that are nearly indistinguishable from the rest of us. They think differently than we do, act differently, and have different strengths and weaknesses. Don’t ever forget that.”
Roy nodded, watching as Ferry’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she gave him a lazy smile.
“This Essence is really tasty,” she said, her voice sounding drowsy and content in his mind.
As though sensing that everyone was waiting for her, Aika’s eyes snapped open as well. Her gaze darted between Roy and Ferry, before eventually settling on Hermit.
“Are we heading out again?” she asked, unfolding her legs and rising smoothly to her feet.
Apparently, she and Hermit had gone to view the city from a distance this morning, as some sort of training exercise involving enhancement using Qi. Roy would have liked to go along for that, but seeing as he couldn’t exactly use Qi, he was left behind to deal with Ferry.
“Yes,” Hermit replied. “Pack up. We head out in five.”
A few frantic minutes of packing later, and their small group joined the throngs of people moving by. Roy honestly had no idea where they’d all come from, as they hadn’t run across a single person in their travels. Then again, Hermit may have just steered them clear of everyone up until now and only joined up in a group when it was convenient.
Oddly enough, no one paid them any mind. No one was even staring at the seven and a half-foot humanoid ferret walking happily by his side. Well, no one but Aika, who was constantly shoving him out of the way to walk between them. He briefly debated asking her what was wrong, but when he caught the look of anger in her eye as he opened his mouth to ask, he decided against that particular course of action. If Aika wanted to tell him what was wrong, she would. Until then, he’d just keep his mouth shut and enjoy the sights.
There was no shortage of interesting things to see, especially when the city walls came into view. Roy let out a gasp of surprise when he first laid eyes on them. The wall were huge! They were so big, in fact, that at first, he’d thought that a mountain had risen into the sky in the middle of the road. However, as they drew closer, he began to see the telltale signs of people moving atop the massive structure, as well as the individual blocks that made up the wall.
“How did they make it so big, and why even go so far?” Roy asked, turning to Hermit.
The man let out a sigh before replying.
“Obviously, Earth Artists helped make the walls. As to why they’re so tall, you’d have to ask whoever built them.”
“So, they weren’t this tall the last time you were here?”
“No.”
Roy debated asking another question, but the way Hermit had answered that last one told him that he was not in the mood to be answering any more. So, instead, he simply kept his mouth shut and continued ogling the landscape. Their progress slowed considerably as they neared the walls, and he could soon see that there were dozens of entrances dotting the massive stone structure. Some allowed people in, and others let people out.
He saw dozens of people, all dressed in the blue and gold of the Itachi clan, moving in and out of the city. Most carried large nets or buckets, all brimming with the green fruit and strips of bark from the many trees dotting the landscape. All were Martial Artists of at least Green-Belt, and some, who he took to be either coordinators or something higher, were ranked into the high Blues.
The dozens of people about didn’t seem quite as powerful, but the lowest among them seemed to be Orange, and those Belts generally graced the waists of either the elderly or the very young. There didn’t seem to be any young adults or middle-aged people among them. He wondered why that was, but seeing as he had no one to ask, he kept that question to himself.
Their approach to the walls took nearly an hour, traffic moving slowly, even though there were so many entrances. Roy soon saw what the holdup was. There were guards by each and every entrance, checking papers and talking to those seeking to enter the city. They also gave priority to anyone dressed in the blue and gold of the Itachi clan, and since Ferry was the only one among them with those particular robes, they wouldn’t be getting that perk.
Still, Roy didn’t mind too much, as he’d never been to a city quite so large. Sure, he’d seen a Tonde outpost city and a few smaller villages back in the Waterwood, but nothing like a city of this scale. He couldn’t really measure all that well, but he had to guess that the walls, now meeting the sky when he looked up, were at least a thousand feet high, if not taller.
The endless stream of workers were fascinating to watch. So much so, that Roy didn’t even realize when they passed under an archway and lost sight of them.
“All of you stay quiet and let me do the talking,” Hermit said as the man before them was stopped by the guards.
“Why?” Roy asked.
“Because you’re clearly all not from around here. I am. If I say you’re with me, you’ll have less trouble.”
Before Roy could say anything else, the man before them was ushered through, and the guard, a tall man with a 5th Dan Blue-Belt tied around his waist, motioned them for
ward. Now feeling a bit more nervous than before, Roy fell back, allowing Hermit to take the lead and talk on their behalf. A 4th Dan Blue-Belt had somehow materialized around his waist, and though Roy had no idea how he’d done it, he could see the logic behind it.
If the man at the gate couldn’t see his Belt, he’d grow suspicious. This way, Hermit appeared to be weaker than the guard, though not by enough for the guard to give him a hard time.
“Appearance is everything,” Geon said as Hermit stepped up to talk to the guard. “Let us hope that we can get in without too much fuss.”
“Agreed,” Roy replied.
He’d had enough of unwanted fights where settlements were involved. For once, he’d enjoy entering a place without being immediately attacked. Knowing his luck, Hermit would somehow cause the entire city’s guard to come flooding out to kill them all.
“Papers,” the guard said in a bored tone, holding a hand out.
“I’m afraid I don’t have any of those,” Hermit replied with a shrug.
The guard’s eyes became more alert at that, and he motioned to his partner, another 5th Dan Blue-Belt, to come and join him.
“Well, I’m afraid I can’t let you enter without the proper paperwork,” he said, voice taking on a bit of an edge. “Please come back once the proper papers have been filled out.”
Well, crap, Roy thought regretfully. There goes any hope of a peaceful entrance.
10
Roy tensed up, sensing Aika and Ferry doing the same as they prepared for the inevitable conflict. Hermit seemed to not be bothered at all by this seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
“Last I checked,” he said calmly. “Only merchants and sales representatives needed paperwork to enter the city.”
“Clearly, you haven’t been here for quite some time,” the guard said, seeming to relax, if only a little. “Entry into Light City for any Martial Artist under Red-Belt requires the proper documentation. This can be in the form of a writ from your clan head, city representative, or from a known Martial Artist carrying the rank of Supreme or above.”
Hermit’s lips quirked down in a frown, and he leaned in a bit.
“I’ve come a very long way to get here. Do you have any idea how many months it would take for me to make that sort of trip again?”
The guard hesitated at that, turning to give his compatriot an uncertain look.
It seems like the guards here aren’t heartless, Roy thought, appreciative that they would consider other peoples’ circumstances.
“Tell you what we can do,” the other guard said, stepping forward. “We’ll have you move over to gate fifty-nine and call one of the higher-ups. What was the reason for your visit?”
“I’ve come to see some old family,” Hermit replied, giving the man a grateful nod.
“You don’t look like you’d be related to anyone from the main branch of the clan,” the guard said with a frown.
Roy thought that the guard might change his mind, but after a few seconds, he shrugged.
“Then again, the main branch is quite large, and outsiders marry in all the time. Honestly, your personal affairs are none of my business.”
His eyes then swiveled to the rest of their group, but if he thought the towering female Beast, the bulky foreigner, or the slim girl with a staff over her back were odd, it didn’t show on his face.
“If you’ll just follow me,” he said. “Hopefully, we can get everything all sorted out easily enough for you.”
Hermit gave the man a curt nod, then motioned them to follow.
“Do you think we’ll have any trouble getting in?” Roy asked in an undertone as they cut through the crowds, heading for the gate with the correct number.
“Probably not,” Hermit replied. “We aren’t viewed as a threat that the city guards can’t handle. In all likelihood, we’ll get a speech about proper paperwork, have to pay some sort of bribe, and then they’ll allow us in.”
“That sounds wrong,” Roy said, not sure how honorable it was to take bribes.
“Just the way of commerce,” Hermit answered with a shrug. “Guards hardly get enough pay as it is, so I actually don’t begrudge them for taking a few small bribes. In my time here, it was almost expected. Besides, if someone were looking to cause trouble for our clan, they’d hardly attack the city where their most powerful Martial Artists were close at hand.”
“I guess I see your point,” Roy said, though he still didn’t like it.
“Roy?”
“What is it?” he asked, turning to the Beast walking to Aika’s left.
This earned him a suspicious look from the girl, who turned between him and Ferry a few times, as though to make sure nothing funny was going on. He was really going to have to talk to her about it once they had some time alone.
“What’s a bribe?” Ferry asked, a look of puzzlement on her face.
The innocent question took Roy by surprise, though if he thought about it, the concept of bribery wouldn’t exactly come up in a Beast’s everyday life. So, he explained it to her, making sure to talk out loud so that Aika could see he wasn’t talking about her behind her back. It also helped Ferry to see him mouthing the words, so that when he started teaching her to talk, it would be easier.
“Humans have some really strange customs,” Ferry finally said, her small pink nose wrinkling up in an adorable way. “Why don’t they just ask you for money over at the gate and let you in back there?”
“Because they still have to keep up appearances,” Roy answered. “If they let everyone in for a payment, no one would bring paperwork and their superiors would notice something was wrong.”
“I’m still confused,” Ferry said, her brows wrinkling as she tried to wrap her mind around the concept.
“This about it like this,” Roy said, trying another tactic. “You want to go hunt in another pack’s territory, but to get in, you’d need the pack leader to allow you in. But the pack leader is busy hunting, so they place other Beasts in charge of patrolling the borders. So, instead of getting the pack leader’s permission, one of the Beasts allows you in, and all you have to do is give them a small amount of Essence. Do you understand now?”
Ferry was nodding along as he spoke, the look of confusion now gone, a wide smile having replaced it.
“Other Beasts would never allow you to hunt in their territory, but I do understand now. Thank you.”
Roy gave her a smile, and Ferry seemed to have just a bit more bounce in her step as they approached the much-less busy entrance. There, as predicted, they met with one of the head guards, a woman wearing a Purple-Belt with a single red stripe. She listened to the guards as they explained Hermit’s situation, scolded him on not bringing the papers, then demanded a small ‘fee’ to file the correct paperwork.
Through the whole thing, Roy was amazed by how she treated them. Sure, she was stern about them not having their papers, but never once did she talk down to Hermit, even though she would perceive him as a Blue-Belt, someone who was weaker than her. He was amazed that someone of such power would be guarding a city gate, but she did seem to carry a bit more clout than the two who’d escorted them here. She even wore an official-looking seal, pinned to her left lapel.
She then asked for each of their names and where they were coming from. Hermit made up a bunch of names and said they were from somewhere called the Hilly Expanse. The woman made a few more notes, took Hermit’s money, then pressed a seal into the bottom of the document.
“Don’t make any trouble, and behave yourself inside the city,” she said, handing him the papers. “Any funny business, and you’ll be exiled and banned from returning. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Hermit said.
“Welcome to Light City, then,” she said, moving aside and allowing them to enter.
Aika followed Hermit first, bowing slightly at the waist as she passed. Roy went next, doing the same, but when Ferry passed, she didn’t so much as look the woman. Roy felt a momentary twinge of fear that s
he would take offense, but clearly, the guard wasn’t expecting anything of the large Beast, and had turned back to continue her paperwork.
“Why didn’t that woman take offense at Ferry for not bowing?” he asked Geon as they headed through the long tunnel and approached the city proper.
“Would you have expected her to bow if she still walked on four legs?” Geon replied.
“I suppose not,” Roy answered.
It seemed that Beasts could get away with a lot, and he’d have to start learning how intelligent Beast's behavior differed from that of humans. But that was work for another time. Right now, Roy could see the end of the tunnel and the light streaming in towards them. It wasn’t the length of the tunnel that amazed him, but rather, the thickness of the wall.
It stood to reason that walls as tall as these were would be thick, but by his estimation, there were several hundred yards between the entrance and exit, which was absolutely astounding.
“Could anyone break through these walls?” Roy wondered as he looked around in awe.
“There is no such thing as an unbreachable wall,” Hermit replied. “So yes, people can break through these walls, though they’d have to be either extremely powerful or extremely stupid.”
“So, where exactly are we going?” Aika asked, speaking up for the first time since they’d approached the walls.
“Like I said,” Hermit replied. “To visit some old family.”
“Why didn’t you just tell them who you are?” Roy asked. “You could have saved yourself the money and hassle.”
“No,” Hermit said. “Had I announced myself, it would have caused a complete uproar and definitely would have drawn attention to our presence. They would have had to call on the Sovereign herself to come to confirm it and that would have caused a serious spectacle, one that I’m very happy to have avoided.”
“But won’t they find out who you are anyway?” Roy asked.
“Yes, but only once we’re well out of the public eye,” Hermit answered. “Now, please, no more questions.”
Roy, who’d opened his mouth to ask a bunch more, snapped it shut with an audible click.
