Chapter 9 (Part 3)

With the wolf’s help, we found a smoother road for the horses which made it incredibly easier for both man and beast. The horses transformed from weary, slow, panting and teary eyed beasts of burden to content, relieved, sparkly-eyed, I’d even go as far as smiling Pegasi or Pegasuses… that. For us humans, well let’s just say our butts were happy as well.

And then we were out of the forest before the sun could be anywhere near from kissing the horizon. As soon as we were out from the stupid forest that brought nothing but headaches, we sighted structures in the distance.

“Wow is that a kingdom?” Noirxus exclaimed excitedly like a kid on his first field trip. He was marveling the blurry great city or kingdom far in the distance. I say kingdom because there is a great castle in the middle of the city where the human royal family lives governing the whole human race…or supposed to be. I’m not sure their influence spreads across the whole continent that much but pretty much every human in the continent, including me, knows of the existence of the royal family… just not who they are exactly. I’m not that into politics so I’m not really updated on whose turn on the throne it is but that doesn’t really concern or greatly affects a vagabond like me.

The kingdom itself was spread widely just along the banks of the Barquiz river. They say where there is water there is life so it makes sense that the biggest city would be along the biggest river. The kingdom is surrounded by a long stretch of grassland because the humans cut all the trees around to build their precious city.

From the distance two structures stand out the most – the outer walls and the castle. The huge walls are similar to the ones in Breizek city but the difference is you can actually set guards on top of the wall to patrol around. Newly built signal towers were strategically placed and fairly spaced apart along the walls because someone smart enough thought that sending a messenger to run around screaming his throat out ‘we’re under attack!!’ is highly inefficient.

It wasn’t that long since I’ve last seen the capital, give or take a year. After all, everything and anything important is based in the capital. All kinds of information, all the wealthy merchants, underground guilds, and many more could be found in the capital or at least one of their bases are in it. Master and I had to pass the capital often if we don’t want to be totally detached from the world. It is also Master’s favorite spot to hunt for odd jobs for the much needed money.

“It’s my first time seeing one! I’ve only read about it in books though,” Noirxus continued.

“A book?” I asked curiously.

“Yeah. I can see a castle so there’s got to be a king, a queen, a prince and most of all a princess who’s always in need of a savior!” he answered excitedly. “At least that’s what all the books I’ve read said…”

“Are you serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be serious?” he looked at me with a confused expression. This guy…this guy….

Ignorance is too scary.

Daisy threw the guy a worried glance. Even I could tell he’s thinking the same thing as me. It can’t be helped, he came from the south were there isn’t much people so I bet he lived under a rock. As his partner, the duty to tell him the horrors of a city falls on me.

I let out a loud sigh.

“Look Noirxus. I don’t know what books you’ve read but since it’s your first time going to a city, I have to give you a few pointers,” I said as we continued on our horses to the capital. “The city is in every sense of the word, Dangerous. An ignorant, innocent, country bumpkin softie like you is the perfect prey for all the selfish, needy, greedy humans in there. It’s more dangerous than a forest.

You need to be suspicious of all the people in the city, regardless of age and sex. But if you ask me, the kind you need to watch out for the most would be little girls and sexy women.”

“Little girls?” Noirxus repeated. “But they’re sweet and innocent!”

“That’s exactly what they want you to think! That kind of general knowledge is their greatest weapon. They will lure you with tears and a sob story about how they have a lot of hungry brothers and sisters and sick parents and then they will make you pity them. Finally, you’ll be so sorry for the girl that you’ll give her all your pocket money.

Sexy women use the same tactic but they use their sex appeal instead of a sob story. They’ll seduce you and you’ll want to please her and then next thing you know, you’re out of cash! If you don’t listen to me now, you’ll find yourself waking up in a grass field somewhere naked and out of cash.”

Daisy and Rascielle in the front nodded in agreement.

“How do you know all these?” Noirxus asked.

“From experience.”

 “You’ve been robbed by a little girl and a sexy woman before?”

“After all the time we’ve spent together, you still don’t know me? Of course not! When I say experience, I meant it’s been tried, tested and guaranteed to work by none other than yours truly.”

“……”

“Anyway, to avoid them, you need to man up! Just look menacing like Daisy here and you’ll be fine.”

“I can hear you,” Daisy retorted.

“And by menacing I meant calm, cool, collected, composed and stoic!” I added.

And then I remembered that we had another companion that needs tutoring besides Noirxus – our wolf guide. His education also my duty because I’m the one who suggested he came with us.

“Kahel,” I called. “The city isn’t safe for you too. In fact it’s the most dangerous place you’ll ever be in your entire life. Being a magical wolf, can you morph?”

Kahel didn’t answer and simply transformed into a smaller wolf. Now he looked just like any ordinary wolf out there. Magical beings, to conserve rion, employ a much smaller form. Their true form uses and is able to use a bigger amount of rion than a smaller form. They use a smaller form in their everyday, mundane lives and use their true form when the occasion calls for it, like a big battle or something. It could be compared to strength. You can lift heavy weights when the occasion arises but don’t need all your strength to lift a glass.

“Let me warn you Kahel, even if you’re in a smaller form, it’s still unsafe. You just look like food to others thus you are never to leave my side once we enter that city, got it?” I continued but this time, he turned to look at me and nodded.

Once we enter those gates, our escorting job is done.