Chapter 116: 117: Welcome to the West

“Wow…” says Fresh quietly, letting her friends hear her bewonderment as they cross through the precipice of the gate. The giant entry-way towers above them. Its crystal-lit shadow envelops them whole as they cross over the boundary and enter into the city. The ink of the shadow covers them entirely, as if it were the swallowing aura of a dungeon-portal.

Despite it being dusk outside, the streets are still very busy, which is an unusual sight for her. In the northern city, the roads cleared very quickly as soon as the sun vanished. But here, the giant, prismatic crystals that linger in the air bathe the plaza with a soft, pinkish light which then shifts to a bluish-purple, before pulsing back. The combined glow of the many sources paints the brightly polished, giant stones of the streets with a pastel aura. It is as if the entire city, despite its harsh location and the coming of night, had been painted with the colors of a bright spring.

Mountain run-off barrels down from the sides of the cliffs, past the many windows and houses as it forms a large stream that seems to run through the middle of the entire city. She can’t see where it starts or where it ends, but the entire place is filled with a cool mist from the splashing dew. The dampness exemplifies the already cool and crisp night air. Yet the water too, clean and pure, shines with a bright aura as it also reflects the magical lights back into the air, while absorbing some of it into itself as well. The water almost glows like her own potions from the magical shine, almost as if the entire river itself were enchanted.

“Jubileeee~ it’s so pretty!” exclaims Fresh excitedly, shaking her friend as she grabs them by the shoulder.

“Eh. You get used to it,” says Jubilee, shrugging and walking on ahead as the first one to cross the barrier fully.

“Have you been here before?” asks Basil curiously, beating Fresh to it who was just about to ask the same.

“Yeah, once or twice,” they say. “You can really see the stars from up here,” explains Jubilee, giving an answer that Fresh hadn’t expected. “Come on, let’s get something to eat and then we’ll get some sleep. We can talk about everything else tomorrow.”

“That’s a great idea!” agrees Fresh excitedly as she runs after Jubilee. There are two streets, divided in the center by the shallow channel of water. Multiple arched, ornate wooden bridges span the gap and on either side of the way are houses with thick, timber-frame beams. The walls are made out of what appears to be a kind of matte, taupe plaster. Interestingly enough, in her eyes at least, most doors don’t seem to be like the kind she is used to. Rather, they seemed to be sliding, wooden constructions, with a lining that she thinks is paper at first, but then realizes it is some sort of dense fabric.

Her eyes shine with excitement, reflecting the magical lights as she looks at the many people lining the streets. Most of them are clearly casters with only the odd leather-clad fighter type visible here or there. Most everyone wears cloth robes and fabric, but heavily layered with some people wearing heavier furs and mantles. As they walk, she can’t help but notice the many curious eyes and heads turning their way and at first she thinks its because they must look like a mess. But then she realizes that all of them are just staring at Shamrock, who is well out of place here.

“Hey! Hey!” calls an excited voice as a smaller figure runs up to them. The boy grabs Shamrock’s giant hand, tugging on it. “Wanna join our party?!”

Shamrock stares at him for a moment. “No,” is all that he says as he keeps on walking. The boy holds onto his hand, being dragged behind him as the giant moves onward, entirely indifferent to the additional weight.

“What percent are you getting now? We’ll double it!” argues the boy.

“No,” repeats Shamrock, lifting his hand. The boy doesn’t let go. Instead, his feet lift up into the air. Fresh scratches her cheek, looking at Jubilee who just sighs and shakes their head.

“Jubilee?”

“Beat it, pip-squeak!” yells Jubilee. “The meat-head is with us!”

The boy yells back, still hanging in the air off of Shamrock’s arm, as the man lets out an exhausted, heavy sigh. “You beat it! I bet you guys aren’t even level ten! In total!” The boy’s party, all rough looking children that are just about his age, stand just a few feet away all nod in unified agreement.

“Let’s not get into a fight now,” says Basil, stepping in between the two of them.

“Get lost, you look like an upside down carrot! What’s with that ugly robe?!”

Basil flinches, pulling back with a gasp and Fresh grabs her shoulder. “You look nice, Basil!” As she moves closer to the priestess, she can feel the fabric of her bag move to the side as the lantern inside of it tries to fly out to her.

“Carrot! Carrot!” yells the young boy, pointing at her and his party behind him all just nod, not saying anything further.

Fresh purses her lips, pulling Basil back to the side and adjusting her bag. “Come on, we’re leaving.” She looks up at Shamrock. “Put him down please. Let’s go.”

Shamrock nods once, lifting his arm higher and before Fresh can react, he flings it out to the side, sending the boy flying off into the shallow channel of water. Fresh winces as he lands, but he seems to be fine and sits upright a second later, soaking wet. The water isn’t that deep here, apparently. His party scatters, only one of them stopping to wade into the water and pull him out. “I didn’t mean like that…” says Fresh, somewhat worried, as Shamrock walks on towards the rest of them. “What was that?” she asks, looking at the others.

“Good job,” says Jubilee to Shamrock, sounding oddly proud, before turning to Fresh. “There aren’t many fighters here. It’s all magic. So people here are desperate for someone with a little grit.”

“Huh?” asks Fresh, not understanding.

“You’ll only get so far in the dungeon with only magic,” they explain. “Sometimes you need to whack stuff, you know?” Jubilee shakes their head. “Anyways, let’s go. I wanna eat and hit the sack.”

Fresh nods, thinking that she understands. Maybe there are some enemies that are immune to magic in the dungeon here? She supposes that in a city of casters, that could be a real problem. Shamrock walks up to them and looks down at Basil, nodding once before continuing on forward without another word. Basil looks around, somewhat confused and continues fidgeting with her sleeves until Fresh grabs her hand and pulls her behind her, as they continue on down the road.

Jubilee leads them to a large building on the corner of the left-hand street. Water runs just past its exterior, which is ornamented with several wooden posts and lanterns, from which all sorts of chimes and knick-knacks hang. Small metal bells, little skulls that could belong to both monsters and animals, old pieces of equipment and fabric of tattered scarves and robes. Jubilee looks back up at her. “Do you still have the key?”

“Key?” asks Fresh.

“For the adventurer’s guild, goo-brain.”

“Uh…” Fresh taps her body, fumbling around. She always kept the big iron-key in the pocket of her robe, so it should still… “ah!” she pulls it out, surprised that she still has it. “Here! But uh… what for?”

Jubilee places their hands on their hips, staring at her. “For the door? To our room?” The girl blinks and Jubilee sighs, relenting as they snatch the key from her. “Every adventurer’s guild has the same key.”

Fresh gasps, clenching her fists in excitement. “Really?! Jubilee! That’s great!”

“Uh… yeah? Sure, I guess? Let’s eat first though, then we’ll call it a day. Did you get the money out earlier like I asked you?” asks Jubilee suspiciously.

Fresh nods with a prideful smile. “I did!”

“Great. Let’s go,” says Jubilee, grabbing the sliding door and pushing it open, heading in first as the rest of them follow after a moment later.

Fresh isn’t sure what to expect exactly from the adventurer’s guild here. Will it be as quiet and somber as the one in the north? Standing up straight, maintaining her best posture, the girl crosses the threshold and steps inside, doing her best to look respectful in case this place too was haunted by the mourning wail of an unseen specter. Basil and Shamrock follow closely behind her.

“CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!” the crowd below them erupts into a series of cheers and screams as they encircle a man in their center, his long wizard’s robe wet with the drink that runs down the sides of his gray beard, as he holds a giant tankard above his head, another three laying empty at his feet. The man takes a final gulp and holds the empty tankard into the air, tipping it upside down to showcase his success. The crowd erupts into an explosion of cheers and hollers that takes Fresh aback. The wizard throws the tankard to the ground, where it smashes down and rolls next to the rest of them at his feet. Lifting his hand, he smashes his fist against his chest a few times and lets out a long burp that Fresh is sure she can smell all the way up here by the door.

The crowd erupts into another celebration as they watch as another tankard, apparently the fifth, makes its way around to the wizard who is apparently ready for the challenge. Music fills the air as a band, apparently having taken a break to allow the spectacle, now continue their playing.

Fresh blinks, not sure if she’s seeing right. She leans over, down to Jubilee to speak into their ear. Though she has to speak loudly as the ambiance in here is so loud that she can barely hear herself think. “I thought you said people in the west were reserved?”

“They are. Adventurers don’t count. They’re hardly people,” sighs Jubilee.

Fresh looks around, surprised, but not unhappy at this new environment.

“CHUG! CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!” yells the crowd again as the wizard starts with the next one and she finds herself bobbing on her feet along with their chants and along with the rhythmic playing of the band next to the bar.

The wizard suddenly keels over, a spew of vomit leaving his mouth in violent spray as he coats the floor in the center of the circle surrounding him.

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Again, the crowd erupts into a loud cheer as if this were good too and Fresh watches as the barkeeper behind the bar sighs a heavy sigh, shaking his head that he holds down in his palms. She isn’t sure from up here, but he looks like a dark-elf.

The entrance door to the adventurer’s guild is apparently upstairs. Or… the main area is downstairs. She isn’t sure. The building is rectangular and right at the entrance is a large wooden walkway which runs around the inside edge of the building along all four walls in a circle. The entire area ‘ring’ is filled with tables and chairs and benches, all scooted together as the people there move them out of place to form large clusters with each other as they revel. On the left side of the walkway is a staircase that goes downstairs, towards the open area that the wizard and his crowd stand in.

Fresh feels a strange feeling in her chest as she listens to the many happy, festive voices around herself. As she feels the subtle shaking as metal tankards strike each other, as she smells the wet dewiness in the air from spilled liquor and vomit, she feels a giddiness, a glee. This is what she had hoped an adventurer’s guild would be like.

The four of them navigate their way through the crowds, finding their way to a table.

“I got down to seventeen today!”

“Ooh, one more and you -”

“Woah! Look at that guy, he’s huge!”

The crowd downstairs shouts again and the room turns into a bright orange as a wave of fire spontaneously blasts into the air, the eruption shaking the entire building. Seconds later, the cheers return and a single tankard, that was blown to the ceiling by the explosion, clambers back down to the stones.

Jubilee pulls out a chair and climbs on as they find a free table and the rest of them sit down too. Only Shamrock has difficulties, his chair being a little too small for him.

“This place is great! I love it!” says Fresh excitedly, her eyes shining. “It looks like so much fun! Jubileeee~!”

Jubilee rolls their eyes and taps against the wood of the table twice loudly with their gloved finger.

A second later a sound rings out like a little chime as Fresh feels a slight breeze blow past her right ear. She gasps, as she looks at the little fairy woman holding a small notepad. She’s wearing a small, well tailored outfit like the barkeeper and Fresh can’t help but find herself leaning in closer to stare at the fairy from behind. Basil grabs her shoulder and pulls her back, just before the fairy turns around to look at her. Fresh smiles a nervous smile and waves.

“What’ll it be, sugar?” she says in a surprisingly gruff voice, taking the minuscule pen out from behind her ear.

Jubilee flashes the key up at her. “We’re checking in. Indefinite stay.”

“Sure thing, darlin’,” says the fairy, coughing a few times to clear her, apparently, very slimy throat. “You wanna eat somethin’?”

“Yeah, give us a full spread for the room tonight. Breakfast daily. We’ll figure the rest out ourselves.”

“You got it,” says the waitress, making some scribbles into her notepad before flipping it closed. “One and a half for the month,” she says. “One hundred less if you pay now.”

Jubilee nods, snapping over at Fresh. “Pay the woman.”

“Ah!” Fresh fumbles into her bag, getting the coins ready. “Uh…” she stops for a second, looking back at Jubilee who lets out a tired groan.

“One-thousand four-hundred.”

“Ah!” Fresh digs through the bag, getting the coins together with one hand and pressing the lantern down with the other to stop it from flying out. Quickly closing the bag back up, she sets the money down onto the table. The fairy floats above the coins, counting the fourteen silver coins off with her finger. Fresh can’t help but wonder how she is going to take the money? She’s barely a foot tall.

“Alright, this checks out,” says the small waitress. “You don’t just have a big one, do you?”

“Ah… I’m sorry,” apologizes Fresh. “I only have these.”

The fairy grumbles, flying down to grab four at once and stacks them together, before flying off. Fresh watches in awe as the small fairy leaves, flying out over the ‘pit’ on her way back to the bar. She feels somewhat bewildered, but also fascinated. The girl can feel her own back aching already, as she watches the fairy gliding through the air, ducking to the side just in time, as another explosion rings out, sending a tankard flying just past her. It crashes against the ceiling and gets stuck, as the edge presses itself into the roof.

The crowd erupts again, seemingly willing to cheer for anything and everything.

Razmatazz

People here are a lot more fun for sure. Must be the mountain air =)

Trivia - Mountains

 Mountains, being some of the most awe-inspiring features of the world, have always been a part of mythology no matter where you go in the world. Much like water and the sky, mountains are held in strong reverence all around the world.

The most famous examples of course are Mount Olympus in Greece, which was said to be home to the gods themselves. Greek mythology is loaded with stories of this mountain and honestly, it’s an entire book in and of itself, let alone an after-chapter trivia haha.

Another popular one is of course, the famous Mount Fuji in Japan, in which the mountain itself is considered to be a sacred entity that is attributed to be an important spirit. These beliefs stem from the unique mixture of Shinto and Buddhism in Japan, in which, much like old shamanistic beliefs, spirits are attributed to even inanimate things.

Interesting for christian mythology is the mountain Ararat, which is said to be the place that Noah’s ark found land. Interestingly, much like mount Olympus, Ararat was held to be the home of the gods by the Armenian people. But, much like in Greece, this belief slowly faded and Christianity spread and overwrote it. Ararat is a highly controversial subject, given its geographical location, so you’ll have to do your own research about it, since I don’t want to get banned for politics haha.

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