Chapter 5: Volume 1 – Chapter 4

If there was one lesson Tal learned the last three days, it was that he would not survive in the forest on his own. His stomach stopped growling a day ago, with his body giving only a tired sense of emptiness.

Napping under trees also gave little rest. Tired and hungry, he slowly walked towards his destination, a city's walls finally visible in the distance. He had made it. With the card and letter, getting inside the city should not be hard.

As with all larger cities, there was a river near it, giving him the opportunity to wash himself. The clothes were dirty, but then again, he was just a peasant, so as long as they didn't look too worn down that shouldn't be a problem.

'I will buy myself a nice big loaf of bread and maybe some meat. I have enough money for that. I can't go around looking like I'm starving, after all.' His mouth started to water at the prospect of getting a full meal.

With each step, the walls came closer. Soon enough he could see the city gates, and even the soldiers patrolling the wall. His village had a few guards working for the baron, but they rarely patrolled, since conflicts were rare and, save for some larger predators coming out of the woods, other dangers were rare as well.

Only twice in his life had he seen adventurer groups passing through to deal with bigger threats. They, of course, came more often, but if you work from sunrise to sunset you can't exactly sit in the town center looking at people who pass by.

With more detail coming into view, Tal realized how awe-inspiring the walls and the gate were. The hinges that kept them in place alone were bigger than him. One of the doors stood open as the guards quickly checked arriving caravans and people on foot.

Tal took his place in the line and waited.

"Did you see? it's the wood elves in chains again." One of the nearby merchants pointed at the cart with a metal cage. Tal looked at the man who was holding the reins of a horse. He was dressed in a red cape with a symbol on it that looked similar to the one his town's baron had. Besides him sat a fatter man dressed in silk pants and a white shirt. His balding head shone in the noon sun.

"Those fool slavers will bring us to war with the elven nations."

His fatter friend responded with a shake of his head, "Trading people, a shameful business that is."

Tal looked at the people in the cage, two young men and a woman. Save for the pointy ears poking out of their greenish-brown hair, they looked just like every other person. All three sat looking down, with their hands bound with ropes and being dressed in simple leather clothing.

'How can people just be bought and sold? Was Mishi afraid it would happen to her? If only she would have told me.'

"Those wood elves do not have kings." the man with the red cape responded.

The other just scratched the back of his balding head and said, "People talk about the high elves uniting their kind. The immortal emperor had decreed to protect all his kind, even the lesser ones."

"If war breaks out, we are moving west. War is profitable, but I prefer to keep my head." the caped merchant said, to which his friend responded in a somber tone.

"Blood brings money, but it's better to work with clean hands."

Tal continued listening to the pair, who chatted away, not caring about a nosy kid near their cart. Most of it was politics he knew nothing about. Wars, elves, trade deals; all of this was alien to him.

At least it provided a distraction while he waited for his turn to enter the city. The row moved forward quickly enough for him to not get sleepy. After only a few minutes, one of the guards dressed in chainmail motioned for him to come forward.

"What is your reason for entering Ovalle, young man?" he asked in a flat tone.

"I seek employment, sir." Tal said in the calmest voice he could muster.

"Employment, eh? You don't look like a craftsman or merchant. What's your trade?"

"None, sir."

"Then turn away, boy. The city has enough men to carry bricks or bags, and we don't tolerate beggars."

"I have a card and recommendation letter."

"Hmm, let's see it."

Tal carefully pulled out his identification card and letter, reluctantly giving them to the guard. What if he just tears them apart and then tells him to get lost? He had nowhere else to go.

The guard opened the letter and glanced over. "A lot of fancy words. Ah, a priest's seal. That explains it." the guard mumbled and then glanced at Tal's identification card, "I see."

He handed both items back and said in a stern tone. "You can enter, but if you do not get a job, leave the city. If we catch you slacking in the slums or causing trouble, you are sent to the mines. Got it?"

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir." Tal hastily said, stashing both of the valuable items away.

The guard motioned for him to walk on and then turned his attention to the next in line. Tal quickly walked through the gate, not wanting to get even more unwanted attention from the guards.

Tal walked maybe ten steps before he just stopped and stared ahead. Thanks to the tales Tomas and Adela had told him, he knew that the city was much larger than his simple village, but this exceeded his expectations.

'So many houses. So many people.'

And the temple in the center of the city put the one from his home to shame. Tal couldn't tell how tall it was, but it towered over the buildings to such a degree that he started to think that maybe the Gods themselves lived there.

"First time in a city, young man?" A voice to his right grabbed his attention away from the temple. Tal turned to see a man by the skewer stand, smiling widely.

"You must be hungry after the travels. Fresh boar, only forty copper. I'll give you some pointers while the meat cooks." The man motioned for Tal to come closer.

Tal's mouth watered. The amount of meat and vegetables on the skewer looked like a meal bigger than he would indulge himself in, but after days of not eating anything but a few berries, he could not look away.

'Forty copper, I could buy a lot of food for that amount of money, but it looks so delicious, and the man would tell me about the city.' Tal rationalized the expense to himself. Surely he would find a job soon enough to not worry about food and a place to sleep.

"Yes, I will take one."

"Wise choice. One boar skewer, coming up." the man said with a pleasant chuckle and quickly put it over the flame.

"So you don't look like a pilgrim or merchant. Came to Ovalle to look for a job?"

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"Yes. I have a magical rating and hope to find a job."

"Oh, that's a fortunate circumstance. You can find most of the general stores in that direction." The man pointed to a large street behind his stand. "Head forward till you see the statue of the old Serxio the Fourth, and then turn to the right. Just be careful, young man, most of them will sell your last shirt if you let them. If you have funds to register and know-how required, the freelancers guild is in that direction." The man pointed in the opposite direction. "You can't miss it."

"Thank you, sir."

"Don't mention it. Here, it will be forty copper." The man said, grabbing the cooked meal from the fire and handing it to Tal.

Tal quickly fished out four large copper coins from his money pouch and grabbed the food. It was still smoking hot, so he carefully blew on the meat to cool it off while heading in the direction of the general shops.

"Good luck out there, and do come again; I always have the freshest meat." the man shouted after him with a friendly wave. Tal waved back and walked forward.

Sure, the treat was expensive, but even the first bite made it worth every coin. Juicy and spicy, the meat practically melted in his mouth. With his belly full and hopes renewed, Tal slowly started to look for shops while also looking at the passing people.

Most were just like him, in simple clothing, just going about their business. There was a guard or two patrolling and some more fancy-dressed people, but other than that, nothing was out of the ordinary.

A decently dressed man with pointed ears and long blonde hair caught his attention moments later. He was about forty, if Tal had to guess, and was walking beside a younger girl in a yellow, decorated robe, actively talking to the man about what sounded like magic. The blonde girl caught his attention more than the man did. Never in his life had he seen someone so pretty. Her blonde hair was done in a bun, her blue eyes were big and soul-stealing, and her small cute nose and her full lips almost made Tal's heart jump out of his chest.

The pair walked on without even noticing him. For a moment, Tal just stood and stared like a fool but then snapped out of it. 'I better start searching for a job and not stare at people. She looked rich anyway.'

The question still remained where to even start, but finding a general shop and offering his services was a possibility.

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"I don't need someone who can't even read properly." the man behind a counter said, shaking his head.

"Sir, I can do other jobs while I learn." Tal pleaded. This was the sixth shopkeep that had turned him down.

"Boy, it's not worth my time. Every other week I see young men like you. Every single one telling me they will learn to read and cast magic. I have not gotten anything out of it besides a few botched rings and a lot of wasted time." the man said dismissively.

Tal walked out of the shop before the man started to yell at him to get lost. The sun was starting to set, and he needed to find a place and find it fast.

He noticed a man with a bow over his shoulder walking on the opposite side of the street. Tal quickly walked up to the man and asked. "I'm sorry to bother you, but could you point me in the direction of a cheap inn?"

"Sure, man. There is one nearby, walk six houses in that direction, then turn left, walk four houses, then turn left and you will see it. Just don't take their stew for breakfast."

"Thank you, sir." Tal said with a small bow.

"Sure, no problem." the man said and walked on.

True to the man's word, Tal found the inn soon enough. A short woman, who was perhaps about forty years old, was cleaning the counter and whistling. With neck-length brown hair and grayish eyes, she was somewhat plain looking but had a certain mature charm. Her dirty brown dress had a way too deep of a neckline, drawing Tal's attention to her decently sized cleavage.

"Can I help you, young man?" the woman asked, making Tal look up sharply. She had a mischievous smile on her face.

"Y-yes. I would like to stay for a night."

"Sure thing. You want just a bed or a whole room? A girl costs extra."

"Just a bed." Tal said, gulping, quickly realizing what was offered.

"That would be fifteen copper. The breakfast is about an hour after sunrise and costs seven copper."

Tal fished out two large copper coins out of the pouch and put them on the counter. The woman leaned forward, slowly picking up coins as Tal's gaze went to her cleavage again. He could swear he saw her nipples flashing for the briefest of moments before she straightened out again and fished out five small copper coming out of the front pocket of her dress.

"Here you go. It's up and to the right, you can't miss it. Toilet is in the backyard, just put the bucket back next to it. If you change your mind, come down and let me know. I'll be up till the sun goes down." the woman said with a wink.

Tal quickly grabbed the coins and walked up the stairs. After weeks of travel, he couldn't wait for a night of sleep in a proper bed. He picked out an empty bed near the door, took off his boots, and got in bed, putting a hand over his chest to guard the pouch and the card.

There were two other men and three women in the room already. Some were sleeping, others were sitting and doing nothing, and a pair was playing cards. Not wanting to bother anyone, he closed his eyes and started to drift into the land of dreams.

Tomorrow he needed to resume his attempts at getting a job. 'I hope at least someone gives me a chance. I came here to have a better life, I can't stop trying.' If worse came to worst, he would try doing simpler jobs. Surely someone would hire him for food and some coins. Fifteen copper per bed was not cheap either, but even the simplest of jobs should pay enough for a bed, enough food, and maybe a new set of clothes every few months.

The morning came far too fast. When the morning sun forced him to open his eyes, he did so with a sleepy yawn. Not paying attention to the others in the room, he quickly put on his boots and silently walked out of the room.

There was a different woman behind a counter this time, a much younger one. She had the same brown hair and gray eyes, and even the same dress, looking pretty much the same. It was an easy guess that she was the daughter of the older woman Tal interacted with yesterday.

Not wanting to be hustled out of any money, he left with a quick "good morning" and "goodbye."

The woman replied with a smile. "Thank you for staying, come again."

Despite how little money he had, his willpower had its limits and he needed to be very careful to not waste what little he had on an unwise decision made in the heat of the moment.

'I will find a job today and nothing is going to stop me.' he promised himself, and started to look for the next general goods shop.

Edited by Edgy

Proofreading - placid_void

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