Chapter 5: [DARK] C005 – Like night and day.

The fish markets seem to be a popular place to go for fresh seafood with several vendors offering food stalls nearby; serving fried fish in batter or grilled fillets with various sauces. I steal two pieces of fish, one deep-fried and one grilled and eat them slowly over the following hour while watching the crowds.

While not the best food, it is filling and tasty compared to many of the meals I've had so far. It is a good reminder that this isn't quite my home and food isn't always going to taste the same as we do here, although that doesn't make me appreciate it less.

Heading back up to my room I spend the remaining time before dark working on my armour and checking my gear before heading out into the city proper. If I'm not careful I could end up walking into an ambush or getting attacked by wild animals. I know I can survive anything short of a nuclear strike if I have my bionics but that doesn't mean I wish to get into those sorts of situations.

Walking around at night feels safer than during the daytime with fewer people walking around, especially armed soldiers, as I don't want to draw attention to myself as much. There are lights dotted about here and there in case of fire or other emergencies, which would be helpful when navigating this town at night without any illumination, although they don't help with navigation beyond marking landmarks on your map.

The nights silence seeming peaceful while the residents of this town sleep unaware of the night's events unfolding outside of their walls.

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The next few days are filled with learning about the town, trying to join some guilds that may be useful for me in the future. I need a way into any organization and I need to get paid, preferably in money but anything else would be welcome too. It would be nice if I can work on my armour or bionics, however that requires money or access to some sort of workshop which might also require money and resources, both of which are currently limited in supply.

It also doesn't help that this place seems to believe that no race other than dwarves are capable of producing anything long lasting. Dwarves produce better armour and weapons but they are expensive because their products are better from the start.

Taking the first step to finding a job or organisation is easy enough, approaching an adventurer who is already wearing a set of armour to see if they know where to go or have heard anything about certain groups or individuals, I just need to figure out which of these are actually worth my time and effort.

There are several adventurers wandering the roads and lanes in various states of repair and equipment; a few are clearly injured and in poor condition. Most are armed with swords or daggers, occasionally with crossbows or bows, and a couple with axes or hammers.

The majority of them are dressed in leather or chainmail but one stands out among the rest as she is decked head to toe in plate mail, including a helmet with a visor. She wears a long black cloak that covers her body and reaches past her feet, tied at each hip with a strap so it doesn't flutter behind her in the wind.

Her face is covered by a helm that blocks most vision but it appears like the visor has a slight tint to it; giving a hint of the colour of her eyes or skin beneath. Her hands are bare and held together in front of her stomach in prayer-like fashion, her fingers forming the shape of a ring or crescent moon. Her stance suggests she might be praying for something although I am unsure what.

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From the sounds of it the townsfolk think the woman is strange too, saying she is some kind of paladin or holy knight from a distant country, though no-one seems to know where.

If she has a name I haven't yet picked up on it. I'll need to watch her more closely if she ends up becoming a threat or enemy somehow. Otherwise I should focus on finding a guild or group that suits me and trying to integrate into it, I might find it difficult but I have enough time.

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I step back onto the main road, continuing to survey the surroundings and listening to conversations, the general consensus seems to be in favour of guilds, even the small ones due to them saving people time organizing things. The small one set up in this town seems to be open for applications until noon tomorrow if I remember correctly.

There are several other buildings with similar signs but none appear to be open at the moment. One of them has a sign saying "Retribution of the Lost." Fitting considering my past, it might be worth investigating the registration conditions.

A large building stands out from the others on this street; it is constructed from stone with a wooden frame around it, probably supporting its roof which seems to be supported by several metal girders. There is a large archway in front of the building leading through the main gate with a pair of armed guards standing either side.

Walking closer, I recognise the insignia emblazoned across the entrance as belonging to some sort of military group judging by their uniform and weaponry. Their helmets also seem well crafted, with curved visors that match the shape of their helmets and a thin strip of material that hangs down on each side of the visor, hiding their faces.

Gathering up the energy I set forward into the building.

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