KYLA walked briskly beside Mia as they both navigated the open market. Sweat beads were already settling on her forehead and her breaths were getting rather uneven. She wasn't used to the chaos that the open markets of Alkhamas presented. This was one of the many markets in the large city and it was already too much for the red haired.

  Kyla couldn't get anything worthwhile from the surroundings, they were just a mixture of noises and violence. “Hairpins, made from a rare metal found at the deep forge of Iliad itself. Can make that handsome boy fall in love with you by just setting his sights on you. Three coppermines a piece,” a random trader shoved butterfly shaped hairpins in her face.

  She grimaced. “I don't want them,” she groaned, avoiding the man. She glanced up only to realize she could barely spot Mia’s white hair. “Dragons!” she cursed and quickened her pace. Her face was that of a glutton suffering from constipation. She hated this place more than anything.

  She glanced to the side and in one of the corners, a woman at a stall had her small kid bent over, pooing right in the middle of all this. Kyla gagged, quickly glancing away. She shook her head and began to sprint away from the crowd, she didn't care where Mia was going she couldn't take this anymore.

  She turned left and began to navigate through the market, and at last she made her way to an area that didn't have many people. She leaned against the wall of a small building in the area to catch her breath.

  “Young lady,” two guys walked up to her as soon as she began to feel okay. She frowned, gazing cautiously at them as her hand clutched the area where her money pouch was instinctively.

  “What?” she asked.

  “You seem a little winded…” the first one said, he had crooked teeth and he had this annoying habit of licking his lips every time he spoke. His long hair was dirty and he was wearing a sleeveless vest that was equally dirty. When he spoke, Kyla wanted to die there at that spot but she instinctively shifted backwards.

  “...and tired, if you don't mind us saying,” the second one said and he wasn't much better than the first guy. He didn't emit foulness from his mouth but he was equally haggard looking and he had a brutal scar mark that ran from his bald head to the side of his neck.

  It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that they were thugs. “And how does that concern you?” she demanded. Although she didn't have experience being in a big city, she has read enough to know that the best way to avoid trouble is by acting like you can manage your own situation.

  “We…” the one without a mouth odour began, pointing to him and his friend. “...are just concerned, that's all. A young beautiful lady like you shouldn't be alone out here in the market. You should have a big strong man beside you,” he explained.

  “Thank you, for your concern. I think I am good, so please leave me alone.” She stood straight and began to walk away from the thugs but they blocked her way.

  “Oh, young miss, it is quite disrespectful you know,” the one with the crooked teeth spoke again and Kyla was using all her strength to not just vomit. “When someone shows you concern, you should be able to reward them with something,” he said, reaching for her dress but Kyla jumped back immediately.

  “Do not touch me!” she yelled.

  “Come on miss, all we want is our reward,” he smiled as he flashed a knife in the girl's face. Kyla froze. She felt that her life was in danger immediately she saw the knife and in an instant her body began to heat up.

  “We wouldn't want you to get hurt now would we, just give us the reward and we will be on our way, simple and sound,” the second one said.

  Kyla stepped back, her heart was beating steadily and her eyes were fixated on the man with the knife. She kept on repeating the words knife in her head, over and over again. Her vision was beginning to change, the only thing in her line of sight was the silvery glint of the knife in his hands and she was beginning to regard the man as a vicious beast rather than a human.

  “Your reward would be in the heavens if you don't step away from her right this instant,” a feminine voice spoke from behind them and the two thugs turned back.

  The sensation in Kyla’s body also seemed to disappear immediately she heard the familiar voice. Behind the two thugs stood Mia and beside her was Finn who was in a rather simple tunic and was smiling at her.

  The two thugs scurried away immediately without any words and Mia glared at her with knitted brows and tight lips. “What was your plan?” she demanded. “Get lost in the city and then what?”

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  Kyla realized she must have been looking for her. “The crowd, the market. It was all too much, I can't…” she said and couldn't even get the words out before turning around to throw up.

  “Oh, gods! Are you sick?” Mia rushed towards her immediately, but she held her hand out instinctively to stop the woman.

  “Water,” she called and Finn fashioned out a water skin from a hostler on his waist. She rinsed her mouth and the floor with it, took three breaths before she finally spoke. “The city is a harrowing mess and for the love of dragons, it is all irritating. There are so many people, they smell and they don't have any hygiene. It's just chaos and I really do not like it at all,” she said at last.

  Mia glanced at her for a while and then broke into a chuckle. Finn squinted his face for a while before walking towards the redhead. “The lower boroughs are like that. Don't worry, you won't spend any more tickings here. My boys already sent word that your loads are at the port. Once she is done with her trade, you will be on your way,” Finn said calmly.

  Kyla nodded, realizing how dependable this man was. It was hard to place him as a commander of anything. He looked like your regular person, except he was really handsome and had the face of a little kid. The night before he’d been of great help to them. He ordered some of his men to help them move their loads and provided lodgings for them in the military garrison.

  His men also seem to possess great respect and loyalty towards him and he had a rather carefree attitude. “Come on,” he told her. “You and I will head to the upper boroughs and wait for Miss Chuckleberry here at the cathedral,” he said.

  Mia gazed at the two of them with a smirk. “Do what you will, both of you. I am going to finish up,” she waved at them, leaving her with Finn.

  “Alright, come on,” Finn said. “There is a lot to see in this big city!”

  Following the commander's lead, she placed her hand on her pouch as she glanced around cautiously. Back in Erona, there were thieves but most of them were either travellers from other towns or indigenes that try to pick your pocket. It was hard to actually find someone revealing a knife in public space with the intent to harm. The neighborhood would have pounced on him but out here, everyone seemed to be preoccupied.

  This wasn't the dream she had when she entered into the famous commercial capital of the kingdom. Egrimorth had three capitals. One was the Capital itself. It is otherwise called the administrative capital or the seat of Alaroc, although Kyla have heard some faraway travellers call it Gethsemane’s Stand.

  The second capital is situated outside the Great forest ring. It's called Ahlduras and it is the seat of Egrimorth's minerals and raw resources. However due to its awful weather and proximity to the northern wastelands, building any artificer guild there was unadvisable, so most of the guilds were located within the inner ring.

  “Well, where should we go first?” Finn asked but only received a shrug from Kyla, she wasn't really interested in the city anymore.

  Finn smiled and then silently led her forward, as they walked, Kyla could notice the building designs changing and the city gradually getting tidier and more serene. By the time they reached the upper boroughs, the city had become an exclusive sight to behold.

  The buildings were all neatly arranged, most of them sporting courtyards and several luxurious flowers. They were walking through a street that had its entire floor carved from marbles and a smooth gem that the red haired had never seen before. The city was less crowded, but it still had many people walking through it, most of them had carriages and the ones that were walking were dressed in such fashionable manners.

  “Why are the lower boroughs so bad?” she demanded.

  Finn smiled. “I honestly don't know,” he shook his head. “The manner of people living there, I guess?” he shook his head.

  Kyla’s grimace was visible when she asked her next question. “How are these people content living like this and yet they see the other neighborhoods…”

  “You are asking the wrong questions.” Finn said softly. “The right question is, why are the people of the lower boroughs like that? Why are they living like animals?”

  Kyla frowned, pondering over his words but after a while another sight caught her attention so she buried the thought and glanced at the fountain in the middle of an intersection. The fountain had a small statue of a man and a talking drum hanging from his shoulder. The man was obviously smiling, he had one leg raised up in a flamboyant smile while his shirt, although made from stone, seemed to flutter in the wind.

  The water from the fountain even made him look happier. “Who is this?” Kyla asked, almost chuckling, setting her eyes on the statue made her feel an indescribable sense of joy.

  “That is the Drummer boy!” Finn replied, he was also grinning at the statue.

  Kyla knew the tale of the drummer boy — everyone in Egrimorth should. There were several legends written about this historical figure and most of them were rather unreliable. However, there was one thing the legends agreed on and it was that when he struck his drum, everyone danced.

  A tale said, he was the official entertainer of Alaroc the first himself when he was alive and he used to make the king himself dance as much as possible. The man's name was never mentioned in any of those stories, they only referred to him by that title he bore.

  Kyla wondered if the man would be sad in the afterlife, knowing he was never really recognized. They moved on and went on to explore other wonderful areas. Before the end of their journey, she was laughing and pointing excitedly at several things that captivated her.

  After that, they headed for the cathedral which was built near one of the four ports in Alkhamas. The cathedral announced itself meters before they reached as it shielded the evening sun with its towering might. It reflected a grey ambience from the light of the sun and a large spire pointed to the sky with golden brilliance at its very top.

  When they got closer, they could see twelve enormous pillars arranged in a half circle, bearing the weight of this gigantic edifice. The church itself was shaped like a dome and the spire rising above it was a pyramid. Kyla heard the spire helps with navigation and astrology, although she didn't know how she was still intrigued by it.

  Right at the entrance, a large silver plaque engraved with obsidian letters displayed the name of the church in the common tongue of Isith. The name was in direct reference to its patron goddess, Armastus — goddess of love, lust, empathy and desires. Order of Her Eternal Touch.

  At the entrance to the open hallway that surrounded the main building, two priests stood guard. They were both in blue cassocks and they held a rather peaceful gaze. One of them was elderly and short with a balding head, holding an emotionless stare. The other was pure contrast, dark skinned, tall and muscular with full black hair and a default smile on his rather handsome face.

  Finn and Kyla walked slowly towards them and the tall one received them with a warm smile. “Commander,” he bowed to Finn and then turned to Kyla. “Your Verdance.”

  “Brother Ezekiel," Finn smiled. “Hallow Aniel!” He greeted the mute one too who didn't even twitch. Kya frowned, wondering why the man wouldn't speak but she bowed to the friendly one called Ezekiel.

  Ezikiel raised his hand. “Oh, Verdance, do not bow to one such as me,” he chuckled. His raised hands, however, allowed Kyla to notice the intricately designed tattoos on his arms. This made her realize the priest was a Thaumaturge.

  They walked past them and walked into the church’s main building and Kyla almost fainted from excitement. She had never been inside something so beautiful and appealing. The floor of the interior was grey, inlaid with several designs and depictions of saints that felt relaxing to look at. The church’s walls were concrete, but were inlaid with several fist sized gems, ranging from red to blue. At the center of the hall was an altar and the chairs, wooden and polished, were arranged in an almost enclosed circle.

  “This is beautiful,” Kyla gasped as she traced the several floors that elevated to the very top of the building.

  “Isn't it,” Finn shrugged as they chose a seat to patiently wait for Mia.