Chapter 131: City Docks

Stryg left Hollow Shade’s East Gate and was met with a long bustling dirt road. Wagons carrying large amounts of supplies walked past him, as did the occasional carriage. People milled all around Rhian and him, but, despite his vantage point from the saddle, he could not see any ships.

“Where are the boats? I thought the docks were supposed to have ships,” Stryg said.

“The docks start all the way up the road. You see those buildings up there?” Rhian pointed at the hill in the distance.

“Hm, yeah. But, why is it so far away? Wouldn’t it be easier for all these people to carry their stuff if the buildings were closer by?”

Rhian began making her way through the crowds. Most people moved out of the way, no one wanted to be accidentally trampled by a centaur.

“That’s a good question and your centaur extraordinaire knows the answers,” she smiled.

“Answers? There’s more than one?”

“Three to be exact. The first is that the Dire River doesn’t run through the city, it’d take way too much space. The river passes by the hill, so the docks are built around there. The warehouses where the goods are stored are too big to be built out here, they’d be too close to the walls.”

Stryg turned back and looked up at the looming ebon walls, “The shades.”

“Exactly, no one wants to be eaten by shades, come dark. Hence, the warehouses are inside the walls and why people travel down this long dirt road.” Rhian groaned, “ Gods why couldn’t they just make it cobblestone, my poor shiny hooves.”

“The whole thing does seem a bit much,” he said.

Stryg glanced at the hundreds of commoners who could not afford a wagon and were forced to carry large sacks on their backs. No one even bothered to look up at Rhian’s beautiful appearance, they were all too busy trying to finish their jobs.

As they reached the top of the hill Stryg was met with buildings all around, each with a large sign promising the best of one product or another. The place was more crowded than the East Gate. The scent of fish immediately assaulted Stryg’s nostrils. He winced from the strong scent.

“Welcome to the docks, Hollow Shade’s direct line of trade with the Great City of Frost Rim,” Rhian said proudly.

But Stryg wasn’t listening to her. His eyes were focused on the dozens of ships down below at the edge of the hill and the large blue expanse that spanned across the horizon.

“That’s the… river?” Stryg muttered in awe.

“Yeah?” Rhian glanced back at him. “Oh, you’re wearing that super surprised face, like when we saw those frost wolves.”

“How is that a river? It’s so big,” Stryg said in a hushed tone.

“Well, they don’t call it the Dire River for nothing,” Rhian chuckled.

Stryg didn’t say another word and simply stared at the blue giant of water. There was something about the way the sun’s light hit the water that evoked something in him. A sense of wonder he hadn’t ever cared to notice.

“What is that?”

The small voice broke Stryg away from his thoughts. He glanced down at a little human girl, her stubby finger was pointed straight at his face.

“Shh, be quiet,” the mother grabbed her daughter’s hand and dragged her away.

“But, it looks so weiiird,” the daughter kept pointing.

The mother froze in her steps.

Judging from her shabby clothes and patched skirt, Stryg guessed she was a commoner. The poor folk of the city knew what it meant for someone to be riding a centaur, especially one as elegant as Rhian. The rider had to be rich, powerful, or an aristocrat, possibly all three.

Most commoners understood what happened when they disrespected a centaur rider, even if that commoner was just a child.

The mother’s eyes widened in fear, she looked up at Stryg, “I-I’m so s-sorry. Please, forgive my daughter, she’s only five. She does not know to whom she speaks.”

Stryg’s face was impassive, his eyes cold.

“Mommy?” The little girl bit her lip.

The woman threw herself to the floor, “Please, punish me, just let my daughter go, please.”

The crowd around kept their faces down and made sure to give them ample room as they walked past. No one wanted to get involved.

“Mommy?” The little girl began to cry.

“Master?” Rhian whispered, her forehead wrinkled with worry.

“...Let’s go, Rhian,” Stryg said.

Rhian cantered onward, pushing past the crowd. Stryg raised the cloak of his hood. He didn’t want Rhian to see his face and determine what he felt or perhaps he simply didn’t want others to see how different he really looked.

He sighed, his body shrank inward, his head bowed low.

Even a child knows it, he thought bitterly.

From the wealthiest of aristocrats like Freya to the poorest of children, they all had the same thought when they looked at him. A freak.

Stryg suddenly felt very tired, all he wanted was to go home, crawl in bed, and feel the warmth of Feli sleeping next to him.

Stryg rested his head on the back of Rhian. He closed his eyes and tried to let the chirping of the birds flying over the docks carry his mind away.

The sounds of the occasional whistles directed at Rhian broke his attention. He hated it but did nothing. His fighting spirit burned low, for once all he wanted was to be left alone.

Stryg smiled wryly, the Blood Fang tribe would be ashamed. What had happened to him? He had grown soft, he was letting his emotions get the better of him. Gods, he hated feeling this way.

As for Rhian, she was smiling pridefully. She strutted down the docks with her head held high. She drew the eye of merchants and commoners alike, her raven hair and high cheekbones an uncommon sight among centaurs.

“Why are you prancing about like an idiot?” Maximus called out.

He stood at the corner of the street, his arms crossed, and his grey eyes full of judgment.

“Good to see you too, Maxy,” Rhian frowned. “And it’s called a catwalk. It’s quite sophisticated, not that I’d expect you war-types to know anything about such things.”

“You’re right, we don’t concern ourselves with the mysterious ways of how to walk like a clown,” Maximus shook his head.

“Maximus?” Stryg raised his head.

Loh dismounted from behind Maximus, his large brawny frame had eclipsed his rider completely. Stryg jumped down from his saddle and walked up to Loh.

“Master,” he bowed. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here? That’s what I should be asking you,” Loh looked him up and down.

“What?” Stryg cocked his head.

“Tauri told me of what happened with Freya Goldelm yesterday. I went to your apartment this morning looking for you, but you weren’t there. Feli told me you had gone to the Mortis Grove for a party at the Mora castle?!”

“Birthday party,” Stryg corrected.

Loh groaned, “Do you not understand what the problem here is?”

“No? The academy is on break, so I won’t be missing any of my lessons.”

“You can’t go outside the city on your own without telling me,” Loh sighed.

“I didn’t realize I needed your permission to go where I pleased,” Stryg narrowed his eyes.

“When it comes to leaving the city you do! The Ebon Realm can be very dangerous, you don’t know what could happen outside the walls. I need you to stay safe.”

“Unlike you, master, I wasn’t born in Hollow Shade. I know exactly the kind of dangers that lurk outside the walls.”

“No, you don’t. This isn’t some random wolf or dumb hunter. There are magi out there who could kill you if you disrespect them,” Loh shook her head.

Stryg frowned, “Do you think my people are dumb? That the Sylvan tribes don’t have magi? That we all just run around naked through the trees hoping we don’t get randomly eaten?”

“I’m just saying that you don’t understand the dangers that you might face and you need to let me know before you leave the city.”

“Have you ever faced a dragon?” Stryg asked.

“What?”

“Have you ever faced a dragon?”

“Obviously not. No one survives an encounter with a dragon,” Loh furrowed her brow.

“I have,” Stryg whispered. “I think I know very clearly what the dangers outside are like. And if you believe for one moment that Vulture Woods, my birthplace, the place I grew up, is somehow safer than Hollow Shade, then I suggest you never leave these walls.”

“Excuse me?!” Loh's eyes twitched in anger. “What makes you think you can talk to me like that? That’s your problem, you just don’t think sometimes. If I was any other high master I would have kicked your ass!”

Stryg stayed quiet, but his pupils were as thin as blades.

“And don’t get me started on Freya. You almost killed her. She’s in serious condition because of your antics.”

“She insulted all goblins, she thinks she’s better than us just because of who we are,” Stryg muttered.

“It doesn’t matter what she thinks. She’s a daughter of House Goldelm, a Ruling Family. They are dangerous! You might be safe now in the academy, but what about when you graduate. They could prove a serious threat.”

“So, I should just let her disrespect go? Say nothing? Do nothing?” Stryg said quietly.

“Exactly. Who cares what she says about goblins. Plenty of people talk shit about goblins, it doesn’t matter.”

Stryg grit his teeth, “You’re wrong. It does matter.”

“No, it really doesn’t,” Loh crossed her arms.

“Would you say that if the whole city thought dark elves were worthless? If they were treated as undeserving of the simplest gestures of respect? That not a single one can even become a merchant, let alone an aristocrat? That your whole people were destroyed and forgotten. Would you stand here and tell me that none of it mattered?”

“Stryg, what the hell are you talking about? You can become whatever you want, you are a mage, a talented one at that.”

Stryg’s small shoulders trembled. He took a deep breath, “As requested, I am letting you know that I am leaving Hollow Shade and will be back in about two weeks. Excuse me, but I have a ship to catch.”

“I have my own ship we can take, no need to leave just yet,” Loh grinned.

“You’re coming?” Stryg took a step back.

“Lord Mora invites all the Ruling Families to his parties, I just decided to accept for once. I can’t let my dumbass apprentice get into trouble while I’m gone,” Loh ruffled his hair.

“I’m sorry, but I already made plans with Callum Veres and Clypeus Gale. I’ll travel on the Veres ship. We’ll meet up at the castle. I promise I’ll try not to get into trouble on the way. Goodbye,” Stryg bowed and walked away.

“Nice seeing you both,” Rhian made a hasty bow before she trotted away.

Loh frowned, “What the hell is wrong with that boy? I thought he’d be glad I was coming. Not to mention his attitude. He never acts that way.”

Maximus stared at the tiny back of the goblin off in the distance. He understood what Stryg felt, but he didn’t have the luxury of voicing his opinion. “Perhaps Stryg is just in an irritable mood? Happens to us all.”

“Perhaps…” Loh muttered.

She didn’t want to lose her apprentice, not again.