Chapter 4- Civilization

As I walk through the gate and inside the walls proper I take in the scene inside. I can feel a smile stretching wider and wider across my face as I take in the sight before me; A few dozen meters behind the gate there is a huge bazaar with thousands of people peddling, haggling and browsing the laid out wares.

I can see everything from fruits, to bread and meats to metal based tools, weapons and armor I presume. Basically everything one may think to want, one could seemingly find somewhere out there in the bazaar.

A long moment passes as I stare out over the bazaar intently. I am brought out of my thoughts by a few guards descending the stairs from the guard station to my right and heading for me.

The guards come to a stop once they reach my vicinity.

"Traveler. We need to $(#)/ you for #&+$." The lead guard who seems to be an officer, with his right shoulder pauldron finely decorated with gold and red.

"Hello. I, traveler. I come, over there" I say in broken Gallion as I gesture back towards where I came from.

"You, need what, from me?" I ask in equally broken speech.

'God… Can't the skill hurry up and level already?' I inwardly lament at my inability to speak properly.

The guard looks back at his fellow guards, who give one another a look that practically screens: [Is this guy for real?! God, this'll be annoying…]

'Hey I don't like this shit either, so cut me some slack.' I grumble to myself in my mind as I watch their interaction.

Sighing, the guard turns back toward me and looks me up and down. "#$-#+ me." He says and gestures for me to follow him; So I do just that.

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After a short walk, we stop in front of a large and impressively decorated building; I would guess it is another guard station, but it could just as well be a library for all I know.

Without further stopping, the guard walks up to the door, opens it and walks inside after giving me a glance and a head nod for me to follow him inside, which I do.

Once inside I take in the richly decorated hall I now find myself standing in: It has a thick red carpet laid out leading further inside with a dozen or so of finely polished armors with large polearms and spears standing a meter or so away from the carpet on either side, standing spaced perfectly in a perfectly straight line alongside the luxerious red carpet leading further inside the hall.

"Follow me." The guard says as he gives me a look before turning on his heels and starts walking along the red carpet.

Mentally shrugging, I do as told and fall in behind him as I take in the details of the hall. 'This building has a nobel's house type of vibe somehow…' I muse as I walk along on the plush and luxurious red carpet.

A few minutes of walking later the guard stops in front of a large and finely decorated wooden door upon which he gives 2 firm knocks.

"Enter" Comes a deep voice from the other side of the door. Upon the reply, the guard basically shoves me inside and quickly slinks inside behind me and promptly closes the door behind him with an audible click.

In front of me sits an unassuming man behind a large and impressive hardwood desk. He is dressed in a finely woven outfit that reminds me of one of those fantasy stories that were made into films, you know: Finely woven cloth intermingled with tough leather patches to protect the wearer, complete with a long hooded robe.

As the man's eyes lock on to me, a shiver goes up my spine and I am suddenly very aware of this man's piercing and powerful gaze as he inspects me carefully, scrutinizing me from head to toe.

The guard is still standing perfectly still a few steps behind me, waiting attentively for the man's reaction.

"Uhm… Something, wrong?" I ask the seemingly unassuming man with the thoroughly intimidating gaze nervously as he continues staring at me, unmoving and unresponsive.

… "... Hello?" I ask tentatively as the man keeps staring at me, still unresponsive and unmoving.

The guard behind me shushes me and I return to wait in silence as the man with the scary gaze keeps staring at me intently for a long few minutes.

"Huuu… Well, well. He is quite…#&@#, this man." The scary man finally says after a very long and awkward wait. "He is #$&, but I do not know the +$-#..." The man continues before he takes out a crystal ball from a desk drawer.

"#@$, put &## hand on this #-&@." The man says as he stretches out his hand with the crystal ball in it.

'So I am supposed to touch it? … What does it do? Is it safe? … … Guess I don't really get a choice here though; What would I do? Say no and run? Doubt I'd get far, what with all the guards I saw as I came in through the gates.' I think before shrugging and walking up to the desk and putting my hand on the crystal ball.

Once my hand touches the crystal ball, a bright yellow light is emitted and partially blinds me for a moment.

The light quickly recedes however, and my sight is quickly restored as I look to the scary man for a response; He simply looks thoughtful and then takes on a pondering pose with his chin resting in his right hand and his gaze losing focus as he slightly tilts his head upwards towards the roof of the hall.

A long moment passes as me and the guard stand quietly waiting for the scary man to come out of his thoughts.

Finally, the focus of his gaze returns and he refocuses his gaze onto me, sending another cold shiver up my spine as the intensity and power of his gaze settles unto me.

"Let him go. He is a #$&; I do not to $#&, it &#$# be fine." The man says and waves us away before he returns his attention to the documents laid out on the man's desk.

As the man waves us away, the guard grabs my arm and leads me out of the door before promptly turning and quietly closing it behind him before refocusing his attention unto me.

"You are $#& to go. I will see you out." The guard says before quickly showing me out of the hall, and after a quick 'Good day' the guard promptly turns and returns to the guard post by the gate, which leaves me all alone in a city I know nothing about.

Watching the guard until he walks out of my sight, I sweep my gaze over my surroundings; a seemingly high income residential area.

"Well… What now? I'm in a city I know nothing about, and I have no idea where anything is…" I mutter quietly to myself. "Well, that's not entirely true; I know where the bazaar is." I add after a moment of thought.

As I will need money to be able to do anything in the city, I decided to go back to the bazaar and see if I could sell some of the loot that I received from the black razor tiger that almost killed me last night so that I can receive at least some funds.

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End of chapter 4