After Kiyu had more or less acceptingly paid the high admission price for her and Laki, they went through the big gate and got their first glimpse of the interior behind the high walls.

"Wow!" escaped both of them.

"Pinch me, I think I'm dreaming!" gushed Laki at the sight of the city.

Relaxed, Kiyu, who was standing right next to Laki, raised her hand and gave Laki a light punch with a fist against her shoulder.

"Ouch! What was that for?" exclaimed Laki, looking over at Kiyu in offense.

There was silence between them for a moment until they both burst out laughing without a warning.

"I don't believe it, Laki. They even have houses made of stone here." admired Kiyu as she let her gaze wander. Unlike the fishing village of Harios, which comprised wooden houses, this was a whole different world!

Everything was so incredible until...

"Get out of the way you brats!" an older man complained as he walked past Kiyu, bumping her shoulder.

"Hey!" she scolded, but the stranger ignored her, so she whispered a soft "asshole" after him.

"Anyway, we'll find a place to stay first," she determined, taking Laki by the hand as they walked through the large city.

Merchants entered Jarifa via the great main street. Some were leaving Jarifa, others, like the two girls, had just arrived.

No one paid attention to the small side streets, and so Kiyu concluded they led to the streets for the residents of the houses. Understandable, who wanted to have his house entrance on the main street with all the people passing by.

Astonished, they followed the main street until they reached a marketplace, into which the street led. The huge marketplace was circular, with a fountain in the center.

In the outer area of the marketplace, many merchants had set up small stalls, some of which were mobile, but some also belonged to fixed stores with their own houses, especially for weapons, armors and other items.

Apart from the main street, several other streets led away from the market, but she couldn't tell where they would lead.

"So many people and stalls," she gulped.

The two bandits had not exaggerated when they said there would be thousands of people.

"Stop! You there!" shouted an armed man at the fountain, who looked dressed like an official. "Get away from the fountain at once!"

His order had been for a traveler who, like Laki and Kiyu, had just arrived and wanted to take a sip of water at the fountain.

"Just a little, dear sir. I am so thirsty." pleaded the traveler.

Now that he was the center of attention, Kiyu had only noticed that he looked worn out and had seen better days.

"Forget it! By order of lord Xianzhu, no one may touch the well!" the guard roared, placing a hand on the hilt of the sword at his belt. "If you want to drink, buy yourself some!"

This also clarified the question of what Jorgas meant by the ruler of Jarifa being strict. However, the dimensions shocked them. It was only about a little water from a well, wasn't it? How could one be so narrow-minded?

"Come, we'd better keep moving," Kiyu whispered, holding Laki's hand tight.

They walked away from the action and only saw the man staggering away from the well.

"Can't we give him something?" begged Laki, as she looked at the man.

"I'm sorry.", Kiyu replied. She never would have guessed that she would react this way. "First, I want to know how much it costs to stay here with food."

Cheryu interfered again after a long period of silence. Just loud enough for Laki, who seemed pleased by the spirit's words, to hear.

"I knew you wouldn't keep me waiting long" Kiyu whispered instead of carrying on the discussion in her mind. At least this way Laki would hear the whole discussion without asking questions.

"Is it my fault he doesn't have water?" she criticized.

Kiyu also found the situation unfair and incomprehensible. But she also had to take care of her sister, and that meant getting by with the little money they had.

"Already understood," she sighed.

That wisdom had made the most sense so far among all the wisdom Cheryu had already shared with her.

It wouldn't improve her situation, but now that she had reached this point, she couldn't go back unless she wanted to see herself as an evil person.

"Bring him two copper coins." she said to Laki, releasing her hand. "According to normal prices he should get some bread and some water from that, and if not, at least water."

Laki nodded with a smile, gave Kiyu the rest of the money apart from the two coppers and ran with it to the stranger who was already almost on the main road.

The stranger's gratitude and smile would not help them, but at least she felt she had done something good.

"Hey!" she yelled when she felt someone run into her.

"Don't you have eyes in the!" she was about to chide when she noticed that the other person was just a boy.

She guessed him to be about her age, but she could never be sure. After all, she was taller than an average sized boy her age.

"I... I'm sorry," the boy stammered, looking up at Kiyu in fear.

"No offense" she replied after catching sight of her counterpart's frightened face.

The boy nodded once and then kept running.

'This town is going to be a real challenge for me yet.'

With her temper, it was only a matter of time before she would snap and beat someone up. But considering how the guards here already reacted when someone just wanted to drink some water from the well, she didn't even want to experience the punishment for a beating.

Just when she was about to sink into thoughts about punishments, Laki already came again.

"Did you see how happy he was?" she said with a smile. "He even told me we should just watch out in Jarifa," she told.

"There seem to be some muggers and even organized gangs here, despite the many guards and strict rules. By the way… who was that boy?"

"Yes, I did," she replied as Laki snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Wait. Can you repeat that again?" asked Kiyu as she raised her eyebrows, to make sure she heard everything correct.

"I asked who that boy was, that you talked with.", Laki repeated as requested.

"No, not that." she scolded Laki. "The one before that!"

"Oh! He said there are muggers here for organize crime."

"How could he know that when he is new...." An icy shiver ran down her spine while she was still in mid-sentence.

An uneasy feeling overcame her, and she searched her entire body for the coins she had stashed for Laki, but no jingle sounded and no coin she felt.

"Shit!" she snapped, "the coins are gone!"

"What do you mean with gone?" asked Laki, confused.

"The boy from earlier! He must have stolen them when he ran into me!" Kiyu was almost embarrassed that she had lost her money in such a simple way.

All the money she and Laki relied on for their survival. Gone! So that was the payment for their kindness. Gratitude expressed with theft!

With what Laki had told, Kiyu was sure that the helpless man and this little boy worked together. How else could he know about organized crime? Neither she nor Laki had heard anything about it when passing the gate, or on the streets.

"They've tricked us!"

Kiyu would have liked to punch herself, but that would not bring her money back and would also draw the attention of the market, since her minor commotion had already drawn a few stares now.

"Come on, Laki, we'll go on for now," she whispered.

She was uncomfortable with the thought of stopping there now and discussing everything else.

"What are we supposed to do now, Kiki?" mumbled Laki.

"I don't know," she confessed.

Stealing in this city was not an option for her. The boy and the older man were skilled and knew what they could afford and where. But Kiyu did not want Laki to take such a risk. Not when the guards acted so aggressive and willing to fight over far less.

"We have to find this boy somehow!" she decided. "They belong to such a street gang as the man had described. So they must still be in the city somewhere!"

At least that was the hope Kiyu could only cling to, if she wanted to take care of Laki.