Chapter 49: Maidens And Slaves

Trint quickly dropped the blade and raised his hands. The guards paused their planned assault and put swords up within inches of Trint but didn’t strike. With the threat under control, the lead guard slowly leaned down and picked up the blade.

“You need to be more careful. I suppose you could sell this.” Sorry I mistook you for thieves with your coverings. But then a thief would know not to pull a blade on the guards. No matter, this is an excellent piece; how much do you want for that?

“What is it worth to you?” Trint haggled.

“How about some information and 12 SN5?” The guard offered.

“Trint,” Jester whispered, “May I have a moment?” Jester lowered his hands, and the guards slowly backed off but kept their swords ready.

“What is it?” Trint pulled Jester aside to ask.

“That is a lot of money. Maybe not in Joppa, but it should be plenty for a short stay in the city. I think you should agree, and we move on.”

“My friend here says you are driving a hard bargain. How about 14?” Trint confidently said, but Jester almost gave it away as he signed in resignation.

“Ah, I thought you said you weren’t merchants? The guard half-joked.

“13?” Trint tried again.

“Ok, you have a deal,” The guards agreed. “Plus the information as I am a keeper of my word. Go to the Maiden’s Curse. It is a good place to stay if you aren’t a lady. You should find the manager and tell them 843 sent you. He’ll know me and give you a decent deal on a place to stay. The 13 we agreed to…here,” he counted out some pieces of metal that looked like microchips to Trint. “13 should give you enough to stay for a month if you don’t need other things. Wait, do you have any other weapons to sell?”

“No, that was all, for now,” Trint fibbed.

“Alright, head straight till you get to a large fountain, then turn right and walk till you get to a lake. The Maiden is the place with rows of barrels across the front. Don’t ask them why the barrels are there if you want to avoid being taken advantage of. Ok, time for you to get out of here. I need to keep doing my duty.”

Trint and his group were happy to be passed that potential hornet’s nest and now into the snakes’ den that was the unknown city. Three humans amidst the sea of Subsystem sentient monsters. Even Jester and Cajan felt like aliens in this new world. They made their way to the Maiden’s Curse and avoided any issues.

They found the manager, who gave them no sign of whether he would talk to them until he cracked a smile and waved them over to the bar.

“So, how long you here? The rate is best by the week, or you can go daily. We offer food and drink for extra,” The manager said.

“We need two rooms for a couple of weeks and two meals daily. How much for that?” Trint asked.

“Well, two weeks, two rooms and meals for 3 of you… let’s call it an even 5SN4,” The manager quoted.

“I only have SN5. Can you make change?” Trint asked

“Show me. You’ll have to pay upfront because you look like you only have some SN2 if that,” the manager challenged.

“Trint pulled out a few of the Microchips, “Here, give me the change and show us the rooms, please.”

“Sorry for the suspicion. I don’t like to doubt my customers, but you look fresh from the trail or the gutter, and I couldn’t decide.”

“No problem,” Trint graciously accepted, “We are fresh to town from a long trip, and I’m exhausted.”

The manager showed them the rooms, and the party of three met in Trint’s room.

“Jester, you take a few of these. I want to scout the temple, and I suggest you two get some food and rest. I’ll be back soon, but if anything happens, use those funds, and I will find you if we get separated.”

“If that is what you recommend, we are happy to get some food and sleep. Thank you,” Jester said. They left for their room to get some rest.

Trint checked his coverings and asked the manager for directions.

“Can you tell me where I can find a blacksmith near the Sovereign sect temple? Someone told me there was a good one in that area,” Trint asked while pretending to adjust his bag and wraps. He hoped not to be too obvious.

“Sure, you’re probably looking for one called Black Steel. The temple is that way,” the manager pointed further west. “It’s the tallest of the three pyramids, and the smithy is just to the north. Look for the smoke.” He chuckled at his joke. “Where there is smoke and hammering, there’s usually a blacksmith. Anything else you need?”

“Nope, thanks”

“Awful polite; where you from?” The manager quirked an odd look at Trint.

“Farther than you could imagine,” Trint’s grin overcame the suspicion the manager was showing.

“I’ve heard that before,” The manager relaxed his stare. “But you do seem strange. Good luck anyway.”

Trint left the inn and headed further into the city toward the temple. He had no use for a blacksmith but eventually wanted some weapons for his companions. He didn’t know if Cajan would want a unique weapon or follow his father’s footsteps and learn the spear.

While Trint walked, he saw several parents guiding their kids through the crowd. That only hurt Trint’s heart, thinking of his family. He hoped that Kayden’s stubbornness didn’t lead to him becoming reckless. He wondered if the new family watching his wife and kids would help Kayden gain levels safely or if they would just let him learn in a trial-by-fire situation.

Either way, Trint wanted his family to grow but hoping they were safe eased his concerns.

Trint, lost in thought but keeping an eye on the tall pyramid, wandered down a narrower street. The light was dimmer, and there were fewer people, so he decided to keep going rather than backtrack.

His perception was picking up people, and he was trying to filter the conversations happening to see if any were interested in him. A few kids were running up behind him, and as they neared, Trint stepped to the side to allow them to pass. There were also some bigger creatures walking toward the kids.

One of the bigger ones was oddly proportioned like a primate—long arms and short legs but with the face of a bat. Trint thought about turning around to avoid them, but that might be more suspicious. So he continued. Trint made it past them without issue, but batman had stopped one of the kids.

“Hey there, you look like an SN4, and I haven’t seen one yet today. Let’s take this one to the yards,” batman said to his companion. “Kids were selling for a bit more than average the other day.

“I’m hungry, though,” the other bug-faced creature said.

“Well, you can get some better food after we sell this one.”

Trint had stopped without considering his actions and was now facing the two from only 15 feet away. The other kid watched further away, decided to run, and disappeared into a dark alleyway.

“Hey, what are you looking at? You! Little guy, turn around and keep walking, or you can go with this one,” batman yelled at Trint.

‘Not my fight, not my fight,’ Trint tried to coach himself and leave this crime for someone else to deal with. But there was something inside Trint that was breaking. A dam of justice that could not be withheld.

“No, then come here, you piece of..” The bat man’s words were cut short as Trint extended a whip of razor-sharp spirit wire and cleanly split the bat from left ear to right shoulder. There was nothing more it could say.’

“The other thug hadn’t registered what happened. The whip was too thin to see in the darkened street. By now, everyone near the scene had fled. The bug-faced brut stepped past his friend, unaware of his fate.

The following crack of Trint’s whip went straight through the face of the bug. The piercing damage killed the bug man instantly, and both bodies collapsed. The child who had been gripped ended up under the batman, and Trint went to extricate him. Throwing off the bulk of the bat, the child immediately sprung to his feet and looked around for more danger.

“Did you kill them? Oh man, I saw him die.” Glad you didn’t cut me open like that.” The boy looked like a splatter painting accident, but his cat-like face had been light white and yellow now were liberally splattered in red.

“You don’t look that strong, but you definitely must be. Are you an assassin? Where are you going? Can I come with you?”

“I’m headed west toward the temple,” Trint said and cast [Cleanse] on the little guy.

“Whoa! Ok, I owe you which temple? I know where they all are?” The boy insisted.

“There is a blacksmith near the Sovereign temple. “Trint decided the cat boy might be a better guide than him just wandering into random streets when the main one curved the wrong direction he needed.

“Oh yeah, I know that one. I can take you. Give me a minute.” The boy reached down and went through the pockets of the dead beast men who had tried to sell him to slavery. Satisfied with his finds, he stood and kicked the bat man’s corpse.

“Ok, let’s go.” The boy rapidly said while already leading the way.

“Do you think anyone will come looking for me after that?” Trint asked.

“Nah, they were nobody special,” The boy confirmed, “Plus, the people around here won’t talk.”

“Ok, well, lead the way,” Trint followed behind.

The kid stepped closer and grabbed Trint’s hand. “No, not that way. You can’t go the most direct way unless you want to run into more like those.”

Trint knew he was headed in the right direction in general. Trint protested by not moving along with the tug on his arm.

“Come on, trust me,” the kid’s genuine insistence won out. The kid pulled Trint to backtrack one alley, and they started to zig-zag through the streets. The streets were lined with vendors and shops on their route, not empty ominous passages. Trint tried to take in everything, seeing a few he might stop in later.

After what seemed too long, trint could see the large pyramid growing to fill more of the sky above the other buildings. The city was vast as he’d yet to see the outside wall in their entire travel, and the density of people was more significant than he saw in i7.

Trint stopped the boy at their destination and knelt by him.

“Thank you can for showing me the way. It was farther than I’d thought. Maybe my saving you was sufficient payment for your time?”

“Yeah, I guess, unless you got some extra chips to spare?” The boy passingly remarked.

“You call them chips?” Trint asked.

“Yeah, there are lots of names, but I call them chips, like how one is just a chip of a bigger valued one. Thanks for saving me, bye,” the kid was gone into the passing crowd, and Trint was left watching for any other signs of followers. After just a minute of leaning against a building wall, he changed direction and went to the sovereign sect temple.

‘Got a plan for not getting killed on sight,’ Trint asked Pneuma.

‘Yeah, pretend like you know where you’re going till you find someone who looks important. Then I’ll stop blocking your title, and them see you are a Sovereign, and they shouldn’t kill you when you reveal you are human.’

‘Sounds better than my plan,’ Trint agreed.

‘And what were you thinking?’ Pneuma wondered.

‘Try to sneak in and find a secret entrance or clues to why a sovereign sect has a pyramid. They were important in Earth’s history for the Egyptians, and maybe they have hidden secrets here too.’

‘Well, let’s try to get their assistance rather than get caught slinking around the place,’ Pneuma recommended.

‘We will go with your plan. Although if yours fails, we will have to fight our way out, if mine fails, we just run away. But, I like your plan better.’

‘Good, now act natural and get in there,’ Pneuma lit up Trint’s view with a few options to access the main temple.

As Trint got close, he was nearing the crowd making a line to enter the temple. He joined a line, following the example of others, his head reverently bowed as if praying and contemplating.

The line led the worshippers to a wide hallway with some guards. They seemed to be sorting and directing the traffic after seeing the right hand of the worshippers.

Not sure what was expected but worried he would have to reveal his hand, he stopped walking. The line behind bumped into him, and one guard left the formation and headed towards Trint.