Cosimo looked up into the sky filled with pink clouds. He was laying on Timothy’s back as Timothy was in full gallop over open plains filled with a grass carpet rustling in the wind. Small hills were here and there. Cosimo pulled out the crystal that he got from Xana. It had four points, and was colorless. When he saw Xana pull it out, it was blue.

“Hey kid, what’s your name?”, asked Timothy.

“Cosimo. Hey, why did the color of this crystal change when Xana gave it to me?”, he asked.

“It’s an energy thing. You don’t even know that?”, said Timothy. At the very least, Cosimo was from far away, thought Timothy.

“What’s this city we’re going to called?”, Cosimo asked. Might as well make small talk.

“Aleppo. It’s big and white,” said Timothy.

Aleppo itself was a border city that grew as a trade hub between the city-state of Marscione and the surrounding nation of Grunkirk. There was a sea to the east of Marscione that surrounded it on the north and east entirely, and due to the plains dotted with small hills it was great farming territory.

Marscione was the only national power in the country because to the south and west there were treacherous mountains. Naturally people had found safer paths here and there through the mountain ranges and the easiest paths that got the most attention and geoforming to create convenient trade routes formed a border town at the end of them.

Aleppo was one of these, and being a small town they would trade with the neighboring powers Grunkirk and Marscione equally, and the mayor of Aleppo would have to have connections with both to be approved. This was a problem.

The mayor of Aleppo, Baqashot, was having difficulties. He had his head implanted on the desk in front of him and was half-crying. If only a hero from another world could see him now, they would offer him some sort of administrative cheat from the modern era devised by trial and error of ages of human failure and perseverance.

Really though, even they might have trouble with this one. He pulled his head up and you could see his face was screwed up and his hands were supporting his head dutifully.

“Secretary!”

He grumbled out loud. It was more of a whine.

“Yes, mayor?”, said the secretary.

“Just… bring me all of the alcohol,” whined Baqashot. He wanted wine too.

The secretary knew his mood was sour, so she just went to a chest marked with sigils and started bringing bottles. It was chilly inside the chest.

He was always like this when war was about to break out. Granted, Dunkirk was threatening for awhile now so this was nothing new. They were the closest military power covering the surrounding lands outside of the mountains sealing off Marscione and the border towns like Aleppo. They answered to Grunkirk, but had ambitions of their own.

Ambitions for conquering Aleppo.

The alcohol was not nearly as strong as earth’s moonshine, designed entirely to only affect the mind’s processes with sigils using mental magic engraved on them.

The liver and pancreas were spared entirely from negative influence, so drinking was only useful for having a good time and making bad life decisions rather than actually destroying the body over a long, protracted period of time. No hangovers to boot. However, addiction is addiction despite being in another world.

Baqashot twisted off the magically sealed tops quickly and took a heavy load into his mouth as his cheeks puffed. It dribbled disgustingly down his mouth into his thick beard and Cherise stood there patiently.

Baqashot stared languidly as he slammed the bottle down. He wasn’t even looking anywhere in particular, just imagining his eventual doom and mulling over it.

“I think it’s really going to happen this time. Before, the Dunnies were okay with Marcies tariffs. Since that Cromwell guy took power though in Marscione, it’s all been downhill. Really, I wish someone could just take him out. Just walk in there and kill him and maybe take over the city, become a benevolent dictator, lower the taxes and start a pax marsciona, you know what I mean?”, said Baqashot.

“Yes, sir,” the secretary said.

The secretary was dutiful and kind and wonderful as a human being. Her homicidal fantasies towards Baqashot was fueling her writing and it was a stable job so her practiced business smile will never waver.

“Just what does that fat bastard expect me to do? Tell Marcies to shove off? No, no, I can barely function on the taxes as is, I told him that, why doesn’t he care? Why does nobody care? This is going to be a war at this point, a war. We’re going to be a staging ground, I’m going to probably get killed with a puppet put in place to keep everything running smoothly, and hell, those damn adventurer’s,” Baqashot stopped to breath in more alcohol.

“Those damn adventurer’s are just gonna sit there and just get even more money. It's already untaxable! Grunnies don’t tax’em, Marcies don’t tax’em, why do border towns like us get all the taxes! Not to mention they have enough crazy bastards with their ridiculous magic and sigil weapons and Arts and shit like that that they could defend the town for once. What’s an army or two? Would Dunkirk even think about attacking if I could get the adventurer’s on my side?”, Baqashot whined as he drank wine.

“I should just run,” Baqashot concluded.

“Um, sir. I know the situations difficult but Marcione isn’t even answering to bribes anymore, Avingon is the nearest border town but there’s no way they’ll accept you knowing that Dunkirk forces will be occupying Aleppo. You have to stay here and attempt to placate them, it's the only chance I see for any of us,” said the secretary.

He looked at her with shiny eyes. He knew she was tired of him, but he kept her around because she didn’t quit. To think she was honestly thinking of a way out of this for him.

“It’s unfortunate but with this being such a difficult issue, not even the adventurer’s will get involved no matter how much money you give them. I suppose you could cast away your name, disguise yourself in a crowd, and leave all your money to a trusted individual in order to smuggle it to another nation outside of Grunkirk…”, said the secretary. This was her chance.

“Cherise, don’t kid me with that one. I’d have to leave the money with you, and you’d probably just stay here and blow it on whatever,” he gestured with the bottle in his hand and took another swig.

He slammed the bottle down.

“I’ll end it here. I’ve been running for far too long, if they want to kill me in my city I’ll go down bowing down as hard as possible offering myself as a supplicant to their cause!” ,Baqashot cheered.

The light from a nearby window cast a shadow on half of his face. He thought he looked cool as he stood up and said that, but Cherise was busy dreaming of the red light district and didn’t even notice.

“I’m heading to Dunkirk’s Embassy. Alert him with a sigil bird, I’m gonna bow my head and give him the keys to the city. Here’s hoping that fat bastard is still here eating some decopoda,” Baqashot did a mini toast and drained a newly opened bottle for good luck.

======

“So there might be a war?”, said Cosimo. He wasn’t too comfortable with that. Couldn’t people in other worlds just be nice and fight against monsters?

“Best I can tell, it’s just Dunkirk that wants the war. Sounds fun,” said Timothy.

They came upon Aleppo in the distance.

Towering white walls with a flat top. Images etched into the sides across the entire length, layered on top of each other in squares. A comparatively small gate of white wood to match the walls was visible in the distance with a small line queueing.

“Wow, wonder what those images are for?”, Cosimo asked Timothy.

“History. They must have figured that even if the town get’s taken over, the walls will be preserved because they are pretty,” Timothy said. He silently admired that cunning.

Timothy pulled into the line and Cosimo slipped off of Timothy. It was a stable and comfortable ride. Cosimo had heard of horses being uncomfortable, but what about pilosa?

“I just hand him this right?”, said Cosimo.

“You’re a farmer’s son. Xana’s son. Just say that to the lady at the guild too,” said Timothy, “Also, don’t talk to me in town. You’ll look crazy. It’s not normal around here for pilosa to talk.”

“Alright, I got it. Thanks,” Cosimo said being polite. Timothy really was going out of his way, he thought. Maybe he was starting to believe him.

Cosimo got his turn.

“Here, I’m here to join the adventurer’s guild,” said Cosimo to the gate guard. He was armored in white with a spear. Lots of etching with vines like veins spread out across both.

“Xana?”, he held the crystal, and it gleamed blue for a second.

“That’s my mom, she’s a farmer,” said Cosimo. He was good at this, he thought.

“Okay, it’s five rukh, cost of entry,” the gate guard said as he touched it to a nearby metal plate.

Huh, it’s like home isn’t it? Cosimo thought as he received the crystal back. Identification and credit card in one, thats nice.

Cosimo took in the city, Timothy following dutifully behind him.

A river, extending to the city center. Small submarines putted around the rivers crossing under low bridges. White rock fanned into the horizon, with buildings etched from the pavement to every inch of the building with vines like veins. He saw some strange writing that looked like a rune on a building, a massive glass window filled with them. It the sky, shining metal bird’s flocked about all different colors. Each one seemed to know exactly where it was going, some were carrying small packages. He wanted to ask Timothy about it but kept his mouth shut. Being crazy would be bad.

Timothy nudged him silently with his pace to guide him.

There was a building near the city center after walking for awhile, full wood with windows that stood out from the mass of white stone of the city. A huge sign with a series of images depicting a battle with a dragon was depicted. The adventurer’s guild for sure, Cosimo thought.

On a patio in front of the building there was wild west saloon like doors and cafe seats filled with customers and food. A red-brown haired girl caught his eye. Long hair, tied with a golden bangle with some more of that strange writing. Her clothing was red and brown, with a red shawl that wrapped around her shoulders. Her chin was on the table on the patio, her eyes dull. Cosimo felt a thump in his heart. Something was wrong with her, he thought, even if she was definitely striking. Cosimo looked to Timothy and took off into the building. A group of adventurers near the door caught his eye as he locked eyes with a stone faced fellow in black. The was a girl with a witch hat, another girl in a black robe with gold lining with a staff that had a tiny bat on the top, and an unmistakable dwarf.

Cosimo entered the guild. Those people looked interesting. Maybe he’d join a group like that? He wasn’t sure Timothy would stick around much longer, although Cosimo wished he would. Timothy was strong, and his angry side seemed to belie a kindness. Isn’t it exciting?

Cosimo held in his anticipation as he approached the desk.

“Hello, welcome to the Aleppo branch Adventurer's Guild. Is this your first time here?”, said a clerk.

Cosimo felt his heart lighten.

“I’m a son of farmer from the countryside. I heard anyone could get an identification crystal here,” Cosimo said.

“Yes. Put your hand here,” she directed him to a small machine with a hole at the bottom. I put it in there right?, thought Cosimo.

“The identification crystal to take out loans, store money in a bank, make purchases, add and cast spells, open safe deposit boxes, and register for a local identification which will allow you to register for a farmer’s license. That’s what you’re here for right?”

Farmer’s need a license here? Wait, maybe farmer’s need a license on earth too. Better fake it for now, Cosimo thought.

“Ah, not right now. I’m busy,” Cosimo said.

He put his hand in the box. He heard a beep and felt a tap on his hand.

“I’ll transfer this to the identification crystal,” said the clerk.

“How do I know more about specific abilities that I have? Does the guild test for that?”, Cosimo asked.

“That's another function of the identification crystal. It’s very important for you not to talk about your status with others you know, people that know the abilities of their opponent often get cocky and will take it as an excuse to target someone. It’s a common thing that once people reveal their abilities to each other, that they are often exploited,” the clerk warned.

“That sounds harsh… but isn’t it common for people to show off their skills to get jobs and the like?”, posited Cosimo.

“Reputation and a history of accomplishments are really important for that, but the element of surprise is key to being an adventurer. You’ll die horribly if you underestimate anyone,” said the clerk.

She handed Cosimo a six sided crystal.

“Ah, I’m sorry,” she said as she handed it over.

“What about?”, Cosimo was confused.

“Oh, it’s just that you're the lowest quality. Lots of people are six points and do fine though. When you have less points on a identification crystal, it’s like having a higher potential,” she said.

Cosimo was flabbergasted. He didn’t think much of himself in the first place, but to have proof of it in front of his eyes was insulting. It was glowing blue now that he took it into his hands.

“Please don’t look like that, I’m sure you’ll do fine. Do you know how to use it to check your skills?”, she added.

“No, if you mind?”, Cosimo urged her.

“Just hold the crystal and think status. Your abilities and level should come up in your mind,” said the clerk.

Hmm, level like a game? Damn you Susanoo! Wait, shouldn’t he be happy? Cosimo thought status. He was level two. Kind of strange, he thought he would be level one. Under level was ‘magic’ and under that with a blank title in a column all its own he saw the abilities ‘Mediocre’ and ‘Average’.

“Uh, how do I check out the abilities?”, Cosimo asked at a loss.

“You have abilities already? Oh, I shouldn’t pry… just focus on them and think that you want a description,” the clerk explained.

Cosimo followed her direction. No explanation showed up, for either ability. Bug in the system? Wait, if even Susanoo didn’t know what they did, does only that tech startup on earth know? They must be pretty good to design an ability that works in another world. He decided to drop it, as asking would just confuse the clerk.

“What’s this color mean?”, Cosimo said pointing to his identification crystal.

It was then that he heard shouts from outside. Cosimo, thinking that maybe Timothy went on a rampage, burst outside before getting an answer to his question.

Timothy was riding off, that girl in red with her massive ponytail tied with a golden bangle trailing behind her balancing on top standing. With a smug grin on her face, Cosimo saw.

Should I go after him? After all it’s Timothy’s choice who he hangs out with, just wish he would have told me, Cosimo thought angrily. His first friend in another world had betrayed him, he felt down.

“Ah! The pilosa! Save the pilosa! Arge!”, the girl with the witch hat was cheering as she ran off after Timothy. Rather high energy isn’t she?, Cosimo thought.

“I knew it. I knew this day was heading this way the moment I saw that pilosa unchained…”, grumbled the stone faced kid that Cosimo saw earlier. He leaped out over the patio and made for the girl, tailing her closely.

“Ah, you guys go have fun okay? I’ll stay with Doru,” said the girl with the black robe. Why is that bat on her staff so tiny anyways?, Cosimo thought. There wasn’t much point to that was there?

The dwarf, Doru, was drinking and already looked drunk.

Cosimo saw them running off to go save his friend from the pilosa thief. But, they didn’t know Timothy could think. He wished he could stop them.

“Hello there, was that your pilosa, homeless man?”, said the black robed girl.

That is offensive. I have a home, on earth, Cosimo thought. Must be the clothes?

“Uh ah yes. He’s really smart though, so he probably just ran off with that girl on his own…”, said Cosimo.

“No, that girl clearly cast some amazing magic on him. Slo and Arge are already going after them, why don’t you catch up?”, said the black robed girl.

“Magic? Damn, well I guess I can’t ignore that then. Thanks, bat girl!”, Cosimo said as he took off running. Wait, was he always in such great shape? It felt way too easy.

“I’m Chel! Please make sure they don’t die, I can’t heal them if they die all the way!”, said Chel, the girl with that pointless tiny bat on her staff.

Shouldn’t you come with then!, thought Cosimo as he sped off after the witch hat girl and the stone faced kid.