Chapter 7: Alverest, City of Demeter

Akira and Thorin had finally reached the end of the dense forest, that had obscured the landscape the past day, by late morning.

Akira glanced up as the first rays of sunlight broke through the canopy. Blinded temporarily, Akira shielded his eyes as his gaze wandered over their new surroundings. Fields stretched on for miles, and amidst all of this stood tall stone walls at least 50 feet tall guarding the prosperous and peaceful town of Alverest. The stone watchtowers with wooden roofs topping them stood tall, and guardsmen, who could be seen even from several miles away, patrolled in groups along it's walls.

Thorin broke Akira out of his daze with a clap on his back. "C'mon Akira, I don't know about you, but I don't want to spend another night sleeping on the ground!" Thorin set off at a fast pace leaving Akira behind for a moment.

"Damn it, Thorin! Wait for me!" Akira cursed before he started jogging to catch up to him and matching pace. "Old man, you need to take care you don't hurt yourself," Akira teased Thorin with an exaggerated voice, and pantomimed as if he had a bent back from old age. With that statement, Akira picked up the pace leaving him behind.

Thorin was somewhat stunned before his face turned to mock outrage. "You brat Akira, get back here so I can show you how well I take care of myself!" With this statement he took off chasing Akira, and thus began an odd looking game of tag.

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Sometime later, Akira neared the walls of Alverest and brought his pace to a stop. A line of farmers and merchants were slowly making their way into the city. Turning to glance behind him, he couldn't help but break out into hearty laughter at the sight of Thorin now.

Thorin had finally caught up, but he was now bent over taking ragged breaths as sweat dripped to the ground. "Ha... ha.. Maybe I am getting too old for this," Thorin muttered under his breath, before shaking his head in denial.

"What happened Thorin? As a dwarf, I thought your race was known for endurance, huh?" Akira spoke in a mirthful tone as Thorin caught his breath.

Tossing his pack at Akira in retaliation, Thorin stood up straight and spoke in an scandalized tone, "I'll have you know that we Dwarves are natural athletes, quite fast over short distances! Also I don't want to hear it, wolf boy. I'm not the one who froze up at the start of a fight. Who has ever heard of a child of Skadi freezing up in the middle of a hunt?"

"Are you two quite finished? You are holding up the line to get into the city." With an irritated tone someone spoke from behind them.

Glancing around, both Akira and Thorin looked properly embarrassed as they'd apparently stopped just at the end of the waiting line into the city. The line of which had already moved ahead as the two quarrelled, and those behind them glared at them with looks of blame and exasperation. With a quick apologetic response towards the crowd they caught up to the person in front of them.

Stepping up to the guard in front of the open portcullis, Akira smiled brightly as he greeted him. "Hello there sir, my name's Akira and this dwarf is Thorin, and we'd like entrance into the city."

Glancing at Wise Fang on Akira's hip and the bow on slung across his back along with Thorin's Axe, the guard looked hesitant before asking, "Where are you coming from, boy? You and that dwarf look ready for war. This city has restrictions on weapons so both the bow and the axe need to be tightly wrapped in a leather bundle. Otherwise, I can't let you in the city."

"We come from the farming village Focis, and I am on the way west to train at an academy for combat. Thorin here is my best friend, and has decided to accompany me there. Also, is there some way to purchase the leather and straps we need to bind our weapons with?" The guard having relaxed knowing they'd comply with the restrictions offered to sell them for 15 copper Artisans. Finding that agreeable, they purchased a roll of tough oiled leather and straps. Wincing at the lightening of his coin purse, Akira couldn't help but wonder if there was a quick way to gather more money.

[Warning: Info dump] the currency is denoted in copper, silver, and gold coins. The exchange rate would be 100:1 from one tier of coin to the next. The names of the currency are as follows: copper Artisan, silver Nobles, and lastly gold Kings. A typical farming family would spend about 2 silver annually as most of the land they work is contracted land and they earn only enough to feed themselves and their livestock with little left over for savings.[ ]

"Lad, one way to earn money is by exterminating troublesome monsters and presenting proof or even the entire corpse a organization called the Blessed Guild. They handle the distribution of hunting contracts for monsters and wild beasts. Along with escort missions or gathering missions for those who don't want to risk it fighting monsters." Thorin recognized the look of loss on Akira's face. He explained as they bound their weapons how the Blessed could earn a better life than common folk.

"Wait if that's the case, why didn't we take any proof from the Mene Stoma we killed earlier?!" Akira remarked animatedly as it now occurred to him that would have helped.

Grinning cheekily, Thorin held up a pouch that he opened showing revealing 20 right ears from the Mene Stoma. "You were saying something, lad?"

Akira elbowed him in the ribs as he finished up binding his bow. He stood as Thorin had just finished up with his axe as well.

The guard noticing their approach motioned them through the portcullis. The entrance opened up into a big plaza with cobblestone streets branching off into the city. The centerpiece of the plaza was a 20 foot wide fountain. A statue of Demeter, holding a sheaf of wheat in one hand and a cornucopia of fruit in the other, stood on a dais in the middle of the fountain.

Intrigued, Akira looked around at the multitude of people setting up tents or carts around the outskirts of the plaza peddling their wares in loud tones. Akira was amazed at the sheer variety of races he could see. Humans, beastmen, dwarves, and the occasional elf walked the streets going about their day.

Thorin led the way as they moved through the crowd that bustled into and out of the city. "Lad, I'd stop gawking and keep a tight hold on your coin purse in this crowd-" With a quick swat of his hand, a young boy with a small, easily concealed dagger was sent scampering back into the crowds. The young pickpocket had obviously saw Akira as an easy mark, but luckily Thorin caught on. "Thieves make a living off country folk who are too busy gazing about to be on guard for losing their coin."

Ashamed of his mistake, Akira hung his head before asking, "Thorin, isn't there some place for kids that age to be fed and properly taken care of like an orphanage?"

With a sigh, Thorin shook his head and stared, "Akira, be glad you had your Uncle's family to take you in as lad you'd be in the same boat otherwise. This world is a cruel one, and maybe that kid's folks are dead, or they don't care and let him starve. Hell, they maybe making him steal to pay for booze or drugs."

Akira grimaced at that thought as it was the same in every world it seems as shitty parents usually lead their children down the same path. He resolved to never let his kids to end up like that, and would show them how to take care of themselves without committing crimes. This world might be more lawless then his old one, but he would do his best to change that. As one great man said, "with power, comes responsibility."

Breaking Akira out of his tangent, Thorin clapped him on the shoulder saying, "C'mon Akira let's find an Inn before night falls."

Sometime later, Thorin led the way into an Inn by the name of The Silver Moon Inn, and it looked to be a well taken care of building with a tiled roof and a sign with a silver Half moon hanging from it. The Inn's bottom floor opened up into a large common room with tables strewn about, and a bar stood against the far wall with stairs leading up into the second floor.

"Welcome to The Silver Moon Inn! How may I help you two sirs?" A bright cheery voice called out to them, the barmaid made her way over to them expertly avoiding a hand from one of the drunkards by the bar. Clad in a linen dress with a leather corset accentuating her figure but kept a respectable look with long curly red hair that hung down by her waist. The barmaid's beautiful smile and mischievous green eyes greeted them as she approached.

"We'd like two rooms for the night, lass, and can we get some supper as well?" Thorin spoke straightforwardly with a chuckle at Akira's stomach rumbling.

"Of course, that'll be 6 Artisans. Would you like to eat in your rooms or down here in the tavern?" With a curious gaze, the girl inspected her newest patrons taking in the bound weapons, and the dagger at Akira's hip. She studied him with surprise and interest, but seemed even more surprised at the pair as a whole. It was quite an uncommon sight as most races kept to their own, and Akira and Thorin were used to such gazes as they'd been as close as brothers for five years.

"We'll eat down here, but it'll be a bit later as we have an errand to run beforehand." Thorin turned over the money and headed for the door with Akira in tow.

"Dinner ends two hours after sundown don't be late or the best I could offer ya is a loaf of bread and some cheese." The barmaid called out after them with a warning.

To be Continued....