Thur'na, the Lawless City

After a heart breaking encounter with the only person that he had seen after a long walk, he continues on foot and follows the road. "What was that expression earlier? Was there something wrong with me? No- I don't think that is the case. He look on his face. It is as if he was thinking that something was going to happen if he took me on board."

               He looks around and sees that there is still no signs of life ahead and around of him which makes him a bit worried that he might have wandered in the wrong place.

               "Where in the world am I?" he said to himself as he drinks the last drop of his water supply. "Now that is a bit frustrating. Where in the world will I get water in this kind of place?" just as he is about to give up and throws his water container, he saw a bird flying out from the bushes while dripping wet.

               "Well I'll be-" he hurriedly run towards the bushes to see if there is a source of water but then sees that it is just a paddle and the bird might have probably bath in the water due to the scorching hot weather.

               "Now I know that it is really bad to get your hopes up." He carefully look at his container and then stares back at the paddle. "I should not probably do this but I don't have a choice."

               Half an hour later and Jiniro continues to follow the road and a few minutes later he sees the watch tower with two people overseeing the tower.

               "Finally civilization." A smile appears on is exhausted and dehydrated face. "Finally. I will be able to rest properly. I wonder if they have a place that accommodates both a bath and food." He cannot wait to start eating food since he had burned his food reserves during his travel.

               As soon as he sees the tower from afar, he starts walking a bit faster partially because of the searing heat from the sun and mainly because he misses the presence of the other people around him. He passed by a series of poles that doesn't seem to have any use in this point of view and it intrigues him but because he is dying to see some people again, he disregards the poles and speeds up to reach the watch tower faster.

               "What in the world is that guy doing? I don't know anyone would waste their energy running around knowing what kind of a place this is." One of the watchmen mumbled after seeing Jiniro from afar.

               "I know right? By the way, is there any word from the captain? I heard that there will be a caravan passing by any moment now and it looks like he has some business with the owner."

               The other one looks down to see that he doesn't see a caravan but just people in carriages and on foot falling in like to try and get inside the city.

               "A busy day like always but I don't see anyone in a caravan. It just me but isn't this the worst place to have ever thought of having such thing? I mean, this place is one of the worst cities in Galatea after all. Stealing here is just like breathing to some people so I don't understand why hold a caravan here?"

               The other watchmen shrugs his shoulders as his partner's question since he agrees with his partner's words since he knows how bad the city is especially for people that are coming here for the first time.

               "There is no signs of  caravan and the line to get inside the city is just like always. I wonder when will our lives become better." They immediately stop talking when they heard some footsteps from the stairs and they can already imagine who that person would be, and just as they thought, it is their captain who came to check on them.

               "So, is there any signs of the caravan yet?" he stands as tall as the door with a bulky build and a giant sword strapped on his back. Becoming a captain at such a young age, his name is enough to strike fear on the hearts of all those who knows him throughout their land.

               "Captain Gladius, we greet the captain!" both watchmen fell on their knees and salutes to the captain as he tell them to at ease.

               "So? What happened?" the watchmen then hands him the telescope and tells him about the things about the caravan but the two confirms that they did not see a caravan in sight. The captain looks at them suspiciously but since they are not ones to lie about things, he confirms it by looking through the telescope and just as they said, there is no caravan in sight.

               "I wonder what is taking them so long? Ha~ looks like I will have to go out of m way to find them again. This place is almost hidden by the large bodies of land so it would be easy to get lost in your way." He clicks his tongue and hands the telescope to the watchmen.

               "Stay here and keep an eye on everyone suspicious. I will be leaving out for a bit." Just as he is about to leave the watchtower, he grabs one of the watchmen and stares at him coldly and repeats himself. "I don't want to be disappointed when I get back so do your job properly." The watchmen could not help but nod his head forcedly with his face drenched in cold sweat.

               "There is no need to be on the edge." He said with a malicious grin but the other two thinks otherwise. "Well then, off I go~"

               The two frozen watchmen fell on the floor because of their helplessness with just his presence alone.

               "I thought I was going to die. Why is he on the like that all of the sudden? He is not like that every time right? Did something happen perhaps?" and again, the other one shook his head. "I don't know. I just don't want him to stay here for so long. I felt like I was suffocating in his presence." The other one retorted.

               Without any other thoughts about what just happened to them, they returned to do their work just as the captain had told them. "There he goes. The captain really is on another level." He said as he sees the captain walk out of the gates in hurry as if he is looking for someone.

               Just as the two had seen earlier, the line to gain entrance to the city is getting longer and longer and the heat of the sun is scorching the land even more that they feel bad for those that are going to be standing under the sun's heat.

               "The line is pretty long. I wonder how long do I have to wait?" Jiniro thinks to himself as he helplessly stare at the ones that were granted entry.

               Jiniro is on the twentieth individual standing in line apart from the ones that are in the carriages, both lanes are different to have more efficiency. Jiniro looks around and sees all kinds of people around him, for the first time since he started his journey, he felt happy. He spent walking alone the road for a few hours that the sight of people made his depressed heart jump in joy.

               But there is one thing that is stuck in his mind. The way the people are acting, as if the are on guard about something. Jiniro realize this and thinks about the reason behind it, the longer he looks at the people, the more terrified and uncomfortable they become which makes him curious even more.

               "What in the world are they doing? Why are they acting like that? Is there something wrong? Are they at war?" he even sees some of them take out their weapons in the open as if they are blatantly telling everyone that they are armed. Jiniro doesn't understand what is happening and then something happened that answered the question he has in his mind.

               A man runs out of the gates while carrying something precious on his hands, jewelries and men is running after him with some of the soldiers running along to catch him as well.

               "What in the-? So this is the reason why they are on guard? This place- is full of thieves?!" it is then that it occurred to Jiniro that he too, should be on guard as well since he had already been mugged earlier at the very start of his journey. But it is then that he realize that there is something more important that appears on his mind, and that is his current location.

               Ever since he was chosen as the one that will be the next to fulfill their mission, Jiniro had been taught about the outside world with the knowledge of the people that was able to go outside in their comfortable homes just to gather information to teach that to the ones that will become the chosen ones. They learned the language even the traditions of some places. They are even taught which places to go and warns them of the danger that some places pose, it is then that Jiniro realize something, the very city that he is about to enter is Thur'na, the Lawless city under the nation of Galatea, one of the cities that are known for their danger as well as the threat they pose to people that are visiting the city for the first time.           

               Jiniro froze in fear as it is his turn to gain entrance in such a city, the thief is captured and all the soldiers stare at Jiniro who is holding down the line.

                "What is his problem? Is this his first time to have actually seen something like that? If so, then that brat is screwed." Says by the soldier that is granting people entry to the city.

               "I am really screwed."