Chapter 4 Welcome to the city of Gaia
The city of Gaia was breathtaking. Nestled in a basin surrounded by towering mountains, its white-stone walls gleamed in the sunlight, stark against the jagged, rocky backdrop. It felt surreal to finally be here after days of endless desert and grueling climbs. The sight of civilization, with its bustling streets and the faint hum of life, stirred something warm in my chest.
Isaiah, however, didn't share my confidence as we approached the gates.
"There are guards here. Are we really going to be okay?" he asked, his voice laced with unease.
I glanced at him and almost laughed. His usual bravado was nowhere to be seen, replaced by an anxious frown. He's never been to a city before, has he? It was strange to think about, but considering his life in the desert, it made sense.
"Don't worry," I reassured him, trying to sound confident. "Cities almost never turn anyone away."
That wasn't entirely true—some cities had strict policies—but Gaia was a trade hub. Turning away travelers wouldn't make sense for a place like this. Even so, I could understand Isaiah's nerves.
The guards at the gate weren't exactly inviting. They stood rigid, clad in crimson armor that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. Their helmets, with sharp, spiked tops, completely hid their faces, making them seem more like ominous statues than people. Their presence sent a shiver down my spine, but I kept walking, reminding myself this was normal.
"Halt," one of them commanded as we approached, their voice deep and mechanical through the helmet.
"Yes, what is it?" Isaiah asked, and to my surprise, he spoke in a language I didn't recognize.
I blinked, startled. When did he learn that?
The guards responded in the same tongue, their tones neutral but firm. I could only watch as Isaiah and the guards exchanged words, his posture slowly relaxing as the conversation went on.
Finally, he turned to me. "They need to take our weapons for safety reasons," he explained. "We can pick them up at the Adventurers' Guild later."
I nodded, understanding. "Makes sense. It'd be dangerous to have people walking around armed in the city."
The guards stepped forward to search me, their movements brisk and professional. My heart raced, but I kept my hands at my sides, trying not to look suspicious. Of course, I didn't have any weapons—just my magic—but I still felt exposed under their scrutiny. Thankfully, they didn't seem to find anything, and we were waved through without further incident.
The moment we stepped inside the gates, I exhaled a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. The city was even livelier than I had imagined. People bustled through the streets, merchants shouted to advertise their wares, and the scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the earthy aroma of spices. The buildings were a mix of white stone and wood, their designs elegant yet sturdy, and everywhere I looked, there was movement and color.
Isaiah, however, seemed completely overwhelmed. His eyes darted around, taking in every detail, his expression somewhere between amazement and panic.
"What should we do first?" he asked, turning to me with a wide-eyed look.
"Well…" I began, already suspecting the answer. "Do you have any money?"
Isaiah tilted his head. "Money? We usually trade for the stuff we wanted."
I froze, staring at him in disbelief. "Wait. You've… never used money before?"
He grinned, raising a thumb like he was proud of himself. "I have not!"
I buried my face in my hands, groaning. "Why do you look so happy about that? That's not something to brag about!"
He laughed, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation. I could already feel a headache forming. Of course, he didn't have money. Why would he? He grew up in the desert, where bartering was the norm. But that didn't change the fact that we were in a city now—a city where coins spoke louder than anything else.
"Okay. I will explain the Economy System for the Kingdoms
The economy in this world is structured around two main tiers of currency: one for large kingdoms and one for smaller kingdoms. This system creates a clear hierarchy, where larger kingdoms have more complex and high-value currency for their wealthier society, while smaller kingdoms stick to a simpler, traditional system. Here's how it works:
In the large kingdoms, nine types of coins exist, ranging from small, common stones to rare, powerful emblems. Coins are named after their material and size, with emblems reserved for only the highest-value transactions, typically conducted by nobles or officials.
Small Stone Coin
Large Stone Coin
Small Copper Coin
Large Copper Coin
Small Silver Coin
Large Silver Coin
Gold Coin
Crown Emblem
Emperor Emblem
This currency is used by big kingdoms like Deity, Gaia and Poseidon.
To simplify transactions, smaller coins can be traded up for larger ones. The values are roughly as follows:
10 Small Stone Coins = 1 Large Stone Coin
10 Small Copper Coins = 1 Large Copper
Coin 10 Small Silver Coins = 1 Large Silver Coin
10 Large Silver Coins = 1 Gold Coin
10 Gold Coins = 1 Crown Emblem
10 Crown Emblems = 1 Emperor Emblem.
In small kingdoms, the economy is simpler, with only four types of coins. The values are closer together, making the currency easier to manage for simpler trade and daily transactions.
Stone Coin
Copper Coin
Silver Coin
Gold Coin
This currency is used for smaller kingdoms like Ifaisteio, Carlem and Kyoei.
Because the two systems use similar materials, there's a basic exchange rate when citizens from small kingdoms travel to large kingdoms or vice versa:
1 Large Kingdom Small Stone Coin = 1 Small Kingdom Stone Coin
1 Large Kingdom Small Copper Coin = 2 Small Kingdom Copper Coins
1 Large Kingdom Small Silver Coin = 2 Small Kingdom Silver Coins
1 Large Kingdom Gold Coin = 10 Small Kingdom Gold Coins.
King and emperor emblems aren't able to exchange in smaller kingdoms
In this way, the two systems serve the needs of both commoners in small kingdoms and nobles in large kingdoms, maintaining a distinct, orderly economic structure across the world."
Isaiah was looking at Luna amazed by the knowledge she had. "Wow! You are so smart!"
I focused on the city's bustling energy, the grand statues of warriors guarding its heart, and the vibrant market stalls brimming with life. People moved in lizard-drawn carts, merchants haggled with adventurers, and the air smelled of spiced bread and the salt of the distant coastline. It was everything I'd imagined and more—yet my stomach churned with the weight of our situation.
How were we going to survive here without money?
"So, how are we going to get money then?" Isaiah asked, his carefree tone cutting through my thoughts.
I glanced at him. His face showed no signs of worry, only excitement, like we were on some grand adventure. He didn't seem to grasp how dire things were. "We'll head to the Adventurers' Guild first," I said, forcing my voice to stay calm.
"All right!" he replied with a thumbs-up, his enthusiasm unwavering.
Of course he's not worried, I thought bitterly. He doesn't know how hard things can get in a city like this.
As we approached the Guild, I couldn't help but feel a pang of awe at the grandeur around us. The city's gothic and medieval architecture soared high into the sky, its intricate details whispering of a storied history. To the left, the coastline sparkled under the sunlight, ships bobbing in the busy port. Behind us, the snow-capped mountains framed the city like a painting. Gaia was undeniably beautiful, but beauty wouldn't buy us a place to sleep tonight.
Inside the Guild, the air was warm and bustling, filled with the low hum of chatter. Adventurers in rugged clothing gathered around a massive bulletin board, their voices mixing with the clatter of tankards and the occasional burst of laughter. The stone walls and wooden beams gave the place a cozy, rustic feel, but I was too distracted to appreciate it fully. My eyes were fixed on the job board, scanning each sheet for something we could do quickly.
"Wow, so these are all jobs we can take?" Isaiah asked, his voice full of curiosity as he leaned closer to read.
"Yeah," I replied absentmindedly, still scanning.
The jobs here are far less well-paid than in Deity. Maybe Gaia is going through a financial crisis? or is it because of all or the warfare that is going on? Especially with the kingdom of Poseidon, they have been at war for over a hundred years.
I looked at the jobs that were available.
Clean the city, description; help keep the city clean.
Be a hero, description; join the knight and serve the empire.
missed animals, description; Find lost animal.
The descriptions were written in Gaia, Deity and Poseidon, so luckily I could read them.
Isaiah's voice broke my thoughts. "How much does it cost to stay in an inn for the night?"
I hesitated, realizing I had no idea. "Can you ask for me?"
"On it!" he said cheerfully, running toward the counter.
"Hey, Luna!" Isaiah called as he returned, his voice cutting through the noise. "It's one large copper per person per night!"
I turned back to the board, the cleaning quest is the one that paid the fastest and incidentally the only one we could do before sunset but for one street we clean we can get five small copper coins and with the two of us I think we are able to do two streets, maybe three at least that will leave us with fifteen small copper. The adventures' Guild closes at sunset and after that we can't receive our rewards anymore. You can still rent the inn but without money it is a little bit difficult.
I guess we will be out here in the streets at night...
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling. We can't make that much by sunset…
Heavy, uneven breaths filled the suffocating air. Luna's body trembled as cold sweat slicked her skin, her chest rising and falling with a painful rhythm. The sharp, constricting ache in her chest threatened to consume her completely. Her ears buzzed with the relentless pounding of her heart, each beat reverberating through her like a deafening drum. She tried to steady herself, but the sensation of the walls closing in only made her feel more trapped.
She knew exactly what was happening.
A panic attack.
Isaiah's voice broke through the storm in her mind like a blade cutting into the darkness.
"Do you think we will have enough money?" he asked, his tone heavy with uncertainty. "We can't—"
But before he could finish, Luna bolted.
She didn't think. She just ran.
"Wait, where are you going?!" Isaiah's voice echoed after her, growing louder as he gave chase.
Tears blurred her vision, making the narrow cobblestone streets of the city appear as little more than shifting shadows. The cold night air burned her lungs, and her legs ached from exertion, but she didn't stop. She couldn't stop. Her mind screamed for her to get away, to run faster, but her weakened body betrayed her. Days without proper food and sleep had taken their toll.
Isaiah caught up, grabbing her shoulder in desperation.
"Wait!" he pleaded, but his touch only sent a surge of panic crashing through her.
Luna spun around, shoving him with a strength that surprised them both. Her wide, tear-streaked eyes locked onto his, wild and filled with pure, unfiltered terror.
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, her voice cracking. "I can't stay here! I need to leave!"
Isaiah stared at her, confused and worried. "Why? What's wrong? Talk to me!"
Luna shook her head violently, clutching at her arms as if trying to hold herself together. Her breaths came in short, gasping bursts, her words tumbling out incoherently. "I can't stay here at night! I can't—"
"But it's safe here," Isaiah interrupted, his confusion growing. "Everyone says the city is the safest place at night. What's—"
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW ANY OF THAT?!" Luna's scream cut him off, her voice rising to a hysterical pitch. "YOU'VE NEVER BEEN INSIDE A CITY BEFORE!"
Fear.
Fear.
Fear.
Fear.
Fear.
Fear.
Her vision swam, the faint glow of streetlamps turning into distorted halos. The fear clawed at her, consuming every other thought until all that remained was the crushing weight of dread.
She started to vomit and she collapsed onto the damp street. Isaiah barely had time to react as she doubled over, retching violently. The sound of her heaving filled the narrow alley, echoing eerily off the stone walls.
"Luna!" Isaiah dropped to his knees beside her, his hands hovering uncertainly. She looked so fragile, so lost, and the sight of her reduced to this state left him paralyzed.
Her lips moved, but no coherent words came out, only fragmented sounds of fear and anguish. Her trembling hands clawed at the ground as if trying to find something solid to hold onto.
Isaiah looked around desperately, searching for help. His gaze landed on a small bar at the end of the street, its faint orange glow spilling out onto the cobblestones. It was the only sign of life in the desolate night.
"I'll take her there," he muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the pounding of his own heart.
He lifted Luna into his arms, her body limp and trembling. As he carried her toward the bar, an unsettling chill crept over him. The streets seemed unnaturally quiet, the shadows stretching and twisting in ways that made his skin crawl.
The bar's sign swayed in the wind, its creaking hinges sounding like a mournful wail. The faint hum of activity inside was the only indication that this place was real, that they weren't completely alone in the suffocating dark.
But as Isaiah pushed open the door, a strange sensation washed over him.
The air inside was heavy, almost oppressive, and the dim lighting cast strange, flickering shadows on the walls. The patrons turned to look at them, their faces obscured by the gloom. Something about their silence felt… wrong.
Isaiah hesitated, his instincts screaming at him to turn back. But Luna let out a soft, broken sob, her fingers clutching weakly at his shirt.
He stepped inside, the door creaking shut behind him like the lid of a coffin sealing them in.
They were sitting in an old bar, the interior was all made of wood, and they were sitting at a table that looked like a picnic table.
We washed Luna's face and her clothes in the toilet with some water magic.
Luna's face pas pile and her expression was melancholic.
"Do you want to tell me why you got so upset?" Isaiah asked.
Luna stared at the table like a frozen doll. Luna's mouth slowly opened and started to speak.
"Back when I was a kid, I lived in a grand mansion with my parents, where every wish of mine was granted, and life felt like a dream come true." Luna began.
"But when I was around seven or eight, everything changed—my parents fell into a financial crisis, and the mansion that once felt like a dream was sold off.
Then, one night while we were staying at a small inn, my parents disappeared, leaving me all alone in that city.
I spent the entire day searching for them until it got dark. I couldn't return to the inn because they didn't pay for a more nights, so I was forced to stay outside that night.
Then...."
Luna let out a Gag reflex and tears started to come out of her eye.
"You are doing great you don't have to rush, just take it slow." Isaiah tried to comforted her.
Luna sobbed quietly as she continued to speak. "As I wandered aimlessly through the unfamiliar city, lost and unsure of what to do, a big, chubby man who looked to be in his late forties approached me. With a strangely warm smile, he said he had a place where I could stay."
Luna felt a stinging pain in her chest as she recalled the memory. "Back then, I didn't know any better, so I accepted his offer. But the moment I stepped into his house—a creaky, dilapidated place with peeling walls and a suffocating atmosphere—I felt that something was terribly wrong.
As I turned around the old man had a big grin on his face. He grabbed me, tied me up and threw me into a little room, it was cold, it stank.
And…."
The world Luna was trying to get out was painful, everything in her body screamed of hiding away in a corner, but she kept pushing through.
"Then the man started to torture me, he made me kiss him all over his disgusting body and he started to rape me!
I don't know how many days I spent there but after the tenth time I lost time I lost count….
I don't know how many times I tried to kill myself but every time he was able to stop me.
but then one day a man came to save me and brought me to his mansion. I don't know where he came from or how he got to know I was there but ever since then I have lived there until I was teleported here."
Isaiah's words hung in the air, each syllable striking a chord deep within me.
"Is that man still alive?" he asked, his voice calm but laced with a quiet intensity.
The question caught me off guard, and my breath hitched. I looked at him, his expression unreadable, and for a moment, I felt a pang of guilt. Why hadn't I ever asked?
"I don't know…" My voice was barely a whisper, trembling under the weight of memories I had tried so desperately to bury. The truth was, I had avoided that question for years. Maybe I was afraid of the answer, or maybe I just didn't want to relive the pain. I turned my gaze downward, unable to meet his eyes. "I never asked Yatsu… maybe because I wanted to run away from it. I still do."
There was a pause, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It felt like Isaiah was giving me space, allowing me to navigate my own thoughts.
"You don't have to worry now," he said suddenly, his voice firm but warm. "You are the strongest person I know, and I am here."
His words were so simple, yet they hit me like a wave. I blinked at him, my heart tightening. Strong? Me? After everything I had endured, after everything I had been running from, it was hard to believe. But the way he said it—with such unwavering certainty—made me want to believe it too.
"I know…" I murmured, my voice barely audible. "I didn't expect to react this way." My chest ached with emotions I couldn't name. Fear? Regret? Shame?
Names flashed through my mind like a slideshow of distant memories. Yatsu. Tatsuya. Ruza. People who had saved me, cared for me, and given me a second chance. I wish you were here. I'm so afraid…
Just as those thoughts threatened to overwhelm me again, I felt something warm and firm wrap around my hand. I looked down, startled. Isaiah's hand was on mine, his fingers strong yet gentle as they enveloped my trembling hand.
His golden eyes locked onto mine with a determination that left me speechless. "I won't let anything happen to you again," he said, his voice steady and confident.
The sincerity in his tone, the warmth of his hand, and the strength of his presence—it was enough to chip away at the fear that had taken root in my heart. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt a small flicker of safety.
"…Thank you, Isaiah," I said quietly, my voice still uncertain but tinged with a faint glimmer of hope.
Isaiah didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood abruptly and, before I could process what was happening, pulled me into a tight embrace. His arms wrapped around me securely, holding me with an intensity that left no room for doubt.
Normally, I would have protested—maybe even shoved him away—but this was different. This wasn't the awkward hug of someone unsure of how to comfort; it was the embrace of someone who genuinely cared. His grip was firm but not suffocating, protective but not overbearing.
For a moment, I was frozen, unsure of how to react. But then the tension in my body melted away, replaced by a sensation I hadn't felt in years. Security.
My arms slowly lifted, and I found myself embracing him back. The tears I had been holding in spilled over, and I let out a shaky sob.
It wasn't a cry of sadness or grief. It was something else entirely—relief. Relief that I wasn't alone. Relief that someone cared. Relief that, even in this unfamiliar world, there was someone who would stand by me.
"I won't let go," Isaiah whispered, his voice soft but resolute.
For the first time in a long time, I believed those words.