Tylos had taken the reins of the horses and was standing at the front of the wagon; the journey was quite long, and the twilight painted the sky, hiding the sun's rays, which forced them to camp at the foot of the great city wall.
"This is pretty far. Just how big is this place? I thought that when Lariat told me to follow the wall, we'd get here quickly," said Tylos.
Elise emerged from Alexa's hood and flew as high as she could. After a few moments, she returned with a puzzled look on her face.
"There's a very powerful spell here,"
said the little girl thoughtfully as she sat on Tylos's shoulder.
Aisha looked confused, as if she had a question mark floating above her head. She approached the little girl and asked, "What do you mean, my lady Elise?"
"I climbed as high as I could to look inside the wall—or at least to see if we were getting close to the village that must be outside it—but the wall seems to stretch infinitely upward. It's a powerful spell; it's impossible to build such a tall fortification. This must be the work of the barrier that covers the place like a dome; that's why the village isn't visible to the naked eye. It's very likely we're close by. Once we find it, we'll be able to see it when we come back.
"Wow, you know a lot about this!"
All this time wandering through this world has forced us to gain a wide range of knowledge—living this long has its advantages!" said the little girl proudly.
"That's one of the few things I can agree on—that a long life can be useful. Honestly, I think hundreds of years is too long for any creature."
As she spoke these words, Alexa looked melancholy and stood a little apart from the group's campfire.
The night passed without incident, with Tylos standing guard, though Alexa kept an eye on him out of the corner of her eye. The boy knew this, but he understood her mistrust—how many horrible things must have happened for her to be so wary?
"As long as they're in this group, I won't let anything bad happen to them again," he thought as he leaned against the wagon, the fire reflecting in his eyes.
Aisha tossed and turned on her blanket spread out on the ground; her back seemed to ache a little as she rubbed it, still half-asleep. She yawned and slowly opened her eyes, seeing Tylos leaning against the wagon—vigilant, unflinching, as if fatigue had no effect on him at all.
"Are you going to stay awake until dawn?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "You should get some sleep, my lord; dawn won't be long in coming."
Tylos smiled. "I'm fine! It's my habit… Could you stop calling me 'my lord'? I think we're about the same age—why have you decided to call me that?"
Aisha stood up, walked over to Tylos, and suddenly knelt down, startling him instantly. "But what are you doing!" said the boy, blushing slightly. She took his hands and, looking him in the eyes, said, "It's true that my father has entrusted me to accompany you as your apprentice and servant, but my heart will be eternally grateful to you for saving me from that nightmare. This is my way of thanking you… but if you wish, my lord, then I'll call you whatever you like—Tylos!"
Aisha seemed incredibly beautiful to him at that moment; her braided black hair, the color of night, and her intense yellow eyes stared intently at him with a special sparkle. The boy could only nod his head in response to her sweet words.
Meanwhile, Alexa and Elise kept pretending to be asleep, feeling embarrassed because they didn't know what to do upon hearing the two of them talk—and how the conversation had suddenly shifted to such a serious topic.
Alexa tossed and turned under her blankets, making as much noise as possible, which suddenly broke the tension and made Tylos and Aisha laugh—they obviously knew the girls had been awake for a long time.
Tylos cleared his throat and said aloud,
"Since none of us seems sleepy, we might as well get back on the road—I'd rather not sleep out in the open tonight!"
Everyone gathered their things and, torches in hand, set off. Before long, they could make out the first rays of dawn illuminating the very place they'd been searching for; they had literally camped outside the village without realizing it.
"It must be some kind of magic—perhaps older than we know—or maybe it's something to do with the people in this city," said Elise, intrigued.
The place didn't seem to have an entrance, and circling it in search of one would make them waste another day.
Tylos called out…
"Hello…"
"Is anyone in there?"
No one answered…
"I'll take a look," said Elise, climbing up onto the wall, but Tylos leaped up and grabbed her with one hand while covering her back, making his sword glow with great power.
---KABOMMMMM---
The explosion rang out loudly; Alexa and Aisha screamed immediately, but Tylos was already on the ground with the little girl in his arms. "That was pretty close," he said as he sheathed his sword again.
"Enough!" they shouted from the top of the wall. "Can't you see they're adventurers? Are you blind or what?"
"But sir, we're not sure. Besides, we sensed powerful magic rising above us."
Suddenly, the solid wall began to fade, revealing the entrance to the town. Perched atop it were guards with cannons, mages, and even archers. The main entrance opened wide, and out stepped a gray-haired old man. His attire was elegant but not ostentatious. He raised his right hand, and all the guards stopped aiming at them.
"You can put your weapon down now, young man. You must be a very strong adventurer—I thought we'd have to pick up the pieces of you after that. Why did you do something so reckless? This place is besieged by monsters; we can't afford to distinguish between friends and enemies. Is this your first time here?"
That's right! You're right—it's our first time here.
The gleaming sword stopped shining inside its sheath.
We're not adventurers; we just happened to be passing through here, but we couldn't enter the Great City with our companions. We've been barred from entering because it's our first time here. The gatekeepers told us, "PROVE THAT YOU'RE FRIENDS OF THE GREAT CITY." That's why we're hoping you'll tell us how to get in so we can rejoin our companions.
So that's what it's all about, huh? It seems that now "The Great City" has become a place reserved for only a select few. Your companions must be very important to have been allowed into the city at this time. Ever since that day when the column of green fire rose in the distance, fear has grown unceasingly in this place; no one had passed through the gates again until now.
If what they say is true, you're welcome here. Come on… come in. You need to listen to me. You're looking for answers, aren't you?
"Come in…" the old man said, but the girls were hesitant to enter. Everyone looked at him with curiosity—and, even stranger, FEAR.
Don't be shy—you shouldn't blame them. You'll soon understand why they look so wary. Please, we need to close the wall again.
Tylos looked at them and nodded, and so they entered the walled village.
As they walked through the town, everything was silent, but eyes were fixed on them through the cracks and windows of the houses.
The shops lining the market street had hardly any fresh produce; everything looked rather run-down there.
Alexa whispered to Elise and Aisha
"This isn't what I imagined a big city to be like. I thought the market would be overflowing, but this looks more like the face of slaves in distress than that of a prosperous place—nothing like our home in its glory days. It's a disappointment."
"Very well, we've arrived at our destination, ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to introduce myself: I am Gladius, the leader of this adventurers' guild."
Before them stood a great fortification—by far the most luxurious building in the area. The group's astonishment was evident, as the building stood out starkly against the old shops and modest houses surrounding it; however, they decided not to ask any questions.
Come along, friends. Now I'll explain what the gatekeepers mean and what you must do to enter the great city—though I warn you right now that it's no easy task.
Gladius looked at Tylos for a moment and added, "Or maybe it's the exact opposite—anyway, you'll find out once you get started."
The doors swung wide open to welcome the guild leader. On either side, heavily armed guards in armor that shone like silver welcomed Gladius, but they immediately blocked the group's path by crossing their spears.
"Enough! These young men are with me—let them through," said the old man.
And so it was; they were immediately welcomed in.
"Lis, I'll be spending some time with these friends in the inspection hall. You can come up in a little while to make the preparations."
"All right, Master. I'll be up in a moment. First, I need to check the bulletin board."
"All right, friends, make yourselves comfortable. The truth is, what you're asking of me is practically impossible.
Since you don't seem to be from around here—for obvious reasons—I'll tell you about it. This place has been around for a very long time; the great city of the South has stood for several centuries now, and as you can imagine, a place like this is an easy target for monsters. This guild, and this town have existed alongside the great city—not as a single entity, but as the defensive front against external threats. Only the elite are allowed to live within those immense, endless walls. However, this rule could change for those who had the guts to take on the city's most dangerous and demanding tasks.
As you can imagine, this adventurers' guild was founded to protect the city; however, there is a way for ordinary people to earn a place there through their sweat and blood.
But this guild grants such recognition only for extraordinary feats—you could spend your entire life here and never step through those gates.
The girls standing next to Tylos exchanged glances that made it obvious what they were thinking: "This is a hassle."
Tylos then looked at the master and said, "What is this task we must complete in order to pass through that door?"
The old wolf smiled—it was the smile of someone who had been waiting for this moment for quite some time—and then added, "I sense that you are the one I've been waiting for to take on this task, young man. It's certainly not an easy one, but I genuinely believe you're quite capable, just as your companions are truly unique."
Tylos quickly drew his sword, pointing it at the master's throat; his sharp gaze was accompanied by a warning: "I don't know what you know, but listen to me—for your own good and that of this city, you'd better not try to do anything against those who are with me. If you think you know anything about me, you're still underestimating me."
With great composure, the master deflected the sword to the side and stared intently at him. "I don't seek to harm you, young man. The fact that you're bringing that little girl with you suggests to me that the magic you wield is truly powerful—you're not the only exceptional one in your group."
Aisha placed her hand on Tylos's shoulder, urging him to calm down, and he did.
Alexa rose from her seat and said in a commanding tone, "Then tell us, Grand Master—don't beat around the bush. What task must we complete for you to let us pass through that great gate into the great City?"
"The only feat worthy of such an honor is, of course, the conquest of the great rift that has plagued this city for fifteen years."
CRASH!
It echoed across the floor as the cups Lizz was carrying shattered on the ground. Everyone turned to look at her, and she said with concern, "BUT SIR, THAT'S PRACTICALLY SUICIDE! No one has made it past the third level in all these fifteen years; we know nothing beyond that room, and that pit—that darkness—there's no record of how far that place extends."
"Okay, okay, okay… you're going to scare them off before they even set foot in that place. As you can see, I have high hopes for our new 'adventurers.' Instead of spouting nonsense like a lunatic, you'd better bring their ID badges so we can engrave them right away." Just your name and a symbol of your exploits—in this place, we don't need flashy displays of your skills; let your results speak for yourselves. Any mission is acceptable, but if you want to go to that place, you know what to do.
Now get going—Liss will give you your badges at the front desk. Good luck, guys.