The creak of wheeling carts, the lively chatter of vendors haggling with customers, and the constant grunts of livestock mingled together, greeting him as he stepped into the sprawling, bustling city of Zengchan.
'So this is Zengchan City.'
He breathed in the thick, new city air, letting it settle inside him as he took in the sight before him.
Clyde stood at the border where the open road met the city gates. The Gate Watch and Tributary Officers had already stripped him of everything but the bag on his shoulder, leaving him to navigate a place he had never set foot in before.
The beginning of a new life… though I doubt I'll stay here long. Maybe a couple of years, then I'll find somewhere permanent, he mused, eyes lingering on the restless, crowded streets of Zengchan..
Zengchan had once been one of the largest cities in the kingdom until the war between the hierarchy. In its aftermath, the twin brothers, sons of the former Baron, divided it in two, each claiming a half as their own territory.
Over the years, Zengchan grew into a bustling hub, famed for its deep-rooted trading culture that spanned capitals and kingdoms. In time, it became one of the most visited cities in the Euphoria Kingdom.
He stepped forward, marking his first steps into an unfamiliar city. With each pace, the rumble of wheeled carts and the chatter of merchants and customers swelled around him.
The air grew heavier, rich with the scent of livestock, fresh market goods, and the lingering freshness of an open field that couldn't have been far from where he stood.
'This is so amazing! It's better than I expected it to be,' he smiled, moving forward at a slow pace.
Amidst his thoughts, he unknowingly collided with an older man who, at first glance, looked like a weary merchant struggling to provide for his family.
The man had been carrying two buckets filled to the brim with water. The impact sent him stumbling, the buckets tipping as he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Clyde spun around at the sound of the man's body collapsing to the ground and water splashing across the street, subtly soaking the hem of his garment.
The man's clothes were worn thin, blackened stains scattered across the fabric. Faint patches clung to the edges of his tunic, barely noticeable to a casual observer, but up close, as Clyde now was, every mark told its own quiet story.
"I'm so sorry, sir," he said, picking up the half-empty buckets of water that were filled up seconds ago.
A small crowd gathered around immediately from the subtle chaos, the scene causing a small panic to the nearby individuals.
"Watch where you're going next time, boi," an older male barked at Clyde with an unfamiliar accent.
'Huh?'
Though at first the accent was unfamiliar and new to him, he somehow understood what the older man meant when he said it.
"I'll be careful next time," he bowed, the motion short and deliberate, meant only as an apology.
"Who's going to fetch the wat'er you just spilt now, young lad?" The toppled man asked, dusting the sand debris that clung to his garment from the fall as he stood upright.
His face now came into full view. He was scarred on the cheeks by a vertical line, subtle wrinkles on each side of his cheeks. His eyes looked cold, with eyebags and dark circles that showed he never slept much.
His hairline curved down like an eagle's beak on his forehead, with long grey and black hair flowing to the back with a knot.
"I will take care of that, sir, just show me where I can find a water source in this city," he requested, his conscience taking the better of him.
The man coughed, then spat on the ground close to him as he snuffed, sniffing in his snort before wiping his nose with the back of his hands and looking up at Clyde.
He stared at Clyde for a long while. It was something expected since not everyone was good at manual labour.
Clyde had a mature build despite being seventeen, broad shoulders, though not overly so, and a chest that hinted he worked out from time to time. His abdomen was well-structured, the muscles of his stomach subtly divided into six parts.
He stood six feet tall, with long limbs to match. His blue eyes complemented his white, shaggy hair, which sometimes fell across his vision when wet.
After carefully observing his body structure from the distance, from head to toe, he finally spoke up.
"Alright then, I'll take you to where I got it," he said, motioning for him to follow up.
The small crowd slowly scattered away. One by one, the passers-by left the scene until there was no one except for the two of them.
Clyde fixed his bag properly on his shoulders before he bent low and picked up the two buckets with both hands, standing upright.
"Follow me." He turned around and moved back down the road in which he came from.
Clyde hopped forward, catching up to the man before he began moving. He stopped beside him, taking each step slowly so he could move at the same pace as the man did.
To keep the tension between them to a minimum, he decided to engage with the elder man, also as a means to gain some information about the city.
But the elder man already beat him to it and asked the first question before he could.
"Tell me, boi, are you new to this city? I haven't seen your face around these areas before."
'Was it that obvious? I guess he's an old-timer, so he probably knows this place and its people at the back of his mind.'
With a bright smile that reached his eyes, he answered his question.
"Yes, sir. I just arrived in this city, and I don't particularly have a place to stay."
"I see," the man murmured, casting him a brief glance for a while before looking away.
They arrived at the spot before Clyde realised it. It was a spring water site, and they were not the only ones here to collect water.
The spring flowed from an underground aquifer, where water rose naturally to the surface, spilling into a small, accessible source.
Spring water is often said to be the purest form of water. This is my first time seeing one in person… it does look clean.
'Though, from here, I might have to doubt that a little.'
At the sight of the water, Clyde realized just how thirsty he was and that he'd been holding it in since he first arrived in the city.
"Over there, go fill up the bucket," he gestured toward the spring water.
'Right, I forgot.'
Clyde set the buckets down, slipped his bag from his shoulders, and dropped it near the old man. Then he crouched, rolling up the hems of his wide trousers.
"Alright," he sighed as he picked up the buckets while standing up.
He dipped his right leg first into the water, letting his right leg settle before he dipped the left, and continued in that manner until he reached the cleaner side of the spring.
When he reached the spot, he crouched down, letting the water seep into the bucket until it filled. He lifted it onto a rock jutting from the water before doing the same with the second bucket, setting it beside the first.
With the buckets secured, he made his way toward the source. He dipped a hand in, letting the cool water wash over his skin, then began scooping it to his mouth, drinking until his thirst was quenched.
'It's cool and fresh, just the way I like it.'
When he finished, he returned to the buckets and lifted them, moving slowly toward the shore to avoid tripping.
Once he stepped out of the water, he set them down in front of the elder man.
"I'm all done, sir," he muttered to the old man sitting against the tree trunk.
As the old man rose to his feet, he added another request to his list, one Clyde was not ready for..