After departing the trio traveled for most of the day, Nyla left them with extra funds so for once they weren't in a terrible spot. With that being said, they made sure to keep their eyes peeled while walking since they weren't really in the mood to get robbed again. They had gotten the luxury of good meals, multiple times this week and they wanted the good fortune to keep going.
Dante wished that when they got to Veloria, he would have the pleasure of seeing the bridges and then getting to just leave the town with no problems, but given the track record they have, he highly doubted their luck. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the sound of Rika and Kaito messing around.
When he turned Rika had ended up having Kaito in a headlock. "I told you, you couldn't get outta the legendary, trickster headlock!" She yelled at him.
Kaito squirmed around. "Release me!" He playfully yelled back.
Dante smiled watching their antics, he guessed he could give himself the leasure to just relax, if he always thought about the possibility of things going bad. But in the moment they were fine.
They had set up camp that night, this time they found a rather high up tree so they set up hammocks, due to the convincing from Rika. Even though she failed at hunting anything. And In the morning they arrive at veloria and the sight that greets them makes Rika immediately snap pictures.
Perched above a labyrinth of yawning ravines, the city seems to defy the earth itself. From a distance, its skyline glimmers like a web of light suspended between mountains, where colossal bridges stretch across the sea, twin veins of stone, steel, and artistry that bind two halves of the continent together.
Each bridge spans nearly two thousand meters, broad enough to hold bustling streets, vendors, and even homes built along their edges. Arched supports plunge deep into the misty depths below, where wind whistles through the chasms like a haunting melody. Travelers say you can feel the hum of the bridges under your feet, the quiet vibration of life, commerce, and motion constantly surging between east and west.
Veloria's people have adapted to the impossible heights. Rope lifts and pulley systems connect lower levels to higher walkways, while narrow stairways spiral down the sides of bridge towers like threads of silver. Lanterns hang from every post and balcony, glowing gold at dusk, turning the entire city into a river of light flowing through the night sky.
It's said that nowhere else in the world captures the marriage of function and beauty like Veloria, a city built not on land, but on courage, ingenuity, and the will to cross the impossible.
"Woah I've never seen bridges this big!" Kaito shouts as he looks. The bridges are busy however. With them being the only passage, nobles, merchants, and adventurers crowd the bridge.
As Kaito and his friends cross Kaito gets a look at the beautiful ocean view around them. They're so high up and the water below is filled with both beautiful creatures and terrifyingly large monsters.
As Kaito and his friends enter Kaito catches the feeling of someone strange watching him. His friends continue on but the man approaches Kaito.
"Hey there fella." He says, the mysterious aura covering him. The man is dressed in a black cloak that covers his face. The people of the town just walk around him like he isn't even there. "Hey?" Kaito responds, unsure of this man.
"What're you doing around here?" He asks. Kaito doesn't understand the question. The man laughs. "Right i'm sorry, I didn't even introduce myself, Mal should do for now." He introduces himself.
The mans presence comes with this weird pressure. "Do I know you?" Kaito asks. The man just smiles at him. He gets close to Kaito's face and looks him in the eye. Kaito doesnt understand what it is, he reaches back for the man but Dante shakes Kaito. "Kaito who are you talking to?" Dante asks. Kaito turns back to Mal but he's gone.
Kaito wonders how weird that was. "It was a guy here." Kaito says. Dante shakes his head. "Dude It was just you staring at nothing."
Shaking it off Dante changes the subject. "We have some leftover money from Nyla, you wanna grab a bite to eat?" Dante asks.
"Since we didn't have any luck with hunting." Dante says. Kaito smiles. "Because Rika couldn't catch anything filling." He mocks.
Rika looks offended. "It's harder then it looks!" Rika yells.
"Why do even take turns anyways, we know you're the best hunter." Dante asks.
Kaito smirks. "It's how we got better at stuff back at home, we always took turns doing it, so if you wanted the entire village happy you would have to be better." Kaito explains.
Dante sweats a little. "That sounds like weaponized peer pressure man." He says. Rika nods. "I've heard of that kind of stuff, it's what some family's do to make everyone strong." Rika adds.
Her mouth then waters. "Could we get noodles?" Rika asks. Dante shakes his head. "We already got noodles back in Trays, I want something else." Dante says.
Rika shakes her head. "What a simpleton, how can you get tired of noddles there's so many ways to enjoy them," Rika says as illusions of noodles appear above her head. "You could get delicious spicy udon noodles, or you could get chicken Katsu on top with miso soup on the side." Rika says as she giggles.
Dante still isn't sold. "No to noodles." He says.
With no ideas they turn to Kaito. "What do you want?" Dante asks Kaito. Kaito just shrugs, "i'll eat anything as long as it's good." He responds and Rika groans. "Hate when people respond with that, how about pizza then?" Rika asks.
"Simple, cheap, delicious." She adds.
Kaito tilts his head. "What's a pizza?" He asks. Dante shakes his head. "You village folk, you've gotta try it it's really good." Dante explains.
As they walk through town they notice a young empire soldier. They overhear the conversation.
"Have you heard of the guilds stirring up trouble again?" A soldier asks. The young man shakes his head. "Nothing new, those adventures don't understand how lenient we've been with them." He says.
The older one nods. "But to deface an empire artifact like that, it's like onslaught wants trouble." He says.
Dante wonders what the onslaught guild has to do with this.
"What's onslaught?" Kaito asks. "It's one of the five master guilds, wonder why they're messing with the empire." Dante wonders.
Rika shakes her head. "For like the last few months, tension between the onslaught guild, and the liberty region empire, has been insane!"
Dante nods. "I noticed back at home, the news kept mentioning that the guilds were causing trouble, wonder what that's all about."
Rika shoves her arms Into the air, "who cares let's get pizza!" She shouts.
They arrive at the pizzeria and they take a seat. "I'm happy nothing has gone wrong yet, I was beginning to think I was cursed." Dante says. Rika laughs. "You might be." She says.
The kids get their pizza and Kaito is enjoying the dish. "It's like a sandwich!" Kaito says. "I guess you could think of it like that." Dante responds. As the kids enjoy their pizza the power to the building shuts off.
An alarm blares. The kids run outside and they see the barrier around the town disappear.
Vehicles stop in their tracks, as power around the entire city goes out. "CLASS S CRISIS, THE CRYSTIA WAS STOLEN!" A guard shouts as they panic.
"Hurry to the bridge we must stop monsters from getting in!" The guard yells.
On the bridge monsters begin attacking the caravans as the empire rush outside to try to quell it as quickly as possible. Sadly people caught on the outskirts are unable to escape so lives were lost.
Dante's head drops. "It's official i'm cursed." He says.