Perspective Carbry Ulick
"Now you would all do well to remember this place is highly populated with all sorts so it wouldn't surprise me if we faced some trouble at some point. Judging from where the sun is we shouldn't bother getting on any of the remaining boats it's better to just stay the night and see what you can." Sefton said.
"Thank you for everything." Carbry said.
"Yes I get it owe us your lives and all that now just follow me and I'll show you the spot after the sight passes we can go to an inn and rest their till morning." Sefton said yawning at the end clearly tired.
"Okay then let's go." Vittoria Agatino said.
We walked through the busy and bustling port city of dragons stone we saw the way runes were crafted on every surface. The runes seemed to move and pulse with an unending power an aura of Dellanima faintly around them. It was hard to tell how many different types of runes their were just from this but it was likely in the hundreds. The city itself was a maze of corners and dead ends with the number of people you could see and pass by growing denser as we moved closer to the sea of boiling stone.
"Okay this is the inn we will be staying at I've been here many times over the years." Sefton said walking through the door to seeing a rather well sized and comfortable inn. The inn door itself had the words "elf's tree sap" above it in all caps.
"Ah Lord Sefton a pleasure as always to see you who might your friends be and how long might you be staying this time?" The inn keeper asked he was a much younger elf looking like a human of over 50 which meant he was probably over 500. Which makes sense the inn is well placed near the centre of the city and almost close enough to the sea of boiling stone to see it from the ground. The only reason you couldn't is the number of building and walls blocking of the view from ground level.
"These are the other worlders of this era we will be taking four rooms so everyone has plenty of space boys and girls separated obviously and one night." Sefton said a hint of joy just hearing his voice likely old friends.
"Fantastic and as usual for you the friends and family discount only 50 Obius the prices have gotten more expensive again honestly those greedy human merchants." The inn keeper said.
"50 Obius huh greedy indeed." Sefton said clearly annoyed.
"Is that a lot?" Carbry asked.
"it's usually the price of outright buying a house in most places this is only four rooms for one night." Sefton said.
"Noted." Carbry said.
"Here." Sefton said handing a pouch with 50 silver coloured coins with a symbol of a demon skull on one half and an angle skull on the other.
"Thank you as always Lord Sefton first floor rooms 3, 5, 6, and 9." The inn keeper said.
"Always a pleasure Oscar." Sefton said as he started to walk up the stairs.
"Rest well Lord Sefton and I wish you luck on your journey other worlders." Oscar said putting his hand over his forehead. Sefton simply nodded in return doing the same.
"What does that mean?" Jacklyn asked.
"It means respect and well wishes." Sefton answered.
"Is it an elven custom or one we might need to know since it helps us with every race?" Lina asked.
"It isn't universal but I would learn it good way to make a first impression on elves." Sefton said stroking his chin.
"Now if we go to the roof we will just have to wait an hour or two to see what I wanted to show you all." Sefton said.
"Why are we even bothering with this if time is of the essence to save the world?" Austin asked saying the question we were all probably thinking.
"Well the sea of boiling stone has never gone solid but the later in the day it is the denser the lava is so getting one now and tomorrow only differs by an hour or two rather than several." Sefton said clearly not viewing this as so important we couldn't take our time to try and learn to live in this world while we can.
"That may not be much time but that feels like a waste regardless." Brycen said also stating something most of us had thought.
"For most it takes years or decades to achieve what you will need to achieve in very few years so a few hours here and their to refresh doesn't hurt." Sefton said probably having regretted either doing exactly that too much or too little leading to his current condition.
"Sefton if healing exists why do you have that scar? Y-you don't have to answer I just wanted to a-ask." Tillie asked.
"It was to help Blaire after... after he lost his limbs even when he recovered he was deeply scarred in every way so he lashed out one day after I told him some news and I... I kept the wound to show how sorry I was." Sefton said the way he carried the katana he used as a kane seemed to change to more like he was just holdings it to sooth his worry.
"It was a long time ago now so both he and I have moved on but I kept it anyway... Just didn't have the spirit in me to be a true lord after that." Sefton said.
"Your a true lord?" Jacklyn said questioningly with confusion.
"It's rare but sometimes even the very strong spirited true lords can get their spirits broken and only recover when it's too late to reach seven soul colours." Sefton said pawing at his scar a little.
"Actually I'm curious how do we tell if we are talking to a true lord?" Maximillian asked.
"Simple the eyes are different colours mine used to be blue ain the right yellow in the left. Blaire however is unique since he is a hybrid true lord his left eye is half green half purple and his right eye used to be half red half blue before he lost it." Sefton said.
"Now I regret not getting to look at his eye that sounds so cool." Jacklyn said.
"It is." Sefton said walking up flight after flight of stairs.
"How many floors does this thing have it didn't look that tall outside?" Pace asked.
"That's the space runes with enough you can add a whole floor without it being seen by the outside this is actually the tallest tower inn that dragon stone has hence why it's my favourite." Sefton said.
"Okay that sounds awesome I kinda want to know how it all works." Pace said.
It took quite a bit more time to walk up all the stairs but we eventually went onto the roof. What we saw when we looked out into the beyond was the most incredible and terrifying thing I've ever seen. If you looked to the west you could see the sea of boiling stone a truly massive nearly endless looking ocean of lava you could even see these incredible metal ships that pulled and waved along. The whole sea of boiling stone looked like the mouth of an active volcano an incredible sight with all those metal ships of truly bizarre magical power move along the massive sea disappearing of into the distance. If you looked to the east you could see the mountains and hills even the forests and lakes for who knows how many miles. Even the sun in the sky and the blue almost cloudless sky made the view ever more awe inspiring.
"Incredible." We all said in unison.
"You should see it when the sun is setting that is what I want you to see that is what will motivate you seeing what you need to see." Sefton said looking out beyond with a love in his eyes that reflected how much he appreciated the view.
"Even the city makes it look better like small hills of metal with magical glows it's all incredible." Vittoria said.
"Yes and this is all just the start of your journey. Now who wants to go down and eat before we decide who goes in which room then we'll come back up to see this while the sun sets after that you'll see the night sky for awhile then to bed." Sefton said sounding like a dad.
"You sound like a dad." Pace said.
"I am." Sefton said.
"Really who's your kid or kids what are they like?" Maximillian asked curiously.
"I only ever had the one son he's still alive but he was very young in the third great cataclysm. Me and my boy didn't get on very well for a long time due to some choices I made I now regret but I am still trying to make it up to him in my own way." Sefton said staring out likely at the rough direction he believed his son was.
"I now what that's like to have lots of trouble with close family because of choices you now regret you can only move forward together." Carbry said patting Sefton on the back after that we all went down and ate the price of the food was 180 lower Obius that were bronze in colour now I wonder how the currency system works.
"Hey Sefton I'm curious how does the currency system work?" Pace asked.
"A lower Obius is the smallest form of currency we often use their is the Domerar but 100 of those are needed for one lower Obius so it's only really used in the rural areas. One Obius is worth 100 lower Obius which is why I said 50 was expensive their aren't many forms of currency above Obius let alone those in use. Their is also the Sworded coin a coin with sheaf of a katana on one side and a katana on the other that is worth 50 Obius. Then their is the Knife coin it has chains on one side and a knife on the other hence the name it's worth 10 Sworded coins. Last but not least is the Haldread coin it's worth depends entirely on the current economy but most of the time they are worth at least 1000 Knife coins. As for what's on it one side has a skull of a human and the other a halberd hense the name." Sefton said finishing his meal very quickly.
The food itself was incredible everything was high quality the meat was tender and soft yet juicy and chewy. Even the bread was incredible some pieces crispy and crunchy others soft and smooth. The soup and vegetables even the fruit all tasted fresh and strongly of what you wanted the vegetables a slight bitter but sweet flavour with incredible crunch the fruit sweet and soft while the soup was a well balanced mix of the ingredients . This was the first well balanced meal with meat we've had for a few days now so everyone enjoyed it.
"Okay now let's go back to the top and watch the sun set." Sefton said taking a final sip of his water finishing it everyone very quickly finished and followed satisfied and once again the mood had lifted.
It was a nice calm walk up the stairs everyone with a full belly and satisfied for the first time in awhile. We made it to the top and saw the sun set in full the clouds having come back in and the way the suns rays reflected and refracted the light was incredible. It was like seeing a sky of fire red orange and yellow spreading across the sky with touches of blue the difference between the sky and the sea was impossible to tell both red, orange and yellow in colours. The way it all shifted and changed as the sun set was a beautiful sight like the whole world was one with the lava and flames of the sea of boiling stone. But such a sight also made us realise what an incredible enemy we were likely to face truly immense powers to fear among our final foes.
As the sun fully set the whole world seemed dark if not for the sea of boiling stone like a light in the dark with the runes of the buildings and the ships serving like lights or fireworks we see by looking below. After that the clouds parted and we saw the night sky for the first time an ocean of stars like swimming in a cosmic void with countless burning lights. It was then that we saw the two moons both full one blue and one red it was like seeing well their is nothing that could fully describe the scene. Even the very way the runes and boats in the distance seemed to pulse with energy seemed to slowly sooth like lights being turned down low.
"Okay that was worth it." Maximillian said an everyone nodded.
"Okay how about Brycen, Austin and me in room 3 Pace, Max and Carbry get room 5 Vittoria and Jacklyn in room 6 and for room 9 Lina and Tillie how does that sound?" Sefton asked.
Everyone nodded then we all walked down and went to our rooms going to sleep quickly on the actually comfortable beds much better than the cave floor.