The streets were lively as horse drawn carriages clogged the roads, creating traffic while the people of the lower district rushed past on their way to work.
Children in uniform ran past Vance, clutching their bags.
"Hurry, we're going to be late." A goblin child no taller than Vance's knee shouted to his ogre friend, who still lumbered along behind him.
"I heard you the first time." Ogre child snarled before rushing ahead.
Vance smiled faintly at the site, even here society operated the same. Children went to school to secure an uncertain future, while adults woke each morning rushing to jobs they had never dreamed of doing, yet desperately needed to survive within the machine called society.
Even though most were not human and some seemed akin to monsters with protruding tusks like teeth and massive frames. It was still a familiar site.
'I wonder how many are drowning debt?' His eyes lit up. 'How many live paycheck to paycheck while dreaming wealth every waking hour?'
Vance stopped and looked back at the two officers walking behind.
"Gentleman," he said in an optimist tone. "We never properly got acquainted despite you risking yourselves to orotect me from that canniving goblin."
The lumbing ogre couldn't help but grin at those words.
"Agh.." the orc groaned after his partner elbowed him in the gut.
"Excuse him. I'm Zel," The orc said. Unlike his partner, he was only slightly taller than Vance.
"And this is Ruk." Zel introduced the ogre, who grinned looking down at Vance.
"Hahaa... we're here to protect you hahaa..." Ruk chuckled as he spoke with his scruffy voice.
'The pain of working with an idiot.' Vance smiled as he noticed the pulsing vains on Zel's green forehead.
"And thank you for that," Vance said, his tone softened. "But something bothers me. Did you stay outside my house the whole night?"
'I know the contract can keep Skritch in check, but Jennifer..' Vance thought rubbing the cut on his finger.
"Yes, but don't concern yourself with that. it's just part of the job." Zel replied while Ruk silently nodded.
''No," Vance shook his head, placing his hand on Zel's shoulder. "I won't allow that. Why don't you come stay with us?"
"What about me?" Ruk asked.
Vance looked up at towering ogre and replied flatly. "You won't fit through the door."
He turned back to Zel. "What do you think?"
Zel looked up at Ruk. "Go ask commander Tooka."
Ruk nodded and walked off in the direction they had come from.
''I'll hear from the commander'' Zel said.
"Thats great," Vance replied. 'Tooka will take the offer, after all it lets them monitor me closely while giving me temporary insurance against Jennifer.'
''Could you show me the library?" Vance asked.
"You mean the mage tower." Zel corrected while walking ahead.
"Do they have books about skills and gifts?"
"If you mean skill books, they sell those," Zel said, "and if you mean general information, those are free on the first floor."
The deeper they walked walked into the city, the more the environment changed. The dirt road disappeared, replaced by smooth tar and stone pathways. The buildings become taller some constructed entirely from marble.
'Those who rule the city, must live at the in deeper parts of the city,' Vance thought as they approached a towering black glass pyramid.
"Does the city toll only apply to visitors?" He asked, remembering the children from earlier.
''Yes, it's only for guest and travelers." Zel explained, walking past the trimmed hedges surrounding the pyramid.
"You don't need to worry about it anymore since you bought a house." He said as they approached two cloaked figures in front of the pyramid.
'Bought a house...' Vance eyes narrowed slightly, 'I need to have discussion with Jennifer.'
Zel pulled out his badge as they stopped on top of a red circle curved into the smooth stone floor around the pyramid. The circle was filled geometric lines and strange symbols on it's outer edge's.
The two cloaked figures nodded as transparent circles formed around their wrist.
Vance's eyes widened slightly as the circle beneath them glowed blue and rose around their bodies.
"If you don't mind me asking," Zel said as the pyramid and sorrounding scenery began to fade. "Why did you choose to stay in our city?"
'It wasn't a choice, just a lack of options,' Vance kept that thought to himself as he could taste the becon, egg and bred into his throat.
''It was closer to Threx domain." He answered as his vision blurred. He struggled to keep his breakfast down as the world around him distorted.
'Hurk,' he covered his mouth as his breakfast threatened to rise past his throat.
"Take this." An unfamiliar feminine voice spoke beside him, holding out a blue pill.
Vance snatched the pill and shoved it into his mouth, and in an instant the dizziness faded.
His vision sharpened revealing a woman with flawless pale skin and long black hair cascading over a pale green dress. Her pointy ears stretched elegantly backward.
"What bring an officer to the mage tower?" She asked Zel in a gentle yet mature tone.
"I'm escorting him." Zel answered pointing to Vance.
"Oh," She turned to Vance with the same gantle smile. "How may the mage tower assist you today, sir?"
Vance could've sworn his heart skipped a beat.
'This is probably magic. I'll pretend to feel nothing until I understand how to deal with it.' He cleared his throat, "I'm looking for information regarding skill and gifts."
"Understood." Green transparent circles formed around her wrist as a translucent blue screen appeared in front of her.
Vance looked around the room. There was no furniture. Only spotless white tile floors, smooth marble walls and silent cloaked figures standing motionless along the edges of the room.
No doors, No windows, only them
''These books contain general information about skills and gifts," She explained as two floating books materialized before her. "They are free to borrow from our library. Would you like to take them?"
"Yes."
"You're ID, please" She reached out her hand while subtly glancing to one of the cloaked along the right wall.
"Which path do you follow?" She asked taking his card.
"You don't need to answer that." Zel interrupted sharply.
A smirk appeared in Vance's face as Zel stepped protectively in front of him.
"Don't cross the line. You're just an assistant," Zel said in a firm tone.
Her smile never wavered as looking past him to Vance. "I apologise if I offended you."
"Apology accepted."
She glanced to the cloaked figures on the right, pretending to look at the blue screen floating in front of her.
"Oh, perhaps this may help you further." Another floating book appeared beside the others. "It specifically focuses on contract based skills and gifts."
Zel stepped back as the books floated toward Vance.
"What's your contract limit?" She suddenly asked.
Zel's jaw tightened as he grabbed Vance's arm. "We'd like to leave now"
'Sir I'm not a child.' Vance glanced down at the rough green hand gripping his sleeve, 'and what your mean, we?'
June stared at Vice with her gantle smile as if waiting for a response.
"The mage tower is obligated by law, to release all those who are within their walls upon request," Zel said with a stern face. "Are breaking the law assistant June."
'To have a law made against you, means they powerful enough to challenge the officers.' He thought, 'If I join them I can gain information and I'm safe from Tooka.'
"Of course." She said calmly, giving Vance his card. ''I was only trying to help your friend."
A blue circle formed formed beneath them.
"Its 470." Vance answered. Zel's eyes widened instantly.
The circle around them shrank, surrounding only Zel while excluding Vance.
"This is against the law, June!" Zel snapped as his body blurred.
And with a smile she replied. "Your were only one who expressed interest to leave. You friend did not."
Zel vanished.
June turned to Vance, who now stood holding four books.
"If you wouldn't mind," she said softly, "could you tell me, which path you follow?"
Vance smiled faintly as the memory resurfaced, the stars, the pain, the twenty paths burned into his soul.
But among them, one had stood as if resonating with his soul.
It whispered a truth humanity constantly denied. People were not driven by noble causes but were driven by greed.
Greed woke men from their beds each morning. Greed made them betray, conquer, build, and destroy.
The greed for wealth. The greed for power. The greed to fulfill dreams denied by reality.
And Vance stood as living proof of it.
He never needed the money he killed for. Yet his greed for wealth surpassed his morality.
He never needed to corrupt officers or politicians. Yet his greed for power outweighed the empathy needed to care for those around him.
And through all of it, countless dreams had been crushed beneath his ambition. All so he could pursue his own unfulfilled dream of freedom.
Without hesitation, he answered. "The path of greed."
June's eyes shifted toward the cloaked figures on the right and one of them slowly shook his/her head.