Entering the City

The guards looked at each other without a word and seemed to struggle with a decision. On the one hand, they hadn't heard about the attack on Harios, but on the other hand, Slim looked like he had just jumped from the brink of death.

"Well, under normal circumstances, I would have to report the whole incident," the guard replied, staring at the group.

"How long would it take?" asked Slim, filled with worry. "We haven't eaten in a week. I beg you."

Still kneeling before the guard, he looked up in hope. "Is there nothing I can do to keep my children and me safe, to have a meal and a roof over our heads for once?"

"Well," said the guard, "I'm sure there is. I'm not sleeping well since a few days, and a nightcap can help me. But it costs money." The man's grin revealed everything there was to know about his honor. At least he still had the decency to share his joy with the other guard.

If Slim gave them money, they would treat themselves to a bottle of hooch after their watch and fall asleep somewhere in the nearest pub. 'Disgusting, corrupt guys.'

Their critical situation might just be an act, at least the one they presented, but that there were people who took advantage of such situations was unforgivable for Kiyu. One could almost put these people on a par with Tānlán. 'Is the entire town so corrupt?' I thought there was some wealth here and everyone gets something?'

Slim, on the other hand, seemed to know it all already, because without hesitation he reached into the pockets of his clothes and rummaged around a bit. Without hesitation, he had pulled out a single piece.

Zhèngyi gasped at the sight of the coin and in the next moment tried to let the gasp turn into a cough while he pressed his chest with one hand. Old Slim had indeed pulled out a gold piece! Just like that!

Kiyu could put the beaming grins of the two gate guards into words, even their greedy eyes had widened at the sight of the gold piece the old man presented to them. This was far more than just some money for a nightcap. 'This is a small fortune!'

Without hesitation, the guard took the gold piece and waved his hand, signaling upward to open the city gate. It took a few moments for the massive double halves of the big gate to open.

"Then we wish you a safe stay in Oras," the soldier nodded in conclusion, flicking the gold piece into the air before catching it and letting it disappear into his back pocket.

"Thank you very much" Slim folded his hands and bowed several times to the man who had just swindled a gold piece from them, only for them to enter the city without being checked. Under other circumstances this would have been unthinkable, but given their situation they had no other choice.

Compared to their lives, the gold piece had no value at all.

Without bothering with the guards any further, they entered the great city of Oras, keeping close to Slim.

"A gold piece? Are you crazy?" whispered Zhèngyi. The gold piece that Slim just had given away was, at least in the eyes of poor people, a small fortune.

"There's more where that came from," he replied. "But first, let's go see my contact here in town."

Jarifa had already been an eye-opener for Laki and Kiyu, but Oras far surpassed that again. All those houses made of stone or reinforced with stone made the city appear indestructible. But the city had not yet come to life. The first rays of the sun had illuminated it, but only a few people were on the streets.

Here and there people left their houses, with various objects in their hands. Some seemed to go shopping early with their baskets, while others were on their way to work to earn their daily bread for the family.

It seemed very peaceful once inside the sturdy walls. In silence, they marveled at the city, following behind old Slim, who they led them to somewhere without telling where he was leading them.

For quite a while they had kept to the main street that led inland from the city gate, but soon he took them down one of the many side streets that served as entrances too many of the smaller stores below. Those owners could not afford the prices of property on the major streets.

Thanks to the early morning hour, it was so empty that they not only moved without problems, but were also fortunate that almost no one noticed which side alley they had turned into. So far, all they knew was that Slim had a contact, but what the Kiyu and the group didn't know was what kind of person his contact was.

Was he targeted by the city guards, or did he lead a low profile life? Were they just making themselves a target by turning down that very alley?

Slim, on the other hand, seemed less bothered by appearance. With his chest outstretched and his presence strong, he continued to advance, stopping after a few hundred yards. 'Are we there?'

Kiyu glanced around. Most of this area comprised residential buildings. Apartments whose quality was rather low, based on the appearance of the walls here alone. With one, she was not sure whether it was not a junk store. The building Slim stopped in front of, however, had an old, rustic sign hanging from a small pole attached to the outside facade.

"To the lonely night," Kiyu read the signs' hard-to-read words.

"Doesn't sound promising," Zhèngyi sneered, snorting his nose in disdain.

"Sounds as reliable as you look, kid," Slim growled, knocking on the door. This time he would not have a little skirmish with the offended boy.

They heard heavy footsteps approaching the door inside. As a precaution, Slim took a step back from the door.

Without consideration, someone slammed the door wide open and stood in the doorway. Except for Slim, everyone gulped at the sight of the man in the doorway. Kiyu was already not small as a woman with 179cm, but this guy was at least 2m tall and a muscleman to boot! And such a guy was Slim's contact man in the city?

The stranger only wrinkled his nose and cast a quick glance over the group.

"What brats you got dragged in there, Slim?" he asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh, them? Some friends I picked up at the abandoned hideout." replied Slim, shrugging his shoulders. "Anyway, there's something I want to talk to you about."

"Hmph! Come on in," he said, walking back into the building. Behind Slim, however, who also entered the building, the muscular man closed the door, leaving the group of children standing outside.

"Hey!" yelled Zhèngyi, however, he realized there was no point. He was being ignored.

"If you ask me, this isn't right," he whispered. "And I don't mean that this could be a smuggler's safe house."

"What do you mean?" asked Kiyu.

"First some muscular guy who could smuggle nothing without guards seeing him, and then all this secrecy when we want to get in, anyway? It's suspicious to me." he countered.

"Who knows, maybe he needs to discuss our request first?" interjected Laki, remaining calm. She had gotten along best with Slim and talked honest with him.

"Hmph!" Zhèngyi was not convinced of the man's innocence.

"Anyway," Kiyu interrupted the two, "there's nothing we can do right now but wait and see. If it gets dangerous, we'll run."

"Because that's been working out so well," Zhèngyi countered, crossing his arms. Annoyed, he let his gaze roam the alley.

Kiyu and Laki, on the other hand, settled down against the wall next to the door. Of course, the side where the door couldn't hit them if the contact opened it again.

"Where do you think we'll end up, Zhèngyi? Will we be safe from Xianzhu?"

"I don't know. We have to leave the north." he replied. "Xianzhu controls almost the entire north. One third of Purista is under his control. The remaining two-thirds are divided among several major rulers."

"Well, I don't think he'll start a war over us," Kiyu said. "So as long as he doesn't expand his power, we're safe for now. Assuming we make it out of Oras."

"Oh, we even broke out of his prison and right under his nose," Laki laughed, lightening the mood at least a little. "I rather wonder what we have to do for this ruffian."

"I'm hoping for a smuggling job," Kiyu replied, glancing at Zhèngyi, who dismissed her statement with a nod. Neither of them wanted to become a robbery killer or anything like that.

But before they could talk further about their future, the door to the lonely night opened again.