Chapter 12, Kingdom of Pentir

(Reskeme, in the Kingdom Of Pentir)

Reskeme swiveled his head as he approached a crooked wooden stall. The scent of freshly baked bread and the woody smell of meat grilling drifted to his nose. Reskeme waited inline as only three people stood in front of them.

He reached the counter, his mouth watering and his stomach growling. Reskeme eyed the assortment of bread and skewers of meat. They were all marked with a number and a CC. Whatever that meant?

Proffering three of his copper coins, Reskeme gestured to three loafs of bread. The man behind the stalls' eyes widens. But then, seeing his ragged state, the man must have realized he was just a commoner like the rest of them. Eyeing the coins, the man blanched, shaking his head.

" That is foreign currency, I do not trade in copper coins. Ahh, that makes sense, you are a foreigner. That is why you wear those noble colours." said the man now much less friendly.

" Where can I trade in my coins for your money?" asked Reskeme.

" I am busy, come back when you have real coins." said the man scowling and clutching a rolling pin in a white knuckled grip as if to fend him off.

Reskeme left the stall, shrinking at the scowl of the merchant whose gaze followed him until he was out of sight.

" Why did he hate you so much?" asked Rory.

" He was mean, I do not like him." said Alex, the boy's face scrunched in an adorably enraged face.

Reskeme laughed, the boy's comment lightening his mood.

" Yeah, he was worse than some of the gutter rats I have met." said Reskeme.

" Now where can we find the exchange office." asked Reskeme to his companions.

" Ask her, she looks nice." said Rory, gesturing to a portly woman strolling down the street, her blue umbrella shading her against the noonday sun.

Reskeme followed her gesture. And strolled cautiously towards the woman, stopping a polite distance away. Noticing him, the woman bowed, placing her hand facing outwards on her forehead.

" How may I help you, sir?" asked the woman smiling at him and the children.

" We are looking for the building to exchange our coins." Replied Reskeme.

" Oh, you are foreigners?" asked the woman, her face brightening.

" Yes, we just arrived here and no one will take our coins." Replied Reskeme frowning.

" Oh, I'm terribly sorry to hear that. There are some shops who will take your kingdom's currency. But there are others who have grown angry at your kingdom.

" Angry at our kingdom, why?" asked Reskeme.

" It is not your fault. A bridge your kingdom was supposed to be guarding fell to the enemy. Im sure your brave soldiers did what they could. But we lost many lives to push back the enemy and block off the bridge." said the woman, her shoulders slumping.

" I am sorry to hear that. They took my father, the enemy did. But my mommy is still getting revenge," said Rory, tears welling in her eyes.

" My dear, im sorry to hear that. Forget I said anything about it." said the woman smiling kindly to Rory and Alex.

" Soo, do you know where the money building is?" asked Reskeme, uneasy at the topic of loved one's dying, his own memories welling to the surface.

" Off course, just walk up the street and take a left. You cannot miss it, the building has a sign out front with exchange office written on it." said the Woman.

" Thank you for all your help, and the information." said Reskeme.

"Can you read?" asked the woman cautiously.

" Yes, of course. Who cannot read?" said Alex, laughing.

"Well, there are many people who cannot read." said the woman grinning down at Alex.

" I love your umbrella." said Rory, staring longingly at the blue fabric.

"Thank you, its dreadfully bright today. And I need this umbrella or I will get a nasty burn." said the portly woman.

" I best be going. Where are you staying for the evening?" Asked The portly woman eyeing them.

" Well im not sure, maybe a stable if we can find one." replied Reskeme sheepishly.

" Nonsense, you will stay the night with me and my grouch of a husband. We own the blacksmith's shop down the Street." said the woman, gesturing to a two story building with customers entering and leaving.

" But I do not have the silvers for a room." said Reskeme.

" I will hear nothing of you paying to stay. After you exchange your money, come to my shop and ask for Mandy." said The Kindly woman.

Heart lifting and a smile tugging at his lips, Reskeme nodded his head to the portly woman as she walked away. He walked up the street, Alex and Rory in tow taking a left turn.

Reskeme strolled up to the building with the large foreign exchange sign out front. Before opening the door. He admired the fact that at least this building had dark paint that reminded him of Laurentia. Taking a deep breath, he entered the building, the sound of his feet dampened by the soft rugs. The scent of dandelions and mint filled the room, making the place smell like a garden.

Reskeme eyed the soul man behind a dark wooden desk. The man sat behind a pane of glass, writing with a feather quill. The man glanced up, his glasses perched on the tip of his nose.

" Good afternoon, how can I help you?" asked the black-haired man, his eyes roving over all three of them uninterested.

" I want to change my money to your currency." replied Reskeme.

" Oh, let me see it then." said the man setting down his quill.

Reskeme passed a copper coin to the man, unwilling to give him the rest just yet.

" Ahh, Laurentian copper coin. That will be a fifteen percent exchange rate if you wish to change them to our currency of crowns." said The Man rubbing the dark stubble on his chin. Reskeme was unsure what that meant?

" How much do you have to exchange?" said the man. Reskeme presented him with five silver coins and five copper coins, setting the pile on his side of the counter.

" Five and five, at a fifteen percent exchange and a ten percent kingdom tax will come to four silver crowns." said the man, horns seeming to sprout from his head.

Reskeme could swear he saw the outline of evil surrounding the man when he said those words.

" Fo Four? I only get four silver Crowns for five silvers and five copper?" asked Reskeme, stunned.

" Yes, that is the best I can offer! Feel free to go somewhere else. I will warn you however that we have the best exchange rate in the city." said the man smiling devilishly.

"Why you gutter rat, this is highway robbery!" shouted Reskeme. He fumed, but in the end took the four smaller silver coins, hoping the man tripped and fell down the stairs on his way out.

" You will need to try better insults, I have been working her for twenty years." said the man grinning.

Reskeme slammed the door, exiting the building with his companions in tow. Reskeme halted, taking in a deep breath as he turned to face the building again.

Reskeme and his companions stood in front of the exchange office. He glared at the building like his worst enemy. He clenched his fists, the Four silver crowns much lighter than the five silver coins he had exchanged them for. Reskeme still couldn't tell if the man had ripped him off.

That had to be illegal? Could that sewer rat of a man really be a city official? The man had taken a whole silver coin, saying it was the exchange rate.

Reskeme walked back down the street, his bad mood lightening at the prospect of food. He got back inline for the food stall, the man behind the counter glaring at him again. The man charged everyone ahead of him, one copper crown per loaf and two coppers crowns per skewer of meat.

After a few minutes, it was his turn again. Reskeme gestured to three sticks of sauce covered meat and Three loafs of bread.

"That will be thirteen copper crowns." said The Man, sneering at him.

" But it only says the meat costs two and the bread cost one, it should only cost eight." said Reskeme, stunned.

" Take it or leave it foreigner, if you dislike it go somewhere else." said the man waving him away.

Reskemes mouth water and his stomach growled. He turned to Alex and Rory, who stare at the foot drooling. Reskeme palmed a single silver crown, passing it to the man who exchanged it for eighty-seven copper crowns.

Reskeme counted his change and grasped the food, holding them in his hands. He stepped away from the food stall, before giving the stick of meat to the kids. Reskeme dug in, the meat soft and smokey. He then ate the loaf of bread still steaming, at least the food was delicious. Reskeme sighed happily, his anger at the merchant fading.

Reskeme wander down the streets. He pulled out the scroll from the High Priest. He followed the streets, keeping an eye out for a building with the sign he was looking for. His search led him deeper into the city as he followed signs on street corners to parts of the city. They painted all the buildings darker shades of paint, some buildings had dark green grass out front with gardens. Still odd, but much less off-putting than the bright colours of the outer city.

Reskeme and his two companions walked along the main street for almost an hour as he followed the map on his scroll. On the map the line only was as long as his finger, so he couldn't believe it had taken so long to arrive at the building. Reskeme gaped at the sheer amount of people. He could have never imagined so many people in one place. He was lucky all he needed to do was follow the wide street into the valley, or he would have gotten hopelessly lost in the city.

He arrived at a building. Out front on the edge of the street was a sign painted dark brown. The sign hanging on two tall poles on a lawn of green grass. On the sign in letters painted an eye-catching red was the letters Elementals Fury. The building was a single story tall but expanded the size of over seven blocks, looking like a small fortress inside the city. It was very reminiscent of the Dark Fell hunters guild. The building bustled as people entered and left, the tide of humanity never stopping in the streets. Reskeme had to keep hold of Rorys and Alexs hands so he didn't lose them the entire trip.

Reskeme set down his scroll, verifying that the name on the scroll and the name on the sign were the same. Elementals Fury, the guild he needed to infiltrate. How was he going to find something important when there were dozens of people entering and leaving the massive building? Reskeme sighed, he would find a way.