Get to the Upper City! Part 1

The sharpened blade of the halberd inches from Joshua's neck gave him the sinking suspicion that the guard did not want him to pass. Judging by the words of the guard he knew the reason. Having played countless games with similar scenarios, where bypassing the guard was necessary, he knew he had a couple of options.

He could apologize and leave and find another way around. This was not an ideal method, since he was planning on doing a lot of business in the uptown area. If he was going to build unrivaled wealth and power, he knew it was a certainty.

Another option would be to convince the guard he was worthy of passing. From how the town folk were treating him, he knew that he had achieved the status of hero. Perhaps claiming guild business and producing his guild card would grant him the access he desired. This option was risky, as the guard could be part of the guild himself, though that was an unlikely scenario. He seemed to be an average guard.

The final option was the option that always works. Money, people can be bought, and Joshua knew it. He would throw some silver at the guard and that would surely allow him access. This option would delay him the longest because he had no coins on him and would have to return to the bank to make a withdrawal.

He gave it a few seconds thought as the blade got ever so closer to his neck.

"I am Joshua, slayer of demons." He said loudly. "I need to pass through on official guild business, straight from Tonya." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his guild card to show to the guard.

The guard looked over the card and removed the halberd from Joshua's neck. "You might be from the guild, but whenever the guild chapter here has business uptown, they issue a pass. If you are really on guild business where is your pass?"

"I knew I forgot something!" Joshua said. "I walked out of the guild hall without it! I can't believe my stupidity. Must still be exhausted from killing that demon."

"Then go get it." The guard said, not entertaining any nonsense from Joshua.

"It is a really time sensitive quest!" Joshua pleaded. "If you could just look the other way just this once it would really be helping me out."

"No exceptions." The guard said. "The law is clear, no rats allowed in the upper city."

Joshua was starting to entertain a fourth option of killing this guard, his prejudice was upsetting. To discount an entire group of people because of their birth and their income. As it stood this kingdom seemed to be a system of haves and have nots, where the haves looked down on the ones who did not.

Having just started his journey, he did not want to attack the city guard, at least not yet. Becoming a wanted man at his level would be suicidal. Instead, he resolved to make the guard pay later for his insolence. After he had become the richest, most powerful man in all the kingdoms.

"I will be back then." Joshua said with a heavy sigh. "With my pass."

"See that you do." The guard said, glaring at Joshua.

Joshua walked away and ducked into a nearby alley, he was down to either bribery or stealth. He didn't want to deal with the bank again today, after all that poor teller is most likely still in a catatonic state. He closed his eyes and searched the boy's memories that he replaced. The way Gina talked about the upper city implied they had been there. So, the key must be in the memories.

He found it. There was a secret path in the alley he was in, he needed only go through the sewers. He walked over to where the entrance should have been and moved some wooden crates that blocked the iron door that led down into the sewers.

Upon descending down he discovered that what he thought were sewers from his fuzzy memories, were in fact catacombs. The tunnel was twenty feet wide and had large pillars in the center every ten feet or so. Upon each pillar was a lantern that burned an eerie green flame. A torch was also on each wall between the pillars. The walls also seemed to house countless human skeletal remains, there were large three feet tall by nine feet wide sections carved out, each filled with every manner of bone.

"I wonder what happened here…" Joshua said as he looked at the discarded remains. "I suppose it is not out of the realm of possibility that there was a plague here, or some time of military purge. Though it is most likely this is how they dispose of the so-called rats. No funeral, just tossed underground into a hole… But who puts them on the shelves…"

Joshua pondered those questions as he walked towards the upper city. He knew it wasn't far or least he thought he remembered it that way. Though he also remembered this place as a sewer, and it was obviously not. Of course, the human skull wrapped in snakes molded into the iron door should have been a clue.

As he continued, he noticed a section that the lights were out, the area was barely illuminated by the adjacent torches, the green flame produced a very diminished light to begin with. Joshua peered into the black abyss in front of him, and he swore he could see movement in the shadows.

He could also hear the shuffling of bone and metal along the stones that made up the floor of the catacombs. "Undead." He said aloud. "That would imply those green flames somehow suppress the undead or repel them. This world has such interesting and unique magic. Shirt plate armor made of cloth, now torches that repel the undead.

He grabbed his rusty blade, which he had been storing on his belt. "Only thing to do now is get some experience points. If they are too tough, I can retreat to the light. This is a perfect chance to get some levels." He said, preparing for combat.