Chapter 3 - A fresh taste, of Sea-Salt and Blood

I make my way through the soaked grass blades, feeling the small water droplets sinking between the plates of my foot armor.

 "Why's it so cold?" Rito remarks suddenly.

"What do you mean?" 

"I'm nearly dying of a heatstroke?!" I exclaim, exaggerating my point by wiping the warm sweat of my forehead.

"I feel the wind entering through all the chinks in my armor, yours must be tighter with the cotton or something."

 "Tch, that's some dragon shit you're spewing Rito, you just don't got a lot of muscle on you." I tease Rito.

"Mhm mhm, or maybe you're just fat!.." Rito laughs.

"Am not, I'm just big boned!"

"Yeah you are!" Rito laughs as he quickly runs forward onto the solid bridge. I try to chase after him, As I feel myself losing air. Gods, maybe I am out of shape.

I set my foot on the hard cast sandstone bridge, and hear the crunch it makes on the ground. I begin feeling the warm rays of heat from the sun, straying across my lavender skin, warming it up. Rows of merchants and travelers pass us, some stare at me with a look of disgust or confusion. I quickly catch up with Rito as he strolls ahead. 

I tilt my head upwards as I let my legs settle down. And see forward the absaloutality of Cardinal Crossing, The peaks of the collided mountains breaking up the range into distinguishable areas. The wall of mountains spanning across my entire eye sight and more, as the lonely Cardinal Bridge connects the harsh desert to the gloomy forest, with the interbreak of peace and quiet in the below azure glistening waters, shifting the soft sand at the bunk of the expansive sea.

"It's so unfathomably hot!" I yell exhaustedly.

"And you want me to do what about it?"

 "I'm just saying! Can't we jump in the water for a quick swim? I want to cool down badly." 

"No. There are tons of people walking beside us, what do you think they'll think if suddenly some lunatic flung himself over the bridge and down to the sea."

"But it looks so nice to bathe in!"

"From what I've heard, there are dangers in the water as well." Rito says.

 "That's some nonsense, I don't see a single thing other than the small plants at the bottom. And sand" I try to take my breastplate off, but it won't budge.

"Nonsense or not, I don't want to take off all my armor just so you can 'cool down'" 

"Fine. Can we atleast get a drink in Sentinel?"

 "Of course, and maybe we can try some of the exotic stuff!" Rito says excitedly.

"Well sure, but you gotta pay for whatever pear or meat you buy, that stuff is both weird and expensive."

"Yeah fine." Rito mutters to himself.

Sometimes I do wish life could just be, easy. Where I don't have to work for things, and things just come to me. I don't know if I should feel bad or wrong about thinking this, I've read so many stories and myths about these heroes and legends going against the odds and coming out on top, and I feel like I should be able to do that as well, without putting in effort. But that's not how things work, but what if things did work like that. No no, I'm just thinking too much.

"Hey Rito."

"What?"

"Do you ever feel like you should be able to do things, but you kind of can't?"

"Well maybe? I think there are more times I've underestimated myself."

"I see." 

"Why are you asking anyway?" Rito questions.

"No reason, just wanted to ask." I smile it off.

We keep traversing forward, not saying a word. And as we get closer and closer to the mountain range, small sounds of bells and clocks ring in and out of my ears. The slight sounds of the boats docking, pushing apart the sea water beneath them. 

As big shouldered sailors are rambling on about how they saw a massive beast at sea, and that's the reason why their tons of fish disappeared without a trace. We slowly get enveloped by the shadow of the sky-reaching wall of rock in front of us. Sentinel, the grand trading palisade. 

The opening maw of the marketplace let's out it's bustling yells and smells, from the salesmen yelling about their wares, to the smiths and masons working in their shops, to even the sizzling exotic meats scenting the entire underground palace, this place is truly a sight to witness. 

We make our way up the slope into Sentinel. That sense of being small comes back, I don't know if I like this feeling a lot. Though I do wonder how this place was built, perhaps mages carved into it with their magic, or hard handed miners who meticulously chipped away at every stone to craft this place. The arched sandstone pillars break the open spaces of Sentinel apart, and we enter into the main area. Sunlight floods through the great opening above our heads. The walls and ledges above are decked with vines and greenery, as they slowly crawl their way to the limestone ground. Though as stalls and sales aren't allowed in the main entrance of Sentinel, crowds upon crowds of lots of people cover most of the inside market.

 "You don't think people would be angry if we just, y'know skip in front, right?" I ask Rito.

"Hm, I don't think so." He smiles deviously set smirk.

We quickly slither our way through the crowds of people littering the large space. In the middle of the enclosed market, a massive pillar stands to hold up the ceiling above. I spot a small piece of wood sticking out from the pillar.

"I think there is a bounty board over there!" I tell Rito as we hurry through the stalls and clumps of people.

Shortly we arrive at the massive bounty board, dusoers and papers are stapled onto the thatchwork of the board, with slender oak supports keeping the piece up. I stick my face into the coarse paper, to see the bounties available.

"From what I can see, they were right, last time I got a slight peek at the bounty board and it has increased a lot with sheer numbers." Rito remarks.

"Well anything special you see? I'm trying to feel if the paper is of good quality." Rito stops reviewing bounties, and turns his head to look at me with an eyebrow raised.

"What?"

"What?" I reply.

"Ne-nevermind." Rito looks back to the bounties, ignoring my distraction.

"There are listings of thieves, assassins. Even some necromancers, and." Rito pauses, his eyes widen with a shift of anger, yet they narrow quickly.

"Wraith Knights." Rito instantaneously scrunches the paper up, the light inside his round eyes fleeting. And even though I can see him pulling his mouth inwards to hide a frown, his eyes speak for his soul.

"Hey, you feeling alright?"

"N-yeah, I feel fine." Rito says.

"I just didn't expect any of these things on the bounty board."

"By these things, do you mean Wraith Knights?" I ask, my mind wandering astray from the word.

"I do… I just didn't expect such monsters to be present on this clearly less than bounty board," Rito says, letting his fingers flick paper back swiftly. 

"Twisted freaks. I hope they rot with whatever is down in Altum's realm, hmpf." Rito pauses with his frown and brow turned completely down in fury. 

"By chance do you know what these Wraith Knights look like?" I ask, picturing the beast akin masked back in Alana. I can still slightly feel the marks upon my cheek, I think. 

"Well… Yeah I do know. They're hulking monsters, only slightly mimicking us kindreds beneath their dark armor plating and monstrous masks… They're like a silent plague, bringing anything they come into contact with to ruin."

"So, they aren't talkative in any regard?" 

"Not what I know of, I can't even imagine it possible encountering one so close." Was it all a dream?

 "Anyway, it says here to go to the Bounty Officer, down in the cells of Sentinel, if you want to activate a bounty." Rito says. But before we even got on our way to the cells we suddenly hear from behind us.

"Ey Migi Vuru? Could I interest you two fine knights in some of my delicious meat?" A bald man yells at us. His attire speaks not of a meat salesman, but that of a martial artist, with a black belt tied tightly to his waist, to fasten the white fabric of a robe he wore.

"Well how much for two pieces of meat. '' Rito asks. While walking over to his shop, noticing his green scaly skin, and horns piercing out of his head, first time I've met a Kasparan I think to myself as me and Rito look in gleeful joy over the juicy meats in his shop. 

"Four silver for each piece of meat." The Kasperan answers. 

"Alright, sure. " Rito says as he hands the man the silver.

"Hey wait, I think I recognise you from somewhere. You're, you're Dorgan right? The Beast." The Kasparan seems taken aback.

 "Ehr my name is Dorgan yes, but this name, The Beast, nevah heard or id't." He says.

"Well I can see you got some stuff behind that curtain, seems like a lot of meat, where'd you get it all from?" I ask.

"I urh well, I have a great supplier! You two must leave now." He waves us away, as we take a left next to his shop, into a long slender hallway.

We travel down the crepid halls of the bustling Sentinel, walls thin like paper, but still of concrete. All the noises around the market flow through the walls, from the merchants selling their wares, to thieves scheming a quick money grab, and even the waves outside the Sentinel itself. We go into one of the hallways next to Dorgan's meat shop, and we go further in, there we arrive at a small and tight stairway on the right side of the wall. 

"The Bounty Officer should be down these stairs." Rito says. We begin descending the cramped stairs, as we descend lower and lower, the smell of rot and mucus travels to my nose, staining it. I can see Rito is also pulling a grimacing facial expression. 

As the stairs come to an end, we are met with a long narrow hallway, decked with verdant carpets lining the pathway towards the prison cells. We pass the blazing fire braziers decked on small platforms in the hall, as the chatter of both guards and the jailed enter my ear, we are met with a massive hall, above are webs of footbridges made from sand and limestone, the fascinatingly narrow and thin walkways holding up the brooding guards decked from toe to head with metal gear. 

The guards crawl across glaring their watching eyes upon any who enter. I look nervously at Rito, he looks back at me and we nod to each other. We take slow and steady steps, feeling the weight of every stare coming our way, as we finally get close to a man leant up against the most back wall. 

I peer my sight towards the ceiling, allowing me to see the guards patrolling the small footbridges webbing across the roof of the room. Slowly approaching the Bounty Officer, feeling every single guard's cold eyes gawk right at us, suspecting every single move, with spears and swords ready. 

"Hello sir." I ask the menacing Bounty Officer. He quickly looks up at me.

"Tch, what'chu want kid?" His voice growls at me.

"We wanted to hear if there was a bounty we could activate?" Rito asks. The menacing man lightens up with a grin.

"Shoulda've said that sooner pals, yeah I got a couple bounties on some scum round here."

"Well we saw a bounty on someone called Ajax. Is it possible to activate his bounty?" I ask.

 "Sure is. Just be careful out there, he's a madrasian, so don't get fooled by his tricks. If you come back with him, imma pay you handsomely. Hope he doesn't slice ya up before hehe. Good luck you aspiring skiks." 

 "Thanks, we'll hurry!" 

We pick up pace out of the giant hall, as the guards stares leave us, we can finally breathe.

As we take our way up the same cramped stairs as before.What does skiks mean?

"Tch, we've been searching for hours at this point. What do we do?" I ask Rito, we've been searching and asking around for at least three hours. My hope of finding Ajax feels more like a dream about now.

"Searching for what?" I hear behind me, a person covered in dark purple feathers was standing there just looking into my eyes with its four red eyes. I've read about this race somewhere. A Morvid. They feast on the flesh of their own kin, to 'evolve'. I thought they were more of a myth but I guess now.

"We are searching for a person named Ajax, there is a bounty on him." Rito explains to the curious morvid. Weird how it can speak so well, even though it's clear with the beak, that this Morvid is in the supposed second stage, where its intelligence is still low. And they can barely string a sentence together. All they really get is the ability to grow black hair.

"I think I've seen him before, in the upper levels of Sentinel. Heard he prowls around up there as well. I can show you two the way if you want." It says, I look to Rito for reassurance, he shrugs.

"Alright." I answer hesitantly 

He slowly points towards the same hallway next to Dorgan's stall. We go inside again. But then the Morvid says we have to go left, up an even more narrow and cramped staircase, I can just barely fit in. We walk up and up. As the chatter and sounds of lower Sentinel fades away. A crisp sound of burning enters my ears. As we come out to a gigantic hallway. 

Large green banners deck the walls ivor. And fire braziers light up the massive room with a warm hue. A slight plateau is beside the door frame we just left. A wide staircase spreads across the room.

I look around for a second to inspect the area for any place Ajax could have hidden. My eyes jolt back to where Rito is, to see the Morvid sliding a shiny dagger inside of his back, cleanly taking it out and kicking Rito to the ground. Slowly the feathers disappear, and gray roughened hair sticks out. His silver skin shines with a big ugly grin on his heinous face. 

"You two really fell for such a simple scheme huh? Taking the form of a simple creature, I think it was named Arthur or something, doesn't matter anyway!" The madrasian blurted out with a gross laugh. As Rito lays on the floor, trying to regain his strength, The madrasian looks me directly in the eye with malicious intent. I get ready to fight him, as he licks his blade like some sort of psychotic maniac. 

"Well I suppose I can just rob you now, you are just a single knight, there is no possible way you can defeat me, Ajax, Overlord of Sentinel". He says, as he takes a good step back, then suddenly lunges forwards, while an ear piercing noise of bane is heard banging throughout the room. I feel my legs shaking, but I immediately turn from offense to defense, as Ajax gets closer to me. 

My eyes rapidly flux over to Rito slowly standing up, right back to Ajax now nearly reaching me, I get ready for an absolute barrage of attacks, as he slowly grates his dagger up against my blade, slowly chipping flakes away from my steel sword. 

Holding my hilt with all of my strength, as this madman is chipping my sword away, I hear a sizzling noise mellow out into the room, Ajax hears this and he immediately bolts away in a quick dash. Seeing Rito finally up, but crouching over his hilt to keep balance. He slowly goes over to some sort of vase, no matter, I gotta finish this now!

"Did you run out of energy or something, huh Ajax!" I yell at the coward. His face turns sour quickly, obviously because I hurt his fragile pride. He stares me right in the eyes, as he spurts towards me with murderous intent. He takes a swing but I narrowly dodged it, he then in an instant takes out three spare daggers, and throws them all with precision towards me, I try to get out of the way and nearly succeed, but a single of the daggers hit me in the arm and tears a piece of my flesh away. 

"Ah fuck!, you're gonna pay for that you weasel!" I yell at Ajax. 

"I'm not gonna pay for shit! Especially if you can't catch me!" He cheers as he begins to run away. Suddenly a brown vase flies in front of my eyes and towards Ajax, it smashes right into his skull and knocks him to the ground. Looking at Rito sitting where the vase was, I quickly run over to Ajax and pin him down.

 "What was that about not paying for what you did, you piece of shit?" I say while holding the bastard down to the ground. 

"You won't put me under! My squad will be on your trail day and night, hunting you down! You have no IDEA who you are messing with here kid, let me go NOW!" He squaws. 

"Your intimidations won't work on me. You're going to rot in a cell for the rest of your life." I say.

"No no no no, please I beg you! I have money! Name the amount, and I'll give it to you! Just please don't throw me to the maggots below! Please, PLEASE! I'M BEGGING YOU!" He tries to beg for his life but I don't budge. I wrap some cloth on his mouth so he doesn't destroy my eardrums, and then fling him over my shoulder. Rito sits on the

"Rito, how are you doing?" I ask Rito as he kneels on the floor. 

"Just let me sit for a second, you can deliver that weasel to the Bounty Officer." Rito says. 

"Got it. And you, Ajax, I don't think you are gonna like where we are going, you fucking rat." I mockingly say to Ajax. He begins to wiggle around, clearly trying to escape, though even in his weakened state, I have to hold him tight. I travel down through Sentinel's mazes and stairs, until finally I reach the massive hall again. With Ajax still on my shoulder begging for release, I walk over to the officer still standing stoically. I nod before coming close to signal myself.

"We did it, we caught this bastard. He was a piece of shit the whole way through." I say to the bounty officer.

 "Tch kid, I'm surprised you even completed the bounty, good job. I honestly thought I was gonna be having to report missing knights, not often you see such inexperienced freshies take on assassins." The officer compliments yet downtalks me, as he puts the speechless Ajax in metal cuffs.

"Oh. Well thank you." I say.

"Anyhow, I'm guessing you tryna' become a Sigil or something along those lines, don't see a kid of your stature meditating or practicing illusions. I'll be sure to give a recommendation to the Order." 

"Thanks a lot sir!" I say excited.

"Don't worry bout it, you did me a great favor catching this prick. Oh and, considering the bounty you just completed, I would say no matter what, you could take the exam by now."

"Exam?" I ask, making the officer protrude in a confused expression.

"Kid. How you gonna be a Sigil if you ain't even know there's an exam. What I hear from Frey, they close exams in a couple of days, so you and your Fischeran friend betta' hurry onwards to Palelink." He laughs.

"I'll wish ya luck on it, though I need to know your name. Cuz' even though your kind is rare down here, they still need to be able to tell who's who." He asks.

"Oh, well. My name is Judari Onyx."

"Onyx huh, well great. Your noted down, and here's your silver reward"

"Yes, thanks again sir!" I say unintentionally loud, then proceeding to sneak my way out of the dense aired prison. Clinging to the loose silver pieces.