Meeting the commander.

I entered the building and felt the guards' strange looks follow me as I made my way up the stairs to the commander's chambers. Once there, a guard stopped me.

"Stop! Who are you?" he demanded.

"My name is Eredhon Greenleaf. I have some things I would like to discuss with the commander," I replied. "The guard on the ground floor already searched me and asked me to surrender my weapons."

The guard nodded, his eyes narrowing. "You can talk to the commander, but if I see anything suspicious, I will do what I must to protect him. Is that clear?"

I nodded back. "Yes, sir. Please lead the way."

As the guard opened the door, I was greeted by the sight of a large room illuminated by countless candles.

"Commander, this guy who says he's Eredhon Greenleaf wants to talk to you," the guard, whose name I now knew was Axel, announced.

"Thank you, Axel. You may leave. He is unarmed, and I will not be in any danger," the commander replied.

"But what if..." Axel began to protest.

"I can handle myself, Axel. Please go now," the commander interrupted firmly.

Once Axel had left, the commander turned to me and introduced herself as Lexa.

"But tell me, Eredhon," she asked, eyeing my armor and pointed ears. "What are you doing here? You don't look like a poor or weak person, and what about those ears? What are you?"

"I am human, like you. My ears are just a little different due to radiation exposure. But let's skip the small talk and get down to business. I have high-quality wood, steel, and food that I would like to trade with you," I said, cutting to the chase.

Lexa asked, "Can I see the products first? And what would you like in return?"

I considered her question for a moment before responding. "How about a favor? I don't need much, but having a favor from you could come in handy in the future."

"Alright, but only if the favor does not harm me or my people" Lexa says to my proposal

"Thats more than okay for me" I say