บท 11: Better than a chameleon

The slowly setting sun painted the gray walls with a dull brush of silver, the shadows from the small trees reaching down the hillside towards the town. The city was surrounded by a moat and walls made of stone. The only way into the city was through the huge main gate which was manned by a group of guards. There were also guards on the circular tower overlooking the main gate and the city.

The guards didn't wear full-armor plates with chainmail, rather, a simple steel plate on top of a white shirt and black leather pants with big boots. The only noticeable thing about the guards was their steel helm with a 'T' shape nose cover, on top of the feathers adorning their helms. Some guards were also colored blue while some of them were white.

Don and Uncle Dior followed a merchant caravan to the city gate. Don could hear grumbling and growls from the caravan. He looked at the caravan through the gaps of the sheets which covered them. Inside, Don could vaguely see some figures. Their mouths were taped up, hence the growls and grumbles.

He guessed this merchant's merchandise were not things, but slaves. Don didn't know what race they were, yet he knew he couldn't save them. Not yet, at least.

"Damned slave traders..." Uncle Dior cursed in a low voice.

The caravan stopped moving. The merchant took out a pouch and walked towards a guard with a small note in his hands. Don noticed that this guard had red feathers on top of his helm. The merchant addressed the guard with the utmost respect and handed over him the pouch. The guard seemed very happy and took the pouch to put inside his pant pocket. He then nodded to the other guard beside him to open the gates.

The merchant took the caravan and walked inside the city full of smiles. The guard with the red feathers turned to look at Uncle Dior and Don, the smile he had just a moment ago magically disappearing, replaced with a stern look.

"State your business."

Uncle Dior knew Don was not the talkative type, so he answered instead. "We are just wandering adventurers passing through, Sir."

The guard gazed at the two for a moment, "Twenty-five coppers. Pay it, or get lost." The guard reached his hand out expectantly.

Uncle Dior took out some copper coins from his side bag and paid the guard. The guard didn't even count them as he handed them over to the guard beside him. The guard then opened a small gate near the main gate and allowed them to enter the city.

The city itself had muddy roads which led to a very busy, but fairly straight street. A building with a board saying "Blake bakery" was on the left next to an old worn-out building, and the market square was a few hundred yards further in. Some buildings looked as if they were made from red brick, while others were built using wood and mud. There was no structure or order in how the buildings were built. Rather, they looked as if they were simply jumbled together.

The people on the street were mostly humans, but Don could see some demi-humans and halflings. The humans didn't strike him as rich. They were all wearing some old clothes, their faces showing neither happiness nor sadness.

"Welcome to the City of Windsville, gentlemen," a voice greeted Don and Uncle Dior from out of the blue. As they looked in the direction of the voice, they saw a small boy. "I am Rook, the best Windsville tour guide available. I'll be happy to show you around the city for eight coppers," the boy gazed at the duo with a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"No need for a tour. Just tell us where the nearest tavern is," Uncle Dior declined the boy's offer.

Rook's smile instantly vanished.

"Three coppers."

"Two coppers and you show us the way," Uncle Dior bargained.

"Alright, follow me."

The boy began to guide them through a complex irregular network of paths and passages. They were quite glad to have someone like Rook to guide them in this labyrinth of a street. Eventually, they came in front of a two-story building. There was a board named, "The Cob Web."

"Hmm... You look like someone who knows the city very well."

"Yeah yeah... Just give me my coppers and I'll be on my way." Rook didn't seem to be interested in idle chit-chat.

Uncle Dior handed over the two coppers to Rook. The boy gladly took the coppers and put them in his pockets and took off like a bird to see his next customer.

"We should stay here for the night and try to get some information on Minister Brian."

Don nodded in approval of Uncle Dior's suggestion before the two of them entered the 'The Cob Web'.

The tavern evoked a sense of sadness and dirty debauchery. Some people in the tavern were drunk, and some were depressed. In the corner, there was even a bar fight going on. The floor was dirty and muddy with boots marks all over it, and there were two female servers in black maid uniforms running around carrying drinks and food. Meanwhile, one server started to light the candles. The bartender was a dark-haired woman who seemed to be in her mid-forties. She was serving a man, and there were two free stools beside him.

Don and Uncle Dior sat down on the stools whilst Uncle Dior called the bartender.

"What would you two have? The Special's eight coppers. Stew would be six, and three for beers."

"We'll have two beers, thanks."

"Six coppers," she said while filling two mugs with beer and handing them over to them.

Upon payment, Uncle Dior drank his beer in a single gulp. Don didn't drink but instead listened to the discussions going on around him to see if there was any information valuable to him.

"Are you going to drink that?"

While Don was listening in to other conversations, the man beside Don asked him while pointing his fingers at the full glass of beer.

Don turned to face and study the man. He was a middle-aged man with curly red hair and a goatee. He had a joyful face and appeared to have an easygoing attitude, so Don guessed he could get some information out of him.

"Sure. Take it," Don slid the mug to the man.

"Haha! You're a good man," he took a sip from the mug.

"I'm Mike," Don took off his hood and extended his arms with a fake name.

The man glanced at the brown-haired youth beside him, "Akihiro, the bright scholar. You can call me Aki." The man shook Don's hands, "So Mike, what brings you to this fine establishment?"

"My friend and I here are just passing through."

Akihiro looked at Uncle Dior who was still wearing his hood, "These are dangerous times to pass through a place like this, Mike."

Don glanced at him as if he was confused at what Akihiro said, "Look, you remind me of my brother, so I'll give you some free advice."

Don glanced at Akihiro with eagerness. Akihiro took another sip and continued, "There is going to be a war."

"I don't follow you, brother Aki."

"You know, a war between the Moon and the Star Empire."

Don knitted his eyebrows a little, "Aren't they always at war?"

Akihiro took a long sip, "Yes. But this time, they're really going all out."

"How can you tell, brother Aki?"

"How can you not? The taxes, weapon prices, everything went high,"

Akihiro took a sip from the beer mug and continued. "When I first came here a year ago, I only paid ten coppers. Now what? Twenty-five? Twenty bloody five..."

Akihiro stretched the last part with a wave of slight anger in his voice.

"It could also be Minister Brian's new taxation, right?"

Don mentioned Brian's name for the purpose of getting some information on him from Akihiro.

Akihiro looked like he choked when he heard Brian's name, "Lower your voice, Mike. Are you trying to get us killed?"

"What's wrong, brother Aki?"

"Don't say that name aloud in Slave city unless you want to be a slave,"

Akihiro said in a husky voice.

Don made a confused face

"You really don't get it, do you?" Akihiro finished his beer with another long gulp. "That bastard is a very cruel man, Mike. This city's original name is Windsville, but you know how people call it Slave city... He is the reason for it."

"Isn't he afraid of the god for his sins?"

Uncle Dior almost coughed up the beer he was drinking when he heard Don, especially when he saw the genuine expression he was making. If Uncle Dior didn't meet him before, he would believe Mike was a religious man with the way he talked about God and sins.

The previous emotionless silent guy changed himself like a chameleon changed its color.

Obviously, Akihiro believed Mike, so he looked at him like an innocent puppy dog. " Brother Mike... You are too innocent of a man. Like B, Gods aren't worth a penny." Again, he said his piece with a husky voice and addressed Minister Brian as 'B.'

"If he's that bad, why does the Moon Empire or some righteous people punish him?"

Akihiro shook his head, "There are no righteous people. Why would the Empire take action against him? He's sending so much gold to the treasury that they turn a blind eye to the things he does. Also..." Akihiro paused for a moment. He looked left and right to make sure nobody was listening, "He is sending beautiful women to some important people in the capital. Those poor souls were captured by his goons and made into playthings."

"He does?" Don asked him like it was the first time he was hearing something like this.

"Bastard B owns half of the shops in the slave market, and-"

"Do you need a refill?"

Unexpectedly, the bartender interrupted Akihiro.

"Yes. Brother Aki's beer's on me."

Don glanced at Uncle Dior, who reluctantly took three more coppers and paid the bartender.

"Haha! You're too good to me, brother Mike," Akihiro laughed and patted Mike on the back.

"Brother Aki, you were saying?"

"Where was I? Huh... Do you know the Thousand arms auction house?"

Don shrugged.

"It's the biggest auction house in the city. If you want to sell or buy anything, this is the place you want to go."

Don noticed Akihiro was going outside of what he wanted to hear. "Brother Aki, you were saying something about B?"

"Huh? Yes yes, I heard from one of my friends in the auction house,"

Akihiro looked left and right again before he continued, "B is going to participate in the auction tomorrow morning. He said the auction house has something that he really likes." Akihiro took a sip from the newly filled mug.

Don pondered about what Akihiro said for a moment, "Isn't it too dangerous for B to be in public like this?"

"Danger to B? He is the danger," he took a sip and giggled. "Not necessarily him, however."

"What do you mean, brother Aki?"

"He is no danger, but his bodyguards are."

"Are they that powerful, brother Aki?"

"Powerful? They are freaking monsters. You know about how powerful a mid-level great master is, right?"

Don nodded, "Yeah, I've met one"

Uncle Dior laughed inside. This guy didn't just meet one, he bloody killed it.

"Then you know how powerful they are. B has five of them as his personal guards, and they never, and I mean never leave his side." Akihiro gasped and shook his head. "But enough of B, brother Mike. Let's talk about some pleasant things."

After that, Akihiro started to blabber about his adventures and his homeland which Don didn't bother to take in. He just nodded here and there to feign attention. Eventually, Akihiro left them alone and went to take care of his business. However, he gave his magic card to Don and told him to contact him if he ever had anything he needed help with. Don gave the card to Uncle Dior and said to keep it safe

"We should call it a day," Uncle Dior said and made a hand signal to call the bartender. "Do you have any rooms for us to stay in?"

"Double room for a night is fourteen coppers. Single room, eight. Meals cost an extra five."

"Alright, we'll take two single rooms. Do- Mike, do you want to take meals?"

"No thanks."

"Two single rooms and a stew for me."

"Twenty-one copper rooms are on the second floor. The first two rooms on the right corridor." She took two keys from the cupboard and gave them to Uncle Dior.

Before they went into their rooms Uncle Dior exclaimed, "Ah, Mike. You owe me fifty-five coppers."

Uncle Dior laughed out a little and went to his room, closing his door and leaving Don behind.

Don just nodded when he heard him and went to have the rest he deserved.