NOVEL NEXT Chapter 6: City
I woke up when John approached me. I suppose it was time for our shift. The previous watch was probably too scared to wake me, so they woke only John. No matter, I got up and stretched. Nothing like a good stretch when you are a feline. I debated grooming myself a bit but decided to go back to my elf form. The black panther seemed to make people nervous. Even more nervous, considering that they were also uncomfortable if I was a night elf.
This time I managed to change back with my clothes on. I gave John a nod and he went back to the other side of the camp. My elementals were still vigilant and the prisoners were all accounted for. I was happy to see that all my spell slots recovered.
The night passed without an incident and soon the sun started to rise. Before my elementals disappeared I decided to try a shower. I commanded a water elemental to blast me. I have to say elementals have a good water pressure.
I moved behind a bush for some privacy. There were still 3 elementals keeping watch. After my quick shower I realised I had no towel. Hm. Just how much heat resistance did I have? But playing with fire in the woods was a terrible idea. Oh well, I put on my clothes while still wet. It would have to do until I could buy things in the city.
My shower seemed to have woken up the camp. I collected the table, the mugs and the empty barrel from yesterday. The soldiers were eating their own provisions while I provided some bread and water for the prisoners. My own meal was a slice of chocolate cake and some milk. At least I had some good food from the game.
Soon we were on our way again. People were still unwilling to start a conversation with me and I spent the day silently following after the prisoners. It was already evening when we finally left the forest and I saw Iron Rock for the first time.
We were slightly higher than the city on a hill. There was a giant wall surrounding the city connected to the mountains. I could see a port at the lake and a massive bridge covering the river. The bridge was high enough to let boats pass beneath it. It was truly a breathtaking sight.
We arrived at the gates as the sun began to set. The guards looked concerned when they saw the prisoners. But captain Sterros was part of the city guard, he simply explained they caught some bandits. I used the opportunity to say goodbye to the captain. “It has been a pleasure travelling with you John.”
“Thank you again for your assistance lady Amaya,” he replied. We shook hands and I left.
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John
Captain Sterros watched the night elf leave. Should he have stopped her? There is no way he would try that. He was not looking forward to delivering his report on the mess. At least they were back in the city. The mage was still a goat but the city mages should be able to reverse that. Ah well, it was good to be home.
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Amaya
Time to explore a city! Or not. It was getting late so shops would be closing. The buildings were a mixture of stone and wood. I wondered if they would have indoor plumbing. It did not stink so there was probably a sewer system. People liked comfort and with magic at their disposal I sure hoped they came up with some modern conveniences.
My plan was to just follow the biggest road. It should lead me to an inn eventually, or so I hoped. While it was getting dark I noticed that the town had magical street lights. They looked like large blue crystals on metal poles. Eventually I found an establishment called The Weary Traveller. Upon entering I found myself in a large common room. There were 8 tables of varying sizes. There was one group consisting of 3 dwarves and a light skinned elf. The other patrons seemed to be human.
Behind the bar was a middle aged man with a full brown beard. He had a bit of a belly and was busy pouring drinks. I saw two young women expertly navigating the room with trays. They had a certain resemblance to the man behind the bar. Possibly daughters? Could be a family run establishment. I made my way to the bar.
“Greetings. Would it be possible to rent a room for the night?”
“Sure. That would be 2 silver. That includes breakfast. Other meals cost extra.”
“Sounds good.” I pulled a gold coin from my storage and placed it on the bar.
Now came the moment of truth. Would my money be accepted?
He looked at the coin. “Uh, did you want to stay longer than one night?
Damn it. I have no idea how much silver a gold coin is worth. 10? 100? Should I book the room for a week? Do I even want to stay a week?
“Yes, I would like to stay for a while. Just open a tab with the gold and tell me when it runs out.” I said smiling.
“Certainly my lady.” He picked up a key. “It’s room number 8 on the 2nd floor. The baths are on the ground floor in the back. Would you like dinner?”
“Yes, that sounds lovely. I would like some wine and whatever you recommend.” I took the key and went to an empty table. A lot of the patrons glanced my way. I suppose my gear did look rather expensive.
Soon a young lady appeared with a glass of wine, a bowl of stew and some freshly baked bread. “Enjoy.”
“Thank you,” I replied. I was uncertain what meat the stew contained but it was delicious. The fresh bread complimented it nicely. The wine was pretty decent too. Not that I had much knowledge of wine.
Other than some curious glances nothing happened while I enjoyed my meal. Afterwards I decided to check out the baths. There was a separate area for men and women. I almost walked into the wrong one. I was also pleasantly surprised to find a toilet. It was made of stone and seemed to have a magical flushing system.
The bath itself offered two showers and a basin that could fit 4 people. It was currently empty. I took a surprisingly fluffy towel from a rack at the entrance and disrobed. Well I just put all my clothes into my amulet which I kept on. I don’t think I would ever take that off. It held all my possessions.
After a quick shower I relaxed in the hot bath. It looked like this world had some luxury. As I was stroking my smooth skin I realised how comfortable my new body felt. So far I really enjoyed my new life.
After the bath I went to my room. It held a large bed that could sleep two, a small table with a chair and a wardrobe. It looked rather clean which was nice. I wondered if I should get my own home. Could I even do that? I had a lot of gold but how did citizenship work? Was I allowed to buy property? Tomorrow was time for some research. And shopping. I drifted off to sleep.