SECRETS OF EXOCLYUS

16: MAN OF FEW WORDS

Kelzont city.

Stella had visited it twice on her journey to find the Nyxlian. It was much grander than Luro, with steel walls that circled its buildings, and guards trained by their highest ranking officials.

However its grandness was nowhere close to the capital city of Deratio, where Stella could see its own walls from the horizon and the floating castle above it that was home to no other than King Don himself. She never visited her uncle, but she could tell he knew of her presence in his kingdom.

Kelzont was located right before a mountain range which had a range of animals and monsters alike, it was why there was a guild in its city. Hunters looking for good scores could come down here, get a target, and head out to kill their beast.

Or die.

The latter was definitely not an option to Stella.

When they reached the main gate into Kelzont Usgard dealt with customs by flashing his Deratio imperial knight seal to the guards that attempted to stop them. Inside the city the same magic Luro had against the snow was present there, the snow was much lessened compared to how it was outside.

Kelzont was a bit more packed than Stella expected, the streets were full of people moving from one place to the other, merchants sold various things from artefacts and souvenirs, to pets and clothes, she didn't expect it to be this busy in winter, but they were bustling as if it were any other summer day.

Koma kept his hood up, and eyes fixed on the crowd for anyone suspicious. He was wary of this environment due to the possibility of wanted posters being about, and Stella prayed that they weren't any because if someone attacked Koma he would defend himself.

"It'll help if the hood is lowered." Usgard advised. "Kelzont has a squad that keeps newcomers under watch for atleast a day."

"Why?" Stella asked.

"They suffered an infiltration three years ago that almost led to the murder of a whole school." Pheruss answered. "They know place all new comers in their sights until they deem them trustworthy or at the very least not a threat."

"Koma, put down the hood." Stella whispered to him and after a begrudging look he slid it off, but still kept looking across the crowd for whoever might come at him.

"The guild is this way." Usgard instructed. "Let me do the talking, try and have as little interaction with the locals as possible." That part was instructed towards Koma, who didn't give an audible response.

Stella was worried of how high his guard was, as if they were going to get ambushed at any moment. The whispers and Shongo had come about again, arguing for control, trying to swoon Koma to their own sides, but he kept them at bay.

Shongo was the main problem, unlike the whispers who acted on Koma's benefit, he was trying to achieve something of his own. That curse mark on Koma's left arm still seemed so fresh, like it hadn't happened almost more than a week ago.

"We'll be fine, arm-buddy." Pheruss assured Koma while putting up her metal hand for a fist bump, an act Koma was surprisingly familiar with because he bumped his wooden knuckles against the metal ones. Stella smiled at how he was getting along with Pheruss.

Stella could tell the guild was of certain importance to Kelzont. Despite its older architecture compared to the other buildings it was well maintained, the marble columns still stood grand and showed no chips, and the oak doors of the entrance had been polished.

The interior didn't share the same antique atmosphere of the outside. The floors were marble and waxed, and from the high ceilings hung chandeliers with crystals infused with magic so they could stay illuminated for years on end.