Relics of Aether - Homebound (Sample)

Chapter 5

As the town drew near, so did the sounds of the townsfolk going about their day-to-day business. The wheels of horse drawn carriages rolled over the stone roads with people haggling on the sides, frantically trying to strike deals in the bustling marketplace. Melody and Marina remained in the forested outskirts until they found themselves at a clearing on a small hill where they had a good view of the busy town.

The town of Goldslate, commonly filled with wagons carrying various goods with droves of people looking to spend their gold. Though not large enough to be a city, it saw enough visits by notable merchants from all over the world to be considered one of the most popular trading hubs on the continent. At the center of all of it, responsible for its regulation and facilitation, was Midas Aurumsworth himself, the founder of the renowned town. Being such a key component in its operation solidifies Midas as an important piece of the world's economy.

Melody pauses and scans the area, motioning for Marina to wait back behind the treeline. She strides down the hill while brushing herself off before merging with the busy town streets. Marina backed into the safety of the trees. It was better for her to stay hidden. Even if people didn't already generally hate her, she couldn't risk getting in trouble by being spotted by any of the manor staff. She didn't mind too much, as she felt that she'd be trampled by the ever-moving crowd.

Melody reappeared from the river of people and wagons holding two small cones of ice cream. She stopped for a moment behind a brick building and looked around to make sure no one was following her. When she saw it was all clear, she rejoined Marina, taking bites out of one of some of her chocolate-flavored ice cream as she walked. Melody handed the other one to Marina. It was mint, Marina's favorite.

"Thank you." Marina began to take small bites out of her dessert.

"Don't mention it. Oh, and before I take us off to do whatever- was there anything in particular that you want to do today?"

"N-not really. I'll just follow you."

"You sure?" Marina nodded, Melody shrugged in response. "Well, just let me know if you think of anything. My only real plan is to look for something interesting. Maybe see a street fight or something nice to buy. Who knows." She started walking again with Marina trailing close behind. Every once in a while Melody would move to the edge of the trees to peer about, searching for anything that might catch her eye. As they moved further from the center of town, the roads became mildly less busy and rather than the temporary stalls and tents that littered the main marketplace, there were established buildings that were run locally such as a general goods store and a smith shop. Suddenly, Melody stopped and motioned Marina to come observe a clamor. There was a guard grappling with a drunken man in front of a tavern with boisterous laughter erupting from inside, clearly enjoying the display.

"Huh. You typically won't see that until evening." Melody commented. As they continued to watch, another man and a woman from inside the tavern jumped in, drawing in a couple more guards who were patrolling the streets. Melody turned to Marina. "Heh. Who do you think will win?" Marina gave a small shrug. Both sides were even in numbers, but it seemed like the guards were finally getting close to restraining the first man. Then the rumbling of a large crowd approaching filled the air. Down the road a mob of people came into view, fleeing from the other direction. The fight broke up immediately, shocked by the new turn of events. A female gate guard emerged from the crowd, covered in grey, metal armor as opposed to her town guard counterparts, whose equipment mostly consisted of studded leather. She hurriedly approached those guards who were now brushing themselves off from their scuffle, expressions ranging from alarmed to confused.

"An ogrem berserker broke through the southern gate to town!" She bellowed to the others. "All guards in this area are to move in to pacify the threat and vacate civilians!" The town guards hesitated for a moment, but jumped into action when met with the gate guard's fierce glare, pushing through the crowd toward the southern gate.