Storyverse

Chapter 14: Beach Episode...?

It was getting dark. Barely standing on their own feet, without meeting more than one passing cart, the team of heroes reached Berul – a large city that, one might say, separates the main part of Arai from the very north of the kingdom. Ludwig and Martha, who was already walking on her own, could barely move their legs, while Sol and Marren did not feel any fatigue. Having reached the huge arch, on which a sign with the name of the city and its coat of arms proudly hung, Ludwig fell face down, right on the stone pavement.

–Hey, Ludwig, how are you? – Marren asked, leaning over.

–Somewhere between "I don't want to live" and "I'm considering s*icide"... – Ludwig answered, barely turning his head to the side and looking at Marren.

–These are... the same thing, Ludwig.

–I know...

Fortunately, the city guards, noticing the exhausted traveler right at the city gates, ran up, picked up the fallen man in their arms and carried him somewhere, seemingly, to the nearest hospital. "Meet me in the square closer to the north gate tomorrow morning, Ludwig!" Sol shouted as Ludwig was carried away, and he showed a finger up, after which he closed his eyes and lost consciousness. The other three, including the barely standing Martha, entered the city and looked around. The city people looked with surprise at the heroes who had arrived, and soon the locals gathered around them in a semicircle. While Martha and Marren were not known to anyone, Sol Clain was known to most people of Arai, and since these 2 were travelling with him, it was easy to guess that they are these heroes that travel to the north. Sol put his hand forward, causing the crowd's voices to become quieter, after which he loudly declared:

–We would like to speak to the manager.

The crowd parted to reveal a wide road, at the end of which was a three-story building that looked as if it had not been built from bricks, but from a single piece of rock. On the high tower that protruded from the building towards the entrance, there was a huge clock that could be seen from any distance. Judging by them, it was now 9 pm. "This is the city hall, the manager is there," said someone in the crowd. Nodding at this and waving his hand behind him, Sol walked ahead, leading Marren and Martha, who was regretting that she had not fallen there with Ludwig.

As they walked past the buildings, the heroes couldn't help but notice how much the architecture of this particular city differed from the rest of the kingdom of Arai... no, from the rest of the continent of Illiot. The houses here were not built out of bricks, but seemed to be assembled from some kind of concrete blocks around a frame. Flat roofs, huge windows, and the inhabitants themselves wore clothes that Marren could describe as "unusual" and Martha and Sol could describe as "modern". Because it would be modern for those who live in the 21st century. The houses were just as modern. It seems that for the first time all day, a smile appeared on Sol's face. He had not seen such buildings and such clothes for 8 years...

Having reached the three-story city hall, the heroes went inside and, without exception, froze in shock. Inside there was a huge reception, where over twenty people sat in small windows and answered questions from interested citizens. Approaching the magic terminal, Sol began poking it with his finger, while Martha and Marren literally looked over his shoulders... well, in Marren's case, from the side. Finally, sighing, Clain walked away from the terminal.

–There's nothing here that we need, – having said this, Sol walked up to the central reception, where a girl stood, dressed in an office worker's uniform. – We want to see manager Berul.

–I don't think this is possible, our mayor is a very busy person... but if you take this ticket and wait about 2 weeks... – the girl at the reception began to answer.