Shapeless Hero

18 - Customs

With reins in hand and eyes on the road, the commander whistles a jolly tune to the rhythm of the horses' trot. I sit next to her, face buried in my hands. We have a bit of an issue. What remains of the driver is now with the cargo in the back - wooden staff and all. I can only hope that our explanations will work.

We make our way past the chalet, then over the crest and down the shallow decline, where the road leads to the city gate of Ryelope. Eventually, the commander ends the radio silence. "From here, it's just half an hour before we reach the gates. Do we need a break or can I trust you to stay composed, when we get checked by the guards?"

I lower my hands and sit up straight. "I should be fine..." We're close enough to see the guards patrolling on top of the city walls. I can't spot any roofs or towers beyond the fortification.

The commander turns to the back of the cart. "And how is our 'cargo' doing?"

August snorts. "Still motionless, ma'am! I'll keep an eye on it!" He salutes, grins, and then continues to rummage around the cargo. Karl looks too gloomy to respond and merely nods.

Rolling her eyes, the commander turns back to face towards the front. "These crows..." She starts to whistle another tune. Both Karl and August are out of sight by now, hidden somewhere in the cargo.

There is barely a queue in front of the city, even with countless carts joining us from the many roads merging into ours. The guards of Ryelope seem to work fast. According to a merchant we met on the way, Tyllat is not entangled in some political conflict right now, so they don't inspect the carts as thoroughly. Some have to rule with an iron fist to keep peace, which is seemingly not the case here.

For each direction of the road, two guards control the flow of traffic at the city entrance. Each pair consists of a halberd wielder and a longsword user. There's plenty of back-up on the walls and in the towers, one can imagine. The fish-like scales in the guard's armor pique my interest. They are enormous! Those scales could have been harvested from giant sea creatures.

Memories of a video game series about hunting huge monsters comes to mind. Maybe I should try turning into those giant beasts at some point? Although, I'll need far more body mass to shape into the monsters' proper size. Mass preservation is still a thing, even with rank S in Morphing. Can I just... eat a lot?

It's our turn now. It takes a lot of effort to suppress my fascination for their armor and weapons, let alone what little I can see of the town behind the gate. The guard with the longsword raises a hand as a greeting. The other hand rests on the hilt of the sword. The handsome orc with a five o'clock shadow smiles, oozing charisma. "Ho! Welcome to Ryelope! May I take a look?" He gestures with his eyes towards our cart.

"Greetings! Please do.", the commander replies, as pleasant as she can manage with her rough highlander accent. I nod along, still next to her. The guard's question is merely a polite way to start the inspection.

The orc guard gets closer to our cart. His giant companion with rabbit ears is less talkative, but looks relaxed, merely readjusting the grip on his halberd from time to time.

Going along one of the sides of our cart, the guard half-heartedly scans us and our goods. "That's quite the impressive armor you are wearing, ma'am. Imperial?"

"Aye, I'm currently on guard duty myself.", the commander replies, pointing at me with her thumb.

A nod accompanies the guard's a friendly laugh. "I was already wondering about your group composition but that explains a lot. I hope the people of Tyllat have been treating you well. Let us know immediately of any incidents. We'd be happy to help." Nobody wants to upset Imperial troops or officials. It would be a diplomatic nightmare, as Karl told me. We might have to use that to our advantage at some point.

"Will do, thank you. We felt welcome since our first day in Tyllat, though.", the commander truthfully replies, intentionally leaving out the details about our means and time of arrival.

"I'm glad to hear that!" The guard checks the bottom of the cart. He still continues his light questioning. "What business brings you to Ryelope, of all places?"

"The lady next to me is a noble. She's on vacation."

The guard's head pops up behind one of the cart's sides. "A noble on vacation, huh?" He looks at me, a grin on his face as if he knows what that really means. I nod back with a knowing smile. Let's let him think his own part. No need to blurt out explanations for every detail.

The guard gestures towards a blue robe and hat with a wooden staff in the cart. "What's up with her?"

"A new friend of ours. We met her along the way." The commander replies. Let's hope they're as relaxed as that merchant told us.

"Hm, I don't remember Alya being the social type... always had the same friends since childhood." His questioning look turns to us. So he knows about her. Ryelope might be even her hometown, if the city guard knows her friends that well. We were absolutely right to stay vague instead of making up stories.

We still have to make sure, he doesn't interact with the wizard robes. Here's to hope, he'll leave those alone, as to not interrupt the sleep of a supposedly tired Alya. I respond as approved by the commander beforehand. "We don't know the details, but she's still shaken. Her last quest didn't end well for the rest of her party. I'm sure she'll tell you the details, once she has rested a bit."

The guard's eyes widen. Then he sighs, genuine sadness apparent in his face. "That... will be a hard task—to tell the families about their deaths, I mean."

The commander nods slowly. "I know, it never is. I'm sorry you had to get notified like that. Do you mind telling us, where the adventurers guild is, so we can get her some room to rest?"

"Sure. You'll find it on the third level. Follow the second road from the right." He points in a general direction behind the gate. Did he say "levels"?

"Thank you."

"No problem. I'm not in a position to request anything from you, but... please take care of her for me, until she's back on her feet."

He raises a hand, signaling a thumbs-up to his colleague, who then promptly steps aside for us. The orc guard doesn't step back yet. He reaches towards Alya's blue hat instead. My heart races. The guard's hand stops, inches away from the hat. A faint snore from... Alya? His gentle smile betrays a possibly close relationship to her, which makes me feel even worse about our small predicament. Fortunately, he retracts his hand, as to not wake her up.

The guard finally steps back from the cart. "Once awake, tell her that she's welcome to visit my family for a few days. Just mention my name, Danil, and she'll know." He salutes to us. "Have a nice stay!"

Our cart sets off. Behind us, the next people move up for inspection, but the halberd-wielder's gaze still follows us, as we pass through the gate.