Sons of Ironstorm - Book 1: Griffon's Rise

Exploring the City

The journey down into the heart of the city was so astounding in the views that it brought to the company's eyes that their apprehensions and fears quickly were washed away in the flood of sensation that poured into their senses. As they already knew, the broad avenue known as Hagen's Run was the greatest, most expansive of the many highways running through the high king's city. What they didn't know, however, was that the Run was also the city's most scenic.

With almost breath-taking regularity it took them through stunning and gorgeous parks and lush orchards as it fell away from the Palace Hill towards the bay. And, as astounding as it was, the rainbow of color and sensation in the gardens and parks, was nothing compared to the sheer energy and vitality of the great markets sitting on the bayside of the massive central district. Here the variety and life that was central Elvenfast literally exploded in a thousand directions, sending color, motion and scent in every intoxicating direction as the markets, a broad expanse of intercrossing thoroughfares, passageways and squares, throbbed with its daily ration of activity.

Each street teemed with people, wagons, and horses, every last one of them seemingly bent on reaching their separate destinations regardless of what path they chose. On the outskirts of the market, sitting near the end of the massive Run, it was the drivers' voices that made most of the cacophony, shouts and oaths directed at each other in a vain attempt to expedite travel through the crush. The company had to be wary as they passed through the traffic, not wanting to be stepped on or driven over in the excitement.

Beyond the surge of movement that marked the markets' outer perimeter were the pavilions and kiosks of the local merchants. These were set up to bring maximum visibility to every product they had to offer, ranging from fruits and vegetables coming in from farmers outside of Elvenfast, to finished goods, blacksmithing, cobblers and apothecaries, each advertising at the top of their lungs.

In addition to the markets themselves, the people filling it reflected the energy and vitality of the place in their dress, choosing patterns and colors that only enhanced the maelstrom of sight and sound filling the outer reaches.

<<Almost makes me wish I had brought earplugs!>> Xanedra shouted gleefully as they squeezed past a wagon heavily laden with fruit to step onto one of the main thoroughfares.

Ciramax nodded in agreement, barely able to hear his friend over the din, his own face filled with wonder at the unfolding delights all around them. 'And I'd wager it's only gets worse the closer we get to the harbor.' He silently noted as they moved slowly forward.

Once past the wagon, however, the company, keeping close together so as to not get lost in the crush, was able to get a glimpse of the markets' heart through a momentary break in the crowd. From where they stood, the thoroughfare fell away to the water, widening into an avenue that opened into a four-block wide square, filled to overflowing with colorful tents and booths, hawkers standing at the entrances or over wooden podiums, loudly eschewing the virtues of their products.

The square, paved with broad flagstones, stretched all the way to the water's edge where immense stone jetties jutted out into the crystalline waters of the harbor. From the jetties grew the heavy docks at ninety-degree angles, upon which the great tall ships that they had seen from the hill overlooking the city, were moored, titanic hawsers of t'nar fiber holding the vast vessels in close. On the larger ships, hand-worked cranes were being used to lower or raise heavy nets filled with crates and other cargo. The smaller ones used simple ramps and gangplanks for stevedores, who carried the cargo off or on the ship in bundles on their backs,

The company could also see that, at the foot of each jetty, was a permanent booth made of stone, with a great board on the face of it. From the booth the captains coming in with available cargo to sell, would announce their arrival and wares, attaching a parchment manifest to the board with a hammer and steel tacks. The various merchants would then examine the manifest at their leisure, talking with the captains about price and volume in the booth.