Eyes of the Dragon

Chapter 03

Darmine was a bustling port city. It was a large city by any measure, but to Tian who had been raised in a remote mountain temple it was overwhelming. To the east of the city lay the mountains of his home, and north were fertile plains. The weather was warm and brisk, especially given that it was summertime. Used to the cool mountain air, Tian removed his over robe so that he dressed in a loose pair of trousers, boots, and a sleeveless vest. Warmer clothing went into the backpack he carried, as the young monk approached the eastern gate of the city.

Unlike the much busier main gate to the north, the eastern gate saw far less traffic. The few guards on duty spent their time drinking and gambling, and none of them bothered to question the rare traveler passing in and out of the gate. As he walked through the large gate, Tian looked down at the amulet he wore and noticed no sign of the Eyes of the Dragon in the area. His heart sank as he stepped out on the main avenue that ran near the gate, and had to jump out of the way as a wagon sped by.

"Watch where yer goin'" the driver yelled.

The bustling street caught Tian off-guard, and he found it very difficult to concentrate. His keen senses and attentive nature worked against him as sensory overload set in.

"Out of the way..."

"...then I took 'es purse..."

"Treasures from far away!"

Tian caught sight of a pair of guards lounging nearby and approached them. The pair were talking and laughing, but grew silent as the noticed him approach. Nearer to the pair, Tian said, "Pardon me sir, I am here looking for a man who should have arrived a few days ago. He would be slender and a little less that my height, and carried crossbow bolts that look like this."

He showed them the bolt. The first guard examined it and shrugged before passing it to the second who responded much the same. After handing it back the first guard said, "I would check with a fletcher, he might be able to help you with that."

Bowing respectfully, Tian replied, "Many thanks, noble sir."

The guard's eyes narrowed for a moment, thinking he was being mocked, but then he faintly smiled when he realized he was not. There was a moment as he seemed to be considering how to properly respond, before he said, "You're obviously new in town, and don't look too rich, so let me give you some advice. If you're looking for a cheap place to stay check out the Lonely Mermaid Inn. There are a few rough sorts in there, and they're connected to all sorts of disreputable people who might've heard of this fellow you want to find. Just be careful."

"Again, my thanks."

The guard nodded and waved Tian off as he bowed, and the young monk went on his way. He decided to see about the place to stay, and then he could continue his search. Also he could ask at the Inn for direction in his search.

The Lonely Mermaid Inn was a two-story structure near the docks district. It was a dive in every sense of the word. Over the entrance was a shingle with a crudely drawn mermaid, she was not wearing any clothes and was clearly meant to be top heavy. Tian was a little shocked to see something like that out in the open, but continued inside anyway and was less surprised to see that the interior was even less clean than the outside of the building.

"Whaddya want," the bartender asked gruffly as Tian approached.

"I would like a room, please."

"That'll be," he paused, eying the young monk, "five gold pieces for the night."

Tian reached into his pouch and slowly counted out the money. Cities were more expensive than he realized, and hoped that he would not have to stay long. Especially if that was a cheap Inn compared to the rest. The bartender snatched up the gold with a surprisingly quick hand, and then reached under the counter to give Tian a key.