Chapter 10 : So I Entered The Kingdom of Leech

I sigh. God knows how many Nyelora are out there, hoping to reunite with their loved ones who were taken by evil-minded creatures. 

I come to Gornor. I try to wake him up by shaking him and calling him by his name. Gornor, wake up and look around. He is surprised to find himself sleeping. He says, "How did I...Oh! There was a woman with blue...." I interrupt him and say, "I know, go inside the tent. And don't tell anyone what happened." Gornor stares at me for a while, then says, "Yes. Be on your guard." Gornor goes inside the tent. I sit near the tent. And guard them.

In the morning we have our meal. After that we continue our journey. Gornor didn't say anything about last night. We take a short break atnoon. And have our lunch. Then continue our journey again. 

In the evening we arrive at the city gate of Caelgrand, the capital city of Alnovir. The whole city is protected by high walls. There are four guards at the gate. They stop our carriage. Maybe they want to know who we are, where we came from, why we are here, etc. For the safety of the kingdom, it is necessary. But I won't be able to answer most of their questions. They may arrest me if I can't. Should I hide somewhere and try to enter the city at night? With my power, I can jump high enough to cross the wall. 

I say to Gornor, "Mr. Gornor, listen...." I am interrupted by one of the guards. He asks Darknia, "How many persons are in there?" Darknia says, "Six, including me." The guard thinks for a minute and then says, "Then pay 11 gold coins." Gornor almost shouts, "But why this much?" The guard says, "1 gold per person and 5 for the carriage." Liorath says, "Isn't that a bit much?" Another guard says, "If you can't pay, don't waste our time. Go back." Gornor says, "It's alright. I'll pay." 

The first guard says, "Search the carriage; see if they are hiding another person or not. If you have any pets, it's 500 silver coins each." Darknia says, "No. We don't have any pets." 

I lost my words. What is this? The guards didn't even ask our names, let alone where we came from. Anyone with money easily can enter the city and do anything harmful. These guards don't even care about that. Liorath did say that the guards of Alnovir are now mercenaries. I thought that he was exaggerating. But no, he was just being honest. 

I feel bad for having Gornor pay for me. I say, "Sorry, Mr. Gornor. You shared your food with me. And now you are paying gold for me. I'm feeling guilty." Gornor smiles and says, "If you didn't save us from the bandits. We would have lost our lives and our money. So, let me repay you this way. And one more request. You have to keep it." I say, "Thank you very much, Mr. Gornor. Please tell me, what can I do for you?" Mr. Gornor says, "You have to stay with us in the inn for a little longer. After we sell our treasures, we will have a grand celebration. And I want you to be present there. Because this is happening for you. You can take your leave after the party. Please, you can't say no." I smile. He is really a kindhearted man. I say, "Of course, Mr. Gornor. It'll be my honor." Everyone seems to be happy hearing my reply. The guards search the carriage. After that they take eleven coins like it is their birthright. We enter Caelgrand City. 

Unlike the Demon Realm, this city is lit by solar crystals. These crystals absorb sunlight during the day and glow at the night. They put the crystal in a lamp-type shape. Which is called a solar crystal lamp.

At first sight, this city seems to be a luxurious city. But when I look at the citizens, it tells me something else. Their clothes, health, and facial expressions are showing they are living in hell. Almost every corner of the house, I can see half naked children, old men in the brink of death. I can see only two or three vegetable shops. There are no customers. Just the shopkeepers and their sad faces. The city itself is dying. 

We arrive at an inn. Or should I say the only inn in this city? An old man is sitting in front of the reception table, sewing a piece of cloth. When we enter into the inn, he looks at us. He says, "Are you travelers?" Gornor says, "Yes. We are. We want two rooms for two nights." The old man says, "That will be two gold coins." Liorath says, "Hey, that's too much." The old man says, "Then leave. There isn't a single inn except this one." Liorath says, "Alright then. Let's return to our city now." The old man quickly gets up and runs to us. He says, "1 gold coin and 500 silver coins. Please, I can't lower any more." I am feeling pity looking at his expression. If I had money, I would have given him all he needs. No, I would have given it to everyone in this city. Gornor gives him two gold coins and says, "Here. We have a carriage, so I am giving you 500 silver coins more." The old man looks at those coins for a long time with a strange, happy expression. Then He says, "Let me show you the rooms." He walks to the stairs. We follow him. I get a glimpse of his tearful eyes. 

He brings us to the 2nd floor. And give us two rooms. One for ladies and another for us, gentlemen.

There are only a bed and a table in our room. The room itself is clean, but the quality of the bed is questionable. Three of us will manage. No problem.

Gornor says, "Mr. Agni, I know you are feeling sympathy for the people of this city. I can see it on your face. You have a kind heart, Mr. Agni. But sometimes we can't help others even if we want to. If you had enough money, you would distribute that among them. Every kind act. I know you would. But after a certain number of days, they all will become what they were before. None of us are king. We have no way to change their fate. When you want to help, but you can't. In that moment the helplessness you feel is the proof of you being a human. But if you don't let go of that helplessness, it will break your mind into pieces. So, don't think about what you can't do. Help yourself first. Live with the feeling of being alive. So, Mr. Agni, cheer up." I sigh and try to smile.

The next morning, we have breakfast early. Then Gornor says with a smile, "Mr. Agni, you haven't forgotten our request, right?" I smile and say, "Of course not. I will wait here. You all go and bring your rewards." Elisa says, "You can take a look around the city in the meantime, if you want." I say, "I have seen enough tomorrow. Besides, I don't have any money with me. I will wait here for your return." They leave with happy faces.

I lie on the bed. I will start my plan after they leave this town. Otherwise, they may be dragged into all the mess. They are kind people; I wish they always had that happy expression. 

I close my eyes. I really miss her.

It's afternoon now. They sure are late. Maybe they are buying something for the celebration. 

I hear footsteps. They are here. I get out of the room and come downstairs. I didn't expect what I am seeing. All five of them are beaten up. Elisa and Hilishiya are crying. I ask with confusion, "What happened to you?" Gornor hugs me and starts crying. I ask again, "Please tell me what happened. Why are you crying?" Liorath sits on the floor and tells me what happened. 

Gornor and his party went to the Royal Palace to sell the treasures. They told the royal guards about their motives. One of the guards went inside to get permission from the king. After a while, he returned and told them to go to the royal court. Gornor and his party went to the royal court. Elinshor, the king of Alnovir, was sitting on the throne. He asked them to put all the treasures in front of him so that he himself could see them up close. Gornor didn't hear what he said. Elinshor looked at them for a while. Then he told them he liked all of the treasures and would keep them. He ordered Gornor and his party to leave. Surprised Gornor asked for money. The king laughed at him and told him that an individual had to pay 1000 gold coins to have an audience with the king. So, 5 of them had to pay 5000 gold coins. Since they couldn't pay, they had to leave their treasures for the king. Gornor begged a lot to Elinshor. But he ignored him and told his guards to remove Gornor and his party from the palace. When they were forced to leave the palace. Liorath punched one of the guards. Many guards came there and beat them badly. They didn't hesitate to hit Elisa, Hilishiya, and Darknia. They tossed Gornor and his party outside. 

After listening to everything, I remain silent for a moment. Gornor is still crying. He says while crying, "I just wanted us to stop traveling and settle in one place. Now the treasures are gone. Treasures are gone. I have nothing. Just nothing." My eyes filled with tears looking at him. I put my right hand on his shoulder and say, "Mr. Gornor, you requested me to stay with you for a day. I accepted the request. Now, I am requesting you to wait for me for one night. Can you do that?" Gornor wipes his tears and says, "Sure. But what do you want to do?" 

"I will do what I came here to do." I say with a smile.