What a Civilized Place

Their approach to the city gates had them pass by a growing number of people, most of which seemed destined for the fields that spread out in a radiating lattice from the city walls. Lucius pointed out and explained some of the details to his awestruck passenger,

“Do you see how there are two lines going into the city? The line of all those carts on the right must have their goods inspected. They’re probably merchants or traders, so the city has to make sure they aren’t smuggling or bringing anything bad in. The city guards have to be thorough, so it can take a while to get in that way. We don’t have to worry about that, so we’ll go to the left.”

He pointed in the intended direction, where a second line was moving quickly into the city’s interior. Most of those waiting for entry were on foot, though there were a few with horses. Hana peeked around him to get a better look, now that they had passed into the shadow of the walls,

“What must we do? Are we going to be inspected?”

Lucius shook his head, “No, nothing like that. They’ll just ask the usual questions about who we are and what we’re doing, if they even care that much. Most of the time, the guards just let people in and out as they please, unless the city is under threat or the person looks super suspicious. If something happens, you just let me do the talking, alright?”

She nodded and straightened the hood atop her head, more than happy to leave any potential explaining to Lucius. He could tell that she was nervous, and he quietly felt the same. The city walls were intimidating, glinting in the sunlight from the soldiers that patrolled across its length and dripping with bright colors. They sent a clear and unmistakable message, “Try us if you dare.”

Luckily, Lucius didn’t need to worry about such things and within half an hour they had reached the gatehouse. Beyond yawned the deep opening through the outer walls, leading to a tunnel that would bring oneself into the city properly. A bored-looking guard, clad in blue and silver armor and leaning on a halberd, watched as people of various dress and station wandered past. Some chattered excitedly amongst themselves, while others were quieter, focused on just putting one foot in front of the other. Luckily, his worries about questioning went unfounded as he was waved through without much hesitation. Lucius figured this was going to happen, he didn’t exactly cut an imposing figure. Though he did notice the guard’s eyes seemed to linger on Hana as they passed, but thankfully it wasn’t enough for him to call them to a halt.

Passing beneath the heavy iron portcullis that hung above them like the jaws of a terrible beast, they entered the tunnel that ran through the width of the wall. After a few moments of wandering through the twilight, they emerged into the brilliant light of the city. The entryway brought them into a semi-circle shaped area that was packed with people arrayed in every bit of available space, calling out to passersby to come and trade with them. Streams of people passed them by, some stopping to browse the handmade wares or fresh foodstuffs, while others opted to pass further into the city.

Lucius’ initial excitement was cut short by a small cry of pain from directly behind him. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed that Hana had her hands clasped over the mounds on her head that indicated where her ears were. She had shrunk into herself, as if trying to pull away from some invisible force. Concern filled his voice as he quietly addressed her,

“Hana? Is everything alright?”

She nodded weakly, peeking out from under her hood with a pained expression, “Yes, it is just…very loud here. There are so many things happening, it is hard to keep focused. So many voices…so many sounds…”

Realization struck him like a thunderbolt, “Of course she’s struggling, her ears are hypersensitive! This place is tough enough for a normal person, but she’s probably getting hit way harder than anyone. Damn it, I didn’t think about this at all!”

Hana did her best to cover her discomfort with a smile, even removing her hands from her head, “Do not worry, I will adjust. It will just take some time, is all.”

Fuming at his lack of foresight, Lucius guided the horse through the crowd to get them away from the center of the noise, “First things first; we need to stable the horse for at least a day, maybe two. Once that’s done, we can take our time so you can adjust.” Hana voiced her approval, though it was obvious that she was trying to exert as little energy as possible. He hoped to distract her from the pain she was in by talking about the city,

“We must be in the Lower Market district, that’s why there are so many people moving around. You won’t be finding any fine goods around here, but it’s supposed to give the average person access to products they’d need every day. If we go farther in, towards the city center, we’d reach the Upper Market district. That has the high-end stuff, where you’re going to need some serious coin if you want to go shopping. I think there’s a Residential district on the eastern side of the city, and there’s a barracks too, but I’m not sure where that would be. Oh, did you see that big complex at the center of the city? Yeah, the one on the hill. That’s where the governor and the local nobility lives.”

He continued to provide all sorts of commentary about the city that he had learned from his studies, though even he had to admit that most of them were pedantic and uninteresting. But at the very least, he hoped that he was being a decent distraction. It was a simple matter to register his horse with the city and have it taken care of for a few days. He managed to haggle the price down with the stable master, but it still left him dangerously low on funds. Grimacing as he put away his purse, he realized that he was going to need to think up a way to get money.

He mused on the problem as he and Hana walked through the streets of paved limestone and gravel. The pair kept close to avoid being separated, and he was grateful to see that Hana had become steadier on her feet as they had gone on. Even so, she kept a hand on the hem of his tunic to prevent a sudden turn or movement from getting herself turned around.

Technically, he had an easy way to handle the money issue. As the son of a senator, all he needed to do was go to the nearest bank and access the family finances. But the thought of doing so left a sour taste in his mouth, not because he would harm their financial situation, but because he had relied on it throughout his life. A desire to make a fortune of his own, even if it was a small one, had come to possess him with a furious grip. But as always, the problem was not that he wanted to make money, it was how he was going to.

A tug on his tunic brought him back to reality, and he realized that the pair had walked a good distance while he had been distracted. They had wandered into a section that boasted larger and grander buildings, though not nearly the caliber of a true noble dwelling. Shops with distinctive colorations and markings were spaced neatly apart, allowing people to walk comfortably in between them. Glass windows were mixed with open-air fronts to give shoppers a clear view of their varied wares, hoping to entice the passerby to stop and give them a closer inspection.

“Oh, I think we’re in the Upper Market. Which means we should be able to see…aha. There it is.”

In front of them stretched a large, geometrically square opening in the city’s center. Small trees grew in patches of greenery while marbled columns rose to support large awnings and gazebos. A few dozen people wandered aimlessly through the square, while others rested beneath the shade of the gazebos. Lucius even noticed a small group of young boys gathered around an older man off to one side, in rapt attention at whatever words he spoke to them.

“This must be the Forum,” he explained absentmindedly to Hana, “Every major city has one, but the one in the capital is the largest and grandest of them all. Sometimes they have performances or public debates here, but it doesn’t seem like there’s one today.”

“Something is happening over there,” Hana interrupted is train of thought. and though her voice was stronger now, it was still a bit shaky. He followed her pointed finger, where he noticed a large crowd gathered around a marble stage that was wide enough to comfortably fit ten men atop its surface. There was a man dressed in stately white and blue robes that was gesticulating to the crowd, though his words didn’t quite reach them. Lucius grew curious and began to take a step forward, when another figure was led on stage in chains, guided by an armed individual. Lucius’ heart sank as he realized what was going on,

“Aw hells. I was hoping to avoid seeing these.”

“What is going on? Why is that person bound so?”

“Because of who they are,” Lucius responded bitterly, “We just stumbled into a slave auction.”