From the deck of their ship Samiel saw the city in the distance; nestled between the jagged cliffs of a misty coastline lies the bustling port city of Arvandor. Its medieval architecture, with towering walls of stone and timber, is a testament to its long history as a hub of trade and culture.
At the heart of the city stands the grand citadel, a towering fortress that overlooks the bustling harbor below.
Its crenelated walls are adorned with banners of the city's noble houses, and its gates are guarded day and night by a contingent of heavily armed soldiers.
Most of them were of the Githyanki and Githzerai species; considering the fact that the Laros Kingdom was heavily supported by the Germinal Order, it was logical that there would be many of them coming here across the Material Plane.
Within the citadel's walls lies the ruling council chamber, where the city's lords and ladies meet to discuss matters of state and strategy. The council is led by the city's High Lord, a wise and just ruler whose word is law within the city walls.
From the citadel, narrow streets lined with shops and taverns snake down towards the harbor, alive with the sounds of merchants haggling over exotic goods from far-off lands.
The city's market square is a riot of color and noise, filled with traders selling everything from silks and spices to precious gems and rare beasts.
Beyond the market, the streets give way to a warren of winding alleys and hidden courtyards, where the city's craftsmen toil away in their workshops. The air is thick with the scent of woodsmoke and the clanging of hammers as blacksmiths, weavers, and potters work their trades.
At the heart of the city lies the harbor, a sprawling complex of docks, piers, and quays that stretches out into the misty sea beyond. Here, ships from all corners of the known world come to trade and refuel, bringing with them tales of adventure and intrigue from far-off lands.
The harbor is guarded by a flotilla of warships, each flying the colors of one of the city's noble houses. These ships, with their sleek lines and formidable armaments, are a constant reminder of the dangers that lurk beyond the city walls.
But despite the ever-present threat of attack, life in Arvandor is a vibrant and colorful affair.
The city's people are a diverse mix of races and cultures, and its streets are alive with music, dance, and celebration. It was an interesting sight to see humans mixing with Githyanki and Githzerai and with them even with Dwarves and even some Elves.
Samiel and company were escorted by one of the ships from the Laros Kingdom to the port, where they docked at the empty docking space.
They took everything valuable from the ship as they disembarked and Samiel soon enough noticed a dwarf wearing luxurious clothes and a golden ring.
Clearly, this was one of the merchants and probably also one of the port officials. He then went to the dwarf and greeted him in dwarvish, which was getting better and better as he worked on languages of the Material Plane and common dwarvish was rather pretty much-spread language.
"I would like to sell my ship master dwarf... that one which has right now docked."
Samiel said in common dwarvish and pointed at the ship as the dwarven merchant observed the ship and made an offer for Samiel.
"15,000 Credits at best."
Samiel nodded, hearing the offer and gave the dwarf number of his Vaultbank account so he could transfer the money.
"Is there anything interest in the surrounding area, master dwarf?"
He then questioned the dwarf as he received the payment of 15,000 Credits. For him, it was nothing, but it was better than just sinking the ship or just leaving it there.
This should be enough for a few dates with Yvraine in exclusive restaurants that he prefers.
"Yar. For those brave enough to venture beyond the city walls, the misty cliffs and rocky shoreline offer a wealth of adventure and danger. Ancient ruins, hidden tombs, and long-forgotten treasures lie hidden in the mist-shrouded hills, waiting to be discovered by bold adventurers with a thirst for glory and riches. Das area was one a battlefield between several dukedoms and churches... yar there many treasures and precious thing, thus not many return from there... some of the tombs of ancient factions buried there even Holies."
Samiel nodded, assimilating the information he got from the dwarf, but he decided against it.
While he was tempted by the monetary gains from the tombs, there could be some really precious things, riches and treasures hidden there, but he didn't have either time and neither did he have the necessary power to explore such things.
Now with the ship being sold, Samiel exchanged the departing greetings with the dwarven merchant and went to Yvraine and Juulius, who were waiting for him at the port, already getting the carriage to the teleportation district, with a short stop at the merchant district.
"I managed to get a few thousand Credits for the ship... we could go and buy some nice dinner and treats for the mascots."
Samiel muttered as he scratched the Nefertari behind her ear and even Tytos raised his head in anticipation because it meant that master of his master would be paying and even the huge white tiger realized that the scary-looking man had a very soft spot for the felines and cats in general.
"That's good, I think?"
She didn't really care about what happened to the ship we captured from the Bounty Hunters. For her, a situation where we have obtained a few thousand of Credits wasn't changing anything, not like for me, because for me, it was bringing some sort of psychic satisfaction.
"Should we depart for the merchant district?"
Samiel asked as Yvraine nodded in agreement and Juulius subsequently motioned for the driver of the carriage to drive them to the merchant district.
He looked through the window, observing the citizens interacting with each other, buying goods and other things that they were normally doing, while Yvraine was looking through the page of the Arvandor on the NEX Network on her Holo-Brain.
"How much for the teleportation to Skr?n?ti??"
He asked as Yvraine checked on the prices... when he looked at her expression, he noticed that the price must be something that surprised even Yvraine deeply.
"75,000 Credits per person... and they even want 30,000 Credits per familiar... greedy bastards, but considering the distance between Skr?n?ti? and Laros, not talking about the recent changes on the Floor, it is a good offer."
If they were in the territory of the Skr?n?ti?, then they wouldn't need to pay a single Credit, but unfortunately, they were not and Samiel knew that there was no other option than to pay.
Distance between the Skr?n?ti? and Laros Kingdom was tremendous and teleportation through it was no easy matter.
Not to mention, the monopoly over teleportation was in the hands of the Laros Kingdom, so they were calling the shots on what the prices of the usage would be.
Those who don't like that either would just shut up or go their way.
"Whatever... still, 285,000 Credits is a relatively lot... hopefully, the pirates in that area would be more powerful and it would pay off."
For a cheapstake like him, it was heartbreaking to part with such a high amount of Credits.
Visit freewe𝑏nov(e)l.𝗰𝐨𝐦 for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience