In Bastion City, two players were entering through the main gate that had been travelling here for the entire week. Crossing danger zone after danger zone, without letting the risks affect their state of mind or pace.
The two older players were being stared at by the young uns, almost like they were aliens landing on Earth. The man and women only laughed at their attitudes.
The woman, Margarett, aka ShadowFang, and the man, Jack, aka OldGrizzly, were looking around themselves, taking in the sights. The air about them might have been mistaken as nonchalance by the youngsters, but the city guards, who were natives, had a much better grasp on this aura.
The aura of experienced killers. This immediately put them on edge, but they refrained from doing anything rash.
There were many crouched tigers and hidden dragons in this city, as it was a hotspot for adventurers. So the guards took down the names and warned their superiors.
As the couple entered the city's outer ring, they headed straight for the inner walls. OldGrizzly had already messaged Astaroth, telling him he and his wife had made it to Bastion City, and he had assured him they would be granted passage.
It took them an hour of walking, just to make it from one wall to the other, and this had both of them impressed.
"I thought you said this was a new city? Did the kid lie to you?" ShadowFang asked her husband.
"I doubt he lied. But the girl did say it had grown a lot in the update time. She said ten years went by inside the game while a week went by outside. But this… Even in ten years, this kind of development is astonishing," OldGrizzly replied.
Being a businessman outside New Eden, who specialized in land acquisition and development, even he had to admit the growth was explosive. Especially considering they were in hostile territory.
And the variety of architecture they were seeing was also no joke. The diversity was astounding, ranging from houses resembling large-trunked trees to more industrial-looking cubic buildings, all the way to houses that seemed hewn out of solid rock and brought here through unknown means.
When they reached the inner wall, OldGrizzly was met with another surprise. The outer walls were clear, man-made constructions, but the inner wall was all but.
Looking at the immense stone slabs, huddled together to form a natural barrier, OldGrizzly was sent down the rabbit hole many others before him had visited.
He wondered, 'How did these get here, and who brought them?'
But his wife wouldn't let him ponder for long.
"Keep moving, darling. We have little time left to be on here today, so let's make some progress on our goals before real life calls us back."
OldGrizzly shook the thoughts from his head and resumed walking. Although he would have loved to contemplate the provenance of the stone pillars that formed the inner wall, his wife was right.
Their time in New Eden every day was very limited. His wife might no longer work, but that didn't mean her days were purposeless.
As for him, well, his company could run without him present, but it was less than ideal. The young bucks working under him would want nothing more than a reason to dethrone him and take over his position.
Reaching the gate that led into the inner city, another checkpoint greeted them. OldGrizzly and ShadowFang presented their adventurers' credentials and waited for the guard to verify their identities.
When he came back with their guards, he suddenly looked deferential.
"Sir, Ma'am, please follow me this way."
The change in attitude was slightly weird, and OldGrizzly became alert, in case of trouble. But his wife smiled widely, her attitude almost too easygoing for the situation.
But the man wasn't new to this act of hers.
He leaned in next to her and whispered in her ear.
"Please refrain from killing anyone if trouble starts. I don't want to be branded a criminal."
Turning her warm smile towards him, OldGrizzly shuddered.
"Of course, my love. I'll only injure them gravely. No one needs to die for misunderstandings."
But the troubles they were expecting never came to pass. Instead, the guard led them to a carriage on the inside of the gate, with a jockey already waiting.
"This carriage will bring you directly to the palace, where accommodations were made, and the Queen is waiting for you. Good day, Sir, Ma'am."
Watching the guard go back to his station, OldGrizzly and ShadowFang frowned.
The woman turned to look at her husband, a puzzled look on her face.
"The Queen? Do you know anyone this important in the game already?"
OldGrizzly was just as confused as her.
"I don't think so. The kids told me they had a guild, and a city under their name, but nothing more."
But there was no use asking questions now. They climbed into the carriage, which started moving a few seconds after they closed the door.
In minutes, they had reached their destination, and the jockey opened the door for them again.
Walking out of the carriage, OldGrizzly and ShadowFang climbed down, now facing the humongous tree that towered in the center of the city. This tree they had seen from far away when they approached the city.
But they hadn't thought it would be the palace.
A set of guards walked up to them, greeting them in a military salute.
"Sir, Ma'am, please follow us. The Queen is expecting you in the meeting chambers."
Nodding their heads, the old couple followed behind the guarded escort, getting led into the large tree that took their entire vision.
As they climbed the steps, ShadowFang was looking at the branches, hundreds of meters in the air, overhead, and thought she could see small structures up there. She was already casing out the surroundings, her training kicking in.
OldGrizzly, in contrast, was looking at the guards in every corner, trying to gauge the level of their training. Both looked at the palace with different tactical outlooks, their minds already planning escape routes if they needed them.
But once they reached the meeting room and led inside, OldGrizzly recognized the only person waiting inside.
"Ms. Deveille. Sorry, it is Phoenix here, I believe. I was told I was meeting the queen?"
Phoenix smiled at him.
"You are. That would be me. Welcome to the Stellar Woodlands kingdom, Mr. Boudreau. Mrs. Boudreau. It is a pleasure meeting you."
The old couple lost their words momentarily.
'Players can become rulers? What a strange game,' both of them thought.
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