Chapter 573 Strange Stage
After a lengthy discussion amongst themselves, Astaroth and his party voted to scout out the town before they chose their course of action. It wouldn't be a simple task, since they stood out like sore thumbs.
But after a bit of sneaking around, Astaroth found a dozen brown cloaks and drapes that they used to cover their traits and clothes. He had noticed during their first approach that a squad of crudely geared soldiers manned the main gate.
So they collectively opted to go in, passing themselves as travelling adventurers.
Cloaking themselves, they started using the main path down to the walls. There was no file to get in, and they made their way directly to the gates.
"Halt! Show your faces and state your purpose!" a guard shouted, raising one hand as the other went down to his scimitar at his belt.
Astaroth raised his hands to signal cooperation, before taking the hood of his head.
"I'm sorry, good sir. We didn't want to look suspicious. We are only shielding ourselves from the harsh sun. My friends and I are a band of travelling adventurers, looking for shelter before the night comes."
The guard eyed him warily, not taking his hand off the hilt of his scimitar.
"A Dark Elf. Your kind isn't welcome in these parts," the guard replied.
His long ears and golden flowing hair marked him as a wood elf, and there seemed to be aggressiveness to his tone.
Phoenix pulled her hood back, revealing her face as well.
"Sir guard, the Ash Elf is with us. Surely you can look away this once, for two of their kind?" she asked, making a hand sign to the party, prompting them to pull their hoods off.
And they did, revealing the mix of races, trying to sell their deceit.
The guard eyed them one by one, before clicking his tongue.
"Let me verify with my superior first. Make one wrong move, and you will not live to see tomorrow. Am I clear?"
Each player nodded their head.
The guard stepped back, keeping his face toward them, before disappearing behind the wall.
Astaroth sent a message to Phoenix in a private chat.
'I thought we wanted to keep cover, and I was to get us in. Why did you have everyone reveal themselves?'
'I think we aren't long after the war between the Elves and Ash Elves. It looked like he was about to slash at you just for being dark-skinned,' she replied.
'You know about the war?' Astaroth asked, his face frowning a bit.
'Do you think you are the only one with access to knowledge? There are libraries in this world, dummy. I read some history books before heading out into the world. I wanted to know what to expect. Seems I was right to do so.'
Her dedication and studiousness impressed Astaroth. He wasn't much of a reader, and much preferred to learn in the thick of it.
Of course, that had its own inherent risks.
He snapped out of his thoughts as the guard reappeared in view, turning the corner of the wall. His stride was angry, and his face filled with silent anger.
"My superior said to let you in. The lord said to keep the gates open to anyone that wished refuge, he says."
Astaroth smiled at his response, walking forward.
But the guard latched onto his arm as he walked by, squeezing it hard.
"I'll have eyes on you, dark elf. Your kind is nothing but slaves and should have never been free. Your rebellion cost me my brother."
After saying that, he spat on Astaroth's feet.
Astaroth's eyes darkened, and he had to use every ounce of his self-control not to lob this man's head clean off his shoulders. A pat on the back from Phoenix also helped him calm down.
Taking a moment to re-center himself, and taking a deep breath, Astaroth broke into a hypocritical smile.
"I'm sorry you feel that way about my race, sir guard. My condolences to your brother. I wish the war had never needed to happen. But my kind was never meant to be slaves. We were proud warriors, summoned by your leaders to win a war for you."
The guard's face morphed into rage, and he started pulling out his weapon.
"You bast—
"Enough! Syndar, let them through! Contain yourself, for crying out loud."
The interrupting voice came from the edge of the wall, where another elf had just made himself visible. The man looked slightly older, his golden hair tainted with grey hair, here and there, making him look wiser.
But his face was currently a mask of disappointment.
"The war is over, and the Ash Elves have earned their freedom. Your brother's death is regrettable, no doubt. But it should not cloud your duty and judgment."
The guard threw one last death glare at Astaroth, before stowing his weapon and storming off into the fields, to go release some anger, most likely.
Astaroth resumed walking, and when he passed next to the older Elf, he thanked him.
"Thank you, kind sir."
The older elf looked at him, a flash of malice traversing his gaze.
"I am merely doing my duty as ordered. There is no kindness in my heart for your kind, dark skin. Now, in. Before I change my mind. And if you do anything unlawful, I will catch you and discipline you myself."
The low growl he said those words in was an obvious threat, and Astaroth halted momentarily as the officer turned the corner of the wall again.
When Astaroth and his party crossed the threshold to the city, he saw the building on the inside of the wall, which seemed to be the barracks next to the gate where the soldiers stayed while on duty.
He saw the door closing behind who was most likely the officer in charge of this gate, and spat on the ground.
"Fuck racism. In this world and the next. It's a stupid mentality."
Meat-Shield nodded his head, his skin tone on the darker side. He agreed wholeheartedly with his guild leader on the matter.
"Amen to that," he added.
The party proceeded inward the city, trying to find an inn or hostel in which they could stay the night. They had a feeling this stage wouldn't be finish-able in one day.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l