The street mas made from stone carved blocks and had little to no pebbles scattered around. It was followed by lamp posts evenly spaced by 10 meters, pretty sigs and well made structures. A place rather uncommon for his kind, and the regulars looked scared and confused to jaskal, they all had disgust on their faces as they judged the turtle man appearance as he lead the party after their guide, a guard with the high district uniform, made to inspire security rather than fear.
Their guide stopped before the walls of one house they could only see the roof of. The wall was made with yellow slabs of stone, perfectly built to be very hard to climb, there where no spaces to put a hand or a leg and try to vault it, aa it was 3 meters tall, making a perimeter around the big building inside. That wasn't one of the main roads, it went to the left of one, about 80 meters into it. The neighbors where fine houses and one storage barn. There was nobody on the street, even it been the middle of the afternoon. That part of town was well spaced, about 60 people would walk by that road in a day, almost desert considering the rest of town, perfect for their base.
The guide took a key from his pocket, and opened the iron gate of the property. As jaskal went in, he got confused and impressed
The property opened in a huge Garden, about 25 meters wide to 35 long. Made like a huge painting on a happy artist galley, one who just fell in love. The colors od nature tamed by will crated a beautiful and unique aesthetic, like none that jaskal had seen on his tribe nor the city. He stood there, paralyzed by such beauty, he freezes in position. He could admire it for hours to come, and his subconscious could begging to grasp how would be to meditate and commonage with such place, such life that took that lively place. As he stood there, he barely noticed his companions passing him or their gasps as they observed the garden. He could even feel a tiny drop forming on his eye. The guide closed the gate, smiling at their reaction, after all, beauty was something to be shared
After a while, they all followed the guide, making surprise expressions and explanations, the turtle man stood still, his shell barely going up and down as he breath. He needed to absorve the most he could about that tiny fracture of nature. His whole being claimed to such order, his inner self, so many times troubled and inconstant, now was one with him. He felt hole again, his companions gave up on calling him, and just decided to leave him be, eventually he would come back to normal.
At least they hopped it
...
Nayla was hopping around they all, humming and staring. Her reactions where the louder and longer, typical of a infant just discovering something new, like their first time on a zoo. Her tiny mouth opened on a perfect circle, as she chanted at every new small discovery:
" so cute" or " I Love this color" as they approached the manor per se.
As she jumped on like a pelt less rabbit, the guide proceed the balcony on the first floor, a little deck half a meter tall, with brown wooden planks to make the ground. There where also a couple of couches and stalls, as well as a table to make meals close to the garden. The door with beautiful carvings from tales opened, showing the living room, and a great one at that
A white carpet on top of the polished wood floor. Walls covered in paintings, urns and pots of flowers decorated with mosaics. There was a small 3 step stair that guided to a couch zone on ground level, a 6x6 meter cube, with a table on the middle, perfect for top level meetings. There was also a dinner table, a side door to the kitchen and a big door with led to the house backyard. There was a lot of open spaces, it was like a big empty barn. The girl loved it, and sprinted around, dodging furniture and check details, the group left her be.
...
The gunslinger examined the room, finding it finally appropriate. He never asked for anything for cleansing the city, but he enjoyed some pampering like anyone, and overkill wasn't on his dictionary. As such he enjoyed it as much as possible, even more as the servant said:
" any requests or supplies you need just pass to me and I will take care of, tomorrow morning someone will take you to an armory and get some quality armor and equipment, anything else just tell me"
" I need paper and pen" the gunslinger immediately replied
"At the table sir" the guide didn't expected such hurry into it, but who knows, professionals and people like this had their singularities, or maybe everyone have, they are just not as important as those are.
The man wearing what once was a over the top colorful vestment started to write at once, standing up and pressing the paper against the wall to make the paint get on the paper. He stood there for a while. The others just left him there.
...
...
D'kaji was pretty confused about that place. They went there to talk, or to fight? He didn't knew. Seeing so many tables, eating was also a option, but why so away. He had his thing on a simple bag of leather, why anything else. He still didn't get that private property yet. Personal is easy, the things that you care around or are close to your bed, but how to own a plot of land was still beyond him. City life was complicated and he didn't get it even further there.
He ignored the people on the main eat-talk-drawn room and searched that place to have anything to eat. Or take. Or kill.
Or maybe just a place to sleep. Nobody messed with him and he just went on his Mary way.
...
Daija was concerned. The house was too big. Too rich for than. There could only be a mistake. Are they that expensive?
Her closed of expression gave chills to the guide. Gaining her trust was that hard, she would not give it to the crown just because of the gifts. She was still a prisoner of their schemes, and should always remember that. The people on her group were just inmates.
" why is the base so rich and comfortable? Is this really affordable for hiding on the budget, or the public?" She asked
" this manor, the glasstone manor, is designated to ambassadors and politicians that are situated outside the palace or royal hotel. The people we put in here are always to be hidden and out of the registry. As such, the budget here is re designates from other areas, that are less important to the crown" the guide said on a pompous pose.
There are a bunch of people, mainly on the slums, that could need that realocation,she toght, but they isn't as important to the king as they are.
Her attention brought back by the guides explanation:" why you need so many things from us already, we need alchemists for this, check expecialized shops, molds and materials to give calls and take outs. Why you need all of this?:"
The gunslinger shrugged and replied" my equipment was seized and never returned, and damaged before, if you want my..." he posed dramatically as a circus performer"... full power, you will bring it to me, the part circulated need before tomorrow afternoon. Daija signed. Thar would be some time to have, but she better have something to it. At least it was entertaining to see the bunch when drunk