Xyle wakes to find himself on the floor looking up at a large bright golden chandelier with the candles floating around it instead of sitting on the stems. He rolls over, half blinded by the light and tries to sit up while holding back his vertigo as he looked around to take in his surroundings.
It was an unusually beautiful and frightening sight to see the wall he faced when he let his eyes follow the creme white ceiling to the red wall decorated with golden trims that shaped crop circles and dara knots from top to bottom. five gold frames hung across the wall to match the trim showing a grand piece of art of a map throughout the frames. below the maps stood dozens of figures draped in silver cloaks from the neck down. all of them seemed human.
Xyle looks around to find himself surrounded by them. People in silver cloaks standing tall and mighty like statues looking down at him until a small group breaks from the encirclement. Five of them step forward towards him, two of them had platinum silver blonde hair and snow white skin, resembling marble statues with cloud grey eyes. The other three had chestnut hair with black eyes, burgundy hair with blue eyes, and Salt and Pepper colored hair with green eyes. The green eyed one looked older and more noble than the rest as he stepped in front of the others and knelt down to Xyle with a bow of his head.
"Be at ease, Summoned one." the green eyed one tells Xyle. "We mean you no harm and wish to welcome you with grand hospitality."
"... wh... what??" Xyle exclaims. He suddenly feels a sharp pain at the back of his head and reaches for it instinctively to ease the pain only to find a bump there. A Recent memory fills his mind right after. He remembers being in the classroom with his crush when he suddenly saw a bright light flash behind her and blacking out after. He just woke up to a surreal place completely alone with strangers that appeared out of nowhere. He had no recollection of how or when he got there, but he knew he was alone and this is the only thing he didn't like.
"Please take care. He seems to be in pain, your Majesty." one of the grey eyes says as he approaches after and kneels next the green eyed one and reaches for Xyle's head suddenly.
Xyle sees him and knocks his hand away fully alert to their overbearing presence. "Back off! Who are you people?!" He snaps.
"Be at ease, young man. We mean you no harm." the grey eyed one tells him. He reaches for Xyle's head again and rubs his wound. A small light sparks on his head and stops again. when the light vanished so did the headache. "There. That should do. You bumped your head pretty badly from that tumble. can you stand?" he stops patting Xyle's head and offers to help him up.
Xyle looks at the grey eyed man's hand and reluctantly takes it. Once on his feet, he takes another look around the room. No one but the few before him seemed odd looking. "Who are you people? And where am I?"
the green eyed one stands and places his hand on his chest. "I am who the beings of this world call the lord of man. My name is Navus Manchester. King of the grand city of Manchester and this world you reside in now is the world of Neutelos. The man before you is the grand high noble under my call, Duke Hamilton Campbell of Locklaker Mountain. He and his family, currently present before you, have taken the role of being your guides and offered to aid you whenever you feel troubled. Let either of them or I know what we can do for you. Hamilton."
"Yes, your majesty." Hamilton bows and to Xyle and walks back to his family, taking his place by his double. "This is my eldest son and heir, Ramisus. and this is my wife and youngest son, Merilda and Amiel. we will be in your care from now onward, young man." The whole family bows in sync and rises again. the burgundy haired one, Merilda, and her chestnut haired son, Amiel, smile at Xyle with glee. For some reason this made him uncomfortable, until he looked at Ramisus who, being the most intimidating of them all, did not smile, but instead stared at Xyle as if trying to read his mind. Hamilton didn't seem all that interested, but he gave him that fatherly feel of comfort and welcome despite not smiling.
"Uh... sure. I guess." Xyle says as he walks towards them and somehow subconsciously stands before Ramisus. "I uh... hope we can get along." He tells him nervously as he looks up at the man before him.
Ramisus held his empty gaze then bowed his head in response. "I am honored by your words, young sir." His monstrous and calm voice echoed in Xyles ears and sent shivers down his spine that made his body go limp for a second. Xyle simply chuckles nervously at the man as he goes to take his place by the Hamilton and lowers his head.
Hamitlon takes Xyle's shoulder and they take him out of the grand room.
Xyle steps out of a wagon with the Campbell Family and he stops to take in the view of the towering mansion before him. Compared to the ones he passed it was unexpectedly simple and gave a heavy feeling of historic arts. A hand pats Xyle on the back suddenly and shocks him out of his trance. Ramisus stood behind him waiting for him to move. This fat that Ramisus Was the last to step out made him nervous, and he quickened his pace to the front door Ramisus was somehow close behind.
Inside the mansion was just as simple as the outside. The walls were a simple Pale white from floor to ceiling with bronze trims lining the floor with minimal detail. Only Paintings of the family line decorated the foyer walls above the entry where a large staircase covered with a blue rug made its way up to it from the center of the entry. Xyle couldn't help but stop in his tracks again. Ramisus walks past and looks at him.
"Is this your first time in a mansion, young sire?"
"Uh!? Y-yeah. Well…"
"Relax. There is nothing to be nervous about, until the awakening and classing on the next full moon."
"Wait… so, a month from now?"
"A season. Or three months to be exact. Is time measured differently where you're from?"
"Yeah, sounds like it. So… Ramisus? Right?"
"Yes."
"Umm… oh! I, uh, haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Xyle Vaticus." xyle holds out his hand for a handshake but Ramisus doesn't take it and keeps his cloak over his body.
"... Ramisus Campbell, as you've heard already. I apologise for my rude jester, but I'm afraid I am not allowed to interact with you too much as of late." but I can do what I can to help you get comfortable."
"Huh?? Why not?"
"I'm sure my father will tell you once you get the chance to meet him. For now, I will guide you to your room. You can ask me anything about this place while we head there."
"Uh… sure." Xyle instantly became uncomfortable as they continued through the mansion. He had trouble thinking of what to ask Ramisus. A light from a window that overlooked the mountain and made him stop to see the view. Down the mountain, past the walls that separated the different parts of the city all the way down to the horizon.
The first place that catches his eye is the inner wall where the Campbell mansion stood. Many of the buildings surrounding them created a smooth path through the city straight down to the main entrance at the end, the road branching off to different places like markets and districts, all set in a middle eastern mid-century style fantasy world. The people weren't just humans. Some were beastmen of every variety, Fea beings like elves, dwarves, and fairies of varying types. Even monsters like orcs, trolls, and so on. Goblins, however, were the most abundant of the many races that were in the city. Short, green, little monsters walking around working like normal people in their own little areas away from the main roads.
"Hey." Xyle calls out. Ramisus stops and sees Xyle Staring out the window down the mountain. "Is all of this Neutelos?"
"No." Ramisus answers as he walks back to Xyle and looks out with him. "This is Manchester. The city man. Neutelos is the world we live in. Although we call it the city of man, we have recently started accepting other beings like the fea, the creatures, and the monsters. Though we call them monsters, they are far more intelligent than their kin in the wild as far as I was led to believe. Many of the beings that come to Manchester are from outside the city walls. They are often adventurers, travelers, or even tradesmen and merchants. They don't come here to the high grounds unless they have been personally invited, so if you wish to see them, you will have to go there yourself."
"I can go out?"
"With an escort, yes. You will need to inform my father or the king to get permission to visit the other sectors of manchester."
"Sectors?"
"Yes. There are three sectors here. Or four if you wish to count the goblin alleys as a whole sector on its own. Where you are now is called locklaker mountain, where we, the high nobles reside as the representatives of humankind. The sector after this is the central area known as Mairs. There, we will take you to gather the things you need for your wardrobe, gear, and other necessities. Mairs is the market district, so there are inns, shops, and other convenient places to look forward to. You can also find the main guilds and quest huts. I believe about four nobles live in that sector and control its marketing. Lastly, there is the lower sector, Selest. That is where most of the nonhuman kind make a living. It's the most lively and popular place in Manchester, with most of its populus being visitors."
"... whoa~... what about the goblin alley?"
"I would like to know about them myself, but there are no goblins in Locklaker, and very few in Mairs as far as I've noticed. All I can tell you is that most of them reside in Selest."
"Oh. okay."
"You won't get a lot of information about other races here in Locklaker, so I advise you to go to Selest to get the information you want."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
They continue down the hall again and Xyle continues to ask questions about the city, which Ramisus had no trouble answering until they finally get to Xyles room. Xyle gets ready to walk into his room when a thought crosses his mind.
He calls to Ramisus as he is walking away."... Hey, Ramisus!" Ramisus stops walking and looks at Xyle. "Have you ever gone to Selest? It sounds like a super cool place to go compared to this. Honestly, I think it would be awesome to meet with all of the different races in this world."
Ramisus only stares at Xyle for a while before answering with an odd tone in his voice that didn't seem normal. "... I haven't. It does seem like a phantasmal idea, but i won't be lucky enough to understand that pleasure. So long, Master Vaticus."
With that, Ramisus leave Xyle in a sullen mood of mild annoyance and disappointment. He didn't Xyle get why he felt that way, but it gave him the impression that he would feel that way around the others more than he did with Ramisus.