I woke up to see a white ceiling for the first time in a very long time. My heartbeat quickened as I shot up, was I back home?
But no, of course not. I was in a white room, on a bed with white sheets. There were white curtains by the windows. The curtains and bedsheets had golden decorations and the frame of the bed was also made of gold.
The only things in the room that wasn't white or gold, were the light brown floorboards. Even they had golden flecks in them. I couldn't say I liked the Ereth's choice of colour and décor.
I took a bath, got dressed and left my room. At the common room of the inn, I saw the rest of the group. They were the only non-Ereth people in the room. Among all the white-golden clothed Ereth, their colourful apparel stood out quite a bit. And they seemed painfully aware of it as they shot up on their feet as soon as they saw me.
"Kai, come on." Alina said, running towards me and holding on to my arm. "Let's go outside." She had started dragging me towards the door before she even finished her words.
The others joined her and led me outside. Only once we were on the gold paved streets did they let go of me. "Kai, this place is weird!" Alina hissed, looking around to make sure none of the Ereth could hear her. "I feel so out of place."
"I agree." Vincent chimed in. "We stand out way too much here."
I nodded, then glanced at Erik. "What do you think we should do, Erik?" I had a few ideas, but I didn't want to undermine Erik's already shaky authority.
"First of all, let's go get some proper clothes." He said after a few seconds. "Then, we should drop by the guild and check in with the Crystal." While this wasn't quite what I had in mind, I didn't say anything.
"Good idea." Samantha chimed in. "I'll ask for directions." She ran off to the nearest store to ask while we waited. A short while later she came back with the information we needed, and we set off.
We got quite a few odd looks as we walked in the city. Samantha led us through the streets quickly and we soon arrived at the store. As we looked at the selection of white and golden clothes, our expressions only soured.
"Yeah, I don't think I can wear this." I said after a short hesitation. "You guys go ahead." I motioned to leave, but Vincent caught my arm before I could.
"You'll stand out too much!" He warned me. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
I nodded. "I do want the person who's been spying on us to contact me, so it all works out, right?" I shrugged. Vincent sighed before giving up. "Fine." He said before letting go of my arm.
"I'll wait outside." I mumbled and left the store. I had to cover my eyes for a bit as the sun reflecting off the golden bricks on the road blinded me momentarily.
"Hey, Asher." I reached out to the sorcerer. Soon after, I heard his voice echo in my mind. "Good morning, Kai. Have you arrived in Baile Chailce?"
It took me a moment to remember that this city's name was Baile Chailce. "We arrived last night. What do I need to know about this place?" I asked after a moment's hesitation.
"Do not attempt to touch the divine pillar at the centre of the city." He replied. "It's the source of their power and they won't hesitate to erase you if you even try to approach it."
I flinched. "Noted, what else?"
"Well, that's really it. Use your common sense." He paused. "Oh, and one more thing. Steer clear of the palace."
"Why?" I asked, somewhat worried.
"Well, you're the Keeper of Souls. I don't want those in power to suddenly decide you're worth their attention." He replied. "Anyways, I believe the person you're looking for is the owner of a newly established artifact shop. I'd suggest you check it out without all of your friends crowding it, so try to get rid of them first." He severed the connection almost immediately.
I sighed, it made little sense to try and ask him more.
"How do I look?" Alina's voice sounded from behind me. I hadn't noticed her leave the store.
I turned to look at her. She was wearing a white battle dress that allowed her to move freely. It was a silken dress that she looked amazing in. The golden embroidery fit her golden hair and the tattoo on her face perfectly.
Honestly, she was breath taking. She smiled as she waited for my answer. I flinched. "You look great." I said with my heart beating quickly". Her smile widened. "Thank you, Kai."
Before I could reply, the door behind her opened and the others left the store. "So, what's next?" Vincent asked after a short moment of silence.
They were all wearing the same type of white-golden clothes. It didn't look nearly as good on them as it did on Alina.
"Let's go to the guild." Erik said after a short moment of hesitation. Thankfully, Samantha had also gotten directions for the guild. With her guidance, we soon arrived at the building.
It looked nothing like the one in Stonepatch Village. The building was one of the spires we'd seen when we first saw the city. It seemingly reached to the sky. Standing in front of it, I couldn't help but stare at it with my mouth agape. It was massive.
"That's quite the sight." Erik mumbled before stepping towards it. "Come on, let's not waste even more time."
We stepped through the large, golden doors.
The interior was almost entirely decorated in white and golden as well. The only different colours were those of the light brown floorboards. There was a counter off to the side. Right before us were couches and coffee tables, arranged into several groups.
"Welcome to the Baile Chailce Guild Branch." A female voice sounded as soon as we stepped inside. The speaker was an Ereth, standing behind the low counter. She had no hair, and a golden veil hid most of her face. I could only see her crimson eyes. "How may we be of assistance?"