Nero and Frides walked though the doors of a large wooden spa. The floors and walls were lacquered mahogany. The chairs and benches were round and made of a polished grey stone. A beautiful dark skinned girl with a puffy Afro with the sides cut off and glasses was sitting in one of the seats reading a book titled Glow Stones and the Air You Breath. Frides noticed the Green Book on the table in front of her. They walked towards the front desk made of walnut with a marbled counter. A man and a woman stood behind the desk.
"Welcome to Horseshoe Natural Springs." They said in unison.
Nero pointed to Frides. "He's paying."
Frides gave Nero a side glance then reached into his bag and pulled out a leather parchment holder. He handed it over to the woman and she unraveled it revealing one piece of paper with a gold crest at the top of a wave. "Oh, you're paying with your Seal." Below that was a picture of a cove and an account of the balance left over based on the places he's been with corresponding stamps. The woman nodded at the man next to her and he addressed Frides "Have you been here before?"
"No we'll just take what's available with two beds. Do you guys facilitate withdrawals here?"
The man opened a notebook and wrote in it and slid it back over. "I'm so sorry. There have been a series of robberies on this road, specifically hitting the Cardi Carts that stock our reserves."
"Which suite did they choose?" The woman asked.
"Its 3C on the third level. Great suite with an even better view." He remarked to Frides.
"View of what?" Frides asked.
"Do you have any Cardis or would you like us to hold onto your Seal and take a voucher." She asked Frides and Nero scoffed.
"I should have enough, thank you for asking." She stamped Frides' Seal and handed it over to him after he signed the notebook.
"Eleanor." The woman called out across the room and the girl sitting down got up.
"I heard, 3C. Follow me." She closed her book and walked past Nero and Frides.
They took the hint and followed her. She walked them to the suite with 3C carved into it and turns a key already placed in the door. She opened it and walked in followed by Nero and Frides. The inside of the room was magnificent with grey silk curtains fine sewn rugs with tigers on them in black and white. The floors were made of marble and had a massive black dining room table laid atop a tree stump just as large. On the outside was a balcony that overlooked the spring.
The spring sat at the center of a crater running below the building that housed the lobby that they entered through. In the center of the spring was a large clear Glow Stone. The crater was in the shape of a horseshoe with resort rooms built on top of the sides of the craters like miniature beach houses. A bath house three stories tall joined the opening at the base of the crater in the center of the opening of the horseshoe.
Nero burst into the room laying his hands on all of the expensive surfaces, and Eleanor rolled her eyes. Urs jumped out of her bag and onto one of the beds.
"Wow this looks expensive."
"Yes this is our most luxurious suite here at Horseshoe Springs."
"You bought the most expensive one? You must really be loaded. Hopefully my new job pays as well. Because I want to come back." Nero squealed.
Frides looked around.
"I thought it would be nicer or we we would get more, for what I paid."
"Yes, that is what most people say but I promise you, you'll get what you pay for in amenities."
The look in the girls eyes was not very friendly. In fact, everything about her was like she was acting hospitable but was doing a terrible job at it.
Nero heard Urs outside and made his way onto the balcony.
"Frides! Come look at this."
Frides walked out to join them and the girl quietly entered the front porch through the front door.
"Look there's a gigantic Glow Stone in the middle of the spring!"
"Yeah it is kinda big."
"Big? The biggest glow stone I've ever seen fit squarely in my hand. I can't wait til it's night time." Nero looked at Frides with a big grin.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Thanks for reading!