The week-long journey to Kalun had been mostly uneventful, the sight of the heavily armored mercenaries escorting the caravan had deterred all but the most desperate of bandits. Those desperate enough to try to raid such a well guarded caravan were more beggars than bandits, and were easily disarmed by the mercenaries.
Drummond even took pity on a particularly emaciated bandit, and sent him off with a few parcels of food.
"Lesson 25, don't only act for a profit, a merchant with emotions is more trustworthy!" He yelled at Kothar.
The bare plains of the borderlands gave way to scraggly bushes, which were soon joined by small stunted trees. The closer they drew to Ranuth, the more humid the air became, with the mercenaries absolutely soaked with sweat, ensconced as they were by their heavy armor.
Drummond had produced a massive towel from somewhere, and he was continuously mopping his brow and bald head with it, alternating with a swig of chilled punch he carried in an enchanted flask.
"Looks like the heat doesn't bother you Rufus!" Drummond yelled at Kothar, noticing that he had barely broken a sweat.
"I spent a lot of time outdoors when I was younger, working the fields." Kothar explained, keeping to his rural backstory.
"Oh of course, no wonder yer hands are calloused!" Drummond bellowed, patting Kothar across the back. Drummond may have bought Kothar's story, but it didn't mean he was ignorant, he was observant enough that he had noticed Kothar sword calluses, but didn't push the subject.
The stunted trees and scraggly bushes now flourished, and they were in the jungles of Kalun. The ground was sodden, and soupy pools dotted their surroundings.
Strange howls and calls echoed all about them, and colorful birds flashes through the trees.
At one point, the entire caravan halted, and even Silane was worried, sending Kothar an alert.
The mercenaries had everyone huddle together at the center of the caravan, and soon a distan crashing and cracking could be heard. The noises drew nearer as the members of the caravan hunkered down, hiding amongst the wagons..
"Bwooooooo!" A loud trumpeting echoed through the forest, Kothar peek through a gap in the awning of the wagon he had hidden in, and saw the massive beast that they had hidden from.
It towered on six thick legs, so huge that even two men could not encircle them with their arms outstretched. One could say the beast resembled an elephant, but it resembled an elephant in the same way a house cat resembled a full grown tiger.
It had glaring red eyes, and it swung its massive skull back and forth, eventually focusing on the foremost wagon.
With a loud crack, it swung its trunk at the wagon, sending it flying through the surrounding jungle, crashing through the trees. Kothar heard Drummond give a small groan, obviously unhappy at losing one of his precious wagons.
Satisfied that the wagons were not a threat, the beast trundled back into the jungle, and the crashing of falling trees soon died away. Sighs of relief filled the air, as the members of the caravan emerged from their hiding places, Drummond was being reassured by one of his many children, who was struggling to wrap an arm around Drummon's massive bulk to comfort him.
"What was that?" Kothar asked one of the mercenaries, who was calming down his horse.
"Around these parts, they call them the Elders, but in Balin and most other kingdoms, that's a magical beast. That particular sort is especially nasty, you don't want to tangle with them. I've heard them being called Mammut Beast, but you'll hear all kinds of names for these beasts. They're poorly understood, since an individual can be dangerous enough to need a whole platoon to deal with." The mercenary drew a breath to continue his explanation, but then he noticed who had asked and raised an eyebrow.
"What's a young merchant lad like you need to know about Mammut Beats?" The mercenary narrowed his dark eyes at Kothar.
"I'm just a curious person." Kothar slurred, and returned to the wagon he had been riding earlier.
The caravan slowly drew away from the wrecked trees and torn up soil, and continued on their journey to Ranuth.
It was evening when the towering tiers of Ranuth drew into view, the cacophony of beasts growing louder as they drew closer to the Nerid river.
The track they had been following soon joined a paved road, which was absolutely packed with wagons, cattle, and porters. The noise that sounded out from the road competed with calls and hoots from the forest, all melding together to form an absolute mess of noise. Combined with the humidity, the strange smells, and the heat made for an overwhelming experience.
[Silane, are you able to filter the noise?] Kothar asked her, as the cacophony rolled over him.
[Of course, enjoy.] Silane tuned out the most jarring noises, leaving the more pleasant calls, and nearby conversation intact.
"She's quite something isn't she Rufus!" Drummond, now revitalized after the loss of his wagon, rode over to Kothar.
"Yes, very different from Ursten." Kothar yelled back, struggling to make himself heard over the racket. Drummond's permanent yell now made sense.
"If you don't want to be stuck on the roads all evening, you'd best take your horse and ride into town yourself, the caravan won't be moving any faster than a snail's pace!" Drummond paused, dabbing himself with his massive towel.
"We'll be at the Merchant's Guild, we leave in one week, if you'd like to join us when we return. It's been a pleasure." Drummond stowed his towel away and entered a damp hand for Kothar to shake.
"Likewise, thanks for the many lessons." Kothar shook Drummond's hand, then went to gather his belongings and find his horse.
Hawkers yelled out to Kothar as he rode into the city, and young children attempted to snatch his reins, yelling about inns, but likely leading him to a mugging. Kothar kept a firm grip on his reins, slowly winding his way up the tiers, in search of a inn with stables, and a mostly clean exterior.
He was a good third of the way up the many tiers of the city before he found a promising inn, a orange monkey painted next to its sign which read 'The Golden Monkey.'
Kothar gave his reins to the stable boy, and paid the innkeep for a week of board and meals.
Once in his room, he changed out of the stained finery he had used as his disguise, into his rough training clothes and dark cloak. He would blend right in with the many thieves and mischief makers with the city, especially now that he had strapped his sword and short blade to his waist.
Kothar emerged on to the streets of Ranuth, Rufus the wealthy young merchant had been replaced with a vaguely threatening young man. Kothar drew up the hood of his cloak, and headed to the highest tier of Ranuth, eyes focused on the gleaming palace in the distance.