As Edward approached the front gate, a voice yelled at them from atop the wall.
"Halt! State your business!" The voice yelled. As soon as he heard the voice, Edward stopped in his tracks and began to search for it. Not long after, Edward eventually noticed the presence of a young guard from atop the outer wall. The guard wore basic chainmail armor as well as a steel helmet— though neither seemed to fit him. Covering his armor was the herald of the town— a basic blue and yellow checkered flag with a black pickaxe emblem in the center.
The guard held a spear in his right hand and a small buckler shield in his left. As he shouted for Edward from above, his voice cracked. The guard, whoever he was, seemed to be going the the middle of puberty.
"Who are you?" The guard asked again. From his voice, Edward guessed the guard was only fourteen years old. As Edward looked up at the guard, Ikarus moved from atop his shoulder and also gazed up at the guard. As soon as Ikarus moved, though, the guard suddenly gasped and pointed his spear in Edward's direction. Before Edward could answer the guard's first question, the guard immediately asked a second, "What in the four hells is that?"
'Rude,' Edward thought to himself as he controlled his facial expression. He smiled at the guard, put his hands up in the air, and straightened his posture. Then, with a clear voice, Edward answered the guard's questions. He made sure to speak English, "My name is Edward."
'I know my username is technically the Winged Legion, but that's an unusual name to be calling myself by, so I'll still go by Edward when I can,' Edward thought to himself, 'as long as I don't tell anybody my last name, my identity should still be safe.'
"This is Ikarus, a young platinum dragon under my control. He is of no harm to you or your men, I assure you," Edward continued. At his words, the guard on the wall seemed to tense for a moment as he kept his spear perfectly pointed at Edward with little effort, "I was hoping to stay in the town for a few days— possibly to find transportation across the country."
"A dragon? I don't believe you. Dragons are all bloodthirsty monsters! They can't be controlled!" the guard shouted, his voice almost full of amusement. Edward blinked at the guard and tilted his head. This had been the first he had heard of the dragon race's reputation being so bad. He knew they were wicked creatures— most of which were very strong. But to say they're all bloodthirsty monsters felt rude.
"Open your eyes," Edward sighed quietly— too quiet for the guard to hear him. Then, with a much louder voice, he shouted, "You can come down and inspect us yourself. Ikarus is a very well-trained beast— he won't harm anybody without my directive."
'Of course, he's not stupid enough to be considered a beast. I won't tell them that, though,' Edward thought to himself. The guard stood frozen for a minute, as if he was unsure what decision to make. Should he inspect the strange man and the dragon or turn them away? Ultimately, he did what any teenager overwhelmed by a job would do.
"I will fetch my superior. Do not move!" The guard yelled. Edward chuckled and kept his hands in the air as promised. Ikarus gazed at the guard's panicked expression as he disappeared from the wall's battlement. Edward heard hushed whispers from the other side of the wall for a few minutes before the gate suddenly began to swing wide.
The gate wasn't very well-maintained. Edward could see pieces of the gate covered in wood rot and old splinters. The top of the gate seemed to have been burned away several decades ago and some parts of the battlement were destroyed beyond repair.
Yet the engineering equipment responsible for opening the gate worked perfectly. The gate was perfectly balanced so neither end of the double doors touched the dirt below. There was almost no noise as the gate swung open— save for the sound of the hinges rubbing against the wooden mechanism.
'They use the gate a lot— just not for defense,' Edward realized. They wouldn't have any reason to repair the gate if they never needed it, so this city must not suffer from many bandit attacks. As the gate opened to reveal the small city behind it, Edward saw a small group of guardsmen waiting for him.
The young guard— the teenager that summoned his manager— stood at the back of the group. Before him were three other guardsmen, each as tall and as strong as fully grown men. The tallest one, who appeared to be the commanding officer, stood at the front. His armor clung tight to his body— almost enough to see the curves of his muscles. Although he didn't wear a helmet, the man's skull was thick enough to warrant not needing one. His hair was styled in a buzz cut but his beard was long and full. Two double braids extended from his mustache to below his jawline— similar to the Nordic styles of ancient Vikings from Earth.
The tall guard walked forward. With every step, the guards behind him had to take two. Not long after he began walking— only four steps were involved— he managed to stop just a meter in front of Edward and Ikarus.
"I am Captain Isaac Grant. You may call me Grant, if you wish," The man spoke, his voice deep and calm. He didn't appear fazed that a dragon— albeit a baby one— rested peacefully in front of him. Edward felt small as he gazed up at Grant. His neck began to hurt after only a few seconds, but Edward didn't dare to take a step back.
"Hello," Edward smiled, "I am Edward. You may call me Edward."
"No surname?" Grant asked, confused, "Are you not a noble? I have a hard time believing a commoner would be capable of even purchasing a dragon— much less be capable of taming one."
"I have a surname, I just won't tell you. It's for a personal reason, after all," Edward smiled. Grant blinked at Edward with a poker face. Edward grew nervous as he imagined all the things Grant could've been thinking about, but the bear-like man began speaking before Edward could come up with any ideas.
"You intend to stay in the city for a few days?"
"I won't be here longer than three if everything works out well," Edward nodded, "I intend to find transportation to another city— one that's rife with opportunities."
'That's to say I'll find a city with players in it,' Edward thought to himself, 'If I have to go hiking for another week, I won't be happy.'
"I see. And your dragon? How did you acquire such a beast?" Grant asked.
"You believe me?" Edward asked, surprised.
"I've heard rumors that dragon taming was a practice in the ancient days," Grant chuckled, in the process of expressing emotion for the first time during their conversation. Grant seemed amused— or perhaps impressed, "I didn't think it was still around, but I'm old enough to recognize a dragon when I see one."
"I'm glad," Edward nodded. He scratched Ikarus's wings and smiled, "However, I will not tell you how I obtained my dragon. Honestly, I don't quite understand the process myself."
"Hmm," Grant muttered, "You intend to stay for a few days, yet you won't share information about yourself?"
"I've already told you," Edward replied, confused, "My name is Edward. I intend to only stay for a few days— I will leave before three. I want to go to other cities and find opportunities worthy of me. I don't want to cause any trouble, so I simply won't."
"I see. Well, we'll have to inspect your person before you can enter the city, you understand?" Grant asked. Edward nodded, "Good. You'll have to give me your weapons and any magical items in your possession. Once you're clear, you can go in."
"Welcome to the city, new guy."