Initially, many people were simply standing at the peripheries, waiting to watch the free show. Unfortunately, some brainless and overconfident fellow started randomly attacks at the guards on top of the wall. And of course the guards retaliated.
Very soon crackling lightning balls flew towards the crowds waiting below the walls, and loud explosions filled the air. Dust and smoke flew all around, blocking vision, and the people were running about like headless chicken, sporting various degrees of injuries. The lightning balls were of superior grade and the sheer number were difficult for the people below to handle.
With a single attack, the guards had shown the might and wealth of the city. The fighting spirit of the waiting crowd died down, and people started gathering around the fringes of the blackened and burnt road, looking like school-children waiting for their punishment from the Principal.
Thankfully Sarconei had good judgement, and had made them stop a long way from the gates. Thus they completely evaded the line of attack. After all the melodrama, it made not a single difference to the authority of the city, and the process of the gate opening and allowing a small group of people to enter before closing on them again.....well, it continued just as before.
"Where do you plan on going first?"
After standing in the sun for almost half a day, they had finally entered the city. Ye Luo had to report to the Ye Clan Branch of the City. The mercenary group on the other hand were busy figuring out their way to the largest mercenary group in the city and report to them. Only Rihanna and Artreya were left. Since they couldn't accompany either, they were free to do whatever they wanted.
"Find an inn....and sleep."
Artreya chimed in before Rihanna could even open her mouth. Not that she minded. Indeed, after such an arduous journey, there couldn't be a better option. Even Fluffy and Phantasm were coated with dust and sticky black sediments, making their hairless skin look even more distasteful. A bath for all was a must.
"Fine. I'll take you to Maobei Inn. It's the best inn of this city. Very comfortable rooms and good food too. And it is also close to the Ye Clan of this city. So I can come over as soon as I finish registering all our names."
Since they were accompanying Ye Luo to attend his Cousin's wedding, he had to get them registered at the clan. However, outsiders were not allowed inside the premises of the clan. So Ye Luo could only take Artreya's identity token along with him.
Commoners didn't have identity tokens, they only had those identity marking on their body. Thus, as yet, Rihanna did not have any identity token, and it was fine for now as she was still going about as a commoner. But she would not be able to hide her cultivation for very long. She needed to check if she could get an identity token from the underworld.
The inn was a cluster of cottage complexes, spread out over a huge area on the south-western part of the city. It was both elegant and basic at the same time, without any added frills, not that the two people had any interest in any frills and fancies at the moment. There was large beast farm attached to the inn, and Palatun and Artreya's Sarang Hound were put up in the Rider Beast Pens of the Farm. After helping them register their identity, Ye Luo led them to a cluster of five cottages separated from the rest of the area by a wall. The five cottages were built circling a central garden with a very tiny natural hot-water lake bubbling away cheerily right in the middle. Unlike the elegant and well maintained gardens Rihanna had often come across on earth, this garden had a more wild and natural aura with small trees growing in places, and long lush vines sweeping over the edges of the path.
Rihanna was very tempted to jump straight into the hot-water lake....it was almost calling out to her soul! But glancing at the two pairs of couples seated inside a tiny wooden pavilion placed between the two opposite cottages, she decided it was more important to leave a good impression. Ye Luo glanced at Artreya....both could clearly read the desires glinting in her eyes even though she was trying to hide it with all her will.
"The lake is for looking...not for bathing...."
"Tsk! Such a waste of natural resources!"
Artreya nodded his head at Ye Luo, gesturing with his chin that he would handle it. Placing his hands over her shoulders, he turned Rihanna to face the cottage they would be staying in and pushed her in through the doors quickly. Ye Luo saw them enter then took his leave as well.
Fluffy and Phantasm had long entered the cottage and had already explored the entire place. Rihanna followed Phantasm, who was eager to show off, and found the place quite satisfying. There were three bedrooms and a large hall. A dining space had been separated with a hanging partition in the hall, and the rest of it was laid out to accommodate leisure time for the guests. Throwing Artreya into the back of her mind, Rihanna forcefully shoved Fluffy and Phantasm into the large and wide bathing tub in her room.
She kept washing them till their wrinkled, hairless skin was almost shining like tanned leather. Then she threw them out of the room and changed the water before immersing herself into the warm waters. An unconscious moan of satisfaction emerged from her mouth as her eyes closed, her senses already soaking in the warmth and comfort of relaxing muscles and limbs. Leaning into the hard back o the bathtub, she let her mind wander around, almost falling asleep in the process.
By the time she finished changing and came out from behind the hanging partition which separated the bathing area from the rest of the room, the second sun was about to go down. Taking a glance at the room, she did a double take.
Fluffy was sitting like an ancient Sphinx on top of the smoothly folded quilt on the bed. The little boy had settled down on the ground in one corner of the room, and Phantasm blessed him with one of the rare occasions where he lay on his lap, half asleep, allowing his fingers to caress his wrinkly skin.
The biggest trouble was the spirit boy! Well, Rihanna had finally decided to call him Apu. She had read somewhere that during the Incan civilization, mountain spirits were called Apu. Though this young ancestor was still unable to decide what he felt about this strange name, since he was too late in replying, he lost. And now he was stuck with strange name. Rihanna had smirked secretly. She would be leaving her mark as an earthling on this planet!
Well, currently, Apu was floating around the room, in his patent cross-legged seated position. Artreya stood at the open door, staring at the chaos inside the room helplessly. She noticed that he looked especially helpless when he looked at Apu.
Seeing her raised eyebrows, Artreya started whining and complaining.
"Hey....Master! If you have made so many contracts, you should at least look after all of them! You can't be biased towards one and allow him to go around bullying others! I mean.....seriously, who goes around peeking at a man when he is taking a bath?!"
Rihanna's lips twitched at this unpalatable sight of a tall and muscular man trying to act all cute and whiny before her. She was a master...why did it sometimes feel like she was a Ringmaster! It was really difficult controlling this strange collection of pets and all their antics!
"What is the problem! You are a man....and I am a spirit! Not that we can even do anything.....not even if I was really interested! Stop behaving like such a tattle-tale. It absolutely doesn't suit your image! Rihanna, tell him to stop before I puke."
Rihanna ignored Apu. This little fellow behaved like everyone's ancestor. Well, technically, he was one. Anyway, she settled down on one part of the bed, and Fluffy immediately jumped onto her lap. She glanced at the little boy. Artreya had dug out his name finally. He was called Xioaguli by the people back in the Dorminions lair. It literally meant Little Finger...which was a very weird name. But since he was used to this name, and considering the fact that it would not be good to change the name right now, after he had already lost too much and was still coping, they decided to stick to the same name.
She turned to face Artreya who was still making faces at Apu, who floated past his nose in disdain. Rihanna cleared her throat and Artreya turned back his attention to her.
"You know....you don't really have to follow me everywhere. I made the contract to be sure that you will keep your mouth closed. But that doesn't mean you need to stay bound to me at all times. I know that you have your own life, so it is okay if you need to go. It is enough if you come to give a hand when I am in need."
Artreya stared at Rihanna, his carefree eyes slowly turning serious.
"I know. I am choosing this path on my own. Sticking to you is my own decision."
Rihanna blinked back, contemplating his words.
"Don't worry. I know I have a lot of baggage. I will sort out my issues by myself. I will never allow those problems to come and pose a threat to you or anyone of your people."
Artreya was about to turn and leave when Rihanna's words stopped him.
"It doesn't really matter to me how we made this contract. Or why. But the day we made this contract, you became a part of this family. I am not scared of the troubles following you. I am afraid that you will try to sort them out yourselves.....even at the cost of your life. You are part of this family means, your life is not just your own anymore. It belongs to each and every one of us. I just hope you don't make us drag back a heavily injured or dead corpse back, just because you wanted to act all mighty and solve your troubles on your own."
Artreya paused in his steps. Family?.....That word made him feel so complicated. Hadn't he been running from this same Family of his for......how many years had it been now?! He barely even remembered the faces of his so called blood siblings. Parents who were ready to sell him for gains.....even when they knew he might not be able to make it of those experiments alive. Family...this word had never given him any feeling of warmth or comfort or security.
But.....he turned his face slightly, glancing at the varied mixture of people, beasts and spirit filling up the space inside the room, and a strange sensation of warmth hit the corners of his eyes. Was he crying?! The warm and wet sensation clinging to his eyes surprised even him. Though he gave the feel of a carefree persona, who was not deeply attached to anyone or anything....it seemed like deep down he really cared about this word.
He stood there for a long while, neither turning to face Rihanna nor replying to her words. After a long while, he simply walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind himself.
Rihanna didn't mind. She had seen too much of Artreya in the dimension to know that he had been trying to hide himself once they had regained their memories. And what she said today....she meant it. She didn't define family by blood. Never had. Even back on earth, everyone who truly cared for her was a part of her family. And she did not want to let go of her core values on this planet either.
So what if her 'Family' came in all shapes and sizes! She gave another look towards everyone in her room, and sighed helplessly. This family of hers was quite a character all by itself!