The citadel of the Kalavan Deep was a bustling city, full of life and vigour, but most importantly, people.
This was the first thing that struck Chantria. The vibrant and chaotic scene before her was unlike anything she had ever seen before.
There were so many people out on the streets, and not just the kind of people Chantria was accustomed to seeing but there were those Chantria could only classify as other kinds of people, for lack of a better description.
But if Chantria was being more honest, then 'Creatures' was a much better word to describe what her eyes currently witnessed.
Amongst the throngs of people crowding the streets, going about their daily business, there was a blend of the kind of people Chantria was familiar with, humans,
As well as various other beings that Chantria could only gawk at in astonishment.
They surely looked like people visibly, with four limbs, a head and feet to walk upright, but that was as far as it went with similarities.
Amongst the throngs of people, there were those with strangely coloured skin, ranging from different shades of blues to even pink, and then there were a few that had a greyish, coarse looking skin that looked exactly like a rock would.
Beyond that, there were some of them bearing extra appendages accompanying their four limbs,
Tails, multiple hands, more eyes than should have been right, a layer of fur rather than skin, and for some, their faces were in the likeness of animals rather than humans.
And then there were the small, mischievous looking creatures darting about, their speed so great that Chantria had barely caught a good enough glimpse before they were gone.
Chantria stood in the midst of all of this, her mind overrun by the sights all around her. Just when she had begun to be shocked by one thing, another passed by and left her horrified.
The streets were bustling with all manner of creatures she had never seen before and yet, everyone moved along with the utmost normalcy.
This was just another day in the citadel of Kalavan Deep, to everyone else but the horrified Chantria.
"Chan? What are you staring at in such a manner?" Dewei asked Chantria, glancing around in search of what had caught her attention.
Dewei did a full circle before his attention returned to Chantria, his brows furrowed in confusion.
To Dewei, Chantria could see there was clearly nothing of interest, nothing worth looking at in the manner that Chantria was, with her jaws open.
How could Chantria begin to explain to Dewei that in the world she had come from, there was only one type of humans?
"I...well nothing. It is nothing." Chantria forced herself to regain composure.
Somehow, Chantria realized she was not at all worried or frightened which were the more reasonable emotions to feel at this time, instead she was only in awe.
"There are just...a lot of people." Chantria gave in finally when Dewei's questioning gaze did not leave her.
"Oh, the Kalavan Deep consists of hundreds of different tribes. In the larger cities like the citadel, it is only natural to find a mixed multitude quite like this."
"The citadel is one of those places where all tribes can be found, especially here in the market place...trades, exchange of goods, services and the likes. The other parts of the citadel are much quieter, the market place is just always this way. You will remember it all soon." Dewei said to Chantria reassuringly.
"Sure... I bet I will." Chantria murmured in response, jerking to the side as a particularly huge furred man stomped by.
Chantria shook her head and decided to shift her focus to the other things she had missed in that moment of astonishment.
They were not far from the city gates, Chantria realized as she turned to see what was behind them.
Though it was a good way in the distance, Chantria could vaguely sight the towering walls, built from massive stone blocks that clearly looked to have withstood the test of time.
The air was filled with a cacophony of sounds, merchants hawking their wares, musicians playing exotic instruments, and the chatter of countless different languages,
Ahead of them, there were unending rows of stalls that overflowed with exotic fruits and spices, shimmering fabrics, intricate jewelry, and this was only for as far as Chantria's eye could see.
As for the smell, it was hard for Chantria to decipher exactly. It was a complex tapestry of aromas, both pleasant and unpleasant.
The air was rich with the smell of freshly baked bread, spices, and cooking meat from the many food stalls. But there was also the less pleasant odor of animals, sweat, and strong incense.
"Come along Chan, we must get out of the crowded areas before we are spotted." Dewei reminded Chantria, taking her hand and pulling her along.
They had left their horses somewhere at the end of the path before they ventured into the market place on foot,
Chantria had worried the horses would get stolen if they were left out in the open like they had, but Dewei had reassured her.
The horses had the seal of Chantria's palace on their saddles, everyone with good sense would steer clear of them...or so Dewei had said.
Chantria followed along with Dewei as he pulled her through the crowd, expertly manoeuvring his way around dozens of people like he had done it many times before.
And Chantria would not even be surprised if he had, it had only been a short time since she had met Dewei,
Chantria could not tell if it was because they were supposed to be twins and shared some form of connection, but she could already tell this brother of hers was very rebellious in nature and must have been a cause of great concern to the Noble Saint.
It took a short while and a rush through many alleyways and shortcuts, but soon, Dewei and Chantria left the bustling market place behind to a much quieter part of the city.