The mountains now towered above them, reaching into the heavens like the outstretched hands of the earth itself. The clouds hid whatever the mountain held at it's peak, not that it mattered. The mountain's shadow made them unable to see anything but the bright cluster of lights that was Krin. Even from a significant distance, the city glowed bright like a torch in a dark cave. It's walls which jutted out from the mountain cliff itself were glowing with magic power, emanating an aura of safety and security. From the very center, a white tower rose high into the air, jutting out from the earth like a spear.
A road flowed out from the front gate of Krin, like a snake slithering through the hills. It was made out of some type of stone bricks, all entirely uniform except for every ten meters, a shiny piece of metal would be embedded in the center of the path instead of a brick. The metal was engraved with markings that the boy couldn't recognize, but just like the walls of Krin, they glowed with magic power.
Upon asking a passing caravan, they explained that it was runic magic from the Hypodian's which warded away monsters. The boy had no idea what Hypodian or runic magic was, but nodded anyway. This new information made him wonder why they didn't take the roads themselves, but the boy didn't bother asking. He guessed that Alessia and Aatazaz were strong enough on their own to deal with any monster threat.
The three of them gathered a lot of attention by passing travelers. Almost all of them would give Snowball and Thornpest a wide berth with nervous expressions. Only a few brave souls could look at them with curiosity.
Alessia and Aatazaz both gawked at the city. Alessia had bright wide eyes and an excited smile, while Aatazaz only raised his eyebrows in surprise. While Alessia and Aatazaz studied the city for a few minutes, the boy only needed a couple seconds before he looked away. His expression hadn't changed much.
The boy looked to Alessia to see her reaction, only to see her grinning from ear to ear. Alessia grabbed him by the arm, squeezing his arm a little too hard.
"Are all human cities like this? It looks like a bunch of fireflies!" Alessia said in excitement. Her voice was bubbly and cheerful, making her sound like she was a child again. The boy shrugged his shoulders, he couldn't remember anything. Aatazaz answered in his stead.
"Krin is apparently just a mining city, so this should actually be one of the smaller settlements." Aatazaz spoke while looking at their map. That only made Alessia more excited as she squeezed the boy's arm a little harder, tugging him forwards. "Come on, let's get going!"
On Alessia's insistence, they made double time towards the city after mounting Thornpest and Snowball. Like comets entering the atmosphere, the two beasts flew across the ground as their spirit overflowed, leaving a trail of white and red light behind. The unfortunate souls on the road in front of them paled and screamed as the two beasts raced towards Krin. Anytime they got behind a caravan, they would jump straight over it, causing the horses pulling said caravan to rear up in fear. Some even fell over, but they were already too far ahead to notice.
By the time they reached the gate, they had caused quite the commotion. Twenty guards stood at the gate with their swords unsheathed. All of them wore the same uniform, black plate armor with the image of a red rose painted on their shields. Atop the walls, dozens more men and women held bows taunt, they arrows ready to fire at a moment's notice. They only had metal helms and studded leather.
A man shouted at them as Thornpest and Snowball began to slow down. The killing intent released by the guards was enough to make them hesitant.
"Halt! don't take another step." The man shouted, the deep baritone of his voice shaking the air around him. His black armor was the only one different from the rest. Instead of a red rose, his shield and chest plate had a golden rose.
"What did we do?" Alessia asked in a quiet voice as she tilted her head slightly. Her excited expression faded, replaced by confusion. The boy looked upwards at the walls. The knocked arrows made his grip on Snowball tighten.
Aatazaz shook his head and spoke in a quiet voice. "I am not familiar with human customs."
The golden rose guard hollered at them again. "Under the authority of the king invested in me, I order you to dismount and put your hands in the air."
Aatazaz frowned and protested. "What have we done to deserve such treatment?" Alessia nodded in agreement.
The golden rose guard looked at them with a scrunched face and spoke through his teeth. "You seriously- turn around!"
They did as they were told and instantly understood. The people directly behind them were cowering in fear, while others were trying to calm down their horses. Some caravans even flipped over and fell off the road, their goods scattered across the grass. A few parents close by were trying to console their crying child.
Alessia turned red from embarrassment while Aatazaz closed his eyes and sighed in exasperation. He had forgotten how weak human civilians were. The golden rose guard continued to speak, his tone filled with frustration as he held the bridge of his nose.
"Seventeen acts of terrorization, three acts of destroyed property, and five acts of secondhand injury. Honesty, do you have any shame? Why couldn't you just wait in line like everyone else?"
"I apologize, we aren't familiar with human lands. Forgive our ignorance." Aatazaz dismounted Thornpest and bowed to the guard. Alessia and the boy followed suit. The guard was about to rebuke him when he suddenly realized something.
They both had animal ears and tails.
"Beast-men . . .?" The golden rose guard whispered. His words spread like wildfire. Before long, all the resentment and annoying glares had disappeared, replaced by looks of curiosity and fascination. The golden rose guard quickly recovered from his amazement, shaking his head from side to side to snap himself out of it.
"That does explain a lot, but I can't just let you off the hook. I'll need to see some identification as well as licenses for monster taming."
Aatazaz and Alessia just stared at him.
The man looked tired as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Right . . . Well, if you don't have any identification or license for those two creatures, I can't legally let you into the city. You'll need to-"
The guard stopped speaking. The air had suddenly become infused with mana, giving a tingling sensation to everyone nearby. The guards took a step back instinctually, while some of the civilians behind them passed out. Aatazaz and Alessia barely even flinched though. Compared to what the boy had pulled during the ceremony, this wasn't all that impressive.
The space between Aatazaz and the guard's began to distort, collapsing in on itself as if forming a black hole. However, instead of becoming a dark sphere of nothingness, a spherical see-through portal was formed instead. Looking through the sphere, they all saw the inside of a house. One old man stepped through before the sphere shrunk down to nothing, eventually imploding with a tiny popping sound.
The old man had a face lined with gray hair, wrinkles covering his skin like a cloak, and brown eyes which remained youthful despite his body's age. His back had a hunch to it as he leaned on a staff which quietly hummed with power. His scrawny body barely seemed able to move. It looked like one push was all it would take to make him never walk again.
He wore nothing but common robes with no design or ornamentation. The only decoration he wore was a necklace around his neck. Most of it was hidden in his cloak, allowing only the chain to be seen.
After everyone recovered from their shock, they all fell to their knees as if worshiping. Only Alessia, Aatazaz, and the boy remained standing. The golden rose guard spoke with a tremulous voice. "Arch-mage Krin Sterling, we are honored by your presence."
Old man Krin waved his hand with a chuckle. "On your feet, all of you. You're embarrassing this old man."
Seemingly reluctant, the golden rose guard stood. He sheathed his sword, bowing deeply in respect to Krin before continuing. "Do you require something, Arch-mage? The Knights of Krin are at your command."
Krin smiled. "Thank you, William, but I have no need for the Knights at the moment. I have come to vouch on these three traveler's behalf. They are to be welcomed into the city with open arms and treated as any other civilian."
William's eyebrows shot upwards but he quickly hid his surprise with a bow. "Of course, Arch-mage. Your will shall be done."
William turned around and howled at the men on the wall. "You heard him! Open the gates at once!"
At his loud voice, everyone close by snapped out of their amazement and began whispering among themselves. Of course, Alessia and Aatazaz heard everything with their innate heightened senses.
"Arch-mage Krin welcoming beast-men? I wonder who they are . . ."
"I thought they never left their jungles on the other side of the mountains?"
"Maybe their old friends of the Arch-mage?"
Alessia and Aatazaz felt uncomfortable hearing so many voices buzzing about them. Their ears constantly readjusted themselves like radar dishes, twitching and squirming as they were bombarded with noise. Alessia put her hands over her ears with a frown. Aatazaz and the boy looked indifferent to everything around them.
In front of them, the man everyone had called Krin lumbered over to them and spoke with a soft voice.
"I apologize for their behavior, William has always been a stickler for rules. Now, before you enter the city, may I have a word with you?" After Alessia and Aatazaz nodded, he tapped his staff on the ground and the same phenomenon occurred. The air fell into itself, quickly forming a portal in front of them.
As the three of them walked through it, they all felt butterflies in their stomachs, as if they were falling. The moment they reached the other side, the portal sealed shut with a clap. They seemed to be in some kind of small church, probably around one thousand square feet or so. Pews faced a small statue at the very back of the church, depicting three people and one animal. Small candles lined the walls, giving a sacred ambiance.
Of the three humanoids, one looked female and the other two looked male. The female had long hair which reached her waist and pointy ears. She had a loving smile on her face, like a mother looking at her newborn child.
The second humanoid figure was the biggest, standing twelve feet tall. He was depicted as muscular with huge boulder shoulders, multiple battle scars, and a sword at his waist. His hair was short. He didn't smile, but his expression wasn't scary, like an old stoic grandfather.
The third figure was about the size of a normal human with an average build. He looked like a normal human. The only thing that stood out was his eyes. They were sharp and piercing, like they could see every part of his soul. In his right hand he held a book.
Lastly, the one which resembled an animal. It was like a mix of every animal I had ever seen. Its head had a lion's head with ears of a wolf. It had the legs of a deer, the arms of a bear, the torso of a tiger, the tail of a dragon, the wings of a bird, and the hooves of a goat.
Alessia blinked several times before putting her hand to her mouth. She had to steady herself with a nearby wall, nearly falling over.
The boy wasn't so lucky. He fell straight on his face with his face bright green. Aatazaz looked fine, stoic as always. Krin looked over them with nostalgic eyes before speaking. "Forgive me, I forgot how portal travel is hard to get used to. Fieri libratum."
As Krin spoke, both Alessia and the boy felt better instantly. Alessia extended her hand, helping the boy to his feet. Aatazaz looked at Krin while nodding. "Dimensional magic. I've never seen it until now. Impressive."
Krin laughed merrily. "Thank you. I spent my entire youth learning, and often wondered if it was worth it. To hear such praise from a Crimson Lion means more than you know." Krin took a seat on a nearby bench while Alessia and the boy studied their surroundings.
"Nice, isn't it? I always loved coming to this place. I'm not religious by any means, but the atmosphere is calming to me." Krin said as he sat, relaxed.
Aatazaz nodded. "I can see what you mean. That statue reminds me of home. Do humans also worship the divine beast?"
Krin's gaze fell to the animal statue. "The Church of Four is unpopular in Asteron, but some certainly do. The personification of emotion and passion . . . Divine Beast Zaoha is a perfect fit for your kind, a perfect fit for the fiercest warriors the world has ever known."
A brief silence enveloped the room, when suddenly Krin stood and turned to them. "Oh, right. I almost forgot, introduce yourselves. You know my name, it's only fair I learn yours."
Aatazaz pointed to each of them individually.
"I am Aatazaz, this is Alessia, and he doesn't remember his name."
At their names, Alessia and the boy returned their focus to Krin so as to be polite.
"You don't remember your name?" Krin asked, his voice brimming with curiosity. The boy nodded tentatively and responded after a second of hesitation.
"Yes, it's hard for me to remember details about my past. Sometimes it will come back to me in flashes, but if I focus on them for too long, I get manic."
Krin nodded solemnly. "Considering the fact that your soul is completely broken, count yourself lucky for being alive at all."
They all blinked in surprise, besides Aatazaz. The boy stiffened slightly. "You noticed?"
Krin grinned. "Of course I did. It's hard not to. Never in my long, long life, have I ever seen someone still breathing and speaking while their soul is broken. You are a walking miracle, which brings me to the reason I vouched for you three in the first place. In exchange for granting you access to the city, all I ask is that I get to study this boy as long as you are here."
The boy suddenly gulped hard as Krin began to look at him with a crazed look in his eyes. He took a step back instinctively, while Alessia spoke with undeniable concern in her voice.
"What do you mean by study?"
"He is a unique specimen," Krin explained while tapping his nose. "The dense mass of mana around his soul is extortionary. I barely understand ten percent of how it manages to function. Comparing the mana circuits protecting his soul to the ones in my staff is life comparing an ant to a human. One is dramatically more complicated and is capable of much, much more. If you are worried about the boy's safety, I can guarantee I will do nothing to harm him. Perhaps if I learn enough, I may even be able to help him."
The boy blinked rapidly a couple times, his mind processing what she just heard. None of them knew what a mana circuit was, but Krin's word's gave them hope. Alessia beamed at the boy. "See? I told you to stay hopeful!"
Aatazaz put a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy began to sniffle as he felt hot salty tears running down his cheeks.