The Tavern was not too far, and as the guard had said there indeed was a well near it. There was a steel pot attached to a pulley, apparently, it was free to use. That was a big relief since he thought they might charge for it. Creating a well required quite an effort and in villages like Fennwood they had to pay if they wanted to use it, and those who owned it were considered rich in such villages.
Damon let the pot inside the well and pulled it, by the time he got the water up Damon was sweating. He drank to the point he felt almost full and washed the dirt off his face. Quenching his thirst and getting cold by water made him feel alive once again. It took him months to reach here, hiding when he sensed a beast and running when one found him. Thinking back, he was really lucky to even be alive.
After a short prayer to thank Solaris for gracing him, Damon entered the tavern. The inside of the tavern made him nostalgic, the faint smell of wood and the strong stink of alcohol. The only thing unfamiliar was the subdued murmurs. Following the gazes, Damon found out why a tavern was not having a blast of noise.
At the center of the room, the bulky man with the tier 4 stigma sat with his company. And no one could help but periodically glance at them. Curious, Damon went to the bar counter and asked a man.
"Hey, uh I'm new here so could you tell me who are they" Damon cast his eyes to the company in the middle.
The man stayed silent for some time before answering "That's Andrew's party, The huge man you see there is Andrew" The man's voice grew more excited by the minute "I heard he can blow up a full-grown troll with one punch! mind you, if you have never seen a troll they are as tall as 3 men combined!"
The man ranted on, apparently, they were gold ranked Adventurer party who were close to being promoted to Platinum rank. Damon ordered himself a humble meal of soup and omelet, he had no money to get anything else anyway. The meal filled his belly halfway, though satiated his hunger but not his craving for meat and beer. Damon had no money left, he did not have much to begin with. With no money he had no place to sleep too, so Damon tried to blend in the crowd. He wanted to spend the night warm before he had to sleep outside when the tavern closed. He thought he had done an excellent job remaining inconspicuous but the frequent glances of the bartender told him he failed miserably. Well he couldn't be blamed, he was alone in a new big city unable to strike up a conversation.
Damon wanted to join in some discussion but he had no clue what they were talking about or had no experience. Like the talk about the best girls in the red light district, he understood but he had no experience, in the place and in the act itself. The people who looked a bit more upright talked about some hunts and about beasts whom he never heard of.
Still, Even though the awkwardness, Damon managed to remain there till the tavern closed. It was past midnight when he came out. The moon was ever so bright, and the city glowed like yellow stars. Once again Damon realized he was no longer in Fennwood, where there were a few hundred people at best. Eldor probably had at least twenty times more than that, probably.
After a bit of roaming Damon found a corner that was not too dirty and tried to sleep. Surprisingly he fell asleep right away. The next thing he knew was the sound of bells ringing constantly and the cold seeping into his bones.
"ahhh" Damon quickly got up and began to rub his hands together, The sun was barely out, and the surroundings were foggy. Damon realized that the sounds were very close, unable to sit due to the cold, he stood up and decided to check where the sounds of the bell came from. Along the way, he saw some people heading the same way after some enquiring he got to know it was from the temple of Solaris. No wonder the guard had said I would find out by myself.
Following the people Damon found himself somewhere like a town square and in the middle a huge white palace stood proudly, He could only describe the temple as such due to its grandeur. It was made with pure white stones and it stood high and wide.
People were gathering to do the morning prayers, and Damon was enamored by the beauty of the temple as he entered it. He was directly led to a massive hall where a statue of Solaris was erected, he followed the people around him and sat on the ground in an orderly fashion. There was no one to give preaching or do loud prayer, it was a solitary experience. Each praying in their heart in a peaceful place. Just seeing all the people silently bowing in silence could humble anyone and bring a sense of profound peace.
Once again Damon thanked the goddess for her grace and prayed for his upcoming awakening, Damon noticed that people could leave anytime or stay as long as they wished. After half an hour of imbibing the serenity, he left in search of where they would offer to awaken. Damon found a young priest who informed him they would start at nine and that he should wait until then.
Since it was still early Damon made his way back to the hall and decided to pray. His future hung on the ability he would be granted on his awakening. For a man who had no skill except labor, getting a decent utility-based ability was the best he could ask. He had no desire to become an adventure, sure he found it exciting when he was young. To go on an adventure, kill beasts and wield mighty abilities and make a fortune. But if the experience was anything like the one he experienced while traversing the wilderness to reach here then he would just give big fucking no!