Arad, Alcott, and Ginger flew toward Rita, stopping each night to camp. Arad used those opportunities to stop and hunt bandits for blood. He was especially keen after knowing Alcott’s strength. The quest forward is going to be a problem. What kind of horrors is awaiting in the city of criminals, Rita?
On the third day, Arad landed in the middle of a forest. “We arrived. We will walk there from here. We don’t want anyone seeing you after all.” Alcott said, looking around at the thick forest.
“I know.” Arad nodded, transforming into his humanoid form after Ginger walked down his wing.
The group walked a bit until they reached the edge of Rita’s mountain. Alcott led them to a small cave entrance. “This is the way.”
As they got closer, a man wearing a black hood and leather armor walked out. He extended his hand to them, “Entrance fee, pay before getting in.”
Alcott approached the man, “Of course.” CRACK! He punched him in the face, throwing him to the side.
“Who’s paying you here? Rita has no entry fee or laws. Get the hell out of my way.” Alcott growled at the man as he walked inside with Arad and Ginger.
Ginger smiled, “He was a random person getting out of the city. Don’t let people like him scam you. Also, don’t try being nice in a city of criminals. That’s a way to tell them to bully you.”
Alcott walked deeper into the cave and stopped before a large leather run covering something large. “This is our way down.” He pulled the run away, revealing a small wooden boat.
Arad blinked twice, “We have to use this? I don’t hear water anywhere close.”
“Who said boats are only for water.” Alcott pulled the boat deeper into the cave and put it before a large dark hole. “We’re sliding down,” He smiled.
Ginger rode in the front, Alcott behind her, and then Arad.
Arad pushed the boat down and slid through the darkness. The boat shook and cracked as the way twisted and turned.
Each second, Arad thought the boat was about to snap as they raced down. Ginger closed her eyes, giggling while Alcott released a deep laugh. “They might be scumbags down there. But they know how to make something fun.”
After a minute, Arad saw a light at the end of what seemed like an endless violent slide. SWOSH! They raced out, sliding on a small road on the wall as the city spread to their left.
Arad opened his eyes. Stones buildings dotted Rita’s city as they spread across a seemingly infinite covered in hazy purple mist.
It looked vast yet small. Rita was the city criminals found as heaven and two sisters are lost here. Finding them will be almost impossible.
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Alcott’s deep laugh boomed across the cavern. The people inside stared at the slide. Who has the guts?
SWOSH! CREEEEEEEK! The boat stopped close to the city entrance, and Alcott stood with a smile on his face. “This never gets old! Why don’t other cities use them?”
“Not all cities are deep underground,” Ginger replied, standing up and wiping the dust off her clothes. She was in the front.
Arad looked at Alcott, “Where should we start?”
“First,” Alcott walked to the side where an old lady no taller than 90 centimeters sat on a stone. She looked at him, her long dangling ears clear as the sky.
“Three silver coins,” She extended her palm to Alcott.
Alcott smiled, handing her a gold coin. “Keep the change. It was a fun slide.”
The old lady laughed, “I can’t refuse that. Thank son.” She jumped off the stone and approached the boat, grabbing it by the edge and dragging it away.
“Who’s that?” Arad asked.
“I don’t know. We call her the boat’s old lady.” Alcott replied. “She owns the boats, and carries them all the way up so people can easily slide down.”
Ginger smiled, “Even though they aren’t good people. The citizen here agreed to not mess with her since her rides are fun, and no one will do this job besides her.”
“Yes, unspoken rule. Don’t mess with the boats old lady.” Alcott smiled, patting Arad on the shoulder as he faced the city. “Let’s go.”
The three walked into the main gate, seeing two armed guards playing with knives. “New faces? The entrance fee.” One of the guards approached Alcott, putting a knife to his neck.
Alcott smiled, grabbing the guard’s hand. “The city doesn’t have an entrance fee. This is an obvious robbery.” He smiled, forcing the guard to drop the knife. “But I will pay. Give your bitching leader my regards.” He pushed the guard away and threw them two gold coins.
After passing by the gate, Arad approached Alcott. “Did you have to pay?”
Alcott smiled, pulling two leather purses from his pocket. “One…two…thirteen…A bad day for them, isn’t it?” Alcott smiled, and Ginger sighed.
“What are those?” Arad asked.
“Their pockets, idiots thought stealing from was easy.” Alcott laughed with an extra thirteen gold coins in his pocket. “One for the old lady and two for them. I’m ten gold coins in profit.”
“Are you a rogue or something?” Arad sighed, glaring at Alcott with a dubious look.
“Those were thieves, like bandits. Is it okay to take their possession after killing them, and not while leaving them alive?” Alcott laughed again, “Outside, they would be dead.” ．
Ginger patted Arad’s shoulder, “Listen. Forget morality here. This place is a shit hole. Don’t be naive and take anyone at their word.”
“Ginger is right. I don’t want them to think I will pay whenever they want. Now those two won’t mess with us again.”
They walked deeper into the city, and Arad kept seeing weirder and weirder things. The streets are lit with golden glowing mushrooms on top of poles. While inside shops, they keep a strange floating jellyfish-like monster the size of a fist inside cages and feed it the mushrooms and use it as a light.
The jellyfish monster emits more light than the mushrooms, but since it requires maintenance like a bird, it’s only used inside shops and houses.