The Non-Human Society

Chapter One Hundred and Seventeen - Renn - Lumen's Gates

      This was new.

Standing next to Vim, I stared ahead at the line of people before us. Most were men, and most looked far more tired than I felt... which was saying something, since I really was tired of standing in line. Yet as tired as they looked, most were in deep idle chatter with one another. Either about the world, the city, or some kind of business talk.

"Why are we not just going in like those people?" I asked Vim as I pointed at a pair of people riding a horse. The man looked rather well-dressed, and the woman holding onto him from behind was covered in a dull looking cloak. She looked as if she was trying to hide her face.

"We don't have permits. Nor are we residents. We're almost thru Renn, just a little more," Vim said calmly. He was growing a little too used to me. If I had complained and whined in such a way during the beginning of our journey, he'd have glared at me... Now he just glanced at me with a soft smile when I voiced such annoyances.

"Just be lucky you aint' a merchant girl. Twice the tax it is," a man in front of me said with a sigh.

Smiling at him, I wondered what kind of merchant he was. "They tax you even without goods?" I asked.

"They'd tax thrice if they could!" another man behind us said. His yell got some laughs from the line, and I realized that most of the people in line were in fact merchants.

Merchants yet without goods...

"Their goods are likely waiting at the port of entry, Renn. Remember that road full of carts and wagons?" Vim said.

Ah. He was right. When Vim and I had left the forest, I had indeed seen a road full of large wagons. The massive style ones, which I had seen on that bridge before.

"Aye. Lumen does not allow us to ride our own carts into town. Tis' a lawless place," the man in front of me complained, confirming Vim's words. The man turned around to look at me as he spoke, and actually froze in place for a moment.

I stared at the oddly shocked expression on the man's face, and then he coughed and returned to looking forward... this time doing so while standing up much straighter.

Vim scoffed quietly, so lowly that I doubted anyone else had heard him. But it had been loud in my ears, since he stood so close to me.

What had he seen, or recognized, to act like that? Had he recognized Vim? Did Vim recognize him?

I glanced at Vim, and then behind us. Sure enough there didn't seem to be anything of note... other than the dozens of people behind us who were also waiting in line. At least behind us looked to be some women and children.

"Lumen imposes a more... strict warehouse system. All goods need to go through their customs gate before being allowed entry. They'll be able to pick up their goods and carts once inside," Vim explained.

"Lawless," a man a few spots away said, agreeing with the former man's comment.

"Seems a waste of time," I said.

"She gets it!" someone said loudly. Another voiced his agreement, and we all suddenly got to move.

The line moved forward, and Vim and I finally stepped onto the large wooden bridge for the first time. I groaned as I realized at this rate it'd take another hour or two before we got in.

Across the bridge, was a gate. A massive stone structure, which had what looked like three iron gates within it. It was daunting up close, but also exciting... it made me wonder what kind of sights I'd see inside. Especially since I really couldn't see much of the town, even when we had been approaching it from the forest up on the mountainside.