The group got very little sleep that night. There was a tense silence settled over the camp, the humans gathering by themselves and ostracising the group, including Olive.
Olive sang to try and help everyone sleep, her blissful voice carrying up into the night sky. However, everyone was too shaken to sleep even a wink. It was a unanimous decision to just get on with it, and finish the final stretch of their journey.
"Tough night," Gregory said, mostly towards Olive. He seemed to have some form of attraction to the Satyr, often following her around the camp, and listening attentively to her songs. Sylvia found it almost sweet, especially considering how he had felt about non-humans at the start of their journey.
Over the course of their relatively small journey, Sylvia had seen a once tough and strong willed man adapt into a kind and considerate person, able to understand other people and other creatures. It truly amazed her to see the adaptability of some people, but the stubbornness of others.
"Tough night indeed," Dirella replied, when no one else did. The convoy rode in silence as the early morning sun began to rise.
It took only an hour or two, however finally the tall walls of New Nortia were in sight. The capital of Ammertia, centrepoint for human politics. The walls were at least twenty feet high, with three concentric circles separating the classes within.
As the group neared the walls, they passed through fields. Farmers, already up and toiling hard, only stopped to give them a passing glance. They then returned to their work, harvesting and planting their crops.
Sylvia heard it before she saw it, a loud commotion going on near the entrance to New Nortia. Humans, shouting, yelling, crying. All shoving one another at the entrance trying to get in, but held back by the guards from the inside.
"I've never seen anything like this...." Darian said. Being the only one to live in New Nortia, it was evident there wasn't normally a VIP list to gain access to the city.
"It's because of the war," Olive said, appearing next to them. She gave Porche a pat, smiling sadly up at Sylvia.
"They're being strict with who they let in, meaning refugees are often left out in the cold for days before being allowed in," she continued. Sylvia looked up, at the crowd in front of the entrance. Guards were trying fruitlessly to arrange people into lines so they could better sort through the refugees, however people were desperate.
They had all lost their homes, lost people they loved. They had journeyed for so long, and were desperate for just a taste of safety. Just like the group they were travelling with.
The convoy rode up, amidst the mess. One of the guards looked up, noticing Gregory and his supply, and recognition flashed on his face. He weaved his way through the crowd, pushing where he needed to, to make his way to the group.
"Greg! Took your time," the guard exclaimed. Gregory shrugged.
"Took the scenic route," he said, giving Sylvia a sly smile. Sylvia couldn't help but smile, rolling her eyes in jest. Scenic route indeed.
"Look, we can get you in, but no one else," the guard said. Gregory turned to his guards.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye guys," he said.
"And our payment?" Dirella piped up, hands on her hips. It was, after all, her idea to accept the contract. She would never hear the end of it if the group didn't even get paid.
"Ah right! Darian, you said you live here right? Write down your address for me," Gregory said, clearly intimidated by the wizard. He handed Darian a pencil and paper, who quickly scribbled down his address and handed it back.
"I'll leave it when I get paid, thank you all. Been a fun time," Gregory smiled, before kicking his horses into a slow walk as the group peeled away to allow him access. With the guards watching closely, no one tried to jump in the wagon. That would be a suicide mission.
"Can we trust him?" Darian asked, raising a brow.
"Yes, yes I think we can," Aliyah said, smiling. Their hood was pulled tightly up, concealing their elf ears completely. Best to stay hidden in a crowd of angry humans. Assessing the crowd, Darian had an idea.
"C'mon, I know another way in," he said. The four of them went to turn, however Olive stayed.
"Aren't you coming?" Sylvia asked. Olive shook her head, still smiling. She was very cute, standing there with her hands clasped by her waist, her hooves gently kicking the dirt.
"This is where I'm supposed to be," she replied.
"Take care of yourself, don't get too close to the humans, ok?" Dirella said, concern plastered on her face. Despite only knowing her for a couple of days, the group felt a kinship with the Satyr.
"I'll be fine. Plus, with the war at the moment, there's a lot of people who need me right now. Human and otherwise," Olive replied. As the group said a brief goodbye, Olive waved to them as they walked away.
Darian led them around the outskirts of the city wall. Here, the grass was green, with a couple houses dotting the landscape. Sylvia breathed in the fresh air, knowing how claustrophobic the city would be once inside.
"I used to sneak out of the city alot, pretty sure this way is still open," Darian said, walking down a small slope in the grass. At the bottom of the slope was a medium sized hole in the wall, with a loose metal grate over the top.
"Snuck out for hunting stuff?" Sylvia teased, cocking a brow. Darian shot her a glare, before softening to a cheeky smile.
"And other things," he said, waggling his brows. He then placed two hands on the metal grate and ripped the grate open, dumping it to the side. The four poked their head inside, and reeled in horror at the stench.
"A sewer?!" Dirella squawked, pinching her nose. Her eyes were almost watering from the smell.
"It's not ideal, but it's practical," Darian tried to reassure her, to no avail. He then swiftly ducked inside, stooping to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. Aliyah soon followed suit, however was practically crawling due to their tall stature. Sylvia then motioned for Dirella to go next. She shot Sylvia a glare, turning her nose up as she daintily picked up the hem of her purple dress. She made a variety of disgruntled sounds as she entered the tunnel. Sylvia was the last in, leaving the grate to the side.
The walls were covered in moss and slime, with a small river of mess trickling down the middle. Sylvia tried to keep her feet to the sides of it, but made a mental note to scrub her boots thoroughly when she gets the chance. Dirella would not cease her complaining.
"This is revolting! When I went on an adventure with you, I thought it would be a bit more exciting and lavish than a sewer!" She squeaked out the last word, adding a flair of disgust to the sentence. Sylvia rolled her eyes.
"You wanna talk to the King? We gotta go through a sewer," she replied shortly. Dirella kept her mouth shut after that.
They were only in the tunnel for a few minutes maximum, however soon emerged out the other side unharmed. They found themselves in an alleyway, the pong of sewer clinging to their clothes.
"Never again..." Dirella muttered to herself as she trudged towards the walkway ahead of them. The group was about to join her, when Darian froze.
"What is it?" Aliyah said, now on high alert with their hand on their weapon. Sylvia noticed how sexy their arms looked, flexed and ready to pounce. She shook the thought quickly, trying to concentrate.
"Not now..." Darian whispered as three men rounded the corner, facing the group.
"Hello Darian," the leader chortled.
My my, who could these three be? You might remember them from my last book, they did leave quite the impression...
Thank you again for reading. I appreciate everyone who reads my work, and I always appreciate any feedback you may have for me.
Is it too wordy? Are there too many speaking parts? Not enough speaking parts? Am I too descriptive? Or not descriptive enough? Let me know, I'm always eager to improve.