The trip to Kopi City was a rather unusual one. Ryu and Sylfie had commissioned the standard carriage to take them further into the Kaffa Kingdom, following a dirt road past the vast stretches of farmland near Cacao Town.
Ryu stared outside at the fields of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers. He spotted a dairy farm along the way, miles of open fields dotted with Tauruses, peacefully grazing as a soft breeze cut through the summer heat. He sighed wistfully. The thought of owning a house and a plot of land out here, languidly spending his days on his front porch, was alluring.
"This would be a nice place to have a picnic—open a bottle of wine and just enjoy the weather. We could make a day out of it with the rest of the staff. Maybe we could invite the guild members as well," Ryu suggested.
"It does seem like a nice spot to take a breather, and there's a lake nearby so we can cool off," Sylfie agreed.
She adjusted her sunhat as a gust of wind blew it back. They had shed their work clothes and donned outfits more suited for the weather: shorts, sandals, and sunglasses. Ryu had on an unbuttoned aloha shirt while Sylfie wore a thin blouse.
Aurora meanwhile could not change her clothes. Besides shaving her fur, there wasn't much she could do except lay on an ice pack and complain about the humid conditions.
Sylfie's legs shook as they approached the center of the kingdom. She could barely contain her excitement. Ryu didn't see what all the fuss was about. He assumed it would be the standard fare; the city atmosphere always seemed to be juxtaposed against the feel of a small town.
Most MMOs and fantasy games had this sort of set piece that made it 'iconic'. In World of Glory, it had been the Radiant City, home of the game's most powerful race in terms of lore.
Ryu assumed that the presence of the royal family was what made it special. Perhaps they would see a few houses and buildings and an intricately crafted castle in the center. It wasn't all that special in his mind. He had seen it hundreds of times before.
Still, he couldn't deny that he too felt excited about the day trip, if not just to see what the people of the kingdom's capital were like and to meet more adventurers, preferably a male water mage or two.
There was one more reason Ryu was excited about the prospect of visiting the capital: Hazel had made mention of suppliers setting up camp there. Perhaps he could meet with them and grow his own network of connections.
The carriage stopped at an enormous river blocking their path. The atmosphere was quite serene here. Lush greenery surrounded the area. A waterfall poured into the river from the side, creating mist. The sun's rays refracted off of the water particles, creating a rainbow. Ryu raised an eyebrow as Sylfie jumped out of the vehicle and paid the driver the fare.
"Hey! The trip isn't complete!" Ryu pointed out.
"This is as far as the carriage can take us," Sylfie explained.
"So, how are we supposed to cross this? You don't suggest we swim?"
Sylfie shook her head. "Doppo will take us the rest of the way."
"Doppo?"
Sylfie faced the river, cupping both hands around her mouth. She emitted a strange low noise reverberating from the core of her stomach.
"Bwoooooooo!"
"Bwoooooooo!" something bellowed back from the river.
Ryu narrowed his eyes, squinting at the dark blue water. A small silhouette appeared. It grew larger by the second, causing him to step back, scrambling away from the river's edge.
The water exploded as a blue whale emerged from its depths.
"Bwoooooooo!" it exclaimed.
"I forgot to mention! This isn't a river, it's a moat!" Sylfie yelled. "Hang on!"
Chains of water extended from the whale's tail, wrapping around the three of them. Ryu's eyes bulged as the whale continued to ascend, swimming up the waterfall, and pulling them along with it. He screamed as they shot through the sky, the force of the wind pushing the skin on his face back.
The whale barreled towards a glowing blue barrier spanning the visible skies.
"We're going to crash!" Ryu screamed.
Sylfie and Aurora simply raised their arms enjoying the ride. "Weeee!" they exclaimed in unison.
Ryu shut his eyes tight, bracing himself for the impact. But the moment never came. He opened one eye cautiously, peering around at his surroundings. They were above the clouds, floating on a sea of white.
Doppo the whale flicked his tail, throwing the three onto his back. Sylfie patted the whale, leaning over its head to look into its eyes.
"Doppo, this is Ryu. Ryu, this is Doppo," she introduced them. "Doppo is the Gatekeeper for the southern settlements into the Kaffa Kingdom. There isn't any other way to get in on this side."
Ryu laid supine on Doppo's back, holding on for dear life. He didn't dare look over the edge.
"N-nice to meet you," he mustered. "Thanks for the ride."
Doppo let out another, "Bwoooooooo!"
"He says it's nice to meet you too, Ryu!" Aurora translated.
"What are you, a whale whisperer now?"
Aurora flashed a smug grin. "I am the master of all! Jack of the trades!"
Ryu didn't bother correcting her, his face pale.
Doppo finally dropped them off at the entrance to Kopi City, diving below the clouds after Sylfie said her farewell.
Ryu scrambled off of the whale's back, overjoyed to be back on solid ground. His legs buckled underneath him as he dropped to his knees. He kissed dirt gratefully, rubbing it all over his face in a moment that could only be explained as a psychotic break.
Sylfie covered her face as onlookers stared at the man rolling in dirt like it was a pile of gold.
"Good God, man! Get a hold of yourself!" a voice emerged from the crowd.
This seemed to snap Ryu out of whatever funk he was in. He gathered himself and stood up, brushing the dirt off of his clothes and face.
"Do you have no shame? Your lady—she is beside herself with embarrassment!" A young man dressed in posh summer clothing scolded him.
Ryu frowned. The man couldn't have been more than a year older than him, yet he was speaking to him like a child.
"And you are?"
The young man seemed taken aback. "What sort of a question is that? You don't know who I am?!"
"Er, Sir Huxley, these adventurers came by way of the whale. They are from the lower lands, so to speak," an older gentleman standing beside him explained. He wore a pressed suit and sported an immaculately groomed mustache.
"Oh, I see. Very well then, I shall do you the honor of introducing myself. I am Sir Mathias Huxley and this is my aid, Sir Maxwell Crowberry."
Ryu didn't pay attention to a word Mathias said, instead staring at Sir Maxwell in awe. A butler! In the flesh! Where there are butlers there are bound to be maids too!
"Hey! Pay attention when people are speaking to you!" Mathias exclaimed.
"Huh? Oh, my bad. What was your name again?"
"Mathias! Muh-thay-uhs!" he stomped.
"Sir Mathias! This sort of behavior is unbecoming of a young lord! Please cease this foolishness at once, or I will be forced to let your father know how you've been conducting yourself in public. Do not let lower land filth fluster you so," Sir Maxwell said.
Mathias grew red pointing at Ryu. "Y-you! Be grateful that I have a reputation to uphold! Otherwise, you would be handily dealt with! Mark my words, you'll be sorry if we ever cross paths again!"
"Sorry, this air pressure is messing with my hearing. What was it you said?" Ryu replied, digging through his ear with his pinky finger.
"Gahh! Forget it!" Mathias threw up his hands in frustration, marching off, with Sir Maxwell following closely behind.
"Can you believe that guy?" Ryu chuckled, turning to Sylfie.
Sylfie crossed her arms, her lips pursed.
"What?" he asked, innocently.
A group of knights arrived, dispersing the crowd that had started to gather from all the commotion.
"Break it up now! Nothing to see here!" a knight stated. "Everyone, please go about your day now! Ah, adventurers! I've come to collect you."
"Collect us?" Sylfie asked warily.
"Yes! That's correct!" the portly knight replied pleasantly. He pulled out a scroll from his waist belt, unfurling it. He cleared his throat and read the script. "Ryu Hirano, Sylfie Nightshade and—er—Aurora the cat, the Guild Association requests your presence at this immediate time. We are here to escort you there now," the knight announced.
"Did you forget to pay your taxes, Ryu?" Aurora asked.
"I don't pay ta—ow!" Ryu rubbed his shoulder after being punched in the arm by Sylfie.
"Be quiet. Something tells me they're not throwing us a welcome party," she grimaced.