Chapter 4: Baruda
“You can see Baruda up ahead. I can’t believe you covered that distance in just a few minutes.”
“I could go faster,” I said with a smug face, "But I have never carried someone while flying before so I don’t know how fast I could go safely.”
“It's very comfortable, thanks to that [Wind Barrier] you used.”
“So can I just waltz in or do I need to show some kind of identification?”
“You need to show some form of identification. Usually children get a citizen card sometime between the age of three and five. Other than that all the various guild cards also work.”
“And what if you don’t have a card?”
“Then they will most likely question you about where you are from and why you came here and why you don’t have a card. And you will have to pay a toll to enter.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a massive pain,” I said with an annoyed face.
“I have money so I can pay your toll but there is still the questioning and, well, honestly I don’t know if you would make it past that without raising suspicion. You know nothing about this land after all.”
“Oh you don’t have to worry about that,” I said, "I got it covered.”
Liz squinted her eyes and looked almost afraid to ask. “What do you mean?”
“It’s simple. I’ll just fly over the walls.”
“What? You can’t do that!”
“Why not?”
Does she know something I don’t? I checked for barriers and there is nothing surrounding the town. I don’t know what else it could be.
“Because… uhm… well… actually…” She looked at me and frowned, "Actually I think that’s a good idea.”
“Why does it look like it was painful to say that?”
“Because it goes against common sense.”
“Are you implying that I don’t have common sense?”
“Maybe?” She said with an uneasy tone, realising that maybe she had insulted the one carrying her far up in the air.
“You’re lucky you’re so cute otherwise I would drop you.” I said as I looked at her and grinned, "So what do you want to do now? We are about to arrive and we probably have almost an hour before they get here.”
“Should we just go to the guild and wait for them there?” She said and pointed towards a large building close to the middle of the town.
“And what’s your plan when they get there?”
“We… how about… uhm, do you have any ideas?” She looked at me sheepishly.
“Do you know anyone working at the guild that you trust?”
“There is a girl named Hanna there that is a receptionist. We hang out sometimes.”
“Oh, is she cute?”
“Yeah she is small and cute, many of the adventurers are her fans… wait, why does that matter?” She looked at me with a frown.
“It doesn’t but I thought I’d ask anyway,” I said with a grin, "So how about you write a letter explaining the whole situation and I give it to her? Then we can just wait in the guild until they arrive and listen to what they have to say.”
“Why can’t I just tell her myself?”
“I think it’s best if I keep [Erase Presence] on you for now.”
“Huh, why?”
“Just a precaution, there are too many variables for my liking.”
“What variables?”
“Why did they lie about your friend? Do they know where she is? Are they responsible for her disappearance? Did they kidnap her for something?” I said, pondering on various possibilities, "Are slaves legal in this country?”
“No, slavery has been outlawed for many years now. They use slaves in Kaydossa to the North though.”
“What about slave collars? The ones that seal magic? I remember them being quite common back in the day.”
“The royal family ordered them destroyed and all production seized when they banned slavery. Anyone in possession of one will be sentenced to jail.”
“Only if they get caught,” I added.
Liz, realising the gravity of the situation, looked up at me. "Do you think they had the same plan for me?”
“I wouldn’t rule it out but It’s just speculation on my part. No need to take it so seriously,” I tried to reassure her, "No matter what plan they had, it all went out the door when the wyverns showed up.”
“I still don’t understand why I have to hide though?”
“How do you think they would react if you were at the guild when they came back? Even if they didn’t see you they might have friends who are in on their plans and can contact them. Do people use magitech devices for long range communication?”
“... they are quite expensive but it’s possible.”
“Besides, I would like to see what they have to say before you confront them,” I said with a grin.
“I suppose…”
“So yeah, just to be safe I’ll keep you hidden, okay? That was the guild building right?” I asked and pointed to the biggest building in the area, "I’ll land in the alley between those two houses over there.”
I landed in an alley two houses away from the adventurers guild. It would be a bit suspicious if I suddenly popped up right in front of the door after all.
“Do you have a pen and paper to write with?”
Liz rummaged through her bag and picked up something to write with, "So, uhm, what should I write?”
“Just write what happened and that you are okay. Also write that she should act like she doesn’t know about it when they come to the guild.”
She wrote a few lines of text on the paper and handed me the piece of paper, "Is that good?” She asked while I read the contents.
“A bit aggressive but that will do nicely,” I said with a smirk, "Shall we go then?”
“So do we just walk in?”
“I will keep [Erase Presence] on you. I linked our magic signatures so I can see and hear you.”
We started walking towards the adventurers guild. Quite a few people came and went. Given the size of the city I guess it’s understandable.
“Try to keep as close to me as possible.”
“Why?”
“They might not be able to see you but they can still bump into you and it looks crowded.”
“Ah, right.” Liz said as her face turned red.