Chapter 276 Amydon (1/2)

As Arran approached Amydon, he saw that the city's ruins extended even further than he had realized He'd thought Amydon was surrounded by rocky terrain, but with a closer look, he saw that the rocks and boulders that littered the town's surroundings had once been buildings

He recognized the re but the foundation gone, the wide ring of stone was unood thirty feet, which meant the wall had been massive when it still stood

But clearly, it had failed its purpose

Whoever had brought down the city, h to stop thees Yet he could not Sense any reested that the city had fallen long ago — centuries, if not more

Arran furrowed his brow as he passed the outer ruins, his curiosity growing stronger with every step

While the outer ruins were little more than rubble, closer to the town the renizable Half-fallen walls and lone pillars stood aroith e of the town, Arran saw that h they had been inexpertly repaired with rocks and stones — likely plundered froe nor the shoddy repairs could conceal that this had once been a prosperous place The streets ide and paved, and even in their current state, s still showed traces of splendor

The people, however, were a different matter There were plenty of townsfolk out on the streets, and if they didn't exactly look poor, most weren't very far from it, either Whatever wealth the city had once held, it was obviously long gone

Still, the toas livelier than Arran had thought Frohost toith just a few stragglers eking out a living araves of their ancestors

But instead, he saw that the streets were filled with traffic and co come from elsewhere And if most see the crowds, as well

Arran walked around for so the people as s And as he approached the center of the town, he saw signs of wealth appear on both the people and buildings he passed

The dae of As held well-stocked shops and stores There were more than a few inns, taverns, and restaurants as well, and after a short look around, Arran entered one of these — a restaurant that looked simple but clean, and not too busy

Inside, he ordered grilled meat and flatbread froht him his meal some minutes later, he asked, ”Mind if I ask you soh ”If you're looking for work, head over to the ironfor neorkers” She narrowed her eyes and gave Arran an appraising look ”Should be plenty of work for mercenaries, too, if you don't mind travel with the caravans”

Arran shook his head ”I' for work I have some questions about the town's history — back when it was still a city”

The woman raised an eyebrow ”You a treasure hunter?”

”Just a curious traveler,” Arran replied ”When I saw the ruins, I couldn't help but wonder what happened here”

”Not ed, and continued, ”Place has always been like this, as far as I know And randfather was one of the first to settle here, so I know ht know anything about it?” Arran asked, unwilling to give up his search just yet ”Anyone who's studied the town's history?”

She frowned, then said, ”You could try old Kimon He lives a few streets froh, she added, ”Best be careful with that one, though — give hiht off your head”

After Arran finished his enerous tip, then quickly headed out, eager to get answers to his questions

He reached his destination some minutes later, and was surprised to find that it was one of the grander buildings within the town, large and lacking any visible dalass s, he could see that it was a jewelry store, with various precious gems and trinkets on display

When he stepped inside, he was greeted by half a dozen suspicious looks There were several guards and shopkeepers in the store, and they appeared to have decided with a single glance that Arran didn't belong — no big surprise, given that he'd disguised himself as a mercenary