Chapter 192: Second Step (1/2)
Pulling Melting Snow along with him, Xinya walked along the large stone wall that enclosed the town until he reached a giant wooden gate. Pausing in his steps, Xinya studied the blockade that was impeding him from continuing on his way.
A frown appeared on his lips, because from what he could see the gate doors in front of him were locked tight and there was no way they would be able to open it themselves. He could feel Melting Snow tugging on his arm, yet Xinya ignored him. To focus on how he and his friends would be able to get inside the town.
He only began forming a speck of an idea when he heard the deep voice of a man shouting from up above. ”Who goes there?”
Tilting his head upwards towards the voice, Xinya was surprised to see two guards deck out in ancient Lamellar armor on top of the wall. He wondered if they had been watching them the whole time because they were looking down at him and friends very suspiciously.
”What should we say?” Whispered Wei through the party's voice chat. She had finally caught up with them after being left behind with Wandering Sound.
”I know how to handle this,” Giving Wei a playing wink, Xinya let go of Melting Snow's hand and cleared his throat. Offering the guard his most sincere look and making himself appear harmless, Xinya begins to speak, ”Kind sirs, we are but weary travelers who have come from a great distance and would like to take refuge in your humble town if we may.”
Snickering quietly into his hand, Wandering Sound was amused by the performance Drifting Cloud was putting on for the guards. He was even better than some newbie actors he knew. ”Nicely done, Cloud.”
”Let them in, Changying, they are just a bunch of kids,” Said an older looking guard who had a long black bread. He didn't see the point about being suspicious about some innocuous-looking kids.
Glaring at his fellow guard, Changying said, ”This is why you won't ever be promoted Guowei, you're too damn trusting. They could be murderers in disguise and you would never know it!”
”Hey! I'm not a murderer!” Melting Snow yelled, greatly offended by what the man accused them of.
”Let them in!” Ignoring the young boy who was glaring angrily at him, Changying sternly told them, ”You kids better be on your best behavior while in this town, we don't take kindly to any ruffians.”
”Don't worry sir, we won't cause any trouble”, Wei said with a sweet smile, making the paranoid guard ease up a bit.
With the flip of a switch, the gates begin to open revealing their first view of the town that they traveled so long to get to, and what a sight it was. As Xinya walked through the gate with his friends, his first emotion was astonishment followed by awe.
Because In front of him there was a breathtaking view of acres of fertile and verdant land that stretched out as far as his eyes could see. And only by squinting was he able to see the tall buildings of the town's centre where the main shops and businesses were.
Previously from his position on top of the mountain, he didn't think that the farmland would be this sizable. Although now viewing it from this position and seeing the lush open land that seemed to go on for miles, he knew differently.
As they begin to walk down the path that would take them to the central part of town, Xinya wondered if this was how Dorothy felt like when she transversed through the great plains of oz to reach the emerald city. He started snickering to himself at that thought because he did already have his own Toto, Scarecrow, and Tinman.