34 Virnam (1/2)
”Come on, walk faster” Knight was urging Uncle Dior who is very tired because of the long walk towards the Barren Hills.
”Just wait a moment” Uncle Dior was inhaling and exhaling heavily, he was exhausted.
”Flying would have been better wouldn't it?” Knight asked in ridicule and continued to walk with Don.
”Oh no, I'm okay” a single thought of flying made Uncle Dior shudder in fear as he mustered all his strength and chased after them.
”Why are you torturing that man?” Don sent a telepathic message to Knight.
Knight didn't say anything but chuckled quietly and walked beside him, followed by Uncle Dior.
When they chose to leave the Castle of Dragon king to reach the Barren Hills, Uncle Dior was adamant not to fly there but against his wishes, Don and Knight dragged him with them while he was screaming and threatening them to throw up.
However, after flying a few hundred kilometers, they descended on the ground and started to walk towards the direction Uncle Dior showed them. Seeing that Uncle Dior thought they had enough of him screaming and they finally chose to walk but the truth was Knight found there were human movements on the ground and Don had not wanted to be found flying without a magical item or broom raising suspicions.
Since they were crossing paths with humans, Knight had shrunk his size and transformed himself that similar to a puppy dog with wings, he would have hidden his wings too but simply he couldn't.
Even with his small size Knight was a faster walker than Uncle Dior, he had battle energy to prevent him from being exhausted or tired.
After a long walk, the trees and green were replaced by stones and barren lands. Tall mountains of various shapes started to appear in their eyesight in the distance, the cool breeze they felt till now was gone and hot dry air warmed them.
The man-made path became visible as they continued to walk as well as some humans and carriages moved by horses.
”What's the place we are going?” as he asked Uncle Dior, Knight made a leap towards Don and comfortably landed on his shoulder then wrapped his small tail around his neck for more comfort.
”Virnam the city of mining”
The trio stopped for a moment and gazed at the huge walls that were made by nothing but completely stone, there were not any man-made beams or pillars could be seen on the walls, this place had been provided defense by nature itself.
”Legends has that the walls were carved and put around the city by the Dwarven God Berronar”
”Don move faster. I want to see the city” Knight urged Don with excitement.
Don sighed inside and walked a bit faster to enter the city along with Uncle Dior.
As they got closer to the city entrance, Don saw the guards standing in front of the gates. Unlike the guards in the slave city, these guards wore full pate chainmail armor, an eagle symbol was carved on their chest.
”What's that eagle symbol?” Don asked Uncle Dior while walking to the guards
”That's the symbol of the kingdom Emir”
Don didn't respond as he walked while Uncle Dior started to give him some details about the city.
”Until five years ago Virnam was an independent city ruled by the circle but the king of Emir waged war to covet the mines in the city and won hence it became a part of Emir”
”What's a circle?” Knight asked.
”The people of Virnam chose seven representatives among themselves to govern the city, they had no King but the seven people called the circle ”
”Oh that's a weird idea”
As Uncle Dior and Knight finished talking they reached the front gates as well as the guards, seeing Don and Uncle Dior a middle-aged muscular bearded man stopped them.
”What's your purpose of coming to Virnam?” the man asked.
”We've come to Virnam to buy some Kornite ” Uncle Dior said to the guard with a little curtsy to show him respect.
The guard looked at them for a moment but when he laid eyes on the cute puppy sitting on Don's shoulder his eyes showed some surprise but he didn't ask anything about the animal, he just signaled them to enter the city.
The town was a maze of narrow winding streets, as complex as the human body. The streets were paved with some kind of gray stone. The sound of the smiths, beating iron and metals into shape, was the constant and dull pounding that repeated through the streets.
Unlike in the slave city, Don could see there were many people from various races other than humans walking on the streets. Most of them were demi-humans and half-orcs. He could even see some half-elves here and there but compared to the humans they were still less in numbers.
”So what's the plan?” Knight whispered to Don and Uncle Dior.
”We should find a caravan or anything that going to Emir, some of them pass through Barren Hills to make the trip shorter ”