11 Better than a chameleon

The slowly setting sun painted the gray walls with a dull brush of silver, the shadows from the small trees reached down the hillside towards the town.

The city was surrounded by moat and walls made of stone. The only way into the city was through the huge main gate which was guarded by a group of guards. There were also guards on the circular tower overlooking the main gate and the city.

The guards didn't wear a full armor plate with chainmail rather a simple steel plate top of white shirt and black leather pants with big boots. The only noticeable thing about the guard was their steel helm with a 'T' shape nose cover, on top of the helm there was a bunch of feathers,

Some guards had blue color while some of them had white color.

Don and Uncle Dior followed a merchant caravan to the city gate, Don could hear grumble and growl from the caravan, he looked at the caravan through the gapes of the sheets which covered the caravan. Don could vaguely see some figures inside their mouths were taped up hence the growl and grumble.

He guessed this merchant's merchandise were not things but slaves. Don didn't know what race they were yet he knew he couldn't save them or not yet.

"Damned Slave traders" Uncle Dior cursed in a low voice.

The caravan stopped moving and the merchant took out a pouch and walked towards a guard with a small note in his hands. Don noticed that this guard had red feathers on top of his helm. The merchant addressed the guard with the utmost respect and handed over him the pouch, the guard seemed very happy and took the pouch and put it inside his pant pocket and nodded to the guard beside him to open the gates.

The merchant took the caravan and walked inside the city full of smiles, and the guard with the red feathers turned to look at Uncle Dior and Don, the smile he had just a moment ago magically disappeared and replaced by a stern look.

"State your business"

Uncle Dior knew Don was not a talkative type so he answered instead

"We are just wandering adventurers passing through Sir "

The guard gazed at the two for a moment

"Twenty-five coppers, pay it or get lost" guard reached his hand out.

Uncle Dior took out some coppers from his side bag and paid the guard, the guard didn't even count them as he handed it over to the guard beside him, then the guard opened a small gate near the main gate and allowed them to enter the city.

The city had muddy roads which led to a very busy street, but fairly straight. A building with a board saying "Blake bakery" was on the left next to an old worn-out building and the market square was a few hundred yards further in. Some buildings looked like they were made from red brick while others built using wood and mud, there were no structure or order in the buildings were built, they were jumbled together.

The people on the street were mostly humans but Don could see some demi-humans, halflings. The humans didn't strike him as rich they were all wearing some old clothes, their faces showed neither happiness nor sadness.

"Welcome to the City of Windsville gentlemen" a voice greeted Don and Uncle Dior from out of the blue as they looked in the direction of the voice to see a small boy.

"I am Rook, the best Windsville tour guide I'll be happy to show you around the city for eight coppers" the boy gazed at the duo with an ear to ear smile.

"No need for a tour just tell us where is the nearest tavern" Uncle Dior declined the boy's offer whilst Rook's ear to ear smile instantly vanished.

"Three coppers"

"Two coppers and you show us the way" Uncle Dior bargained with the little boy.

"Alright follow me" the boy started to guide them through a complex irregular network of path and passages they were quite glad to have someone like Rook to guide them in this labyrinth of a street, eventually they came front of a two-story building, there was a board named "The Cob Web".

"Hmm you look like someone who knows the city very well"

"Yeah yeah just give me my coppers I'll be on my way"

Rook seemed not very interested in chit chat.

Uncle Dior handed over the two coppers to Rook, the boy gladly took the coppers and put it in his pockets and took off like a bird to see his next customers.

"We should stay here for the night and try to get some information on Minister Brian"

Don nodded in approval while the two of them entered the 'Cob Web'.

The tavern evoked a sense of sadness and dirty debauchery, some people in the tavern were drunk some were depressed, in the corner there was even a bar fight going on. The floor was so dirty and muddy with boots marks all over it, there were two female servers in black maid uniform running around carrying drinks and foods while one server started to lit the candles. The bartender was a dark-haired woman who seemed to be in her mid-forties, she was serving a man and there were two free stools beside him.

Don and Uncle Dior sat down on the stools whilst Uncle Dior called the bartender

"What do you two have? special is 8 coppers stew would be six and 3 for beers"

"We have two beers thanks"

"Six coppers," she said while filling two mugs with beer and handed them over to them.

Uncle Dior drank the beer in a single gulp, Don didn't drink it but listened to the discussions going around to see if there was any information valuable to him.

"Are young going to drink that?" while Don listening to other conversations,

the man beside Don asked him while pointing his fingers to Don's beer.

Don turned to face him and studied the man, he was a middle-aged man with curly red hair and a goatee, he had a joyful face and appeared to have an easygoing attitude so Don guessed he could get some information out of him.

"Sure take it" Don slid the mug to the man.

"HaHa, you are a good man" he took a sip from the mug.

"I am Mike" Don took off his hood and extended his arms.

The man glanced at the brown-haired youth beside him

"Akihiro the bright scholar, you can call me Aki" the man shook Don's hands.

"So Mike what brings you to this fine establishment"

"I and my friend here is just passing through"

Akihiro looked at Uncle Dior who was still wearing his hood.

"These are a dangerous time and place to pass-through Mike"

Don glanced at him like he is confused at what Akihiro said,

"Look you remember me my brother, so I'll give you some free advice"

Don glanced Akihiro with eagerness, Akihiro took another sip and continued

"There is going to be a war"

"I don't follow you, brother Aki"

"You know, war between Moon and the Start empire "

Don knitted his eyebrows a little

"Aren't they always ?"

Akihiro took a long sip

"Yes, but this time they really going all out"

"How can you tell brother Aki?"

"How can you not? The taxes, weapon prices everything went high,"

Akihiro took a sip from the beer mug and continued

"When I first came here a year ago, I only paid ten coppers now what twenty-five Twenty bloody five"

Akihiro stretched the last part with a wave of slight anger in his voice.

"It could also be Minister Brian's new taxation right?"

Don mentioned Brian's name for the purpose of getting some information on him from Akihiro.

Akihiro looked like he choked when he heard Brian's name

"Lower your voice Mike are you trying to get us killed"

"What's wrong brother Aki?"

"Don't say that name aloud in Slave city unless you want to be a slave"

Akihiro said in a husky voice, Don made a confused face

"You really don't get it, do you?"

Akihiro finished his beer with another long gulp

"That bastard is a very cruel man Mike, this city's original name is Windsville but you know, how people call it Slave city, he is the reason for it"

"Isn't he afraid of the god of his sins?"

Uncle Dior almost coughed up the beer he was drinking when he heard Don especially when he saw that genuine expression he was making. If Uncle Dior didn't meet him before, he would believe Mike was a religious man with the way he talked about God and sins.

The previous emotionless silent guy changed himself like a chameleon change its color.

Obviously, Akihiro believed Mike so he looked at him like an innocent puppy dog

"Sigh brother Mike you are too innocent for a man like B, gods aren't worth a penny" again he said in a husky voice and addressed Minister Brian as B.

"If he is that bad, why does the Moon empire or some righteous people punish him?"

Akihiro shook his head

"There are no righteous people and why would the empire take action against him? He's sending so much gold to the treasury so they turn blind eyes to the things he does also..."

Akihiro paused a moment and looked left and right to make sure nobody was listening

"He is sending beautiful women to some important people in the capital, sigh those poor souls were captured by his goons and made into playthings"

"He does?" Don asked him like this was the first time he is hearing something like this.

"Bastard B owns half of the shops in the slave market and"

"Do you need a refill?" unexpectedly the bartender interrupted Akihiro

"Yes brother Aki beers on me" Don glanced Uncle Dior who reluctantly took three more coppers and paid the bartender.

"HaHa you are too good to me brother Mike" Akihiro laughed and patted Mike in the back.

"Brother Aki you were saying"

"Where was I? Huh, do you know Thousand arms auction house?"

Don shrugged.

"It's the biggest auction house in the city if you want to sell or buy anything this is the place you want to go"

Don noticed Akihiro was going outside of what he wanted to hear

"Brother Aki you were saying something about B"

"Huh yes yes, I heard from one of my friends in the auction house"

Akihiro looked left and right again before he continued

"B is going to participate in the auction tomorrow morning, he said the auction house has something he really likes" Akihiro took a sip from the newly filled mug.

Don pondered about what Akihiro said for a moment

"Isn't it too dangerous for B to be in public like this?"

"What danger to B? He is danger" he took a sip and giggled

"Not him"

"What do you mean brother Aki?"

"He is no danger but his bodyguards are"

"Are they that powerful brother Aki?"

"Powerful? They are freaking monsters, you know about how powerful a mid-level great master is right?"

Don nodded "Yeah I have met one"

Uncle Dior laughed inside, this guy didn't just meet one he bloody killed it.

"Then you know how powerful they are, B has five of them as his personal guards and they never I mean never leave his side "

Akihiro gasped and shook his head

"Enough of B brother Mike let's talk about some pleasant things"

After that Akihiro started to blabber about his adventures and his homeland which Don didn't bother to take in, just nodded here and there.

Eventually, Akihiro left them alone and went to take care of his business but he gave his magic card to Don and told him to contact him if anything he needs help with. Don gave the card to Uncle Dior and said to keep it safe

"We should call it a day"

Uncle Dior said and made a hand signal to call the bartender

"Do you have any rooms for us to stay?"

"Double room for a night fourteen coppers single room eight meals cost extra five"

"Alright we take two single rooms Do...oh Mike do you want to take meals?"

"No thanks"

"Two single rooms and a stew for me"

"Twenty-one coppers rooms are on the second floor the first two rooms on the right corridor"

She took two keys from the cupboard and gave it to Uncle Dior

before they went into their rooms Uncle Dior exclaimed

"Ah Mike you owe me, fifty-five coppers" Uncle Dior laughed out a little and went to his room and closed the Door leaving Don behind.

Don just smiled a little when he heard him and went to take a rest he deserved.