Chapter Thirty-Eight - Port Royal

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Port Royal

I had two choices on how to reach Port Royal. Three, really. I could walk all the way up the switchback path, I could pay three copper to ride in a carriage pulled by a team of oxen with other passengers and some cargo, or I could pay a silver, the equivalent of half a days work for a normal person, to ride in a cable car that travelled up some towers and all the way up to the city proper.

I pressed my face against the glass off the cable car to take in as much of Port Royal as I could while I approached. The city was built on three large plateaus, each one ending at a sheer cliff face with a small wall all around it.

The city itself was a sea of red roofs sprinkled with the occasional bronze or blue or green. Off to the East were a series of five big towers that stuck out of the mountain side and cast long shadows across the port. And, barely visible on the west side, was the actual port. It overlooked a large chasm, bridges spanning the gap with ropes dangling down to the airships docked below.

That was going to be the third place I would visit. First Juliettes husbands inn, then the Exploration Guilds headquarters, then the airship docks so that I could gawk at all the pretty flying ships.

The cable car stopped with a clunk and the young grenoil manning the controls opened the door and doffed his big floppy hat. Weve arrived, ladies and gents, he said.

I was one of the first off, backpack bouncing behind me as I landed on the cable cars platform. We had stopped above a little staging area next to the main gates. There looked to be places where lines of people would wait during the day to be let into the city, but--late as it was getting--those were all empty and only a few guards stood around attentively waiting for the next person to climb the hill.

Thanks for the ride! I called over my shoulder as I skipped over to the huge gates.

Hello maam, the nearest guard said. First time in Port Royal?

It is! I said.

He nodded his helmeted head. Welcome to Port Royal. Im going to Inspect you and your items, after which, if youre not carrying anything suspect, youll be allowed to enter. Do you understand?

I do, I said.

His eyes glowed in the depths of his helmet and they twitched to my backpack, then up and down my body. I felt like I had just been x-rayed or something and had to resist the urge to cross my arms over my chest.

Youre good to go. Welcome to Port Royal.

Smiling, I passed first the guards, then the gates, before coming to a stop.

The area right after the entrance was an open plaza. A little fountain standing in the middle of a square lined with shops and homes, not one of them less than two stories tall. Lanterns hung on poles alongside the streets, giving everything a cheery golden glow.

People of all sorts walked around or chatted. Some were packing up stalls with blue cloth roofs while others sat next to the fountain and enjoyed the evening air. Most, I noticed right away, were grenoil, but there were a few harpies and some sylphs and even a couple of humans.

I grinned as I started walking deeper into the city. Thats when the scent hit me. Or rather, the stench. There had to be an open sewer somewhere because the place smelled like poop.

It still wasn't as bad as a rotting Dunwich abomination, though.Th.ê most uptodate novels are published on n(0)velbj)n(.)co/m

Someone laughed from behind me and I turned to see a guard that was a good foot shorter than me standing next to one by the gates. Always fun to see country folk take in the Port Royal air, he said.

Does it always smell so... like this? I asked.

He nodded. Its the steam vents, mostly. Smells worse in the Scumway, not that you look the sort to go venturing down there. Im told its the sulphur in the ground or some such.

Right, I said. Um, I need to get to the inn by the east gate. Do you know where that is?

East gate? Thats to the East. He pointed to his right and down one of the roads. That way, then you take a right onto Tripping Lane and up to Central. That cuts through the city West to East. Cant miss the gate from there.

There were two grenoil behind the bar, one was far too young, and too female, to be Juliettes husband. The other was a big fat frog, the biggest I had ever seen, with a blindingly white apron around his tummy that was straining under his girth and a smile so huge it could have swallowed me whole.

He was talking to a customer that looked to be on his way out, picking a hat off of a rack built into the end of the bar to hand it over to the client who left with a wave over his shoulder.

I stepped aside to let the man pass, then walked over to the bar. Hello, sir, I said as I moved over to the bar. May I sit?

He blinked big froggy eyes at me and gestured. Sit away! Zeres always a free seat at my bar!

I plopped myself down, removed my hat, and with a deft flick, completely missed the hat rack on the corner and sent my hat flying down a hall that, I suspect, led to the washrooms.

Oh no!

Ding! For doing a Special Action in line with your Class, you have unlocked the skill: Cute!

I froze.

No. No! Cute wasnt a skill, and I wasnt cute. I was attractive and pretty but not cute.

Are you okay lass? Julien asked.

I-I ah, ah, I... shucks, I said. I could freak out about it later. Instead, I pulled out Juliens letter and handed it over to him. This is for you.

He looked at the letter, then his eyes widened and his smile grew tenfold as he saw the seal atop it. From my dearest Juliette!

Yeah, she, she wanted me to deliver that to you, I said. I absently pulled a silver coin from one of the pouches of my bandoleer and set it on the counter. If you have a moment, Id like a meal too. I need to... to drown my sorrows in delicious food.

Ah, keep your coin girl. Juliette would have my head if I treated someone who did a favour for her wrong, he said before popping the seal and unfolding the letter. He moved back and cackled as he read, a sound that had a few of his staff shivering in what I suspected was horror. She called me an oaf! he said with glee.

My eyes met those of the barmaid and she shook her head. Ill get you some supper, she said.

I nodded and then let my head thunk onto the counter. Cute. Cute. I wanted Fireball. Or... or literally anything else.

Ding! Two of your current skills are eligible for Merging: Cute, Friendmaking.

Merging? I asked Mister Menu, a kernel of hope flickering to life in my chest.

Merging skills will reset merged skill to the lowest rank. All skill and general points will be refunded. You may pick which slot the new skill will occupy as long as there is an available slot and the new skill matches class requirements.

That sounded... brilliant! I liked Friendmaking, it had potential, but Cute didnt, and it would mean maybe freeing up another skill slot for something better down the line!

There was literally no way for this to go wrong!

Do you wish to Merge Cute and Friendmaking to unlock the Seduction skill?

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