Chapter 84 (LXXXIV) Ashbourne

After defeating the Desert Wyrm and helping dig out the carriage, Jackson helped the triplets dismantle the humongous corpse as the night began giving away to daybreak.

It took the four a few hours to completely dismantle the massive beast. Unlike the previous kills, the flesh was stored within his inventory; he had another use for the dense, nutrient-rich meat.

After all the excitement had died down, they resumed their trek toward Ashbourne, whose skyscrapers could already be seen, eclipsing the rising sun.

The oasis that Ashbourne was built upon is an enormous artificial lake constructed explicitly to begin terraforming the region, but God's Tower issued an indefinite hiatus on that project.

Mud and native plants were implanted next to the expansive body of water, and it quickly took root after the collapse; Terra transformed the region itself.

The lake quickly began supporting the ecosystem as beasts and animals inhabited the massive tropical jungle. The Warlords realized the lake's strategic location, destroyed the jungle, and built a large fort, growing and expanding as more children were born and wanderers joined.

As The Climber's Association expanded its influence and started creating a network across Terra, the Warlord's Fort was seized. They razed the entire complex to the ground and built Ashbourne, quickly growing and expanding beyond to jungle.

As Ashbourne is one of the only select cities not supported by one of God's Towers, it generates its income by importing materials and exporting finished goods instead.

Numerous production buildings could be located in the city, making for the perfect location for the headquarters of the most prestigious trade school on Terra, The Gilded Forge.

Amelia and August were graduates from the school long ago, while Abigail, Bella, and Jolie had just graduated a few months prior. Jackson knew setting up a new workshop and attracting talented tradesmen and women would be challenging, but it was necessary.

Zip reared the Lava Striders as they arrived; many moisture farmers had established farms on the city's outskirts, and shanty towns had been built next to the large gates with massive stone walls surrounding the city and part of the lake.

The gates were always opened, and they passed through uninterrupted into the sea of people running through the streets. Hundreds of vendors lined each street, stalls set up outside buildings offering luxurious bolts of cloth, fine jewelry, strong weapons, and sturdy armor.

The five girls poked their heads out of the carriage and greedily eyed all the beautiful accessories for their appearance as they passed through the streets.

Small kids ran through the crowds, squeezing through and pickpocketing people and quickly vanishing down the myriad of small back alleys.

Unfortunately, the unscrupulous nature of The Wilds had burrowed itself deep within the essence of Ashbourne and quickly became a haven for The Underworld.

The city had a dark secret, leading to its success. Many information networks could be found within Ashbourne, becoming the epicenter for the black market on Terra.

Despite being a well-fortified and defensive structure against anything The Wilds could throw at it, Ashbourne was considered one of the most dangerous places on the planet.

Jackson wanted to utilize the black market to acquire advanced materials he couldn't obtain right now, establish a workshop and stall right out front, and start building a relationship with one of the many networks.

Natane had instructed them to reach out to one of her closest friends in the business at a tavern called, The Wretched Candle. Ziq had often visited Ashbourne in his travels as the journey from Duskgate didn't have a Manga-Grav Shuttle service and knew where it was.

With the advancement of materials obtained from God's Tower, one of the technological marvels from before The Arrival that had been recovered was the discovery of anti-gravity.

What used to take days, weeks, or even months to traverse, could be completed in a tenth of the time utilizing a Magna-Grav Shuttle. Unfortunately, the cost of operating and maintaining the vehicles meant that only some cities could afford to provide the service. Once more, Ashbourne was an anomaly, having shuttle services to the East and West.

Once the carriage arrived at The Wretched Candle, Ziq led the Lava Striders behind the tavern and began tending them while Jackson and the girls entered.

It was a large two-storied building with dozens of tables surrounded by chairs on three levels inside. A large portion of the ground floor had been sunken, creating a massive bar area and some tables, a ground floor with tables and doors leading to the kitchens, and stairs leading to a second story filled with seating.

The group approached the bar, where an older, burly, red-haired woman was wiping down a glass mug. The tavern was mostly empty, only a few patrons scattered around.

"G'morning! Little early for a drink, don'cha think?" She laughed heartily, placing down the mug as she wiped her hands on her white apron, "What can I do ye for?"

"Is Malina available?" Jackson replied.

"Depends... Who's asking?" She squinted her eyes, leaning against the bar, staring into his eyes with a scowl.

"Natane sent us; we're looking to do business and were told she's the best."

"Natane?" She smiled, her eyes perking up as her attitude instantly changed, "I haven't heard her name in a while; how's Duskgate treating her?"

"She's doing good, same as always!" Alijah exclaimed, jumping onto a stool and leaning forward, "You're friends with Mistress Natane?"

"Oho, are you one of her little toys?" She replied, "We go way back, rivals you could say."

"!" The young girl's eyes sparkled as she stared at the older woman in admiration, "Ca-"

"It's nice to meet you, Malina. I'm Jackson; I would like to know if you and I could discuss a few potential ventures I have in mind." The young man interrupted.

"Ah, straight to the point, I see..." She replied, sighing as she stood up and pointed to a door in the corner of the room, "Follow me."

"Come on, Alijah. Everyone else, wait here." Jackson said as the two followed Malina, leaving Megan and the triplets at the bar.

While the sisters began wandering around and exploring the tavern, Megan sighed, staring as she watched Jackson and Alijah disappear behind the door.