Head To The Nearest Town

Arias is only a half-day’s journey from here.

The road is quiet, but my thoughts aren't. The town has a reputation—a place outside the rule of any crown, a haven for the lawless and ****. It’s been like that for decades. Without a kingdom to tame it, all manner of thieves, smugglers, bounty hunters, and worse have been drawn to it like moths to a flame.

I wouldn’t risk coming here if I had any other choice. But if there are elves who survived the Orc attack—any at all—they would’ve either passed through Arias or settled within it. Someone in this cesspit has to know something.

As I crest the final hill, the city sprawls before me like a rot beneath the sky. The air feels heavier as I get closer, almost cursed, like the land itself is warning me to turn back. Arias doesn’t welcome anyone. It consumes them.

Approaching the gates, I see a long line of people waiting to enter—merchants, drifters, mercenaries. Tension clings to them all like sweat. Most look tired, ****, or dangerous.

A guard stands at the edge of the checkpoint, lazily watching the crowd like a wolf eyeing sheep. I approach him, trying to keep my posture relaxed but purposeful.

He glances at me with a sneer. “What do you want?”

I nod toward the line. “Why is there a wait? I thought this was a free city.”

“Nothing’s free anymore,” he grunts. “You want something, you pay in gold... or blood.”

My fingers twitch near my blade, but I don’t move. Not yet.

He leans in slightly, his tone lowering. “City’s on lockdown. No one’s getting in unless they come by ship. But…” His eyes slide over me, calculating. “I may have a way.”

The way he says it churns my gut. There’s something oily in his voice, something that tells me this favor won’t be clean—or free.