The town of Bohirom

Willow and Joy walked through the forest, further and further away from Willow’s village. Already, Willow felt homesick, missing the familiar sights of wood built houses and dirt roads. The forest they’re walking through wasn’t as vibrant and full of life like the one to her cottage, it felt regular, and somewhat dull.

“Hey, you doing alright?” Joy asked, looking down at Willow with a concerned look on her face.

“Yeah, I just, wasn’t prepared to say goodbye to that place so soon…” Willow replied.

“We can turn back if you want? I don’t mind,” Joy said, catching Willow off guard.

“Really?” Willow asked.

“If you’re not ready, I get that. We’ve been planning this trip for years, what’s one more day gonna do to it?” Joy said.

It felt tempting to go back, spend one last day to fully say goodbye to everyone she knew, but then she was reminded of her walk of humiliation, where everyone in town apparently couldn’t get enough of seeing her in her birthday suit. That level of shame was still fresh in her mind, something she doesn’t want to relive again.

“No, it’s fine!” Willow replied with a soft smile. “Let’s start this new chapter in our lives on a high note.”

“Alright then, but the offer still stands whenever you feel like going back home,” Joy replied back.

The two walked some more through the forest before arriving at Bohirom! Willow could see the town from a couple hundred feet away, as it had buildings that soared into the sky like nothing she’d seen before.

“You’ve ever been to Bohirom?” Joy asked.

“No, I’ve never really left this side of the forest before, but the smoke looks familiar,” Willow replied.

“Then you’d better stick by my side. The place can be pretty hard to navigate your first time through,” Joy said as she grabbed Willow’s hand. Willow blushed slightly at this simple gesture, simply nodding in agreement as she held Joy’s hand tight.

Finally past the trees, Willow could get a full view of the town and all of its surroundings. The town was lined with stone walls reaching up to at least 10 feet into the air. The front entrance was wide open, with a sign above it that read “Welcome to Bohirom; Travelers Paradise!” In bold, golden lettering. The dark, charcoal like bricks used to make the walls looked like nothing Willow had ever seen before.

At the entrance were two guards dressed in silver armor and black leather. They both were wielding polearm axes that looked freshly sharpened. They both had an intimidating yet noble aura to them, which was weird to see for Willow.

“Good morning Klaus, Goontar!” Joy said as she and Willow walked into town.

“Morning!” Said Klaus

“Good mornin there Elf lady!” Goontar replied in an exaggerated country bumpkin accent.

Upon entering the town, Willow was in awe by the architecture of Bohirom. The town was completely built with black stone, including the road she was walking in. The buildings were taller than the ones in her village by several stories, and the buildings looked more pristine too. Smoke and smog flew into the air out of brick built chimneys, but the sky was just as clear and beautiful as ever. Everything confused and overwhelmed Willow.

“Are all towns like this?” Willow asked in a state of bewilderment.

“Ehh, not really. This place was built upon a coal mine ages ago, so it heavily influenced the look of the place. Now come on, the bank should be close by! Try to hold on tight!” Joy said before speed walking down the road. Willow almost tripped before catching herself and matching her speed.

The atmosphere of Bohirom was like walking into a different reality for Willow. The streets were busier, louder, and chaotic. People from all sorts of races and species could be seen, from regular humans to halflings, to Lizard Folk. The shop owners were practically screaming to everyone nearby as they advertised their wares, many of whom owned large buildings to hold their shops. Willow wondered how Agatha’s business could thrive if she set up shop here.

But that wasn’t all. Every street corner, Willow could see adventures walking down the street in parties. Sword wielding fighters and vibrant looking sorcerers were walking around so casually that Willow could barely comprehend it.

“We’re gonna be just like them Willow! Adventurers!” Joy exclaimed joyfully.

“I hope so,” Willow replied. She’s always wanted to become an adventurer herself, but only up until recently had she had second thoughts. But who knows, maybe everything will work out like Joy said all those years ago.

After walking through Bohirom for what felt like forever, Willow and Joy made it to the bank! Unlike the buildings around it, it was solid gold with hints of dark green accents. It clashed heavily with everything around it, making it pretty obvious to anyone looking at it that it was built recently. The door was guarded by two extremely tall elves wearing ornate armor, but to Willow it seemed more fashionable than functional.

As Willow and Joy approached the bank entrance, the elf guards held their ornate, curved spears in front of the door.

“Please show your identification pass, Human!” Said one of the guards, looking down at Willow with distain in his eyes.

“Woah! What’s with the hostility! She’s my guest,” Joy explained.

The guards were taken aback before suddenly moving back to their posts. “Y-Yes, Ms. Waelvor, I’m sorry for my comrades incompetence!”

“Hey, don’t throw your buddy under the wagon. And Joy is just fine, Guardsman!” Joy replied angrily.

“T-Thanks…” Willow replied timidly.

“Don’t let these guys intimidate you Willow, they’re just not used to having non-Elves in the bank,” Joy explained.

After the hostile introduction, Willow and Joy entered the bank, but there was something wrong…