[48] The Fort City Lavi

They arrived at the gate to the middle district; the security was stricter there than at the entrance to outer city. Having Hrolf and Kolbein there made the process easier. However, all the carts and wagons had to be inspected for security. The guard that walked up to Tanisha’s wagon looked a little hesitant when he saw Bjorn.

Identify

Name: Knut Garlfie
Race: Wendigo
Level: 20
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman

“Familiar?” Knut asked as he sped walked past Bjorn to reach Tanisha. “What is he and at what stage?”

“He is a chimera, and delta,” Tanisha said.

Knut marked something down in a notebook. “And your identification?”

“I am Tanisha Scalebound. I don’t have identification any more,” Tanisha said.

The man looked her up and down. “Are you from the village too? What happened to your papers?”

Tanisha broke eye contact. “I am not from the village, I am shai.”

“Ah, well, that will be a problem,” Knut said as he rubbed the back of his head. “I’ll check out the wagon, and after that we will have to issue you new papers.” He looked at Tyr. “What about you?”

“My name is Tyr Isi, my father Hrolf would have already shown my papers up front,” Tyr responded.

“Ah, you’re master Hrolf and Drifa’s son, I’ve seen you a few times at the school here,” Knut said. He then sighed and looked between the two of them. “Look, I heard what happened. How about this? I take a little look in the wagon and Tanisha, you come back tomorrow and we’ll fill out new papers for you. There are a few others here that lost their papers too, and we will be doing the same for them. I can’t waive the entry fee for carts though; it will be ten coppers.”

There was a notable difference in appearance between the outer city and the inner. While the outer city kept to the wendigo aesthetic of function over form, the inner city catered to the opposite. The magic lights illuminated the streets brighter, the buildings were stylized to suit humans and elves, and the streets were notably better constructed. The inner city was a quarter the size of the outer, and from the gate they could see the fort palace shining like a beacon in the night. 

It didn’t take long for the caravan to reach the Isi estate, which was a compound connected to their school for the Hrior af Brotnum Isi fighting style. It was a large gated compound, the main house being big enough to house half of the refugees by itself. There were also a couple of dormitories for their students, aside from training facilities and courtyards.

When they arrived a host of people were waiting at the gate. Bjorn assumed they must have heard that the caravan was coming. Tyr jumped from the box seat next to Tanisha and ran up to the gate. There was relief from some, tears from others, and Bjorn knew it was going to be a long night for many of them. It took several hours before there was any semblance of order amongst the grieving wendigo. Emotions were high and rightfully so; between the druid attack and the gnoll raid they lost seventeen people.

During the commotion one of the Isi servants directed those with vehicles where to park. Owen and Helina had to help Tanisha undo the hitch from Bjorn, as she had never done it before. Once he was free he stretched, shaking out his legs. He wasn’t tired, but the straps weren’t the most comfortable. He wasn’t the exact shape of a horse and they’d had to do some jerry-rigging for him to fit at all. 

“While we are here, Tanisha, we will continue your training as my apprentice,” Joha said as he walked over from his wagon. “Breathing and stretching exercises in the morning and combat training in the evening like before. Tomorrow we will get all of your paperwork in order so you can sell in the city. You will be a fine merchant and combatant.”

“Oh, let the girl rest for a day,” Helina said as she joined the group. “Nice red feather you got there.” She winked.

Owen and the kids followed behind the goblin mother.

Joha looked between the women. “Feather?” His eyes were drawn to Tanisha’s antlers. “Oh, I see. Well we will at least do the morning stretches and breathing exercises. I am sure Tyr can assist you in getting the proper papers.”

Tanisha waved her hands in the air. “We don’t have a day planned yet… so, let’s continue the regular training schedule for now. I still have to get stronger.”

Bjorn could feel Tanisha’s embarrassment but he didn’t know what they were talking about with the feathers. It wasn’t like he could ask anything, so instead he decided to use his Identify on the group.

Identify

Name: Joha of the Rakshasa
Race: Rakshasa
Level: ??
Vocation: Arcanist Pugilist

Identify

Name: Helina Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 25
Vocation: Elemental Mage

Identify

Name: Owen Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 39
Vocation: Life-force Spearman

Identify

Name: Wyatt Jaraldson

Race: Goblin
Level: 3
Vocation: Noncombatant

Identify

Name: Caleb Jaraldson
Race: Goblin
Level: 2
Vocation: Noncombatant

“I can’t see Joha’s level,” Bjorn thought.

“Yep, that means he is at least fifty levels higher than us. I have a feeling it is more than that though,” Failsafe responded.

“Why do you think that?” Bjorn asked.

“Well, touch him and we can get a better look,” Failsafe said.

Bjorn walked around the group and brushed up against Joha before returning to Tanisha’s side. The group barely registered his movements as they discussed their plans. Bjorn made sure his long tail kept in contact with the tiger demon while he sat down.

Identify

Name: Joha of the Rakshasa
Race: Rakshasa
Level: 271
Vocation: Arcanist Pugilist
Highest Stat: Maya: 1566

Failsafe explained that as long as Bjorn was touching someone he could see more of their stats. Namely their level, even if they were over fifty levels higher than him, and their highest stat. Failsafe wanted to develop an ability to see their skills, but told Bjorn he was a long way off before he had that capability.

Hrolf, Tyr and a woman Bjorn had seen at the gate to the estate walked up to the group. They all bowed to the merchants. The woman turned out to be Drifa, Tyr’s mom and the lady of the Isi estate. She was beautiful, the only wendigo Bjorn had seen with white hair and black antlers. Her irises and pupils were a bright red, which was also a first for Bjorn. He realized she was an albino snowfallen. Her athletic build meant she was no slouch with the swords at her sides.

Identify

Name: Tyr Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: 15
Vocation: Mystic Swordsman

Identify

Name: Hrolf Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Mystic Sword Master

Identify

Name: Drifa Isi
Race: Wendigo
Level: ??
Vocation: Chakra Bladedancer

“You all are welcome here as long as you are in the city,” Drifa stated. “Thank you for saving our people. Thank you for bringing my husband, son and father back to me. I wish we could reward you properly now but there is much we have to prepare. Our servants will ensure you have a place to rest your heads.”

Hrolf said as he motioned a group of six servants over to them, “If you need anything feel free to ask anyone here for assistance.”

Bjorn couldn’t help but notice that both Drifa and Tyr were looking at Tanisha more than anyone else. It seemed like the mother was also interested in his master. They walked off, leaving the servants to assist with unpacking. The refugees thought they would be staying in the dormitory, but instead they were given rooms in the main house.

Bjorn was surprised no one questioned him following Tanisha inside the house, and even more that it was large enough for him to fit easily. He did have to duck his heads but that was no issue. Their rooms were on the first floor. Tanisha’s room had a mezzanine with the lower floor large enough for him to sleep in his own padded space. Seeing the room, Bjorn understood why the hallways were so big; it was for wendigo and their familiars. To them a familiar was not just an animal but a member of the family, so unlike the horses he could sleep inside. Tanisha had her own space, a bed and workstation, on the upper floor. The servants carried all of her belongings there, including the new alchemy equipment she got from the goblins.

Helina and Tanisha took Bjorn to the open air bath, which might as well have been a hot spring lake given the size. Bjorn could taste the magic radiating from runes under the surface of the water. They heated and cleaned the water, along with those who bathed. It was an ingenious use of magic.

Once they were done, food was brought to their room. Steaks, chicken, sausage, goat; a full course carnivore meal for Tanisha, and two entire cow haunches for Bjorn.

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