Why would anyone want to live in a city?
#6 of Journeys in Xel
"If you boys keep wandering off, one day You'll get picked up by the kitsune, they'll think you're a couple of their own." Scott told us. "Eww, we're not foxes" Russ responded. "Besides which" I said, "We wandered to the south, we're more likely to end up adopted by draconians!" To our wolven pack, further to the south, and near draconian lands; the dragon people were highly respected as honourable warrior allies. They had fought with us against the Nezumi; and further back inhistory against the demons. Many young wolven would playact draconians. No wolven would ever be caught playacting Kitsune. Kitsune were dishonourable tricksters; and apparently male kitsune would mate with other males. Playacting Kitsune would get you a reputation as a strange pervert of some kind.
"Well" Scott responded "What if you ran into Nekojin" this said in a fear inspiringly serious voice. My hackles rose at the thought of the fearsome cat people. The Nekojin obeyed no law, they were considered unsurpassed assassins by nature and few had ever faced one and lived. "We'd jump into the water, Nekojin can't swim" I responded. "Oh and you can stay down there forever?" asked Scott, or would you wait to wash up in a Nezumi city somewhere to be sold as a slave? Just stop wandering away from the pack, mark my words, it'll see you in deep trouble some day!"
We walked toward the stench of the city against the better judgement of our nostrils. I was past having second thoughts and into my fourth or fifth as I saw the dirty stone buildings and heard the ruckus of marchants yelling about the quality of their wares. Akeru was walking well enough ahead of us that she could pretend not to hear our protests as we followed her into the city. There were two questions foremost on my mind. One was 'why was I letting Akeru lead us?' The other was 'why in the name of all that is natural and easy on the nose would anybody want to live in a place like this?'
Wolven didn't build cities. We lived in the wild, with occasional temporary shelters, and in extreme cases fortifications. Our packs split off according to distribution of food sources, alpha level warriors and hunters, and seers capable of guiding the pack. Most wolven lived in tents made of branchwork and rope that could be moved or replaced when needed.
Nezumi on the other hand loved to make cities. The structures that made up the nezumi city seemed to range from decrepit clay huts, to towering cathedrals of stone archways and spires. I pushed back the smell of the city by pure force of will; trying to focus instead on the faintly noticable smell of the sea breeze that lie beneath it. I held Russ' paw as we walked in. He looked like he was ready to run away at a moments notice. Again I asked myself why I was here.
A bored looking guard watched us walking into the city with minimal curiousity. "What's his job?" Russ asked, "He didn't even ask us our business." "Oh he's not concerned much with who comes in, he's there to inspect items brought in for contriband. You two are naked and carrying minimalist travelling packs, and I am a mage so he wouldn't dare question me without solid suspicions."
Akeru continued to lead us inward through the city, avoiding merchants. I kept my eyes out for other wolven in the city but I hadn't seen any yet. Suddenly a Scuridae rushed out right in front of me at unbelievable speeds laughing a chattery laugh as he went. Behind him I saw several armed nezumi being urged forward by a fat looking man holding a female nezumi back as she yelled "no daddy, it's not like you think; he's a prince in scuridae lands." Akeru and I both chortled, earning us venomous looks from the daughter, and bringing a blush to her fathers face. He rushed her out of public veiw and our laughing gazes. Scuridae had no nobility to speak of, or at least no nobility that lasted more than 5 days at a time. Squirrel people had legendary authority problems; and legendary sex drives as well.
We continued onward into the city. Akeru seemed to be leading us into a higher class part of town. Some of the Nezumi around us were giving me odd looks. It was beginning to make me feel uncomfortable. The area of town we were entering seemed dominating by a tower in it's centre. "That" Akeru said "is the tower of the bound; it contains an organization of several hundred mages. While most are nezumi, it boasts members of all major races." I live some distance away from it, but mages can get housing here cheap, the tower likes to keep it's assets within reach."
"Stay here while I grab my things; I'll only be a second." Akeru told us as she entered a stone door that seemed to lead into a spacious but dark apartment.
Russ and I looked around. There were fewer people in this area of town; but those we saw unsettled us. People here all seemed to wear cloaklike clothing. Having seldom seen anyfur wear clothing in the past it was a strange sight to me. The scent of the city had become routine; but there were still far too many things to keep track of. I looked to Russ, he seemed calm. I gave him a nervous smile. He leaned in closer to me and hugged me. His presence seemed to relieve a headache I had hardly known I'd had. I closed my eyes in order to fully lose myself in the hug.
When I opened them again there was a gaunt white furred nezumi standing inches away from me; smiling an unsettling smile. I stiffened and pulled away from Russ, allowing him to turn and face the newcomer with me. "Hello" the stranger said in a raspy unsettling voice. It was then I noticed something that almost stopped my heart on the spot. Behind this gaunt white rat were two skeletons, one with a squirrel-like skull, the other with a ratlike skull. I backed away too shocked at the sight to even scream. Russ held his ground; I noticed that he had drawn his sword without me noticing. "What do you want?" he asked the nezumi. The gaunt ratlike man ignored him; turning to face me he said "so wolven seers keep bodyguards in our city now?" I was having trouble thinking, the horrible sight of the walking skeletons stuck hard in my head. "Wolven seers are now also such cowards as to be rendered speachless by simple necromancy?" The figure continued "doubtful indeed, you are no seer are you? What then, I wonder are you doing here?"
I had finally worked up the resolve to speak as Akeru emerged from her room with a pack. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the gaunt figure. "Zudo" she said, with a stiff insincere bow of the head; "Akeru" he contained in a voice that wasn't quite mocking; echoing her stiff bow. "Are these yours; milady" Zudo asked gesturing to us. "Yes, and you will keep your paws off of them." Akeru responded, all semblance of manners lost. "Ah just as well, I don't need to be involved in your puppy fetish" Zudo responded. I watched him leave, the skeletons followed him. Russ was still facing him, sword at the ready.
"What were those things" Russ asked, a strained calm in his tone. "Creations of necromancy" Akeru responded. "by taking the animating force of living things, a nezumi necromancer can move the bodies of the dead. It is disgusting."
We stood there a while contemplating this. Russ sheathed his sword. "Come on, lets grab something to eat" said Akeru. "How exactly do people in cities find food?" Russ asked; I couldn't smell any prey or vegetation; though with the overwhelming body odour in my nostrils there could be a forest right around the corner. "follow me" Akeru said.
I felt guilty. I had been afraid and useless. Russ had stood up to the skeletons although he was completely unaware of their nature; but as usual I had been a coward; I had backed down without a fight. "What's wrong" Russ asked me. I realized that I had been on the verge of tears again. My weakness knew no bounds. I had imagined magic would solve that. "Nothing" I said, forcing my face to gain a semblance of neutrality. He went silent for a moment; then said "It's ok Gill, I was afraid of them too, you don't have to be ashamed of your reaction." I smiled at the thought that he knew me so well. Which seemed to satisfy him. I still felt horrible, I didn't deserve his love. If I had needed to protect him, I couldn't have, and if I saw those skeletons again, I knew I would still be afraid of them. I was the one who had brought him here, and yet I couldn't even face up to simple magics.
"Well here we are" Akeru said, pulling me out of my thoughts. My nose was being assaulted by delicious smells of fish combined with rice, and vinegar, and vegetables, and kinds of things I had never smelled before. I looked around. We were entering a large building in which several furs were drinking, laughing, and eating. The food they ate looked strange, but also appealing. I spotted a wolven sitting in front of a large wooden bar. There seemed to be several scuridae, a surprising number of draconians, a couple of Kitsune, and plenty of nezumi, as well as a strange fur sitting in a concealing cloak alone in the corner. Looking at him or her made me feel uncofortable for some reason.
My gaze returned to the wolven as I unconciously sat down with Akeru. He had noticed us and approached with a wide grin on his face. He was large and built like a warrior, his fur was a light grey. A nezumi came along and asked us what we wanted. Akeru asked him for something called sushi and sake. I wondered what these things were, but was more concerned for the moment with the wolven who approached us. "I hadn't heard of any new Wolven in the city! Nice to meet you guys, my name is Kord." He put out his paw, which we all shook in turn, Akeru seemed as interested in him as we were. Then asking "May I?" to which we nodded, he took a seat beside us. "So what is your story about coming here?" he asked us. "We're on a little bit of a journey, we don't plan on staying here though" Russ responded. "Well I thought that too, 5 years ago, and haven't left yet" Kord responded. "Why not" I asked, "Why would any Wolven want to live in a city like this, the smells are overwhelming, people give you strange looks, there are far more nezumi than fellow wolven; what possible reason could you have for this?" I actually suspected a little that he was an exile of some kind.
"Well this would be one reason coming right up" he said as a great rainbow coloured platter was set before us. I feasted my eyes and nose upon an assortment of fresh fish, rice, vegetables and unidentifyable ingrediants rolled into strange circles, or cut into long pieces. My mouth began to water at the sight, and as Akeru and Kord began to dig in I also began to try some. The taste as the first piece hit my mouth was overwhelmingly good. As the meal went on Akeru and Kord tried to coach me and Russ in the use of soy sauce and ginger. I began to understand why people would like cities. I tried some of what was called Sake, it seemed kind of nice as well in a strange way. I was warned it was alchoholic; but I can hold my liquor. Wolven had various herb liquors and berry wines; I had never drunk much before, but nothing rats could drink could possibly be strong enough for a Wolven.
As the eating continued I began to feel extremely happy with myself. "Man.... this place is great!" I exclaimed; slurring my words a bit as I did. Then suddenly I felt sad. I hugged Russ "I'm soooo sorrry man, I'm a cowardd..... and a drunk,... and I wanna........" my sentence trailed off as I flopped onto him, no longer able to support my own weight.He looked at me, then looked at the sake. "how strong is this stuff?" he asked, an inquiry met with laughter from Kord and Akeru; who I noticed had drunk almost as much as I and were becoming very close to each-other.
Russ began to usher us out of the restaurant with embarrassed looks to the other patrons. He paid with money taken from Akeru which seemed to satisfy the owner. I thought he had also drunk quite a bit; but recalled that he was legendary among the wolven for his ability to hold his liquor.
I was feeling useless, but ok, beginning to walk without much aid; when suddenly Russ stiffened. I looked in the direction we were heading. "Oh for the love of..." I exclaimed/
It was Rellik.