With a week more of walking, the memory of the terrifying black witch faded far behind, and the two adventurers finally stood at the entrance of Wunderdum city. Waves of relief reverberated through their bodies as they had made it to the Westland capital with aching feet and growling stomachs. Somehow, Brax had kept up with Xinyu despite her endless pool of energy, though he knew she would have made it there much faster without him. He could not, for the life of him, figure out why she had invited someone such as him to join her on her grandiose adventure.
Brax paid the fee to enter the city for himself and Xinyu, totalling up to four bronze coins, roughly the price of a loaf of bread. It hurt to let those meager little coins out of his fingers, as it was pretty much all the money he had on him, but he was staking everything on the girl's word.
After getting roughly searched by the guards, he was then herded towards the city gate. Xinyu's process took a bit longer, however. The guard who methodically patted her down looked at her with distrust and skepticism, and seemed to hang onto her for longer than anyone else. In the end, he let her go through, since all he could find was strange but harmless trinkets and bizarrely shaped jewelry in her bag. As the guard finally shooed her away, she simply smiled at him and skipped past the giant gate into the city.
Wunderdum's chatter-filled entrance was overstuffed with bready, boozy, and floral notes that tickled the nose with a symphony of mingling aromas. Merchants of all types shouted to attract visitors and promised specialties found nowhere else in all the Westlands. This wasn't true, as most of the goods could be found at every other small town and peddler stand.
Still, amid the many colorful and extravagant goods to be purchased, it was the food that really sold among the weary travelers walking through the gates for the first time. Most of them had been eating stale, dry rations for weeks, and the scent of something scrumptious hit hard against their aching tummies. Brax and Xinyu were no exception to this. As they looked around and took in the meaty perfumes, their mouths began to salivate wildly, their stomachs growling loudly. Xinyu, a closeted glutton, was especially interested in the cuisines she had never witnessed before. She stopped and stared at every crazy dish she saw.
The first thing that caught her eye was the ground-meat stuffed pig intestines grilled over coals and basted with a luxuriously salty gravy– a dish most popular among burly men, specifically farmers and starry-eyed adventurers looking to replenish their souls with a hearty meal. Floating to the next stand, Xinyu gazed longingly at grated spud cakes fried in oil to a golden brown, which served as a cheap snack loved by children and adults alike. These greasy potato cakes were served with a sweet vegetable paste, which mellowed out the richness of the dish. Another specialty that made its presence known (for better or for worse) was the soft cheese that reeked of feet but tasted of gold. This wasn't particularly sought out by people from far away due to the pungent stench, but the locals knew how much of a delicacy this cheese was once one got past the smell.
Xinyu and Brax would have loved to try everything they saw, but they couldn't afford such overpriced and decadent meals. Instead, the two of them clenched their abdomens and turned their attention to the other sights of the cobble and wood city, specifically the bustling and fashionably dressed citizens of all different classes. They were a mesmerizing sight for Xinyu, who hopped around like a baby bunny peeping at every thread and frill, and was quickly able to relieve her mind of her hunger. Brax was a little less interested since he had seen the city a few times before, and was surprisingly well-read for someone of his stature. Like his daughter, he loved books. As such, Brax was well aware of what the style of clothes one wore meant. The lower-income folks, who were often from outside the walls, wore brown leather drapes and hide hoods. The style was quite similar to how Brax dressed, considering he was one of them, and solely focused on practicality. The fabric was durable and cheap, but also quite ugly. The sign of a poor laborer. On the other hand, the wealthy nobles adorned themselves in dyed fabric dresses, suits, and feathered hats. Luxury goods Brax could never hope to afford. The fabrics the high-class folk wore were more delicate and did not care for comfort or movement in the slightest. There were many more types of clothing to explore in between the classes, but the general rule of thumb was that the more extravagant the style, the more wealth one had. Perhaps Xinyu could fit the mold of an aristocrat or noble with her unique pink drapes, but Brax's worn and stained rags were a different story. He was a peasant from head to toe and felt out of place the further they went into the city, where the rich grew more abundant. Even so, despite the differences of class, it seemed no one cared who he was. For all anyone was concerned, he was another nameless face in the crowd. Xinyu, however, drew stares everywhere she went, and Brax began to wonder what it was like to be in the spotlight. To have all attention on him. Just once.
The two aimlessly wandered around, lost in the crowded streets, and Brax finally looked at Xinyu with an "okay, so now what?" look. Incidentally, Xinyu did not have a plan. She was too busy being hypnotised by the sights, sounds, and smells of Wunderdum. So, they decided to settle for a visit to the guild Avalon, as suggested by the barkeeper. Brax wasn't sure if the guild could help Xinyu's bizarre needs, but he thought perhaps they had leads on profitable jobs or even hidden treasure for them to discover. If he wanted to afford medicine for his daughter, he would have to find work soon.
Xinyu ran up gray brick stairs, hurdled over railings, and greeted almost every person who looked her way. Brax wouldn't have been able to keep up if Xinyu hadn't started a conversation with anyone who smiled back. She asked for directions a bit, but she mostly pestered the locals about the culture in the city. Lucky for her, the denizens of Wunderdum were an incredibly proud people and happily talked about the prosperity of the kingdom. Food recommendations, works of art, musical concerts: she had a long list of places she couldn't possibly see in such a short time. Or afford. And as much as she wished to explore more, she dutifully dragged her feet all the way to Avalon. Brax was grateful for this, since he felt as if his knees were about to collapse, and needed somewhere to sit.
When they arrived, they found that the guild hall of Avalon was a sprawling castle in and of itself, or at least, was modeled after one. It had a square stone brick tower at each corner, each with its own troop of cloaked watchpeople gazing intently at each entrant. The moat, which was entirely decorative, hosted many colorful and oddly shaped fish, creating a river of rainbow-dyed streaks. Across it was a pristinely constructed white wood bridge with shining black metal fencing and a bronze statue of a knightly figure at its end. The main door, which could fit two twenty-foot-tall men from the snowy Northlands stacked on top of each other, protruded at the center of the structure and welcomed all with a warm mythic aura from the magic and wonder within. Despite being dwarfed by the city's main castle, Avalon's hall was still the second-largest fortress in the city and had enough space to host hundreds of people at once. And it did, perhaps, hold that many people at any time. The guild was packed to the brim with bustling figures of many heights and weights, dressed in all different classes. It was not a place of pretentious discrimination or elitism like Brax had expected, but rather a melting pot that seemed to welcome any riffraff or nobleman from the street.
Brax had heard something else about Avalon's hall, which piqued his interest. The extensive library, said to contain seven million books, lay underneath the guild, a labyrinth of knowledge for all to explore. Though people were closely monitored as they perused the massive collection, it was open to all by order of the kingdom's most renowned scholar, Cygnus Rift, who had decreed the following:
"Knowledge does not belong to a single man or group of them. Anyone with the ability to read has the right to do so, and anyone without has the right to learn, so that they, too, may indulge in the joy of curiosity."
Those were the words inscribed atop the doorway that led to the underground library. Brax wanted to explore all the books down that path, but knew it wasn't quite the time.
The left side of the main lobby had a mess hall full of various eats and exotic brews to try, while the right hosted a common area for adventurers to socialize, plan adventures, and relax in cushioned chairs. Dead center was a circular reception booth with several attendants helping anyone who sought information or had a job for the guild's members. Xinyu straddled over to the booth and started talking to the receptionist with short hair and a shy look.
"Hallo, pretty boyish woman!" Xinyu said, putting her elbow on the desk and sleeking her hair back. She might have deluded herself into thinking she looked suave and cool, but Brax couldn't help but feel embarrassed for her. He wondered if he should just pack up and head home.
"I am looking for a boat to the Moonless Terra," Xinyu continued. "Can you help me out?"
"I'm sorry, that land is off limits," the young lady said skittishly, trying to ignore Xinyu's awkward gaze. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"What a pretty face you have!" Xinyu said, getting even closer. "But there is something else. Can you find someone who knows how to get to the Moonless Terra? Perhaps you can get me in contact with the one known as Arthur, whom I have heard about from Kitsune. I believe it is the king of this nation."
The anxious receptionist wasn't sure if the weird girl was messing with her or was genuinely mentally inept. She shakily placed her hand under the desk, which held a small switch to call the nearby guards for help should she ever find herself in trouble. The device was quite useful with the number of unruly guests the guild got, considering they were completely open to the public.
"What business does such a little lady have with that harrowing place?" a gripping, yet firm voice interrupted. An elderly man stepped behind Xinyu as the receptionist breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed in her seat.
Xinyu turned around to see someone only a bit taller than herself, due to a slight hunch, and who had wrinkles scribbled all over his face. The man's wiry white hair was neatly kept, and the impressive beard that fell past his neck was a bit ragged, but was still in decent condition.
"Oh, that explains it," the old man said, cackling. "You're not from around here. Well, let me tell you, the Moonless Terra is very, very bad and forbidden. Is there somewhere else you can take your little adventure to?"
"No," Xinyu said. "It MUST be there. I know it is dangerous, but it is no problem for me. I am really strong. Can you tell me how I can get there?"
"What a peculiar girl," the man said. "I'm sure you're quite strong, but the answer is no."
"Before we go further, I would like to know who you are," she said.
"Why, the very man who fostered this guild from the ground," he replied, flexing his flabby muscles. "You could say I'm the big boss around here. But I'd like to know who you are."
"Uwah! So you are someone important!" Xinyu exclaimed. "That is funny since you do not look impressive, but then again, I would be very foolish to judge someone like that. I apologize for my lack of manners! The name that I carry with me is Xinyu Ma! Fortune to have found you!"
"Likewise," the guild master said. "Now, please stop harassing our dear Shayla here and be on your way. Unless you've got something else we can help you with."
"Is there nothing else you can do to get me to the Moonless Terra?" Xinyu asked.
"Hmm, you said you're strong, right?" the old man asked as he dug into his nose, trying to pick out some grime.
"I might be," Xinyu said. "But maybe I am weak. I do not know for certain."
"Trying to throw this ol' hound for a loop won't work," he said, laughing. "But, I do love a good fight. If you can prove yourself and beat me in a duel, then perhaps I can help you out a bit."
"Oho! How so?" Xinyu asked.
"I could arrange an audience with Arthur," he said.
"You can do that?" Xinyu asked.
"I'm more impressive than I look," the man said. "And as much as I'd like to make you someone else's problem, I don't intend on losing. Well lass? Shall we have a duel?"
"You shall not!" a robed assistant yelled from far back as he rushed to the guild master's side. "You may be the master of this guild, but you cannot simply do as you please all the time. As a matter of fact, you have a duty to uphold as a role model for all other guilds out there."
"Patooey, those overly concerned guilds can kill themselves!" the guildmaster yelled, spat, then let out a roaring laugh. "I never asked for such prestige. I'll continue doing what I want as I always have. That's how I started this place, and how I'll continue to run it! If you disagree, then you can die!"
When he shouted that, chants and cheers erupted in agreement from all around. Brax had heard about the guild's reputation on numerous occasions, but he never expected such a loud bunch led by a hot-blooded old man.
"Yes, I can sense your determination… it would be my honor to fight you," Xinyu said, bowing.
"I know," the guild master replied. "I'd be honored to fight me too."