A Smidge of Magic

Chapter 55

The night in the woods had been spent around a muted campfire. And the following morning they emerged to view the splendor of the port city, Juscalius. The stretch of coast the city occupied was shining resplendently in the morning sun. A wall, easily a hundred feet high, of polished onyx closed off the landward side of the city. Turrets were spread out at periodic intervals along the wall, each one a stark white beacon that stood out against the black. Beyond the wall, stretched a city of white. The structures, towers, and castles were built from marble, making the city shine like a beacon against the sea.

"It's so the city can be seen from a distance at sea," Roland commented. "Makes it much easier to navigate during the day. And keeps the all-important harbor open."

The harbor was packed with ships of all kinds. Colossal ships of a hybrid familiarity, somewhere between modern oil tankers and the galleon ships of old. One reminded Ian of a Chinese treasure ship from the Ming Dynasty; a floating fortress of a city all unto itself. Those were docked far out in the vast harbor leaving room for the smaller local ships which were too numerous to count.

"This city was founded by pirates and as such carries on many of their traditions. Be on your guard when we are inside. Do not be fooled by the veneer of pleasantries, everything in this city has a price. If you enter into a barter, even unknowingly, and can't meet the price then you will be forced into bondage," Pandora said as they approached the city gates. Something in her tone suggested she possessed personal knowledge on the matter. "Only the authority of the Wyrm Sea Guard is recognized within these walls. And that, like everything else, is for sale."

As they approached Ian was able to discern more of the elaborate details of the cities hundred-foot wall. Many of the turrets had cannons packed in around their battlements. So many that even some of the window slits had cannons peeking out. Inside the defensive spires and along the wall men dressed in dark blue uniforms marched on patrol. The Wyrm Sea Guard.

Ian pulled his attention away as they joined the throngs of travelers on the main road. Swept up in the tide of Paragorians they soon reached the gate. The guards waved the masses through with only cursory glances into carts and packs. Weapons, food, goods, all were waved through with impatient gestures or sharp words. Every so often a guard reached into a pack and took food or an object that caught their eyes. No one seemed upset by the action; it was a quick demonstration of how the law worked in this city.

"Many of merchants here leave items in plain sight for the Wyrm Guard to take. It is a not so subtle bribe, and a way to ensure that a closer look isn't given to their wares." Pandora quietly informed Ian. He merely grunted in response. Corruption was no stranger to a man who'd grown up in D.C.

Ian's group passed into the city with ease. No one so much as batted an eye at them, even with Mal completely loose despite most animals in the city being caged or saddled. The city was laid out very differently than the orderly roads of Raxal. A spider's web of lanes and avenues that had grown too quickly and become a tangled mess lay beyond the gate. Streets stopped at building fronts, took sharp turns with no warning, or ended in cul-de-sacs with no way out but back. Rather than carriages people were riding horses, jungle cats that matched the horses in size, or bulky horned beasts that let out angry groans when anyone got too near. Everything felt cramped and personal space was nonexistent as they moved into the city proper.

A bell chime pealed through the city and the crowd thickened. The sheer number of sailors and passengers heading to their ships before they cast off without them created a rush hour in the maze of streets. Others still were coming in from the harbor to peddle their wares in the markets. Traffic jams formed, quickly followed by angry shouts and then brawls. It was chaotic, hectic, and reminded Ian of downtown D.C. once five o' clock rolled around.