>>6225024>“I will wait no longer. I am going in now.”“Well, the toll…” The goon starts. His allies have ceased their looting of the merchant’s cart to share uneasy glances with each other. This job had been fun when they were able to throw their weight around, but none of them seemed to enjoy the prospect of a fight with you.
>“Tell your boss that Tristain d’Rusalka has arrived at Shangri-La. I am certain he would not charge an old friend for passage.”“An old friend? You’re from the same place he is? Well, uhh…maybe you can tell him yourself.” The goon says. The way he saw it, if you were telling the truth, then letting you in would do no harm. And if you were lying, he was hoping Klement would dispose of you as a fellow competitor. Either way, not having to fight you himself was a win-win situation. “We’ll just throw this man out of your way and let you be off.”
“That won’t be necessary.” Alvin says, stepping in. He produces a signed letter from within his cloak. “I am Adjunct Alvin of the Royal College. I will pay for this man’s passage. This is a letter granting you authority to charge the fee directly to the College’s coffers.”
The goon grabs the letter and, likely being illiterate, pretends to read it. Earlier he’d called himself part of a gang, and that he and others of his ilk had been united by Klement. It seems that you weren’t the only one who’d been making allies of the locals. From the sounds of it, Klement had won several lowlifes over to his cause, gaining considerable manpower. After the goon has finished his charade, he relents, visibly disappointed that he will not be able to loot the merchant’s persimmons.
The merchant begins profusely thanking Alvin for his generosity, only stopping when you give him a sharp look. Catching the point, he quickly scurries off and heads inside, clearing the way for you and the rest of your group to enter Shangri-La. As Fionn would be unable to fit through the door, you dismount your companion and bid him off. The wyvern was smart, certainly brighter than these underlings, and took off into the sky. You had no doubt he’d return once you had need of him again.
Entering the double doors of Shangri-La, you are greeted by the strangest sight you’d seen yet in this land. Inside is a vast, grand hall, as far as the eye can see. Various tables have been set up within this massive room, and a crowd of people gather over each one, fussing over them busily. Scantily-clad women and men saunter throughout the halls, carrying serving trays filled to the brim with food and drink. Laughter and raucous noise greet your ears, as does the sound of instrumental music coming from the upper levels of the palace’s halls. A variety of aromas waft through your nose, including perfume, meat, smoke, and sweat.
