The Homeseeker: An Elemental Adventurer LitRPG

Chapter 26 - Poppyville

Rep explained to Zalan that the town they were approaching was called Poppyville, named after the flowers that were surrounding it. Zalan couldn't tell any one flower from another. He accepted that there were probably a lot of poppy flowers amongst the differently colored flowers surrounding the city.

It was a beautiful entrance, lined with multicolored, complimentary gardens that invited travelers within. Though there was a small wall surrounding the outside of the city, similar to Oriton, there were vines spotted with flowers all across it, like the wall was partly alive. The city had a small moat running around it, not large enough to stop any serious invaders, but Zalan quickly deduced it was used as irrigation for the flowers in and around the city. As they approached the gates of Poppyville, Zalan noticed that the guards had roses emblazoned on their tunics. Two men leaned over to look down at them.

"Business?" one of them asked cordially.

"Passing through," Gorb replied, equally relaxed.

"Where to?" the guard continued.

"The Castle of Docrun," Gorb said.

"Artifact hunting?" the guard asked.

"Yes."

The other guard looked over the group skeptically.

"Are you aware there is a dragon up there? Flies over us occasionally. It is rather large," the guard asked.

"We are indeed aware," Gorb nodded. "Four of us are Elementally Powered."

"And all of you are above Level Five, I hope, to take on your average dragon," the guard said.

The comment gave Gorb pause. Fran was the only one in their party over Level Five.

"Why does that matter?" Gorb asked.

"A dragon is far too powerful for any group weaker. Even a few Level Seven travelers we spoke to struggled to flee with their lives and limbs. And they did not even make it to the dragon," the guard replied.

"Come off it, Aldric," the first guard scoffed. "We do not need to interrogate their abilities or plans after the city, only their intent."

"Bah, fine. You're too serious, Egbert," Aldric crossed his arms. "What is the word out there? Any trouble? We saw smoke some time ago."

"We had a run in with Boznoks," Fran said.

"The den?"

"The den," Fran nodded.

"And you fought or fled?"

"Fought," Fran said, though there wasn't any pleasure in her response.

Aldric looked them over once more, a new appreciation in their observations.

"Not so much as a scratch after a fight with a Boznok Den? Maybe your group can take on a dragon," Aldric mused.

"What did I just say about evaluating their abilities?" Egbert asked.

"Fine, fine," Aldric waved him off, rolling his eyes. "Anything else worth reporting? Nearby dangers we should be on the lookout for?"

"The Mind of Madness passed through the forest beyond the meadow when we were on our way through," Gorb said.

"What way was it headed?" Aldric asked seriously, his companion immediately tensing up.

"To the East. Away from the city," Gorb replied. The two guards relaxed greatly.

"Did it hit any of you?" Egbert asked, curious.

The four looked to Zalan and waited for him to answer. Zalan didn't want to share, but the looks from his companions were very clear to the guards.