𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘. 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍.
It's the beginning of a new age when Jaylah Imperatrix seemingly returns from the dead to reclaim her throne. And in perfect timing.
In her absence, evil has be...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Act 1 Chapter 8 JAYLAH
When we exited the cartographer's shop, I was very aware of the eyes I attracted. The swords strapped to my back were an obvious point of concern for them. But that was not the only thing that made me stand out.
Contrary to the Oceanics, Celantians tended to have much more traditional ways, especially when it came to clothing. Seeing a woman in pants was unusual for them. I could respect that it was a part of their culture, but if anyone tried to make the case that they were only to be worn by men, I would not hear it.
Despite the difference in cultures, I found I quite liked it here. From the few encounters we had, the people were overly friendly and hospitable. Chimes rang in the breeze, flowers grew everywhere, and the many winding roads were far from cramped and dirty, as one would expect. It gave the entire place a homey, peaceful feel, similar to something out of a fairy tale.
Khan and I walked through the city of Aurora and into the next town until the sun began to hover dangerously low over the sea, barely visible in the distance. Neither of us said much; there was nothing to be said.
The two of us had come to an unsteady agreement, but I was unsure how long it would last. The mercenary certainly wanted to go to the Cape of Luck, but he had been extremely secretive about his reasons. For all I knew, he could be planning to lead me into an ambush with the rest of Daggen's men. Or he could give away my identity and watch as I was dragged away by bounty hunters. Now, he no longer had to kill me himself to be rid of me.
Because of this, I kept him in my sight at all times. For whatever reason, he was strangely well-behaved the entire rest of the day.
We were on the outskirts of the second town when I spotted a hanging sign advertising rentable rooms in an inn. After walking all day, we certainly needed somewhere to sleep.
Khan followed me inside, but breezed by me to get to the front desk. Before I could stop him, he put down a small stack of paper money he thought I had not noticed him pickpocket from a passing elderly gentlemen. "A room for one on the ground floor."
Though he spoke to the woman, his eyes stayed on me the entire time. He knew exactly what he was doing. I set my jaw, knowing he was trying to undermine my authority.
The woman dropped the key into his awaiting hand. "Have a peaceful night, Imperatrix," he said in Oceanic, knowing that was now not possible. I watched him leave, hoping he could feel the withering glare I was leveling toward his turned back.
I stepped up to the desk. The woman began listing off the various amenities the inn offered—even telling me I could have a meal brought to my room—but I asked, "How many exits does this building have?"
