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nope, sorry……I'm not Rukya butI cvan be dangerous too!
next one will be Cassianna, maybe, if she is not too busy creating posters
Interlude 2: A noisy city
t’s dawn when the caravan reach the main gate at the Libidinis City’s wall. Pass thorough the external gate wasn’t difficult, thanks to the documentation the chief of the caravan had with him. In fact, on it there was carved the authorization of the Prefect Signis for that small group of merchants to come to Libidinis and have a space reserved for their merchandise during the whole event of the Summer Festival. Indeed, this is the perfect cover for a small group of lycans like them to infiltrate in the city in researching for something and the fact they are all merchants can’t raise any suspect if they are going to ask too much information about others merchants or about people who live in the city or are there just to enjoy the festival.The guards at the gate let them pass after a fast examination of the document and a control on the list which was prepared for any outpost and which contain the name and the city where any merchant come from. Of course, the name of any member of that caravan was reported in it and this grant to them a not so long inspection of any wagon and of the merchandise inside them. Then, when the standard procedure is complete, the caravan can finally reach the spot reserved to it in the market.
The streets are still half empty at this hour of the day, but soon they will be full of life and of people coming from every corner of the Continent of Drakoonia who all came to Libidinis for the same reason: enjoy the wonderful and always funny Summer Festival of the city, the most important event in the whole continent. Being a free city, Libidinis can create and change very faster its and being in a crucial area for one of the most important kingdom of the continent, grant to it a great influence, despite the small extension of its territory.
Here, it’s possible to find people and goodness coming from every corner of the continent, so came here during the summer festival to collect information about the artifact all the lycans’ clan were looking for in the last century. And this is why the Master of the clan of the Sharpen moon had orders to some of his loyal and well prepared men to infiltrate in the city five years ago. The wait was long, but at last it worth the wait because finally there is a concrete possibility the artifact can be rescued once and for all and this is why Tyrus, the Master of the clan, and her loyalist men are here in the Free city of Libidinis.Finally, the caravan reach the area assigned to it by the coordinator of the market and, after had paid the fee established when the real owner of that caravan requested an area for him and for his four partners. Everywhere around them, the other merchants are busy preparing their stand to expose their goodness which came from every Kingdom of the continent: from Ghortan, from Lombrady and Romiria….and even from Swabia! It doesn’t matter if their kingdoms are in the middle of a war, all every merchant wants is to realized some excellent trades, spending few moneys to buy interesting products, but selling their for highest prices.
Of course, Tyrus and his men are not really interested in doing some good trades, even if them can help the economy of their clan, what they are looking for is the object which was recently discovered in the hands of a merchant here in Libidinis and which fit perfectly with the description of the artifact their ancestors were looking for centuries, after the end of the first great hunt to their race.Tyrus is looking all around him, a little disoriented by the chaos of the market, which is slowly getting more populates by people interested in what the stands can offer. Even some music is now filling the air, a clear sign of the fact that the whole city is finally waking up to live the first day of the Summer Festival, something Tyrus and the other lycans are not used. In fact, since they were child, they were trained to be the strongest and most prepared warriors, so they can able to face any menaces which can arrive from the other four clans and from the kingdoms of the continent, which always try to exterminate their race.
It was the voice of Hivraah which bring the attention of Tyrus back to the place where they are and on their mission.“Master, how we have to move now!?” Hivraah asks, with usual reverence he has for Tyrus.
“Mmmm….” Tyrus takes a short break to think at it, then continues “You will come with me, so we can learn about the structure of the city….meanwhile, the other will continue with the preparations for the stand! We can’t risk to be discover since the first day! And Hivraah….”
“Yes, Master!?” the young man replies.
“While we are in this city, call me with the name of that merchant….Alhinor, if I am not wrong!”
Hivraah nods at his Master and immediately inform the other three lycans about the dispositions gave to him by Tyrus, just to go back to him to takes a tour of the market, trying to get familiar with the place. There is really everything to buy in this place: furniture for houses, armors and weapons….even vegetables and flowers! It doesn’t matter what you are looking for, if it exist, it can be found here in Libidinis, this is for sure, especially nowadays, during this festival! And if you cannot find it in the market, all you have to do is reach the area outside the internal walls, right in front of the gate: merchants who can’t pay the high fee requested to have a reserved area in the market or who weren’t able to made the request in time, have their stands here and there are even more than how you can find in the market!
Again, Tyrus is concerning about how this city is far different from the world where the lycans live and grow. There is less than the half all of the things they can see here and for sure there are no futile things as flowers, in fact even the females exponent of their race are prepared to be a warrior, even if sometimes they are sent to humans town as spies. Of course, to do this they have to hide their true nature, something not always easy even for them, but at last, the elders of the clan had found a solution which grant them the access even to the most fortified places: sent them as prostitutes!
Which man or soldier can’t avoid to low his guard in front of a beautiful girl, especially after some glasses of excellent red wine in a tavern!? No one of course or, at last, there are just few men who can resist to the beauty of a female lycans, to don’t mention their wild sexual appetite! They can be insatiable, make sex for hours or even days, fooling every common men and let them fall at their feet, if they want it, and finally they obtain what they are looking for, accomplishing at their task and, why not!, bringing some money to the clan too!Of course, even in Libidinis there are lot of wonderful girls who are able to let lose the head to men and Tyrus is surprised to see them do that even under the sunlight, something he never had seen in all the other cities he visited during the whole forty-five years of his life. He was surprised even by the clothes they are wearing. Some of those girls appears as daughters of members of the upper middle class and not as desperate girls who try collect the money to survive just another day, living in the garbage of a so called “civilized city”! Again….this city is surprising him, but he can tells if he would like or not to lives in it!
Even Hivraah is shocked by what he can see, but being younger than Tyrus, for him is a little easy to get used by all of this and he must admit it….this city is really fascinating him, probably even more than how he was expecting! But now he can’t lose himself in the incredible style of life this city can offer, he and his brothers have a mission to complete and Master Tyrus isn’t the type of lycans who forgive so easily a failure and this is why he took the decision to lead this group in this mission personally.More they are going closed to the main square, more the city become animated: the shop along the street are already open for business, citizen and visitors are walking along the street, enjoying the happy atmosphere of the festival and even minstrels had became to sing their stories! Indeed the city is now full of life and both Tyrus and Hivraah are finally conscious of the reasons why this city is admired in secret as an ideal city by the population of the nearest kingdoms: apparently, there are no laws in this city and almost everything is permitted….so, how it was able to prosper so well from its foundation!?
There must be a secret behind this city, something which can attract the interest of a man of science, but not of them! Tyrus and Hivraah have their mission, all of this is just a damn distraction for them and their brothers and maybe, the search of the artifact will become more difficult than how they were expecting, especially if they finish to be caught by this atmosphere full of joy and happiness!“Hivraah, what did you think about all of this!? It can cause us some troubles for the mission!?
Hivraah doesn’t answer immediately, pondering well the situation and the words to use to replies to his Master. Then, when he have cleared his mind, he speaks.
“Alhinor, my lord, indeed this is not an atmosphere we are used during a mission….but for sure it will help to mix us with this crowd all around the city!”
“Mmmm, I presume you can be right….come, let’s continue the tour of this noisy city!”
And without waiting for Hivraah’s answer, Tyrus moves back to his steps, trying to leave the main square. Something not easy to do right now, with all the people which are filling it and all the streets, attracted by the songs of the minstrels and by some funny little shows offered by street artists, all gathered here by the possibility to collect a biggest amount of money during the festival.
Finally, after a couple of hours, they reach a most calm and quiet place, the little forest right in front of the monastery, one of the oldest structure realized in the city. It was build on the top of one of the two hills which dominate the city, in fact from here it’s possible to takes a look at the whole territory of Libidinis or, anyway, the one between the internal walls and the harbor. Here, finally away from the chaos which reign down the streets, Tyrus can takes a relieving breath, enjoying the quiet of the trees and the sound of the wind which is passing thorough their fronds. This city isn’t exactly the type of place where a man of his age would like to live, not during the season of the Festival anyway, but for sure it offers many attractions for his young subordinate, except Hivraah who was his most skilled disciple and the only one who never had betrayed his expectation.
“My lord, your water!” Hivraah says, interrupting his thoughts.
“Thank you, Hivraah, I really was in need of it!” Tyrus replies, taking a long sip of it from the leather’s flask Hivraah gave to him. Then, he turns again to his disciple.
“What did you really think of this city, Hivraah!?”
Of course, Master Tyrus didn’t really needs to know his impressions about Libidinis, but Hivraah is a member of the new generation and as many others of his same age, has grown looking at the world with different expectative than Tyrus and the other elders of the clan: this is one of the reasons why Tyrus wanted him as his right arm, just to create a stronger and solid link between the two generations. Of course, that wasn’t the only reason: despite his young age, Hivraah had prove to be the most well prepared member of the lycans at Tyrus service, plus he played an important role in some past missions who made him an example for the other lycans of his same age.
“I think this is a very interesting place, my lord. It has many things to offer to our clan, things we are not used and we never have consider as a priority….” Hivraah takes a break to sip some water, then continues “The music, those artists….and even the girls who live here….I like all of this and I would like to visit this city again, when our mission is complete!”
Tyrus stares at that young man, pondering at his words than, after had taken another sip of water, he talks again.
“As I tough….you and the young generation are fascinated by this bright world we had lost after the first big hunt!”
“Isn’t this the reason why we are collecting all the pieces of the artifact, my lord!? To give a bright future to the new generations!”
“As usual you are right, Hivraah….we are doing it for our Goddess and for our future! And soon our goal will be reached, if the information of our spies are true!”
“I’m sure they are….we sent here the best members of the clan, after all!”
They stares at the bright sky in silence, enjoying again the quiet of this place. Then, at last, Tyrus stand up taking the way for the street which lead down the hill.
“I think it’s time to go back to our stand….if we stay away from it too long, the guards can become too suspicious! Let’s go, Hivraah!”
“Yes, my lord!” the guy replies, immediately standing up and following his Master.
When they reach again the main square, they are surprised by the incredible amount of people reunite there and all watching at a strange magic instrument which is projecting some images in the air. Both curious, they try to get close to that unknown and mysterious artifact and what they see, leave them speechless: in the middle of the air, the images of a fight between a naga and a felinx are running faster, similar to a sequence of paintings in motion, giving to all the people in the square the possibility to follow that incredible fight which is running elsewhere. Anyway, it didn’t lasted too long before the naga was able to defeat her foe, winning the match.
“It must be the tournament….I heard there are contestants from every corner of the continent!”
“I think you are right, Hivraah…..and judging from what I had seen, there are some excellent fighters, between the contestants!”
Hivraah nods at his Master’s words, just to opens wide his eyes when Lady Dragon is announced and makes her entry in the arena to fight her match against a simple human. Even Tyrus is surprised by that incredible and strong creature. His eyes are shining while he watches at the match: his blood has begun to burn, feeling the excitement of a possible battle against a foe that can finally be at his same level, something which didn’t happened for a very long time. But at the same time, Tyrus perfectly knows she can be even one of the biggest obstacles to their mission, if their path will cross during the exploitation of it. Of course, even a creature as that naga can be a problematic presence, but Tyrus and his men had faced many of them in the past, but never a creature as that Lady Dragon!
“What did you think of her, Hivraah!?” Tyrus asks, with his eyes still glued on the visor.
“She can be a problem for us, Alhinor….maybe we have to investigate about her!”
“I agree….we need to know everything about her!” Tyrus replies, still watching at the match “But I must admit it….I would like to face a creature as she is!”
Hiwraah looks at his Master, surprised by his reaction. Usually, Tyrus didn’t reveal too easily what’s running in his mind and he can controls his emotions very well, but right now he appears different, as a kid who have just found his new favorite toy and he’s impatient to play with it.
“This strange city is getting interesting, Hivraah….and I’m sure it will gives us many other surprises!” after had told this he stop taking a look around, then continues “but it’s still too noisy, for my taste!”