Chapter 119: Shopping Spree (Patreon)

“Look! Look over here!” shouts Fresh excitedly as she tugs on Basil’s hand, dragging the priestess behind her as they make their way through the new city. Several hours had passed since she had woken up on her own and gone wandering, by the time she returned the others were awake and ready to set out as well. It makes Fresh a little nervous, but for the first time they are splitting up. Jubilee told her not to be a baby and she tried her best, but she still felt really anxious about it and practically clung to her friend who had then threatened to throw her off the mountain if she didn’t stop. Jubilee and Shamrock are heading through the town to look at properties and to work out how the market in this city runs, before they step on any toes again. Basil and Fresh’s plan is to explore the area and find shops of note and to buy a few provisions and other things that they need.

The priestess yelps as she is tugged to the side again, as she is dragged behind Fresh. “I found this earlier and I wanted to show you!” she says excitedly, pointing down from the ledge. Basil comes to her, to stand next to the waist-high railing as they stare down at the world below.

The western city up here on the mountain plateau is built on several layers. The mountain faces diverge off into all directions, opening up a few more flat areas that are built over. Fresh lifts a finger, pointing towards something odd. A giant hole in the side of the mountain. An ornately carved gate.

“Is that the dungeon?” asks Basil, squinting. Fresh shakes her head.

“No, I don’t think so, I think it’s just a tunnel, look!” she says and they stand there and watch silently for a while as people enter into the mountain and then minutes later, silhouettes of the same color emerge on the other side. The plateaus of the city are apparently connected by large, gigantic underground passages that run through the mountains. “I asked somebody before, apparently a lot of people live inside of the mountain!”

Basil looks at her and then up the side of the mountain the exterior of which is dotted with square cutouts in the rock-face. “Huh… that makes sense, I guess.” The woman looks around the area from their high vantage point. “Where’s the dungeon?”

“Apparently, it’s in the mountain too!” says Fresh excitedly.

“Oh… that makes sense. Wanna go take a loo- iah!” Basil yelps as Fresh drags her away excitedly, as they make their way down an inclined path which leads towards the large tunnel gate that they were looking at. The streets here are more narrow than the ones in the northern city and she hasn’t seen a single anqa or cart yet as they move through the busy roads. But they are just as full of bright, excited faces. In fact, the people here seem somehow less grim than those of the northern city. Perhaps because any somber expressions or sad looks could simply be turned towards the awe inspiring vastness of the world, which is visible from nearly every precipice and walkway. There is always something to look at. Something far off in the distance to wonder about.

The sun shines brightly, somehow even brighter than she had thought possible. Maybe because they’re higher up, so they’re closer to it? She doesn’t really understand, but it makes sense in her mind.

“Where are we going?” asks Basil. “I thought we were going to see the stores?”

“We will!” says Fresh, pulling the priestess along. “But you gotta see this!” They two of them weave between the busy crowds filling the streets. The lower plaza outside of the tunnel is surrounded by dozens and dozens of wooden stalls, lined with all manner of things.

“We should get the provisions!” yells Basil, talking over the loud crowd that they have submerged themselves in. It reminds Fresh a lot of the entrance plaza to the northern city.

“We can get them inside!” says Fresh, looking back over her shoulder as they run towards the giant gate, carved ornately into the side of the mountain. Fresh gazes up at it in awestruck wonder. The exterior rim is engraved with dozens of figures, all locked into a giant, indistinguishable turmoil. Some of them are fighting with each other, locked in an eternal fight. Others are helping those next to them climb higher and higher, yet all of them seem to share one thing in common. A desire to reach the top. The two of them enter into the tunnel.

Immediately, the air shifts. There is an echo audible around them and there is a strong breeze which comes from inside of the hole, as the wind pushes through the mountain from the other side, whistling loudly as it sheers along the intricately carved rock passages.

 The tunnel branches off in two directions. One path heads to the right, that’s the one they saw the adventurers go through on their way to the other plateau. The other branches left.

“Ah, I think the dungeon is this way,” says Basil, pointing up to a large sign at the crossroads.

“Yeah! But look!” Fresh pulls the priestess to the side, towards the left inner wall of the tunnel. Both sides of the underground passage are lined with giant glass windows and wide open doors. Giant signs hang outside of them and crowds wander in and out, trickling back into the flow of the people as they exit them and return to their adventures. Fresh points to one in particular that they are next to and presses her face against the window and stares in excitement through the glass, towards the colorful crystal ornaments inside of the shop.

A quiet vibration can be felt, its soft hammering shaking the glass ever so slightly as it sounds off with a rhythmic hammering. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Fresh stares at the clockwork shop before her, filled with all manner of decorations and ornaments, but also small toys and knick-knacks that move from side to side. A few dolls tilt left and right in unison with the swinging pendulum next to them, as the clockwork locomotion moves them all.

“Ah, I’ve heard of this,” says Basil, looking inside and standing next to her. “The wet-crafters here are really the best, you know?” Fresh nods, staring excitedly as a small crystal hovers past the window, shining with a pale, pastel light that covers the storefront window for a moment. “The mountain is a high-magic zone, so they’ve really made the most out of it. Look, there -“ Basil points to the crystal. “Those crystals get magic from the mountain. They use it to do all sorts of things.”

“It’s so cool!” says Fresh.

“Huh? Are you cold? I suppose it is rather chilly up here. Come on, let’s go find a tailo- IAH!” Basil lurches to the side as Fresh grabs her hand and drags her off down the left tunnel as they run past all sorts of shops on the way. Shops that Fresh never saw the likes of the northern city. Ornate jewelers, toy-makers, bookstores and even a confectioner that Basil only barely manages to restrain her from entering, reminding her that they need the money for more important things.

As they head down the left tunnel, walking with the crowds, the air becomes damper and a little thicker. But it’s not entirely unpleasant and it carries with it a softness that is a nice contrast to the sharp, thin mountain air outside. A soft trickling can be heard, the noise slowly distinguishing itself from the many voices of the crowd which intermingle with another, echoing around the giant tunnel.

“-id you ever figure out that puzzle?”

“Yeah, after like a week. The hidden wall really got m-“

“Aaaah! I love this new robe! It’s so sof-!”

Basil and Fresh step forward as the tunnel opens up into a wide cavern. Water cascades from the upper roof of the cavern, which has a small hole in it, raining down over the top of a giant, stone gate that stands in the center of the space. The mountain runoff trickles down the stone construction, breaking off into several small rivers that branch out on all sides and flow in all manner of direction like veins leaving a heart. A series of wooden bridges span over towards the small island that the dungeon stands on. Crystals, like the ones seen outside at night, float around near the ceiling and illuminate the entire area.

Fresh clenches her fists in excitement. “Wanna go check it out?” asks the girl, already running forward towards it. A hand grabs her wrists and pulls her back.

“Slow down. We shouldn’t go inside without the others,” scolds Basil. Fresh feels an innate desire to argue with the woman because she really wants to see this new dungeon and to figure out what it looks like and what kind of monsters it has. But Basil is right.

Fresh sighs, lowering her head. “Okaaaaay~”

Perhaps seeing that this is all very exciting, but not exactly productive, Basil apparently opts to take the lead and from then on keeps them on a strict regimen, so that they can fulfill their goals for the day. Fresh can’t help but wonder if the priestess isn’t treating her like one of the children that she had looked after. She is certainly being made to carry everything that they buy. Basil argues that it’s because she’s the only one with a bag, which the girl has nothing to say against. Though she does smile a somewhat smug smile as they pass a small stall outside of the dungeon and Fresh buys a bag for the priestess as well, slapping a silver Obol down on the counter and pointing to one hanging in the back, just like she had seen Jubilee do for her.

(Fresh) bought: [Adventurer’s Bag] {15L} for 100 Obols

Basil awkwardly takes it, asking her to not buy her things. Fresh sticks her tongue out at the priestess and says that she’s going to anyways. After that, the two of them run around, buying all manner of things. Their first stop is to collect simple provisions. Simple bars made out of dried meats and grains for when they’re in the dungeon or on the go. Then they move on to another stall covered in furs and fabrics, buying two normal sized bedrolls and one extra large one for their room. Depending on what news Jubilee and Shamrock come back with, they might be staying there for a while, so it’s maybe a good idea to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night at the very least. While they’re on the subject, Fresh asks Basil how she slept last night.

“Me? I slept really well, honestly,” says the priestess. “It’s nice to have a roof, you know?” She shrugs. “But I dreamt weird things.”

“Really?” asks Fresh. “Like what?”

Basil looks at her and then awkwardly waves her hands, changing the topic. “It’s not important, come on, we still have a lot of stuff to get! I’m dying to finally wear some fresh clothes,” says Basil and to Fresh’s surprise, the woman now grabs her hand and drags her along as they run together towards the next store on their list.