Elric looked at the man in front of him. The man was the age as Elric. It was weird that the man was drinking coffee at this hour. It was already 6:00 PM. Elric did not trust anyone now. He took a seat by the window. Kept a fair distance from the man.
"I will pay you back later" Elric said calmly.
The man name sila replied "No need. When I first came here someone helped me too. I am used to helping others well."
Elric nodded. He wanted to know things. The man beside him could probably answer Elrics questions. Even though the man seemed a bit unreliable Elric thought he might be more trustworthy than others because they were the age.
After thinking for a moment Elric spoke, "cerulean Stone..."
The young man named Sila slowly sipped his coffee.
"The smallest unit is Crown. Then it goes up to Drops. You need 20 Crown to exchange for 1 Drop 12 Drops for 1 Sel and 10 Sel for a cerulean Stone." Sila explained
Elric listened carefully. He had been overcharged for sure. He had found an cerulean Stone while traveling through the pink desert. What luck.
"What do you already know? Tree of life? Lexeon?" Sila asked
"I do not know anything all."
Sila sighed. "I was going to explain. If you know nothing it will take forever. I am not some NPC who hands out information you know." He pointed north. "Head that way. You will find a library. Go look it up yourself. You have eyes and a brain. I do not need to explain. There is no fee unless you borrow something."
Elric gave him a sarcastic glance. Cursed be, why bring it up, were you too lazy? At least I thought I would get some useful info. First time I've met someone like this.
He brooded, irritated. He would have desired to get answers right now since he could not bear not knowing. He enquired because he believed that the guy was a good guy. Perhaps I ought to have inquired of another or does he want me not to trust to blindly people?
The library read would most likely provide information that was more accurate than what some stranger would say. And the majority of the population of the demon realm were likely to have been guilty of some sort of thing already. There are not many who would arrive here without having done anything wrong.
Elric caught the will of the man. The face of Sila stiffened then turned to a smile of excitement.
"You are a sharp guy. I didn't even utter a word, and you managed to figure the thing out so fast."
Elric knew not whether Sila had intended it so, or he was simply really too lazy to tell Elric, and pushed him off. He did not know what type of a person he was. Nevertheless, he did not mind, as long as it did not concern him or his life was in danger.
Soon after, Elric was brought forth his food, five varieties of new meat, mashed potatoes, queer vegetables, bread, perhaps chicken eggs. It was like human world food, but he knew it must not be so vegetables, chicken, meat, even the bread.
Yet this was a well balanced meal. He did not mind so much people could eat it, and he could, even though it might have been of strange animals.
He slowly took a bite. The initial taste caused him to stop. The texture was less rough than anticipated. The potatoes that he had smashed were velvety and creamy like he had never experienced anything as good. The strange vegetables were crisp, with a faint sweetness which was counterbalanced by a slight bitterness. Every kind of meat was distinct in taste–some juicy, some rich and savoury, others smack of unknown spices that woke up all his senses. The tastes were a perfect combination and he was unable to stop eating, it seemed to him that his body had been starving long enough. It did not taste like food of the human world, but it was much better.
It was totally different, but better. It was so good.
Sila casually drank his coffee as Elric chowed the meal in his hunger. When he was done with his evening drink he spoke with anticipation.
"Let's be friends!"
And when Elric heard the word 'friend' a shiver crept over all his body. He smiled coldly.
"No."
No. Never in this world.
Sila glanced at him with surprise, but he made no further inquiry, turning his head away to look out at night.
Being of the same age, it should be easy to make a friend and that is what Sila must have thought. Elric believed as well. But he didn't want friends. Due to his past. There was a single, sole friend of his, who had destroyed his life.
To Elric friend was an unwanted word. He did not like paying the 'price' that it came with as before. But making friends, as he continued, one day he would become accustomed to it, and cease to love whatever price should follow.
Fortunately, the other man did not continue with the subject.
An hour later Elric devoured it like a hungry devil stuffing his face It was natural after all, having been so long without food. He finally cleared it all with haste regardless of the huge amounts.
They did not talk during supper, but after his eating was finished and he was about to sleep, Sila talked again. "It is about 18:30, would you like to go and see the city? I shall be thy guide."
Elric assented, and rose. He had to have somebody to assist him.
…
A lot had been built and developed by the first hundred pioneers since they had arrived. Out of a savage, despondent land, hope had slowly come into being. The years were first counted from their arrival as A.E.—After Exile, Year 1.
However, this time around a new system was in place, beginning with some disastrous incident. It was not known what happened--the books were lost or burnt. It was referred to as A.S.–Age of Silence.
It was now March 3, A.S. 1741.
In the case of Mortiforagan, it was part of four sub-cities of 'the seven main cities', which were referred to as the main seventh. The latest sub-city was Mortiforagan, which was founded, October 25, A.S. 1521, under the city of Oubliette.
It was initially constructed as the most secretive and mysterious city- a fallback base of the human race in case the main seventh was destroyed by the demons. It was secret because it was where no one could see it: the pink desert, a huge, dangerous region as big as a world, with which one can lose their way and in which there is a myriad of untried hazards. No lingering-place.
Knowing which, Elric was glad. His fortune was still keeping him- he had emerged out of that nightmare.
Sila provided him with a little history and then they resumed their explorations. The city had the capacity to accommodate about forty thousand individuals. It may not be compared with capitals or large areas but taking into account their being playthings, such size was incredible.
Four thousand years had no one escaped the demon realm.
Elric did not give much thought to the city before, but concentrated on his wounds. However, no longer quite well, he was feeling better.
It was now evening, near 7 PM, and showed a beauty that was different with the day.
Through a stone gate they entered the city. The ground was warm yet not excessively hot due to the sun. Sand flew by their feet by dry winds. Elric drew his eyes shut to make his eyes accustomed to the low light, and looked forward.
It was not any city which he had seen.
Stone buildings in sand color were crowded side by side, like glued. The small windows were so shaped as to prevent the sunshine rather than the air. Old fabric was used in balconies and it fluttered. There was creaking of wood overhead.
He strolled further into the main street.
It was alive in the city though night had fallen. There were shouts, laughter, bargaining, the clang of metal on metal voices all about. As he turned a corner the odor of street food struck him–hot, sharp, cool, acute.
The streets were lined with stalls, and the glass bottles filled with pink powder were piled high up. A thick looking lady was waving at him with a big smile with darkened teeth. He could not quite make out what she said, evidently attempting to sell something.
He shook his head, and went on.
It was soon replaced by the sound of hammer striking metal. One of the men was a muscular man standing by a forge with sweat streaming down his bare back. He lifted up his hammer, and gave a blow. His face, so expressionless, was mirrored in the flames. Sparks shot like orange stars and disappeared in the sand.
They paused, and watched lines of weapons-swords, spears, armor, and weird carved pieces of metal.
A more distant store attracted his attention. There was no noise, no smoke–there were only faint glowing lights floating in the air. There were shelves with glass orbs that were swirling with light. A shrivelled old man sat with a pair of tweezers and wrote, or chased something with his point, a pale light following him and disappearing.
They hesitated a moment, and then went off into the middle of the market.
The audience was thick, knees bumping. A brown skinned fellow was haggling with a silver haired trader. A white child was running, and a fluffy chased him. One of the women had bronze skin, and was weighing dried meat on an ancient scale.
Guessing, he thought, the children were born here. The human world had no one who is below 18 who could go into the demon realm. Birth, here was tantamount to plunging a child into hell- they had to make the best of themselves as soon as they were born.
Each had his own reason.
But no one stopped.
Life here was never ceased.
Elric passed through the press into a less busy street. Houses became taller and prevented light. The air chilled a little. Sila followed, and could not follow Elric in his curiosity.
The scent was different now spices and smoke were replaced with bitter medicine and herbs.
He raised his gaze to a wooden sign, and threw open the door.
Inside was a hospital.
Soft groans echoed. Individuals adorned in pale robes were fast but orderly. The room was lined with beds. Others lay motionless; others gritted the teeth. The smell of drugs and blood.
He went no farther he had been here before. This was the only hospital in the city.
After some time he closed the door silently.
The light had become even dimmer out of doors, now it was well into the evening.
Two hours elapsed, and he was not yet ready to see it all. Curiosity impelled him to inhale deeply, and look in another street.
It resulted in a residential locality.
The noise was relegated to ordinary life. One of the women was drying herbs on a cloth, one man was sharpening a knife, two children were racing around in the shade. Their laughter was so muted compared with that at the market, but somehow more distinct.
Houses were crowded together, with some roofs joined in slender walkways. Shadow was lying over the streets.
And there was a school, but not to school--it was shut. Sila told him it was to train to fight and survive.
Taverns, training grounds and so on were nearby.This spot. was more quiet.
This place… was quieter.
But not empty.
It was silence that breathed.
Elric hesitated, glancing about him.
He moved north, and groups of them formed guilds.
"It has seven principal organizations, with branches in all the human cities. You have to belong to one of them at first you have to have an ID, and benefits, and discounts. You can be with more, you see, when you get stronger" Sila said carelessly.
Elric nodded. "What organizations have we? And which one are you in?"
"There are signs just look up. about me, I should prefer you not snoop. but ok. I am in the Survivor Guild."
Elric smiled, and his face twicked at the attitude of the man. He was difficult to figure out. Elric did not wish a lengthy talk, and wandered around. The guilds were disbanded.
Each had distinct designs. Above, descriptions below. There were seven:
The Survivor Guild: handles events, gathers information, hunts multi-crystal beasts, and deals with demons when possible.
The Guardian Guild: defends cities against demons and monsters, and rids the cities of treasonous men who are demon-worshippers.
The C2C Guild: researchers who study all the possibilities, hoping to discover some means of returning to the world of man.
The Explorer Guild: map locations, evades battles, catalogs the major sites, occasionally follows the locations of demons, works on the ground and underground in all seven hells.
The History Guild: investigate everything, cultures, traditions, lost knowledge and historical evidence.
The support Guild: doctors, psychiatrists, pharmacists healing and helping others, coordinating where necessary, between cities.
The Infiltrator Guild: disguised themselves in demon cities, collects information, sabotage internally.
When Elric knew all, he thought. He would be part of one, but which one?
It is not the time to make judgement. He continued exploring.
In the north was a big open space, as in a park, and a great library. It appeared to be open, and he was too weary, so he would come tomorrow.
The guards were at all times in the city, presumably of the Guardian Guild. The walls were enormous and beyond them was an open dome.
"This dome is camouflage. Rank 7 lexecon Indifference pathway" Sila explained
Elric nodded. The man hardly ever spoke, although he said he would guide him.
And this city was a city of balanced contradictions–chaos and order, desolation and life.
But it was late. He had to rest after more than three hours of exploration.
In summary: the south was markets and industry, east and west residential areas, schools and training grounds, and the north the guilds, library and park.
The city was located in the pink desert, which was difficult to leave, as well as difficult to be discovered by the demons because of the landscape and the obscured dome.
It was incredible. His house was close at hand in the middle of everything, so he could travel easily, but probably, it was also costly. The hospital he went to was ten minutes away and the restaurant he went to was twenty minutes away.
At his own place of abode Elric waved good-bye. Thanks as I was shown around.
Sila didn't reply. He glanced at the housing of Elric, and smiled.
Elric was not at his ease at once.
"Do you live here?" he said teasingly.
Sila nodded slightly.
The man was difficult to get along with, strange possibly even mad according to Elric. It was bad news to have him in the same lodging.
He really didn't want to see him again.