We slowly rode along the street after the guards allowed us into the city. At least in here the streets were covered with cobblestone.
Well, cobblestone and horseshit.
As I looked around, I couldn't help but think that this was one hell of a burg. Bloody hell, it reminded me of what I'd read of actual medieval cities.
I was starting to believe Zrazta had had the right idea to begin with, we should have gone the other way towards the forest.
We'd just have a day's look around and see what we found and then we're out of here.
I glanced over at Zrazta. She looked around calmly and serenely. I may have blue hair, but she was the one who drew the majority of attention.
Beautiful woman in a bright white dress and long, brilliantly red hair would always draw looks, even on Earth, but especially here where the people around all looked like they had fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down before landing in a pigsty.
Not that she didn't look like a goddess normally, but the contrast made it even more apparent.
She looked over at me and met my eyes before she smiled slightly and turned to look around again.
Grinning, I did the same as we moved past a troop of soldiers in leather armour and carrying pikes, led by someone in a fancy hat and a steel chest plate moving the other way.
Ignoring the way they looked at my Consort, I looked up at the fortress up the hill. If there was anything interesting in this craphole of a city, it'd be in there.
No magic detected yet. Well, not here, the lizard people seemed to have plenty of it. But none here… maybe it was like Westeros where magic was rare.
In that case, this world was pretty useless.
"Over there?" Zrazta asked and nodded towards the left at the sign above a door of a tankard.
The place didn't look… too horrible? I'd slept in worse places.
I nodded. "Let's have a look, at least." and steered the horse in that direction to where a stableboy were waiting.
Climbing off, I looked at him. "Take good care of them and you'll find it worth a nice bit of coin."
He quickly nodded and said "Of course, Milord!" while clearly trying not to stare.
I handed him the reins and walked around to Zrazta, offering her my hand. She smiled and took it as she got off the horse, brushing her dress down.
"Let's see what we have?" she asked with a smile.
Nodding, I offered her my arm and then walked inside, pushing the door open. A warm fire roared in the fireplace, the scent of roasting meat filled the air along with smoke, mead and a bit of puke.
Round tables through the bottom of the bar/inn, about half filled with more or less rough figures, a bard of some sort playing in the corner on a lute.
Not bad. I'd seen much worse.
As we walked inside, the sound across the bar silenced as they turned to look in our direction. Seconds later, the only sound being that of the crackle of the fireplace.
The fat and balding man behind the counter, quickly putting down the tankard he had been polishing before hurrying over.
"My lord, My lady!" He exclaimed, "Please, welcome to my humble establishment!" bowed deeply, and continued: "Whatever can I get for you?"
Zrazta looked at him. "Your best wine and some food."
"Of course! Of course! This way, Milady!"
Mumbling to himself, he hurried across the inn, leaving for us to follow as he did his best to clean one of the tables with his apron before pulling the chair out for Zrazta.
Sitting down, she gave him a nod, crossing her legs and smoothing out her dress as the sound of the inn slowly started to rise again as the occupants started to talk again. Not that we (and with we, I meant mostly her) didn't still draw looks from time to time.
I settled down across from her as the innkeeper rushed off to serve Zrazta's order. This place was not quite as bad as it first looked. I'd both eaten and slept in worse places. But even so, I didn't like the way some of some of these primitive screwheads looked at my Consort.
If they tried something I would… well, mostly I would actually step back and watch the show before laughing at them afterwards.
Grinning at that thought, I raised my eyebrows at her. "Well?"
"Still don't see much of a point in this," Zrazta answered. "But you are right that there is no way to know that before we have had a look."
"Yep. Besides, we can always leave tomorrow if there aren't any signs by then," I agreed. "But how knows, maybe we'll get lucky?"
The door of the inn slammed open, the wind of the night causing the candles and fire to flicker as a shape filled the door. His cloak flowed in the wind as he strode inside, pointing his musket pistol in our direction, a silver sword in his other hand. "HERETICS!"
AN// Big thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this part.
