The City on the Plains

The road was a well-worn dirt and gravel path that led through the forest. We had been following this road through the green canopies of the forests for five days after leaving the town of Boardoe. Yesterday around midday, we finally left the edge of the forest and found ourselves on a cobbled roadway. Wheatfields dominated the surrounding area. Their green stalks coating the rolling plains evidence that the harvest was still a few months away. We passed small settlements of farmers every so often as we made our way along the imperial highway.

"Look there, Honey!" Luna pointed to a grey speck on the horizon. "Is that Regrad?" I strained my eyes to make out more detail, but at this distance, it still looked like a grey smudge to me. Luna looked at me and patted my head, "Yup, it is. I sometimes forget that beast people have better vision." I rolled my eyes at her teasing as I pulled up the map on my HUD. It looks like we are still five or so kilometres away. Looking at the time displayed at the edge of my vision, I confirmed it was around one o'clock in the afternoon. Perfect, we would still make it with plenty of time for entry.

After a few more hours of travel along the main roadway, our carriage rattled up to the gate. We were now before a large armoured gate that currently was cranked open. Standing either side of the gate were guards of the city. Spreading out from the portcullis were grey stone walls, standing 10 metres tall and spreading outwards as far as we could see. Reaching the back of the line awaiting entry, there were a half dozen carriages ahead of us, plus a second line of people on foot. I sat in the right hand of the coach seat while Luna held the reins as I got myself ready to hand over our identification to gain entrance to the city.

Reaching the front of the line, a surly-looking guard approached our carriage. Great, it looks like I will have to deal with another pain in the ass guard. "Reason for visit." Matching his severe expression, his conversation starter was curt. "Adventurers. On a quest. Here are our tags, her ownership papers, and our Guild writ of service." I handed over the four items as I pulled up the guard's info on my HUD.

Thomas, Level 4, Status Condition: Hungover.

Well, that explains the attitude. The guard quickly checked through the documents. He handed them back with a nod, "Thanks for the cooperation. Also, the young miss might be best off with a robe on to cover her tail and ears. Been bad goings-ons around town with the beast-folk lately."

"Thanks for the heads up. I need to go to the abbey for my Guild assignment, mind pointing the way?" Thomas explained that if I look to the right once through the gates, it would be obvious. Luna encouraged the horses to go forward, bringing us slowly through the gate.

On the other side of the gate was a 500-metre expanse of open land. This swathe of land was used for animal husbandry and industrial production outside of the walls that held the city's urban core. While stables, grazing animals, and shepherds lay to the left, we were greeted with a magnificent sight on the right. The land crested slightly as if a god had reached down and made a stand to place upon it the abbey. A stone brick walled collection of dormitories, chapels, libraries and hallways, it was what I expected, just on a larger scale. Halfway along the half-kilometre of road between the outer and middle defensive walls lay the road that led to the abbey.

We followed the roadway to our destination. Approaching the abbey, we passed through several orchards, and every so often, there was a plinth upon which stood a marble statue of what looked to be saints or revered beings of some sort. Blocking our path was an iron gate. Before we even had a chance to hop down from the carriage to see if the gate could be opened, a bald man in sackcloth robes came jogging out to the gate. He called out, "Just gimme a moment to open the gate for you, sir. Mother ----- has been expecting you." He cast some chantless magic that interacted with the gate causing runes to flash across its surface. Rather than swinging open, the gate appeared to melt into the ground below itself.

The monk-like man came up to the horses and clipped on a lead, which he then used to lead our carriage further inside. I checked the man's status; he was a Level 1 'Brother of the Church,' named Van. Van escorted our carriage along a fully paved driveway. At the end of the path was a round-about, where it appeared guests were meant to park. Van brought the carriage to a stop under a covered area right outside the main entrance of the abbey buildings. He snapped his fingers, and at the sound, two younger-looking Brothers came out of a small door next to the grand entrance. They carried buckets of water and oats. The two men immediately started to care for our horses without a word of direction.

Van glanced my way, where I nodded to express my permission and my appreciation. Van gave me a smile back, "If you would please follow me." He walked to the front doors, where the guards standing at attention on either side reached in to open it. Without a pause in his step, Van continued forward. The insides of the front entrance reminded me of cathedrals and the like from my old world; Polished stone floors, artwork in the form of statues, frescoes and paintings decorating the walls, and chandeliers lighting the entire scene.

We followed Van as he led us through a series of winding, twisting hallways. Our footsteps loudly resonated as we passed a multitude of doors, some closed and some open, revealing libraries, classrooms, chapels, storerooms, and a multitude of other rooms. "How many people live here?" I asked Van. "Roughly five thousand live here in the dormitories and housing. Plus, we have a few thousand pilgrims from the city and visiting from afar on an average day. We are the largest area of worship in the whole continent.' Van grandiosely explained. "Impressive." My acknowledgement made Van puff his chest and assume a more rigid posture as we continued through the campus.

Finally, we reached the end of a particularly ornate hallway, at the end of which sat a large double door. The set of doors were made of a dark brown wood and looked to be fifteen centimetres or thicker. A beautiful scene that depicted a council of gods shaping a planet had been masterfully carved across the twin doors. I assumed this was the Mother Superior's office. Van knocked on the door with three sharp raps before standing to the side.

"Enter." A woman's voice rang out. The voice sounded as if it belonged to a mature woman, without sounding miserly. I could hear an equal mix of maternal patience and unquestioned power in her tone. Van bowed and motioned for us to enter. I pushed open the doors, Luna following close behind me. Her body was exuding a tense awareness as she kept herself vigilant in the unknown circumstances.

Standing behind a large desk was the Mother Superior. She wore a habit as was to be expected from a woman of the cloth. However, unlike those worn by the majority of the sisters we passed on our way here, her outfit was not a simple green. Her position was manifest through the regality of the finely detailed golden filigree that decorated her dress/robe hybrid. Her face revealed her age to be around middle age but was still radiant in its beauty. She had piercing blue eyes evaluating me from behind a pair of bottom-half-framed eyeglasses. Sitting below those eyes were her freckle-speckled cheeks which still had a youthful glow to them. My HUD display popped up next to her. A small red exclamation mark in the corner of her AR status window alerted me of a potential combat threat.

Name: Aberdeen

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Age: 47

Class: Cleric, Mother Superior

Level: 10

Stats

HP: 230/230

MP: 400/400

Strength: 14

Agility: 12

Stamina: 14

Intelligence: 18

Wisdom: 20

Charisma: 18

Skills

Mace Mastery (Level 3)

Self Defense (Level 5)

Triage (Level 5)

Heal (Level 5)

Area Heal (Level 4)

Prayers for the Living (Level 5)

Prayers for the Dead (Level 5)

Oration (Level 4)

Education (Level 4)

Inspect (Level 3)

Botany (Level 2)

Brewing (Level 4)

Massage Therapy (Level 3)

As my eyes locked with Aberdeen's, I got the notification that she used her Inspect skill on me. I was not worried as part of my skill set was to set what people of varying levels of Inspect skill would see. I knew she would see a less impressive (yet still imposing) version of my abilities.

Name: John

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 20

Class: Adventurer, Magebreaker

Level: 10

Stats

HP: 300/300

MP: 220/220

Strength: 16

Agility: 14

Stamina: 18

Intelligence: 17

Wisdom: 14

Charisma: 12

Skills

Passive

Magical Comprehension (Natural, Mid)

Gauntlet Mastery (Level 4)

Magic Vision (Level 2)

Active

Dispell (Level 3)

Ground Smash (Level 3)

Elemental Fist (Level 3): Current elements acquired: Water, Electricity, Fire, Air, Earth, Light.

Hardened Skin (Aura) (Level 2)

Alchemy (Level 3)

Botany (Level 3)

Fabrication (Level 3)

I watched as her eyebrows slowly crept up her forehead as she read through my status. By the time she had reached the end, her eyebrows had almost made it up to her hair covering. I smiled at her as I held back my laughter, thinking about how she would react if I had not hidden my actual status. "Welcome, John. It is nice to have a Brother-Mage Breaker in our midst, But if you would forgive me, I don't remember hearing of such a singular young talent under any of the martial temples nearby. Not to mention one who has also become an adventurer. Which of the Gods do you fight under the watch of?"

I watched as the sharp glint of a predatory bird glint in her eye as she found a fascinating anomaly in front of her.

"I serve Jupiter as all things must. Blessings, Sister-Mother, if you have the time for me to regale you with my tale of coming to be here, then I would be happy to tell it."

"I have all the time for it. Please take a seat," Aberdeen gestured to the leather sofas behind us. Luna and I took a seat together on one while the Mother, carrying a tea set she had evidently prepared just before our arrival, sat across from us and served us tea.

Clearing my throat, I started to explain my fictitious backstory, "Well, I was born far from here..."