Chapter 157: The Beastfolk City 2

Varghelm’s streets, unlike those of Wolfeim, were busy with caravans, merchants, wandering civilians and a cacophony of sights and sounds all melding into one. The smells of roasting meat and freshly baked bread mingled with the rich scent of exotic flowers. Crowds of people bustled down the cobbled road, some discussing their wares or haggling over a meal, others walking thoughtfully to their destination, chatting to passers-by as they went.

Unlike in Wolfeim, Varghelm wasn’t inhabited solely by wolf beastmen. Tanaka saw a large-bodied bear beastman loading boxes of merchandise onto a delivery van outside a warehouse. A red fox woman was discussing pricing over a pile of enchanted pendants with a merchant and, just farther along the street, a pair of rabbitfolk were hurrying past with a bundle of leaf medicine and a tiger beastman was arguing over a spear with a wolf smith outside a weapon shop.

Tanaka turned slowly, taking it all in. "Many races," he said at length, surprised by the city’s density. "It’s the capital city," Garric said, "so it’s normal to see representatives from different parts of the Beastfolk Lands. Some only stay for a few days but others settle in permanently." "You see a lot of wolves," Tanaka said. Garric nodded.

"The wolf clans are the largest single group in Varghelm and most prefer to stay here, but the smaller clans also have their own district so they have access to the greater facilities of the capital," Garric explained. Tanaka turned to observe the city. He was beginning to see why it had drawn the attention of the royal court. It wasn’t simply a seat of government but also a commercial exchange where officials from different lands had come to conduct business with the Wolf King and his officials.

Tanaka was just taking stock of the people when he spotted a group of beastfolk standing in a loose semi-circle around a fountain. The man in the middle raised his staff and began chanting. "Breath of the heavens, gather beneath my command. Let flowing water answer the call of the river, and let its course remain pure," he chanted.

Tanaka watched as magic filled the space around his outstretched staff, a circle of glyphs hovering between him and the fountain. Thin streaks of blue mana left the markings, weaving around the staff before it, in turn, fed the magic into the fountain, causing the water to spiral upwards into the air in jets of liquid. The audience all clapped as the water broke up, flowing into the basins of the fountain.

Tanaka was fascinated by the way the man channeled mana through his words and the magic circle. It reminded him most of the way Nira cast her spells. They weren’t entirely the same but the methods were similar. Magic wasn’t a question of ability as much as it was a matter of learning, understanding the way the magic needed to be channeled and focusing it through proper technique and words, even if it had been gained through evolution rather than cultivation.

"There’s a water mage keeping the fountains and wells around this district clean," Maeryn explained as Tanaka turned away from the fountain. "He gets a regular salary from the city and the magic’s further reinforced by other enchantments so it never falls below standard levels." "You actually pay mages to keep clean fountains flowing?" Tanaka asked. "Of course we do," Maeryn said. "Don’t you?" she asked.

Tanaka opened the mouth of his bag, revealing an enchanted lamp, three rune plates and a book titled Introductory Spells. "Let me guess, you bought a book?" Garric said. Raising his eyebrows, Raizen grinned and shook his head in mock dismay. "You can’t even read it in this form," Raizen said.

"Tanaka could change his physical form," Raizen pointed out. "Ah, but that wouldn’t be practical," Garric said. Tanaka pretended not to hear Raizen’s mutterings. This city was unlike anything he had expected, and he was eager to learn more.

They continued along the road, past shops specializing in enchanted tools, medicines and herbs - then onto a building where a group of beastfolk mages were teaching young apprentices their magic. Tanaka kept stopping to take notes, asking questions until Garric was wishing he hadn’t insisted on bringing a royal guest around. "You ask too many questions," the deputy chief muttered. "It interests me," Tanaka insisted. "Everything is so advanced here."

"I’ve been getting information about every second shop we passed!" Garric complained. "And I’m finding out something interesting about every second shop," Tanaka retorted. Raizen peered into the small leather bag Tanaka was carrying. "What did you buy this time?" Raizen asked. Tanaka poked it open just enough to reveal a pair of enchanted lamps, three rune plates and the book.

"Bought a book," Raizen said, dumbfounded. "Yes," Tanaka said. "Can you actually read it?" Raizen asked. Tanaka bounced happily on the balls of his feet. "Of course I can! I can transform into something that can read, if that’s what you mean!" he exclaimed. "Not what I meant at all," Raizen replied.

Tanaka didn’t bother answering. The more he saw, the more he wanted to keep exploring, and there were still countless secrets he wanted to uncover in Varghelm. He only stopped when they came to a great avenue, lined with luxury shops and wide streets that curved around towards the castle district. The buildings grew larger as they went, as did the number of guards - and the more heavily armed they became, the more frequently patrols were seen double-checking each other in groups of two or more.

Staffs inscribed with runes hovered in the air at regular intervals along avenues that led to the great fortress at the heart of the city. The sheer wealth of mana in this place impressed Tanaka more than anything else. It wasn’t just Varghelm’s military but every important site was reinforced with spells strong enough to withstand a siege. Tanaka turned and smiled at Garric and the others. "So when will we meet the Wolf King?" he asked.

"You’ll forgive me if I say his schedule isn’t mine to keep," Maeryn replied. "The royal administration has informed us of your arrival but they won’t set a time for your audience with the King because the royal court is still waiting on your story from Wolfeim." Tanaka nodded and, for once, was willing to wait. It wasn’t that he was uninterested in meeting the greatest power in the Beastfolk Lands, it was just he had other concerns besides making friends.

He wanted to observe everything for as long as he could and he would do that in the time before the official invitation. He turned to Maeryn. "Where will I be staying while I wait?" he asked. Maeryn gestured toward a building set back from the street, surrounded by a carefully trimmed garden and a low stone wall to separate it from the rest of the district. "It’s a nobleman’s home but it’s available for guests of the city," she said.

It was a surprisingly comfortable room, its furnishings more lavish than anything Tanaka had seen in the past. There was even an enchanted well for him to use and, outside the window, he could see gardens and fountains adorned with more lamps powered by floating mana from underground formations. Tanaka approached one of the latter, running his hand along the basin’s surface. Garric chuckled. "Not going to build a fountain of your own are you?" he asked.

Tanaka didn’t answer at first, still staring at the small pool of gurgling water. "Actually, I was thinking a couple of them would be nice," he said. "A couple?" Garric repeated, surprised. "Oh, don’t misunderstand," Tanaka said as Maeryn laughed right back at him and, briefly, their journey didn’t feel like such a serious matter of royal business anymore.

It was an easy thing to forget in the midst of it all but Tanaka was keenly aware that this was just the beginning of his journey. In only a day, he had made new friends, discovered the power of Varghelm and begun to appreciate how much he needed to learn about the world beyond Eldoris. Tanaka smiled; the next day, he was looking forward to getting to know the city’s magic better. Maybe he would learn spells from its greatest mages, study the methods used for enchanting weapons and, of course, he hoped to see new creatures he’d never set eyes on before.

Beyond Varghelm’s walls stretched lands unknown to people of Eldoris, but tomorrow, Tanaka would see them for himself. Tanaka was just about to turn in for the night when he realized something. The Wolf King still ruled over lands greater than the eye could see. It was going to be quite an experience getting to know the Beastfolk Lands and its laws.

But Tanaka would find a way to handle it - because this was the path laid out before him as the ruler of Eldoris, and it would lead to new challenges, new discoveries and, one day, a powerful enemy.