The sun rose, and Alex and the two boys prepared to continue their journey towards Kyrthalas.
Visiting the ruins of Níbira made Zuri more determined to do something to help his people, despite the harm they had done to him.
Alex was pleased with Zuri's spirit and was already eager to tell the two his plans.
Ícaro was also decided that if necessary, Alex could count on him.
Continuing their journey, the boys observed that the landscape had now become much more enclosed than before. This was because they were inside a very dense forest, with tall trees reaching up to 30 meters in height.
With each step of the horses, the sound of mud being trampled could be heard. As the sun's rays did not penetrate the forest, the ground remained constantly damp. The songs of birds, the cries of animals, and the swaying of tree branches could be heard.
Alex asked the two to be on alert, as it was common for monsters to attack travelers in that area.
In the tops of the trees, birds of various sizes could be seen, and from time to time, some beings resembling monkeys were spotted. To Zuri's fright, while crossing the forest, a large brown bear appeared on his left side. His body froze, and he remembered the bear that had attacked him after being expelled by his people. His eyes did not leave the animal, and as it moved away from him, Zuri became calmer. The animal did not pursue them because it was devouring prey that appeared to be a deer.
"Alex, that bear was bigger than the one that chased me when we met," Zuri said, showing his anxiety.
"Yes. Lucky for us it's eating, but if we had to face it, it wouldn't be difficult to defeat. Things would be more complicated if we encountered a Giant Lion or a Minotaur. But the monsters we have to fear the most are dragons or hydras."
"Hydras, what are they like?"
"They are reptiles like dragons, but they don't exhale fire, but deadly jets of water. They have 7 heads, and to defeat them, their heads must be cut off. If one head remains uncut, new heads will grow over time. That's why it's the worst of the monsters."
Approaching the end of the forest, a grassy field was seen in the distance. Alex nodded that they were close to the city. Zuri's body was already sore from being on the cart for so long; for Ícaro, the journey also seemed difficult.
In the long field, there was a hut, a sentry post, by the side of the road. The soldiers there stared at the cart and quickly approached to interrogate them.
"Which city are you from? But wait a moment, is that Alex, the master of dark magic?"
"That's right, my friend. I'm here to talk to Nikol."
"Welcome, Nikol will be happy to have your presence in the city."
"I'm eager to talk to her."
"No problem, just give us your traveler's card." Alex had made cards in Demetris for Zuri and Ícaro before they traveled.
"So the two boys are from Demetris, wow, it was a long journey, I hope our inn is comfortable enough for you to recover." After stamping the documents, the soldiers allowed Alex to enter.
The walls loomed in the distance on the horizon as they approached the city. There were also agricultural fields around the city, as in the other cities, but they were not as large as the others, and few people worked in them. Zuri asked about the farmers:
"Alex, aren't there few people working in the fields? Given the size of the city of Kyrthalas, shouldn't there be huge fields like those of Epaimir?"
"Since the city of Kyrthala is close to the sea, their focus is on fishing, not agriculture," Alex replied.
"I see. I'm noticing that it's similar to Demetris here, in terms of the treatment of divergent peoples."
Ícaro clarified to Zuri:
"Just like Demetris, Kyrthalas does not oppress people of other origins, but lets them live as they see fit. Only the bourgeois, the aristocrats, zeugites (small landowners) live within the walls; fishermen can also live in the city as if they were bourgeois. I've always wanted to see Kyrthalas, it's an intriguing city."
Alex added:
"Nikol favors fishermen because she is a lover of waters and seas. I admire her personality. Her greatest dream is to be able to conjure water magic. I have never seen anyone as fascinated with something as she is with water. Of all the rulers, my favorite is Nikol, of course. If it were possible, she would abandon her position as ruler to be able to use water magic. She is very sincere about this matter."
"I would like to meet her," Zuri expressed his interest in the ruler.
"I think you'll have an opportunity someday. If you become a master of dark magic, you might have a meeting with her, just like me," Alex said.
The city had three gates, one in the west, one in the north, and one in the east. To the south of the city was the pier, where the fishermen's boats were. The navy, the only city that had military ships, was also located at the pier. Nikol believed that the ocean would one day be a place of power struggles and wanted to be ahead of the other cities.
Entering through the west gate, Alex headed to the nearest inn. He wanted to avoid going back and forth through the city center. Leaving the carriage with the innkeeper, he rented two rooms, one for himself and another for Ícaro and Zuri.
"Let's stretch our legs a bit, I want to show you the city, you'll be enchanted by the fountains in the city center."
"I'd like to see that," Zuri replied.
"I'm up for seeing it too," Ícaro said.
"Then let's go." And the three began to explore the city.
The first place they went was the west river, which cuts through the city and flows into the south. Two rivers cross the city to the sea.
Zuri saw the statue of a serpent on the bridge they were crossing. He later discovered that each bridge, there were four in total, had the statue of some creature. In the northwest, there was the statue of the sea serpent, Leviathan, which had a typically serpentine body, long and sinuous. Below in the southwest was the image of a mermaid, a mythical beast with the body above the waist resembling a woman and below the waist a fish tail. In the river to the east, there was a statue of a sea dragon, and on the second bridge, one of a woman.
Nikol prohibited citizens from polluting the river, and therefore, the river was full of life.
Further towards the center, Zuri saw water fountains. There were four of them, one in each corner of the city center. The statue of a woman was seen in the middle of the fountains. It was Nikol holding a jar from which water was poured into the fountain.
Further in the city center was the square, which had an auditorium used to communicate various matters to all citizens, such as military actions, political, and economic issues.
It was already getting dark when they returned to the inn. Alex left the boys in their room and said he was going to a nearby bar to relax a bit.
Alex entered the bar door and saw many men and some women having fun, talking, and drinking beer. There were various types of people: white, brown, black, and each with a different hair color. In the right corner of the bar, there were some men who appeared to be very strong, possibly adventurers.
Adventurers in Epíria earn money by getting rid of the monsters that are in the region of the cities. And besides killing the monsters, they also collected minerals like Maginite, a stone in which mana can be stored and gives the user the ability to use magic, both dark and light. Mithril, Platinum, Gold, Silver, and other raw materials for the construction of equipment were also collected mainly. But of course, Maginite is the rarest to obtain. Those who could obtain it were the rulers. They use it for military purposes, but they could not take full advantage of its potential, making it heavily studied by alchemists.
Alex sat at the bar counter, and a waitress served him:
"Would you like a drink, sir?"
"Yes, dry wine, please," Alex asked.
"You don't seem strange to me, are you an officer of Nikol?"
"No, I'm not, actually." He didn't want to give the waitress too much information.
"So you're a traveler?"
"Yes, I'm not from here."
"I understand."
Alex usually looks for information in bars about any rumors that arise.
He took out a pouch of silver coins and offered it to the waitress in exchange for information:
Discreetly, Alex asked, "By any chance, is there any rumor that might be relevant to the rulers? Any at all."
She took the pouch and said:
"The hottest one is undoubtedly the rumor of a revolutionary group operating. Soldiers sometimes come here and comment on a group causing problems for the rulers. I hope that's what you were looking for."
"Hmm! I see. Alright! You can keep the money."
"Thank you."
Taking another sip, Alex left and returned to the inn and rested for a while.
At dawn, Alex got up and called Ícaro and Zuri, who were already awake. Alex addressed them:
"So, boys. Let's have breakfast, and then we'll go to Nikol's palace. I'll leave you at the castle garrison while I talk to her."
"Alright!" the boys said.
"Okay. It'll be quick," Alex affirmed.
Arriving at the gate of Nikol's castle, a fish molded into the gate could be seen, and nearby was a building that looked like the garrison. Upon reaching the guards' window, they immediately recognized Alex, and they went at once to inform Nikol of his visit. One of the guards said:
"Do the two with you plan to enter as well?"
"No, they can wait here," Alex said.
The guard informed Nikol's secretary that Alex was present, and he then allowed Alex to enter.
Nikol's castle was in the middle of a vast estate, surrounded by a flowery field. There was a building to the east, which served as lodging for the highest-ranking soldiers and Nikol's servants.
To reach the castle, it was necessary to cross a long walkway that had water moats on the sides, which led to the fountains around the castle garden.
Maginite was used to move the waters.
Arriving at the door of the building where Nikol lived, Alex was greeted by Nikol's secretary and minister.
"Welcome, Master. Nikol is waiting for you in the tea room. Please follow me."
This secretary was named Pôncio; he was also Nikol's chief minister.
Following into Nikol's chambers, gold vases with plants from various regions of the continent of Epíria decorated the rooms. The building had three floors, and in the main hall, there were two marble staircases that led to the other floors. To the left of the hall was the reception area for visitors; the first room was the pantry, and further in was the meeting room.
Upon arriving in the visiting room, Nikol was waiting for him, and they greeted each other with a kiss on the cheek.
"Welcome, Alex, make yourself comfortable. What brings you to visit?"
"Nikol, I'll get straight to the point. I intend to go to Úria for a personal matter, and I came to obtain your permission."
Alex did not reveal his purpose in going to Úria, as it was something he did not want the rulers to know, because he wanted to present Zuri to the high priestess of Úria, among other matters.
"Hmm! If it were only this, my minister could have granted it to you without consulting me."
"It's just that this case is different; I'm taking two boys to visit Úria."
"I understand. In this case, I really need to know who is accompanying you."
"Yes, I won't hide it from you; one of them is a descendant of the Úrians."
"Really? And does he know how to use light magic?"
"No, his parents live in Demetris; he has never had contact with a light magic user."
"What a pity, I would have offered him a good military position in my city. So he's a Demetrian. I would refuse if it were someone else, but since it's you asking me, I won't object. And the other boy?"
"He's from Demetris too."
Alex leaned forward and looked down, revealing no more about Zuri.
"Is his family from Úria as well?"
"No, actually he's an orphan, and the Úrian's parents adopted him; he's the Úrian's adoptive brother."
"And why is he going with you?"
"It was a request from his family; the adoptive parents asked that the two travel together. My goal is to train them to become masters of dark magic; both are promising."
"Hmm, I understand." With a fixed gaze on Alex, thinking there might be something there he didn't want to say. "Well, you have my permission, and try to persuade the Úrian to live in my city. Despite being from Demetris, I would receive him with great gratitude."
"I will inform him at the right time. By the way, is there any news that I might be aware of?"
"No. Just some small matters, but you don't need to worry." Nikol evaded the subject, looking away.
Either Nikol is hiding something, or the woman at the bar lied, but I don't think it's a lie, Alex thought.
"Okay. Thank you for seeing me," Alex thanked her.
"You're welcome. I'll ask Poncio to give you a letter of authorization to pass through customs."
Receiving the letter in hand, Alex left Nikol's castle, and meeting up with the boys, they went to the inn and rested another night in the city.