With a calm stride, he walked towards the closest gate. 

“You! Halt!” yelled an old guardsman. He stood tall with a long beard and a well-built body.

 

He hastened towards me, his eyes scanning me head to toe and eyeing my various  weapons

 

A small mirth buckler shield strapped to my left arm, a rapier on the left side of my hip, a dagger on my lower back, a magical gauntlet covering my right fist, a small bag of holding on the right side of my hip, And a spear strapped across my back. All of that excluding the armor of blessed ice I wore.

 

My tools of survival.

 

He stands a distance away and shouts at me “ Identify yourself!”

 

And I oblige “my name is Adrian. A lost soul who roamed this mountain for far too long, I wish for nothing more than a warm stew” I say so while taking off my helmet, I can only hope that this is enough to lessen his suspension.

He stares me in the eyes seemingly coming to a decision “alright young chap, come into the guard’s station and we will take care of that stew problem of yours”

 

Splendid.

He turns around and starts walking towards the gates and I calmly follow him.

The gates are made in a two layered design where past the first gate is the guard station.

And past the second one is the town.

 

We enter a solid metal door on the side.

 

Inside is a table with two chairs. An old man sits and before him a stack of paper he is working on.

 

As soon as we enter he visibly relaxes.

 

“Ah thank goddess it went fine Liam.” he spoke with a smile.

 

“Yea just a false alarm Marten no dragons past the wall, just a lost cold soul” The guardsman spoke with a grin.

They seemed close, like old friends.

 

“Now sit down young man, I will be the one to handle your identification.” he said to me warmly.

 

I sit in front of Marten who pulls out a crystal and places it in between us while pushing aside the papers. He points to it “now put your hand on the lie detector, and answer my questions truthfully.” 

 

I nod and place my right hand on top of the clear crystal.

 

“Now what is your name.” he asked while pulling out a sheet of paper

 

“My name is Adrian Jonson” I answered him and the crystal lit with a pale green light.

Marten started filling the page into a foram with expert movements.

 

“Age?” he asked 

“41” the crystal lit green again

 

“Surprising, I thought you were younger.” he said with amusement.

“Many more will be making that mistake I believe” I answered politely.

The old man chuckled.

 

“Affiliations?” he asked writing more onto the paper.

“Non” I answered 

“Do you wish to, in any shape or form, harm someone within the walls of Eceilnda” he asked while looking me in the eyes 

 “No” I answered truthfully 

 

“Good, that is a weight off my shoulders.” he said with a soft smile.

 

“What is your reason for coming here.” he asked while again focusing on the paper

 

“To rest and seek where the world takes me” I answered once more. And he cracked a smile at that.

 

“What is your profession.” he asked in a far more relaxed tone 

“I only have my sword to earn ends meat” I answered calmly 

 

“That is fine. You will find many a work this season, mostly escort jobs”

 

“Oh, and why is that?” I asked with keen interest. After all, who can say No To Even More Work.

 

“You truly are not from around here huh, the annual tournaments will start next month in the capital, so if you leave a dependable impression at the guilds you might be hired as an escort to one of the noble’s children,” answers me with a wide smile.

 

The guards are surprisingly nice. Not what I expected honestly. 

“Alright your papers are now complete, the fee for your card and first-time entry will be 1 silver coin,” he says as he stamps the papers with an insignia of a crowned wolf.

 

“I have no coin with me, but I do have furs from mountain animals. Would it suffice?” I asked hopefully while taking the fur of a wolf from my small bag of holding

 

“Goodness, is this the fur of a dire wolf?!”  he exclaims while looking shocked at the fur within my hands.

 

Why is he surprised? I only took out the fur of the weakest wolf I slew out there?

 

“No sir Jonson this is worth far more than a meer silver coin! Please reconsider!” he pleads looking very troubled.

 

“Sir I regretfully inform you that this is the fur of the weakest monster I have, sell it and send me the rest?” please take it and let me go get some hot stew.

 

He calms down and nods “alright alright, I will take care of it myself when the sun rises, here you go keep, this paper on you at all times.” he says and gives me a slip of paper he took off the paper he filled about me. Thanking him I get up and out of the room and begin to move past the gates the guards do not stop me.

And soon I am lost in the dark streets. I could use magic to guide my path, but what is the fun in that?