Witch of Fear [Mild horror, Isekai High Fantasy]

Seeing the slow approach of the captain and the curious gazes of the surrounding guards, Autumn was beginning to feel rather nervous. Knowing her luck, something was bound to go wrong. 

Autumn turned to Nethlia. 

“Should we be worried about that?”

Nethlia looked over at the slowly approaching captain before replying. 

“Nah, that’s just old Captain Kyron. The younger guards tend to just panic about everything. He’ll just come over to make sure we aren’t up to anything strange. He knows me, so it’ll be fine.”

Nethlia gave her a reassuring grin. 

As the cart grew closer and closer to the gate, the more her nerves multiplied. Only Nethlia’s presence kept her from panicking too much. Having been searched for contraband or criminals, it was allowed entry through a massive gatehouse. 

With their view now unobstructed, Autumn could see inside the walls. Warehouses lined the walls and cliff face feeding into a series of cargo lifts that were in constant motion. Goods were being hauled up to the city above. 

A little orange hand shyly waved goodbye from the back of the miller’s cart.

The pair now found themselves at the front of the line.

The guards had gathered all around the gatehouse, preventing them from entering. Now they watched nervously as the captain arrived. If Autumn wasn’t so stressed out, she might have found it funny that all these larger guards found her intimating. She could see it in their glowing eyes.

Captain Kyron strolled up beside the cart and gazed up at the pair with battle-hardened eyes. 

“Nethlia.” 

“Kyron,” 

After casting a quick gaze at their rather empty wagon, as it held only their personal effects, Captain Kyron returned his sight to Nethlia. 

“I take it you’re not here to make a delivery?”

Nethlia tensed her jaw a beat before replying. 

“No. Duskmoore got hit bad, by Redcap goblins to be precise. We’re the only survivors. Some farmers from the outlying farms have taken over to clean up, but they could use some help, maybe a few patrols?”

With hard eyes, the captain took in the information before closing his then in weariness. 

“I’ll send some of the young ones out on patrol. Thanks for the heads up for what it’s worth.” 

The captain’s gaze shifted over to Autumn.

“The caster with you?” 

Nethlia nodded in reply. 

The captain’s gaze lingered on Autumn’s tattered hat and robes before he spoke again.

“No casting in public and no large-scale rituals, summoning, and or spells unless specifically appointed and approved by the Chief Wizard or the Governess. Are we clear?” 

“Crystal,” Autumn replied.

Captain Kyron’s eyebrow raised at Autumn’s reply, but he just shook it off before turning back to Nethlia. 

“Are you carrying anything that the watch ought to be made aware of?” He asked lazily. 

“Nope.” Nethlia denied. 

With a shrug, the captain turned back to the milling guards. “All alright they’re clear. Let them through.”

At his call, the various armored guards parted for their cart and Kira lumbered her way past. Once through the large gatehouse, to their immediate left was a watch garrison, and across the way at a slight diagonal was another uniformly large gatehouse leading to the switchback path up the pillar. 

“They let us through just like that?” Autumn asked.

“Well, Kyron knows me and the guard have magical means to tell if someone is lying.” Nethlia replied, “Just don’t do any casting outside and you’ll be fine.”

Autumn turned her attention back to the front just as they passed by the second of the many gates going up to the city above. It took a fair amount of time, even with the powerful Agoroth pulling them up the slopes, billowing out puffs of steam into the cooling air as she went. 

As they rose higher and higher, the air was getting thinner and a lot colder. Autumn wrapped herself up in her voluminous cloak to stave off the biting chill. Cresting the final rise, they turned off into the last of the gates and through it, Autumn got a better look at the city of Duskfields.

A dense cityscape sprawled out before Autumn. The limited foot space upon the plateau meant the buildings had built up in every available space, including heavenward. Multi-storied buildings of wood and tile dominated the sky and underfoot well-hewn stone formed polished paths. Hanging lanterns and billowing cloth criss-crossed between buildings while street stalls lined the avenues underneath. 

For a moment, Autumn felt as if she had wandered into an old quarter of some Chinese city. 

But it was the people that gave it away as anything but. Demonfolk dominated the hustle and bustle of the crowds, from bakers and butchers selling their wares to the ordinary folk moving along the main street or simply browsing the wares. 

Here and there some other folk wandered, but the majority lay in the Inferni people. 

From what she could see, the fashion trends of the city varied wildly. Some wore layers upon layers of silk in intricate robes and gowns that wouldn’t look out of place in a period drama while others wore more modern-looking garb. 

Of the stalls and stores lining the main street that sold clothing, many had hanging fur and fabric scarves, shawls, and hooded cloaks. They made some of the clothing that Autumn could see from the bone and leather of the Agoroth or a smooth layered silk. There were some strange materials mixed in here and there too.

After passing under the last imposing gatehouse, Nethlia guided Kira to make a hard right towards a large building just beside the gate. From the almost physical wave of animal smell that emanated from it, Autumn could deduce that this was a stable of some sort. 

Seeing Autumn’s questioning look, Nethlia spoke up. 

“We need to stable Kira here for as long as we stay. You’re not allowed beasts of burden in the city streets. It's far too tight.”

Inside the stable, Autumn spied a small menagerie of animals. Agoroths lay slumbering within pens, horses with hair of flame neighed, and there was even a napping three-headed dog. Before Autumn could inquire if she could pet the animals, Nethlia pulled her away from them. For a small fee, they had stored their wagon in a warehouse along the wall nearby, and now they carried their lighter possessions. 

“So where to now?” Autumn asked, “Do we book at an inn or do we head to a money exchange or what?”

Being in a new city always was nerve-wracking at the best of times, even more so when she had no local currency and it wasn’t even a city of her race. 

Luckily for her, Nethlia had lived in this city for ten years.

“Well, there are a few places we could go. The Dancing Flame Inn is close, but it’s usually packed. The Drunken Devil is better, but it’s right on the market, so it’s mainly a tavern. I know a place we might stay and get your coins changed, but it’s not an inn.” 

Nethlia rubbed the back of her neck as she gazed down the main street.

“So like a bank? Or moneylender?” 

Nethlia hesitated before giving a cagey smile to Autumn.

“Something like that.”

Autumn squinted suspiciously at Nethlia, but it wasn’t like she had anything better. So she just sighed and followed behind her towering compatriot. Nethlia was like a ship-breaker as she pushed through the densely packed crowds. Autumn followed behind in her wake, keeping a lookout for thieves and pickpockets, but she needn’t have bothered. 

Of those so-called thieves that watched the thoroughfare, none were stupid or brave enough to accost the seven-foot-tall demoness who looked like something carved them from red marble or the spooky witch with her. 

As they passed by the hawkers, Autumn looked at the quality of the clothing for sale, each far better than the ones she was wearing, aside from her hat and robe. All her things were possibly centuries old at this point and barely held together thanks to her flight and the claws of goblins. 

As soon as she had some coins on hand, she’d need a new wardrobe.

“I wouldn’t buy anything down Main Street. It’s mainly for merchants or travelers. You’ll get better deals in the marketplace or in one of the hidden nooks this city has.” Nethlia informed Autumn.

Continuing on, they eventually broke into the main marketplace of the city. Immediately, Autumn was blasted with the scents of spices, cooked meats, fragrant herbs, and all sorts of barter goods. The noise was almost overwhelming as people bartered over prices with bellowing merchants. 

“The Drunken Devil is over there,” Nethlia shouted as she pointed across the way.

True to her word, a tall pagoda-like building towered up into the busy skyline. The doors were held permanently open as people streamed to and from the bustling building. 

“They’re pricey, but they serve some of the best drinks around.”

After skirting around the left side of the busy market, the pair then traveled down one of the northwestern streets. At its end, a large looming building confronted them across an intersecting path. 

“What’s that building?” Autumn asked.

“Hmm, oh, that’s one of the guild buildings. I think it’s the Performer’s Guild. We’ll head to the guild square after we get sorted. For now, let’s go around the back.” 

Turning left, they made their way towards a crossroads. To their left now was a massive domed building almost the same size as the market square. Before Autumn could ask, Nethlia pointed to the dome.

“That’s the arena. Most of the time it’s used to host fights, but sometimes other events take place there.” 

Turning right, they continued around the backside of the Performer’s Guild. An acrid smell issued forth from a row as they passed by on the left, a swinging sign proudly declared “Alchemist’s Row”. 

Autumn could swear she heard muffled explosions emanating from several of the buildings there. 

At the next street, Autumn paused in place as she took in the sight before her. Hanging red lanterns painted the street in a rich red glow. Lush silk and velvet fabrics danced in the wind as they hung overhead. 

If, at first, Autumn suspected that this was a cultural difference, the stunning array of scantily clad figures that lounged upon cushions within open doors silenced it. They moved about the customers enticing them to relax amidst the parlors and other delights.

With a face as bright as Nethlia’s skin, Autumn turned to her compatriot for answers, only to see her already a few steps ahead. 

Unwilling to be left behind in such a place, she scurried after her. 

The sight of the amazonian demoness striding through had drawn courtesans and other night workers. However, seeing her determined pace, they only flirtatiously called out to her rather than try to waylay her. 

On Autumn’s part, they only stopped and stared. 

On one hand, it was handy as it meant Autumn could easily catch up to Nethlia, while on the other she felt a little hurt that they didn’t see her as a potential customer. They were right, of course, as she had no money, but it still stung in a way she didn’t expect.

Their destination turned out to be a large bordello that almost resembled a mansion, as it dominated the others around. A sign painted along its side proudly read “The House of Blooms”. The brothel had an air of a higher class to it. For one, it resided within its own space unbordered by the other brothels and stores, and for another, no call girls or workers sat outside its exterior to usher people inside. 

As if ignoring Autumn’s burning gaze, Nethlia strode up to the closed, heavy door of the brothel and seized a gilded door knocker. 

A series of swift knocks rang out in a rhythm akin to a secret code. 

Despite herself, Autumn grew excited by the mystery of it all. 

In response to the sudden knocks upon the door, a curtain beside it shifted as someone inside peeked out at them. After a beat, the door before them swung open and a friendly voice called out.

“Nethlia! You’re back! Come in, come in. Oh, you have a friend with you? Well, if they’re with you, that’s fine.”