“You have to be friendly sometimes,” she said sweetly.
“Yes,” he agreed, “but it’s still very crazy.”
Eldana laughed but did not go into further explanation. They looked around at the streets of Kleas, which turned out to be much broader than either of them had thought; almost a city! Only then did they become aware of its beauty. In fact, the walls of Kleas did no justice to the wonders they saw inside. The streets were full of energy and flying creatures from all over the world with incredible powers. It was full of magic. There were shops filled with magically enhanced toys and gadgets. Along the streets were blue, green, red, and purple flowers; the delicate scents filled the air. The houses were rounded with curved domes and painted with bright colors. Even the sky was a different shade of beautiful light blue inside this place. From the outside, Kleas had looked old and boring; therefore, not many people were drawn to it. Perhaps it was a spell, crafted to make it look that way. The people of Kleas believed in peace. They also believed that envy was the reason for conflict, hence the reason they went through pain to hide the beauty of their city.
“If you use such a powerful hiding spell to keep all this beauty hidden, you need very powerful magic,” Siem observed. Eldana and Hermon nodded reverently. It was like a different world. The buildings all looked new. Even the water barrels were clean. Trees stood by the sides of the roads, waving their branches, animated with more life and sentience than any regular forest tree. They wandered for half an hour through the town in a state of awe.
But after a while of wondering and marvelling, it was time to find a place to stay. They eventually found a charming tavern that looked inviting.
On entering, a bell rang at the door, and a shimmer of dust fell on the three. They felt positive energy all around. “A positivity spell,” said Siem, and three laughed in pure delight.
“Amazing how great I feel,” Eldana said, as she blew the dust from her robes. Hermon was laughing too, and it filled the whole hall with joy. “I haven’t felt so good in a long time!”
“It’s mostly used on children’s birthdays to keep them in a good mood - no sudden squabbling and crying over presents! Sometimes it’s even used for funerals, but that’s only in some cultures,” Siem said. Hermon and Eldana were thrown into fits of laughter as though Siem had said the funniest thing. The tavern was still empty, only the bartender looked at them and smiled warmly. He probably belonged to the human species.
“Greetings to you at the Tavern of the Wholesome Laughter,” he said. “My name is Techle; I am the bartender and the owner of this laughing parlor. Come in and enjoy a cold beer, and don’t worry about the laughter spell. It should wear off soon.”
He didn’t need to say it twice. The three had all been hungry and thirsty because of the journey and the fight with the warriors. They ordered a mountain of food, from healthy to greasy to sweet, everything was on offer here. Hermon got a whole field of leaves for himself, while Eldana only had some mushrooms. Siem didn’t care; she wanted to have everything. Magic costs a lot of energy, so she was especially drained.
They feasted, laughed about past humorous memories, and drank for hours. Although they knew it was due to the positivity spell, it was nice to feel such joy for once, and, before they went into their rooms, they spoke briefly with the owner of the tavern.
“Thank you for a delicious meal. It was an honor,” said Eldana.
“Always a pleasure,” replied Techle. “Just next time, please do not come to my tavern as fugitives. We are not fighters, you know. I am a simple tavern owner and probably won’t be able to protect you when the warriors show up, if they manage to get past the guardian mage. I can keep you hidden, but don’t ask me to fight.”
Astonishment spread over their faces. “You know about us? How can this be? We haven’t told anyone!” Hermon looked outraged.
“You don’t have to, my child. You are here in Klea’s walls. As you now know, this is a magical city. That means everyone knows everything. Outside, the city is protected by a strong protection spell, but there are none inside the walls. On the inside, we live in peace. There are no secrets here because there is no need for them. We are all-knowing in order to be all-helpful.”
It was strange moving about with their hearts on their faces, but that was the city of Kleas, the city where minds were bared and those that were impure were sent away.
Eldana replied first. “Thank you,” she said sincerely, but Techle shook his head.
“Don’t thank me. Thank the city. We’ve lived safely for more than a thousand years!”
Eldana lowered her head and took the man’s hand. “Thank you, my friend, you’ve helped us very much.” Techle did not say another word but merely nodded.
When the innkeeper had left them, they went upstairs into their rooms. It was a pleasure for them to receive such hospitality. They all fell asleep calmly and with little worry. Techle had not promised too much. The spell gave them a feeling of security, even if only for a few hours.
CHAPTER THREE
Preparation for the Hunt
Even though the fight had drained them all, what was left of the seven warriors was ready to be on the hunt again. It was just what they needed. The warriors had not left their homes for a while. The average citizen of the Middle Kingdom was responsible and respectable. None would dare use any forbidden battle
