Then Shigeko nearly became a blur, her heavy fur cloak audibly clacked behind, the noise was barely over when a deep resonating impact made it seem like the entire gatehouse trembled when your warrior friend crashed shoulder first into it. You barely saw her run and jump into that tackle!

''I'll wager that I'm through in five more charges!'' She said after sprinting away, holding up her hand for the men that weren't laughing anymore.

Most of them had scrambled for their weapons, wooden staves with bulbous ends that would undeniably crack bones in one solid strike.

Perhaps this is the right way to go about this. These men... probably only respect money or violence. ''Repairing that gate will be on your dimes, so make everyone's lives easier and open it. I'll even be gracious enough to forget your poor attempt at coercion.''

Before anyone could reply the distinctive noise of someone unlocked the other side doused the mood. ''Who!?'' Yelled the blond man, the guys all ran the other way to get a look as whoever opened the gate pulled it inward.

''Come on in!'' Urged a man who stepped out of view before you could see him.

You and Shigeko promptly ran inside, your hand went to your sword ready to pull it out in case the men decided to get physical. ''Since when did we refuse entry?'' Yelled the man as he pushed the gate closed, the light clicking of metal around him revealed armor concealed by a leather cloak on his back. ''And berating one of the few elders too?''

''Fuck off, Aryel!'' Yelled one of the men in return and that, it seems, was that. The guys all returned to lazing around atop the parapet.

You stood inside a small plaza, an open spot of damaged cobblestone that split into three roads leading deeper into the district. Despite the entire city being five years old, the building here seemed to have aged by fifty years: visible neglect had caused numerous little damages and holes in most of the roofs you saw and with mostly everything made out of wood, wild herbs covered a few places you could only assume to be abandoned.

A small crowd was looking at you, perhaps around ten pairs of eyes with colors as unique as the people holding them. Ladies with furry ears and fluffy tails, mutated lizards' arms and legs, a few harpies, and even a pair of lamias stood around with the kind of surprise befitting inhabitants unused to this kind of excitement. Granted, so am I.

''Phew, Mother's Mercy. Good thing I was nearby.'' The unfamiliar man spoke. ''Were you seriously going to bust through that?''

''Yes.'' Shigeko deadpan answer nearly made you laugh.

You finally get a good look at him. Wowowow