Chương 44: Man About Town

Jordan wasn't the type to put'hobbies: traveling' on his Tinder profile… because who didn't like to travel when they had the time and means for it? With that said, he was the type to plan all his trips meticulously and well in advance, from restaurant reviews to train schedules to jumping on local subreddits with questions like:'visiting your beautiful city for a week; any must-dos only locals know about?' A bit on the cringe side now that he thought about it, but what could he do?

Jordan was as up for spontaneity as the next guy, but if there were an 'optimal' way to go about a task, he couldn't bear not knowing about it. It came from the same family of FOMO as what made him look up builds and puzzle solutions for Vesselia. Well, throw all that out the window because I'm left with no choice. I'm all alone in this here fantasy city, and I'd better make the most of it. Except he wasn't truly alone, was he? Never would be for as long as he remained the bearer of the Heavenly Cauldron.

Charisma DC 16: failure N üwa: "Why the long face, lordlet? Now that you've finally been let loose, it's time to get out and meet some new people! I for one find the exclusivity of our little arrangement tiresome." The feeling is mutual, N üwa. Dexterity DC 16: failure Nezha:"You're in a provincial capital with a handful of silvers to your name. What is there even to think about? Head to the nearest gambling den, and do not delay. I'm no Alchemist, but I can at least show you how to turn silver into gold!"

Not my scene, Nezha. Gods, how do y'all know so little about me even after all this time? Constitution DC 16: success Xihe:"All manner of earthborn creatures venture into unknown territories as a matter of course. Whether you're the human visiting a foreign land, the wolfpack scent-mapping a new hunting ground, or the arctic tern learning to adapt its palates to every stop along their migration, one thing holds true for all. Namely that you can't travel on an empty stomach." Jordan nodded appreciatively.

For a 21st-century Earthling, being a tourist was all but synonymous with being a foodie. No Google reviews to help narrow down his search, but Jordan had always been a little more adventurous when it came to brunch. He began his solo tour of Featherift City, letting the sights, sounds, and smells guide him to his next destination. The Westerner soon escaped the clangor of the industrial district to wander onto a vast thoroughfare of sorts.

As far as he could tell, it was one long arterial road that connected the city's eastern and western gates. And from the second he stepped foot in it, he knew this to be where all the 'action' was concentrated. Buildings of all shapes and sizes lined either side of the road, wavy rooftops and animal statues around every corner. The street itself was paved with large granite slabs, in a contrast with the packed dirt almost everywhere else.

And upon this paved surface rumbled carts and carriages of all descriptions, drawn by horses, yaks, and even Grandelopes —no doubt somewhat more domesticated than the variety that had once ambushed Jordan's party on the backroads. Of course, the street was also filled with people. A ceaseless din of shouts, arguments, and singing dominated Jordan's senses as he waded through crowds of shoppers, tea-enjoyers, and general grass-touchers. He was especially fascinated by what looked to be a troupe of street performers.

He stopped and watched a while as a pair of Aeromancers in brightly dyed tunics 'dueled' with swords in hand, putting their windy magic toward some cirque-du-soleil-esque acrobatics. And judging by the dynamic scenery—all dancing leaves and picturesque bamboos sprouting from seemingly nowhere—there was also a Dendromancer responsible for the set design. Wisdom DC 10: success Shennong:"Not all combat-class spellcasters wish to or have what it takes to fight monsters for a living.

But that doesn't mean they can't find other ways to live off their talents." This was a side of Vesselia never revealed in the computer version. It left Jordan feeling oddly hopeful about himself, so much so that he smiled from ear to ear as he walked away from the cheering crowd. It was well into the hour of the Snake, a good four or five Earthling hours since Jordan had breakfast at the barracks. The slight pang in his stomach told him it was time to heed some god-given advice and start foraging.

To that end, he did his best to single out scent from all the stimuli bombarding his senses. It didn't take long for him to happen on a street vendor grilling skewers of heavily spiced mystery meat. Absolutely delicious-smelling mystery meat at that. Jordan hastened to buy some, only to be informed by the kindly old woman at the grill that he needed coins to make the payment. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. Of course!

This is still the passbook era of Stormvaster banking. Not like they have NFC, or even debit cards for that matter! Silly of Jordan to have deposited even the last few coppers he had left over from Old Sar's care package. Luckily, the vendor was kind enough to point him to a 'detachment banker' a little ways down the street—essentially a human ATM in the world of Stormvast.

Gulping down his urgent need for mystery meat, Jordan waded further into the street, suddenly running low on patience with the crowd he'd found so endearing just a minute ago. A few steps into his new quest, however, he was distracted by an entirely different stimulus—this time of an instantly familiar sound. A vibrato-rich voice layered atop a mournful dirge, hauntingly beautiful in their harmony. The music then changed over to a different track—an upbeat ballad about a single blade of grass traveling in the wind.

Could it really be?" Foxhill!" Jordan blurted as soon as he caught sight of the fiddler, startling the handful of men and women who had gathered to take in the performance. A much smaller crowd than what the sword dancers had attracted, but they were perhaps more attentive because of it. At the fiddler's feet sat a straw hat turned upside down, which was already about half full with coppers and even a couple of silvers here and there.

As for the Pathfinder himself, he grinned up at Jordan, toothily and without breaking a single note. Which left the latter with no choice but to stand patiently and wait for the end of the performance. By the time the wandering leaf ballad finished to enthusiastic applause, Jordan had forgotten all about the skewers." Foxhill!" Jordan blurted again, a little quieter this time as the crowd dispersed and the fiddler packed up.

"Holy shit, it really is you! How have you been, man? I thought you were—" Jordan stopped himself, but not before the Pathfinder flashed him a meaningful grin." Bahahah! It's good to see you too, Mister Jordan." The man's mischievous eyes gave Jordan a onceover.

"Looks to me like the army's been feeding you well, but what say we catch up over some grilled mutton, eh?" So that's what the mystery meat was! Not so mysterious in the end. Jordan was both relieved and a little disappointed that Featherifters hadn't taken to eating monsters on top of domesticating them for everyday tasks. The mutton itself was more than delicious enough, everything Jordan had dreamed of and more.

He even got to freeload some more, though Foxhill did threaten to collect 200% interest the next time they met. The two men stood in the shadows of a side street, far enough from the bustle to be able to hear themselves talk." So, how did you fare with Akula, man? What happened after we got separated?" Jordan asked with a mouthful of steaming-hot skewers. And if his companion had made note of his use of the Garuda's name, the man made no comment."

It was all a bit queer, if I'm being honest," Foxhill explained, looking and sounding unusually serious.

"I rode as fast and for as long as I could. Akula kept on my tails, but never did much more than that. No spells, no attempt to dive down and pick me off. Eventually, I ran too low on VR to keep up [Longstrider]. So that was when I turned around and readied my bow. Only then did Akula swoop down and tackle me to the ground." Jordan chewed thoughtfully. He too failed to note how Foxhill had taken to calling the Garuda Akula— as if both men were party to an unspoken covenant. Instead, he was much more interested in…"

She 'tackled' you… but was it a real attack?" Foxhill looked at Jordan sharply." Do you know something you're not telling me, Mister? Funny you should ask, because… it wasn't. At least it didn't feel like it. I tried to fight back, of course, thinking I was done for. No use. Bird lady's way too strong for little old me. And just as I was about to tire, she… she just let go. Took off into the sky and kept flying north, as if nothing had happened. Almost like… like…"" Like she was playing a game with you?"

Now Foxhill widened his eyes, his serious expression quirking into a sly smile." Come clean, now. You've had another run-in with Akula, haven't you? Don't tell me—were you one of the eight who tamed the tornado? It's the talk of the town, but… I gotta be honest with you, Mister, I never thought you had it in you. No offense."" None taken. I never thought so, either. Still not sure, if I'm being honest."

"… So, Akula, is she—hm, how do I put this…" It was Jordan's turn to give Foxhill a sidelong look." Are you asking what's happened to her?" The man spread just the one hand off to the side—the Stormvaster equivalent of half a shrug." She's… safe, if that's what you're getting at. Well, last I saw her anyway." Jordan could've elaborated if he were in a more generous mood. But he was feeling more curious than generous. He waited to see how Foxhill might react." You think, uh, you might…

do you think you might see her again?"" I don't know," Jordan said with a sly smile of his own.

"Why do you ask?" Foxhill cleared his throat, looking more flustered than Jordan had ever seen him. The man had been the picture of irreverent calm during a Grandelope ambush and a Garuda encounter. And yet… Foxhill didn't answer right away. He instead fingered the strings of his horsehead fiddle, which looked to Jordan like a nervous tic. And as Jordan studied his erstwhile smuggler's curious behavior, he came to a sudden and monumental realization." Your fiddle!" he exclaimed, loud enough to make Foxhill jump.

"It's… it's the same one you had on our trip, isn't it? You got it back! How?"' How' was what Jordan had asked.

'From whom?' was what he actually meant. Now the sly smile yo-yo'd from Jordan's face back onto Foxhill's. The Pathfinder was fully back to his irreverent self as he said," Oh, wouldn't you like to know. How about this, Mister? You tell me everything you know about the bird lady, and I'll tell you everything I know about the young woman responsible for my sweetheart's safe return."