"Oi, you grunts, welcome to Stahlingrad! Hope u noinces have a noice dey 'ere..."
Saying thanks to the one-eyed, one-armed, one-legged and one-toothed guardsdwarf, Simon and Lewis headed into the bustling city-state of Stahlingrad. Enduring the darkness of the dimly lit tunnel, Lewis turned around to Simon, questioning something he saw as they entered the city. "Hey, Simon, quick question here. Umm, I saw, as we were going in, that old guard was interrogating another Dwarf who was coming in. Heck, he even took in 23 CP when going in. But when we arrived, he just... let us in? Additionally, he didn't even take money from us. Why...?"
Without turning back his head, Simon answered Lewis. "Every Dwarf ('cause barely any Humans come here) have to pay a toll fee when entering the city. I dunno about the others, cause I haven't been there, but for every kg, you'd have to pay an additional 10 CP, alongside the original fee of 10 CP for getting into the city. Guards also have the right to detain and interrogate people they deem suspicious, and take every step to ensure there aren't any spies or enemies coming in. Though, I've heard rumours of...men...getting introduced to new fetishes after their... 'inspection'..." Suddering in fear, Simon trailed off, expression distorted.
But Lewis still didn't get his question answered...
"But why on Earth did we not pay the toll booth?"
Simon froze before turning to face Lewis. Though he could not see properly, Lewis could feel the palpitations in the air.
He knew, he fucked up...
"Oi, get a move on, ya cunts! You ain't the royal family, so no hoity-toityness here! C'mon, chop-chop, get a move on!"
From behind them, a Dwarf carrying ten chests on his back stood impatiently, angry at the jam. Though the Dwarf was pissed, Lewis could not help but thank GOd for the Dwarf, for he had helped break the silent impasse. Simon, seeing they were stiffling the road, returned to silence once more, continuing his journey...
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
"Fresh Glomps! Fresh Glomps! Come and get your fresh Glomps! Only 17 CP's..."
"Hey, you wanna know the latest news? Well, I heard that old man McGrobbin was caught screwing a young lady from Clan Erdoben..."
"Get your carpets here! Latest Himlar fur carpets, made by the esteemed designer Lady Crackpot! Though insane looking designs, beware the spooky hallucinogenic pictures (warning: we don't cover for any stupid things done while under hallucination. If you screwed your goat while under effects, well, you shouldn't keep a goat then!)"
Ignoring the last sentence, Lewis couldn't help but marvel at the sight before him:
Large chandeliers hung from the roof of the cave. Though the light remained dim, it surprisingly lit up the majority of the market before him. The remaining light came from the intricate holes carved into the mountainsides, their careful placement illuminating the central locations, further accentuating their beauty. Though only Dwarves littered the crowd, their different skin colours and shapes drew his breath away.
Tall, brown Dwarves haggled with stockier, lighter-skinned Dwarves, each trying to keep the prices of their wares to their liking...
Thinner, paler Dwarves sold seafood from their various stalls, trying to outdo those who sold meat and poultry.
Is...is that...Karaage...?
While marvelling at how deep Japanese influence was among the local populace (damn, how many were transmigrated here!?), Lewis's gaze was drawn towards the centre of the whole city.
A large Church stood smack dab in the middle, upon which many Dwarven clergy, wearing chainmail habits, were seen congregating to and from the Chruch, their solemn faces showing deep reverence towards their God.
But that was not what struck his mind
A giant mural could be seen in the courtyard, standing tall as the Church. Depicted on it was one of the most fearsome creatures he had ever seen:
A Dragon
Oh, but it wasn't just any Dragon. Oh no...
While Dragons were usually associated with the colours red, green, or blue, this one was pure silver. Rivets could be seen going alongside the beast, from head to toe, alongside the jutting gears that made up its limbs and the wires that made up its nerves. Despite the sculptor failing to show its full terror, Lewis still got goosebumps as he saw the metal claws, etched with arcane symbols, and the metal wings that burned its surroundings, breaking apart the nearby space into fragments.
Here lies the depiction of the dreaded Dragon-With-Metal-Wings-And-Claws...
Metallache