I walk out the main door of the building.
The enormous castle appears infront of me at the top of the city, overlooking over everything. Wow.
It has 10 black towers piercing the sky, the castle it self is also black with many large windows that could be seen from over here, the walls cast a shadow even without having one on the whole city, consuming it.
there is a layer of cobblestone walls protecting it with some protuberance every 10 meters, where people on watch should stay. Behind it there is the massive wall protecting the whole city, tall at least twenty meters with spikes on top, i turn around and see that the nearest wall to me is a few hundreds of meter away.
An intense smell hits my brain, and food that I don't have inside my body is trying to get out.
I pinch my nose and look down.
The "street" was just wet dirt mixed with piss, horse shit and garbage.
"Hey kid move away" i look ahead, a man in his forties with a protuberant belly and oily hair slicked back is sitting on a carrage holding the rains of a horse while pointing to a kid that is trying to look inside the carriage, the kid has blonde hairs and dark blue eyes, he has a red shirt of wool and brown trousers that have holes all over.
The kid laughs and moves towards other kids that are sitting on some stairs a few meters away.
They all have dirty faces and hands, some are picking their noses while others have little stones in their hands and are throwing them againts a empty can from the other side of the road.
Coff coff
The kid that was looking inside the carrige, gets near the group but stops when he sees me. He waves at me and gets close "ehy tomh".
Shit.
"Tomh you got up late today, you don't have work to do?" The kid says getting in front of me while scartching his head.
Do i? Don't tell me it was that baker?
"No im sick so i rested a little more" i wanted to go away from this place and ask people tomh didnt knew basic information i need, but i could do it with this kid. I put a hand on my chin. Should i? Kids will not cause me problem even if they have doubts, it should be fine.
The kid tilts his head "i don't think you have a choice" he puts his hands up "well maybe im wrong"
I don't have a choice? Damn does this kid knows about tomh job? If he knows, maybe he will be scared of me.
"Listen i want you to answer some questions but you can't ask why, i will explain it to you later, okay?" I say lowering my hand from my nose and breathing with my mouth. It is a kid but I can't act too weird.
The kids looks at me for a few seconds and then says "alright, but then you have to do me a favor"
"Alright" i knew it, with kids is easier, i can't risk getting killed or robbed by a random person "what is the name of this street?"
"Is this the question?" The kid says picking his nose.
"Yes, just answer" come on man, I can't stand here for long.
"Wool jan street" the kid says with no interest looking at his friends knocking the can.
A cool breeze makes me breath fresh air but shivers cover my whole body. How can this kids stay half naked with this cold.
"Where is the nearest church and where doctor Reed lives"
The kids shifts the attention to me. "What church in specific? And for Reed, you go left now, then you turn right as soon as there is the road, you go up until you see the pigs" he says imagining in his head the road "then you turn left and the fifth house is the one, but be careful, ella is getting crazy, don't go near her pigs"
What church? How should i know? I sit in silent for a few seconds?
Coff coff. I cover my mouth.
"So what church? You mean the messangers or the monks?" The kid says moving his blonde hair.
Thank you for the answer "what do you think?"
The kid puts his hands behind his head and says "since you are asking obvious questions then i would say the messangers" "good job" i will ask about the other church to someone else. "So, where is it?"
The kid looks at me annoyed "what kinda of game is this?" I dont answer waiting for him to speak, he scoffs and says "after reed house go straight until you see the church"
I should stop now. "That's good, im done" i say touching my forehead. Burning alive while dying of cold, it couldn't go better.
"The favor i want..." He says smiling and then pointing at me "is to tell me why you asked me this questions".
I smile. Annoying kid, but i was prepared.
"Come here" i sit on the stairs and the kid with blue eyes sit beside me. I can't stay up anymore.
"I will not tell you who, but in this last few days i spoke with some people and they had problems remembering basic stuff, it was mostly children too" i say looking in his blue eyes, seeing if he is believing me "so i was checking on you, that's it" i say showing my hands.
The kid looks at me and smiles "I don't believe you"
"Why?" The smell of horse shit fills my nostril, now closer to the ground. I try to cover my nose without making it obvious.
"Come on rudd, come" the shirtless kid says to the kid near me while putting the can up to the same position it was before. So his name is rudd.
Rudd gets up "because i would know if it happened, but don't worry, i will find out the real reason" he sticks out his tounge and runs to his friends.
"Wha-"
I scoff. I have no time to worry for a kid.
I will have to go to the messanger church. Let's hope the priest is there, if he isn't i will have to go to the doctor.
The money! I run up the stairs. My breathing heavy.
I open the door and look at the table, eggs, bread and a cup of water.
She said she would leave them on the table.
I search through out the kitchen. Nothing.
The table... I get to the table and look at the three chairs. Why three we are just two.
Where is it?
I put a hand under the table and feel a different texture. I lower my head and see the money attached to a piece of wood. Yes. I move the piece of wood and the money fall down, i put them in my pocket and leave the house.
I start walking left, houses both left and right, high two and three stories are leaning into the middle, rendering the place soffucating.
I turn right, the road barely enough for one person to walk, is leaning up. I start walking.
Both left and right the doors of houses are open, with children running, woman cooking or sowing. I look ahead the path. No more interaction if not needed.
Infront of me i see a house with infront a little wood fence with three massive pigs inside, all covered in dirt, a woman with white hair, so skinny that you could see the bones is sat in underwear with a crazy look in her eyes.
There was no need to tell me rudd. I have no intention to get near.
I surpass the pigs and turn left.
The path opens to a bigger road where two carriages can go at the same time and the the houses are not leaning as much as before. I put my hands on my knees and take my breath . Huff huff.
Shit i can't get my breath to calm down.
I have to hurry.
I walk for 5 minutes. In the distance i see the first building in stone, similar to the castle but way smaller it had three towers high almost 40 meters, with the building high 30 meters and a massive enteance door completely open, left and right out of the building there are tables where people are gathering. Huff huff. I slow my walk.
It should be it.