Lux could hardly believe it. A real city, at last! His chest buzzed with anticipation, just like he had downed three espressos. He could still picture the kaleidoscopic skyline he’d glimpsed from afar, rising above pale walls, when he’d first travelled with Novgar and Silver.

  But Magenta, as always, snapped him back to reality. She jabbed a finger at his face, voice sharp as a slap. “Don’t even think of running off when we get to Helidale. Stick to Novgar or myself like glue, you hear? Keep your mind on your task! You’re there to get ideas for Silver City, nothing else!” She finished with a huff, arms folded.

  Lux raised his hands in surrender, “I got it, Magenta. I’ll focus.” He had a sneaking suspicion that if he didn’t agree, Magenta would leave him behind. Black energy was already curling from her palms. He didn’t hesitate to follow Novgar into the porthole.

  Darkness enveloped Lux entirely. He had travelled by porthole many times before, yet each journey brought a fleeting moment of panic that ignited in his chest. What if the porthole decided to keep him inside? Would he become one with the darkness? Would he still need to eat? Or how about going to the bathroom?

  Then, gentle pressure nudged him forward and all the thoughts disappeared. He let it guide him, and soon the darkness thinned, warmth creeping back into his body.

  Light returned, and with it, a familiar sight. He stood in a vast domed chamber, ringed with stone platforms just big enough for one person. Orange runes glowed on the ceiling, identical to the travel building he’d first entered on earth.

  Novgar stepped off the platform beside him. Magenta materialised on his other side, all business. “Let’s go.” She beckoned, and Lux, remembering her threat, stuck close. He had no desire to deal with Magenta’s wrath if he got lost.

  He trailed after her, gawking at everything. People poured off the platforms in a steady stream, and Lux’s eyes went wide at the sheer variety. All shapes, all sizes, all manner of dress, from plain tunics to jewelled robes. Skin colours ranged from chalk-white to midnight blue. One man had fur, cat ears, and twitching whiskers. Magenta and Novgar ignored the crowd, but Lux couldn’t help staring.

  A massive green hand landed on his shoulder, jolting him out of his trance. He realized he’d been rude, gaping openly at the passersby. “Novgar is happy Lucky Charm finally wants to make enemies!” Novgar’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

  That ominous comment snapped Lux’s gaze to Magenta’s back. His pulse spiked, palms slick with sweat. Surely just staring wouldn’t get him in trouble, right? But as they stepped outside, voices drifted from behind.

  “That human’s lucky he’s with that oaf, or I’d teach him some manners for staring.”

  “Pfft, as if you could. Humans don’t even leave the city walls,” scoffed another.

  Lux’s ears perked up. It sounded like causing trouble inside the city was frowned upon. He wondered what would happen if someone did start a fight.

  Reassured, Lux resumed his people-watching, this time more discreetly. The streets were spotless, bustling with carriages pulled by all sorts of animals. Dazzling colours flashed everywhere from the crowd’s clothing, dizzying him as he tried to take it all in.

  The buildings themselves surprised him, they were plain, unadorned brick. He’d expected more colour. “Novgar, why are the buildings so plain? The city I saw while traveling was much brighter.”

  “Lucky Charm must mean Rainbow City. That one’s famous for its coloured buildings. Most cities in Mystic Beau look like this.” Novgar gestured at the bland facade in front of them. Lux nodded, realising even here, some places were built to attract tourists, just like on earth.

  He turned his attention back to the street. Wide sidewalks meant plenty of space, even with the crowds. Three-story brick buildings lined the way. A shop window caught his eye, a suit covered in gems and intricate patterns. Lux’s mouth watered at the sight of the sparkling stones. Maybe he could pry off a few and sell them…

  He moved on to another display, elegant pottery. Across the street, bottles of every shape and colour glittered in the sunlight. They were in a shopping district, he realised. As he trailed after Magenta, he couldn’t stop peering at the wares.

  At the next intersection, he caught a glimpse further into the city. The buildings grew taller as the road climbed. The noise of the crowd was a comfort, even with all the strange races, the chatter was the same as any human city. People griped about work, debated purchases, and complained about getting lost.

  “It’ll take too long to walk the whole city. Let’s get a Tour Carriage.” Magenta’s voice cut through the din. Lux watched as she strode to a small stone pillar at the curb and pressed her palm to it.

  Now that he noticed, the pillars were everywhere. When Magenta lifted her hand, the pillar glowed.

  A green carriage with oversized wheels, pulled by a black horse, rolled up. Magenta hopped in. “So that’s how you hail a carriage,” Lux muttered, climbing in after her. The seat was so plush his hand sank into the cushion.

  Novgar grunted behind him. Lux scooted over, and the whole carriage groaned as the big man sat down.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  “Tour Carriage, take us to Dungeon Street, please,” Magenta sang out. The door snapped shut, and the carriage lurched into motion, heading for the taller buildings. Lux watched the scenery blur by, parks tucked between high-rises, more shops, endless people.

  He got bored after a while and turned to Magenta. “Is there any part of the city I should focus on?”

  “Yes. We’re heading there now. Silver said this part will be very different from your human cities. Take lots of notes,” Magenta advised.

  “How is it different?” Lux was genuinely curious. He’d already seen plenty that was unlike earth.

  “This city has a dungeon. You don’t have those on earth.” Magenta clamped her mouth shut, but that was enough for Lux. Silver City would have a dungeon someday. He needed to pay attention to everything built around it.

  As the buildings changed, Lux sat up straighter. More people wore armour, bristling with weapons and trinkets. “Are we getting close?”

  “Yes. We’re in the temporary residence district now,” Magenta replied.

  Lux frowned. “Temporary residence streets?”

  “Near a dungeon, there’s huge demand for temporary housing. In a city this size, you’ll find whole streets of it. The cheapest are shared rooms with strangers, usually farthest from the dungeon. The closer you get, the more luxurious and expensive the apartments,” Magenta explained.

  Lux started to see the difference, cities here needed a ton of short-term housing. With so many races only visiting on a travel visa, no one wanted to buy a permanent home. So, the city-built rows of temporary residences, especially near the dungeon where everyone wanted to go for the rewards.

  “Can we look inside the apartments? If Silver City gets one of those things, we should know what people expect,” Lux suggested. He didn’t mention the dungeon book out loud, but he was sure Magenta understood.

  “I don’t see why not. What do you think, Novgar?” When Novgar agreed, they stopped the carriage. Lux stepped out in front of a towering, one hundred-story building. Men and women in armour clustered in groups outside.

  Novgar led the way, cutting a path through the crowd. Lux stuck close. Inside, a small lobby awaited, with three bored attendants behind a desk.

  “Can I help you?” one droned, not even looking up.

  “Novgar wants to see a room!” Novgar boomed. The woman snapped to attention, eyes going wide at the sight of him. She smoothed her uniform and beamed. “Of course, good sir. Would you like to see our best room?”

  Lux jumped in, “No, just your basic room, please.” The smile vanished from the attendant’s face. She pursed her lips, rounded the desk, and led them to an elevator. She stabbed the button for the first floor. When the doors opened, Lux recoiled.

  The hallway reeked of old, musty air. The carpet was threadbare, greasy, and blotched with stains. Doors lined the corridor, all identical and equally unwelcoming.

  The receptionist shuffled ahead, heels squelching wetly on the carpet. When Lux stepped down, the floor groaned under his boots, damp and spongy.

  He’d never appreciated his thin bed in Silver City so much.

  Any hope that the rooms might be better vanished when the woman shoved open a door with a tortured squeal. The room barely fit Novgar’s shoulders. It held a cot that barely qualified as a bed, a single lopsided chair, and a kitchenette that was just a cracked sink and a warped counter.

  “Where’s the bathroom?” Lux asked, already regretting it.

  “Bathrooms to the right. Toilets to the left, end of the floor,” she recited, pointing at a crooked sign.

  Lux trudged down the hall. The bathroom door groaned open, and a wave of stench nearly knocked him flat. Rows of rickety stalls leaned against each other, their doors half-rotted. The smell made his eyes water. He gagged, stumbled back, and slammed the door.

  He eyed the door across the hall, Showers. He almost turned away, but curiosity got the better of him. He stepped inside.

  Warm, damp air wrapped around him. Steam curled everywhere, clinging to his skin. Water hissed behind flimsy curtains, and vague shapes moved in the haze. Lux froze. This was not something he wanted burned into his memory. He was halfway out the door when something caught his eye.

  A giant bathing pool sat in the corner, big enough for five Novgar’s. Steam rose off the water, fed by stone pipes. A man lounged there, humming as he scrubbed his shoulders. Their eyes met through the mist. The man paused, brush in hand.

  Awkward silence. Very wet, very awkward.

  Lux gave a stiff, apologetic wave, then bolted.

  This place was a dump. Everything was bare minimum, no wonder it was so far from the dungeon. Lux wondered how much it cost. He found the receptionist.

  “Five silver coins per night,” she said. Not bad, even for a labourer making twenty silver coins per day. Lux thanked her and left. Out on the street, he realised there were even cheaper options further out.

  “Magenta are those other residences cheaper?” he asked, pointing back.

  “Yes, those are room shares. Bunk beds, no kitchenette, and even the dining room is communal. Want to see one?”

  Lux shook his head, horrified. The one-bedroom had been bad enough.

  He was starting to get a good idea of the range, from squalid to grand, just like earth. “Let’s go see one near the dungeon,” he said. He wanted to see what luxury looked like here.

  Magenta summoned another carriage. Soon they arrived on Dungeon Street. But the moment Lux saw the dungeon, he forgot all about apartments.

  It was nothing like he’d imagined.

  He’d expected a cave mouth, damp stone, moss, and gloom. The crowd outside fit that image, hawkers shouting, adventurers polishing weapons, newcomers gawking.

  But the dungeon itself? No cave at all.

  Instead, a huge oval structure towered before him, its pale stone polished to a blinding white. It looked more like a monument than a den of danger, a two-story colosseum dominating the block. Wide arches ringed the perimeter, each filled with a swirling, black portal that shimmered like disturbed oil. The glossy darkness was stark against the stone, as if shadows had been carved into the building.

  A grand entrance gaped at the front, tall enough for wagons. People streamed in and out, armoured adventurers, merchants, cloaked figures.

  Lux noticed a pattern. The black portals weren’t entrances, they spat people out. Adventurers stumbled or strode out in confident strides, blinking in the sunlight like they’d come from a darkness.

  “Not what you expected?” Magenta asked.

  “Not at all,” Lux admitted. He wanted to go inside, but what if he got dragged into the dungeon itself? That was not on his to-do list.

  He hesitated, chewing his lip. Novgar broke the silence. “Novgar will take Lucky Charm inside his first dungeon!” The big man was practically bouncing.

  Thankfully, Magenta intervened. “Absolutely not. This human is under my care, and I promised Silver, I’d keep him safe. This mission is important, and I won’t let you derail it.”

  “What? He’s my Lucky Charm! Novgar owns him, not you!” Novgar squared his shoulders, looming over Magenta.

  Magenta’s eyes narrowed, cold and calculating. “Silver trusts me to get this done. You want to answer to him if something happens to Lux? Be my guest.” She folded her arms, making it clear she wasn’t backing down.

  Lux edged away from the argument, not looking where he was going.

  He collided with something solid. He looked up, and met a pair of hostile red eyes.