Snippet #1919757

Hayley was walking through the extremely dense crowds in the streets of Paetax, this place was not quite what it seemed or anything Hayley was told it'd be. Paetax was full of big, white buildings surrounding virtually every single street. Being the capital, it's normal that you expect a large city, but Paetax was the definition of the word 'Great'. The streets were so crowded with peasants, merchants and, much to Hayley's dismay, Guards. She knew it would be a great place for pickpocketing with so many people around, but also easy to get caught since it would be pretty hard to run in there.

She kept trying to force her way through the crowds with her tiny body as the sun reached the zenith. A bell rang, time seemed to stop as everyone quit whatever they were doing to look up to a tower. A second time, no one moved a muscle or made a noise. And finally a third, and it all came back with full force, like if nothing happened, people kept walking, talking or selling their goods. Unable to resist, she took the contents of a man's pocket. Only a few coins, letting out a sigh, she put the coins in her pocket and stole an apple from a merchant, taking a bite.

Hayley wandered through the crowds trying to follow the directions a farmer gave her as she entered the city. Rumors said there would be an opportunity of a lifetime in a tavern called 'The black vagabond'. Today she was wearing a dull brown dress, like half the peasants around. It was boring and unfashionable, but it was the easiest way to stay out of sight, Hayley didn't want to pick up a fight with these six feet tall, armored guards carrying a longsword each. But it's worth mentioning her hair probably drew a lot of attention due to its vivid color, Hayley made a mental note to get a hat as soon as possible.

The girl eventually reached the tavern, standing just outside the door she took a final bite an threw her apple away before pushing the door open. Hayley quickly moved to the bar, threw a few coins over the counter and ordered a drink. Taking a sip she looked around the place. There were only two exits, the front door and another one behind the counter, which probably led to an alley in the back. Not a single open window she could use. The good thing is that there were only two places to watch for incoming people.

She finished her drink and pressed her back against the wall. The place was probably full of thieves, assassins and god-only-knows-what-else. Hayley didn't want any of these to be in a position she couldn't see. Taverns have a slight tendency to get dangerous because of all the alcohol and dangerous individuals. Sometimes it degenerates to what Hayley likes to call 'Fun', but most people just call it a bar fight.

After a while, the owner left, a man stood up from the crowd and everyone went silent as he spoke. 'It must be a royal' Hayley though, his shiny armor was something pricey, only nobles and high officers of the kingdom usually wear those. Hayley was thinking about how much gold she could get by stealing his armor and selling it back on the black market, just to remember she would end up killed if she went back to Thoav. The girl couldn't help but smile, holding back a laugh, when the man mentioned 'risking her life for the King'. She wouldn't risk her life for the King, but his gold was a different thing...