Closed.

The manifestos were handed over in a span of a quarter of an hour. The people took them eagerly, the sober ones and the drunk ones, some checking them over in interest and some simply flinging them away as soon as they got them. Her efforts were partially paid of.

Dhea could see the band of musicians across the street from her. There was a merry crowd gathered around them, dancing and cheering. It was a band of four people, with various instruments, comprised of Elvins and humans. They looked to be in a good mood. As soon as she stepped toward them she was swept away in the dancing crowd. An Elvin woman extended her hands toward her inviting her to dance.

- Dance.
- Talk to the musicians.
 
Dhea wanted to talk to the musicians, but the idea of enjoying herself, it seemed a good one. With a soft smile, she took the Elvin woman's hands, dancing happily with her. She even laughed joyfully.
 
The Elvin woman pressed herself against her in a very intimate dance. She looked to be a bit tipsy. Once the song was over and the crowd cheered, the woman blew a kiss her way and disappeared into the crowd. Dhea's purse was also lighter by a couple of gold pieces.

The musicians were taking a break and preparing for the continuation of their performance. Now would be a good chance to get their attention.

- Talk to the musicians.
- Explore the fair.
- Leave the fair.
 
Dhea rolled her eyes, already expecting that to happen. She narrowed her eyes when she saw the musicians and made her way towards them. With a complete shift in expression, she smiled and waved her hand, trying to get attention.
"Do you mind if I speak with you? Hello?"
 
One of the musicians, a tall human female, turned toward her with a smile. "Hello? How can I help?" She said, fiddling with a lute in her hands. "If you want to request a song, please put your donation in the hat first." She gestured to a brown hat on the ground in front of them, already overflowing with coins.

- Ask them to play in the inn.
- Leave.
 
"Actually, I was wondering if you'd like to play at The Crooked Finger, for its grand re-opening."
Dhea had a huge smile, and her eyes were hopeful. She wanted the plan to go well, because it'd be amazing to see.
 
"Sure, if we agree on the payment." The woman answered. "We'll wrap it up in a couple of hours here and send someone there to check it out. We do need accommodations for the night too." She nodded, talking more to herself than to Dhea. "We're not cheap, though." She warned.

Dhea had a couple more hours left of daylight if she wanted to explore the Festival or go further into the City.

- Give them the location of the inn and go explore the Festival.
- Give them the location of the inn and go explore the City.
- Give them the location of the inn and go back to the inn.
 
Dhea nodded.
"I'm sure we can work something out."
She grinned at the woman, before giving her the location and disappearing into the crowd. She was a little sore and wanted to sit down. So, she went back to the inn.
 
Ellie greeted her at the entrance of the inn with a bright smile. She looked her over and nodded. "So, you have managed to give out the invitations. Let's hope the people start coming in."
"Hi!" Yan flew up to Dhea and landed on her shoulder. "Ellie made lunch. Let's eat."

There was nothing to do at the inn except eat lunch and talk to Ellie. It was a nice change from her quick pace through the Hills and Ellie did not ask questions about further payment for the room, at least not yet. It looked like she wanted to keep her around as long as she helped out the inn. After they ate lunch, and it was also nice eating more than one meal a day, Ellie had shoved a broom in her hands to help with cleaning the place. Yan was chirping and flying around them enthusiastically. He seemed to like Ellie.

Evening came fast and the first customers started walking inside. Ellie brightened at seeing the doors swinging open and closed multiple times in a span of couple of minutes. She was already at teh tables, talking to the patrons and drowning them in drinks. A little boy, who claimed to be sent by the wandering musician band, pulled Ellie to the side and they whispered something, gesturing and arguing.

"Well, they are very expesnive, but we need some music." Ellie said to Dhea passing by her to serve more drinks.

Dhea had a choice, she could stay and help out Ellie, since it looked that the night was to get busy, or she could go to Rhain's tavern and visit the assassin.

- Stay with Ellie.
- Go to Rhain.
- Explore Khare.
- Go to sleep.
 
Dhea looked at the busy tavern. She smiled, watching them all with a careful eye. Her efforts were clearly worth it, but she wanted to go and visit Rhain. She used the crowd and the loudness to go and visit the assassin/thief.
 
Her path led her back to the first crossroads. Rhain had said that the tavern he was at was on the docks, which meant from that point she would have to go north. She had not explored much of the City yet and had gotten no clues about actually finding the North Gate. The only thing she learned that day was that the east side of Khare, across the river, was filled with Portal Traps. She would need to focus on the task at hand if she wanted to get out of Khare.

- Go straight.
- Go left.
- Go right.
 
Dhea stuck to the main road, following the furrows made by the cart wheels. It rose up a slight slope to reach a small settlement of poor huts. As she passed these homes their residents gathered to watch her in silence. A little further on she was stopped by a sight. A body in the gutter on the side of the street. A beggar, asleep or drunk, perhaps in need of help.

- Check the body.
- Keep going.
 
Dhea stood at a distance, before nudging him slightly with her hand. She wanted to make sure he was moving at the very least, before checking his pulse and using her blade to check if his breath was misting the surface.
 
As soon as she got a step closer, she felt the smell. Pungent and old. Either the beggar was in a very bad shape, or he was already dead. The latter was highly likely. The people on the street did not seem to pay any attention to the body, but still some followed Dhea's movements.

- Search the body.
- Leave.
 
Dhea staggered away. There was no point in searching the body of a beggar. He was curled up in a ditch, which was indignity enough, she didn't need to go through his things. She decided to continue forward.
 
As she continued along the road she saw that the buildings on one side were replaced by meagre patches of field, roughly fenced and housing small, skinny cattle. The street in that area was quiet, with no one about. This part of the Cityport was barely inhabited and it should be safe enough to pass through quickly. Dhea walked by a large structure with its doors open wide. The smell of incense floated out from within. She could not see anything past the darkness of the doorway, it looked like a wide until space on the inside. The low sound of chanting floated out onto the street - a woman's voice.

- Enter the building.
- Walk on.
 
Dhea's curiosity was peaked, but she just wanted to continue forward. She bite her lip and debate whether a peek could be allowed, and then she could run off.
So, that's what she did, she poked her head around the door, already intent in running off afterwards.
 
As she stepped up to the doors, she found herself in the gloomy shade of the building. The aroma of perfume and oil grew so thick that Dhea begun to cough and choke, announcing her presence to everyone that was inside. The voice went quiet.

There was no response, just a quiet sound, like a light footstep, or the turning of a page of a book. Then, after a moment, the voice sounded again.

"Greetings, woman of Analand. I see you are an honourable soul." The voice is female, rich and filled with music and invite. "You are welcome to enter." But, the dark inside is not very inviting.

- Ask about the North Gate.
- Ask about the voice.
- Leave.
 
Dhea shook her head, before taking a step back. She didn't trust the woman or the darkness she surrounded herself in. No matter how gorgeous the voice was.
"Can you give me some directions to the North Gate, please?"
She was going to ask for information and run.
 
"You have much distance to cover.." The voice answered. It laughed, a gentle, pealing sound, like a chime. There was that noise again, like a palm slapping down. "I see difficulty upon difficulty. A closed door, a whispered secret, a trap of fire." Another slap. It was the sound of a card being turned from a deck. "Ask again." The voice said. "Speak a word and I will tell you what I see."

- Ask about the fire.
- Ask about the Crown.
- Ask about Khare.
- Ask about magic.
- Leave.
 
"Tell me about Khare."
Dhea was unsure about this, she even looked around, trying to figure out if this was a scam. She didn't want to be distracted and have her things stolen from her. She really didn't need that.
 
"I see the forking paths." The voice begun again. "I see great wealth, reversed. I see the sunrise. There is more good than evil here."

Suddenly, from the far end of the room, a single candle flame ignited. A shade had been lifted from the lamp, revealing a woman in a large hood, seated at a star-shaped table. She was staring at the cards laid out before her. Through the gloom, it was difficult to make out much else.

"You seek the Crown of Kings." The woman spoke, head still lowered. "I see it in my cards." She gasped. "You intend to conquer the Old World."

- "I intend to save it."
- "Maybe."
- "What is the Crown?"
 
"I intend to save it."
Dhea hated people questioning her, questioning her intent. Her eyes flashed and she almost left, but she would stay and hear what the woman had to say.
 
"Nothing will save it." The woman's voice was slightly raised now. "The damage is done. It would be better if the Crown was dropped into the sea. Remember this."

The woman looked up them from her cards. Her eyes were deep blue and a long scar ran across her face, from mouth to left ear. "I see things, Analander. Things that not all wish to hear." She turned another card then, a movement that was almost involuntarily, then she looked up at Dhea again. "The Crown is not in Khare, but there are many who claim it is, and only one who is deceived. Only one truly believes!"

Her attention was lost once again, taken by the cracks in the flagstoned floor on which she sat. "The streets will burn." With one last ominous prediction the doors closed right in front of Dhea's nose.

The main road continued up a small rise between fields. Since no one could leave the walls of Khare, the citizens did their farming inside the walls, the best they can. There was no one in the fields now, as the moon rose on the sky.

- Continue ahead.
- Turn back.
 
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