Chapter 240: Grab and hold!
Irwin was surprised by how empty and desolate the town felt. There were some people wandering around, but they all looked like guards that were off-duty.
"Does nobody live here?" he asked, looking at the guard beside him.
The man looked up with a raised eyebrow. "Never been to a central world's guard station?"
Irwin frowned. "I'm pretty sure there were merchants there. And some shops?"
The guard snorted. "Lucky guards. Well, not here. We are at the proper edge of civilization here, and with so few merchants daring to cross the Chaotic Corridors, there are only guards or guards in training here."
The deadly tone of the guard made Irwin keep any potential questions he had to himself as they were led to a large, quiet building. A sign read 'The Inn', and they walked inside the desolate large first room. Tables with chairs upside down on top of it made the place feel abandoned. If not for the lack of dust, Irwin would have assumed it was.
"Coming!" a dry voice shouted from the back. A moment later, one of the oldest Ignitzions Irwin had seen walked towards them, her entire body and oddly shimmering robe covered in tiny flames.
"Sebahl? Did a merchant ship arrive!?" the woman asked, eyes bright, and her smile caused her face to turn into a wrinkle of valleys where flames trickled along.
"No, Zarina. Lord Ganvil is acting up again like he did a few years ago. Making their lives more difficult than it has to be," Sebahl said as he waved Irwin and the others forward. "I'll leave you here. Don't attempt to go back to your ship and fly off until you get permission."
The guard smiled at the Ignitzion before turning and walking back out of the Inn, closing the door behind him.
"Ah, well, I guess that means you are going to be my guests for a few days to a week," Zaria said with a smile. "I can understand it's not what you had planned, but I'll do my very best to make your stay as pleasant as possible!"
"Thank you," Irwin said as he looked around. "Perhaps we can have something to eat and drink?"