Devil's Business

The Golden City

 “Hey, what you’re going to do with that woman, Juno? She seems dangerous.” Whispered Selena to the leader up front. Juno does not reesponding to her query, since the business with Mia still entails upon them. It appears that the middle-aged woman of the inn has so much flexibility and agile side to bargain, hence creating space between them so much that Juno has to boost himself with additional stats to catch her.

(Thump!Thump!)

All of sudden, the inn owner then running ahead to chase someone off the market areas of the Mooma City. Not so long after, She chose to get an upper side support by leaping over the roof of the city’s houses. To the extent of interest from their side, Juno quickly jumps onto the upper side tile of the residences to get a better view from her rear. It was unfortunate to the two siblings, however, since they have no technical prowess to follow the man’s blast of speed.

Within Juno’s mind, a shrieking voice come from Selena as she telepath the man in pursue,”We would wait for you outside the northern side gates. There’s the best road to choose for Selima City.”

“Right-o, guys. I’ll inform you once I’m done with this.” Juno replied in haste to Selena as he kept charging behind the lady across the city,”Where’s she going for-“

(Swoosh!)

All of sudden, the once-unrivalled wind gale were summoned along Juno’s way to entail Mia. While most of them are harmless against Juno, the harrowing blows then breaking the roof below him afterwards and impede his way to follow Mia’s lead.

“Oww!”

Juno was fell onto the second floor of Mooma City’s local restaurant. His drop imminently incited its guests to flee away and being panicked of any possible attacks that follows, putting the tables and chairs to jumble up by the commotion happened after the fall.

Shortly, the city’s sentinels appeared and encircled him on the spot. Conversely, the idle booster stats are still there to help Juno get away from the four spear-holding guardsmen of Mooma City even before they realized the situation between them.

“Hey, you have to pay the fine, mortal! Don’t run away from us!” The demon sentinel ordered him as they tag along with the human hero. Of course the petty menace from the guards were not thrilling enough to adhere, so Juno stayed with his sprint to catch the delay from Mia. Yet he does remember his own reputation, thus he chose to summon the coins out from his virtual purse to compensate of the damages that he made earlier.

But he is too late. The inn owner is nowhere to be found despite the man’s attempt to jump back onto the roof for direct surveillance.

---

After unsuccessful action that Juno had with the pursue, He chose to leave it out for his new companion across the northern gates of Mooma city. Zeke and Selena were having a seat upon the nearby park, located on the opposite side of Mia’s inn branch.

“How was it? You can capture the lady, Juno?” Selena asked.

“Nah, got bamboozled on my way. Let’s just go to our destination for now.”

They packed their arrangements and scrutinize them one more time to ensure there are nothing left behind, all before they departed through the northern gates of Mooma City. Juno still can not believe what he saw, the once-decimated city of pride and excellence, are returning to the realm of hell from the ashes. George the heaven beast are not sufficient to bomb the place away forever. The city are thriving and survived the catastrophe caused by the heaven’s wrath with no scratch in whatsoever form within every sector of the city.

Much to his bewilderment over the city’s unscathed manor, He also concerned of what become from the inn owner’s fate. She must be strickened in that perilous invasion of the beast and squashed by the beaming light, or so to say from his own mind against the glimpse of Mia upon the roof an hour ago. He wanted to ask several questions regarding such matter, but somewhat incapable to do so.

“Hey, Old man. Wander off again, huh?” Zeke patted Juno on the shoulder, broken the ponder out of his mind as they wrapped-up their scrutiny for their travel. Juno is smiling by the gentle reminder and wearing his backpack to his back,”Nah, I’m just thinking of what we should do on Selima city. I haven’t learn of the tradition that much-“

“I’ll guide you out, Juno. We have been there for a trip, so don’t worry for that.” Selena smugged, posing a little prideful and resting her hands down to the waist.

---

Their svelor wagon is arrived at noon as they stationed under the roof of the public transportation’s base camp. The common ride for long-distance travel such as the beast-horse wagon are always nestled on the northern areas of the city. With the jargon,”all the way to the west” that they have upon their written signage, the location is indeed misplaced than what it should be.

This is the first and foremost utilization of Juno’s resources. The two brothers were pleading for a short-course of travel, but having no money to afford the pleasantries of having four ghouls for the ride. After all, it is a fairly long distance to reach the fourth city from their starting point at Beneno, which was reckoned in more than a thousand kilometers to reach out.

“Hiya!!!”

Their voyage has begun. The luxurious ride that the three have rented now has much more resistance to its carriage. To beat Kudeluma’s rigorous strength and defending their own sanity from its eyes, they gave the adventurous goggles for the safety of the passengers and requested them to wear it at all times on the way to the city of gold. Several free-of-duty sentinels are also venture with them in another carriage as they were recruited in case of sudden skirmish from the pack. This is because of the state protocol required all the travel to be done in groups, to which were stipulated in specific for any private owners of Svelor ride channel in Mooma City,

While the three rested themselves in the cabin, Juno handpicked the wine bottle inside the manual cooler. It is powered with the natural chilling temperature from the ghoul’s leaking mucus that covering a metal-tinted box, preserving the savory taste of the grape wine inside.

For the two siblings beside him, they are overjoyed with the sight from the cabin’s window. Their eyes are sparkling by the feast of red sandy mounds and the barren wasteland of hell, now inside the speeding wagon that they wished to have for long. It seemed to Juno as the sight to sore eyes for seeing them being cheerful and lovely, solely because of their under-age status and the endless danger that they have to suffer.  

“It’s been almost a year for us to have this... Thank you, sir.” Whispered Selena to Juno’s ear. She is the one who eats all the candies and edibles of the wagon.

“Don’t mention it. This is the assistance that I could bear, since we are allies to defeat the demon lord and its crooks.” Juno sipped a glass of wine and seeping out the sense of sourness beneath its purple-colored liquor,”Uh, that’s amazing- Anyway, how could you both unleash a damage from your magic? Does it works with the stat booster somehow?”

Selena shook her heads steadily to answer while keeping her mouth busy with the sugar,”Not really. You remember how the power randomly generated, right, Juno?” She bites a white cane from the jar and crunched it all in one shot,”We can’t get home, so the ability that we have from our latest arrival are staying with us until we enter the portal again.”

The portal logic from this hell are outrageous to think of, Juno thinks for awhile. They have any randomized ability from the very first time they got out from the red flux, literally speaks for itself and the otherworldly mechanics that was appealing to most of the daredevils around the world.  It includes the two children in front of him, who thinks of these serious matters as a form of playtoy for their own games.

---

The city of gold and riches, or Selima City for short, is the home for the hell’s bank and the central market of the continent. The city has called as such since its second rebirth from their calamity by the amount of exotic stones and its golden bricks foundation hereupon. Juno heard and read all of the information of this city from the two sibling’s collection of old scriptures down the hatch of their hidden homebase. More or less, this city has so much reserves for the terms of trades and wealthy personality alike.

Their ghoul-tugged wagon is situated themselves upon the northern gates of the city’s golden bastion. As they arrived on sunset, the glowing sight of their gold-coated buildings is mesmerising to the three human’s eyes. Juno had himself chuckled by the glimmering stones that engraved the station’s buildings and shook his head out of excitement. The two innocent siblings before him, despite their prior experience with the city, are still dwell in joy with the various stints of light from the golden bars of the building that were shining towards them in full force.

“For real? They have this old rusty bones coated with gold? It’s too much to handle to me.” Said Juno to express his actual delight.

“Yeah, we were kinda surprised like you too, Juno. That wood should be covered in moss, not a gloss!” Muttered Zeke from the rear. Selena following her brother’s comment by raising her left hand high to the sky,“Yeah, gloss! That’s so weird.”

The three humans then walking down the small path to the northern gates. Mia’s inn branch could be seen up close, right after their first step inside the golden city. However, this inn is having more exquisite design than the other branches across the three city that Juno had entered. It has much wider structure and rather modern design alongside the golden background in every corner of the building’s wall. The main entrance is even opened automatically to the venturing guests that come across the door line.

“I’m happened to see her outside Mooma City before and chased her out, if she is there, I wonder-“ Mumbled Juno as he thinking out loud to the previous grand chase on the rooftop of Mooma city.

“Wonder what, Juno?” Asked Zeke immediately.

“Uh, nothing. Let’s go inside.”

It appears the receptionist that Juno has looking for is nowhere to be found. The female demon receptionist has no close resemblance with Mia, as well. Juno tried to peek inside the ‘personnel only’ backside office, but nothing could be perceived from the slightly opened door of the place.

The receptionist in front of the counter seemed in discomfort with Juno’s belittling gaze and makes her move forward with the hospitality of the office. She gave her narrowed-lips smile to him in advance,“May I help you, sir? Is there something amiss?”

Juno has no business with the oblivious lady, but he does need to book a room for them to rest,”Yes, the expensive room with two king-size bed, please.” Then he followed with a grin,”And something with ‘children’ upon it might also be great.”

“With pleasure, sir, and welcome to Mia’s inn of Selima City.”