Second Chapter online!

Chapter 2: T’san, the town by the ford

The town of T’san almost didn’t make it as a town, in reality it started off as a trading post between the various routes connecting the major cities in the continent, bringing precious commodities of spices, animal pelts, precious gems from Kel in the far west and food produce, finished goods, dyes and timber from the great forests of T’zzl and cities of Branstock, Kneth’ and Squall Port in the south and east. Thus serving as a stopover to replenish and sale of wares being ported along the traffic, settlements soon sprung about, for the placement of the location by the great river and its fertile soil offer an easy route for barges as well as great crop lands to settle and earn the coins of commerce.

From the various settlements scattered about, businesses soon sprouted to cater to the influx of migrants and traders; taverns opened to quench the thirst of those inclined to intoxicating drinks, inns set up shop for those wishing paid lodging, shops and services gave needed commodities for supplies replenishment and even the seedier side of life, the gambling halls and night harlots were soon advertising for customers. Soon all converged at what is now called T’san ford and so the town got its name and soon the traders who found this a comfortable place to put down their roots and soon made it a permanent settlement. The founding families, trade guilders all soon established rule and reined in the more notorious elements making it a good enough place for raising families.

T’san does not exude the crowdedness and hectic happenings of greater cities in the Realm but the roads and alleyways are still crowded with merchants, shopkeepers, residents, passersby and visitors. No great towers loom over the horizon unlike those sprouting like needles from the ground in Q’santhil, City of the Learnt or smelly, cramped and smoke laden as the streets of Cambrion. No it was just nice, from the hill that Edwin and Prat stood after walking past the lightly wooded stretch of forest fringing the town, they commanded a view of the valley; below by the bend of the river nestled T’san, the barges, large constructs of wood laden with goods, were berthed by the pier and workmen were seen loading and unloading crates and bales ready to head off to the various regions of the Realm. Caravans were seen moving slowly from the distant mountain pass, beasts laden with goods and their handlers looking cheerfully at the prospects of food and a bed for the night after the long journey.

Thatched houses, none taller then two flight of stairway huddled close to its neighbours. The streets crisscrossing here and there, delineating the various districts; the market lane with colourful stalls were crawling with people, looking link an ant’s nest from where they stood, smoke billowing in huge streams from the forges of the blacksmiths, Harbor Way connecting the warehouse district to the pier, shouts were heard even at where they stood as the guards from the garrison in their shiny armor practiced their drills. The Realm has not seen much a war for a long time besides the odd skirmish with the goblinoids from the mountains and most of them were basically hired out as caravan guards in case of the odd bandit raids. To the far north, across the river, lay the rice fields, barren now but once the crops are planted and ripe gives off a hue akin to a sea of molten gold, nourished by the river and rich alluvial soil that the yearly floods bring. All in all it was a typical town-busy, bustling and alive.

Edwin and Prat didn’t really notice all these as they have seen the panorama so often that they didn’t really think much about it, though any newcomers viewing it for the first time would stop for a moment to admire the sight. At that moment the pair were busy talking their heads off, mostly of Prat chiding Edwin about his lack out courage in getting to know Aria better, since it was so obvious to Prat that his pal was infatuated with the gal, the blacksmith’s daughter, which can be normally seen at her mother’s stall selling utensils in Market Street by the butcher. Thus it does not surprise Prat that Edwin would often volunteer without fuss to fetch the weekly groceries, though his sister often puzzled at this fact, because Edwin hasn’t really shown any real inclination to the other chores left in his charge.

[+/-] Read More/Less