My Servant System



We did as the Wisp asked, hunkering down inside the carriage and waiting for us to reach our destination, each of us curious about what 'weird security' Vulpe City had, which was made even more so curious as the Marquess shook her head, not knowing anything either.

From what we could see from within the carriage, the city of Vulpe was a vibrant city made from white stone and covered in plaster to smooth everything out, while the wood was a succulent red that oozed color into the surrounding area.

Cloth coverings for the various pavilions set up between buildings were mostly a similar red as the wood, though there were a few stores or establishments that used other colors, primarily blue, purple, and pink.

The people were just as vibrant as the city, walking around with merry expressions and laughing with one another as they went about their business, their loose style of dress displaying their tanned skin and toned bodies, allowing us to easily spot the people who weren't native to Vulpe; paler skin tones, 'normal' style of dress, and the different, non Beastkin races let you know that they were visitors.

Everything looked clean and friendly, but then again it was a tourist oriented city, so...

Making our way down the various smooth stone roads, we eventually found ourselves in front of a three story building that had the entire front painted to show a landscape scene, adding more vibrancy to the city and making it a rather noticeable place inside the city.

The Wisps parked the carriages inside the smaller building that was attached to the main portion, unhitching the horses and letting them graze and drink inside their pens before opening the doors, allowing us out.

"Marquess, Lady Jahi, if you would remain in here until we come and get you, that would be excellent. Lady Leone, Lady Anput, Lady Kat, if you'd like to accompany us inside so that we could get ourselves situated?"

We all nodded at the masked woman, the black half mask that covered her mouth and cheeks rather indiscreet, usually used by mercenary companies or adventuring groups.

The Marquess and Jahi leaned against the carriages, watching as we left the barn like structure behind and entered the painted inn, finding ourselves inside a relatively empty, quiet and cozy setting.

Red wood planks contrasted the white stone walls, while the window shutters were wide open, allowing the air to flow in and out of the inn and keep the temperature regulated to a bearable degree; once out of the sun, the heat wasn't as bad as you would think.

Standing behind the counter beside the door was an older Dogkin woman, her graying hair and floppy ears making her both mature and gentle, and she smiled softly at us as we entered, her dazzling blue eyes dancing between us before landing on the Wisp who approached her.

"Do you have four rooms available? Room and board preferably."

"Of course dear~! Y'know, you're rather lucky; this week is the lull between the two separate vacationing crowds, so most places are going to be relatively empty! Four rooms you said? Would you prefer being closer to the entrance or further away?"

The mature Dogkin flipped through a large book and waited for an answer, which the Wisp provided after a few moments of thought.

"Closer, please. Should be less sun at night that way."

Chuckling, the Dogkin nodded before jotting down a few things in her book, saying "The price for four rooms is 20 Silvers a night, which includes two meals, served within two hours of both dawn and dusk. How many nights will you be here?"

The Wisp opened a pouch and slid a Gold coin to the woman, before dropping a few more Silvers into her hands as she said "Just five, and that's for you. May we use the connecting door between the barn and here to bring in our gear?"

"Of course dear, let me open it for you... Really, it is nice having such a large party staying here for a few days~! I thought I was going to be bored out of my mind this week!"

While she walked over towards a door on the far right wall, the Dogkin woman fiddled with a ring of keys and began to slip a few off, nodding to herself as she stared at them before handing them to the Wisp, who distributed them between Kolia, Leone, and another Wisp.

"If you're looking for some more innocent fun, try to be back here by dusk~! My wife and I will be  performing then, and usually quite a few locals come around to drink and sing along~! During the day though, most people are busy at work, so don't hesitate to chat with me! I can tell you so~ much about our beautiful city of Vulpe~!"

I felt my lips curling into a smile as she continued to talk with us, fiddling with the keys again and opening the door that connected the barn to the inn.

One of the Wisps nodded and began to talk to the innkeeper, turning her away and learning what she could about the city while we grabbed our stuff - and the Demoness' - and made our way inside and upstairs, reaching our rooms and entering inside.

With so many people, it wasn't that bad inside the four rooms, with the most pressing matter being if we would have enough sleeping space individually, but that was only if we were sleeping on our own.

After putting our gear down and returning downstairs - leaving the Marquess and Jahi upstairs for now - we gathered around a table and ordered some food, during which the Dogkin woman happily continued to chat with us.

"Welcome to the Barking Sun Inn~! Shoulda said that earlier, but it slipped my old mind! You'll be rather close to quite~ a few great stores, theaters, music halls, gambling dens, and an escort hall, so do enjoy yourselves~! I'll be back in a few minutes with your food; should still have some stew and bread baking..."

We watched as she sauntered away, humming to herself, before we began to talk quietly amongst ourselves, discussing the plan for today loosely.