Chapter 210: Interesting Once inside the city, Jon made for a large cart by the side of the road with Finn in tow. Together, they joined the other workers boarding the cart headed for the docks. ​Already, Jon’s attitude had shifted. He was less sullen about his role as Finn’s babysitter and more resigned, as if he just wanted to be as helpful as possible and get the task over with. "Be very careful with that token," Jon said with a serious tone. "If you lose it, the experience with the guards won’t be pleasant at all. Hoshin Bay is strict about who stays within the city. If you don’t choose to stay at the worker dormitories, you must be out before the time marked on your token expires." Finn nodded, pocketing the token carefully. "Understood. Thank you." Maybe Jon wasn’t so bad after all. Despite the obvious crush on Thalia that fueled his natural distaste for Finn, he was doing the necessary work, giving Finn the tips he needed, even though his expression remained somewhat gloomy. The cart began moving after filling with workers, rolling slowly through the cobbled streets of Hoshin Bay. Finn took in the sights as they moved through the city. Trading was already underway despite the early hour. Vendors calling out prices, customers haggling, the rhythmic sounds of a city waking up to commerce. It really was a thriving place. A clear contrast to the Sprawl that spread out just a mile away. Even the way people in Hoshin carried themselves was different. And it also extended to the workers on the cart. Finn noticed how they held themselves differently once inside the walls. A subtle straightening of postures, a carefulness to their conversations. The city proper demanded a certain behavior that the Sprawl didn’t. As Finn continued to observe, the road they followed climbed slightly, and for a brief moment the entire city sprawled out before them. Finn’s eyes locked onto a tall spire near the center, standing adjacent to what was clearly a temple building. He pointed. "That’s the Shadow God’s temple, right?" Jon followed his gesture. "Yes." "What about the building next to it?" Jon’s gaze flickered and he lowered his voice, almost sighing. "That’s the Merchants’ Hub." There was something in his tone... displeasure, perhaps? But Finn could swear it was slightly feigned. He noted the way other workers’ ears perked up, how conversations around them quieted fractionally. They were packed tightly on this cart-turned-carriage, close enough that privacy was impossible. Jon was being cautious with his words and tone. Which meant there was something about that Merchant’s Hub worth being cautious about. Finn filed the observation away and changed the subject as they descended the slope. "I saw the ocean ships from up there. Hoshin Bay truly is magnificent." A gruff man who was squeezed closest to him scoffed. "This your first time in the city, boy?" Finn turned with an easy smile. "Is it that obvious?" "Hmph. If you think what you saw from the hill was magnificent," the man said with an air of pride, like he was about to reveal the wonders of the world to a country bumpkin, "wait until you get to the docks and see everything up close. Then we’ll see just how blown away you are." Finn latched onto the opening, his conversational skills flowing naturally. Within minutes, the man was talking freely, not just about the docks’ magnificence, but working conditions, people to watch out for, even whispered gossip about dock politics and which foremen were fair versus which were corrupt. The man, it turned out, had worked the docks for nearly fifteen years. He knew which merchants paid on time, which captains treated their crews decently, which areas of the harbor were controlled by which factions. And he was eagerly rattling away, deeply engrossed in explaining the intricacies of the docks to Finn. By the time they finally arrived at the docks, the man seemed almost regretful their ride had ended. "Name’s Kelvin," he said, clapping Finn on the shoulder. "Find me near the eastern piers if you need anything or just want to talk. Always good to have another sensible fellow around." "I appreciate it, Kelvin. I’m Arros." They parted ways, and Jon stared at Finn like he’d grown a second head. "What?" Finn asked innocently. Jon shook his head, recovering. "Nothing. We should move fast. The night shift workers will switch out soon and it’ll be time to start. I need to show you to my boss and vouch for you before heading to my area." They moved through the increasingly crowded docks, and as they walked, something registered in Finn’s peripheral vision. A person standing near a stack of crates. Not doing anything obviously suspicious, but... watching. Their posture suggested they’d been there a while, observing rather than working. Someone walked between Finn and the figure, blocking his view for just a moment. When the obstruction passed, the person was gone. Finn continued walking, face forward, expression unchanged. Interesting... They climbed a flight of stairs up a wooden structure that faced the docks and headed directly for a room at the end of the open-sided corridor. Just as they arrived, a man’s gruff voice boomed from inside. The door slammed open and a wild, fierce-looking blonde lady stormed out, cursing a string of expletives. She glanced at Jon and Finn as she brushed past. For a second, Finn held her eyes before she looked away, continuing her tirade. "Who’s that?" Finn asked curiously, noticing Jon’s suddenly tense strides. "Shit. We caught the boss at the wrong time. Curse my luck!" Jon whispered sharply, looking like he was having second thoughts about entering at all. "And who’s the pussy scuffling around my door there huh?!" The voice boomed again, making Jon freeze up and walk in rigidly. "G—G’morning boss," Jon greeted as Finn stepped in behind him, instinctively looking up to see the huge figure of the man... But his eyes locked onto a stout figure standing beside a large table that, frankly speaking, rivaled the man in height. You’ve gotta be kidding me... Finn stared down at the man who had just spoken, and he almost couldn’t help the smile that threatened to crack on his face. The short man in question also had his eyes locked onto Finn directly, and his sharp eyes noticed the slight quiver of his lips. Jon started to speak, but the short man’s gruff voice cut him off, booming across the room with a frigid, dangerous tilt. "You see something funny boy?" Finn let his smile loose. "Actually, I do." He strode further in and observed the decor around the room, picking up a unique-looking conch shell and playing around with it as the room dropped to pin-drop silence. Then he spoke, chuckling without a care for the dangerous air that was beginning to permeate the room: "When I first heard your voice I thought you’d be some big tough guy," he snickered, then turned and faced the man. "You still sound like a tough guy... but it turns out you’re also severely vertically challenged." . . . A/N: Don’t forget to vote with Power Stones and Golden Tickets! It helps a lot!