It seems Allagahn's paranoia is catching, now Alfred's doing it. In many ways he is far more exasperating than the pompous Allagahn. Allagahn at least acknowledges his heritage and who he is, even if he doesn't accept Amber, Shadow, or anything else. Alfred won't accept that he is a shape shifter and I don't really know what to do about it.
But I digress again. The 13th Hour incursion was peaceful this time and I was able to make my way into the city without difficulty. It surprised me that my strange clothes did not elicit as much attention as in some of the other places we've passed through. I seem to know that Nancheng is one of the Golden Circle states, realms which it seems are permanently connected to Amber and therefore share its reality, but I can't rationalize this into anything meaningful as yet.
In many ways it has been a delight to go shopping, completely unrecognized, and without people bowing and scraping and donating this and that in the hopes that you'll grant them some form of Royal patronage. It has been so many years that I've forgotten how therapeutic it can be, even if I can't haggle to save my life.
Acquiring a dagger for Alfred was not difficult, nor was finding a seamstress to make some dresses. There is a vast difference between this world and my own though, here they have things called " Pattern books " with drawings depicting how the finish garment would look. These are built from a thin parchment they call paper which is made from pulped wood fiber. There is so much here that I could describe that is new to me that it would take several of their "books" for me to write it all down.
From the seamstress, I ordered half a dozen dresses, and a selection of undergarments. There was a certain amount of amusement when I revealed that I wasn't wearing any undergarments, but they handled the situation most tactfully and I am now far more comfortable.
The armour has been harder to come by. I have managed to procure a suit but it will take several days to make. I am not sure that we will be here that long, but I have ordered it all the same. I much regret that my spending has forced Charity to acquire more coins something she claims to be able to do by using the Pattern to manipulate the probability of events occurring. Again this is something I have yet to understand fully. Events occur or they do not, what this "probability" has to do with it I don't know.
Charity has left Alfred and I here whilst she rides to Amber to investigate what is happening there. From what I have learnt from listening to gossip in the city today is that Amber has fallen to Demons and its rulers have been slain. There is great fear in the city and many of its traders are missing feared lost. Those that remain fear to venture in its direction. People are worried about what the future will bring for a great deal of their prosperity seems to be derived from trade with Amber and a place called Kashfa. Rumours are also rife that there has been trouble there and that the demons in Amber struck there first.
Now I have been able to spend some time here I find the city is not really that different from the Great Cities of my own Kingdom, although there is far more diversity here. I was most excited to find an emporium that sold "off the peg " garments in a "Western" style. I was also shocked at the brevity of some of the clothes that they sold but did manage to find three dresses and some most interesting undergarments amongst their stock. Their prices were also very favorable and they were most helpful in suggesting a further venue where I acquired a backpack to carry my clothes in. I also managed to find a small water canteen, an eating knife, a pewter drinking vessel, and flint and steel. I was also sold a box of "Fire brands" which when struck against a rough object such as the sole of a boot- I managed to find a pair of riding boots of the right size in shoe makers- burst into flame. I was cautioned however that should these firebrands become damp or wet they would cease to work.
Today has been difficult. Alfred's growing paranoia saved us last night for it seems the demons have found us and only our hiding in the cellar saved us from being located. Since another 13th Hour was due late this afternoon we vacated the inn in search of a different hiding place. After much searching we found a temple that suited our needs and were able to take sanctuary in one of its side chapels during the 13th Hour incursion.
Unfortunately it failed to save us from the demons. Alfred is of the opinion that they followed us but I am not so sure. It is true that one appeared in the chapple as soon as the 13th Hour occurred but I've yet to be convinced this was nothing more than coincidence.
When the demon appeared it was closest to Alfred and immediately attacked him. From his reaction he has never been schooled in the arts of war, and took a severe injury before I could kill the demon. We had hoped that it was alone but a couple of minutes later a second demon broke through the screens that divided us from the rest of the shrine and I was forced to kill that one as well. Alfred's paranoia then took full hold and we fled the relative safety of the shrine into the streets. We hadn't gone far when we spied two more demons and were forced to back track. By the time the 13th hour ended we ad had to avoid several more. Perhaps they are tracking us after all.
We then returned to the inn to find Charity waiting for us. She looked tired. Apparently she hadn't been able to get into Amber due to the presence of Demon Guards on the gate. She'd also not learnt much when she tried to Scry the city. Given our experience she thought it best that we leave the city and move a few " Shadows" away for the next 13th Hour which was due the following morning. As this would mean an early start we decided to turn in for the night.
From my perspective it appears we left the city this morning traveled a mile and then returned, for the city was much the same as the one we left, even down to the same inn in which we are stayed briefly. It is odd though that the landlord failed to recognize us although it seems he was expecting us and had rooms reserved in our names.
Our stay was brief due to the intrusion of the largest demon we have seen during the 13th Hour. We had try to take Charity into the 13th Hour with us but it appears the reason she freezes must be something fundamental to her makeup One in the 13th Hour we were disturbed almost immediately, the demon crashing through the thin walls of the inn. It was much tougher than any I have fought previously and significantly quicker and more agile. It also showed a great deal of intelligence, breaking combat and fleeing of the walls of the courtyard after I severed its arm.
Whilst I was content to stay put, Alfred was paranoid about the demons return and decided to flee into the streets. If I hadn't followed him I don't know what would have happened to him. He seems to have a knack of getting into the most serious of scrapes.
After the 13th Hour ended we made our way back towards the inn and found Charity in the street. It appears the inn keeper wasn't pleased with our actions and had thrown us out. As a result she decide to take us back to the real Nancheng so that we could make our own way to Amber by following the Great East Road. Apparently it is some kind of Shadow Road enabling any traveler to cross from Nancheng to Amber just by following the road. .
So it was that that barely two hours after we left we returned to the city. Charity then left us, galloping off through the city streets in search of Allagahn. I didn't understand how this would help our search, but by the time we turned the same corner in the cart she was no where in sight.
We left the city and set off along the road, our steady progress marked by the passing fields of green, from which farmer could occasionally be seen harvesting one of the five types of grain I have been able to identify. By the time the light began to fade we had yet to make the inn, although Charity had assured us that they were spaced a days cart travel apart. I should have had more faith, for t was less than an hour later that we detected the signs of its presence - a fixed and steady light lowdown to the road. A further hour brought us to its door and the welcoming greeting of the inn keeper.
I should end this entry now for the hour is late and we have another long days travel ahead of us.
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