Frostbound [LitRPG Apocalypse]

Austin

Sounds of conversation and daily life surrounded him at an intensity he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Being alone was part of the job, and the silence that came with it was inevitable, but times like these, when he was back to being surrounded by so much life... It was hard to adjust so rapidly.

Days, weeks, sometimes even months where the only people to speak to were the rarely seen traveler, with even those being scant greetings before parting ways. Silence for so long that you could hear yourself breathe, your own heartbeat, every subtle sound or brief whisper. Then, all of a sudden, a cacophony of noise so disorienting it could be used as an attack.

Not that it ever took him long to overcome it.

Austin had always been fine being around people. He'd also been fine being alone, which was probably why he didn't care all that much either way.

Now, standing in the middle of a busy avenue of people, it reminded him a lot of Frostheim, even if he hadn't been there in months. He'd left not long after young Anna's birthday and had made a beeline for his destination.

They'd be having the Harvest Festival right around now.

He pushed that thought aside and thought of the hard road he'd taken to get here. His pace was swift, even better than it had been in the past, but it still took time to reach from place to place. Especially when those two places were separated by thousands of miles. The trip from Frostheim to Mountainside was... long. One of his longest, if he was being honest. The Twins only took a week if he used all of his stats and skills. Emberhold was less than that.

Flame Falls was around a month, if he went by boat at first, with the rest of the other cities not being that much longer if he ran. Mountainside was months of travel, nearly three, but he had made it. Just as the seasons were starting to turn from fall to winter, too. Fall still had a few last kicks in it, but winter was already starting to push its way in.

The soft snow falling from the sky helped sell that illusion of home, but the rest of the scene didn't. Stone everywhere, a mountain jutting up through the city, and a wall of them acting as the backdrop.

Mountainside lived up to its namesake, as the city was carved directly from the mountain itself.

Gaining entry had been easy; a small toll was all it took to be waved through with all of the rest of the travelers. Much better than some of the places he'd been to in the past. Some even required item inspections, which was always a hassle. He didn't frequent those places again. Mountainside was one of the better ones from what he had seen so far.

After getting waved through, he explored. It wasn't his first time in the city, but it would be his first time in a while. Things were different, changed in some areas, renovated in others, and some were straight-up new to him. Like the enchantments on the road to keep it snow free, or the buildings with a style he hadn't seen.

It was easy to get used to being part of a crowd again after getting used to it, and he listened in on what the current news was. It was a habit of his every time he was gone for extended periods of time. It was so easy while he was out blazing new trails and seeing the world, for the rest of it, he wasn't adventuring through to leave him behind. He just couldn't be everywhere at once.

Not for lack of trying.

While most of what Austin heard was mundane chatter, there were a few snippets that were interesting in the bunch. It also helped that he'd entered a tavern, where tongues were always looser.

Thankfully, a trio of men nursing drinks at the bar was chatting about the local gossip.

"Did you see the Thorned Blades leave the city?" The largest man diverted the conversation away from the interesting bit Austin had picked up.

"It was impossible not to. A group of over a hundred people forming up and leaving is a spectacle. Especially them." The man on the right remarked.

"Yeah, Captain Vance wasn't quiet in his exit. He basically shouted it to the entire city." The man on the left added on.

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"Yeah, but do you know where they're going? The entire Mercenary Company just up and left." The big man teased.

"No, all I heard was they got a new contract."

The big man soaked in the attention for a moment before revealing the gossip, "They were signed on by the Heartlands Alliance. Word is they march east to prepare for something."

"The Alliance? Why would they sign the Bladed Thorns?" The man on the right seemed skeptical.

"I don't know, but that's what I heard from the Yellowstone traders."

Austin was intrigued, but not overly so, by the news. It was surprising only in the sense that this was happening directly after the Assembly. It should have long ended by now, and all the leaders should be traveling back. He didn't know how the Assembly ended up or how things went, but gathering up Mercenaries directly after didn't seem to be a good sign. The only question was who they would send them after.

Austin had a guess, but the trio didn't stay on the topic long, as after the big man was finished spilling what he had heard, the man on the left got excited to share news of his own.

"Did you hear what happened in Greenwood? I heard Lady Jayla came to blows with the Lord there!"

Oh, news on the resident Lord? That was interesting of itself for a few reasons.

He didn't know where or what Greenwood was, but that sounded interesting. He remembered Jayla from the test, and anyone who would be talked about in the same sentence as her had to be someone strong. If they had come to blows, then that just proved that further.

"No, she didn't, you numbskull. There was a trade dispute that people blew out of proportion. If Lady Jayla came to blows with anyone, they would be dead." The big man argued.

"That's not what I heard from a friend in the guard. She said it got heated when the Lord of Greenwood wouldn't let her through his territory."

The news was also in line with what his goals for coming here were. From snippets he'd picked up and the news of what had come out of Mountainside, he knew Jayla was looking for a way through the mountain, and that not long ago, she'd found it.

The opportunity to explore west of the mountains? That wasn't something Austin was going to pass up.

He knew Jayla had already crossed through the mountains and was already in the west. If she were having conflicts with someone, then this Greenwood should also be in the west. Which was information he didn't have, since any news of the other side of the mountains wasn't just scarce, but unavailable.

Austin wanted to see this new place for himself, but he also didn't like going in completely blind. Blindfolded, maybe, but not completely in the dark.

With a smile and a flick of a silver coin, he grabbed the barman's attention, "Four of what they're having, please."

The man was a professional, as it took only a blink to have four full ales sitting in front of him and his coin disappear. It was way overpriced, but Austin didn't much care. A silver was easy enough to gather.

Austin gathered the drinks and made his way down the bar toward the men with a smile. "Howdy, lads, I couldn't help but overhear about this 'Greenwood' and find myself curious to know more."

The men weren't pleased at the interruption, but they did reach over and accept his offering. A good place to start.

"Anyone ever tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" the big man took the lead, which was unsurprising. He seemed the most animated among them before Austin's arrival.

"Ah, you have me there, but you can't expect privacy in a crowded room like this. Especially for those with enough Perception." Austin smiled. "I don't ask for much, just to know about this new City. Where it is, who runs it, what Faction it's a part of? It fascinates me."

Seeing how he wasn't asking for any big secret, the three relaxed slightly, with the big man saying, "You must not be from here."

"Nope, afraid not, I'm just stopping by before making my way through the hole. Figured I might as well get some info on what's on the other side while I wait." Austin took a drink and let out a satisfied sigh.

The beer wasn't the best he'd had, but it was at least palatable. Some places had beer so bad it should be a crime. Others had stuff so weak it didn't work on someone of his level. But this was good enough while also still being effective. A rarity, but not a surprise with the size of the city.

"Greenwood ain't far from where the hole drops you off once you cross through. Impossible to miss, but hard to enter. They're big sticklers on who they let in or through their territory." The man on the left answered. "Expect to be searched if you aim to stay in the city."

Ah, one of those places.

"Anything else of the west you care to share?" Austin put on a winning smile, but it didn't seem to work.

"The beer was appreciated, but we ain't an information house. Go find someone else to wring information out of."

"Thanks for the info, I'll leave you guys to it." He said and drained the rest of the ale.

It was unfortunate, but expected. Not many people liked strangers, and already getting as much as he had was enough.

Part of the fun of exploring was going in with as little information as possible. The only reason he tried for any was because of the subtle danger involved. If someone on the level of Jayla was involved, Austin couldn't go into it with his usual attitude.

With Perception being what it was, the rest of the tavern had heard the conversation, and Austin doubted anyone else would appreciate him going from person to person, so instead, he left. His turn to get through the hole wasn't until two days from now, so he had enough time to get a little more information if he wanted to without resorting to badgering people.

Plus, he had a few other places to be.

The last time he was in Mountainside, he'd spent a wonderful night with a friend he'd made, and he hoped to see if she was still there. She'd know the same as the tavern men, hopefully, and would fill him in on what he needed to know.

And if she wasn't there, he had two days to make a new friend.