Fenlai City's gates looked the same as ever.
The gray stone walls stood twenty feet high, and four City Guards stood at the entrance, lazily checking people as they passed through. A short line of people waited to enter, while departing carriages clattered along, trailing dust.
Loa stood outside the gates and watched for a long while.
The June sunshine fell on the walls, the familiar shop signs, and the passing pedestrians. A peasant woman selling vegetables carried her baskets on a shoulder pole, calling out loudly. Bare-chested laborers hauled goods, drenched in sweat. Several children ran past chasing a stray cat, their laughter ringing clear.
Almost a year.
He had left last July, and now it was June of the following year.
He had spent nearly an entire year in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Loa took a deep breath.
The air held the familiar smells of everyday life: fragrant baking bread, stinking horse manure, and all the mingled scents found only in a city.
He stepped forward and headed toward the gates.
Wangcai followed behind him, looking around curiously.
It was the little fellow's first time seeing so many people, and it was a little nervous at first. People walked back and forth, some tall, some short, some fat, some thin.
"Big brother, what are all these?"
Wangcai's voice sounded in his mind, a little nervous and a little curious.
As Loa walked, he replied through their souls.
"People."
"What are people?"
"They're like me."
"Oh." Wangcai thought for a moment. "Then can I eat them?"
"Yes, and you can kill them too."
"But don't just eat anyone. Some disgusting people will upset your stomach if you eat them. Try to stick to killing rather than eating, Wangcai."
"Okay, big brother. Then I won't eat people. I'm scared