The Scrap Tamer

Getting to the city from the Scrapyards was a journey that should have taken about a week, even with forged-beasts but due to the speed they were moving at, they cut that time to two days.

According to Elizabeth, the journey would have taken just a couple of hours to a day if she wasn't being dragged down by their beast's constant need to rest.

Luckily, they were not attacked by any primal so their journey was smooth for the most part.

In the distance they spotted a seemingly endless wall that surrounded and protected the city, a structure which the Scrapyard lacked.

Reid, Alex and the twins spotted gleaming towers that were even taller than the wall itself.

Elizabeth had considerably slowed down, allowing them to keep up. She landed close to the gates and waited until they caught up.

"Alright mutts, we're here" she said looking at the four behind her.

They approached the gates but we're immediately stopped by a guard.

"Identification?" He demanded causing Elizabeth to raise her brow.

"You don't know who I am?" She asked, her surprise was evident in her tone.

"Listen lady, I don't care who you are but without an ID I can't let you in" he replied.

"I see" Elizabeth said under her breath.

'Even if the guard was new, he should have spotted Elizabeth land with her dragon or even recognized her uniform' Reid, who was watching from a couple of steps back, thought to himself.

'So that could mean one of two things, either he is just arrogant/stupid or there has been a cause for everyone to provide identification before being allowed into the city' he concluded.

"Here" Elizabeth handed her ID to the guard, who took it with a straight face which quickly became pale.

"M-m-miss E-Elizabeth C-C-Cross?" The guard stuttered out, the hand that he was holding the ID with trembling.

"Am I allowed inside now?" She asked.

"Y-yes ma'am, I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier" he apologized, bowing his head and handing the badge back to her.

"Come on mutts, the city awaits" she said, walking past the guard after taking back her ID.

Reid and the other three walked past the guard, who was still bowing, without showing any form of ID.

The first thing they noticed as soon as they got past the gate were roads, and not the ones they were used to back in the Scrapyards but actual asphalt roads.

At the side of the roads were gleaming towers that seemingly pierced the sky. Since they arrived at night, the city was showered with lights.

On the roads were constantly moving cars, they seemed to be in a rush heading to wherever their destination was.

Alex, Tommy and Timmy couldn't help but admire the spectacle. Neon lights highlighted names of restaurants, bars and certain hotels. Bright billboards and holograms showing ads for clothes, bags, shoes and even snacks.

To the three who had never left the Scrapyard before, this was a whole new world for them.

"Close your mouths and follow me" Elizabeth's voice suddenly brought them back to reality.

Elizabeth and Reid had stored their forged-beasts in their respective inventories before entering the city, so only Alex and the twins had theirs walking by their side.

They didn't stand out because of that though. A lot of people they spotted walking around had forged-beasts of different shapes and sizes by their side.

This was another difference between here and the Scrapyard. In the city, forged-beasts were common while they were a luxury in the Scrapyard.

Elizabeth raised her hand and a taxi-like car stopped in front of her. The driver got down to open the door for them.

"Will you be coming with your beasts" he asked, a tinge of accent present in his voice.

"Yes" Elizabeth confirmed.

The driver quickly opened his booth and said "place them in here".

Alex and the twins looked a little confused on how their forged-beasts would fit in the seemingly small space.

"Don't worry, this is an inbuilt inventory meant to carry forged-beasts, rest assured they won't sustain a scratch while in here" the driver explained in a polite tone, sensing their confusion.

They then commanded their beasts to enter the booth as they watched in awe as all the beasts perfectly fit inside.

The driver quickly closed the booth and opened the doors, allowing them to enter.

Elizabeth sat in the shotgun seat, next to the driver and Reid, Alex and the twins had to squeeze to fit in the back.

"Where to ma'am?" The driver asked.

"Velvet Horizon" Elizabeth gave the name of a hotel and the driver quickly inputted the location in his maps before driving away.

The ride through the city was an experience that left the trio (Alex and the twins) glued to the windows, their eyes wide with amazement. The streets buzzed with life, even at night, as the neon glow illuminated the sidewalks filled with bustling crowds.

People dressed in sleek, futuristic attire moved with forged-beasts by their side, while holographic advertisements hovered mid-air, projecting vivid displays of products and services.

Reid on the other hand was just feeling nostalgic, it has been two years since he left but not much had changed.

'I wonder how Mom is' he thought to himself while looking out the window, she was the only one who he even remotely cared about in his family.

Unlike their father, she was the only one who looked at her kids not as tools to amass power but as her babies who need love.

When he was being disowned, she was on vacation so she didn't know. Reid didn't know her reaction when she got back but not a day had passed when he didn't miss her.

The taxi quickly came to a stop when they arrived at their location, allowing them to get down.

The car took a turn, and suddenly, the Velvet Horizon came into view. The hotel was a towering masterpiece of architecture, its exterior shimmering with a silver hue that reflected the lights of the city.

At its peak, a massive holographic display projected the hotel's name in elegant script, accompanied by glowing stars that seemed to orbit around it.

The taxi came to a smooth stop at the gates, allowing them to get down and retrieve their forged-beasts from the booth.

The driver quickly left after the fare was paid. Elizabeth then led the group inside the hotel.

The receptionist, a woman dressed in a black uniform, immediately perked up upon seeing her.

"Miss Cross," she greeted with a bright smile. "Welcome back to the Velvet Horizon. Your suite is ready. Shall I arrange for your companions to be accommodated as well?"

Elizabeth nodded. "Yes, put it on my account."

The receptionist typed swiftly on her holographic keyboard. "Of course. And will you require anything else?"

"Nothing else Mercy." Elizabeth replied, reading the name tag on her uniform.

With that, they were escorted to the elevators, leaving behind the receptionist who looked like she was on cloud nine from hearing Elizabeth call her name, where a bellhop carried their (Alex and the twin's) minimal luggage.

The elevator ascended smoothly, and as the doors opened, they were greeted by a hallway that looked more like something out of a dream.

Each were showed to their rooms by the bellhop, before he turned to leave.

Elizabeth turned to the group. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, I'll get you registered at the military HQ. Welcome to the city."

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Alright dear readers, we've officially started the second arc. I hope you enjoy reading so far. Merry Christmas in Advance..

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Answer to previous Chapter's riddle: an egg

This Chapter's riddle: What runs but never walks, has a bed but never sleeps, has a mouth but never talks?