Laud and Loric arrived in Boikon a region in Boik. Unlike Piek, Boikon was livelier. There were street magicians, dancers, and other performers. They walked their Griffin to the merchant guild. They tied the Griffin outside and walked in.
The halls were pristine. White walls, marble floors, and high ceilings. There were three sets of wooden counters. Behind smartly dressed women stood and answered questions.
"Excuse me," Loric said and the young lady bowed slightly.
"Hello, I am Ann. Welcome to Boikon Merchant's Guild, how can I help you?" the guild receptionist said with her hands behind her.
"We wish to sell our Griffin," Loric mentioned and she pointed at another counter.
"Sale and Purchase," Ann said as she pointed.
Loric and Laud walked to the other counter.
"Hello, I am Sue. Welcome to Boikon Merchant Guild, how can I help you?" Sue said just like Ann. The only thing she did differently, was she kept both hands in front and above her waist.
"We want to sell our Griffin," Loric said and the receptionist looked around. Loric could tell she was confused but she kept her smile.
"Where is your Griffin?"
Sue asked and looked at a window on her left. Loric looked in the same direction and saw a man with a Baloo squirrel.
"Please get your Griffin and use the stall doors," Sue said with an unfading smile.
Loric nodded and he and Laud went out. There they saw a man twist the arm of another man.
"Is this yours?"
A man in a dirty white hooded robe asked pointing at the Griffin. As he still held the other guy with his right.
"Yes," Laud said as he untied the Griffin.
"This man tried to steal it. He swore it was his," the man said, then let go of the thief. He bolted, and he stumbled as his legs tripped him.
Laud and Loric thanked the man and walked their Griffin through the stall doors. On the other side of the door was a tunnel.
People walked animals in a queue to a window.
"Papers?"
A less cheery guild receptionist screamed. Laud and Loric stood there confused.
"Where are your animal registration papers?"
The receptionist asked again as she tapped her finger on her desk.
"We don't have any papers," Loric said and the woman shook her head.
"We cannot buy an unregistered Griffin," the receptionist said and screamed,
"Next"
People behind them shoved them out of the way the moment they heard next.
They walked ahead and saw a similar door that led out. As they made their way back to the front of the building. They saw the man who stopped the thief.
"Excuse me, can I ask you for a favor?"
The man said as he got closer to them. They turned and faced him.
"I am Kafui, I was hoping you could fly me somewhere," the man said and Laud and Loric looked at each other.
"We were trying to sell it," they said in unison.
"Do you still want to sell?"
Laud and Loric nodded.
"How much are you selling it for?"
Kafui asked as he reached for his pouch.
"30..5…46 gold coins," they both said as they tripped over each other's words.
"Okay here is 26 gold coins, I will give you the rest later. In the meantime, you would keep and take care of it. I will pay you a silver a day until I pay the rest," Kafui proposed, and Loric agreed.
They flew him to a patch of land on the outskirts of the city of Boikon, and a group was gathered in a field. They had mounted tents and laid blankets. Most of them lay on the ground and stared at the skies.
"Prepare for our lord will send a messenger to lead us," a middle-aged man said to the crowd of people.
Like most of them, he was ragged. His head was balding but the little he had was unkept. There were thick eyebags under his eyes. The clothes he had on were tattered and had no shoes.
Almost everyone there was in a similar predicament.
"What is going on here?"
Loric asked as he looked around at about a hundred people.
"We are believers of the most high. Some people call us cloud chasers," Kafui said but it did not give Loric any answers.
"So what are a bunch of believers doing here?"
"We follow the dragons to the holy land. Where the ground is fertile and food is in abundance."
Kafui explained further.
"So you just lay around and wait for a dragon to fly by so you can follow it?"
Loric asked as he tried to wrap his mind around the idea.
"Wait so we stay here and take care of the Griffin?"
Laud asked, and Kafui nodded.
"I would feed you. When a dragon flies by we pack up and follow it. Do you still want the job?"
Kafui asked and Laud and Loric nodded.