Mere moments after their initial exchange, Althos roused his companions and urged them to ready themselves for travel. He did so by politely nudging them while sending them a group mental message. His friends were quick to respond, quickly getting to their feet and nodding politely, and silently at the strangely dressed giant in front of them.

Althos himself quickly got up off the floor and looked at his newfound and perhaps temporary ally, Ahmet "Chillbreeze" Savagetooth. The two of them locked eyes, with Ahmet's eerie blue orbs colliding with Althos' own deceptively colored brown orbs. Both creatures were calm at that moment, and the moment their eyes met they both felt a familiar chill descend over them: the sensation a warrior got when they locked eyes with another warrior.

At that moment the two beings felt each other out, trying to suss out any secrets or coax any weaknesses from the other through the power of their eyes. And yet both creatures were calm, deceptive, and when the exchange of glances ended they had learned nothing new about each other aside from that the other would make an interesting companion, ally, or enemy, based on their mysteriousness alone.

By the end of the exchange, both creatures developed quiet respect for each other. Respect which they acknowledged in their own way by smiling at each other, this time with a small level of sincerity.

When Althos' companions were up, "Chillbreath" acknowledged them with a smile and began to walk. He walked in a direction that led away from the gate Althos had entered through and away from the statue near which Althos and his friends had sat beside. They were wandering deeper into the city, at last. A realization that made the deceptive deity grin internally. A realization that excited his minions.

Minutes after they began walking the party and their travel-guide entered onto a street that led in and out of the plaza. They were now beginning to see a fairer example of how the city was designed. They could see the enormous scale everything was built on.

The street they were on stretched for over 20 meters, so wide because it had to accommodate a range of sizes. Althos was over 5 meters tall and nearly as wide but on this street, he was far from the tallest giant pursuing whatever it was that desert giants pursued.

All around the party desert giants traveled, pursuing goals that were known to them and to anyone who truly needed to know. Althos considered trying to perform a single, large-scale memory collection spell or concocting a ritual which allowed him to do so but opted against it.

It'd add too much to the main will's plate. The secondary will told itself, rightfully so given that the street he was on accommodated well over two dozen desert-giants of various sizes rushing in and out of assorted storefronts.

The street was highly congested. Desert giants in various states of busyness and of various sizes ran, walked, or hobbled from place to place. Those of them that spoke, did so softly, not wanting to impose their own conversations on other people, and also closely guarding whatever business led them to these streets in the first place.

The sense of style in this part of the city was evidently somewhere between Althos' style and Ahmet's style. Many of them, particularly the few women in this part of the city, wore clothing that concealed their form and their bare skin.

Some of the men were more open with their fashion, exposing intimidating muscles and even the hilts of weapons that clung to their clothes, affording them easy access should they need them. The weapons the majority of them wielded were massive sorts of swords that ran a gamut of colors.

A handful of the giants, particularly those who accompanied women, had thick war-hammers on their hips. Such weapons made sense in the desert, where creatures like the girtablilu and dire-scorpions posed a constant threat and had a knack for being less vulnerable to sword strikes due to their dense, natural armor than they were to mallet swings.

Their fashion is interesting. I wonder why their women dress the way they do? It seems like it would be... inconvenient, due to how hot it must be. He wondered, examining the clothing people of both genders wore with interest. He studied the fabric adorning the bodies of the giants closely thanks to his powerful vision and felt like trying to get his hands on some at a later date to study it. His thoughts were soon interrupted by someone else sharing hers: Camilla.

"And so... our exploration of the city begins." Whispered Camilla, one of the two jackaloids who accompanied Althos into this city, in the language of her people. Althos grinned at her and spoke in the same language to respond.

"Just imagine this city as one of my possessions..." He said, in awe of even the size of the architecture of the place. Compared to the rural desert they were just in, the sheer scale of the city itself was unbelievable. That was one of the things that became apparent as they left the grand plaza they had spent the better part of an hour in.

Even as they approached an area that led deeper into the city, the streets they traveled over remained wide. In Althos' current form, that of a broody desert-giant monk, the streets felt about right for his body type, but his companions were entire meters shorter and skinnier than he was. They felt minuscule on these broad walkways. Other giants didn't even notice the jackaloids if the giants themselves weren't particularly short.

Althos took a look around as he and his friends explored the edge of the city's interior.

On both sides of the party, they could see stalls, shops, and giants. Underneath them was an expertly paved road, one that extended straight ahead and back the way they came. If they turned around they'd be able to see the statue of Mahmud Suti, the sandy sultan, and the plaza they had just come from.

Althos watched many different giants look in his direction, notice Ahmet and smile, and then move on completely. They didn't look down to see or seem at all to notice the tiny companions Althos had brought along with him. How strange. Althos noted. And then for the first time since their "tour" began, Ahmet opened his mouth to speak.

It happened right as they were walking towards the end of the street. A street that ended at the entrance to a large building. The large building was gigantic by the standards of the smaller party members, but by Althos' reckoning, it was perfectly ordinarily sized, larger than his current form by a healthy margin, and suited to people of his stature.

It was painted a vibrant shade of blue, one which stood out even more so when somebody realized that the other nearby buildings weren't painted at all and were instead a strange, sandy color which served as an unintentional reminder that they were made of sandstone. Many of them also lacked windows, something which also wasn't the case for the party's destination.

"I figured the first stop we should make on our little journey is a khan. It's entirely possible they didn't have those where you came from Quinn, so you see a khan is a place where you can get some rest, and get some food in you. And there I suspect you'll find the perfect thing for a man of your talents. A place where you can find work." Ahmet, their erstwhile and untrustworthy tour-guide told the party, smiling all the while. And then he gestured for them to continue forward, towards the strange building ahead of them.

A few moments later, the party reached the entrance into the khan and swung open the swinging door leading into the place's grand entryway. What greeted them on the other side of the semi-solid door was an ornate reception room.

The thing was many dozen meters tall, and about a half of that wide. It extended high above them and way off to their sides, perfect for the variable height and weight of the native people who no doubt made up most of the place's staff as well as its residents.

It was furnished quite lavishly, with the hard stone floor covered in colorful rugs and carpets, and the walls adorned with cheerful and energetic wallpaper, and sofas and desks made of fine materials.

Desks were where some of the employees of the establishment were located, receptionists who looked at the party with a smile. They sat on thick sandstone stools that allowed them to rest their legs and after acknowledging the party returned to glancing at the papers on their desks.

The whole place smelled of incense, a scent that didn't perfectly eliminate the smell of sweat but did an excellent job of reducing its funk.

Althos and Ahmet took the lead in striding into and through the entranceway, sauntering over to one of the desks in the place. The things were oddly short, barely coming up to the knees of the receptionists behind them.

When they finished their approach, Ahmet began to speak to the receptionist in front of them. She was a beautiful woman, dressed professionally in a stylish uniform, and not covered in head to toe in clothing like some of the women Althos had seen had been.

She had a copper skin tone and when she smiled her grin revealed lines of perfect, white teeth. She listened intently as Ahmet greeted her. "Hello Elif! I've missed your smiling face. And oh boy do I have reasons for you to smile. Because you see... I've brought my newest friend over to your fine establishment." He said, confidently.

She sat at the desk that was the most forward-facing of the things. When Althos had opened the door into the place, her desk was the one that faced them. And behind her desk, there was another sliding door, one that led into the true depths of the inn, as opposed to this pleasant public area.

She giggled and looked at Althos. She sized him up, examining the make of his clothing, his muscles, his size, and then spoke to him. "Hello. And who might you be?" She asked, her green eyes filling with curiosity, and a something a bit more... direct than curiosity, something Althos' second will wasn't familiar with. A sort of hunger, or desire for something, that the will's empathy picked up on but couldn't name. But that didn't deter the will from responding.

"Hello, Elif. I am Quinn. I am... new in town." Althos told the receptionist, grinning. She nodded back at him.

"You would be. Between us, Chillbreeze tends to bring me the strays and newcomers. Though... there is something about you that feels... more competent than those he usually brings me." She said, candidly. Althos chuckled at that, nodding right back at her. It's probably true that she can detect something about me but it's also entirely possible she's saying that to make me feel special. The will thought to itself, keeping such thoughts secret. And then Ahmet spoke again.

"Now now, don't insult me in front of my new friend Elif. After all, I brought him here because he might just have the right sort of attitude to become an adventurer. I figured you'd want to meet him. He's an experienced monk. At least according to one of the guards." Ahmet told the pretty receptionist. At that remark her eyes widened, lighting up with plain curiosity.

"Oh? In that case... he should be tested, shouldn't he?" She asked, looking at first at Ahmet, and then turning slightly to face Althos. She again looked him up and down, this time focusing more specifically on his arms, chest, and legs. Althos would have blushed, under her scrutinizing gaze if he were a creature who had blood running through his veins. Instead, he just stood there politely and waited for her to look somewhere else.

Ahmet spoke next, determined to move the conversation along. "Precisely my thoughts dearie. Would you mind fetching Zabuli?" He asked, hoping to get Elif moving and out of his hair. I just want to see what he can do. If he someone deceived the stone. The giant thought to himself. Elif quickly began nodding at him though, before she began to speak.

"Of course!" She said assertively, before turning around and heading deeper into the khan. She quietly opened the door that Althos had noticed earlier, sliding the thing out of her way with ease. A few seconds, and a few steps later, she was gone.

She remained close enough that Althos could still hear her, and grinned internally as he heard begin to speak to someone not far from them. "Ahmet came by with someone new. A monk apparently. He seems to have taken a shining to the stranger. He wants you to test the newcomer." She said, her voice confident and calm. She didn't have to wait long to get her answer.

"A monk? That could be interesting. Alright. Give me a second to get dressed, and I'll accompany you back to them." Said a new voice, a masculine and deep voice, one that was surprisingly quiet in comparison to the giants Althos was now walking among. And with that Althos turned his attention back to Ahmet. Althos turned to face his newfound, probably temporary, ally and began to question the man.

"Who is Zabuli?" He asked, his eyes peering into Ahmet's own. He had many questions, but he was content to start with that. I only know his voice. That's not a lot. He thought, assuming the mysterious speaker he had just heard was the figure that his tour guide and the receptionist had spoken about. Ahmet turned to face him back and was still for a moment as he considered how to answer but quickly responded.

"Zabuli is the recruiter who works in this khan. He recruits warriors and other adventurers and gives them quests on behalf of the government." Ahmet explained, before quickly adding something else to his explanation. "As a tour-guide, something I do with travelers, competent ones anyway, is take them to places like this. Places where they can be tested, to see if they can use their skills to help the city of Namira. Monks are rare here Quinn. I bet we could do something with you." He said, his eyes filled with greed and ambition.

Althos smiled at him and considered what he said. So if I do well in these tests I could get quests relevant to the city? Okay, I guess this is as good as chance as any I could get to speedily meet people of importance throughout this place. He thought to himself and began to consider what to say to Ahmet. Should I feign gratitude? Or should I play it cool...? I should probably be consistent. He reasoned and then began to speak immediately afterward.

"This is gonna save me the time I would have otherwise had to spend looking for lodging and for work, so thank you for that. I can't say I'm super happy you know that I'm a monk though." He told the eager tour-guide. Ahmet grinned at him, his blue eyes lighting up with some childish emotion, like a boy whose prank was about to occur.

"I do apologize for that. That said... a high-level monk is a treat. Monks are disciplined, intelligent warriors who don't need magic or a weapon to be skilled in battle. I think the money you'd make working for the city would be worth more than your privacy and secrecy. Do you disagree?" Ahmet asked, surprisingly sincerely. Althos thought about what the giant said, and went silent. He grinned through, his lips subtly curling into a thin smile, which alleviated any quiet worries Ahmet may have felt at that moment.

[I have no idea what is going on master.] Camilla told him, whispering into his mind. Althos realized that they had been speaking in the language of desert giants this whole time and began to fill his followers in on what was going down, sending them a group message.

[This place is an inn. And it is where adventurers are recruited and trained. The receptionist you saw vanish is going to retrieve the local recruiter so that I may be "tested" and show that I can be taken into their ranks. If I succeed and pass their test or tests, then I can more easily meet influential people and subtly begin to take over this city.] He informed the non-giants he had recruited. They mentally nodded, acknowledging the message and appreciating the extra context.

A few minutes passed by before Althos saw Elif reappear in the distance, accompanied by a surprising sight: a human.

The human who wandered into the reception area of the inn was a tiny thing. He stood at about a meter and a half tall, infinitely shorter than Althos even when Althos was disguised as one of his kind. He was clad in an outfit made of fur and had a pleasant grin on his face. He walked right over to Althos and looked at the monk with a curious, open gaze.

"So you're the newest recruit huh?" The human asked, his eyes taking their time to examine Althos. And with that, the young deity received a notification. The knowledge notification that detailed the human race.

[New Species Knowledge Gained: Human.

Humans are one of the most common humanoid races found on millions of worlds. They are a relatively short-lived species, since barring magical intervention they die of natural causes before they hit 120 years of age, but they are an incredibly adaptable race.

Humans can be found in most life-having worlds, and they have found ways to survive and sometimes even thrive in an assortment of other dimensions. Whether it's building advanced technology that can house human lives on a star, in a dimension of nightmares, or in the depths of the ocean, if a creature gives humans enough time they'll find or invent a way to adapt to a set of conditions.

In the same world, some humans could be living in the heart of a cave system, relying on spears and their muscles to get food, while humans on the surface, countries away, are working on spaceships to colonize other worlds.

Humans are some of the most skilled artisans in existence, capable of smithing excellent weapons, creating lovely statues, designing incredible cities, and brewing life-saving potions if trained properly. Most humans possess some innate level of skill with magic but are not natural experts and need to learn to use what mystical gifts they have over time.

Humans aren't particularly pious as a species but those of them that are pious are incredibly so. They can become powerful worshipers if converted and made into crusaders, templars, or evangelists.

Humans don't evolve, at least not naturally. Their genes are flexibility and can mesh well with an assortment of non-human creatures, particularly humanoids and extraplanars which means they can breed with an assortment of creatures quite well. This of course also makes them good targets for mutations and templates.]

Althos read through the notification and then willed the thing away. He then focused on the human in front of him and began to speak.

"Am I? I mean I'd like to be, but don't I have to be tested first?" Althos responded, snarkily. His response was met with laughter, not just by Elif, but also by the human she brought with her. Both of them laughed at Althos' remarks for a few moments before the human, presumably Zabuli, began to speak again.

"True. But if your fists are half as quick as your tongue, you'll do fine." The human said, before speedily leaping onto the desk in front of him, a desk which came all the way up to his chest and then throwing himself at Althos.

In mid-air, the human spoke again. "Now come. Let's see if you're fists are as skilled as your mouth is!" Zabuli said, grinning as he hurtled through the air in Althos' direction.

Althos chuckled, the sound low and gravely, and then waited for the creature to close the distance between the two of them. While waiting he took a stance, spreading his legs equidistance apart, bending his knees, and drawing his arms to his side. It was a stance not unlike the horse-stance that was famous among many styles of martial arts. And then he received another notification.

[New Skill Explanation: Martial Arts

This is a basic-level monk skill. It fills the minds of monks with simple knowledge of martial arts, teaching them basic stances, slightly empowering their blows innately, and enabling them to strike more swiftly. It ensures that a monk can more effectively use their bodies as weapons, be it in tossing their opponents around, or using something like an elbow as a weapon.]

Althos willed it away, as Zabuli sailed through the air towards him. So this is what being a monk feels like? The will asked itself, smiling internally, as it felt time slow to a crawl. The little recruiter slowly traveled through the air, grinning at the giant warrior and Althos allowed it to sail unimpeded until Zabuli was within arm's reach of the giant.

Now! Althos thought, exploding into action all at once. The human was just a few meters away, close enough that Althos could feel the heat coming off of the human's body. Althos deftly reached out and grabbed ahold of the robes that covered Zabuli's chest, and then proceeded to push the human, throwing him off his intended path.

"And now it's my turn." Althos said, confidently. He sprung into motion, closing his fists and lunging after the human even as the human sailed through the air.

Zabuli had eagerly leaped at Althos, expecting his suddenness of movement to throw the giant off for a moment. He was excited when he noticed that he was wrong.

The giant reached out a single large hand and casually grabbed ahold of the robes that lightly touched and gently protected Zabuli's weak humanity. The giant was grinning as he did so and pushed the mid-air human off of his intended path. Zabuli felt some adrenaline course through him as he realized that the desert-monk had merely thrown him off course, but that was because he hadn't yet detected the deity pursuing him through the air.

The giant appeared next to the soaring human and smirked as he lashed out with a single fist. The fist sailed through the air, even faster than either of the two creatures, and slammed into the recruiter's torso, causing the human to come to a hard stop in mid-air, and spit out an unhealthy amount of scarlet blood.

"Is that enough?" Althos asked, confidence seeping into his voice.

"Ugh... yes." The recruiter groaned, pain seeping into his voice, as he felt his bones react to the blow he had just been dealt.

Seconds later, both creatures landed gently on the khan's rugged floor with a soft thud.