The crowd at the gate was thick with desperate people, but Kael stepped forward to lead.
He knew that as a soldier, his papers would carry weight, but he also knew they needed to stay low-profile.
When they reached the front of the line, Kael pulled out his military documents.
“We are a family,” Kael told the guard firmly.
“I am a soldier on duty in the North, but my family background is from here in the capital.
I am bringing them back home.”
The guard looked at the papers, then at Aira and Ria (who were dressed in traveling cloaks to hide their high-ranking Armor), and finally at the two small children, Pia and Tarin.
Seeing the “soldier” with his “wife and children,” the guard didn’t suspect that he was actually looking at the most powerful military leaders of the North.
“Everything seems to be in order,” the guard muttered, handing the pass back. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“Move along.
But keep your eyes open—the city is crowded and restless.”
With a silent sigh of relief, the five of them passed through the massive stone archway.
The Sight of Cloud Land
As they stepped inside, the city opened up before them.
• The Towers: Massive, slender white towers rose so high they seemed to disappear into the mist.
• The Atmosphere: The smell of expensive spices and wood smoke filled the air.
• The Contrast: Rich merchants in silk walked past poor families sitting on the curbs, showing how much the city was struggling with the new arrivals.
Tarin and Pia stared in awe.
They had never seen anything so grand.
But for Aira and Ria, every corner of the street felt like a ghost of their childhood.
They were back in the place where they used to run up wooden stairs for sweets—but now, they were here on a mission for the King.