Re:Creation Book 1: Allegiance

Six

Phaeus strutted through Tamras, utterly fascinated by the size of the city. It was enormous - far bigger than anywhere he'd been before - and the deeper he went, the more there was to marvel. The buildings in Tamras alone were so expertly constructed with such contrasting styles than in Enli that looking at them was almost overwhelming. Most of the roads were paved with stone as opposed to the simple dirt trails he was used to, and though the stone was hard on his bare feet, Phaeus didn't mind. Those same stone roads were filled with more people than Phaeus had ever seen in one spot, milling about every which way, so much so that bumping into people was almost inevitable in the most crowded areas. By wading through these crowds, it didn't take Phaeus long at all to realize how completely out of place he was. Compared to his brightly colored sarong and shirt, the Myralians' clothes were far more restricting and dyed muted colors. Some people - who he assumed were nobility - wore very fanciful outfits that by no means looked comfortable, and were rather gaudy in Phaeus's opinion.

At some point, Phaeus had to hold his vulpine companion to avoid anyone accidentally stepping on it. With the fox close to his chest, he could feel how anxious it was being in the large crowd, but due to Terrera's power granting him a heightened bond with living creatures, he was able to keep the young fox calm for now. He'd always had the ability to feel and pacify the emotions of others, but ever since finding the book he now carried with him, that ability was much stronger.

As Phaeus continued deeper into Tamras, he took notice of the increasing amount of damage and repairs around the city. The farthest corners of Tarmras were practically untouched, but the closer he got to the castle, the worse his surroundings looked. The area around Castle Tyveren itself was almost completely abandoned, save for the workers and carpenters in charge of rebuilding. Entire structures and homes were ravaged by fire and rendered completely unliveable. Surely multiple citizens had met their ends as well, though there was not a body in sight, which Phaeus found interesting. The beginning of the relief effort must have been carting off the dead.

By the time he reached the castle gate, the bottoms of Phaeus's feet were dyed black with the soot and ash that layered the roads. Though the castle gate still stood, the front of its enormous wooden doors had a large scorch mark etched into their center, with less prominent marks spreading outward. Phaeus quickly found himself fixated on the center mark as he approached. If the fire was lapping at the castle gate, why did it seem like the direct center of the doors sustained the brunt of the damage? Phaeus was so enthralled by the doors, that he almost didn't notice the two guards that blocked his path, denying him entry.

"Unless you are proved to have been authorized for repairs, you are not allowed to pass," one of the guards declared. Phaeus felt the fox shift uncomfortably in his arms, prompting him to calm it with his power again.

"Of course," Phaeus amiably replied. He offered the guards a friendly smile. "I'd be glad to come back with my authorization, but I'm already late enough right now. You can make an exception though, yeah?"

The second guard eyed Phaeus with a skeptical gaze, clearly not falling for his lie. "Your clothes and accent suggest you aren't from here. Why would a foreigner be a part of the Tamarian Carpenters' Guild?"

"I'm not," Phaeus answered." I'm from the Lokatian guild in Taëlas. The Tamarian guild sent word to Lokata requesting a bit of aid and by the looks of things," he gestured to the surrounding area, "you all could really use the help."

In an instant, the guard's weapons were drawn and trained on Phaeus, who didn't so much as flinch in response. With his newfound power, weapons were no match for him.

"No word could have possibly been sent to Lokata," the first guard snarled. "All correspondence and trade in Tamras have been cut off since the fire. How did you get into the cit-"