King's Game (Draft/practice Version)

chapter 10

The capital city of himaru. In the far south. The buildings were spread out in the sprawling sand. The scorching sun was merciless as its heat swept across the desert. The buldings were made of sandstone. Small plants dotted the outsides of homes. Although they were mainly for decoration for the otherwise dead world.

One of the buildings stood out from the rest as being the largest. It had multiple dome shaped peaks made out of heavy stone and tipped with brass.

Just a few metres from the entrance, among the crowd was a man in robes. Surrounded by people would obviously make it difficult to pick him out. However what made him noticeable was the armed guards around him.

They were covered in iron plating and chain mail. They had scimitars hanging from their waists. Their eyes were hard as steel and made sure to not miss any blind spots.

The crowd parted as they passed through. The man in question for the security was a short man. A foot smaller than most. Like everyone else he was covered in robes and turban. His mouth was covered so not to inhale any stray sand.

The outfit was common for one to wear. As the scorching sun was dangerous to be bearing any skin to it. The sand was another problem. Sudden gusts of wind could make one inhale handfuls of sand.

However, there were key differences in the presented attire. The mans was made out of a more expensive silk than a regular commoner could afford. His robes were engraved with golden threads. And a stitching of a lion with two swords. The lion showed that he was part of a certain noble family. However the two swords showed he was of a certain division branch of the family tree. His name was Shala Raduct Elford

The guards stuck to him as they entered under a stone archway that was three times higher than the tallest guard. From there laid a large courtyard that was bigger than some of the largest local homes. A fountain was stationed at the centre, spraying clear water. At a glance this would be seen as a waste. However, the fountain was actually a magical item that sprayed large amounts of water all day long. This was where they gathered water and gave to the commoners.

Guards were stationed in the shaded areas of the courtyard. Being on duty during the hottest hours of the day had its major risks. So it was taken into account to add shading posts inbetween daily routines.

However, despite the heat and lack of plant life outside. The inside of the courtyard was lush green. Exotic plants were lined into rows on each side of the walkway, leading straight to the other side.

After walking past the rows of plants, they finally arrived at a huge wooden door. The group encountered two guards posted near the entrance.

Once they reached the front door. The robed man, Shala, drew a seal from his robe. The guards took it without reply and quickly checked through. After seeing nothing amiss and checked his identity, the two guards each grabbed a ring of the door and pulled.

The door swung effortlessly, thanks to regularly oiling the hinges.

Shala nodded in thanks and walked past. The guards in tow. As soon as they past the doorway, They were immediately hit with cold air. The sudden change of temperature made everyone shiver. All except for Shala.

He took off the cloth around his face. He had light brown skin that seemed to shine when in contact with the light emitted from the glass windows. The cool air tickled his bare face, although he kept his turban on.

The inside of the buildings was quite cool when the outside was burning. That was all thanks to magic. Anything that entered inside would be met with cold air.

Shala turned and addressed the guards that came with him.

"Thank you for your hard work. Please take this time to rest."