Freelands

VI. POPULUS VINCET MAGISTROS

3. Marcus Magister

As they enter Hardrow, Gere now sees what he was seeing before from a far. The city looks even more prettier to him up close.

Beautiful paved roads and streets, with tall houses, painted with beautiful and simple shapes and patterns. Some balconies have banners of the city's emblems, and this is there in some houses a phrase catches his attention, beneath the symbol of the circle and the straight lines.

"Populus Vincet Magistros" He thinks out loud.

"That's right, iudex!" The vigil who escorts them says after overhearing him.

"The people will defeat the masters." Gere says trying to translate the phrase.

"Correct! You see? So simple, even foreigners can get the message." The vigil says.

"Why put this phrase on your banners?" Gere asks.

"Markus believes that it's the best fitting phrase for this city, and I believe he isn't wrong." The vigil answers.

"Iudex Gere! You have to see the palace and its beautiful carvings in the outside walls! The inside will shock you too! It is like the hall in Hierydor palace, but even bigger! The throne too, is the most magnificent throne in the whole south Kingdoms." 

As they are getting closer to the palace, Gere can finally see it at its entirety up close. He can see the carved pillars into the pink-brown stone, the scenes of battles drawn on long stripes above the pillars and now the they are infront the big gate to the palace.

They get inside the huge throne room and they are all pleasured by the smell of the spices that have been shipped inside the palace. The hall is awe-inspiring, with huge ancient paintings on the walls, which time has   faded its colours but they still decorate proudly all the walls and the huge pillars inside the big hall.

The throne room is filled with all sorts of big crates. Some of them contain huge amounts of spices, which have been left opened and gave the room an exotic odor. On the four pillars of the room stand scaffoldings filled with workers who paint and carve on them.

As they are walking in Gere sees a lot of men standing on the risen ground at the end of the hall.

They are gathered around a man who stands shirtless on the center and swings a short double axe around.

The man has very short, almost shaved, black hair. He is short in height but with a very fit torso and hands. He wears heavy metallic green leggings and a very thick bronze belt, with beautiful patterns and on the front big emerald stones.

"This axe is really good, indeed! Send the patent to the manufactorae and tell our fellow workers to start making a hundred of them!" He says to one of his helpers.

Then as he looks at Vinco and Gere who are approaching him he appears suprised.

"Oh! I didn't see you, Welcome to Miter-Hardrow travellers! What are you asking here?"

"I am dux Vinco Craemus and the wise man next to me is iudex Gere. We come here from Hierydor, by command of our future king, Lance Hail the III, in order to speak to Rex Serus Magister."