The moment he stepped out of the room, the guard posted at the door followed one step behind him. And as expected, Iris had one as well. Courtesy of the king, he suspected.
The guard halted along with him, and faced his comarad, without saying a word to each other. He hadn't said a word to him either. Not that it mattered.
After waiting for what seemed an entire day, Iris made an appearance wearing the orian customary attire. A deep blue dress girdled with a silver taefitte studded chain. A colour reserved for the highest-ranking caste members, K'arali.
Smiling, they both nodded at each other in greeting, as she joined him, closely followed by the two guards. Might as well get used to their presence, since they will be attached to their hind for the rest of their stay.
The same man that greeted them the night before, appeared out of what he assumed to be the throne room. The heavy ceiling high, and the crest of a golden kalkaran imbedded in the doors told him as much.
" I hope you have slept well," He only addressed Iris," My name is K'alhon," He pressed his hand on his chest, " I'm afraid that the King is undisposed and he will not be able to receive you today. Please feel free to enjoy the celebration," He added smiling, like a venomous worm.
" L'atil and T'ereni will be with you every step of the way," Of course. Not to hold their hand that was for sure.
" So if you have any questions or require assistance they will provide it for you," He carried on rambling about Caral and all that there was for them to enjoy. Simele had a no-violence rule. It was the law and that applied to all of its participants, including the King himself. A long-standing tradition in the kingdom of horrors. What happened outside those five days was worse than anything he'd ever heard of; for once they weren't the worst creatures shadowing the ground they walked on.
K'ahlon said his graces as they stepped outside the Palace and into the sunlight.
" Monsters," Corvin cleared his throat," Don't always have jagged teeth, claws and cold blood. Sometimes they walk among us," They descended the steppes of the palace taking the paved sandstone path leading to the city below.
Iris smiled but refrained from speaking. He shouldn't have said anything but the way K'alhon spoke to Iris, irked him. All smiles and honey-glazed politeness. Ficus trees flanked the path, along with other vividly coloured plants, flowers, and selloana grass. The fountains on either side of the path, spraying water from the mouth of what appeared to be some sort of fish held his attention. Welleni Sea was beyond the reach of his eyes, but with each gust of wind sweeping across the golden plain, he could smell the salt in the air.
Descending into Caral, he took his eyes off the scenery to look at Iris, to gauge her reaction. Under the bright sun of Oros, Caral was indeed a splendour. The typical sandstone houses, with their brightly coloured roofs, homes to the K'arali caste were beautiful and painful to look at. He didn't quite understand why Arvun had requested aid since Caral seemed untouched by the shikari. Unless Corvin frowned. Unless it was sent with the intention to gather information. He was preparing to invade Hessia, and from there, Arrington would have been next.
Iris stopped at the stands studying different items that were for sale. From jewels, clothing, and shoes, to food. The choice was abundant, but she refrained from purchasing anything, even though he'd brought a few nuggets of gold with him. Their coin wouldn't have been accepted in Oros.
" Would you like something to eat?" He decided after she'd stopped in front of the last three food stands.
A slight nod and a hum were sufficient for him to approach the vendor and ask Iris what she would like to eat. She pointed at the one of the platters on the table, while he fished a gold nugget out of his pouch.
The vendor smiled, his yellowed teeth showing, as he studied the gold nugget with a keen eye. Nodding to himself, he began placing the food in a woven leaf basket. He prayed briefly that the skewered meat wasn't some ghastly creature that crawled on the plains of Oros.
The guards followed them, as they did since they stepped out of the room. It was still early, but most people were already out celebrating, dancing, and sparing to entertain the onlookers. No tamekans or folcurins in sight.The mixed crowd watched, laughed, and applauded when the display was over. Some left Orian coins in the basket, while others just walked away.
On the ledge of the fountain, Iris perched herself and watched a weaving basket contest while she munched on the skewered meat, stretching as she took a bite out of it. His appetite vanished at the confirmation that the spiked meat in his hand wasn't anything he was familiar with.
A street vendor approached with a basket full of green round of something that it appeared to be a fruit. He smiled at Iris, showing his rich orange teeth. He knew those teeth, that colour.....
In two long strides, he was towering over the merchant who busied himself haggling with Iris, trying to sell his goods. Betel nuts, he concluded on a closer look, and that was enough to make his blood boil.
" No," She said as she pushed herself up, still holding onto the basket with food.
" Thank you for offering, but I'm going to refuse as I did the first five times," She bristled at the vendor who persisted in his attempt to make a sale. The vendor looked up at him with his glassy eyes and smiled again showing the bright orange teeth.
" I'm also not interested," Corvin said as the guards watched over the exchange, passive. They wouldn't intervene unless things would get physical.
" Your loss," The merchant mumbled as he swayed on his feet, attempting to walk. And failing as he flopped face-first on the ground a few paces away.
Iris looked up at him worried," A common occurrence among the lower caste members. Betel nuts provide relief, and temporary happiness to those who use them, and they are also extremely moreish," The frown deepened further as her gaze kept fleeting between him and the man that was being dragged by the guards across the quadrant of the market.