"So how's progress?" Lord Karun asked gently.
His finger traced the edge of the wooden table.
With shifty feet I answer;
"Progress? Yeah it's good My Lord. Vallar commends me on my skill, tenacity and dexterity. Sooner or later I'll defeat him in a spar."
"Hmmm" Karun ruminated,
His fingers stopped shy of the corner of the table and his eyes found mine.
He looks like he's about to say something but he pauses, deliberately before asking;
"Do you know why I brought you along this time?"
"Um to prove my worth?" I replied quickly.
"Prove your worth... That could be it. But there are also several reasons." He says before momentarily pausing again.
"Most people in life don't know where they are going or what they are doing. That's why I've been hard on you guys. I want you to be successful not for my sake, but yours....."
As he droned on Seth couldn't help but lampoon.
There were times when he loved his Lord father like a prodigal son searching for validation, but he rarely felt validation from Karun.
Seth always felt like he was treated like an asset from Lord Karun.
He would complete many of the tasks given to him and all he got as a reward was "Thank you", but if he fell short of of maybe one or two tasks, he would get the berating of a life time.
So many at times unlike his adopted siblings, he would find himself in search of Lord Karun's validation.
"..... I've been told of your growth and dedication by Vallar. So I thought it fit to reward you today."
Seth was of course taken back by this unusual reward from Karun.
Popping the lid of the wooden box to reveal the gift to his adopted son.
In the wooden box laid a weapon, like
It was a peculiarlly large longsword with an abnormally large hilt.
Seth picked it up by the hilt and studied it.
"With time you will be able to swing it with one arm." Karun added.
The black polished hilt was almost half a meter in length.
"Sheeeen"
It made a low piercing cry when unsheathed from the ornamented scabbard.
And it seemed to reflect black light on the edges.
The blade was dark steel and shyly over a meter in length and hand forged folded Casian steel. It didn't weigh as much as Seth expected.
'That's folded Casian steel for you' Seth thought.
"How is it?" Karun asked.
His voice bringing Seth out of his reverie.
"Y-yes I love it, it's excellent my Lord." Seth replied.
"All great swords have names, what shall be hers?"
Seth thought for a while then answered;
"Dark son"
"Excellent choice. Now let's get on to real business." Karun said as he sat down behind the desk.
"You see, you've been given an opportunity, a rare one at that too. " Karun said before motioning Seth to seat opposite him.
He looked around as if to check no one was listening in on them.
"It's a rare opportunity, but as for the details... I can't disclose them to you yet, these walls might have ears. But it's something that'll involve your skills with the sword, leadership and grit."
"It's the main concern after the festival, and I've equipped you with Sarhus for this so task. Don't worry it shall be made known to you after the festival. And it's nothing shady, just keep improving yourself and you might use this opportunity to prove yourself." Karun said in a serious tone.
And with the lack of crucial information Seth could only reply
"I will My Lord."
"Good now you are dismissed. And oh we'll soon begin our departure."
*********************************
The next day House Gideon and it's host arrived at Agyes in a procession. Under one of the 7 arch marble gates of the inner city.
When Seth saw Agyes from afar he couldn't help but gasp.
Like a mere whisper on the canvas of the sea, a smudge perhaps came to appear.
And as time unfurled and the host got closer and closer, the ephemeral illusion started to give way to undeniable reality, taking form and substance.
The faraway horizon transformed into a distinct outline, and Setg was able to soon spot the sprawling mass of marble and stone city.
It was surreal, unlike anything he ever laid his eyes on.
Mytirk was like some back water stable compared to Agyes.
A sprawling city more than two thousand kilometers wide, with a chain of seven mountains behind it.
Each mountain houses a gate to the nether.
The sprawling outskirts of the city consisted of Dark stone houses of the poor outside the city's walls.
But once past the beautiful marble walls, the scenery is that of paradise. Beautiful terrace buildings lined the inside with smooth and even white roads.
The houses were built with a distinct spiraling top and high arched design.
At the heart of the city stood the city center- a sprawling complex of public buildings, temples, and open spaces that served as the civic and commercial center of the city.
Theater, expensive inns and hotels and different buildings of entertainment attracted many customers.
Almost as much as the Commercial areas.
Different section sold different varieties of items, some food and provisions, others textile and clothes, and sculptures and art pieces could also be found for sale.
The streets were clean.
The place was characterized by grand colonnades, marble facades, and ornate statues honoring Casian heroes and beautiful paintings in the temple told of the many histories and stories the empire faced.
Surrounding it were a network of streets and squares, lined with shops and taverns, selling various local produce like fragrant oil, wine, and pottery with unique designs native to the place, to ores, stones, metalworking, and luxurious clothes, to delicacies like pies and various pancakes and dumplings.
And there was an inner wall separating the castle where the Emperor, the Flame resided.
7 huge interconnected keeps made the capital castle seem impregnable.
'Amazing.'
There were two other buildings of interest.
The Crucible, A huge dome shaped building even bigger than the castle. And The pit, a huge arena that hosted the festival and tournaments.
There were slaves inside the city, mostly not Kaphanite Slaves though....
Those were kept far from the city, near the mountains or even in it where they mine in the nether and sometimes build structures.
Now that the host had arrived they had to pay respects to The Flame