Continuing to travel, the surrounding's about them subtly changed. Where earlier there was a lively quality to it, filled with the clutter and clamor of life, as they went in deeper into the regions of this city, the shops that were before were no longer present, replaced by a societal change of structures and homes. It slowly calmed in this part of the city, where they ended up in a large road, paved with cobble and was empty, save for the occasional carriages that rode past them and the people that walked on the side areas.
There was even something different about them that set them apart of the people before. They were more extravagantly dressed, a man walking past him was adorned in luxurious robes, a lot for the beaming sun and traveling further were women talking with each other, even having what seemed like servants besides them.
"Where are we now, Mr. Hainan?"
"This is the residential district, specifically this corner of the city is a popular spot for people to place their homes."
"Is yours here?"
"Yes, but just a little bit further, were close now, actually, turn here."
And they turned.
Farther, they traveled, a couple of minutes the horses rode in the cobblestone rode, Adaceus set his sights on a building that stuck out above the rest as the horses rounded around to it.
It was huge structure, and was placed in an open area, situated in the middle and surrounded by walls of white. Its body was luxurious in its design, a white body and blue color roof that seemed to glisten under the sun and its construction was like a masterwork, a masterpiece building. Placed at the outward direction in front of it was a fountain, with the top decorated with statues of a fish beast's sprouting water out of there mouths, and the water fell unto three bowls and downward. Surrounding it was a garden of lively growths, a well kept one, with bushes sprouting little blossoms of pink sprouts and the flat grass ground grew abundant with lush flowers of all manner of color.
It was placed in a large area, spaces where every direction was devoid of any other houses.
"Right there, that's my home."
Hainan said, pointing right at it.
".... My, this is quite... I don't know how to say it but... expensive, Mr. Hainan," and he looked to him wide eyed, though it couldn't be seen because of the mask.
"O-oh," he coughed, "you don't have to say it in that way Adaceus," before shyly scratching at his head.
"No, I'm just amazed, you weren't lying when you said you were successful in your line of work, this is really quite something," and Adaceus continued to stare at fortress that was this house.
"Well!" He squealed out, "A-ahem, anyway, I think we should go inside now, c'mon, lets settle in!" Frantically, he said this, in order to direct Adaceus's focus to something else.
With a whap of the reins they moved to the entrance of the walls, which was an archway, with a golden symbol on top of the highest part.
A shield and a sword.
# # #
Stopping at the front door of the house, Hainan was the first to get off, and as Adaceus went to follow him he was stopped by his raised hand.
"Stay here Adaceus, I need to sort this out first, explain every thing to my helpers, so I'm sorry, but please stay put for now."
"I will."
The front door suddenly opened, and two people came out in hurried motions. Two women, one older with a full head of gray hair, and a wrinkled face aged with time, and a younger one, with deep black hair, who was strangely regal in the way she jogged and had her eyes closed, both marched with fast steps toward them. They wore matching sets of close, black dresses with a white frilled aprons, and a headdresses of the same kind.
Adaceus wondered who they were, what to make of them, and he had no clue.
"Ah, speaking of," Hainan said, going to meet them.
"Lord Hainan!" The elder said, and her eyes glanced to his shoulder, gasping with terror as she looked at the wound, "You're shoulder!"
She reached him, and frantically grabbed at his shoulder, inspecting the wound with careful eyes. The other younger one followed with a disciplined and proper pose behind the elder.
"What happened, Milord? You were gone so late and didn't return yesterday night, we were concerned and were planning on sending out guards," she said this with a voice as smooth as a river, also clasping at him, holding his shoulders up in a way to make him comfortable.
"All of you please calm down!" He said, prying away from their grasp's, "Please let me go and listen! Please. I can explain further if were inside so lets go."
"Are you sure you are alright?" The elder with a calm and steady tone said.
"Yes! Yes! Please! I am alright!" Hainan pleaded to her, like a child bashful of her mother doting on him.
But the elder still didn't yield, and Hainan could only uncomfortably smile.
"Sir, who is that?" The younger interjected, halting their scuffle to a still.
Hainan turned to her, and saw that she was staring beyond him. Turning he saw that she was staring at the carriage, looking straight at Adaceus, who was peeking his head above to look at them.
"Ah, well," he coughed, stepping away from the older, "Like I said to you, I will explain it inside, do not worry, he isn't dangerous, so please, come and follow inside."
At that he walked to the door, with the elder following behind. The younger, though still walking, stole a glance toward him by turning her head.
Is she looking at me? Adaceus wondered why.
Still continuing to look at him, her eyes twitched ever slightly, so minute that Adaceus believed he was just seeing things, until his shoulders trembled greatly, inducing violent tremors on his entire body that spread through every vein and nerve. His hand that held the reins began shaking like a freezing chill came upon him. He almost went to draw his sword, feeling danger come upon him, but forced himself not to as any sign of aggression would only prove fatal to him, that even the slightest hostility would draw a knife to his neck. That tiny movement, that miniscule action under those long black eyelashes made him feel fearful of his life, like a deep dark blood red beast was sweeping him all around, about to devour him whole to leave nothing behind.
The marble of his left eye suddenly filtered his sight to a sheen of crimson, and what he witnessed overwhelmed him. The figure of this woman was engulfed in a powerful energy, with movements so vicious that it was like a chaotic fire was enveloping her form; like the most disastrous of hurricanes, with powerful torrents, ravaged across her figure and it made him shudder just how immense its pressure was.
She's strong, unbelievably so, damn, I feel like I'm going to drown! What is that strange energy anyway? Its bot like mana, its, something different. Well, whatever that is, its making her strong.
It went on, until it stopped as her gaze broke of him and focused forward, releasing him from the vermillion shadow.
Adacues, making sure they all entered the house, breathed a heavy sigh of relief, upon being released from the blood red hold. A few breaths, and he fully calmed down.
He checked himself, padding away at his body with his hand. It was steady breathing, and a realization came to him, that after all of that, that fear, that panic, all went away like a brief breeze passing in the air. That was the first time he felt fear or anything of the sort after being in this world, but strangely it didn't take long for him to calm down from that terror he experienced, in fact, he was more interested by the fact that a being was able to possess might that powerful; even if he is weak in his current states, to induce alarm from him and even terror, it was just intriguing.
What manner of other beings in this world possessed that sort of might, none that he'd seen were incomparable to her, and he wondered. He looked to Hainan's home, staring at its magnificence he could not help but admire-he was a great admirer of architecture, and this quality was a cut above the rest in his eyes.
This is going to be a rough time for me.