The two turned to see the trio standing before them to enter the kingdom's gate. They changed their stance as the two seemed to be slacking off on the job. One of the men stepped forward and began to speak.
"State your name and business here today." The man's tone was cold and straight to the point as if he'd already asked this question multiple times in the day. The other guard peered at their uniforms before putting their hand up to the other.
"Their students from the Academy, sir, must be returning from a trip."
"Yep, Terra, from the Farren family."
"Xavien, from the Chalmers family."
"..."
Terra nodded as she went on, seemingly trying to seem as inconspicuous as ever from Dante's point of view. He knew she was tricky, but he didn't think she'd sly-talk her way out of dealing with officials, much less guards. He stayed silent and let her handle the talks as he tugged on his own cloak.
"We got separated from our group due to a monster sighting of sorts; we knew to head back to the gates once we were safe," Terra said, pointing to Dante. The guard's eyes peered at him before questioning more.
"What does this kid have to do with this? Did he escort you two?" One said as he got closer to Dante. His eyes looked him up and down as he walked around the hooded boy. He forgot his earring, which concealed his true nature as the guard scoured him with his eyes.
Terra jumped in before further questioning could occur as she began to state his deeds.
"Yes, he helped us when we were separated from our group! We could lodge safely with his presence until the monsters decided to finally leave. Without him there, we would've been in real trouble! Isn't that right, Xavien?"
"Oh…yeah, he guided us out of the mountains safely, and thankfully, we made it back in one piece."
The guards looked at one another before the one inspecting Dante firmly put his hand on his shoulder. The firm grip seemed troublesome until a laugh was heard as he looked up at him.
"Well, we have someone who's quite handy! Protecting our youth is important; thanks for guiding the kids back here! We owe you one!" He continued to pat Dante firmly on the shoulder and awkwardly laughed in agreement. Terra smiled as she continued.
"We were just going to bring him to reward him for his efforts; I'm sure my father would be pleased to speak with the man who helped us find our way."
The guard's face shifted from joy to fear as his body seemingly ran cold from the mention of her father; his stance instantly straightened as he stepped aside.
"You may pass; stay safe out there next time!"
"We'll make sure to! See you!"
The three moved along and passed by the somewhat frightened guard as the gates slowly approached the trio. Growing more grand in size with each step ahead. Dante clutched onto his bag as they approached the stone walkways of the city. Many people were seen as they gathered around the entrance, some fresh in from the check-in point and some preparing to leave. Dante looked around aimlessly as the size of everything began to set in with each passing step. The buildings grew in size and grandeur as the sound of many conversations and wheels circulated in the area.
"Ah—! How I've missed seeing these streets!" Xavien said, letting out a big stretch and lifting his arms to the sky.
"You seem happy to be back," Dante said as he tried to settle himself into a new place slowly but was not doing a great job of it.
"Of course! I've been away for three days, you know! I've missed many things, like the food…the smell of the water coursing through the streets…and…"
His attention shifted as female students passed by. He looked at their group and smiled as they walked in the other direction. A sly smile planted on his face as his eyes turned shallow.
"The women too. If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back. —
Suddenly, a hand grasped the hood of his cloak, restraining his movement entirely. The group began to laugh and walk away. Xavien turned to see a frustrated Terra as his shoulders dropped alongside his head.
"Those can wait… until after we help you, though."
"Exactly."
Terra smiled in agreement as the three began to walk down the street.