The mechanized carriage clattered down the broad avenue leading to Ted Shylo's manor. The district was a far cry from the chaos they had passed earlier. Here, the streets were wide and orderly, lined with towering mansions and lush gardens enclosed by intricate wrought-iron gates. It was an architecture that blended styles: domed roofs crowned the sharply geometric, rectangular forms of structures, adorning their facades with floral carvings and intricate latticework. Marble columns stood outside entrance doors, while curves and fluted designs mixed harmoniously with angular symmetry in buildings. Each structure exuded both grace and power, testimony to the empire's wealth and cultural ambition. "This place is calculated," Larin said, sweeping his gaze along the line of manors.
"It's a display," Tyrs said. "A way of saying, 'Look how much we can build while others starve.'"
"And destroy just as easily," Mynta added, her gaze fixed on the horizon.
The luxury of Ted Shylo's manor struck the eye with an added brightness even in contrast to its brethren. Acres it sprawled across, with the gleaming walls of sandstone inlaid with precious stones that caught what was left of the light. Large arched windows framed with ornate latticework screens hinted at grandeur within, while the vast courtyard boasted manicured hedges and a fountain carved with mythic creatures.
At the gate, a pair of guards in shimmering cyan uniforms barred their path. Their armor was light but adorned with glyphs that hummed faintly with mana.
"Identification," one of the guards demanded, his tone flat but authoritative.
Tyrs handed over their tokens. The guards inspected them carefully, their expressions unreadable. After a tense moment, they nodded and stepped aside.
"You may go," the head guard said, nodding toward the manor entrance.
As they debarked, double doors as tall as a one-story building slid open and there stood Ted Shylo: high-ranking diplomat that he was, he made just the show as he emerged clad in cyan nightsilk woven in gold; jeweled clasps held loosely in place the loose robes through which lightweight ceremonial armor winked at one beneath the drape. Regal as his bearing was, so was his smile warm and casual.
"Nephew," he bellowed, his deep voice ringing out. "Years since I last saw your face. You've grown to be quite a man."
Larin stepped forward and bowed a little. "Uncle. Good to see you."
Ted's face turned to Tyrs and Mynta, and a warm smile across his features spread wide. "And my dear sisters. Hope the journey was not too taxing?"
"Not at all," Tyrs said, smiling. "Though Monarek is as restrictive as it always is."
Ted smiled. "Come inside. We have much to discuss."
The interior of the manor was huge but subtle, a balance of opulence and functionality. The walls were smooth and bare, their brutalist design emphasizing clean lines and raw strength. The space was filled with sparse but elegant furnishings: low couches with intricate wooden frames, brass lamps casting a warm glow, and geometric rugs that softened the otherwise imposing atmosphere.
Ted took them to a private living room where a servant immediately came with steaming cups of spiced tea. The air filled with the sweet fragrance of cardamom and clove as they settled in their seats.
Ted leaned back, cradling his cup. "I have been watching closely," he began. "The Kirat Empire is unaware of your attack on Rhabut's envoy. Their attention is elsewhere.
"Elsewhere?" Tyrs asked, his brow rising.
Ted nodded gravely. "They are busy with sky invaders. A treaty is being signed as we speak."
Larin tensed, his mind jumping backward to the blue-skinned creature whose ears were gills. "Invaders?"
Ted's gaze snapped toward Larin, his face stern. "You've seen them."
Larin halted, nodded. "Once. There was a time when, during a raid, this blue-skinned being with gills manifested itself. It was. beyond anything I've seen so far. Unbelievable."
Ted let his breath out slowly. "That explains why the Kirat Empire is cautious. They know these beings are powerful. Even their technology, magic-it is beyond what the empire can challenge.
"What do they want?" Mynta asked, her voice steady.
Ted sipped his tea thoughtfully. "They speak of peace alone. Their ambassadors have asked for no land, no tribute-only a mutual, neutral agreement to share the same space. But the Kirat don't believe them, and neither do I, for that matter."
The room fell silent, as if the weight of Ted's words had just settled over them. Mynta broke the tension with a wry smile. "Well, at least it's not another empire trying to claim Xiaxo. We have enough of those already."
"For now," Tyrs said, her tone grim. "But if these beings are as powerful as you say, it's only a matter of time before they start making demands."
Ted nodded. "Just why we can't let our guard down. The Kirat is one thing, but this new bunch. they're the wild card.".
As the conversation shifted into logistics and intel, Larin's head might begin to raise questions. But the face of the thing with blue-skinned skin stuck in his mind. This had nothing to do with it: rather, it was cosmic. He looked at his aunts, each of whom sat there with nary an upset hair visible, and he felt the breaths as deep as when he calmed himself again.
"We'll adapt," he said finally, drawing the attention of the room. "We always do."
Tyrs smirked, raising her teacup in a mock toast. "That's the Xiaxoan spirit."
Ted smiled faintly, though his eyes remained somber. "Let's hope it's enough."
After the talk, Ted offered to take them around the manor. He walked through its grand halls and talked about the origin of the estate and the way in which it operated as a diplomatic hub for ambassadors from the princely states.
They walked through the library: a cavernous room held within a vast, rising ceiling. Books, on shelves approaching roof height, lined each wall. Mynta stopped to survey a display case of ancient texts. "You always did like learning," she said.
Ted chuckled. "Knowledge is power, sister. And in a place like this, power is survival."
Their tour ended in a small courtyard where a quiet fountain was bubbling softly. Ted turned to them with an expression in earnestness.
"Stay here as long as you need. The city is dangerous, but this manor is safe. At least, for now."
Larin nodded. "Thanks Uncle.".
And it was under these lanterns in the courtyard that the looming presence of the invaders and the Kirat Empire loomed large in the air, making Monarek, in all its pomp and circumstance, a powder keg waiting to go off. The feeling was there, too, that their stay in the city would only become more complicated from now on.