Reaching Zagirad: 'This might be though'

The road had been long and unforgiving, but at last, they arrived.

Zagirad stood before them, its colossal walls rising into the sky, their three-layered stone defenses a testament to the city's importance. Imperial banners rippled in the wind, their golden insignias catching the light of the setting sun. This was no ordinary city—it was a stronghold, one of the most fortified places in the Adisa Prefecture and home to the Emperor's brother, a duke whose influence stretched across the empire.

Alex took a deep breath, awed by the sheer scale of it. "It's… beautiful."

At the gates, armored guards scrutinized each traveler before allowing them entry.

"State your names and purpose," one of them barked, eyes sharp beneath his steel helmet.

Alex stepped forward, his voice steady as he answered their questions. When the guards seemed satisfied, they nodded and stepped aside. With that, Alex and Mery passed through the towering gates, entering the bustling heart of Zagirad.

The streets were paved with polished quartz, smooth and shimmering beneath the lanterns that lined the roads. Unlike the villages they had seen ravaged by war and bandits, this place was untouched, thriving. Merchants called out from market stalls, children darted between the legs of armored knights, and carriages rumbled over stone bridges that arched above narrow canals.

Alex turned to his mother. "I thought you said you'd been here before?"

Mery smiled softly. "I have. Twenty-five years ago, when your father and I fled here as runaways." She glanced around, as if seeing old memories in the streets. "Come. There's a place I know."

She led him through the winding roads until they reached a tavern with a faded wooden sign swaying above the entrance.

Dolphin's Feet.

The moment they stepped inside, the laughter died. Conversations halted, and every pair of eyes turned to them.

A heartbeat of silence. Then, as suddenly as it had stopped, the tavern roared back to life, filled with laughter, drunken chatter, and the clinking of mugs.

Alex slid into a seat, ears tuning into the voices around him.

"Did you hear?" a man slurred at the bar. "The Night Rangers finally got that bastard bandit leader."

"Really?" another replied. "I thought Imperial Knights were sent to deal with that mess."

"Who cares who did it?" a third chimed in. "Now we can go to the Zagred Mountains without worrying about losing our heads."

Alex exhaled, tension easing from his shoulders. So it was over. The bandit leader had been captured.

For the first time in days, he allowed himself to relax.

But deep inside, something still gnawed at him.

Why had that Imperial Knight been there?

And more importantly…

Why had she looked at him like that?

Alex and Mery looked to the counter girl.

"Greetings, how can i help you two." She was a blonde cute girl that smiled at Alex.

"We need one room, two beds and food 3 times a day please." Mery asked smilling.

They got their food and room and went up to the room.

"Oh, what a councidence, your dad and me also had room 420 when we came here before." Mery chuckled.

The room was spacious, two beds next to eachother and a window.

"Mom, can we go out, look through the city." Alex while mature for his age was still a kid, he never left his village, so he wanted to have some fun.

"Fufufu... of course dear" Mery laughed and they left. It was going to be a journey.

But, they didn't leave the tavern just yet.

The city of Zagirad was alive with movement, a stark contrast to the ruined villages Alex and Mery had left behind. Merchants bartered, knights in polished armor patrolled the streets, and the air carried the scent of roasted meat and freshly baked bread. Yet, despite the city's vibrance, Alex couldn't shake the unease that lingered in his chest.

He glanced at his mother as they settled into a table in the Dolphin's Feet. She looked tired, but there was a light in her eyes, as if being here awakened something from long ago.

The tavern bustled around them, but Alex kept his ears sharp for anything unusual. The talk of the bandit leader's capture was still circulating, but now another conversation caught his attention.

"Did you see the sky last night?"

"Yeah. A flash, almost like something tore through it."

"You think it was a meteor?"

"Maybe. But did you hear? The Duke's men have been restless all day. Something's wrong."

Alex frowned. A strange light in the sky? Uneasy soldiers? He exchanged a glance with Mery, who had also overheard. Before he could ask her thoughts, the tavern doors slammed open.

A knight in deep crimson armor strode inside, his face set in a grim expression. Behind him, two more followed, their silver-plated boots clanking against the wooden floor. The entire room fell into silence.

"By order of the Duke," the knight announced, his voice carrying authority, "a curfew is now in effect. All citizens are to return to their homes immediately. No exceptions."

Whispers spread through the tavern. A curfew? In a city like Zagirad? Something was definitely wrong.

Mery grabbed Alex's wrist. "We need to leave," she murmured.

As they stepped out onto the street, the atmosphere had changed. The once-busy roads were clearing rapidly, citizens hurrying to their homes, doors shutting with urgency. The knights had fanned out, their hands resting on the hilts of their swords as they watched the crowd.

Alex's unease deepened. Then, he saw it.

Above the tallest tower of the Duke's fortress, a single black flag had been raised.

Not the banner of the Empire.

Something else.

Mery's grip on his wrist tightened. "Alex, we have to—"

A horn blared from the direction of the fortress, loud enough to shake the air. The knights in the streets all turned toward the source at once, their expressions shifting from alertness to dread.

Then, the bells began to ring.

One after another, the great iron bells of Zagirad tolled, their deep echoes resounding through the city like a warning. The people who had been rushing home now ran with real fear, their voices rising in panic.

Alex turned to Mery, his heart hammering in his chest. "What's happening?"

Before she could answer, the sky darkened.

Not from clouds.

Something was coming.

And it was already here.

End Of Chapter.