Marius Reza continued going through the city towards the forum and Palace Complex. The sun had fully risen as they entered the city, and there was still a noticeable chill in the air as the horses continued to the destination. Lukas lasted only to the city gates before he fell unconscious into a bone-weary sleep. Luckily, Reza reacted quickly to the young man''s situation when the reigns of Lukas’s horses dropped from his hands. Reza could stop Lukas from falling off his horse and now guided both horses as they made their way deeper into the silent city. Where to go now?


    He had two options that came to mind as they rode. Reza’s first option was to report to Praetor Tiberius, the man who ran the city for the noble families, not as a king by any measure, just the bureaucrat who made the small daily decisions. He also was the one everyone had looked to set up the city''s defense with Marcellus''s death. Yes, the families had stepped in also, but Tiberius held the command. The Praetor could return Lukas to his family, finally allowing Reza to find a bed.


    The other option was bypassing Tiberius and returning Lukas to his family. The Sulli Estate was in the noble district, and Reza knew generally where to go. The district was a smaller secondary island surrounded by the Arkhen city harbor at the mouth of the river. The island was only connected to the city by a single bridge leading from the Forum. Even if the Lukas’s parents did not live within the estate, they would know how to get word to them. Making his decision, Reza continued.


    There is no need to go to the Praetor. Reza reasoned to himself; Tiberius had more important matters on his mind than getting Lukas to his parents. They continued through the Forum, passing by the Praetor headquarters.


    The streets had been noticeably empty, strange for this time of day; it should have thousands of people already awake. And yet, Reza had seen no one as he passed by houses, shops, and even a few tenement buildings before crossing the bridge into the island forum. The Arkhenites had hidden within their homes, likely afraid of the rumors that had spread within the night. He hoped this would soon change, and the citizens would feel comfortable returning to their everyday lives; for now, time would only tell.


    Just as the city changed with Reza riding into the Forum with the stone buildings surrounded by the Echoes towers replacing the wooden structures of the rest of the city, so too were the now people in the streets with soldiers running to and from the Praetors headquarters. Reza nodded to several soldiers that ran past, but none stopped him or asked about his business, and they quickly made it through the island and into the noble district. Again, the city was transformed, with buildings turning into gated manors and estates.


    Now where was the Sulli estate again? Reza found the street he needed to go down but kept his eyes moving as he rode deeper into the noble district, ensuring he did not ride past their destination. The noble district seemed the least affected by recent events; the streets were busy as servants moved everywhere, and they had already begun their work for the day. Several were turning off the many lanterns that lined streets in the district, providing light for the people at night. As he passed by, each group of servants or the lone worker had some job they were doing with messages being delivered or buying items for whatever chore they were doing. It felt like a typical day within the district, and the only strange part was that almost every gate had guards posted outside of them. Every estate had guards, but on an average day, maybe one guard would be posted at the gate, or there would be an indication of how someone might announce they were there. Most guards stayed within the estate grounds. But not today, and the guards seemed more on edge than normal, many muttering and eyeing Reza and the unconscious Lukas suspiciously. Thankfully, they gave little trouble as he rode past; likely, the soldier''s uniform made them think twice about asking questions.


    Finding the Sulli Estate took a few more minutes, but thankfully, Reza did not need to ask for directions. Though he had never been there, Reza had frequented the district with Sabine many times and thus knew the location of most of the estates of the several power families that held claim to part of the island; her own family''s estate stood very close to the Sulli’s.


    The manor was more subdued in its grandeur than the others around it. The main estate was hidden behind a tall, unadorned stone wall with a single plain metal gate, subtle compared to many of its neighbors.


    Where are the guards? Reza realized it was one of the few with no guards posted outside, not even one that could announce his presence. Reza tried to spot if one was hiding, but alas, no one was near enough to be considered part of this estate.


    Dropping down from the horse, Reza guided them near the gate, trying to figure out what to do. How did others announce themselves?


    Reza quickly realized they may not want visitors and purposely had no one out there. The heir to the Sulli family and their Archon had died not a day ago, and they were likely grieving for the loss of not just Marcellus but also Lukas. Yet, while Reza would usually turn back now, he felt confident they would want him to disturb them this morning.


    Not knowing what else to do, Reza knocked heavily on the gate, loud enough that if someone were on the other side, they would hear it.


    It took little time before Reza heard movement on the other side of the gate, and a well-hidden window opened on the right side of the gate.


    "Who are you? And what''s your business?" A gruff and tired-sounding voice called out.


    Reza shuffled to stand before the window and saw a much older-looking guard. He wore a polished metal helmet that hid most of his features. It looked like it was an older model of the ones worn by the legionaries. The man''s eyes went wide at the sight of Reza.


    “Sorry to disturb you and the Sulli Family,” Reza said firmly, bowing his head. I have a young man here who was just rescued outside the city. He said his name was Lukas Sulli."


    The older man looked past Reza to Lukas asleep on the horse, and recognition was evident as he saw the boy. No other words were exchanged before he quickly closed the window. Shouts and noice came from behind the gate, and he could hear more voices heading towards him. Unfortunately, Reza was unable to catch any of the conversation from outside.


    The gate opened, and three guards appeared from within. Two took the horses from Reza, though not before he made sure to grab the sword that had been strapped to his. The older guard came to his side and motioned to the gate. "Come in. I''m sure Lord Sulli will want to meet with you. We will make sure to get Lukas safely into the house."


    Reza followed as the guard turned and walked up the paved walkway to the massive manor. It was a beautiful red brick building with only three stories, with the entire front porch covered by an overhanging roof. The estate was subtle but beautiful, with distinct features that showed the family''s wealth without blaring it for everyone who stepped through the gate. The stone that formed the garden''s paths was likely more expensive than Reza’s entire estate. The garden was quiet, though he noticed several guards walking the various paths that split off from the primary—quite amazing the number of guards still within the noble district. I would have expected more to be on the walls.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    Reza let the thought drop. The noble families likely had sent many of their men to the walls, as Sabine had mentioned her family having done so.


    Pulling him from his thoughts, the guard placed a hand on his shoulder. Stepping to the side, he pulled a rag from his pocket and poured some water from his water skin. "You might want to clean yourself up, " he said, handing the wet cloth over to Reza.


    How bad must I look? Reza wondered. At this point, he likely looked terrible, having been awake for more than twenty-four hours, unable to rest the entire time, and fighting multiple enemies on the Ghost Plains.


    "My thanks," Reza responded with genuine feeling.


    He feared what a mirror would show and started to do his best with the cloth. Scrubbing hard at his face to get everything possible off, Reza took several moments. The fabric came away with light red blotches. Knowing more was likely there, he took another minute to wash his face and hands as well as he could.


    Looking to the Guard, Reza turned his head back and forth. "Did I miss anything?"


    "It''s better.” The guard answered, but his facial expression showed that Reza was still not presentable. “I would still get to a bath as soon as you can. But it''s better than before."


    Continuing, the guard walked upright to the front door and opened it without knocking.


    While the outside was subtle, the manor itself indies was much more grand. Just as Reza walked in, his eyes were brought to the center of the entry where a tall statue stood of a man made of grey marble, the features were as if the individual had been transformed into the cold stone. It held a beautiful sword stabbing tip down into the ground in its hands with another individual standing just behind the first made of some black stone. The second''s body was formed like smoke, barely indicating a human form. Reza stood there in the atrium examining the statue, it was obviously an artists expression of a man and their wraith.


    It was quite the visual. Entering the Sulli household showed a measure of power and wealth. The rest of the entry was perfect. The floors were white marble, silver spidered through them, and various paintings lined the grey walls of different men and women. All were likely famous or important ancestors of the household.


    "Wait here, " the guard said, pointing to the door. I''ll be back in a moment."


    The guard disappeared as Lukas was brought in on a stretcher by the two other guards. They started to move towards the stairs, but they were intercepted by a woman walking through the door the guard had entered.


    "Lukas," a younger blonde-haired woman in a black dress said softly almost in disbelief. She composed herself almost instantly, exchanging soft words between herself and the guards.


    She turned suddenly, and rushed back through to the room she had entered from. Gone only a moment, she returned with two men in black uniforms, likely more servants joined her, and they took Lukas from the Guards and rushed him up their stairs while the young woman stayed behind. With Lukas gone, her attention turned to Reza and made her way over to him.


    "Who are you?" She held an air of importance that marked her as higher in the household than a common soldier or servant. If he had to guess, Reza marked her as likely part of the family.


    Reza bowed slightly to the woman. He could feel the muscles in his back tightening. The battle had taken much more out of him than he''d realized. "Lord Marius Reza. I was on the wall this morning, and saw Lukas riding for the city. We rescued him and brought him here."


    Reza kept the story light on details, firstly because he was not sure who the woman was for certain. Second, Lukas could fill in the blanks when he awoke, and Reza did not feel it was his place to tell the young man''s story; he did not flout his own. With his words, the woman seemed to soften her guard slightly.


    "I''m sure there is more to that story. Helton went to inform Lord Sulli. I''m sure he will want to meet you. Would you like something to drink or eat while you wait?" She asked politely.


    "Something hot to drink if possible, there’s a chill in the city right now," Reza answered, keeping his eyes on her. He was distinctly aware that he had dried blood on his clothes, and he was standing in a high noble''s home in front of one of his family, it seemed. Echoes, I wish I''d thought this through a bit more.


    Reza thanked the echoes. The guard had enough of a mind to hand him the washcloth, unlike himself. He could have at least taken some time to make himself presentable before he walked into such an important household.


    "We have some warm cider in the kitchen. The lady likes a glass at night on these colder days. I’ll have a glass of that brought," She queried as she waited for an answer.


    "That would be lovely. Miss... I''m sorry, I fear I did not catch your name," Reza said politely in an attempt to hint that she had not introduced herself.


    "I apologize. My name is Marie Sulli, Lukas is my cousin,” Marie poked her head through a door beside them. “Eleanor…”


    Reza stood almost to attention as she walked away and through a door to another room. A Sulli, I was wise to keep my words neutral.


    With his thoughts running, Reza missed Marie''s conversation, but there seemed to be another woman by the sound of the second voice within the room. Marie finally returned and guided him to a small table at the side of the atrium with two comfortable chairs. “It will be out momentarily."


    Taking one seat, Marie motioned for Reza to sit.


    “I’m not sure I should, I wouldn’t want to destroy the lovely furniture with all the dirt and grim on me,” Reza said, motioning to the obviously dirty clothes.


    “Nonsense, have a seat. We have someone on staff who can easily clean that away in moments. I could even have her come and have those clothes cleaned; she wouldn’t even need to have you take them off.” Marie answered, again motioning for Reza to sit. “Actually, no, if Lord Sulli wants to talk with you, I think it''s highly recommended you have Amelia do her work.”


    Following her direction and not wanting to argue further Reza leaned the sword in his hand against the chairs and sat. The chair may have been the most comfortable item of furniture he had ever been in, likely most of that was from the fact he had just fought several men, and stood for almost an entire day on top of the wall. But it could have easily been that the chair was just that comfortable. He could fall asleep here and now if he allowed himself to close his eyes, but alas he made sure to sit up straight and focus on Marie instead.


    A servant, who had to be Eleanor, set two steaming glasses between us moments later.


    "Thank you," Reza said. He took a sip of the cider, which had a lovely cinnamon flavor. The lady was proper. This did hit the spot on a cold day.


    Marie nodded, smiling. “Eleanor, fetch Amelia for me; we need her magic before this man meets with Lord Sulli.”


    Eleanor bowed before rushing away without a second look. With her gone, Marie’s attention was back entirely on him.


    “Thank you again for the drink,” Reza said, taking another sip of the cider.


    "I think it''s more likely that we have more to thank from you. We all thought Lukas lost to us...just like Marcellus." Marie stopped, just holding her cup in two hands.


    Reza was not sure exactly what he should say. He had no idea of her relation to Marcellus, but she was part of his family somehow. "I''m sorry for your loss. I knew him during our time in the Legions, when he led the seventh for a time. He was a good general."


    The man, indeed, had been an excellent general and loved by his soldiers. Whoever replaced him would have difficulty taking his place in their minds.


    She stayed silent, her eyes focused on the cup of hot cider in her hand. She finally and looked at Reza. "Thank you."


    Before Reza could change the conversation, the guard returned to the atrium. He looked between the two of us before first giving Marie a low bow.


    "Lady Marie," He said before returning his gaze to Reza. "Come with me. Lord Sulli would like to speak with you."


    Reza stood, leaving behind his half-empty cup of cider. He was about to say his goodbyes, but Marie stopped him.


    "Is he in his study?" She asked.


    "Yes, my lady. He is waiting now for him," He answered curtly.


    "I will take him. Return to your station, Mr. Helton."


    He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but he quickly closed it before bowing, and making a quick exit through the front door. He glanced briefly over his shoulder with a neutral expression at Reza, before disappearing.


    Reza stood as she began to move down the hallway. "Come along. You don''t want to make him wait." She said wryly.


    Reza stood there, concerned for the upcoming meeting. Meeting with head of the Sulli family was a daunting prospect for anyone let alone a mere soldier, but he had no other choice.