Rumble!

In the dead of night, on a creaky bench in Noes City, Silas Cicero woke up, gripped with an immense hunger.

Noes City was the capital of the Noes Kingdom, which bordered the Sol Union, Netellus Kingdom, and the Zakinthis Republic. All of those countries were located on the continent of Jyas.

Silas was a homeless man of medium height in his late teens with olive skin. He had short black hair, black eyes, thick eyebrows, and high set cheek bones on a long, average-looking face.

Looking down at his stomach, he mumbled angrily, "Food is scarce, especially with gangs taking over most food banks."

Getting up, he pulled out a piece of shriveled paper he from the pocket of his worn-out jacket. "Free meals at 17 Rockette Street."

I guess it's worth a try checking the place out.

As Silas finished his thought, he started walking through the narrow cobblestone pathways between houses. He had to be careful of the patrolling royal guard and police force. The curfew of Noes City was extremely strict due to the severe problem of gang violence.

Consequences for, getting caught could be up to a couple months in prison.

For some reason though, the food bank at 17 Rockette was open all night long.

...

After about 20 minutes of walking, Silas was almost at his destination. 

Just before he was about to enter the food bank, he heard a carriage stop right behind him. A knight in silver armor stepped off and, in a loud, intimidating voice, said, "Hey kid, you're supposed to be inside by 11, it's well past midnight right now!

Silas' heart pounded.

Sh*t, I was just about to go inside anyways.

The stern gaze of the knight made Silas bolt closer to the center of the city where the Royal Palace was located. Hoping to find a place to hide

He made random turns, trying to lose the knight. Sadly, it wasn't working well.

Thinking fast, Silas spotted a ladder leading up to the roof of small, yet tall, wooden house.

A cold wind struck his face as he climbed up. From the top of the house, he could see the entirety of Noes City.

The cityscape was a blend of Renaissance architecture and medieval buildings. The rooftops were a mix of red clay tiles and dark slate. 

Buildings were often supported by robust, ancient stone walls, which stood as a testament to the city's storied past. Narrow alleyways wound between these structures, their cobblestones worn smooth by centuries of foot traffic. The streets were lined with lanterns, casting a golden glow that highlighted the architectural beauty of the surroundings.

Grand archways and expansive courtyards could be found throughout the city, each space meticulously designed with an eye for symmetry and proportion. The air was filled with the faint scent of aged wood and the distant sound of choral music from the many chapels and churches that dotted the cityscape.

The whole city was encircled by a huge stone wall, the Palace overshined the rest of the renaissance styled buildings around it.

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Silas smiled and said to himself, "No time to admire the view." As he heard footsteps behind him.

The knight was catching up, even though he was clad in armor. Silas jumped off the roof, took a unexpected right, and entered Sector 1. Noes was split into 10 Sectors. The lower the number, the more luxurious the area.

While passing through the villas and mansions, Silas was looking for a way to lose his pursuer. 

After a couple seconds he found an empty, secluded alleyway in between two massive marble houses. A 6 meter tall brick wall signaled the end of the alleyway.

With the knowledge of past experiences, Silas scaled the wall. Using small cracks in the brick as latches to hold onto. 

The knight stunned, paused for a moment. Making up his mind, he tried to mimic Silas. However, the knight's heavy armor stopped him from doing so. 

Using the few seconds he had, Silas decided to break into one of the mansions. 

Looking to his left he saw a massive black house. Two spires sat on both sides of the mansion and the outside was supported by dozens of black columns. 

Taking in a deep breath, Silas dashed towards the mansion and rammed the front door with his shoulder. Thankfully, with a loud BANG, the door opened and he fell into the house.

I have to be more cautious next time, the security is more effective than I thought. More knights and officers have been mobilized. Especially at night, I'll have to be more careful where I chose to sleep from now on.

Silas got up and closed the door behind him. He looked around and took in his surroundings. On the bottom floor, Silas could see the massive dining room, living room and kitchen.

On his left was an exhibit showing different swords and the newly invented guns. Two big white staircases spiraled up to the top floor. 

Silas glanced to his right. Only to see a figure standing there.

A maid stood frozen, her broom clattering to the floor.

She was petite and had long black hair tied up into a bun, bright blue eyes and delicate facial features.

"I'm here for the gathering, miss, I didn't mean to startle you." Silas quickly blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.

Startled the maid let out a sigh of relief, relaxed and picked up her broom, "I thought you were a gang member." She admitted, "We've been told be be extremely careful."

"I apologize for my reaction, I'll lead you to the gathering, sir, how may I address you?"

"Silas Cicero."

I must be lucky, there is actually a gathering taking place here.

However a sense of worry overtook him.

Silas tried to keep a serious expression as the maid led him up the stairs. 

How will I lie about this now, maybe I can just jump out a window, or just run away. The knight should still be patrolling the area though. Sh*t, the people here probably won't recognize me.

While trying to think about his escape, Silas and the maid arrived at a glowing white door. A symbol of the sun was carved into it.

"Mr. Silas the gathering is in here."

Silas cautiously opened the door. In a big room, countless men were conversing.

They were all different, some of them possessed the golden hair, which was most commonly seen in the Sol Union. Others had olive skin, most commonly seen in the Netellus Kingdom and some possessed black hair, most commonly seen in the Noes Kingdom. 

No one glanced at him, so Silas discreetly made his way to one of the corners of the brightly lit room.

After a few minutes a figure appeared through the door, he was exceptionally handsome, he stood tall, had long blond hair tied into a ponytail, his piercing red eyes and sharp facial features made him exude an air of authority. 

"Thank you all for coming." The red-eyed man's deep, yet tranquil voice sounded around the room. "We have gathered all of you here to assign the next missions and tasks. Every success will take us one step closer to reviving our Lord!"

The red-eyed man made a circular gesture on his chest. 

He continued. "Most foundations have been completed in the Noes Kingdom, everyone should focus on spreading the second coming of our Lord to the capitals of the rest of the continent, such as Xanar in the Zakinthis Republic and Sapphire City in the Netellus Kingdom. St. Elios in the Sol Union won't be a part of this mission."

"Secondly, a team of high chain Weavers is required to explore the closed down Sapphire mine in Sapphire City, it may hold the reason to why our Lord originally entered his slumber."

"That's all, team members will be called at the end of the gathering, you may all enjoy the food and drinks."

As the red-eyed man finished, a pleasant aroma spread throughout the room and servants started bringing out delicacies and drinks.

In the end I still ended up getting free food.

Smiling, Silas beelined to the food. 

His joy didn't last long, as a hand firmly placed itself on his shoulder.

The voice of the red-eyed man echoes in his ears. "I have to talk to you."