"You think just because you're a knight you have the right to demand that of me?!" she snapped.

Pap!

The soldiers behind their knight master smirked as they saw him get slapped.

The woman who had slapped the knight in front of her snapped out of her bravado and braced herself for the consequences.

Instead, the knight with slicked-back black hair scratched his cheek. "Uh, ma'am," he began, "I think there's been a misunderstanding. A small army is approaching, and I'm afraid we'll need to use this building as a temporary barrack. Everyone will need to evacuate to a nearby town..."

The woman's face flushed awkwardly. She glanced at the group of soldiers behind the knight, who were trying to stifle grins. Clearing her throat, she attempted to regain her composure.

"Uh, well, perhaps you could have mentioned that clearly from the start," she said. "We'll evacuate immediately. Thank you for the warning, Sir Knight." With that, she turned towards the building, where children peeked out curiously from behind the window

"Prepare your things, quickly!" she shouted at the children.

One of the soldiers behind the knight approached their knight master.

"Uh, sir, maybe next time you should avoid starting with 'I need you to do your duty' while leering at her," the soldier suggested.

"I didn't leer at her," the knight defended himself.

"Yes you did, sir, we all saw it," the soldier countered, holding a grin.

A cough interrupted him. "What are you doing here?! You lot, prepare yourselves already!"

"Aye, sir!"

As Keagan watched his soldiers scrambling to prepare, he stole a glance at the woman who was directing her students. Their eyes met, perhaps by coincidence, before both quickly looked away.

'Alright...maybe a little'

"Sir?" Russ called out, snapping Keagan out of his reverie.

Keagan shook his head. He had been reminiscing a lot lately. Was it because he was old?

He turned towards Livia and Ollie, who walked alongside them. Their eyes were wide and smiles lit their faces; even Ollie managed a small grin.

Hughie watched them with a smile as well, while Russ secured their belongings on the horse.

Facing forward, they could see a castle in the distance, even larger than Castle June. Its colors and banners were a mix of grey and green.

Outside the castle walls stood rows of houses. Unlike Castle June's town, this one was surrounded by another wall, though not as tall as the castle's.

The hive of activity could be felt even from this distance. Situated next to a river, Castle Reede could truly be called a city.

What most caught his eye, however, was the row of skyships. Not in the river, but anchored to the ground by the city wall with large chains to prevent them from rising too high, they lined the side. Not counting the ones likely inside the castle, he counted seventeen skyships, varying in size.

He had seen skyships back in Eberia, but even after scouring the entire continent, he had only counted seven. Here, in this single region, He counted at least seventeen.

He remembered a phrase from the person who taught him the language. They had described this land as the "Land Closest to the Sky."

Keagan observed the city for a few moments before muttering, "Let's go."

They soon reached one of the city's gates, which stood over three meters tall. Banners with a primary color of grey and secondary accents of green adorned the walls here and there. Sentries could be seen patrolling above.

There was only a short line at the gate, with guards stationed alongside a man seated at a table. He wrote on a parchment, likely collecting taxes and inspecting goods.

"I'll talk to the guards to let us through," Hughie said as Keagan and the others followed behind him.

Keagan’s appearance attracted attention. Murmurs and mutterings arose throughout the line, with people glancing pointedly at him. The guards checking goods paused slightly, casting wary eyes in his direction. Some even held a mixture of derision and amusement and fascination, as if observing a strange and fascinating creature.

"I am Hughie Tars," Hughie announced, standing straighter. "Escort and servant of Lady Sienna of House Rain. With me, as a guest and friend of House Rain and his companions," Hughie then produced something for the guards and tax collector to examine. With a curt nod of acknowledgment, the officials waved them through the gate.

A stone road, roughly two carriages wide, stretched before them. Buildings lined either side, some reaching over two stories. Despite its size, the street appeared crowded. Men of all ages, their hair a uniform black, bustled about their daily lives. Smoke plumed from the distance, and the sounds of conversation and occasional arguments drifted from houses and nearby taverns. But what truly dominated the scene was the vibrant array of colors.

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Unfortunately, the sights weren't all pleasant. The pungent smell hung heavy in the air, and the stares Keagan received were less than welcoming, their stares were mostly wary. Brawls erupted in shadowy alleys, drunks could be seen sprawled outside taverns, and the complete lack of traffic control added to the general chaos as he saw a cart get accidently toppled by a carriage and arguments ensued.

"I don't know how you'll make your case, sir," Hughie said, offering advice to the foreigner, "but keep that token with you at all times." He knew the man wouldn't back down easily, and if a situation like Castle June arose here in Castle Reede, Hughie couldn't predict the outcome with all the lords present.

Keagan simply nodded, taking in the sights of the city. "You go ahead first," he said. "I need to settle the children's matters first." Livia was basking in the city's vibrancy, while Ollie, who had been looking away, suddenly stiffened.

Hughie nodded.

"Is there any place to gather information here?" Keagan asked Hughie.

"Mostly taverns, or you could try the merchant guild," Hughie replied. "I confess, I've been here a couple of times myself, but never had the chance to explore properly. You'll have to find out for yourself, I'm afraid."

"Well then," Keagan said, extending his hand. "It was nice traveling with you, Hughie." Hughie shook his hand, now familiar with the gesture.

"And you," Hughie nodded before turning to Russ and exchanging nods with him. As for the children, he ruffled their hair and spoke.

"This is where we part ways, children. May your path be as free as the sky..." Hughie said the last part as he scanned their faces before beckoning his horse towards the central castle.

With that, their company was reduced by one. The new surroundings didn't deter Keagan as decided he wouldn't delay the kids matter any further.

"Let's go find this ceremonial tower...."

They asked for directions occasionally as they slowly made their way through the city. Keagan, despite eager to get moving, couldn't resist buying some sweet fruit for Livia and Ollie when he saw their curious eyes gazing at it.

Soon, they arrived at a unique and tall building. What made it stand out were the small skyship anchored in its yard, with a tall tower built right beside it. It was the only skyship Keagan had found anchored within the city walls.

Upon closer inspection, the skyship's construction resembled that of a seafaring vessel. Wood formed the bulk of its body, while steel provided reinforcement for structural integrity. A propeller-like apparatus spun at the rear. A long, thick mast lay resting across the vessel, undoubtedly designed to be raised and used to harness the wind. Though its intended purpose was to navigate the skies, its design deviated only slightly from traditional ships.

Of course, he had seen the mechanism inside it that utilized the floating stone making it different in foundation. The ship was about 7 meters in length and 3 meters wide.

As Keagan wondered how much this small skyship cost, a voice called out, "Oi! What are you doing?"

One of the guards stationed inside the fenced area surrounding the ship called out to him. The other guards exchanged incredulous looks at Keagan's strange appearance.

Ignoring them, Keagan proceeded towards the tower building, which stood more than three stories tall. Upon reaching the vicinity of the tower, he noticed a large, empty yard to the tower's left. People sat on benches, the ground, or stood gazing upwards at the sky as if in prayer. Some engaged in hushed discussions, while others conversed with a person dressed in a white robe.

They reached the entrance, marked by a large double door. Two guards stood flanking it, their eyes fixed on Keagan, scrutinizing him like a rare creature.

Keagan turned to Russ. "Stay outside and watch the horse," he instructed. He then beckoned the two siblings, who seemed to have fallen silent. Livia, especially, appeared sullen, her head hung low. Ollie seemed on the verge of speaking but held back. Keagan stifled a sigh. These children were better off as far away from him as possible.

But they were stopped at the entrance by a guard holding a spear. "Halt! What brings you to this tower?" the guard said, a hint of wariness in his voice. However, seeing the two children with him, he seemed to understand a bit.

"I heard this place takes in orphans, children without homes," Keagan said, gesturing towards the two children. Time on the travel has increase his proficiency in the language that he can now hold a normal conversation better.

The guards exchanged a look. "I'm afraid the tower isn't accepting children at the moment, foreigner," the first guard said, his tone awkwardly polite, as if unsure how to address Keagan.

Keagan furrowed his brow. "Why not?"

"It's not the right time yet," the guard explained. "I also heard the priests' temple is being relocated, so they don't need children to look after at the moment. They're quite busy."

Keagan pondered for a moment. "Can I talk to the priest?"

"Didn't you hear what I said?" the guard replied, his tone now a little annoyed. "The tower isn't accepting children at the moment."

Keagan reached into his pocket and flicked two coins towards them. The first guard caught the coin, examining the silver gleam before a grin filled his face. They both stepped aside.

Stepping inside, Keagan found a large, round open space. Desks, three in number, stood at the far end of the room, and a staircase ascended along one side. A lone figure in a white robe glanced up from a parchment as Keagan entered. "Who are you?" the man inquired.

Keagan, however, barely registered the question. His brow furrowed, his gaze drawn upwards to the characters etched high on the wall.

They read: "Look into the sky, for salvation is there. Look below, for damnation is there..."

'A prophecy?' Keagan thought, surprised to see first men language used here or simply, ancient language. Back in his land, very few understood it, yet this sky temple seemed to know it. 'It seems I need to investigate them thoroughly as well...' he thought.

Keagan tore his gaze from the characters as the priest's voice cut through his thoughts. The priest wore an annoyed expression, his tone laced with irritation. "How did you get past the guards?" he questioned, his eyes flitting between Keagan's hair and face, a spark of curiosity flickering beneath the annoyance.

Keagan stepped aside, revealing the two children standing behind him. The priest's eyebrow shot up in surprise. "Didn't the guard inform you? We're not accepting children at the moment," he stated, though he didn't immediately shoo them away.

Keagan reached into his pocket again for coins, but the priest cut him off. "Do you think we're easily swayed by bribes? Get out!"

Ignoring the order, Keagan revealed six gleaming gold primals. "How about six of these? Surely that's enough until you start accepting children again?"

The priest visibly faltered, he seemed to realized his hesitation, snapped out of it and accused and blamed Keagan. "How dare you attempt to bribe a priest of the temple!" he boomed, his voice echoing through the room. The guards stationed at the entrance reacted instantly, rushing in with weapons drawn and pointed at Keagan.

Keagan, exasperated, sighed deeply. The two children visibly cowered at the sudden commotion.

Instead of immediately responding, Keagan glanced back at the ancient language. "Is that a prophecy?" His question left the priest and the guards bewildered.

"What?" The priest uttered.

"Look into the sky, for salvation is there. Look below, for damnation is there..." Keagan muttered, his eyes lingering on the inscription. "Is that a prophecy?" he repeated.

The priest, speechless for a moment, finally found his voice. The question that had been on his mind since seeing Keagan's appearance, uttered out, "Who are you? Where do you come from?"