As we walked through the Administrative District, I noticed that the people and their attitudes shifted once again. There wasn’t a speck of dust in place, and every building looked the same. Each of them built evenly and painted over in a sandy brown color. The roads were fully paved, and people walked with purpose, moving to run an errand or reach a destination.
Interestingly, most of the people here were from the earlier districts, whether they were street sweepers or workers doing grunt work for the establishments present. The homes in the area were all uniform and organized, looking big enough to house two or three families inside. What few restaurants and shops were available tastefully blended in with the district’s aesthetic.
The wall to the noble district was a mere half-kilometre from the gate where we first entered the administrative district, so we made it to the next gate in a few minutes. Here stood the tallest and thickest walls in the city; standing at a height of nearly thirty meters and manned by an army of well-armed guards, the men and women on it stared at us menacingly as we made our way towards the gate.
“Halt! You have reached the entrance to the Noble District. State your business at once!” The giant man with a wicked-looking glaive at the head of the gate said.
We stood about ten meters away from the gate and its five guards, the same distance between us and the closest buildings to the wall.
“I am here on an invitation from House Sept!” I yelled.
The large guard frowned and stepped forward to meet with us.
“Who are you, and what is your relationship with House Sept?”
“My name is Kiara Azoth, daughter of the Azure Dragon. Nicotris Sept is my friend, and she invited me to meet with her goddess. If you have any questions, you can go and confirm it with her directly; she should be in her manor.”
“…Wait here.”
The guard went back to speak with the guards for a few minutes before he came back.
“Our records indicate that House Sept did indicate that a ‘Kiara Azoth’ was expected to visit at some point. But there was no indication of there being two visitors, and you’re going to need to prove your identity. I cannot do that for you while you obfuscate your status.” He said.
Well, this is a problem.
“My name is Durreg; I am Kiara’s cousin, and I’ve come here to escort her on her journey to the continent and back safely. Also, my apologies, but we can’t remove the obfuscation on our statuses. The Draconic Isles have come to a consensus that they should not be revealed to outsiders.” Durreg said.
“In that case, swear a soul oath that you are who you say you are. That shouldn’t be a problem for you. If you cannot, then you should turn around and go home.” The guard said.
Durreg and I looked at each other.
“I swear on my soul that my name is Kiara Azoth, and that I am the daughter of the Azure Dragon, also known as the Frost Dragon.”
A green circle appeared over my chest, signifying the soul oath, before it dissipated. It was gone as soon as it arrived, since it had no long-term command to enforce on me.
“I swear on my soul that my name is Durreg, that I am Kiara’s cousin, that we are not looking to cause trouble, and that I am here to protect her on her journey.”
After Durreg’s own circle dissipated, the guard nodded to us.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
“Welcome to the Noble District. Please enjoy your visit.”
***
After getting directions to the estate of House Sept, we finally entered the Noble District. As the inner most layer of the walls, we could finally see the size of the area. The distance from one end of the walls to the other was merely a kilometer, with large, fenced manors covered in greenery, bushes, and fountains. The roads were wide, empty, spotless, and newly paved – with trees shaped to provide shade over the walkways.
“Wow. It’s so gaudy here.” Durreg said as we walked along the street.
He was right. The extravagance was staggering, especially for roads that didn’t seem to be used all that often. The only people around were the guards standing in front of each manor, each wearing different colors and emblems on their gear from their neighbors.
Soon, we arrived at our destination. Near the center of the city, just a block away from the (significantly) larger manor in the very center, was the manor of House Sept. It was a large compound of buildings, with even crazier displays of wealth. Just beyond the gate, the pathway was lined up with five-meter-tall statues of men and women in all sorts of gear. At the end of it, the pathway split in two directions as a large, 10-meter-tall statue depicting Lady Mett stared down the road to the gate.
“How can I help you?” one of the two guards stationed at the gate asked.
***
After informing the guard of our identities, she asked us to wait with her partner while she went to verify the matter. It wasn’t long before Nico came back with the guard.
“Kiara! Welcome to Thebos. I didn’t expect you to come so soon!” she said.
“What, I can go back if you want me to.” I said jokingly.
She rolled her eyes before dragging me in by the arm.
“Just come on in. You’re welcome as well, Durreg.”
***
Before long, we ended up staring at a rather strange door. It depicted Nico’s goddess with a scale in one hand and a raised sword in another – the same pose that the statue near the gate had.
“Head on inside; my goddess will reward you for your service, as promised.” She said.
“Wait, why am I meeting your goddess now? Am I not supposed to greet your family first and all?”
Nico laughed.
“All that we have is thanks to Lady Mett. To make her wait to be greeted after us would be the height of arrogance and impiety.”
Shrugging, I nodded and opened the door. As I stepped inside, Nico closed the door behind me. I stared at a smaller statue on an altar, with a bunch of incense and other religious items around.
What now?
“Uhh, hello…?”
The statue began glowing gently like what happened in the Temple of the Gods, and my consciousness was transferred to the Garden of the Gods once more.
***
Sitting on a chair in the same table from last time was Nico’s Goddess. She wore a white garb beneath a translucent, colourless one, with little in the way of accessories besides patterned bracers that covered both her forearms and ankles. Adorned on her head was an ornate circlet with an ostrich feather.
“Come and take a seat, daughter of the Azure Dragon. I imagine there is much for us to discuss.” She said with a regal voice.
Suddenly nervous, I quickly nodded before doing as she asked.
The goddess stared at me for a while before she chuckled.
“What seems to be bothering you? You seem to be tense.” She said.
“…Well, being face to face with my mother’s archenemy from the Celestial War is bound to be a little unpleasant. Especially since you’re much more powerful than me.” I said.
The Goddess cracked a smile.
“Fair enough. You’re right to believe that I am not fond of you.” She said, surprising me.
“Your mother and I killed each other’s loved ones and inflicted grave wounds on each other in the many times we fought. The ill feelings between us will never fade for the rest of our lives. I cannot help but dislike you by association. That said,” she snapped a finger, making snacks and a tea set appear before us, “It’s complicated by my feelings of gratitude towards you for being a steadfast and loyal friend to Nicotris and a paragon of the ideals I’ve pledged myself to.”
I shuffled nervously in my seat, unsure of how to respond.
“However, none of that matters. This is just how I feel, and it is something I have no control over. As the God of Order and Justice, one of my teachings is that people ought to be judged by their actions, not their thoughts and feelings. So far, you have done nothing to earn my enmity. The bitter feelings between the survivors of the Celestial War ought to die between them, so I am happy to see that my champion and Azoth’s daughter are friends. You have no reason to worry about my disposition towards you.”
Hearing her frank thoughts, I relaxed a little. She seems to think a lot like mom about the Celestial War. I wonder if they could have been friends if things turned out differently.
“I didn’t come here just for my reward. I also came here because there’s a few things I wanted to talk to you about, including Nico’s situation.”