A Court of Distrust and Darkness

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Keres's point of view:

I watched the mass of soldiers below me. The gathered group of men and women were fighting in waters that ranged from the rocky shore to waist-deep. The pebbly ground gave unsure footing to practice balance while water provided resistance against their strength that increased the rigor of their training. Some of the soldiers below used magic to train with their opponents, while others had none, so they used weapons of varying sizes and styles. Each soldier was cladded in armors that best resembled human chainmail. However, each link is created to resemble scales more similar to a fish or serpent than the metal rings of human chainmail. Though not my preference, the armor was standard for every rank. I didn't wear it as the movement is too nosy. Instead, I preferred specially crafted leathers from the Illyrians—a gift from my friend. However, I did change to the chainmail during direct combat as it provides more protection than any other armor.

I was watching intently as I leaned against the railing near the top of a gorge. The area below me was best known as The Cavern by most soldiers. The only way in without jumping straight down into the 250-foot ravine was by the ocean. Recruits trained there every day, and to reach the grounds, they ran from the barracks to the shoreline where they had to open swim to a cliff face. To find the entrance to the Cavern, everyone must swim down into the darkness and through the water before coming back up inside the cave. The cave slowly inclined to the open cavern, which is open and can be seen from above. Barely anyone chooses to willingly drop into The Cavern purely because even fully trained soldiers fear the drop, and barely anyone gains the nerve.

I was currently leaning against the fence surrounding the opening to the ravine, but the movement behind me caught my attention. While the movement had been nothing more than a merchant walking past with a cart of jewels, it pulled my attention from the training and towards the camp. Well, calling it a camp would be degrading the structures just a bit. In all fairness, it was a massive city of thousands filled with soldiers and their families. The city was known as Ophir by most, and it is the most heavily fortified area beside the High Lord's palace. The difference is that in contrast to the palace, this place felt warm and alive.

The buildings closest to the cavern and the city center are my favorite part of the city. The intricate details of the homes always brought a smile to my face. Even now, as I looked at the white marble and pearl-colored sandstone of the homes, it had unconsciously lifted my mood and softened the smile on my face. Each of the white walls sparkled as brilliantly as the porcelain sands of our shoreline. The roofs were sloped triangles made of clay shingles, similar in color to the burnt orange of the sunsets. All the roofs were built with several layers similar to scales to protect the homes. The roofs had sharp points at every corner to resemble the blades for which the city was founded. The windows, doors, and the very top of the pillars that held the roofs, were covered in gold foil that shone in the sunlight. Each house had particular designs etched into the front of their homes made in the same gold material. Some of the gold art even depicted the cauldron or the goddess in the design to show their religious devotion.

I surveyed the houses around me for a bit before continuing to watch the battle formations below. Despite my position, I didn't stand with the other officers. The officers tended to be positioned down in the cavern but in stands to observe everyone simultaneously. I preferred to survey the group alone and chose to stand at the top of the cavern from a higher vantage point. I wore my cloak to cover my form from any watching eyes as the crowd filed past me. Their feet shuffled along as they walked by. The market was one street over with the merchants from Adriata, so people were heading to and from that area. The civilian clothing style is lightweight cotton fabrics dyed with bright colors that drenched the street in vibrant colors that the white houses lacked. It made it hard to find a specific person standing out, but I noticed two. They were walking together but near the edge of the group. They almost seemed to dodge people that didn't come close to them, though they disappeared as quickly as I noticed them. I didn't give them much thought as I looked back towards the soldiers.