This is Rhir. And this is the heart of the kingdom, the shield city known as Paranfer, whose walls have stood for thousands of years. But even here, behind the four great walls built by generations of the inhabitants, safety is not always guaranteed. As I look up, I see evidence of that in the form of watch towers, manned even in the capital city.
There they are, twenty of them. Not all clustered up at once of course; they’re riding in a procession, so it’s two to four abreast, all moving slowly down the street. Not the widest of streets, either, and not one lined by cheering people, you’ll note. This is one of the entry streets to Paranfer, and as such it’s meant to be kept empty of all traffic except those going this way. The general citizenry stays above.
“Mage lights. By law, no outdoor area in Paranfer may be dark at night. To prevent assassins and spies from entering the city as well as crime. That goes for within the palace as well. They are impossible to disrupt by accident, but note that tampering with them is a crime.”
There was all that, of course, although the dead were properly-disposed of, or used by the [Necromancers], but the first sight of Rhir’s capital, Paranfer, and the coast, was, well…startling.
Paranfer itself was as impressive as any great city in the world; arguably richer and larger than even First Landing. It was a match for the Walled Cities.
Why not? The Blighted Kingdom received funds from almost every nation in the world along with [Soldiers]—sometimes in place of soldiers. It had magic, resources—and Paranfer lay behind 1st Wall.
Paranfer was gorgeous, and the lands around it were given over to agriculture, which always looked pretty from afar. Rhir did not, actually, specialize in much mining, textiles—in a broad sense—or the varied national outputs of other countries.
Where were the orderlies? The [Tacticians]? Someone to run messages? Was someone playing a prank on him? He walked out, wondering if this was, in fact, some kind of Demon-attack. No. Not in Paranfer. Still…he edged out a bit further, casting a cantrip to locate others.
—Even so, the Blighted Kingdom banished darkness in its capital of Paranfer. At night, magical streetlamps and the very streets emitted a glow that, while it didn’t make up for the sun, made skulking in corners impossible.
The point was that Paranfer was very safe, except for the times when Demons attacked, and then it was very unsafe. Yet it was so safe that all the shipments bound for the war effort came through this main harbor, behind the legendary 1st Wall.
This time, understanding his mistake, he had summoned as many as possible to Rhir. And he was giving them training, conditioning, and all the facilities Paranfer had at its disposal.
The Death of Magic sat cross-legged in the air as she considered her moves. She could fly out to sea and attack Paranfer from an angle that they couldn’t cover with anti-magic. However…they wanted her to try that. One detection and she’d be facing that damn Lord Hayvon and every force they could throw at her. She’d risk being boxed in and killed.
He looked up as something so incredibly high overhead it couldn’t be seen passed over him. It passed over the capital city of Paranfer. And as if she knew he was there—the massive shadow blotted out parts of the palace.
