Herald of Steel

After what seemed like an endless stretch of ocean, finally, a thin strip of land began to reveal itself over the blue horizon on the thirteenth day.

At first, there was seemingly nothing, just the vast expanse of the ocean meeting the sky in a seamless blend of azure hues.

But then, like a mere whisper on the canvas of the sea, a smudge perhaps came to appear in the gradient where the cerulean waves meet the boundless sky.

And as time unfurled and the ship got closer and closer, the ephemeral illusion started to give way to undeniable reality, taking form and substance.

The faraway horizon transformed into a distinct outline, and Alexander was able to soon spot evidence of human civilization in the distant land- a rugged coastline etched against the backdrop of the endless ocean populated with black dots that were constantly moving and shifting.

Cliffs rise defiantly along the left side of the port, crowned with verdant foliage that cascaded down to meet the foamy embrace of the waves, and when Alexander got closer, he could see that attached to the mainland was a small island, connected via a man-made bridge.

Lord Janus had told him about this place- called Phyrros Island, it housed a lighthouse and was a military base before the disaster struck, used to keep an eye on the ships entering and leaving the harbor.

But now had been left abandoned, with only the wooden skeleton of a lighthouse gracing his shores.

Further evidence of the devastation of the tsunami was presented to Alexander as the ships started to enter the mouth of the harbor, where he was soon able to spot small debris of the destroyed arch that used to once protect the wharf from rough waves, still bobbing up and down on the waves. Some of the ships had to expertly navigate around these to avoid collision.

Alexander's ships did not enter the regular harbor used by everyday merchants and tradesmen. Instead of the Great Harbor, they turned slightly right and entered the 'Royal Harbor'- which was the personal harbor of the Margraves Family.

There, a group of representatives of the Margraves family was there to greet him, including Lady Miranda's husband, who stepped forward to personally welcome Alexander to his carriage, "Welcome to Caira, Lord Alexander. We are honored that you could make the long journey. I'm Lord Cassius. Miranda has been hoping for your arrival day and night."

Lady Miranda had not come by herself because at the time it was generally deemed too inappropriate for a woman to accept foreign dignitaries.

Plus, given the developments, it felt prudent to always leave someone to hold the fort.

Alexander spent a little while exchanging polite pleasantries with the large, round man with a thick beard and soft, kind looking eyes, finding this distant cousin turned husband of Lady Miranda a man of genteel demeanor and courteous behavior.

'A nice man! But I wonder how good a lord?' Which then caused him to comment so, since Alexander had interacted with a lot of lords, and came to somewhat recognize their traits.

Alexander thought Cassius might be a good man but perhaps not the ideal ruler.

Of course, he could be wrong but that was the initial impression he got.

The journey from the 'Royal Harbor' to the Margraves's mansion was a short distance away, but even then, Alexander was able to spot the unique architecture and general layout of the city.

Caira was a great reflection of Sybarsis's engineering prowess and urban planning and influenced by their long traditions and techniques, it boasted a distinctive architectural landscape that combined elements of grandeur, functionality, and practicality.

The houses were built with a distinct spiraling top and high arched design, with one of the most prominent features that Alexander noticed was the use of durable building materials such as stone, brick, and mortar instead of wood to construct them, which was in much contrast to the current state of Zanzan, that was still reliant on the gift from the trees.

Alexander did not know whether the city had started the practice after the disaster, in an attempt to construct sturdier structures, or had existed long before that.

At the heart of the city stood the city center- a sprawling complex of public buildings, temples, and open spaces that served as the civic and commercial center of the city.

Seemingly modeled after similar structures in the mainland, the place was characterized by grand colonnades, marble facades, and ornate statues honoring the Sybarian gods and famous merchants.

Surrounding it were a network of streets and squares, lined with shops and taverns, selling various local produce like fragrant oil, wine, and pottery with unique designs native to the place, to ores, stones, metalworking, and luxurious clothes, to delicacies like pies and various pancakes and dumplings.

Of course, the shops also had exotic imports of many of those things, one of which Alexander was tasting right now- an alcoholic milk beverage called 'Kumis', which had been sweetened with honey.

The cool taste felt very refreshing.

The materials used to make these shops and taverns differed greatly in quality, ranging from simple timber-framed structures to more elaborate stone buildings adorned with decorative, colorful motifs and frescoes.

But the most iconic architectural monument of Caira was its network of public baths.

These large, communal facilities, built using a combination of baked earth and stone, were a grand spectacle to behold, with the largest one reaching a staggering 30 meters tall and about 300 meters in both length and breadth.

Even for someone like Alexander, the sight would have been breathtaking, with its interior featuring a series of heated rooms, pools, and even saunas for the residents of the city to indulge themselves in, designed to provide a luxurious bathing experience.

And staying true to its purpose, people from all likes of life would enter these numerous baths, to not just cleanse themselves, but also to socialize and relax.

Alexander was only able to see the spiraling dome of the bathhouse from his carriage as he was taken to Margraves' estate when his mind quickly diverted to the sight of the mansion itself.

The large four story structure seemed to have been rebuilt perfectly, with absolutely no evidence of it ever being destroyed or even damaged.

In fact, the new coat of white paint even gave the building a brand new, sturdy feeling, its sprawling structure making it appear grand and imposing.

Alexander was finally able to cover the short distance from the harbor to the mansion, where at the gate he was received at the gate by a second enthusiastic group, this time actually led by Lady Miranda.

Standing at the lead of the group, Alexander found the raven haired lady had become slightly plump since he last met her, her face puffed and eyes slightly bloodshot,

She was dressed appropriately for the occasion, in a jet black gown devoid of any embellishments or jewelry, in mourning for her son.

And as soon as Alexander stepped out of the carriage, Lady Miranda gently cried out in a relieved voice, "It's great that you could make it, Lord Alexander. We are reassured. I hope the journey was not too rough on you."

"The seas were fortunately calm as the lake, by the grace of the gods." Alexander replied in a light voice, before offering his condolences, "I'm so very sorry for your loss, my lady. The gods… can indeed be sometimes cruel to us mere mortals."

It was as such that Lady Miranda and Alexander exchanged a few more tidbits of pleasantries, with Lady Miranda professing her relief at Alexander's time arrival, before quickly inviting him inside to partake in a feast arranged for him.

And it was only the next morning that Alexander was able to tackle the issue he had come all the way here for.

"My lady, Lord Janus has already informed me on much of general the situation. So would you be able to elaborate?" Meeting the couple in their study, Alexander posed so, then pointed out, "I have not seen either Miss Linda or her husband in the party yesterday. Are they not present?"

"They are, my lord. They have just decided to not show themselves. I believe they are waiting to see what you do." Lady Miranda's response was very curtly and hard, and following this, knowing time was of the essence, she then revealed with a flash of her palms, "I will not honey coat our present circumstances, my lord. It is not good!"

"Following my son's death, my sister has already swayed much of the family to her side. I do not know if Uncle Janus has told you, but over the last few weeks, she even managed to move much of the military on her side. It is the hands of her husband Parker Heeat, and led by one of his subordinates- Achillas."

'Dammit!' This was the worst news for Alexander, as hearing it he groaned, 'Here I thought I would not have to fight! *Tsk*!'

And then asked for clarification, "How many men do they have? Where are they?"

"They are occupying the southern half of the city. They have 20,000 men and 2,000 cavalry!" The lady's voice sounded like the grim's reaper malevolent ravings to Alexander!

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