A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 21: Their Capital. (Part 3)

The late morning two days later we arrived at the Demon's Capital. As we got closer to the city so did the traffic become more pronounced. Dozens of carriages like ours coming and going from the city in all directions and we soon realised why. Unlike Citlia which had close to one hundred years of history the Demon's Capital was newly built and in our eyes, still being built. There was no wall but a sprawling of buildings halfway constructed and more being planned the further the city went. We had heard about it before in Citlia but seeing it in front of our eyes was a wonder. The Capital was the Demon Lord's grand plan to unite the Demon tribes and construction began when he first came into power three years ago. The fact that they had come so far since then was a testimony to his power and also the threat that he could be.

No one interrupted us as we moved towards the centre of the city. The streets were wide and planned for traffic, people of all races walked around hurriedly as they went about their business. The construction came to a slow halt becoming smaller projects closer to the heart of the city but it was clear improvements were being made every day. If anything the place had my respect, the demons were really trying to build a life for themselves here.

Ronalt poked his head from the window to talk to me, "Rain find somewhere near the outskirts of the eastern district for us to stay. Spare no expense."

"Will do," I nodded back and urged Pina through the regulated streets. That's when it came into view. On a slight hill looking over the city, a mansion like castle that although dominating in appearance seemed to blend into the city. It was clear to all of us who lived there... the only question, how did we get inside and even more important, how did we get out?

We neared the Eastern district. A solid tall and powerful wall could be seen in the distance like a line cutting through the trees. It was quite a ways from the city but clearly made to be a defensive line from humans like us. If we had tried to enter from the east, I had to wonder how hard it would have been. The construction here was mellowed out compared to the west where we had come from and the people calmer. It wasn't hard to find an inn to stay the next few nights. As Ronalt told me, I chose a higher class establishment and we were welcomed warmly, Pina even getting a private stall. The building was newly made and from what I had learnt, well designed. The floors, walls and decorations were cleaned to perfection. It was much better than even the inns we had stayed in the Kingdom. We settled our belongings and returned to the foyer.

A portly demon with a shiny coat of fur gestured towards us, "Welcome to the Homestead Inn. I am Monet Arva the owner of this establishment. I hope you will enjoy your stay with us."

Ronalt faced him, his single horn well-polished, "And I the same good sir."

The demon looked a bit surprised as he stared at us but quickly fixed his attitude. We were used to Ronalt talking for us but it seemed his single horn would usually put him in a position lower than us. "If there is anything you'd like to know about the Capital please do not be afraid to ask my employees."

"We've come in hopes to catch a sight of the Lord and pay our respects, do you know how we might do that?" Lara asked quite upfront.

"Oh, I see," Monet looked down in thought rubbing his hairy chin. "The Lord does a speech every few weeks in the city centre if you'd like to see him. To speak with him personally, you could make a request but it would take weeks for any reply and it is likely to fail."

"That's not a problem," Lara smiled sweetly. "I'm sure we'll find a way."

Monet returned the smile, taken away by her natural charm, "I really do wish you the best. Perhaps you could try apply to be part of his private guard or staff. They are always looking for capable members."