A Dance with Darkness and Light: Re-Origination

5: The Eastern City

"Either way son, I'll let the servants prepare an escort for your trip then. I'm sure Shadow will be excited to see you again." he finally added.

If memory served Bazuul right then Shadow should be his horse, one of the best personally groomed for him.

"There will be no need for that father." Bazuul seemed adamant about going alone but in the end, his father insisted on at least two guards accompanying him.

To his surprise, as he reached the gates, he saw the horses ready and prepared for his trip.

Inwardly, there were slight ripples of shock not noticeable to anyone else. He never rode a horse before, sure, he went on a rodeo-machine a couple of times but this was something completely different.

He was supposed to be a prince, naturally, he had to be able to ride a horse to some extent. Even though he was only twelve years old.

Bazuul somehow managed to get on the horse without looking like this was his first time. Still, he was the lead, so it was also him which would determine the pace of the group.

Slowly, after getting comfortable with the current pace he accelerated. These actions puzzled Bram.

The two guards - Kadi and Hanzu - were looking at each other with faces full of questions but only shrugged and went on. Bazuul was still considered a good-for-nothing silk pants. Although he was a prince, he was apparently not proficient with the sword, neither did he harbor any intention to become a scholar and so on. His body also always seemed to be weak and sickly, since a young age he'd always been a thin fellow. Plus, his facial features were rather delicate for a man.

Yet the scandals, he invoked with his "banquets" became increasingly harder to cover up.

Bazuul of course, not only just knew about these scandals, he even remembered them, since it was his former self's memories. He had to say, for a twelve-year-old to be so frivolous - to tell the truth, he was a scumbag. His death was most likely fully deserved, and hell, Bazuul benefitted from it too, he started to like the air of this world. It felt as if he were unshackled.

As they finally strolled into the city after three hours, Bazuul got a grip of riding a horse but still found it a relief to free his buttocks of this torture.

They left the horses at the stall and entered through the gate. The top of the gate read Solgang City, quite obviously the name of this ancient city. Although most people still referred to the four great cities outside the capital to its geographical direction. In this case the eastern city, whose age was evident with one glance. The stone paving on the road was at best uneven and on a multitude of spots non-existent. The buildings were obviously built in an older, simpler way, also reflecting their ancestor's lifestyle.

One could see that the people on the streets and even the merchants were living a hard-working life, that also was adorned with many hurdles. Not long after entering the city Bazuul felt that some with ill intentions already locked their eyes onto him.

He smiled and his childish face beamed as he suddenly yelled.

"3..2..1..COME OUT, COME OUT, WHEREVER YOU ARE!"

His two guards were startled for a moment as they didn't know what the young prince was on about and even felt their faces reddened from shame.

Those with ill-intentions, apart from one group - which actually - came out to 'greet' the young prince, left. The two guards were daunted at this sight.

This group consisted of three men, the man in the middle bowed courteously and greeted.

"It is an honor to personally meet you prince Bazuul. This humble subject is named Aran, may we change location as to avoid the eyes and ears of the city?"