Sunrise hit the city of Ulford like a borrowed spirit of the summer, warm and bright.
The residents of the capital had just faced a curfew which His Majesty lifted today. Thus, as early as seven o'clock in the morning, people were out in the streets, making up for the last two days of inactivity.
Peddlers, smiths, craftsmen, teachers, drivers, cleaners - all working members of the society brought the city alive. It was like a grand theater opening up for a show.
The royal palace stood in the center of it all, its lofty presence a stark contrast to the plebeian houses below.
Well-dressed guards routinely walked on the tall walls around it. They would look at the civilians struggling for their lives from high above with a deep sense of pride.
"Hey, have you heard? One of the court mages has gone missing…" A 2nd Circle guard leaned on a bastion's railings, turning to his friend.
"Yeah, they're saying that he's succumbed to evil!"
