Kyrian woke up before dawn, as was his habit.
The faint light entering through the balcony of the Golden Ash Pavilion painted the room in reddish tones, a reflection of the constant smoke from the distant volcano.
The heat was already beginning to rise from the stone floor, even at that early hour, but the cold energy of his eyes kept the area around him pleasantly cool.
He got up and put on the ice-blue robe he had bought the day before. The fabric was soft and durable, perfect for the journey that still lay ahead.
He tied his hair back with a simple leather cord.
He went down to the lobby and stepped out into the still-quiet streets of the City of Red Smoke.
The morning air was slightly more bearable than during the rest of the day, but the heat was already beginning to rise from the volcanic stone ground as a constant reminder of what was to come.
