NationStates Jolt Archive

Iron-rimmed wheels clattered along the cobbled highway, sending sparks darting from the surface. The coach team, a quartet of strong Aldar geldings, shone with sweat as they powered onwards towards the capital city of Kaluen. The highways of Silverfall were incredible in their scope, Duke Sigebalt mused from within his compartment, criss-crossing the land over hills and through marshland. Evidently, nothing stopped a Silver engineering crew save a mountain.

After three days and several customs posts, Kaluen was within sight. The city spread over the landscape like an immense mushroom patch, dense and tall at the centre, growing more modest outside the city's high walls and eventually thinning towards the sporadically-populated agricultural belt. The coach drifted through straight, stone-paved streets thronged by bustling citizens and the occasional patrolling guard. Brightly-coloured market stalls lined the roads, with a multitude of merchants and traders hawking their diverse selections. Eventually, the coach slowed to a halt outside a great oaken gate, reinforced with thick iron bars and guarded by a platoon of blue-uniformed spearmen in studded leather.

The Duke descended from his coach as a group of the guards approached, an officer at their head.

The guards were part of the entire force designated to protect the city and enforce order. They were not as well-trained or armed as the full military forces, but they were mainly a policing force as it was. Captain Dacius was the one guarding the North gate, it's hardened wood enhanced by steel, making it even tougher to break through. He stepped up to the coach and bowed to the man, obviously some kind of royalty or aristocrat. "Greetings sir, welcome to Kaluen. May I please have your travel papers and allow us to do a quick search of your coach. Also, no weapons are allowed in Kaluen unless you have special permission."

"Of course..." muttered the Duke, producing a set of well-thumbed papers bearing the scrawl and seal of the Silver port authority.

"And you may search the coach, but I am carrying not a blade, nor bow," he said, conviniently forgetting to mention the hand-operated crossbow concealed in a false compartment beneath the rear seats. "Do I have permission to proceed? I am expected."

Dacius stepped forward, giving a good readover of the papers and then handed them back to him. The guards did a quick and efficient search of the coach before coming back and reporting that no hidden weapons or contraband had been found. Turning to the Duke, Dacius bowed and spoke. "You have permission to proceed. I apologize for the inconvenience. Enjoy your stay in Kaluen and please follow the laws." He waved to the other guards, and they opened the gate, and the portcullis behind it, and he was allowed in.

He would see the vast splendor of the capital of all the Kingdom. Great stone cathedrals to their Deity Anu could be seen in the center of the city, and great wood and stone mix buildings surrounded him, showing strong craftsmanship and engineering. The market was in full swing, with people showing their wares and the people looking to see what they wanted and buying. The coach would make its way through the streets, drawing many curious eyes, although they drifted away as the onlookers returned to their business. The ring of blacksmith's hammers could be heard throughout the city and the hymns of the faithful in the many smaller churches was a constant background sound. The town was well-patrolled, with many guards around in patrol routes that overlapped, so if any guards needed backup, they were not far away. However, the dominating structure had to be the palace of the King. An immense structure of stone and steel, it was the most defensible structure in the city and rightly so, since it was the center of the mighty city. The cream of the Silverfall military were housed within its walls and it was there that King Elsin, the Mage-King, resided. The coach finally pulled up to the gate of the palace and after a quick showing of the papers, was admitted in.

The coach was pulled off into an expansive stable, where the horses would be taken care of, while two of the Royal Guard escorted the Duke through the halls of the palace to the room where Elsin's minister of treasury waited. Finally, the door opened to show a middle-aged man with a large brown beard and glasses looking over several scrolls. Upon hearing the door opening, he glanced up to see the Duke. Smiling, he put away his scrolls and walked over, nodding to the guards whom left. He held out a hand.

"Welcome, Duke Sigebalt, to Kaluen and the Royal Palace. From what I understand, you have a proposal that would see Aldar and Silver working jointly on a project."