FSE

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The Grand Principal city of Niezz. Home to many of the cat people of the West and crown jewel of the settled people of the Red Desert. A warm and unforgiving place, the city was helped with a touch of magic to make it more bearable, crystals lining the streets and giving cold ice spells to the water and stone so your feet didn't burn when it touched the sandstone floor. The locals were one of two beings; Humans and Feraci. The Humans were usually darker skinned, bronze and dark brown with a rainbow collection of hair not common elsewhere. Some had red, some had green, some had blue or white, but all of them were kind. Once slaves but freed under the Aegis of Kaius the Conqueror who allowed them to settle in various cities around the desert.

The Feraci were natives here, usually felines and they were a more nomadic people, traversing the land and selling their collected goods to other Cat tribes or whoever managed to find them. They were kind people, resisting against the western empire's slave institution and offering refuge to any who escaped, which naturally made them amazing friends to Kaius. And now he was repaying that kindness with protection.

Coming up to the city gates, Lorif slowed his horse to a stop, whistling for the attention of the guards. The gates were massive, made out of a deep red sandstone that very few people were able to replicate. There were windows for the archers to look out and aim at those refused entry, the walls lined with beautiful and delicately made art of the Sahelian people, the felines that lived in these lands and their recent human visitors and friends. The guards looked down at him and noticed his dark green hair, recognizing the man and opening the gates for him.

He strode in with his companions, a comfortable number of guards from the Myrinian steppe to help maintain some order. It was him, his lieutenant See and about 300 other military personnel. A tight knit group of skilled fighters, disciplined from years of protecting tradesmen from raids and thieves. Lieutenant See came up to his side, a clear look of worry on her face.

"Sir, not to be rude but... maybe we should have brought more men? 300 people is hardly enough to keep a whole city under control. Especially one as big as this." She spoke in a hushed tone, not wanting any of the other men to hear her but even they were aware of the situation. Lorif kept his face stern as they stepped in through the gates.

"We are not occupying the city. We are helping them get back on track. They have their own guards, let's not do their job for them." He spoke briskly, ushering everyone to follow him into the city. The inner city was beautiful. The streets seemed lined with bright red sands that showed the path of the roads, the streets lined with all manner of people looking in awe of the soldiers coming in. The city was full of a mix of Human and beast or, as they were more often called, Feraci. The dominant Feraci in the western deserts were the felines. Tigers, Lynxes, Caracals and especially Cheetahs. They dressed in a flurry of colorful garments, loose and flowing for the desert winds to blow through and cool off their no doubt sweltering bodies in this heat.

They sang all manner of praises in their native tongue, a tossing of gifts to the soldiers and earning a smile on See's face. The other group here were Human's, freed slaves from the western coasts and called this place home alongside the cats. They also cheered in joy at the soldiers arrival but some seemed a little worried, like seeing these men was a bad sign.

Walking through the streets, they found themselves greeted by an old woman at a fountain which sat at the crossroads of the city. She was a small little thing, a caracal cat with black tipping her ears and tail and staff to help her walk as she hunched over on it. Lorif stepped down from his horse and walked up to her, getting on one knee and taking her hand, kissing it softly. The old woman smiled at this.

"Oh my. Is this how you greet people in your cities?" She asked, a light blush on her cheeks.

"Just a bit of respect to the women," he responded. She held back a chuckle.

"You certainly know how to make a woman feel special. I must thank you. For the gesture and your appearance here. My name is Sarif. I will do my best to guide you through the city and help you with your tasks." She gestured to all of the soldiers behind Lorif and he nodded.

"Commander Lorif. This is my second in command, Ahsee." See gave a polite bow and Sarif returned it. "We heard the situation was dire. We came as soon as we could."

"We should talk about this behind more closed doors. Please. Follow me." She turned and brought the soldiers down a path with yellow sandstones marking it and it soon brought them to a massive palace. The palace was huge, almost as big as some of the castles and palaces in the far East of Alvarys. It shone in the light of the sun, made entirely out of sandstone with banners of the various clans held up by pikes in front of the doors. The columns that held up the building also held up tarps that provided shade to those who came up to it.

Spiral minarets covered the corners, The image of the Sun with a sword piercing through it marking the center of the building, a special symbol for the Sahelian people. The angular architecture was unlike anything Lorif and his men had seen.

"Please, do come in. The Prince's are waiting." The old woman brought them in as the palace seemed far cooler than the rest of the place. It felt so good! The heat of the desert was unbearable and Lorif was happy to finally be out of it, feeling a nice breeze brushing against his face. He looked up and saw that the palace was decorated with chandeliers and hanging lamps made of glowing blue stones. Mana crystals. The obvious answer.

With these glowing crystals, anyone magically skilled enough could perform magic and cast spells but it also had a more practical use. In fact it had a lot of uses. These little magical stones were used for heating and cooling water, casting wind spells and fires, they acted as light at night and so much more. Lorif was a little disappointed in himself for not getting that on the first guess. He was welcomed inside by the guards, large cats with glaives in their hands, all bowing in respect to him and his men before walking into a large room where nine felines waited for them. All of them had differing expressions, One of the smaller ones having a big smile on his face as he instantly walked forward to shake the man's hand.

"Thank you for coming! We were worried you had gotten lost!" He said proudly, a clear smile across his muzzle. He was a lithe feline, clearly male but a bit shorter than Lorif with a more thin frame. His tail waved about behind him, flamboyantly before remaining still as he bowed to See, taking her hand and kissing it gently. She blushed but didn't pull away.

"I am Kamath, Prince of Secrets. These are my brothers and together we are the 9 Princes of Niezz." All of the other Princes behind him gave their own personal introductions. The cats had varied coloring and physique, the tallest one a striped tiger and a wrapping of red cloth around his head. His face and arms were scarred but he had a clear air of pride about him. One of the kinder looking ones was a golden furred caracal, shorter than all his colleagues except for one whom he held in his arms. He looked like a simple brown and white striped house cat, unnoticeable to any before he spoke greetings in his strange Sahelian tongue.

"I was unaware there were... nine of you," Lorif said in surprise. Kamath chuckled.

"Do not worry. It will be easier to remember us in time. But for now, we must speak on more important matters." He brought them all to the seats of the massive room, huge pillow cushions that did not look as professional as Lorif was hoping. Some of his men already sat down on the soft pillows, lulled into comfort as Kamath clapped his hands and called for servants to come and help everyone get comfortable.

A flurry of feline caretakers and waiters came to the meeting, providing them with all kinds of delicious foods and treats that the soldiers loved to taste. A few praises here, some flirtatious winks there and they had already forgotten their main reason for being here.

"All due respect, we aren't exactly here to..." Lorif began before he was cut off, Kamath raising his paws

"No no no! We welcome our guests with honors befitting a Prince! But if this is not to your liking, Please follow me. We will talk more." He gestured for Lorif to follow him and he did so, leaving See to watch over the other men and women in their employ. Even if she did seem a little distracted by the pretty cat boys...

*****

Walking through the pleasant gardens of the outside palace grounds, Lorif felt a wave of calmness wash over his body. Like he was already starting to forget his reason for being here.

"So, shall we speak more properly?" Kamath smiled as he ran his fingers along a verdant green plant. It smelled like mint.

"Uhm... yes. Highwreath Kaius-"

"Is doing his usual. Sending some people to take care of the situation first before he has to step in. No offense taken." This was a common tactic that Kaius took. He ran the empire of Myrinia well, being Highwreath was difficult work but he mostly left a lot of the regions to do their own thing. As long as they paid their taxes on time and kept order in their regions, they were left to their own devices. Anyone could be removed from power for whatever reason he deemed permissible and "Inattentive Governance" was one of them.

"We... yes. Of course he cares immensely-"

"About our safety, I know. Kaius has always been very respectful of our traditions. I know he still has faith we can bring this in line. He's simply covering all the bases, yes?" The Prince looked around and made sure both of them were away from guards or gardeners. "There is a bit of a schism between the other cats. Some clan rivalries are hard to squash, eh?"

"So this is a... family dispute of sorts?" Lorif said as he waved at a gardener. He waved back, his tail curling slightly.

"Something like that. But I fear this is bigger than a simple dispute. Some of the Clan Mothers have been attacked in the streets. If this continues, trade will slow down and the Sahelians will start to resent cities again. Many of the Clan Mothers already think living in an urban setting is bad luck." The Prince stretched for a bit and sat down on a bench, the light trickling of a water fountain sounding behind him calming his mind.

"I get the feeling you're implying... something more is going on."

"As Prince of Secrets, It's my job to understand all the things that go on. Legal and illegal." He stood up from his seat and spoke in a hushed voice. "There are musings of some people living in my city that wish to see it destroyed. Turned to chaos and our people scattered once more."

"What for?"

"We are a rich city of free beasts and slaves. We are everything the Westerners despise."

"You think they are planning for this? Funding it maybe."

"They are almost as rich as we are," the Prince shrugged. We are in the way of their trade to the Myrinians. They just don't like us." The Prince frowned. "I know they are doing something, I just can't prove it cause I've never caught any of them. But maybe you can." Lorif scoffed.

"My men aren't the most knowledgeable about Sahelian cultures and familial relations. We barely know the language. We're just here to keep the peace," Lorif said as he stood next to the Prince.

"That is all we need. Keep the peace, find the culprits, and Kaius won't have to make an early visit." Lorif nodded, a silence passing between the both of them only broken by the shaking of the nearby leaves. "Have you any family, Captain Lorif?"

"A brother. He's north with the wolves."

"Ah. He's in good hands."

"That's what everyone keeps telling me. Still worry though." The Prince nodded.

"It is good to worry. Family is important in this world of strangers. But the fun thing about family..." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pin in the image of a golden coin. "It just keeps getting bigger." The Prince placed the pin on Lorif's leather cuirass, smiling at how beautiful it looked in the light.

"What is this?"

"A vote of confidence. You and your men now work for the Prince's of the city of Niezz. You will need the marks to prove it. If you accept." Lorif thought for a moment. He didn't have too much choice, he was here to do a job. Besides, if people are getting hurt, he had to do something.

"I'm in. I'll help." The Prince smiled, embracing the young man with a hug before The Prince stretched, fanning himself from the heat. "We'll have to change your attire. Armor like that will get you killed from the heat around here. We have all manner of proper armor for guards and military men in our employ."

"Thank goodness. Was not looking forward to wearing this the whole time haha!" The two shared a laugh before walking out of the garden, content on their talk for the day.

*****

When night rolled in, the whispers of the people began. During the day the city was a normal bustling city of joy and trade, but at night... At night some truly devious things happened. The very shadows itself pooled through the streets, the lanterns of houses and street lamps providing what light they could. Many slept, many dreamed, but others remained awake and eyeing the streets.

Deep within the inner districts of the city, beneath the catacombs of the large trading bazaar were a collection of men, hidden by these very shadows. Hooded so no light touched their face, masked so no voice could be discerned. They stood over a table holding a map of the city and lists of names marked the walls around them.

"They are here?" Asked one man.

"Ahead of schedule, yes," said a woman.

"You're certain?"

"It was a big moment for the city. They were very hard to miss." The room was full of whispers before the woman at the head of the table snapped her fingers.

"Where are they now?" She asked calmly.

"The Palace of the Nine. Prince Kamath has invited them in." The woman nodded and looked through the blueprints of the city before coming to the Palace of the Nine. So many secret tunnels and entrances, exits that lead to distant parts of the city so far away.

"Good. Makes things easier."

"Does it? The Prince has likely told them everything. They will be around the Prince's every hour of every day."

"Which works. They will be spread thin. The Prince's do a lot of things during the day, so very far from each other, isolated in their own little worlds. We will strike when they are alone." The woman could be heard laughing as she began to puff out the lights, each member of the group disappearing as she did so. "The Prince knows nothing of what we can do. Of how we work. Be patient, my brothers and sisters. The city will be ours! And we will raze it to the ground from the inside!"