The sorcerer turned away from the massive gate and started toward the building named for Gnome-town’s old nemesis. He blended into the crowd near the gate house and observed the activities at the outer curtain.
The sergeant turned and shouted to colleagues on the allure, “Send word to the Castellan. There’s a young bloke at the gate calling himself Rhiann Klarje.”
The Captain of the Guard challenged, “Are you crazy? I’m not going to message the Council of Thynna that a sorcerer that disappeared 600 years ago wants to enter the city. I saw the man! He’s barely twenty!”
The sergeant said, “Did you see he bears the mark of the Klarjes?”
The Captain answered, “Like all the rest of you, I’ve only read about the birthmark shared by many descendants of the founder of Thynna. Lord Bailiwick has long forbidden mention of the founder’s name publicly. I’ll send word to High Sheriff Clank’s office. If he approaches the gate again, detain him. If he’s a Klarje, he’s not welcome. If he’s not a Klarje, he’s taunting the Castellan and High Sorcerer, and that’s a pretty dumb move.”
More guards gathered near the gate. Rhiann chose to await nightfall. One by one the guards left their posts and returned to the barracks. Per usual the nighttime ritual of closing the gate ensued. When darkness arrived, Rhiann removed the Staff of Entry from his bag of holding, placed an Invisibility Spell on his person, and approached the gate. He touched the staff to the intricate gate. Auras flashed about and the gate opened. Rhiann slipped inside. All manner of confusion ensued. Guards hustled about to try to close the gate. The Captain of the Guard called for battle stations. Rhiann made his way toward his parents’ home. The outer ward had changed little in his long absence. Taller spires filled the inner ward and more opulent high rising structures were readily evident inside the inner curtain. Sorcerers were exiting their homes to investigate the ruckus caused by the opening of the gate. Squads of heavily armed inner ward guards rushed toward the gate. The chaos facilitated his trek to Caye and Kurth’s modest home. The neighborhood remained familiar. Few things had changed. Curious folk stirred about and moved toward the outer curtain. Rhiann stood outside the door for a while. He sighed and approached the door and knocked.
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