Heathens [May 3010] (Maalik)
May 14, 2018 10:04:18 GMT -5
Post by Azzyz Kadir on May 14, 2018 10:04:18 GMT -5
May 3010 Morning Kahf Al'asad |
The morning sun shone bright above the city, casting its warm, golden rays upon the Haradrim wastes below. Even at that early hour the heat emanating from the luminary was almost too much to bear, fortunately for Azzyz he had grown accustomed to the hot weather of Harad during his early life, this was his home after all.
As a nomad, he did not feel attached to any particular city or plot of land, but to the Earth itself. Harad was his to wander, as was Harondor where he had also spent a considerable part of his life. "South Gondor", as the Numenóreans of old called it, had become the staging ground for his father's multiple raids on the Kingdom of Gondor itself and as consequence, a sort of a second home for him. Well, maybe not home, since you don't burn your house to the ground, but a place where he felt like himself, that was for sure. But even the best of raids in Harondor would be worthless if he could not exchange the wares he had captured for something of true value, and this was precisely what he had came to do in Kahf Al'asad.
The seat of the powerful Asad bloodline, the city was a major trade hub in the region, a place where you could get the best price for your goods. It was also a sure thing that the Asads would take out their fair share out of all this trade, taking into account the luxury they lived in.
He turned his head to his right side where, behind the countless awnings of the marketplace, the Asad residences could be seen in the distance. The only green point for miles and miles, chief Maalik's citadel stood watch over the city like a colossus, ever alert with its gardens visible from the streets themselves and its towers observable from kilometers away. This, Azzyz thought, was a place he wouldn't mind settling down on.
Advancing on foot through the market stands, Azzyz and his four retainers followed a slow, steady pace, heading towards the Central Square of the compound. Two horses followed closely behind them, the first of many that would follow throughout the day, carrying their raid-obtained wares. In his mind, these would fetch quite a good price, Harondor always treated them well after all, and in this particular voyage, they had captured quite the sizable boon.
He took one last glance at the Asad Palace in the distance. Although he had never met the man, Maalik Asad was famous throughout the land, and so it was only fitting that he had a residence to match his name. As he finished his contemplation though, and focused yet again on the road before him, he wondered what it would take to meet a man like that.