He took a moment to collect himself, all he had to do was what he had actually come here for. Only now did Ezra actually let himself feel the rage and his fist tightened, his nails threatening to dig into his palm. If these were the streets of Vania, he would've thrashed the hell out of those people for literally stepping on his toes. Their arrogance, their disdain and their misplaced superiority complex was something Ezra had seen in the eyes of many. And he had beaten it out of them on many occasions, a shame he couldn't do it here.
'These people could learn a thing or two from a good thrashing or two. Maybe even a third just for good measure.'
But… as much as he wanted to leave this place, he wasn't here on a personal trip. He had come here for his people. Of course he had seen the state of the city, but Ezra now had ample reason to believe that it was probably because of the Warden's twisted son, Farron.
He straightened his vest and tied his hair back, walking up to the big red wood door carved with the symbol of a lion and knocked at it twice.
"Come."
Ezra pushed the door open and suddenly he was assaulted with a putrid moisty smell. The big room was dimly lit, with woven murals and huge paintings hanging on the walls depicting some war or another. A couch lay on the left side of the room on which sat a figure half shrouded in shadows, a big desk in the shape of a crescent moon on the opposite end of the room from where Ezra entered. But none of it was what drew his attention, it was a figure on the floor, a person-no, a woman. She was naked and a dark liquid pooled on the floor around her.
He now realised what he was smelling was blood, alcohol and… urine? Ezra's eyes were wide as the moons and got stuck on the body sprawled on the marbled floor, in the dim light hearted made out a slit on the throat from which the blood flowed constantly. The face was obscured behind long blonde hair.
"D–" He opened his mouth to scream but was cut off as figured on the couch stood up, "So you're the son of Darron, you seem just as clueless as I've been led to believe."
Ezra gawked at the figure who had spoken, he was a heavy set man, dressed in a loose white nightgown, his chest and his legs below the thighs were exposed. A strong square jaw, with cropped golden beard and long golden hair draping down to his chest.
"So… tell me why you've come all this way here?" His voice was soft yet held a weight to crush Ezra under it. His golden eyes shone in the dim light like that of a predator. Making Ezra almost forget about the body on the ground wasting blood.
He opened his mouth, then hesitated. Then under the gaze of the Warden– as if hypnotized he began, he knew in that moment that nothing would change, but he explained about the troubles he was having with Perez to the Warden, to his overlord. He knew it was futile, but he just wanted to get it over with.
The Warden just laughed, "You are really not like your father boy. But you are the fool I have heard about. You face little difficulties after becoming a Prime and the first thing you do is come running to me? I'm not your dead father boy, handle your problems yourself, you're a Glorian are you not? Even if the southern rose juice runs in your veins corrupting it. Running all the way here because some peasants got their farms on fire." The Warden laughed hard like it was the most amusing of jokes.
"Get out of my sight before I have those stupid gawking eyes pulled out."
Ezra jumped and backed off, closing the door behind him in panic.
*****
Percia found Ezra after an hour of him leaving the Warden's office. He was leaning on one of the open balconies in the eastern part of the main keep. Under the starlit sky, the two moons shaped like crescents he looked out at the city, an ocean of light sparks in the darkness. Cold winds blew, tousling his long red hair that was let loose.
His back was to her, so she approached him slowly, her heels making soft clicking sounds was the only thing that broke the silence. She came up next to him, and leaned on the railings beside him looking out at the city, which seemed surprisingly beautiful at night when all you could see was lights.
"It's a revelation isn't it?" Ezra said his face had a smile that she had not expected to be there.
"A revelation?" She asked, confused.
"This city, in the night shrouded in darkness, glows with its false beautiful, glamorous lights. Attracting you like a mother to a flame. Only to burn you in its fires just for its amusement."
Percia looked at Ezra, his face half hidden in the shadows as cool wind blew, blowing Ezra's hair like dark red flame. She pulled a strand of hair from her face and smiled.
"Yes, a moth to the flame indeed…" her voice was barely a whisper.
Ezra turned towards her and cocked his eyebrows in... Amusement?
"You smiled." Ezra whispered.
"Hmm?"
Ezra just shook his head laughing softly.
"This perfume you gave me, petrichor, It's so good. The smell of wet soil after fresh rain is probably the most pleasant smell I've ever experienced. And it seems like it will rain soon here. I don't want to feel the rain here, let's go back home."
Percia took in the night and leaned out on the railing and whispered so low low that Ezra could barely hear, "Yes my lord, let's go back home."