Dong! Dong! Dong!
The arms on the massive clock on the Grand Cathedral in Fashkire struck nine, causing the bells to chime nine times in rapid succession. The booming resonance of the bells was so loud that one could hear it all the way in the upper districts from here.
In front of the Cathedral, Cedric stood with his hands in his pockets, staring up at the large clock above.
As usual, he was dressed in a long black leather duster coat — his favorite outfit, by the way — and a lit cigarillo hung loosely from his lips.
All around him, carriages rattled across the cobblestones and crowds of citizens jostled past one another. The streets were busier than usual, as a lot more people had come into the central city from beyond the walls and the outskirts in preparation for the Carnal Festival which would begin tonight.
The air was filled with the scent of roasted meats and street vendor spices, which immediately made Cedric feel hungry.
