Hastan stood atop the wall, facing the cold winds sweeping up from the south. The noise of soldiers all around him, their boots striking stone, armor clattering, orders being barked, all of it barely registered.
His eyes were fixed on a single, empty patch of sky, lost to the memory of what had happened just an hour earlier.
An hour ago, Hastan was sitting in the watchtower, elbows resting on the window ledge, watching the calm expanse of stars. The night was quiet and peaceful.
He was smiling faintly then, deep in thoughts of how to surprise his wife when he told her about her pregnancy.
'A pendant or necklace feels too uncreative,' he had thought, running a hand through his hair. 'My gift should be something unique, something that truly makes Nmairis happy.'
Ideas came and went, each rejected as soon as it formed. The city was asleep, with the streets barely showing any activity, and the peaceful quiet almost made one forget the continent's current tumultuous state.
