The Obsidians came to a halt as the compound of the Duchess's residence stood before us.
Two guards near the entrance, probably from the night shift squad at the ending minutes of their duty, stood tall, clad in armor with the white swan symbol emblazoned on their chest plates, right over their hearts.
They looked at the Obsidians, and their spears rose up immediately, crossing to bar entry.
"Open the gate," Kael's voice came out as commanding as I remembered.
The guards lowered their spears without hesitation. A man in uniform, bearing the same swan symbol, ran forward and unlocked the large grilled gate from the inside. He immediately stood at attention in salute position beside it.
The guards straightened up, and in a practiced, synchronized motion, their hands grabbed the gate's handles. They pulled them open, each moving smoothly along with the swing of the heavy iron bars.
Our Obsidians moved again, now trotting like normal horses leisurely.
