The Northern Gate
Kael Draven did not come from Eryndor’s palace guard, but from the stone-gate company protecting the northern districts. He bore no noble crest; the only mark on his armor was a narrow doorway hammered there by his master. He knew the kingdom through markets beneath the walls rather than magnificent halls. When he took his oath, he promised to protect the people beyond the gates instead of speaking the king’s name. The court scribes ignored the change, but every soldier in his company heard it. None yet knew that this sentence would become the last principle holding Eryndor together.
