The ride to Enoy wasn't long, but it was heavy with tension.
20 minutes before arriving at the Enoy Empire's capital: Jin Mao Hu.
The carriage didn't recoil with each step the bronze horses took, showing why it was a worthy carriage for Dariush and the others.
Dariush looked at his silver watch on his wrist. The watch had red Latin—or rather, Greek—numbers with a cosmic-like background. The watch showed 18:40.
Then Dariush turned slightly to his right and moved the silky red curtains on the window with his hand. The sun was slowly going down, casting golden rays over Enoy's green and lush landscapes. The sky was cloudy, and at the same time, the golden sunlight passed through the clouds or fell upon them, creating a beautiful and mesmerizing view.
Kian leaned in slightly to see. Eira did the same as Dariush. Cobra leaned in as well.
Everyone's expression softened, as if their mood had slightly lifted—even if just a little, it was noticeable.
Dariush inhaled through his mouth before speaking in a slightly low voice: "20 minutes from now... we'll arrive at Jin Mao Hu. When we get there, we need to stay together. We're in enemy territory now. Anything can happen."
Dariush leaned back in his seat. Everyone did the same.
His expression was slightly serious, and his tone carried a little heaviness as he said: "Eira, when we're there, women might try to seduce me. Even though I won't fall for them, I want you to stay beside me, because some men might try to seduce you too. In short, we stay together to show our strong bond."
Eira smirked, and there was a hint of redness in her black eyes. Then she said in an almost casual tone: "No problem, my dear. I'll tear every single woman and man there apart with my gaze."
Dariush chuckled—it was short, yet hearty. Then he smirked: "That's my favorite vampire queen."
Kian grinned slightly, clearly amused.
Cobra giggled mischievously under her helmet. Then she pulled off her helmet, her blond hair swaying slightly as she did. With an ear-to-ear grin that revealed her sharp, pointed shark-like teeth, she said: "When we arrive, I won't let any woman or man even get near you two."
Kian said with playful seriousness: "Don't do that. We might want to talk to some merchants or something. We don't want to miss opportunities."
Cobra answered quickly, almost instantly: "Then I'll wait for the right moment. Then—bam—I'll interrupt if I see anything suspicious."
Everyone laughed heartily. Then Eira said with a soft expression: "Then we'll give you a hint or a signal when we're being bothered."
Cobra quickly struck a military-respect pose and said: "Yes, my Duchess!"
Then everything fell into silence. Everyone exchanged playful, skeptical glances.
Cobra blushed slightly as the silence settled.
Dariush, Eira, and Kian couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing heartily. Cobra's eyes widened and her mouth hung open for a moment before she grinned ear to ear, chuckling and rubbing the back of her neck while blushing slightly—though not from embarrassment.
As the laughter slowly subsided and then died down, the carriage filled with a comfortable silence. It was only broken by the sound of rhythmic metallic hooves on the ground, the wind howling as the carriage moved at fast speed, birdsong, and the sound of the carriage wheels.
This moment of tranquility was enchanted as Dariush and Eira moved the curtains fully aside, letting the golden sunlight—as the sun slowly and gradually gave way to the moon—cast into the carriage.
Instantly, the golden accents inside the carriage reflected the sunlight, making the red and purple silks and the drinking glasses all sparkle subtly, yet noticeably.
Just as the sun finally set and the full moon took its place, the soft, white moonlight replaced the reflecting sunlight in the carriage. Everything inside sparkled: the royal silks, the golden accents, and the glasses.
Everyone looked at the moon, their eyes glistening slightly from the moonlight and their nether—as if determination burned in their eyes.
After a moment, the dwarf driving the carriage called out: "We're here, sir! We've arrived at Jin Mao Hu, milord!"
As everyone looked out the windows, they saw long, thick walls made of gray bricks. The city gate was enormous, red, and made of thick wood—though it wasn't entirely clear if it was really wood or something else. Just above the gate, in jade letters against a golden background, was written in Persian: Golden Fur Tiger.
In Persian: ببر خز طلایی
When the carriage finally reached the gate—just a kilometer away—it opened. The sound of it swallowed everything around.
As the carriage passed through the gate, Dariush whistled at what he saw. Then he said: "Damn... what a city."
Inside, the city's buildings were made in a Chinese style. The houses and structures were all built from wood in different colors, such as green and red, with arched roofs curving upward. The city was decorated with red banners bearing golden tigers, and lanterns inscribed with the words "Jin Mao Hu" in German or Persian script.
As the carriage went deeper into the city, the buildings gradually grew taller, showing off the rank of the people inside—the higher the building, the more roofs it had. On the roof ridges of some buildings stood lines of golden tiger statues.
But what caught everyone's eyes wasn't the buildings or how lively the city was. It was the emperor's palace at the center of the capital.
Its height reached the clouds, and the thickness of each floor was about the size of a football field in every direction. On every arched roof that curved upward, lines of golden tiger statues stood on the ridges, facing the sky as if they were about to leap and conquer it.
Each roof was painted yellow—not gold—and the walls weren't ordinary red. They were a deep, burned crimson, as if painted with the blood of millions of soldiers who had fought for the Enoy Empire.
As the carriage moved through the capital's streets, people looked at it with awe and fascination. The bronze horses' metallic hooves seemed to devour every sound around them, while the steam rising from their noses made them appear strangely fascinating and intimidating.
The size, sound, and color of the horses and carriage contrasted sharply with the city, dominating everything around them with their uniqueness as they glided through the streets.
As the carriage drew closer to the palace, they saw the long, red walls surrounding it and the big white-gold gates (not silver) adorned with painted golden tigers amid clouds.
The carriage stopped at the gate. It opened, and servants stood in two lines facing each other from the gate to the palace entrance. They wore red-jade hanfu with golden collars crossed left over right, layered, with loose sleeves. They had fabric belts in jade and olive colors, and they wore black-and-white embroidered shoes.
Dariush and Kian stepped out of the carriage first. Then they extended their hands: Eira took Dariush's hand, and Cobra took Kian's as the women stepped out. Kian then moved to Dariush's right side, while Eira stood on his left, and Cobra positioned herself beside Eira on the left. Eira wrapped her arm around his elbow, gluing herself to him while maintaining her elegant stance. At the same time, Dariush secured her arm by pressing it against his side.
The servants lined up for them bowed deeply and said in unison and loudly: "We greet you and your companions, Duke of Autumn, Dariush Farzad, with his highness's wife, eira Farzad! We also greet the prince of the great Nari Empire, Kian Mehrzad, son of Alexander Mehrzad, and Miss Lioness, Cobra Vermilion! We, from our emperor, empress, and the royal family, greet all of you!"
Dariush smirked and whispered: "They really put their ass into this greeting, for sure."
Kian barely stifled a laugh, but he managed. Then, with a hint of laughter and playful anger in his voice, he mumbled to Dariush: "Shut up!"
Eira put her hand over her mouth elegantly and giggled quietly. While cobra Without wasting time, she put her helmet on, and it seemed she was still giggling underneath.
Dariush's smirk grew. Then he turned to the dwarf who had driven the carriage and said: "Thank you for bringing us here. And don't forget to find a good place to sleep."
The dwarf looked tired, but at Dariush's words, he seemed to forget his exhaustion and said in a booming voice: "Yes, milord! Thanks, milord! And I'll never forget your words, milord!" (He gave a small bow even while seated.)
Dariush nodded with the same smirk on his lips. Then he turned his gaze ahead and said: "Let's go. The emperor is waiting for us."
As everyone began walking inside the palace's front yard, the servants—still bowed—never raised their heads.
The front yard of the palace was lush and mesmerizing. Moonlight hit the little river and lake, reflecting onto Dariush, Cobra, Kian, and Eira's faces and clothes. It was as if the world itself was enchanting their beauty everywhere they went—except for Cobra, whose armor shone in such an epic way.