Morning sunlight hit the sandstone walls of the Sun Gate, baking the city in sweltering heat before the morning bells even rang.
Kai walked up to the towering entrance and handed his black envelope to a female guard wearing polished bronze plates.
She broke the wax seal with her thumb and looked him up and down, her eyes lingering on his broad shoulders with a mix of wary respect and hunger.
"Arms out, pretty boy," she commanded, stepping close to him.
Her hands roamed over his body with slow, deliberate, and highly invasive movements.
She squeezed his thighs, traced the hard lines of his chest, and let her fingers brush deliberately against his groin. She was clearly enjoying the search, breathing a little faster as she confiscated his standard iron throwing knives.
