"I doubt that," Tyki said, with a laugh. "The Earl said that a lot of people would flock here, but that there are some residents that live here full time."

He did consider it odd that nobody was about though, not even to provide non-automated security. If somebody managed to get past the monsters and then get through the door, there was nothing to stop them storming the palace with a rifle. The ones with the rifles should be vetting the people walking in.

He shook his head and smoothed his clothes down, brushing sand from his sleeve. He wasn't about to be seen with a dusty suit, regardless of who met him, gun or not. He pushed his hair back with one hand and let the state he'd willed his appearance into revert back to normal. At one time, he'd always looked like this, slightly tanned skin, dark eyes... now it was a chore to maintain. His Noah blood, unknown to him for years, had won out and changed him. With his concentration dropped, his skin darkened to an ashy grey and his eyes brightened to yellow.

"I'm sure they can't be far," he said.