The smell of sweet grapes wafted through the warm, night air. It almost felt like being in a sauna, with so many people’s heat stuffed into the royal dining hall. In times of peace, there wasn’t much for the Royal Court to discuss. So, Vandal allowed them to indulge their pleasures. Food, drink, conversation, he watched as they all delved into drunken exchanges.

He sat upon his stone throne, eyes scanning the crowd lazily as he sipped his wine. A 100 years ago, he had started as a servant in these very walls. As an immortal, it was his favorite game to play. Arrive somewhere new, somewhere exciting. Start at the bottom, then make your way up until you have reached the top. And Vandal was at the top. He was King, of course. This great palace had been built by him, his children and his children’s children ran through the halls, weaving through crowds and speaking excitedly to one another. At his side, sat his wife. The fifth one he had in his current life as king, though he could not recall her name. Not like that really mattered.

He watched as they enjoyed themselves, he could almost feel the seconds ticking past in their short lives. With every breathe they took, they were one closer to their last. They were….temporary. It was a fact Vandal had learned over many of centuries. If you asked him now, for the name of even one person in this room, he could not tell you. There was no use memorizing their names, they would simply take up too much space for what they were worth.

He chuckled at their almost childlike enjoyment, raising his chalice to his lips to sip. There was no doubt it was a beautiful night, and there was no doubt that there would be a million more to come.

Then they first arrived. They thought they were being discreet. That no one would see him. Vandal saw. As everyone drank and laughed and brushed their knees together under long wooden tables, he watched them walk through the doors as though he had always belonged there, quiet as sand upon the wind. They were something...different.