Two weeks had passed since they left the simple and warm stilt village. The long and exhausting journey through dense forests, overflowing small rivers, muddy plains, and rocky mountain paths had finally brought them to the wide main road leading directly to the capital of the Earth Human Empire. The morning air felt noticeably drier, fresher, and filled with the vibrant energy of city life. The wind carried a mixture of road dust, spices from traveling merchants, and the faint scent of horse sweat and machine oil.
