Drem stepped out of the circle, and surveyed his surroundings. He was no longer in the woods, a place he knew like the back of his hand.
Grassy planes stretched as far as the eye could see, with the occasional wheat or vegetable field, and walls of incredible hight could be seen in the distance.
Even though they were scarce, these kind of fields did exist in the woods, but they were more of a diversion for the women than a valuable source of food. These fields however, could feed thousands, and they weren't harvested by humans, but by strange metallic beasts.
Drem stood in place agape, wondering if he should be more awed by these strange monsters or by the fact that he just traveled an unknown distance in an instant.
"Amazing isn't it?" said Loand.
"I remember how it felt, seeing the tractors for the first time, but don't get too surprised, since there are much stranger things to see inside the city itself"
"They are made with magic right?" Drem's eyes widened in anticipation.
"Can it bring my family back to life?" Surely if magic can bring metal to life, it can bring his loved ones back to him.
"Don't be a moron"
"Kof!" Hearing Kof's cruel remark, Loand gave him a stern look and shouted towards him.
"Please forgive him. He always had this shitty attitude towards new comers and i wasn't an exception"
"Yes, you were just as clueless and naive when you first arrived"
"Anyways, unfortunately resurrection is currently impossible even for the most powerful of mages. We can extend our lives by many means but once it's over there's nothing we can do about it. It is the one thing we are all equal in"
Drem lowered his head as the recent memories of the cruel slaughter of his family resurfaced. He truly hoped that magic will give him the power to bring back his family, and in the absence of hope to see them again he couldn't find a reason to move forward.
"Lift your head!" Kof shouted at him, making him jump.
"You are a proud mage and as one, you have the responsibility to acquire the strength to protect all those you hold dear. Standing there weeping will accomplish nothing"
As kof finished his short speech, he began walking towards the city walls, not waiting for either Drem nor Loand to follow.
Loand approached Drem and placed his hand on his shoulder, hoping to comfort him.
"You might not believe me but he came to this city for a reason much like your own" Loand stared at Kof's direction genuinely surprised at his reaction.
'I guess he's not that cold after all' he thought.
"I know right now it seems like you have nothing to live for, but one day you'll meet people who will be just as dear to you as your lost family. Nothing will be able to replace them, but i promise you'll definitely find a reason to live on"
Drem raised his head slowly. It didn't seem to him like the future Loand described will ever come, but it was better than giving up. He knew his mother, wherever she might be right now, would have at least want him to live on.
"We should probably get going. Kof doesn't seem like he has any intention of waiting for us and has the mission permit"
"mission permit?"
"it's a document that shows we are mages out on a mission rather than potential enemies trying to infiltrate the city"
Saying that, Loand And Drem started picking up the pace and caught up with Kof who didn't seem to be too happy to see them again.
As they approached the city gates, passing through some vineyards and grain fields, Drem was once again in awe by the sheer size of the city.
The stone walls stood hundreds of feet tall, and the large wooden gate made it seem like this was the city of giants, rather than humans. He couldn't imagine just how many people must be living there.
As the group reached the gate they where stopped by a pair of robed men. It appeared that they where wearing some kind of uniform, a white robe with a symbol of a gate where the heart should be.
"Permit" one of them said.
Kof handed him a little black disk, and once the guard touched it it turned yellow, which must have been what was supposed to happen since he handed him the disk back. The disk turned black again and the guard reached for a small pouch he had hanging by his waste.
Before he managed to give Kof whatever it was he wanted to give him, Kof signaled him to stop and said "We'll take the walk".
"Really childish of you Kof", Drem didn't know what 'the walk' meant but Loand clearly wasn't happy Kof chose to take it.
"The kid will have to find out eventually anyway" Kof said.
"It might as well be now"
The gate slowly opened, revealing the city's entrance.
"Welcome to Arcandrin"
And with these words the trio finally entered the city.