Soo-Ah and Jung-In were behind their schedule, but their destination was not going anywhere. After one more day of travelling through the wilderness, they descended from the mountainous region, encountering the low hills and plains. As they got closer to the capital, more and more settlements were scattered along the way.
The king's road took them through the first village they'd encountered since starting on their journey. It clung to the slope of a hill and offered an unexpectedly grim sight. The farming fields around were arid, common for this time of the year, but they were also unkept, mostly covered with dried-out weeds. Thistles rolled around with the wind. With every gust, dry rustling sounds filled the air in waves, as dust lifted from the ground. The desolate land was slowly claimed back into the wild as if it was no longer a part of a human settlement.
