~
Orange light reflected off the surface of a crystal clear river, the evening sun lighting the water into a visage of flame.
Vast fields of crops spread out away from the banks of the river, irrigated by trenches cut into the ground. Fields of corn, wheat, potatoes, and bean fields covered kilometers of land, providing much of the food needed by the nearby city.
Edain.
A few hundred years in the past, the northern river city was a powerhouse city-state and held the greatest influence over the north. Now, it was just one of the larger cities under Easthill's influence.
Heavy snowfalls every winter had led to a unique design of housing in the north, and Edain was the best place to visit to witness it. Built sturdily, the sharply sloped roofs allowed snow to slip down into small canals running parallel to the paved roads within the city.
During the warm months, the canals provided an excellent method for transporting goods. Docking areas around the city were always occupied by tiny cargo ferries, their widths only just over two meters wide so as to allow a similar craft to pass by in the canal.
Trade was an essential part of the city's economy. Cotton, an important and useful crop, failed to survive the frosty northern winters. A large amount was imported from the south, but it still wasn't enough to provide for everyone.
Many citizens of the north donned clothing made from leather or wool, more suitable materials for fending off the cold winters, as well as being more accessible.
Edain's port was also connected to the city canals, as well as a small man-made reservoir of water. In spring, snowfall from rooftops melted into the similarly melting canals, providing an escape for all the moisture and preventing flooding within the city's confines.
In winter, the usage of the canals remained the same, but the method changed somewhat. Wooden skids could be attached to the ferries, equipping them to slide smoothly on the frozen pathways. In such a manner, the city was able to keep running efficiently throughout the year.
~
Sometime before the sun began setting, the landscape of Edol, Willow, and Pierre's journey began to change. Further north they had seen countless trees and empty fields, but the closer they got to Edain, the more civilization returned. Cultivated fields replaced forests, and small wooden residences could sometimes be glimpsed through the rows of crops.
Being late summer, the harvest time for many crops was coming soon, and farmers could be seen busily preparing for the busy upcoming weeks.
Edol's hands twitched in excitement as they approached, parts of the city's skyline peeking over rows of corn. With a population of over 100,000 inhabitants, the city sprawled out into the surrounding landscape. The canals both provided good transport and took up a lot of room, so expanding the reaches of the city was how it expanded, rather than packing everyone into a smaller area.
Ghost, who had been sitting on Willow's shoulder, flapped his wings and glided over to land on Edol.
"This city is impressive. Over on the Western continent, there were only a few cities of this size, even in Union. If Glory is built like this too… we might be outmatched."
As they traveled, Ghost continued practicing flying. The grey eagle jumped back and forth between Willow and Edol's shoulders, even sometimes flying up to where Pierre was riding in front of the duo.
"Heh, I'm finally getting the hang of this. It won't be long before I'm soaring through the skies and earning the worship of all other birds!"
Ghost forgot about his worries about losing the war almost immediately, switching back to his cocky persona as he preened his feathers.
While they traveled, Edol and Ghost had found time to discuss their future plans. From their current position, there wasn't much Ghost could do for the West. Edol had the signature white-ish blonde hair of Easthill, and Ghost was just a bird. It would be difficult to convince anyone that they were messengers from the West, and would be impossible to form an alliance for Ghost's previous countrymen.
Edol was also in favor of supporting his friend's people. He'd heard enough stories from Ghost to form a bad opinion of Glory and their egotistical emperor, an opinion that'd been confirmed by Willow as they traveled.
Edol differed from his ancestors, deciding that Glory's practices of invasion and slavery weren't cool.
Still, there wasn't much they could do at the moment. Learning more about the East and Glory's current political situations was their best option. Of course, they had another goal.
'Finally, I should be able to learn more about spellcrafting here. Willow said there are quite a number of relic teams in the area, as well as a school of magic.'
Edol had a goal to become a spellcrafter, and he already had a connection that would allow him to learn. Surprisingly, it wasn't someone Willow knew.
"Ya want to join up with my kid's relic team to learn more about spells? Eh, sure. Ya seem well-behaved enough."
Most relic teams employed someone with at least a basic knowledge of spells. Many relic tombs contained traps and formations, and having a spellcrafter with could greatly increase the speed and safety of a team.
After Pierre confirmed that his son's team had an experienced spellcrafter on their team, Edol immediately requested to join. Knowing that Edol had taken down the massive bear back in town and seeing how he was fairly mature on their journey down to Edain, the hunter accepted.
"Eh, who cares if he doesn't want ya. I'm the one bailin him out, He doesn't have a say in the matter! Maybe with you around, he'll keep more in line and not get in trouble again!"
Having confirmed his plans, all that was left was to meet up with his new teammates.
~
"Pierre, right? It'll be four silvers for the release of the hooligan. He and his buddies kept misbehaving, so the bail is a bit higher than what was listed."
The hunter's face blanched as he peeked into his coin purse. There were only two silvers and a handful of coppers.
"Ah… Edol! These are your new teammates! Here, lend a few silvers for their freedom!"