CHAPTER 406 - Peace In Melanochelys.

The imperial city of Melanochelys was unlike anything the others had ever seen.

It was built into and around the enormous roots of the world tree as if it were a living organism as much as a settlement. 

Houses were grown, not built—curved structures of woven branches, bioluminescent vines coiling gently along their surfaces, casting soft, dreamlike glows in hues of blue, violet, and pale gold. 

Bridges of root and moss crisscrossed the air, connecting levels of the city like threads of a great tapestry.

The scent of blooming flora and damp earth filled the air as strange creatures flitted through the shelter—winged lizards, glowing moths, and sentient pollen sprites that giggled as they passed overhead.

Alex walked calmly at the group's center, hands in his pockets, gazing across the surreal cityscape.