Chapter 6

As Laya's group passed through the gates, the sounds of the city washed over them—hoofbeats clattering on cobblestones, street vendors hawking their wares, the distant clang of a blacksmith's hammer. The scent of freshly baked bread mingled with the pungent aroma of fish from the docks, carried by the sea breeze that swept through the bustling port city of Alta. Yet, despite the liveliness of the city, a tangible tension clung to the air around them, like an unshakable shadow.

Rin exhaled sharply, her wings twitching with irritation. "Miss Laya, do they have to do that every time we enter the city?" Her voice was hushed, but the frustration was clear.

Laya's fingers brushed against the pointed tips of her ears. "They do," she said simply, her tone carrying a weight that only time and experience could forge. "It's the law here."

Rin's feathers ruffled slightly. "But it's not like we're going to do something bad, so why is everyone looking at us like that?" Her golden eyes flicked toward the onlookers who barely concealed their glares and hushed murmurs.

Laya's smile was small, tired. "Because we look different. Because we remind them of something they don't want to remember."

Rin opened her mouth to argue, her hands balling into fists at her sides, but Lyndis placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Let it be," she said in a quiet voice, her calm presence grounding the younger woman. "We have work to do."

The conversation fell away as they moved deeper into the city. The echoes of their footsteps blended into the city's rhythm—merchants advertising their wares, children laughing as they darted through narrow alleyways, and the ever-present clang of metal against metal from the blacksmiths.

Archus, though just a child, absorbed everything. He observed the people around them—their uniform features, their tidy clothing, the way their eyes barely veiled their disdain when they met his mother's gaze. Unlike her and her companions, the townsfolk moved freely, unburdened by the stares and whispers that followed them.

There was a reason for their disdain. He just didn't know it yet.