Chapter 13: Adarante

The sun was just beginning to dip behind the towering ivory spires of Adarante, the resplendent capital of the Holjr Kingdom, as the caravan rolled through its grand main gate. Even the weary horses, their hides matted with travel dust, seemed to straighten their posture, sensing the vibrant energy of the city: a harmonious hum of ancient magic, gleaming steel, and countless stories just waiting to be told.

Zeppelin sat in the back of a covered wagon, her black eyes wide with wonder. Everything in Adarante felt impossibly vast, as if she had entered a realm far larger than anything her imagination had conjured. Towering structures, intricately carved with ancient runes that glowed softly in the fading light, stood like sentinel giants of stone and light. Their shadows danced over the bustling marketplaces below, where vendors called out in melodious voices, hawking enchanted wares on streets paved with smooth, shimmering bricks that seemed to pulse with an ethereal glow. Colorful flags flapped energetically in the warm breeze, each one representing a different guild, noble family, or knightly order, painting the air with their vibrant hues.

Her breath caught in her throat, overwhelmed by the beauty before her. "It's… beautiful," she whispered.

"You'll trip over your own tongue if you keep gawking like that," came Saya's voice perched beside her with arms crossed. Her white-silver hair caught a glint of the late sun, shimmering like spun silver. Her expression remained stoic, as it often did, but her tone held a gentler warmth than usual, softening the sharp edges of her usual scorn.

Zeppelin turned to her with a sheepish smile, unable to hide her awe. "I've just never seen anything like it."

"Stay close. People get lost in cities like this," Saya muttered, then added, quieter, "…especially people like you."

Their group, led by the ever-commanding Dame Lynsel, entered the Knight's Quarter, where the Order's Academy loomed like a small fortress of its own. Its stone walls were adorned with banners that fluttered in the wind, Apprentices and instructors watched curiously as the dirt-smeared team filed in, clearly fresh from some serious field work.

Inside, they were assigned temporary quarters. Basic, clean rooms with shared baths and stone floors that hummed faintly with warding magic.

Zeppelin dropped her small satchel on the bed and turned in a slow circle. "It's so… neat."

"It's a bunk room, not a royal suite," an apprentice girl muttered from a nearby corner, though her tone was not unkind, just matter of fact, as if she had grown accustomed to the sacredness of such spaces.

As evening settled over the city, a modest welcome feast was arranged in the academy's expansive hall. Long tables groaned under the weight of roasted meats, spiced vegetables, and steaming pitchers of sweet cider, filling the warm air with mouthwatering aromas. The apprentices, still giddy from their return to civilization, erupted into laughter and song, some harmonizing beautifully, while others sang off-key, joy spilling from them like an overflowing cup.

Zeppelin sat near the edge of it all, smiling politely at those who approached but clearly unsure where she fit in. The capital was dazzling… but overwhelming.

One boy, slightly older, with a crooked grin and messy hair, plopped down beside her with a plate full of food.

"So, uh, you're the mystery girl, huh?" he said. "The one that came in with the silver blade?"

Zeppelin blinked. "Mystery…?"

"Don't worry," he added, waving a hand. "People around here love a good secret. Makes them feel like something exciting's about to happen."

From across the room, Saya watched with the fierce intensity of a hawk. The moment the boy leaned a little too close, she rose from her place, moving towards them with purpose.

Zeppelin noticed her and giggled. "She really takes her job seriously." she remarked, her tone laced with playful admiration.

"More like she takes you seriously," the boy muttered under his breath, then quickly stuffed food in his mouth when Saya approached.

And thus, her first night in Adarante passed, awkward, noisy, and warm, a strange contrast to the wild forests and bloodied battlefields she had recently left behind. Yet, amidst the chaos, something stirred in her chest like a flickering spark igniting a long dormant flame.

But something in her chest stirred, like a flickering spark.She had come here to be safe.

But fate had other plans.