Chapter 158: Threads of Power
The city was always shifting with life, oblivious to the quiet shift of empires beneath its skin.
Velrosa walked ahead, her silhouette cutting a graceful path through the cobbled streets of Esgard’s lower quarter.
She wore no veil today, no mark-laden cloak. Just a flowing dress of deep violet, cinched at the waist, its hem brushing the stone with each step. Her silver hair was tied in a braided knot that glinted beneath the sunlight.
Ian followed her in silence, boots crunching beside hers.
For once, he wore no cloak, only a dark tunic and gloves that hid the scars of battle. Vowbreaker rested sheathed and unnoticed at his back—though his senses were never truly at rest.
They moved through a narrow street flanked by merchant stalls and leaning buildings.
The scent of spice and oil drifted through the air, mingling with smoke from nearby chimneys.
Children darted past with wooden swords, and a street bard hummed a ballad about the Crucible’s champions—though he skipped the verse about the Demon Blade.
Velrosa stopped in front of a modest building with a painted sign: Berreth Shipping & Trade Co.
She turned to Ian with a small smile. "This used to be the front for their smuggling network. Everything from taxed herbs to enchanted metals moved through this place."
Ian’s gray eyes scanned the structure. "Doesn’t look like much."