Chapter 159: Clara’s concern
Riku and Sherry slowly started flying downwards.
They descended from the cold, thin air of the mountain peaks into the shadowy valley. The ambient purple glow from the city’s runes grew stronger, casting their faces in an ethereal light.
"It’s... huge. I never expected a vassal state to be so big." Sherry murmured, her now slightly excited at being back in her home empire once more.
"Well, it is time to go in. Are you ready?" Riku asked gently.
She gave a single, sharp nod. She still had bad memories of this empire, but her resolve was a shield against it. She would not falter. Not now.
They landed silently in a dark, narrow alleyway between two towering spires. The air here was cool and smelled of damp stone and a strange, metallic tang—the scent of raw, ambient magic.
Riku let the flight spell dissipate. "We can’t walk around like this," he stated. "You, especially. If someone from Nocturne is here..."
Sherry understood. She was a fugitive, a traitor’s daughter. Recognition would mean all sorts of trouble both for her and Riku.
"What should we look like?" Riku asked, turning to her. "What’s a common sight here? What kind of disguise would let us blend in?"
Sherry pulled him to the edge of the alley, pointing out into the bustling, shadowy street. Her expression turned serious, professional.
"Look," she whispered, indicating a man in simple dark robes with a glowing focus crystal on his belt. "That’s a Shadow-weaver. They deal in illusion and subtlety. Their magic is quiet, their presence unassuming. Often marked by a small runic tattoo."