Essyrn, The Golden City, Jewel of the Desert, built upon an oasis of staggering size. A result of location only, and the need of the people. The Niafi river was the lifeblood of this city. It alone provided the neccesary enviroment to sustain plantations. Crops and livestock aplenty to feed the masses, those who could afford it, and keep them from thirst, probably for centuries to come. The Dry heat of the desert was bad, but the humid heat of the Oasis would be worse, during the day.
Light gleamed off the granite walls, polished naturally by wind and sand to an unlikely finish. The roads emering from the city were populated with wagons, and merchants, coming and going, striving for the privelage to sell their wares in the city, rejection could break even the best of merchants, while admission could make one wealthy for years to come. The merchant fleets of Essyrn were the wealthiest in all the lands, rivaling those of any of their competitors, their princes ruthless and brilliant in their dealings.
Their caravan was long and winding now, the trek across Maraki long and arduous, only once had raiders tried them, dehydration had hurt them far more than bandits. Atar'Ashi and his companion, Dred'Rikath, lounged in the back of a wagon. The swordsman had clearly fallen asleep again leaving his mage companion alone to his thoughts. Chain armor and woolen clothing had been replaced by lighter, local subsitutes, boots for sandals, gloves gone. Atar'Ashi's atunement to all things magical had found them a source of trade, rare as sorcery was Atar'Ashi was able to step in and make people's lives easier, offering basic knowledge in medicine, an all-too-well-accomplished hand in the healing arts, and some geomancy to go with it. As ever, the two of them would survive, and profit, on their skills alone.
Tanned skin had long since replaced sun burn on the fourty-nine day trip through the desert, Atar'Ashi had come to the conclusion that he hated travelling by wagon, one could simply shadow-step to Essyrn but the swordsman had insisted on making the trip. Dred'Rikath was right, though. Inconvenient for the time they were losing, but he was turning a profit with little expense to himself, and he had taken a liking to Alberich on this trip. The boy was more atuned to magic than he was, the thought still frightened him, intensely, however, he didn't think the boy could cause much harm.
Silver'Dart, that one could cause harm, much harm. He had seen it, and felt it, and could do little about it. Fourty some days of travelling together following the incident with Werglk and their encounter with the Mordecai and the woman was as gaurded as ever. Trust was a hard thing to develop without friendship, and companionship was no substitute for friendship. Dred'Rikath, was his friend, Silverd'art, was their companion, and while Dred was extremely open with the woman, he felt no need to be. Everyone has secrets, after all.
Atar raised his hand to shield the sun from his eyes and squinted, the walls of Essyrn just now breaching the horizon ahead of them, the air was humid, unusual for a desert but not so much for the Oasis. They had passed the last quarries hours ago, the labor that went into moving the stone for these walls was not something Atar longed to think on, the backs of slaves, broken and maimed in the process. His brow wrinkled as he frowned, the thought rapidly souring his mood. It had been years since he had seen Essyrn, years longer yet since he had been in the city, the thought was not heart-warming. They had their share of enemies, the gods knew it, and they didn't know who to expect here.
The mage sat up and kicked at Dred's leg, the swordsman snapped awake, blinked while his eyes adjusted to the light, and sat up as the wagon bounced down the road. "The city" Atar said and nodded ahead, Dred's eyes followed the motion and surveyed the scene as he let out a heavy sigh. "Dreadful place." The swordsman's hands checked his weapon as he scanned the terrain, riders were headed toward the caravan, probably from the city. "Don't tell Raflroi I said that...or his family" He added, then grinned as he looked at the mage. Atar grinned back. Too long on the road... "Where is Zayna?" Dred asked.