[Day 18 — Noon — Southern border of Veltharr]
Veltharr appeared without warning.
Iron Pass had ended in an abrupt descent between two rock formations, and when the last meter of the trail gave way to flat ground, the city was there.
Dark stone. Built against a rock wall that served as a natural northern rampart. Low, dense buildings stacked against one another with the logic of something that had grown without a central plan. Twisted streets. Irregular rooftops. Smoke from kitchens in the air.
And noise.
A permanent market on the outskirts — wooden and canvas stalls covering three full blocks before reaching the city gates. All kinds of people mixed together without the formal segregation that Empire City had. Humans. Beastfolk of various races. A few types Alex didn't immediately identify.
Kira breathed.
Not deeply. Just a little.
"Frontier city," she said. "The people here chose to be far from what's in the center."
"Do you know it?" Emily asked.
