They passed through the city gates just as the afternoon sun began to dip toward the horizon, casting long, golden shadows across the cobblestone streets. The city of Caelis was a marvel of architecture and engineering, a sprawling, intricate tapestry of stone and wood and glass, of elegant spires and graceful arches and bustling, vibrant marketplaces.
The carriage slowed to a crawl as it navigated the narrow, winding streets, the air filled with the clamor of a thousand different conversations, the scent of a hundred different spices, the music of a dozen different street performers. People of all shapes and sizes, from all corners of the known world, milled about, their faces alight with a feverish, almost manic energy. They were scholars and mages, artisans and merchants, soldiers and spies, each one with a story to tell, a secret to keep, a mystery to solve.
