The walk from the general's hall into the heart of Delwig was quieter than Damien expected. Soldiers patrolled in ordered formations, smithies clanged in the distance, and the sharp scent of steel and smoke lingered in the air, but there was none of the noise and chaos that marked Greshan or other frontier cities.
Delwig's streets were clean, its walls seamless, its gates fortified thrice over. Even the ordinary citizens who passed by walked with straight backs and measured steps, as though they, too, bore some silent discipline.
Captain Apnoch led them at a steady pace. His hand rested casually near the hilt of his blade, though Damien could tell the man didn't walk so much as patrol. Every corner of his gaze measured exits, angles, and threat vectors.
"You've got questions," Apnoch said suddenly, without looking back.
Damien raised a brow. "Do I?"
