Rion continued down the road leading to the Grand Capitol. It had been a week since he and Lie had gone their separate ways at Waneir. He missed her—but knowing he'd reach the Grand Capitol today helped take his mind off it.
"I'm alllmost there, I'm almost—!" he began to sing, until he heard a low sputter behind him. He turned—only for a car to zoom past, nearly hitting him.
"AHHHH!" Rion screamed, falling back into the dirt.
As he watched the car disappear down the road, he scowled.
"Son of a…"
Cars, and anything engine-based were still new to Accia, and to the world in general and they were rather amazing. While not quite as fast as a horse at full sprint, a car could maintain a consistent speed for long stretches, making travel quicker overall.
Only problem was the price. The cars themselves were outrageously expensive, and the fuel even more so. Lie had once told him that mages in a place called Eliso were trying to develop a way to run them on magic, but so far had no luck.
"Almost made me mess up…" Rion muttered, glancing at his hands, both of which still flowed with magic. He'd held the magic like that for the week, and it had done wonders for his magic control.
Now, though, Rion realized he was covered in dust and smog from the car.
Oh well, guess I'll use it, he thought, slightly eager.
He raised his right hand above his head and carefully began to form something—a sphere of water, suspended mid-air. Grinning, he let it burst over him, rinsing away the grime.
He shook out his hair and chuckled. "It worked this time!" He clenched his fist in excitement. That was another thing he'd been working on all week, and he was finally getting the hang of it.
Rion was now completely soaked—but in the heat of midsummer, he'd be dry far before reaching the Capitol.
With that, he pressed onward and after another hour of walking, something came into view in the distance: a massive stone wall and a wide gate terminal with three separate entrances, a large crowd was gathered up front.
"Whaaa? Lie never told me about this…" Rion groaned. "Hopefully the line's not too long."
****
Upon catching up Rion joined the back of the line and was immediately captivated by the diversity around him. From afar, he hadn't noticed just how many diffrent people were gathered—but now he could see the variety clearly. Different skin tones, features, and voices. He even spotted plenty of elves which he had yet to see up to this point.
There were also all kinds of transport: carriages, carts holding cargo, horses, and even a few cars scattered among them.
Rion grinned. "This is so cool!"
But his smile faded fast.
This... is going to take all day. He thought, his excitement quickly rinsed away.
And take all day it did!
By the time Rion reached the front, the sun was already lowering, and he was thoroughly exhausted after hours of standing.
The woman at the gate terminal, somehow still full of energy, greeted him with a bright smile. "What's your business in the Grand Capitol?"
That's when Rion noticed the bunny ears atop her head.
Ah, he thought, explains the energy. It also made him realize something: despite the variety of people in line, he hadn't seen any beastfolk. He wondered why, but shrugged it off and answered:
"Sightseeing."
She nodded cheerfully. "Nice! May I see your I.D.?"
Rion handed over his adventurer's card.
"Oooh, you're an adventurer!" she said, even more excited. She scanned the card and the device in her hand flashed green. "Perfect! Now, hand your bag over to him for inspection," she added, nodding to a nearby soldier.
Rion did as instructed. The armored guard quickly stifled through his belongings, then handed the bag back upon not finding anything suspicious.
"You're free to go," he said, waving him through.
"Thank you," Rion replied, bowing his head.
As he passed through the gate, which felt more like a tunnel, given its massive width—his eyes widened upon reaching the end. A vast green landscape stretched ahead. In the far distance, atop a gradual incline, stood the Grand Capitol. It was enormous—larger than Rion could've ever imagined. Even with the high stone walls surrounding it, obscuring most of the view outside some particularly tall towers and the main castle itself that peeked out from above.
A cobblestone road wound up the grassy hill ahead, with dozens of travelers walking it.
Rion grinned, readjusted his bag, and stepped forward.
(And thus, Rion's adventure continues…)