The horse carriage sped up along the wide, smooth main road leading to the capital of the Helios Empire. The centuries-old stone road was marked with carriage wheel tracks and horse hoofprints, yet it remained sturdy enough to withstand the heavy traffic. The towering nine-meter-high city walls were now clearly visible on the eastern horizon, their dark granite stones gleaming under the afternoon sunlight. Reddish-golden imperial flags fluttered proudly atop the guard towers, their rising sun emblem seeming to symbolize the empire's eternal glory.
