The students of the Imperial Academy of Valor moved in a steady line, luggage in tow, following Daemar and Rauk through the wide stone streets of Tharvaldur. Just minutes away from the hotel, the cavern widened into the grand port.
It was a sight to behold. Dwarves bustled about, shouting orders as cargo was loaded onto runed vessels. The piers stretched out into a vast underground lake, its dark waters reflecting the glow of hundreds of mana lamps overhead. Ships lined the docks, each reinforced with carvings and enchantments for long voyages.
But among them, one ship immediately stood out.
Its hull was sleek and black, polished until it gleamed in the lamplight. Lines of violet mana pulsed faintly across its frame, and intricate engravings curled along the sides like flowing script. Tall banners bearing the Estermont crest fluttered in the artificial wind generated by the mana vents.
