Imperial Calendar, November 11, 1463, Mason Port.
The murmuring waters were cleaved by the hulls of the ships, as flotillas of barges and flute-shaped vessels formed a long brown wall on the river.
The wall crawled slowly, docking by the pier, extending gangplanks like centipede legs onto the jetty.
Rows of soldiers from the Eastern Battle Army, clad in breastplates and wearing ship-like helmets, armed with spring-loaded guns on their backs, were setting foot on the soil of Mason Port in groups.
These soldiers from Mountain County and Norn loosened their collars with some discomfort, puzzled by the humid and warm weather here.
On the other side of the pier, transport ships crammed and filled all the berths.
Boxes of lead bullets, barrels of lunar mercury, along with bread, salted meat, and herbs, were being relayed by citizens to the warehouses beside the pier.
A few city councilors in Mason Port led by example, helping to carry the goods.
