They walked for another full day.
The river faded into the distance behind them. The flat, rocky plains slowly turned into deep, dusty canyons. The sun beat down on their hooded heads. The wind blew harsh, dry dirt into their faces.
Jin set a grueling pace. He did not want to sleep in the wild for a third night.
He watched Luna. He expected her to slow them down. He expected her to cry or complain about the heat. She did not. Her small legs worked twice as hard to keep up with Jin's enhanced stride. She drank sparingly from her canteen. She chewed her tough, salted meat while walking. She was desperate to prove she was not a liability.
Jin approved. She understood the rules of survival.
By the late afternoon of the second day, the canyons opened up. The terrain flattened out into a massive, dusty valley.
Jin stopped walking. He stood at the edge of a high cliff and looked down into the valley.
Iron-Spire.
It was massive. Cloud City was nothing compared to this. Cloud City was just a crude fort made of dead logs and mud. It was a backwater slum. Iron-Spire was a true fortress of industry.
A colossal wall completely encircled the city. The wall was hundreds of feet high. It was not made of crude stone. It was forged from solid, dark black iron. Massive, glowing blue Aether crystals were embedded in the metal at regular intervals. The crystals powered a faint, huming energy shield that covered the entire city like a translucent dome.
Inside the black walls, the city reached for the sky.
Massive towers rose high into the air. They were built from heavy steel, thick slabs of petrified wood, and strong, clear beast-glass. Smoke poured from hundreds of giant chimneys. The distant, rhythmic sound of massive hammers striking hot anvils echoed across the valley.
It did not look like a primitive, wild settlement. It looked highly advanced. It was a city dedicated completely to forging and commerce.
"It is large," Nyx stated in Jin's mind. She stood next to him on the cliff. "There are multiple high-level Aether signatures inside. Many powerful guilds operate behind those walls. We must be cautious."
"We will blend in," Jin said.
They walked down the dusty path toward the main southern gate.
The road leading to the gate was incredibly busy. It was a massive, paved highway. Hundreds of merchant wagons moved in organized lines. Giant, armored beasts with six legs pulled heavy carts filled with raw ore and uncut timber. Heavily armed mercenary groups marched alongside the wagons, guarding the valuable cargo.
Jin, Nyx, and Luna joined the flow of traffic. They kept their heads down. They looked like three common, tired scavengers returning from the plains.
They reached the massive iron gates.
The guards here were different from Cloud City. They did not wear rusted scrap metal. They wore uniform, polished steel armor. They carried identical, high-quality plasma rifles. They watched the crowd with sharp, disciplined eyes. They were professional soldiers paid by the wealthy city guilds.
Jin looked at Luna.
"You are the ledger keeper," Jin said quietly. "Get us inside. Do not draw attention to us."
Luna swallowed hard. She was nervous. But she nodded. This was her job. This was how she earned her protection.
She stepped forward. Jin and Nyx walked a half-step behind her.
They reached the front of the line. A tall guard in polished steel armor looked down at the small girl in the oversized grey tunic. He looked at the two dark, hooded figures behind her. He raised a heavy metal clipboard.
"State your business and pay the toll," the guard ordered. His voice was bored but firm. "Three low-tier cores for entry."
Luna did not shrink back. She stood up straight. She reached into her pocket. Jin had given her a small handful of dull cores before they reached the gate.
"We are scavengers from the southern plains," Luna said. She used a rough, slightly lower tone of voice. She mimicked the way her father's caravan guards used to speak. "We had a bad run. We just want to sell some cheap beast hides and buy hot food."
She placed exactly three dull Aether cores onto a small metal tray next to the guard.
The guard barely glanced at the cores. The story was common. The toll was paid. He waved his heavy metal gauntlet toward the open gates.
"Move along," the guard said. "Keep your weapons sheathed. The city watch hangs thieves in the central square."
Luna bowed her head slightly. She walked quickly through the massive iron archway. Jin and Nyx followed her perfectly.
They stepped out of the dark tunnel of the gate and into the city.
Jin stopped walking. He pulled his heavy brown hood back just a few inches. He wanted a clear view.
For the first time since he woke up in the green fluid of the bio-pod, Jin felt a genuine spark of wonder. He looked around with child-like curiosity. His corporate manager brain was completely fascinated.
The city was a masterpiece of logistics.
The streets were incredibly wide. They were paved with smooth, dark stone blocks that fit together perfectly. The traffic was not chaotic. There were designated lanes for heavy wagons and designated paths for people walking on foot.
Bright, glowing Aether crystals hung from tall metal poles, lighting the streets evenly. Massive towers of dark steel and glass rose up on all sides. Huge banners hung from the buildings, displaying the colorful symbols of different powerful merchant guilds.
Jin looked up. He saw large, wooden gondolas floating through the air between the highest towers. They were pulled by tamed flying beasts with wide, leathery wings.
It was a perfectly functioning, massive economy.
Jin accessed his inherited memories. He compared Iron-Spire to the capital of the Apex Empire. He compared it to Chimeria.
In his memories, Chimeria was massive. It spanned an entire continent. But it was a biological nightmare. It was grown from living coral and giant, twisted bone trees. The air in the capital always smelled like blood, toxic waste, and rotting flesh. The streets were chaotic and oppressive. The strong simply crushed the weak in the middle of the road.
Iron-Spire was completely different. It was built on cold, hard logic. It was built with straight lines and strong metal. It smelled like hot iron, burning coal, and roasted spices.
It reminded Arthur of a massive, industrial city on Earth. It had rules. It had structure.
Jin decided right then. The imperial city of Chimeria was only slightly better in terms of pure size and military wealth. But in terms of order and infrastructure, Iron-Spire was vastly superior.
"This is a good place," Jin said out loud. A small, rare smile touched the corners of his mouth.
Nyx looked at him. She did not understand his fascination with a loud, dirty metal city. To her, it was just a target-rich environment full of potential threats.
Luna stood next to Jin. She looked around the busy street. She felt a heavy wave of sadness. She was supposed to be here with her father. They were supposed to be selling rare seeds right now. She blinked away the tears. She could not afford to be weak.
"Where do we go first?" Luna asked. She looked up at Jin.
Jin pulled his brown hood back down, hiding his face in the shadows again. His moment of wonder was over. It was time to get back to work.
"We need a safe place to stay," Jin commanded. "Then, we need to find a discrete merchant. We have a lot of bandit loot to sell. We need to turn those heavy chests into pure capital."
"I know the merchant districts," Luna said quickly. "The lower tier markets buy bulk goods without asking too many questions."
"Lead the way," Jin said.
They joined the massive crowd of people walking down the smooth stone street. The city of Iron-Spire was loud, busy, and full of money. Jin was ready to take his share.