Chapter II: The Capital
As Asher entered his birth land, his fatigue disappeared. The path into the vale was gentle, so that even the prisoner’s blind steps could navigate the way down. They passed through fields of wheat and corn. The sheer amount of food was staggering, but the boy felt at home among the crops.
He stuck close to Galen and Finn as the Free way merged into the bustling streets. One step at a time, they squeezed through the chaos—the exotic attractions, freak shows, storefronts, and markets. Asher watched the faces around him wash by like leaves in a stream. Many were female, young and old. He studied the women, waiting for a familiar feature to appear—for some epiphany of sudden, undeniable recognition.
The faces ended at the city wall, where they came to a gate. The guards, it seemed, knew Galen, and the group passed through without contest, prisoner first. Asher learned that the area outside the walls was called the City, while the smaller neighborhood they entered was called the Pretty. The Pretty contained the prime real estate—red brick buildings with soft squares of grass artificially laid in between. Bored wives watched them pass through the easy paths until they came to the eastern quarter.
A massive stone structure dominated the vicinity. Tall, broad columns framed a wide archway, and a stunning interior shone through—one of echoing, white marble chambers that bore a solemn, ancient quality.
The prisoner, comprehending their location in a lucid moment, cursed under his breath.
The door guards took the horse and mule from Galen and Asher.
They entered the Institute.
★
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The Queen of Grass and Tree (Southwind Knights #2)
Teen Fiction★ Book #2 in the Southwind Knights series. If you haven't read Book #1, stop now! ★ Southwind is in uprising, and Asher is lucky to escape alive. With an orphaned Finn and the exiled Healer, he journeys north to the Queendom’s ca...
