glued to the window for the rest of the ride. There’s so much to see, the thrill of the unknown lighting me up.
We pass a busy horse market full of foreigners, our carriage slowed to the pace of walking by the heavy road traffic. Fascinated, I take it all in.
Elves are showing off ivory mares, the Elves’ hoods down to reveal gracefully pointed ears and long, white hair decorated with thin braids. Near the Elves are a group of muscular women garbed in black pants, boots and red tunics that shine brightly with fiery crimson rune-marks. The glowing symbols remind me of the blue rune-marks used by the Vu Trin sorceresses, though these women are a far more mixed group. Some are pale with blond hair, and others have skin in varying shades of brown and a rainbow of Urisk hues.
They’re as heavily armed as the Vu Trin sorceresses, and many have facial markings shaped like the runes on their clothing, as well as some piercings. A gleaming metal hoop is stuck right through the bottom of one red-haired woman’s nose, her ears sharply pointed and multiply pierced with dark metallic hoops.
“Amazakaran,” Lukas informs me. “Horsewomen of the Caledonian mountains.”
I stare at them, wide-eyed. “Are they as dangerous as the Vu Trin?”
Lukas laughs. “Just about.”
“They look like they aren’t really one race. Except they’re all dressed similarly.”
“The Amaz allow women of any race to join them.” He smiles at me and motions toward them. “They’d let you in, Elloren. And train you to use an ax like that.”
I gape at him, then look back toward the largest Amazakaran there. Her white-rose hair is braided and pulled back, and her face is heavily tattooed. She carries a huge, gleaming, rune-marked ax strapped to her back, and I jump slightly as the woman sets her fierce gaze on me, her eyes narrowed and dangerous. I whip my eyes quickly away from her, heart thudding, as the carriage gives a lurch forward and whisks the Amaz warrior from my sight.
We press on, and soon we’re traveling through forest and down a winding road, the rain picking up. There’s a clearing up ahead, and the Southern Spine comes into view, the forest falling away.
Rain-fogged Verpax appears, spread out before us, the countless domes and spires of the University city completely filling the immense valley. A haze of golden light from countless lanterns and torchlights hangs in the darkening fog. It’s a gated city, surrounded by a stone wall, the gates bracketed by guard towers.
I stare out over the scene, excitement and trepidation rising in equal measure.
Lukas turns to me, his mouth tilting into a wry smile. “Welcome to Verpax.”
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