Amras
The sight left Amras staring, visibly bewildered yet doing an admirable job in minimizing just how much so. Then, he turned to face the road and not the pair of vampires, or the field hospital off to the side, or the great wall from whence they'd come. "I suppose, then, that I shall be walking with you. It will be a considerable distance by foot, and so I pray for your patience in enduring this choice."
He began marching along, and with only a brief glance to see if they were following, he proceeded on.
The sun rose ever higher in the daybroken sky. A white cat followed in their wake.
The Approach to Castle Town
It was a fortunate matter that for all that the great white road between the Path of Dawn and the distant Star Tower had not shifted an inch since Valerie's last visit to Endien it was even more pristine and well kept than before, the hardships of war washed away by the alluring gleam of enchantment. The path whispered the subtlest harmonies to Sakura's acute mystical senses, easing their passage and washing away the idle woes of weariness that came with foot travel. Sage, the cat, could hardly help herself in sniffing at the edges of the road, but also seemingly refused to step foot on it and instead trotted her way through the soft and flowing grasses that crunched here and there with the leaves of trees quickly left behind.
They passed several villages along the way, each built such that the land accentuated their presence and their simple elegance. Tasteful hues of gold, orange, and red predominated. The elves they passed, some with longer ears and others with shorter, some visibly aged or youthful and others with a timeless beauty, were all in the midst of preparations for some manner of conflict. They drilled with spears, swords, and bows. They sang rousing songs of battle, and brought forth with grace all manner of magic. Children played flutes and strung harps by gardens to coax forth their fruits.
They were greeted, of course, by those with the time to spare for such. Amras handled the brief introductions at each village, and as they passed he and they were offered drinks and food of exquisite quality for the road. Craftsmen took one look at their attire, and attempted to ply them with some of the finest shoes either had ever seen to see them on their journey. Sage caught mice, which seemingly dissolved into her mouth.
The great walls of Castle Town, as it translated from the tongue of the Highborne for Sakura's ears, grew ever larger. They could feel the great weight of eons of enchantment beginning to layer into place, one step after another, assessing and welcoming them. The regard of the one who waited for them in the Star Tower rested on their shoulders.
Then at last, as the sun made its far across the horizon from its eastern start, Valerie and her entourage arrived at a much larger, more fortified settlement at the foot of the great hill upon which the capital resided. Amras raised a hand as if to present it, and its open gates, and its glimmering townhouses, to his guests. "We have arrived where all foreign visitors of status are expected to remain until granted access to the capital. And to rest after that long walk." He nodded to both of them. "Her Majesty is, of course, aware of your presence - preparations are... likely being undertaken to greet you properly."
