As they traveled the well kept eastward road, the landscape of rolling hills followed a generally downward slope down towards the river valley where Reishada was located. The tall, harvest gold, grasses became more sparse, broken up by patches of dense scrub brush and the occasional stand of trees. Occasionally, large forests rolled over the hills, but for the most part the area was primarily rolling plains with the occasional monstrously large tree.

The travel itself went fairly well for the most part, a days long deluge of icy rain slowed them down to a crawl and delayed their arrival in Reishada by several days. Ulresh was true to his word and trained the Franklins both in the use of a spear, deeming the weapon the simplest weapon for them to learn quickly.

It was nearing dusk, two and a half weeks into their journey, when Howard topped a rise in the terrain and brought his horse to a stop. There below them stretched the last downslope leading down to the wide river. It rivaled the great Mississippi in size. On the near side of the river was a large fortress that butted against an arched bridge that crossed the river to a much smaller fortress on the other side. Surrounding that fortress was a sprawling, walled city. Reishada was easily as large as Chicago and likely housed over a hundred thousand souls.

It was the buildings that caught Howard’s breath in his throat. Where Destrang had been impressive in a primitive sort of way with its polished mud and gigantic bones, Reishada and its bridge and fortresses were delicate and elegant. The walls of the circular fortress, bowed slightly outward at the top like the petals of a flower, a graceful wave rippled along the edge of the wall. The fortress had several towers that twined together clarifying the image of a flowerbud. The windows in the towers gave plenty of vantage points over the surrounding area and despite its delicate appearance, the fortress seemed formidable.

The bridge had an ornate, stone, filigree that formed railings on either side as it arched high over the wide river. The stone the bridge was made from looked seamless from this distance. The smaller fortress on the other side of the river, barely visible beyond the bridge, A similarly fluted wall wrapped around the sprawling city. As he sat, high atop the hill, looking down over the descent and toward the beautiful city, the rest of their small group joined him.

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Clark whistled and he followed Howard’s eye.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Ulresh asked. “Reishada is a city built by the elves back in the Golden Age before the six great wars. There are few elven cities in the Eastlands and none rival the City of Roses.”

Vail Drassen shook her furred head as she returned from her forward scouting position to join them on the hill. “Respectfully, High Commander, I disagree. No city may rival the Living City of Ssura’ala.” Her smile exposed her sharply pointed teeth.

“This is only because you are from there.” The other Ograkillian soldier said, his voice slightly lisped due to his large curving tusks.

“This is true.” Drassen agreed. “Most shadairians are from there.” Shadairians were the family of beastkin that Drassen belonged to. She was a good natured, friendly woman who was rather fierce with a spear despite her small stature.

“It will be dusk before we reach the first fortress. We should continue.” Ulresh said as he spurred his horse into a walk down the rather steep hill.

Howard and Clark stayed behind for a long moment as the rest of the party, including the farspeaker Amien, headed down the hill. After a long moment of silence, Clark finally spoke. “Can you believe this, Howard? I ain’ seen anything as beautiful as that on God’s green earth.”

“Reckon that’s true.”

“Ain’ seen nothing as evil as them elves sound like neither though.”

Howard leaned a little to one side and spat on the ground. “Reckon that’s true too. Wha’d’ya reckon we aught to do ‘bout it?”

“Sounds like we ain’ got no way back through that Rift without walkin’ right into them elves.”

“Yep.”

“If’n we go with Miss Amien on her quest, ‘spose we could find a way home.”

“Maybe.” Howard said with a shrug. “Maybe we could stay though. Reckon Bea ‘n Nathan’ll do just fine without us.”

“Hmmm.” Clark’s answer was noncommittal as he finally urged his mount to follow.

The last miles of their trek to Reishada passed quickly and though the wide, stone doors were guarded by a small sq uad of soldiers, their small group of travels was waved though as soon as the soldiers recognized the High Commander.