Far beyond the vast expanse where the endless seas touched the blue empyrean, the dawning sun peeked its oculus from behind the firmament and illuminated the colossal walls that held a city with its tight embrace. Runes were etched on their surface, stretching all across the entire fortifications and resembled the mythical bars that held a slumbering beast deep within. Resting atop the walls were a series of towers with multiple shutters spiralling down along their imposing veneers. Housed in each of them were cannons, manned by the most battle-hardened soldiers to raze and exterminate anyone or anything that would bare its fangs against the city behind them.

The entire city was atop an elevated cliff, protected from land by the impenetrable walls and shielded from the seas by the unsinkable vessels that seized the seas. A harbour city unlike any other, not bound by any countries, alliances or even empires, the city prevailed on its own and flourished as a trading nexus for this continent and the continents beyond. Centuries went by from its conception, where countries fell from grace and kingdoms crumbled to ruins while this very city still stood tall against the tides of change. A feat unprecedented by all, especially for a city which shared the borders between the Two Divine Empires of the continent.

Unbound by the threads of the most devious machinations, unshakable by the forces of the dominion, and unbreakable by the realms of mortals and the demigods, the city was named Dawnkiln.

A place where the merchants assembled to trade objects scurried from the edges of the world, a place where the young and ambitious gathered to plan their next venture, and a place where the nobles assembled to plot their devious schemes, the city always held its part of the bargain and delivered them all from time and time again. It touched upon the heartstrings of anyone who basked upon its presence with the hope for a piece of its own fictitious paradise. One might wonder what was the catch in all these. For that, they would have to look no further than past the walls and take a leap inside, and then they would quickly realise that the dreams ever promised were reserved for only those who kept the rivers of gold pouring into the heart of the city. Dawnkiln, just as the name signified, was just like a kiln of a forge, using coins instead of coals to craft its wonders for all to see.

A large village was formed just outside the lofty walls, stretching along and ending at the throats of the nearby shores. Its residents toiled day and night, in the hopes of a coming day when their descendants shall relish in the grandeur of this fabled city. But until that day, they had to give their all to build up what little they had of their wealth and make ends meet to live on with their mundane lives.

People from all walks of life, from nobles to peasants, from merchants to rogues, from mortals to even demigods, travelled along the roads that passed through the hamlets and approached the towering gates that led towards the city. Among them, were Vincent and his retinue as they rode on horseback and passed through the vigilant guards without a hitch. None stopped them for questioning, even though they were almost in rags and in bloodstained clothes. Were the security of this prominent city this careless? Of course, that would not be the case. They let them pass because their battle-hardened instincts screamed at them to do so. Not because they were scared, but because of the demeanour that Vincent and his followers radiated, resembling the bearings of those reserved only by the pureblooded nobles and royals.

Horses and highborn carriages trotted on the streets paved with luminous black stones. Women and men in graceful attires strolled alongside the walkways, their heads were raised high with bolstered pride and with unrestrained arrogance. Luxurious taverns and inns, jewellery stores, theatres, silk and cloth weavers, and all other amenities sought out by every noble were lined up along the wayside. And thus, Vincent and the others finally arrived at the hub of the city.

“Vincent! Vincent! Let’s rent a room inside one of those inns!” Selena grabbed onto his arm and said.

“Why? This is just a slight detour from our journey, we won’t be here for long,” Vincent said.

“But it’s been so long since I had a bath!”

“This is why I told you to wash yourself when we came across the streams along our path.”

“But the water seemed a bit dirty! What if I became sick?”

“Seemed dirty? These things are not new for you, so when did it start becoming a problem?”

“Vincent, please! I just want a proper bath! And we also need a new set of clothes! Just look at us now wearing these filthy things! People are looking at us the wrong way!” Selena said and pointed at Celeste. “And look how pitiful our poor child is with these rags! She never had her own clothes ever since she was born!”

“Alright alright fine, do what you want,” Vincent got off the horse and passed the reins to Selena. “Go and reserve a room or two, I will join you all in a while.”

“What? You are not coming?”

“Nathaniel and I have some work to take care of.”

“Vincent! Wait! I want to go with you!” Hertha jumped off her horse and dashed next to Vincent, but without question, he grabbed onto her waist and placed her atop his own horse instead.

“No you may not, and it’s better if you three stick together,” Vincent said.

“But… I wanted to spend… some time with you… with only us,” Hertha lowered her head and said in a soft tone.

Selena turned around and frowned at Hertha, “Bold of you in trying to flirt with him right in front of me!”

“Who are you to tell me otherwise? Humph!” Hertha did not flinch for even a moment and glared back at her in response.

“Heh? Who am I you are asking? Then listen once again as I--”

“That’s enough,” Vincent pinched their cheeks and pulled the two away from their squabbles. “Be nice to each other while I am away? Can you two at least promise me this?”

“I can only be nice if she is nice to me!” Selena said.

“I feel just the same, humph!” Hertha said.

Seeing no other options, Vincent just sighed and turned to his little daughter, “My child Celeste, it’s all up to you now to keep your mother and Hertha from each other’s throat.”

No one knew if she understood or not, but she nodded along just the same. She raised her arms in the air and curled her hands into little fists, expressing her thoughts in playful gestures that she would do her best to keep them all in line. And as if it was not enough, she then picked up her wooden club and proceeded to bash their heads with its pole.

“You silly girl! What are you doing?” Selena berated and snatched the wooden club away before it could even reach her forehead.

Celeste puffed up her cheeks and looked back at her father with teary eyes.

“There there, don’t be sad, you did just fine,” Vincent patted her head and said. “So if you keep doing these things, then your mother and Hertha won’t have any more time to argue against themselves.”

“Vincent! Please don’t give her any more ideas! And you don’t have to worry anymore! We will behave ourselves, Right? Hertha?” Selena said.

“I did not promise anything! Humph! Your daughter is your problem, not mine,” Hertha pouted.

“Just shut up and act more like a responsible adult for once!” Selena said.

Vincent looked at their exchange and nodded in satisfaction, “It appears you three will get along just fine. Now go hurry and be on your way, I will find you all in time.”

“You don’t have to look for long, we will just take the most luxurious lodge in the city!” Selena said and grinned.

“Just make sure not to drain all our coins at one place, we still have a long journey ahead of us,” Vincent said.

“I shall try, hehe,” Selena said and took off, steering her horse towards the innermost districts.

“Wait!” Nathaniel interjected and climbed down from his steed. He grabbed into the reins and passed them to Selena, “Our horses toiled day and night since we were on the road. So can you bring them to the stables at the inn and make sure they are well taken care of? Their injuries have yet to heal fully, and I am afraid that they will collapse if this goes on for long.”

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“Since when do you care so much about them? These are just horses. We can always buy more,” Selena said.

“How can you say that, Selena? That’s heartless!” Hertha said except her nonchalant expression proved otherwise. It appeared as though she said these things more out of spite against Selena than her actual care for the four-legged beasts.

“Heh, I can say whatever I want,” Selena said.

“Yes, we can always buy more, but these horses have been with us for months, so I think they deserve at least this much courtesy,” Nathaniel said.

“Always playing the ‘good man’ is it? Well whatever,” Selena said and finally led the horses away.

“So what’s our next move?” Nathaniel asked as he watched them vanish amidst the crowds.

“To the armoury, I need to buy new weapons and some gears,” Vincent replied and took a step along the walkways. “And we need to hire a ship to traverse the Great Seas.”

“This might take a while, not many captains would want to sail towards the Frozen Dominion,” Nathaniel said.

“Anyone can be convinced depending on the right circumstances, we just have to find the right person up for the task.”

“Not sure if any sane person would want to head towards the forbidden region, regardless of what we can offer them.”

“Who says we needed a sane person for the task? We have to look at ourselves and find the folks who are just as insane as we are.”

“Yes… but I disagree on the part that we are … as you said… insane.”

“Oh? Then prove me otherwise.”

“That would … be--”

“That would be impossible, haha, and you know it,” Vincent chuckled.

Nathaniel did not respond, for he had no rebuttal to begin with. He simply shook his head and walked beside Vincent as they made their way through the bustling streets.

Time passed by while they slowly left the heart of the city further behind. The usual crowd of nobles dwindled away, replacing them all were adventurers, caravans, merchants and mariners, who presided over the tireless crossroads. They were at the docks, where giant vessels of wood slumbered along the harbour, and were anchored in by the slab of metal to resist the pull of the untamed seas. The ships there numbered too many to count inside one’s fleeting mind. Burly men in grey tunics climbed the vessels and unloaded crates upon crates atop the wharf, scheduling their ships to set sail for their next expedition across continents. A large bazaar was hauled up along the yard, where wanderers and travellers pledged their wares that they have plucked up along their journey across the far ends of the whole wide world. Fights broke off every now and then but the nearby guards did not intervene. They laughed along with the crowds and watched them all unfold before their eyes. Were they negligent in their duties? The oblivious onlookers would have thought that way, but the local residents would say otherwise, for the fights and squabbles were all part of the whole that kept the lively spirit of the port thriving at its core. If the heart of Dawnkiln were a paradise for the nobles, then this port could be redeemed as a piece of Eden carved out just for the humble folks of the lands.

But of course, that does not mean the place was lawless as it seemed on the surface. If blood was spilled under the table and lives were lost, then the guards would turn into relentless hounds from the abyssal depths until they find the perpetrator to enact their hammer of justice. For such were the ways the city kept its name resounded across the continents for centuries past.

“Look at this place, we are bound to find someone who is insane enough to even steer their ship into the jaws of a Leviathan,” Vincent said.

“I hope you are right, so should we already start asking?” Nathaniel inquired.

“Not now, I still need to buy weapons and gears,” Vincent said and surveyed the ranks of holds and abodes that were established outside the bazaar.

A curious signboard sparked his interest, not for its name or because it was carved in the shape of a sword, but for the visitors of the emporium it hung upon. Nobles walked in and out of the entrance, clearly a stark contrast to the rest of the humble folks that frequented the establishments of the tier. Some adventurers were added to the mix as they too joined the fray. It was an armourer’s shop the size of a longhouse, barred off by walls from all sides apart from its grand entrance. No other establishments dared to inch close to its vicinity as if the entire block was entitled to the sole bearer of the armoury. Guards were posted at the front gate, bolstering the security from any malefactors and transgressors that might taint its honoured claim of being the most paramount arsenal within the city. The place was named ‘The Exalted Anvil’, etched on a sword-shaped signboard with smouldering letters for all to witness upon its renown.

It was told that a secluded old man assembled this great abode by his own hands, refusing to accept help from even the prominent builders from the city. A stubborn fellow to say the least, but a skilled one indeed. He was a craftsman of weaponry, revered by even the grandmasters of the neighbouring countries. No one knew why he chose to build up his workshop at the edges of the city, but no one dared to question him either way. The armaments he forged were enough to attract even the most pampered nobles to climb down from their lofty mansions and trek deep through the mud into the outer parts of the city.

Vincent took in the sights and his eyes of azure were torched with newfound curiosity. He knew not of its long-standing history but the underlying spirit of this place signified all that he needed to know. And as such, Vincent was no exception, for he too joined in and entered the emporium of wonders. An arsenal capable of outfitting an entire regiment was displayed on each and every corner of the workshop. Weapons and armours, ranging from daggers to greatswords, from leather to full-plated slabs of metal were present on the scene. The exhibits were manned by apprentices who stood on the side and presented the spectacles in front of everyone’s eyes. The workshop had everything, one could possibly need, as long as you had the coffers that it needs. For that Vincent was pleased, as he had no shortage of any of these that it needs.

He unlatched a pouch strapped on his belt and passed it on to Nathaniel, “Think we can buy out everything here with what we have?”

“That… won’t be possible,” Nathaniel said and opened the pouch filled with gold. “The quality of these armaments almost matches the grade made by the grandmasters of our Empire. I think we need much more than regular gold to buy all of these things.”

“Aether stones? We also have those right here,” Vincent said and tapped on the other pouch strapped on his belt.

“That’s reassuring but… I am not sure those would be enough if you want everything here.”

“These are all sky-grade aether stones with some heaven-grade mixed in.”

“How?!”

“How you say? Ask Selena next time, she was the one who conveniently ‘borrowed’ them all from her family vault when we ran away, haha.”

“Then I suppose… we can even buy the entire workshop for ourselves. But do we actually need to do that?”

“Of course not, I was just stating a fact, and besides it would cause us quite a bit of unwanted attention if we take these out in the open.”

“That’s a good point, we need to keep our heads down as much as possible until we leave the continent.”

“That, I cannot promise,” Vincent chuckled.

“What… do you mean by that?” Nathaniel frowned.

“Nothing, haha. Enough dallying around here. Let us buy the things we came here for in the first place.”

Vincent went to the right aisle while Nathaniel moved to the left as they inspected each of the exhibits to their own liking. The apprentices tried their hardest to convince them to redeem their side of the armaments but the duo had other plans of their own. As such the dejected apprentices could do nothing more than watch them pass by, but their melancholy faded away just as it came when another batch of clients entered the emporium and walked along the exhibits. The cycle continued throughout the day.

Nathaniel strolled through the entire hallway and only bought a set of daggers of varying sizes and a hooded mantle to replace the one he had lost. He did not expect to find fabrics such as this inside an actual armoury, so he bought it without a second thought when his eyes fell upon it. Inquiring a bit of information from an apprentice, he learned the workshop provided everything needed for aspiring adventurers to make provisions for their very first expedition. Be it basic potions, maps, to full-fledged armour sets, the emporium had it all. A much-needed thing for Vincent as only a ragged cloak covered his body from the outside eyes when he first entered the abode. Hence with this newfound understanding, Nathaniel turned around in search of him, but Vincent was faster than ever.

The crowds nearby parted ways and Vincent walked through in a steady gait. They did not know why they did such a thing as they were people of high standing themselves, but a slight tug at their souls demanded they do otherwise. His ragged cloak was absent and instead, a full set of leather armour resembling the sharpened scales of a profane serpent was clasped over his frame. The thought of an unnatural visage of a coiling snake mesmerised the eyes of the onlookers at each graceful step he took, blurring the lines between a man and a beast. A crimson mantle hung from his back, paralleling the unending rage nestled inside a searing volcano. Strapped on the belt around his waist was a longsword, and right next to it was a frigid tome, with creases formed across the cover, akin to dried skin and peering ever closer to the domains of flesh. A construct of madness made manifest. He divulged a nefarious form of beauty that was instilled deep within his demeanour which was no longer held back by the ragged cloth he wore moments before.

Vincent watched the dumfounded crowd and grinned, snapping them off from their shameful reverie through his gaze. They looked away in haste and continued on their trades, while some even left the establishment, downtrodden with embarrassment.

“Quite a scene you made here,” Nathaniel said.

“What can I say? I am made to please,” Vincent said and examined his new set of gears. “Hope I was not completely ripped off buying all these. They do fit in nicely though.”

“These look a bit expensive.”

“Because they are, so how much did you spend?” Vincent asked.

“Not much, just a few necessities for the journey,” Nathaniel said and passed him the pouch.

Vincent opened the pouch and smiled in satisfaction, “Hmm, glad to hear that, because I spend all of mine.”

“What? How!”

“You did say yourself that these look expensive, but relax, I only used coins and I still have all of my aether stones with me.”

“Yes but… we most likely cannot spend them here or anywhere around the city.”

“That’s why I should thank you for not spending all the gold coins right now,” Vincent shook the pouch and the festive songs of gold rustled into their ears.

Something tugged onto his clothes. He turned around and saw a youth barely ten winters old looking up at him with a playful smile. Three guards stood around the youth, all donning the regalias of the noble house they served upon. They looked back and forth between him and their young master before finally glaring at him with undisguised disdain. Vincent did not know what the three were trying to achieve but he held on just the same by responding with a smile of his own which was now doused with mockery. The guards were taken aback by the sudden developments for that was not what they intended to happen. They looked at each other and were utterly at a loss for words.

“Mister! Do you want to buy the greatest swords ever made in our entire human race?!” the oblivious little boy said and raised the two scabbards he held in his arms for all to see.

“What? That’s a bold claim you have there little child,” Vincent said and raised an eyebrow.