“All roads lead to Sabaya.” - Elmaiyan saying.

“Damn… I see what you mean now. I had thought Levain was about the biggest a city would ever get to, but I stand corrected,” said Celia as she caught sight of the walls of Sabaya from a distance. The two had trekked through the eastern regions of Elmaiya for the past couple of months, taking a fortunately uneventful leisurely trip across the country, until they finally reached their destination, the Imperial Capital, late in the winter.

“They built this city pretty much on the largest patch of easily inhabitable land in central Elmaiya back then, when the land itself had been the trigger for many wars between rival tribes and clans,” explained Aideen. “The first time the entirety of this region belonged to one group was after their First Emperor founded what became the Elmaiya Empire, or at least, the first one. We’re in the third dynasty now.”

“I can see why…” noted Celia. The area where Sabaya had been built, to the side of Lake Sabaya, was a stark contrast to the dense jungles around it. In Central Elmaiya, cities, towns, and villages were typically built on clearings in the jungle at first, later connected to the nearest other settlement as the path that leads between them becomes a road.

For the most part, major roads, which were well-maintained and patrolled, only really existed between large cities and some of the larger towns. Aideen and Celia had mostly taken those routes on their way to Sabaya, as it was the faster and safer option, which was also more convenient for their sightseeing plans in the Empire.

With the younger girl still staring at the sprawling city in awe, Aideen led her towards the city proper. There were lines of travelers, both those who were traveling for personal reasons, as well as merchants, who were lining before the gates, waiting for their turn to be inspected before they get to enter the city. Aideen and Celia took their spot in one of the lines and patiently waited.

After about an hour or so, it was their turn, and Aideen simply handed her credentials – including the letter she received from the officer on duty back in Fort Bharat – which in turn made the guard on duty widen her eyes as she read through them, eventually asking for their higher-up to decide as they were unsure on how to handle things.

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Said higher-up read the letter and ascertained its authenticity with some specially treated ink that reacted with the paper before he welcomed Aideen and Celia to Sabaya, and wished them a pleasant stay with a deep bow.

“So, where are we headed to?” asked Celia when she noticed how Aideen was making a beeline towards the center of the city after they entered.

“Oh, I’ll just be leaving a message to Lucea to let her know I’m around and would visit her tomorrow,” replied Aideen nonchalantly as Celia noticed the towers of the Imperial Palace starting to become visible in the distance. “Friend or not, she’s an Empress after all. Got to go through the formalities if you’re coming to pay her a visit, you know?”

“I… guess so,” said Celia, partly due to a lack of a better way to answer.

They headed straight to the Imperial Palace’s gates, where Aideen left a couple of letters with the guard on duty there, before they departed and went back to walking around the city proper.

Sabaya was a large city, and in Celia’s guess likely larger and more populous than Levain was. There was a notable difference though, as where in Levain each region was roughly segregated by a difference in wealth and social status, in Sabaya things were far more intermingled. The largest mansions, ones likely belonging to nobles, were mostly situated near the center of the city, in the vicinity of the Imperial Palace, but otherwise the city was a mix of people from all walks of life, brought together to one place.

Celia also noted how there was a notable increase in the number of therians living in the central region of the Empire, whereas in the east humans were most dominant in number. She also noticed the presence of orcs, dwarves, and goblins mingling with the others, though elves were rare. Similarly, she barely saw any merfolk, but that was to be expected given how they were mostly traveling an inland route.

There was actually a larger merfolk presence in Sabaya itself, as there was a large community of them living on the shores and within the waters of Lake Sabaya nearby. Mostly though, it was the great variety of therian breeds that caught Celia’s attention, many of which she had never seen before, either in the north or outside the Empire.

“Some breeds are pretty reclusive and rarely if ever leave the Empire,” explained Aideen when she brought up the question to her. She then pointed towards a small group of therians that resembled large, predatory felines, with white spotted fur and a proportionally huge, very fluffy looking tail. “Look at them, for example. They’re a breed mostly found in a few small tribes in the west of the Empire, where they lived on the mountains, and nowhere else. I don’t think I’ve ever seen their kind anywhere outside Elmaiya, even.”

“Do they… never go out for some reason we can’t speak about? Or…?” asked Celia with some curiosity.

“Nothing sinister like that. It’s just that some of them might have strict preferences for the sort of place where they live, and they’re not a fan of leaving their comfort zones, so to speak,” said Aideen in reply. “Like that group? Being here in Sabaya, where it’s hot all year round with thick, humid air, is already uncomfortable to them, as they’re more used to the thinner, cold air of the mountains. Others have different preferences, which is also part of the reason most therian breeds tend to be rather territorial in nature.”