The back of carts was not the most comfortable way to travel but it beat walking all the way to Atheria.  The trip didn’t feel nearly as long as the first time, thanks to Astera now being able to keep pace with her brother.  At times, she was actually ahead of him, her Second Dawning granting her stamina that the best trained First Dawn could not achieve.

In some ways, It felt as much a homecoming as waking up in Fortem had.  Atheria had been the last place they lived in their previous life, a decade of trying to eke out a decent living in a city of Ethereal Artists.  They’d get there sooner than the last time, able to take advantage of events that had yet to occur.  “In about six months, we’ll have the Grand Atherian Tournament.  I still remember everyone who placed in those matches last time.  We’ll make a ton of money betting on those matches.”

Money meant resources they could use to strengthen themselves.  Until then, they needed to establish a comfortable life and progress on their path.  Rhys kept talking about having a plan but hadn’t elaborated on it yet, saying that the first thing they had to do was reach Atheria.

After three weeks on the road, it was finally visible.  Cresting over one final hill, Atheria came into view in the valley below, a city big enough to stretch as far as the eye could see.  Atheria was called the Black Opal of the Darkwind Continent, the most valuable treasure there was, and the only region in all of Darkwind currently under the rule of a King.  Most regions had only a Lord, maybe a Prince, to see to their safety and prosperity.  It was what separated Atheria from everywhere else.

The city itself had a massive trade district near the water, linking it to the harbor and its valuable shipments.  Even from miles away, Rhys could follow the trail from the commercial district to the fountain where he and Astera had been posted during the war.  The sight of it reminded him of the shadows that swallowed them, the feeling of death that came before their trip back in time.

“Feels even bigger after being back in Fortem so recently,” he said, awestruck by the city home to well over fifty thousand people, one of the largest in the entire world.  Stone buildings stood as high as ten stories in some places, ranging from the simplistic architecture of rental homes to the grand beauty of private residences with cultivated lawns and features which looked to be Ethereal treasures in their own right.

“I say the first thing we do is head straight for the River’s Edge.  I could use a drink after all this traveling.”  It was too soon to find Dyanna there.  She wouldn’t arrive in Atheria for the first time for another month.  When she did, she would stop at the River’s Edge to slake her own thirst.  It wouldn’t hurt to be a well-established patron there before she arrived, would it?