Free City followed Vitalig's plan, deliberately drifting over a fortified border town before crossing the Great Wall they had built in the north without stopping.
Once they entered the vast uninhabited region, the biting wind and familiar scenery brought back memories of the old days for Annan.
He and Olmedo had chased each other through the snow, built snowmen, stood beneath trees as snow fell thick around them... Or had they?
The memories and feelings were Annan's imagination. Snow blanketed the Northern Frontier, and filthy Ratfolk roamed everywhere. It all looked much the same.
Only when a towering snow mountain appeared in the north would he know they were close to home.
On the third floor of the Mage Tower, still under construction, a barefoot girl sat atop a high wall of mountain copper, gazing out at the wind-lashed land and frozen coast.
The dark gray patches scattered across the snow were not exposed rock but wandering Ratfolk. They tried to follow Free City overhead, but before long they fell behind and vanished from sight.
Free City headed north along the coast. As it pressed on, the air grew thinner and the temperature dropped. Even with the Mage Tower's barrier blocking most of the wind and cold air at that altitude, the people in the city still had to wear several layers to keep warm.
At one point, the Portal in the center of the square flashed. A messenger stepped out and hurried into the City Lord's Mansion.
"The McKennan Ratfolk are furious..." the messenger reported loudly. "They're converging on the Old Royal Capital to muster a Rat Tide and launch another offensive. The demons haven't made a move. They're still holed up near the Snow Mountains, waiting for spring. We may run into them."
Wearing eyeglasses, Annan