Veylin and his two companions did not linger in the town.
An oppressive atmosphere hung over the square after the execution, leaving both Ola and Leo in no mood to talk.
So they did not disturb the local lord. They spent the night at the town's only tavern and set out early the following morning.
Two more days passed before Zellheim, the Royal Capital, finally appeared on the horizon.
Nefarian broke through a bank of clouds, and the view suddenly opened up.
A magnificent city built upon canals spread out below them.
The last time Veylin had come and gone by land, he had been in too much of a hurry to take in the whole city.
Now, looking down from the sky, even Veylin, a man from the modern world, was surprised by its beauty.
Dozens of broad canals formed the city's main arteries, their waters sparkling in the sunlight.
Artificial islands of every size dotted the waterways, linked by over a hundred stone bridges of varying designs to form the city's vast, intricate skeleton.
At the city's outlet to the sea, several enormous water gates stood like silent giants. Intricate runes were engraved on their surfaces. As the tides rose and fell, those runes lit up in sequence, driving the gates open and shut to keep the canals' water levels steady, making the entire city seem to breathe in a measured rhythm.
(There is an image here, apparently not visible on the web version.)
"Whoa, this place is huge... How many people could live here?" Ola stared down from the air, dumbfounded.
Leo said nothing. His gaze passed over the layers of splendid rooftops to an area on the city's western side, enclosed by a pale blue magical barrier.
That was the Royal Capital Mage Academy, where he