Still, the girl, who hadn't said a word since they left Stoneford, tightened her grip on Lira's sleeve as they passed through the gates.
"It's alright," Lira whispered. "You're safe here."
The girl didn't respond, but she didn't resist either.
Inside, Virel City was alive.
Vendors called out from their stalls, the smell of cooked food filled the air, and people moved about like nothing was wrong in the world. It felt almost unreal after what they had just seen.
"…Feels strange," Kellan said quietly. "Going from that… to this."
"Get used to it," Doran replied. "That's just how it is."
At the front, the leader, Rhett. Glanced around before pointing down a street.
"There. We'll stay at that inn."
The sign above the building swayed slightly in the breeze, painted with a faded image of a resting stag.
They stepped inside.
