The sun gracefully dipped below the horizon, signalling the end of another day. Stores closed their doors and activated inexpensive magical alarm artifacts. The more affluent shops even had faint magical shields appear around their doors and windows. Meanwhile, stall owners packed up their belongings onto wooden carts and began their journey home.
Although many shops and stalls closed for the day, taverns and brothels opened to prepare for the long night.
A black carriage rumbled along a particularly popular road in the commoner district in the city's eastern wing. Despite the chill of the January night, the ladies on the street in revealing clothes stopped and stared at the bizarre sight. Compared to a normal wooden carriage, this one was made of metal, and there was not a horse in sight. As it moved through the street, it left a trail of water in its wake, causing the frosty ground to become a swamp of mud.
