Arty and the four adventurers pressed onward through the winding forest paths, their boots crunching against roots and fallen leaves.
The day came and went, yet they were still not far from the city walls. Arty could still glimpse the palace's towering spires and even taller, the slender silhouette of the Archmage's Tower piercing the sky.
"We're not far from the city," she remarked, "but it feels like we've been walking for kilometers."
"That's the forest's trick," Jan replied with an easy grin. "The trees hide the real distance and you keep looking around instead of ahead."
Arty chuckled. "It's too beautiful not to look at."
Esther, walking beside her, glanced sideways. The girl's bright eyes and unguarded smile made her seem almost fragile and even adorable even. If it not for the knowledge of the destructive power of Magic she carried within her body. Few would believe how dangerous she truly was.
