When they successfully made it to the cliffside port nestled somewhere along the northern coast, the sharp scent of sea salt stung Lothar's senses, bringing him to an abrupt halt.
He lifted a hand, immediately commanding silence and stillness from those who followed behind him. Before them stretched the boundless sea, vast and brooding beneath the pale morning sky. The surface churned in shades of silver and slate, as though reflecting the mood of the land they were temporarily leaving behind.
The waves rolled in steady, deliberate pulses, crashing against the wooden pier with a ceaseless rhythm that echoed like a summons.
