Rowan's eyes opened in pure shock, the serenity of his environment caging his words as he struggled to release his thoughts from the back of his throat, stilled by its dryness.
As if he were reclaiming his breath, Rowan prompted a gulp so deep that it could be clearly heard, bulging his Adam's apple and clutching all the nooks and crannies in which the dry air had stolen its life.
Standing before him was a citadel of vibrant colors and shapes, nestled in grass, flowers, trees, and small land critters and animals that moved about freely and without restraint.
There were a number of animals that Rowan had immediately recognized such as cats, ants, and squirrels, but then came the far majority of creatures that were other-worldly in constitution, ranging from dog-raccoons, grasshopper-frogs, and armadillo-bears.
It was as if these animals were without the concept of biome, having parts that would've been seated for specific habitats, yet existed in the lush but still dry land.
"This is the royal garden," mentioned a man with high rising silvery garnishments, pointing at the gargantuan gradient of colors that lit up in ways that Rowan had never even thought possible.
"Is this real...?" Lucien asked, wide-eyed and unmoving.
"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it..." Responded Elias, his cheeks blush in inundation.
'Perhaps the other heroes are just as astonished as me' thought Rowan, stepping back and diverting his attention to alleviate himself from the mental strain of imagining such an impossible environment.
When the king had dismissed the heroes to be escorted across the royal grounds, Rowan thought it was going to be a royal chore, the halls never-ending and the placidity forever stalling his curiosity.
However, what he hadn't anticipated was the many lavishes that the king had adopted, a scary contrast to the otherwise well-mannered, unvaried demeanor that the king outwardly maintained.
Whether it be the royal kitchen which stretched as far as the eye could see with what their escort described as 'exorbitant, once-in-a-lifetime meats and vegetation', the prism halls which were laden in crystalline, glass panels that contorted in response to the inhabitants, the echoing chambers filled with echo crystals which rung sharp squalls at the smallest impact, or the spiral of golden willows where lies told near its roots cause it to light aflame and wilt, and the uttering of truths allow for it to grow even further beyond its already substantial stature--there was no shortage of earthly wonders that each would've been considered a miracle in his original world.
The before stretching tiles that sprawled out endlessly seemed more greeting now, each minute feeling like seconds as Rowan's continued fascination refused to fade.
The sun's peak slowly dwindled, the soon-to-be twilight drooping over the green landscape as the creatures almost instinctively retreated to their respective habitats, either curling or laying themselves into a rested position.
There were some tired snarls, reserved meows, and quiet chirps hollowing from the animals, a drowsy stupor extending its lethargic claws across the garden.
Inklings of drowsiness escaped into the castle ground and overcame Rowan and a couple of the heroes as well, surreptitious yawns and tired hums making their rounds along them.
"Well, then, we've spent the better part of the day looking around the castle. What say we call it a day?" Lucien said, eyeing the guard who'd been rather monotone in the expedition.
"Yeah, my fire doesn't burn quite as bright without a good night's rest!" Kaia yelled, pumping one fist in the air while grasping her bulbous biceps muscle with the other.
"Why--but we're not even halfway done with the tour..." The guard pouted, emotion bursting out of his face in ways that Rowan hadn't even envisioned he could.
"You know, you should really treat your guests better." Liora mused, poking away at the guard's chest plate the same way a mother would to their child.
An intense yet subtle emotion clawed its way through Rowan's chest, nostalgic bliss knocking him out of the present and dragging along a past feeling--the same motherly sensation that he'd felt when he first met Liora that made this new world seem a little less foreign.
A smile peeked through Rowan's expression, driving him to cross his shoulders and turn his head the other way to conceal the drop of water that had trinkled from his eye.
"Oh yes, why, of course, lady Liora! I don't know where my manners have gone." The guard spat out, frantically recomposing himself as he turned around to face the hallway that we'd just come down from.
"But firstly, if you may, would you partake in the great banquet that we've arranged for you heroes?"
The smell of warm meat and alcohol nuzzled into the heroes' nostrils, enticing their more instinctual sides.
Kaia's stomach grumbled--no, roared, a sparkle glimmering in her eyes in the form of stars.
"Did you say a banquet?" Kaia asked, now drooling at the mouth while her already tattered composure was made fully null.
Zoom!
As she dashed down and across the halls, three of the heroes looked around at each other in complete confusion, but Elias was quick with a response, clawing away at the others to push himself further ahead.
"Hey, you guys are hungry, aren't you? Last to make it to the food's a rotten egg!" He yelled, hurtling forward at nearly the same speed as Kaia.
"Idiots..." Lucien muttered, his left palm on his face while looking down in embarrassment.
"Yeah, but I think things are best this way." Liora chimed in, smiling at the two buffoons racing across the halls.
Rowan twisted his head, facing himself towards her in quiet amusement.
"And why is that?" He inquired, tapping Liora on her shoulder to grab her attention.
"Hm..." Liora hummed, pausing for a moment while closing her eyes in slowed contemplation, finally getting the words to leave her throat after a few seconds, "I guess it's because they remind me of my siblings back from my home."
Rowan stopped walking for a moment, a hoarse breath of air escaping his lungs while he struggled to find the proper response.
Ultimately, he opted for silence, quietly smiling back at her and looking back on towards the end of the hallway.
"Well, you guys, this food looks good, doesn't it?"
A light extended through and from Kaia, revealing both her and the wild menagerie of food and drink.