Mid-March, the gentle spring breeze headed south, traveling hundreds of miles along the Long River, to the edge of the infinite Great Lake. The blue Pacific Ocean was boundless, its waves sparkling with a glint, the tides rising and falling day and night, instilling awe in all who saw it.
"Such a vast ocean! Truly the romance of men!"
Xiuote, riding in a canoe, paused at the edge of the sea, lost in a reverie of longing. There was a part of him that yearned to explore the azure depths, but he knew it was an unattainable dream in this lifetime.
Hundreds of canoes were docked at the mouth of the Tarsas River. Two thousand elite members of the Imperial Guard Legion disembarked and spread out to secure a defense perimeter over ten miles. The King ascended the western bank of the Tarsas and immediately spotted Huitu Puap, the slightly chubby-faced noble clad in Leather Armor.
