[3rd Person's POV]
Before the light of dawn crept across the sky, Claude and Jade were already on the move again. Their journey resumed in silence, boots crunching over hardened soil.
The two trudged past two villages by midmorning, both larger than the previous ones—rows of closely packed thatched cottages with smoke puffing from chimneys, the scent of baked barley and roasted herbs wafting in the air.
Still, neither offered what they needed.
By noon, the gates of the largest town came into view. Fortunately, they were able to enter despite a few curious glances from the sentries. They only asked a few questions and did not search for an identity pass.
The cobbled roads twisted into a wide, bustling plaza flanked by low stone buildings and open markets.
In the distance, high atop a slope beyond the town's walls, rose the pointed spire they had followed for miles.
