It ended up as the captain had foretold, with us waiting the majority of the day before we finally got word that the camp was all packed up. Even then, being in sector B, means that we are going to be near the rear of the long caravan of horse-pulled carts.
It was nighttime by the point we saw carts ahead of us begin to move.
"Alright, Dalia, you have the first shift driving the cart. Arthur, Kino, Uther, Oscar, and Trout. You five are with me for the first guard shift as we walk along our cart. The rest of you can pile in the back and rest until your shift," Captain Ogman orders, as he takes the lead, walking beside the horses.
Crossing the fields in the valley did not take that long, and the magnificent walls of our nearby fortress showed itself. The wall stretched all the way across the field, from the eastern mountains to the western mountains, completely barring passage unless let through.
I saw the massive gate wide open, letting the stream of horse-led carts pass through. Atop the walls, I could see hundreds of Knights and a handful of Sentinels patrolling it.
When we finally got to pass through the gargantuan gate, the view of a breathtaking city filled my vision. Immediately I knew this must be the city-fortress mentioned to me before. "Nevarrine."
The city featured large, opulent buildings layered in an eye-pleasing way that didn’t feel chaotic. I could see dozens of smaller side streets pilfered throughout between the various buildings, all connected to this main cobbled path. As we passed by, tens of thousands of citizens, Knights, and Sentinels amongst other figures I couldn’t identify welcomed us back warmly along the street side.
Children played with youthful abandon, giving me slight shock that they allowed entire families of ordinary people to live at a hostile border city. Maybe the Imperium is jus that confident they won’t lose a single city to an enemy nation. Could also be a lack of care and concern toward the average citizen.
Sadly, it did not seem we were stopping to stay, as the carts ahead kept on moving along, though I could not yet see the exit gate. After all, this city is massive. Much larger than the medieval-style cities of Earth’s past. I could tell this city alone housed millions of people. I could barely even make out sections of the surrounding walls in the distance as we went through the city streets.
I felt even luckier that I currently had my helmet on, or I would have probably looked like some country buffoon on his first trip into the city. I noticed many of my fellow Knights waved and accepted gifts from the citizens of the city. Most of which was usually just food of flowers.
I felt a sweet smile creep onto my face when a small boy, no older than ten, ran up to me, handing over a box of some sort of sweets that looked like chocolate, before he ran off again. He giggled in glee as he took off toward what looked to be his parents. They patted his head as if saying, ’Good job’.
As we continued along, I was perpetually amazed by the sheer scale and power that the city radiated while remaining beautiful in a way that was hard to describe. The black stones that became the foundation of the buildings with red outlines and tops, accentuated with gold furnishings and embellishments.
There were countless walkways and bridges that were arrayed above as we continued forth with people leaning over the edges, showering us with praise. Smaller towers and inner walls continuously showed up as we moved forward. I even counted the third small open gatehouse we walked through inside the city.
I would even occasionally spot large, ornate statues spread across the city. Some were of the same individual, while others were not. My best guess was of the current emperor and the past two.
Honestly, the closest comparison I could draw would be of Victorian-London mixed with some Roman themes. And, even that would not do it justice with how perfect it almost all looked, like a god sculpted the city himself.
Every now and then, I would spot a few black-robed Sentinels flying around the city, landing upon the various towers where Knights stood guard. It truly gave the feeling that the Imperium would force any invading army to fight for every inch they take in this city.
When we passed another section of the city, I noticed the large keep toward the back that it seemed we would eventually be passing by. That must be where the main city garrison and its lord reside. The style was the same as the other buildings, but this keep had dozens of spiraling towers with rounded caps that sprung from it.
My amazement did not end even when I finally noticed the last gatehouse was approaching, the southern exit to the city. I truly wished we weren’t leaving, as I truly wanted to stay and live here. It felt prosperous and strong.
I actually looked back toward the city with a longing gaze when our cart fully left the city, heading south on the long, well-cobbled road. It truly seemed perfect to me as I would even have chances to fight due to it being a fortress city on the border of a hostile nation. Both beauty and power is a combination that does not come along often in any regard.
The only saving grace to my thoughts is that I felt like the other Imperium cities would not be any worse than this one. The thought of discovering that Nevarrine is one of those exceptional cities would horrify me. This even hyped me up to one day see the capital of the Imperium since capitals are usually the most stunning city a nation possesses.
Now, it’s back to the lonely road, just us Knights, our carts, and the open wilderness to wherever we are going. Then I stopped in my tracks for a moment, before the captain’s glance got me moving again.
I just now realized I never asked where we are actually going. What is wrong with me and my brain?