heard. The heavy footsteps of guards, the quick running of messengers and couriers, the clatter of horses' hooves on the cobblestones, more or less urgent conversations. Everyday life. One of the sergeants from Ed'heer opened the carriage door. Draco, seeing Darius' inviting gesture, quickly jumped out. They were in a courtyard surrounded on three sides by squat, three-storey buildings with small windows and narrow doors. To the left of the gate was a stable with the only large door in sight. Apart from the grey stone, the only colour was the blue of the banners marking the entrances. The last side of the courtyard was closed off by a massive wall guarded by Guardsmen, with a gate flanked by two towers. Through the open gate, Draco could see a wide, cobbled road with people constantly moving along it. A rock wall stretched above the wall, and when Draco looked up, he saw a road winding its way up to the top and more terraces with buildings similar to the ones he was currently in. Only when he looked at them from below could he say with certainty that most of them were man-made. It seemed that the tops of smaller peaks, detached from the main massif, had been cut off for construction, and the space obtained had been widened using large blocks of stone. Interestingly, the higher up the fortified complex was, the larger it was. It was difficult to see from a distance, but each one also flew a flag of a different colour. Considering that this particular one displayed a blue flag with an Atlantean star embroidered in navy blue thread, they must have indicated which Guard the fortifications belonged to.
-We are in one of the lower forts.- Darius spoke up, tearing the dragon away from admiring the views. -In this particular one, apart from the medical unit, there is a courier office and a minor logistics centre. I know you would like to look around some more, but we should hurry,- the mage smiled. It did not sound as if he really wanted to rush his
