From a distance, the silhouette of Eks began to emerge faintly through the dust veil of the Mandaley desert. The city resembled a military fortress more than a settlement. Towering wooden walls, reinforced at every joint with black iron, stood firm at the boundary between civilization and the barren expanse. Totem pillars carved with fierce beasts flanked the main gate—symbols of honor for the Eks people, a beastkin race that revered strength as the highest law.
No flags flew. No royal insignia adorned the walls. Here, only one rule applied: the strongest had the right to speak.
On the rising dune leading to the gate, a strange sight drew attention. A large cart, disguised as a trader's caravan and draped in coarse linen, advanced steadily forward. But its wheels were too smooth, its shape too precise. It wasn't ordinary. Hidden beneath that primitive guise was a vehicle from another world, concealed to blend into a society that knew nothing of machines.
