Only a short stretch of stone road remained between them and Rotana, and as they drew closer, the ground itself seemed to pulse with movement.
Aren saw multiple roads branching from different directions, as if the city were the center of a vast circle.
From the north, a wide road carried wagons loaded with tightly bound wooden crates, pulled by short, powerfully built beasts.
From the east, a trade caravan advanced slowly, small banners hanging from the sides of its carts.
From the west came groups of travelers—some clad in armor, some dressed as merchants, others merely wanderers.
All of them were heading toward Rotana.
All except the road Aren and Rai were taking.
It was nearly empty.
Quiet… more than it should have been.
Aren glanced behind him for a moment, then ahead again.
"Strange… every road is crowded except ours."
Rai didn't answer immediately.
She looked back toward the Silent Forest, its heavy shadows stretching even from this distance.
"Because we came from there."
Aren understood at once.
The Silent Forest.
The place people avoided.
The place whose name was spoken only in whispers.
He watched the travelers on the other roads for a moment before speaking calmly.
"Makes sense… no one wants to be known as someone who walked out of a cursed place."
There was no bitterness in his voice—only realism. He himself knew little about the forest, but enough to understand why others avoided it.
They moved closer to the walls, and the details grew sharper before them.
The main gate stood open, but organized checkpoints stood before it. Short lines of entrants waited, and dwarf guards stood firm, holding short spears with broad, gleaming heads.
Aren suddenly stopped and turned to Rai with a side smile.
"So… Rai. Don't tell me we're just going to walk into a kingdom's borders like this."
He tilted his head toward the towers.
"Rotana isn't just a city, is it? It's a border stronghold of the Kingdom of Khazad. I doubt they let anyone pass without questions."
Rai smiled, as if she had been expecting this.
"Of course we won't enter that simply."
She stepped forward and pulled a small rectangular object from her sleeve, wrapped in dark leather.
Aren raised an eyebrow.
"What's that?"
She opened it calmly, revealing a small metal plaque engraved with the symbol of a hammer and an anvil. Beneath it, fine dwarven script.
"A merchant's pass."
Aren's eyes widened slightly.
"A merchant's… pass?"
She nodded.
"I had it made long before I met you."
She glanced at the gate.
"Rotana was the city where I used to buy supplies and tools. I didn't mingle much with its people—that didn't suit me. I came, purchased what I needed, and left.
But to enter and leave without trouble each time… I had to register as an independent merchant."
Aren stared at her in surprise.
"Wait… you're officially registered as a merchant in the Kingdom of Khazad?"
She smiled faintly.
"Registered… and known enough not to raise suspicion."
She turned the pass between her fingers.
"It grants me entry. And it allows me to bring one companion under my name… as long as he doesn't look dangerous or carry a suspicious record."
She gave him a quick assessing look, then added teasingly,
"And you, despite everything… don't look dangerous."
Aren laughed.
"That's reassuring… somewhat."
But his expression soon turned serious again.
"What about inspections? Questions? The guards?"
"You'll be asked your name, destination, and reason for visiting. Say no more than necessary.
We'll say you're my assistant in trade. Recently hired.
Don't mention the Silent Forest.
Don't mention anything unnecessary."
He paused.
"Is there a chance they refuse me entry?"
She looked up at the towering walls, then answered honestly,
"There's always a chance."
A light wind stirred, and Khazad's banners fluttered atop the towers.
"But the guards here are practical. They care about law, not rumors. As long as our papers are in order… we'll enter."
Aren studied the gate again.
Now it was very close. He could see the details of the armor, hear the metallic creak of the massive gate opening and closing slowly, hear footsteps echoing over stone.
His heart began to beat a little faster.
"This is the first real city I've entered in… a long time."
Rai looked at him, her smile softer now.
"Then consider it an official beginning."
She held the pass slightly toward him, showing the emblem once more.
"Beyond that gate… the world won't be just stories I tell you.
It will be noise, faces, different tongues, bargaining, suspicious glances… and perhaps opportunities."
She stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"And remember… Rotana is an industrial city. But it is also a city of balances.
Those who know how to move within it… can carve a place for themselves."
Aren took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Alright… let's see if I can carve a place for myself in a city of stone and fire."
At last, they moved toward the gate.
Each step brought them closer to the guards.
To the questions.
To the world.
Just before reaching the first checkpoint, Aren and Rai exchanged a brief glance.
There was no fear in it.
Only excitement… laced with anticipation.
Rotana stood before them.
And the real world…
Was about to begin.