The road stretched before them as the distant silhouette of the kingdom slowly took shape beneath the fading sunlight.
Zayne's cloak billowed slightly in the evening breeze, revealing the worn leather of his travel-stained armor - the same armor he'd worn when they'd ridden out weeks ago,
though it now sat heavier on his shoulders.
Zayne's horse moved steadily forward, the familiar crunch of hooves against gravel breaking the serene quiet.
Though the journey had been long, and the air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, Zayne's mind was focused on what awaited him beyond those towering walls.
Beside him rode a companion—his closest friend.
The man was hard to miss. His hair, a striking shade of deep blue, was cut in a medium length and split neatly down the middle, framing his sharp, chiseled face.
Most captivating of all were his eyes: pale white, almost luminescent, like twin shards of ice set against his tanned skin.
