The carriage was a swiftly-moving one, but even so, it took a solid fifteen days to make the journey. They stopped occasionally, with the man bringing Nel food and water, and allowing her to stretch and attend to other bodily needs. He was confident enough in his ability to keep control of the situation that he made no attempt to restrain Nel during these times.
He was polite, but not inclined to talk. It was a lonely trip, and there was little to alleviate the boredom.
*****
Eventually, the scenery outside Nel's dirt-streaked window began to change. The terrain became more hilly, and the road more winding. At length, holes, tunnels, and mounds of rubble swung into view at irregular intervals. This was what was left of the pre-Valterrian mining that had been the lifeblood of Sunberth in the days of the Alahean Empire. All of it stood silent now, disused for centuries.
One massive pile of detrius was apparently on fire. Thick smoke curled from its top, and the acrid smell filtered into the carriage. Faint noises came from that direction, and it was clear that it was the scene of some human activity.
Farther on they went, and as they began to descend from the hills, Sunberth itself became visible. It was an ugly town, filled with squat, ramshackle buildings that appeared to have been placed at random. It had none of the serene orderliness of Syliras, the scholarly seriousness of Zeltiva, or even the shimmering liquidity of Mura. It stood in defiance of any orderliness, of any over-arching principle save and except the principle of doing what one pleased.
The carriage slowed, winding its way through dirt-covered streets. Finding a main thoroughfare, it turned left. Some businesses were scattered along the street, though each of them seemed to have its own private guard.
Finally, the carriage shuddered to a stop in front of a surprisingly well-kept building with a brick exterior, and a pair of double doors that were flanked by a pair of unsmiling Akalak. The sign in front read TALL JOHNNY'S CASINO & CAGE FIGHTS.
The door to the carriage swung open. The red-eyed man was there, his hat now removed.
"Welcome to our destination, lady Nel."
