The silent rumble of the train droned on in the silence, a solemn reminder of what they were embarking on. From his vantage point on the second floor of the car Ishay could see the “great divider”, a mammoth of machinery shaped like a giant blade, traveling in front of their train to clear the tracks for their travel. The trip was painfully slow, less than ten miles an hour, but not uncomfortable.

Ishay gazed at the frozen landscape, cast in the near eternal darkness of the Procellian winter. In the distance he could see the lights of a small village, like the many that dotted the empire. It was technically noon but with only 30 minutes of sun a day it was hard to keep track. The Dras simply sat in silence, watching their path be cut before them, a fitting metaphor for the path they had been placed on by the messenger from the islands.
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“Your majesty, we have begun our decent into New Beginning.” Leth said, sitting in the chair across from Ishay.

The room where they sat was richly decorated; dark paneling with intricate patterns adorned the walls, the fire crackled in a marble hearth heating the room. Around the fireplace sat Ishay and the council, sitting on green couches covered in gold plating discussing what they were about to do.

They had changed into cooler clothes as they approached the island chain their messenger had guided them to. The council was garbed in loose bright red robes, held in place by a large gold pin emblazed with the royal crest; their white hair was pulled back and hidden in a golden net.

Ishay however was garbed much differently. Around his waist he wore a dark purple dul (a single piece of fabric that is fastened at the waist with a pin. It is long in the back and short in the front; it shows a lot of skin and is barely modest. It is meant for very warm days) with silver trim. On his head he wore a silver head band, with a pendant made from silver and amethyst hanging in front of his forehead. His shoes were simple silver colored fabric. His bare hairless body was well defined, but slender at the same time.

“Leth” Ishay replied, his every movement causing the pendant to sway “Am I doing the right thing for my children?”

“Your heart is guided by love my liege, and love can never be wrong.” He simply replied
Before anything more could be said they could feel the dirigible stop, they had reached their port.

Silently they all rose, and Ishay led the procession out the door and onto the air dock. He stood silently as the trunks they had brought along were unloaded. Ishay simply stood and waited for their escort to arrive, sad that he could not see the city very well in the smog that trademarked a modern city.