224

The Veloran buyer, a tall woman with sharp eyes, inspected the silk critically. "Triple, you say? Perhaps if it were imbued with magic. But as it stands, this is merely fine cloth. I'll give you half of what you're asking."

Nearby, a group of sailors from the Kingdom of Yarrow laughed raucously as they recounted tales of their recent voyage across the treacherous northern seas.

"I swear, the waves were taller than the masts!" one sailor boasted, gesturing wildly with a mug of ale. "But we held steady, and here we are, with our cargo intact and pockets full of gold."

As the port thrummed with life, a sense of unease began to ripple through the crowd. Overhead, the sky darkened, and a chill wind swept in from the north. At first, it seemed like a sudden storm, but the truth was far more sinister.