The City Of Niveus

It was dawn when their carriage inched towards the south-eastern empire of 'Ephanhour', where the silhouettes of fortified walls reaching till their eyes could look up to were vividly seen.

The sturdy stonewalls were ingrained with countless forts instilled with military bases, handing over protection against various invasions.

The massive iron gates stood as a passage to enter and exit the mighty kingdom.

Eventually, their vehicle reached the gates where soldiers patrolled, and guards stood, surveying the identity of the visitors along with their tokens and commodities.

The soldiers also examined Demitri's tokens along with the merchandise accommodated in their carriage.

Mellisent, who was still mesmerised by the magnificence of the previous empires, found herself amazed at just the entrance of the kingdom; she wondered about the lifestyle of citizens and cities enclosed by the walls.

Soon, the guards opened the gates, and their coupe ultimately entered the neighbouring city, a small town which generally served as a soldierly base for the armed forces.

The marketplace consisted of only necessities and weapons required by the soldiers, with a few inns to provide shelter to the ongoing travellers.

After ensuring the security of their luggage and merchandise, Demitri instructed the coachman to keep an eye on the coach while he and Mellisent left to freshen up and have a quick meal inside a nearby inn.

While having a meal of chicken stew, grilled beacon, along with freshly baked bread and some fruits, Mellisent asked Demitri about the rest of their journey.

"Are we now leaving for the village of Ostos father?" asked Mellisent as she chewed on a loaf of bread.

"No, my child, we will foremost leave for the capital city 'Veliturnae' of Ephanhour and then depart for Ostos," said Demitri to her as he took a bite from his beacon.

"May I ask for the reason, father?" Mellisent again politely asked her father.

"That's because the goods we have bought, we have to sell them in the capital city so that we can have enough money to buy a small house for ourselves in Ostos, my daughter," explained Demitri to her.

They finished their meal and then again boarded their carriage.

The sun descended below the horizon, sketching the sky in sundry hues of orange and red. An indication that soon the darkness would grace every being with its placid stillness.

Shortly after their carriage marooned out of the city's premises, it traversed towards the path leading to the capital.

They crossed the acres of land covered with moors and with numerous villages and little towns in between.

It took them another three weeks to arrive at the capital city. A gorgeous reddish blue aurora commenced the beginning of a new day when they reached their destination.

The capital city of 'Ephanhour' was surrounded by an expanse of walls made from intricately carved stones from all sides. The iron gates stood eminently, sculpted with thick metal spires, providing a resilient barrier against the invaders.

Soldiers, along with knights, superintended the surrounding region while questioning the passengers about their purpose of visit and their tokens while surveying their carriages and wagons.

After a thorough inspection, their carriage was allowed to enter the city.

To be stunned was an understatement for Mellisent. She was shocked at the relentless beauty of the capital that no words came out of her mouth.

The morning sun illuminated the sheer white various infrastructures made up of limestone covered with a thick layer of marble, imparting a heavenly glow to the entire capital city.

Veliturnae city was composed of natural side hills over and above which lay many bridges entailed with hanging vines and sophisticated railings between the peaks and above the river 'Prasinos', passing through the city's premises.

On the top of the arx, the temple of 'Laurena' was situated, where coins were manufactured from precious metals. At the bottom of the hill was the tabularium where mail and public letters were kept.

The city forum contained a basilica, a vast public building where many businesses and courts of law were conducted.

Next to the basilica was the cymatium, an open public place where a high place called the 'rostra' was located, which was designated for public speakers. The dwellings for the residents were wedged throughout the entire forum.

As their carriage moved further, various temples dedicated to deities adorned with colourful paintings were to be seen.

The capital city of Ephanhour was termed a paradise in the realm of Travanos, a combination of ancient and mediaeval architecture.

Mellisent turned to her father and pointed from the carriage window towards her surroundings.

"Father!!! Are we sure we are in a capital and not in some heavenly realm? How is this city so bright, white and gorgeous? Will we stay in this place for some time and visit its various locations?" asked Mellisent to her father in a single stretch with an excited tone.

"Yes, my little girl, this is indeed the capital city, as you can see...each and every building is embodied with pristine white; therefore, the Veliturnae City is also known as the 'City of Niveus', and yes, we will stay here for a day or two before proceeding on our way as we have to trade our commodities in this place, but first we have to find an inn to settle our luggage and have something for our lunch then we will proceed towards the marketplace," explained Demitri to his daughter while caressing her head.

Soon, they arrived at an inn.

Demitri booked a room for them where they settled their baggage, and after having a quick breakfast, they left the place to initially explore the marketplace inside the city in their carriage along with their goods.

Their carriage moved along the roads made of carefully fitted flagstones, filled with smaller hard-packed rocks and pebbles.

They traversed through the insula and reached the centre of the forum where the marketplace was established, bustling with buyers along with the halloos of merchants advertising their wares.

Demitri asked for their four-wheeler to be parked at the side near a store.

He dismounted the vehicle and, together with the aid of a coachman, began to unload their goods.

After successfully unloading the merchandise, he beckoned for a worker from a nearby store to carry their goods.

Demitri assisted Mellisent in alighting the coach and asked the coachman to wait for them.

Soon with the worker, they reached the enormous store teeming with various exotic spices with enticing aromas displayed to attract customers.

Mellisent covered her nose with her left palm as her father held her right due to the scent of spices assaulting her nerves.

Demitri began to converse with the owner about the selling price of the spices he brought.

After about thirty minutes of a difficult conversation, they reached an agreement, where Demitri successfully traded their goods at a high price.

They again moved towards another shop to sell their herbs, where further extended discussion about the trading price ensured.

It took them approximately two hours to trade their merchandise at a profitable rate.

Demitri made a considerable profit by selling his exclusive spices and herbs, which would be sufficient for their travel expenses and settlement at a new place.

"Father, now that we have sold all our goods can we explore the numerous stores in this marketplace?" asked Mellisent as she pulled the sleeves of her father's shirt with one hand and with the other she wiped the sweat off her forehead, due to scorching heat of the sun as it was the time of noon.

"Yes, my child, we will traverse this entire place as we also have to purchase some necessities for our future journey, but first, let us find a diner and have our lunch," said Demitri as he secured the money protectively inside his robe and led Mellisent further into the lanes.

They had a simple meal at a diner and then again went to explore the market premises.

The streets were bustling, with various stores retailing their chattels and countless people arguing with the merchants.

Demitri purchased numerous packages of roasted nuts and dry food items as a source of eatables for their oncoming excursion. In contrast, Mellisent bought some candies as she had a sweet tooth.

The day was descending towards the dark when they returned to their ride. They boarded the vehicle, and it went through the insula in the direction of their dwelling.

After arriving at the inn, Demitri alighted the carriage with Mellisent and their purchased items.

He bid his farewell to the coachman who assisted them throughout their entire journey since they left the kingdom of Valor and paid him a hefty amount as his payment.

They stayed in the capital for another day, and it was the morning of the third day when they finally left the inn along with their luggage.

"Father, please tell me, are we now going for the village of Ostos?" asked Mellisent with a pout as she went towards the stand for the local carriages with her father.

"Yes... yes, my dear lovely daughter, we are now finally leaving for the village," said Demitri teasingly as he ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Ahhh... at last we will reach our destination!!!" exclaimed Mellisent while hopping and fisting her hand in the air.

They embarked on a public carriage, which before long exited the 'City of Niveus'.

It took them another two weeks to finally reach the end of their travel.

The sweltering heat of the sun was gracing the endless mounds when the most awaited village of Ostos, at last, eventually arrived.

Ostos, a sparsely populated village situated at the extreme south-eastern end of Ephanhour, was also located at the boundary of the realm of Travanos.

The village on its eastern side was further expanded into a dense forest lined with a range of high mountains beyond which laid the realm of 'Develtos', a realm inhabited by elves and dwarves.

[ Quick Note:

Forum = Equivalent to a city square

Insula = Equivalent to a city block

Arx = Latin word for citadel

Travanos = Human realm ]