Chapter 1
Peela climbed down from the caravan's wagon, her boots landing with a soft thud on the dusty, uneven street. She turned back and waved to the caravanner, a wiry old man with skin like tanned leather who raised a hand in return before snapping the reins and urging his horses forward. The creaking of the wagon blended into the cacophony of Bordertown, a chaotic symphony of voices, footsteps, and the clamor of trade. For her first time in the empire, this wasn’t what she expected. It...