Afternoon light burnished the Seven Bridges of Valemir, transforming the ordinary stone structures into pathways of molten gold. Each bridge spanned one of the capital's sacred rivers, their arches adorned with statues representing the virtues of the empire—Justice, Valor, Wisdom, Temperance, Piety, Industry, and Loyalty. The Archway of Loyalty, fifth in the sequence from the palace, now framed Minister Salomonis's carriage as it rolled toward the city's outer districts.
The vehicle's enchanted suspension absorbed the transition from imperial cobblestones to the bridge's worn flagstones, creating the illusion of gliding rather than rolling. Within, Salomonis reviewed documents by magelight, his quill scratching rapid annotations while Aria gazed out the window, tracking the subtle shifts in weather patterns that might affect their journey. Kairos sat opposite, motionless as a shadow, his hooded face revealing nothing of his thoughts.
