After leaving Demeter's garden in that cascade of golden light, Nathan materialized back in the mortal realm—though not inside Rome itself, since he had already departed from the city.
He had chosen to manifest some distance outside Rome's walls, in the vicinity of a nearby forest that provided both cover and privacy. The trees here were ancient, their thick trunks and overlapping canopy creating a natural shelter from prying eyes. Shafts of late afternoon sunlight pierced through gaps in the foliage, illuminating patches of undergrowth in golden columns that made the forest floor look almost sacred.
Nathan had already mentally reached out to Drakkias, summoning his draconic companion to this location. The magnificent beast wouldn't take long to arrive.
Until then, there was nothing to do but wait in this peaceful isolation, gathering his thoughts after the intensity of his farewells.
