The descent into the valley took longer than Nox expected.
What looked like a short walk from the mountain pass turned into a winding trek down switchback paths carved into the rock face. The temperature rose with every hundred feet of elevation they lost, and by the time they reached the valley floor, Nox had stripped off his outer layer and was carrying it under his arm like a sulking teenager forced to go on a family hike.
'Magic climate control. Rich people stuff. Or rich elf stuff, which is probably worse.'
The path widened into a proper road paved with white stone that gleamed in the afternoon light. Gardens lined both sides, filled with flowers Nox didn't recognize and trees that bore fruit in colors he was pretty sure didn't exist in nature. Blues and silvers and deep purples hung from branches, and the air smelled like honey mixed with something sharp and clean, like fresh snow on a spring morning.
