The capital appeared before us in the early afternoon of the second day.
First came the walls.
They were not tall in the traditional sense. They were wide. Thick. Built with blocks so large that a single piece would equal the entire wall of a common house in Vaillo. There were no excessive ornaments or flamboyant banners. Only stone carved with precision and fitted together with absolute firmness.
The city did not seem built to impress.
It seemed built to last.
As we approached the main gate, I realized that everything there followed a different logic of scale. The towers were as wide as isolated fortresses. The doors were wide enough to allow the passage of creatures much larger than humans.
Rai'kanna crossed her arms.
"If someone tries to invade this, they'll break before the wall does."
Lyannis observed with technical attention.
"It's not just thickness. The base inclination absorbs impact."
Elara analyzed the reliefs carved along the entrance.
"These markings aren't decoration. They are records."
Vespera slightly lowered her gaze.
"History engraved into the very structure."
Liriel remained beside me in silence, but I felt her perception active. She was analyzing not only the physical, but what was embedded there.
There was respect for strength.
But also reverence for the past.
Two cyclopean guards opened the gate without hurry. The movement was heavy, but controlled. Nothing there seemed improvised.
We entered.
The first impression was the sound.
Hammers.
Metal against metal.
Stone wheels rolling over tracks embedded in the ground.
Deep voices echoing from one side to the other.
The city was alive, but organized.
The streets were wide and straight. There were no winding alleys or narrow passages. Each construction seemed designed for efficient circulation. Smaller houses were aligned symmetrically, while larger buildings stood out at strategic points.
Giant statues appeared at major intersections.
Cyclopean warriors holding colossal swords.
Ancient kings with severe expressions.
One of them held something similar to a glowing stone carved in detail.
Elara noticed as well.
"Possibly a representation of the royal relic."
Lyannis confirmed.
"Consistent iconography. It appears in more than one structure."
Rai'kanna seemed fascinated.
"They don't hide that they value strength."
Vespera commented in a practical tone.
"But they don't flaunt wealth."
It was true.
There was no gold scattered around.
There were no unnecessary luxuries.
The grandeur came from proportion and engineering.
We followed the main avenue while discreet gazes accompanied us. The cyclopes did not whisper like humans usually do. They observed in silence.
Direct evaluation.
Without hostility.
Without flattery.
A group of young cyclopes trained in an open square. Training swords, large shields, coordinated movements. An instructor corrected posture firmly, but without shouting.
Discipline.
Lyannis commented:
"They prioritize training from an early age."
Rai'kanna smiled.
"I like that."
Liriel spoke softly:
"They trust their own strength. They do not depend on external allies."
I agreed mentally.
That explains why they do not maintain a central guild within their own kingdom. They don't need to prove anything to anyone.
Even so, they knew who we were.
As we crossed a larger plaza, a cyclops wearing more refined garments approached. The difference was in the details. Metallic bands ornamented the shoulders. The fabric was more elaborate.
"Takumi of Vaillo."
The voice was firm, but respectful.
"I am Dargan, officer of the court. Your arrival has been registered."
I inclined my head slightly.
"We are honored by the reception."
He analyzed each of them.
"The group that completed the legendary dungeon."
It was not a question.
It was a statement.
"Yes."
Dargan nodded.
"The king has been informed. The audience may be formally requested tomorrow."
Lyannis stepped forward.
"Is there a specific protocol?"
"There is. But your reputation reduces the steps."
Rai'kanna murmured:
"Useful."
Dargan continued.
"You will be accommodated in the diplomatic wing. Follow me."
We walked through avenues that led to the central core of the city. There the constructions became even larger. Internal bridges connected elevated buildings. Some were suspended by chains as thick as tree trunks.
Elara observed every structural detail.
"They master weight and balance."
Vespera commented:
"And they don't waste material."
We arrived at the palace complex.
Different from what I imagined, it was not excessively decorated. It was immense, yes. But the aesthetic remained functional. Thick columns supported the ceiling. The floor was polished, but not ornamented.
The room assigned to us was spacious, adapted for human visitors. Smaller furniture had clearly been inserted into that space originally designed for larger beings.
As soon as we were alone, Rai'kanna exhaled.
"This is another level."
Lyannis sat near the window.
"The political organization must be equally robust."
Elara rested her hands on the stone table.
"If the magic stone is a royal symbol, the decision will not be simple."
Vespera looked directly at me.
"Did you notice something different in the city?"
"Yes."
"Hostility?"
"No."
"Then?"
"Expectation."
Liriel approached.
"They want to know if you are worthy."
Not through words.
Through posture.
I sat down.
The journey until here was physical.
Now the most delicate part begins.
Convincing a kingdom that its ancestral relic should be lent for a fifty percent gamble.
Rai'kanna crossed her legs.
"If they refuse?"
"We will look for another solution."
Elara asked:
"And if they accept?"
"Then the responsibility doubles."
The silence that followed was not heavy.
It was conscious.
This city did not seem fragile.
It seemed stable.
And asking something from a kingdom like this requires more than strength.
It requires credibility.
I stood up and walked to the external balcony. From there it was possible to see part of the capital under the golden light of the late afternoon.
The stone reflected the sun with orange tones.
Nothing there seemed temporary.
Everything seemed built to cross centuries.
If the magic stone truly exists,
it carries history.
And perhaps more than that.
Perhaps it carries intention.
Tomorrow I will request a formal audience.
Tomorrow I will speak directly with the king of the cyclopes.
And only then will I know whether this city of stone will become an ally in the battle that approaches.
As the sun disappeared behind the mountains,
one certainty became clear inside me.
We entered solid territory.
Now it is my turn to prove that I am as well.