Chapter 9 - THE SKY BEYOND BORDERS
One year later.
The imperial capital of Highspire was no longer a city driven by military parades and war foundries. The great iron works had been converted to produce agricultural tools, aqueduct piping, and architectural steel. The high council was composed not just of noble lords, but of representatives from the western tribes, the merchant guilds, and the border provinces.
It was the day of the Great Equinox—the anniversary of the signing of the Western Accord.
Thousands of citizens from both the Empire and the Western Territories filled the grand central avenue of Highspire, throwing bright red and gold flower petals into the air as music played from every balcony.
High above the volcanic spire, the sky was filled with magnificent beasts.
No longer flying in terrifying, rigid war formations, dragons and wyverns soared through the clouds in free, soaring arcs, their riders performing ceremonial aerial loops and trailing colorful plumes of harmless, bright smoke across the blue expanse.
At the very front of the aerial parade flew Kira.
She carried two riders on her broad, comfortable leather double-saddle.
Isra wore the dark blue velvet robes of the Imperial High Scholar, her leather notebook secured at her hip, her hair braided with traditional western silver beads. Beside her sat Dean, wearing the ceremonial crown of Kalith, his hand resting warmly over hers on the lead reins.
"Look down there," Isra said, pointing through her spyglass toward the southern mountain pass.
A new, wide paved road stretched across the old border lines. A long caravan of western trade wagons and imperial travel carriages moved freely back and forth across the mountains, passing through open stone archways that bore no guards, no weapons, and no gates.
"The southern tribes just signed the trade agreement this morning," Dean said, leaning over to speak into her ear over the rushing wind. "The world is getting bigger every day, Isra."
"Not bigger," Isra corrected with a soft smile, looking back at him. "Just connected."
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Kira let out a happy, triumphant roar, her voice echoing over the grand city below, answered by the cheering cheers of a hundred thousand unified citizens. She banked hard to the west, rising above the cloud cover into the infinite, golden sunlight of the high sky.
There were no borders up here. There were no empires, no rebellions, and no hatreds born of forged inks and ancient greed. There was only the open air, the vast, beautiful earth below, and the boundless future waiting to be explored.
