Free Second Chance by Sawyer Bennett Page B

“Yes, he was.”  He started walking.  “So is Carrick for that matter.” 
    Ava followed, her heart heavy.
     
     

CHAPTER 7
     
    As the group approached the Conclave’s stronghold, Ava knew it couldn’t be seen with the naked eye due to the magical cloak that covered it.  The magical cloak prevented anyone not invited under its protection from even being able to get within a few miles of its location. Anyone who got near the cloak would simply be compelled to follow another route around the spelled area.   
    Ava was very familiar with cloaking spells and could perform a decent one herself, although not of this size.  A few moments before arriving, Carrick chanted an invitation spell while holding her hands, giving her the authority and power to see the encampment and enter.
    As they approached, Ava saw the expected shimmery film wave before her eyes and knew she was at the edge of the cloak.  All she had to do was open up her magic, which she did, and the encampment appeared out of thin air. 
    Astonishment wouldn’t even begin to describe Ava’s first impression.  She wasn’t quite sure what she expected, but in front of her laid a fully functioning town, bustling with people.  There were permanent buildings lining several streets.  The roads were made of dirt but were well maintained and packed hard for easy travel.  Sidewalks of stone bordered the streets. 
    As they stood on what appeared to be the main street, she noticed several businesses on either side.  She saw a butcher, a grocer, an apothecary and a clothing store while they strode along.  At the end of the main street, stood a building larger than all of the others.  Carrick noticed her gaze and said, “That’s the Conclave meeting hall.  We’ll go there later.”
    Ava looked back and forth as they made their way through the settlement, taking it all in.  The streets were bustling with people.  Some looked at Ava oddly and she realized it was because of how she was dressed.  Pants on women were not unheard of, but most Vyronasian women liked to wear feminine dresses.  Modesty was never a concern.  Women’s fashions in Vyronas often revealed a lot of skin with plunging necklines and short hemlines. 
    The men always dressed in some sort of pants and shirt, although it could vary depending on their station.  Working class men tended to wear sturdy twill while the business-men tended to wear more expensive and softer cuts of cloth.  Those in the warrior cast usually wore a heavy denim-like material for their pants, often covered in leather.  Sometimes they wore shirts, but mostly they wore breast plates and arm guards.  
    Her eyes moving from the people to the actual buildings, Ava smiled at the typical Vyronasian crafted style.  She saw one story structures with thatched roofs and slate stone walls.  Windows were constructed of wood and left open, as the Vyronasian weather was constantly temperate and never reached above 75 degrees in the day or fell below 65 degrees during the night. 
    The seasons in Vyronas were not marked by changes in weather but by changes in production of fruits and vegetables that could be harvested throughout the year.  Having just come from Wyoming where it could get very hot in the summer, and then be buried under five feet of snow in the winter, she supposed having the same weather all the time could be boring.  But as she glanced around, she knew in her heart that Vyronas was the most perfect place in all of the dimensions that existed.
    Carrick led Ava down a side street. There were more houses built on the streets they were walking and Ava was amazed how beautiful this little town was.  She had thought of it as an encampment before and figured it would be filled with tents, yet the houses were lovely with varying hues of slate, and picture-perfect gardens in the front. No, this was definitely a town.  Of course, knowing the power of magic, Ava knew it would not have been hard to construct