The city smelled of rain.
Shion stared at the rain-blurred cobblestones of the capital, sitting beside Calista in the gently swaying carriage. She had no idea where they were going. Calista had only said one word: "Shopping." Then she'd thrown on a cloak embroidered with a dragon and smiled like a fox who had just found a lost chick.
Now, Shion felt like that chick.
"Is this... really necessary?" she asked, glancing at her worn-out cultivation robe.
"Little bunny," Calista sighed, not turning away from the window. "You're under my care now. That means you have to look like someone who deserves attention, not like an orphan from a mountain monastery."
Shion was about to respond, but the carriage stopped. Before them stood a marble gate with flowing qi lines dancing across its surface. Warm light seeped from the building's interior, reminiscent of the morning sun, and the air carried the scent of lavender and burning wood.
