The transport carrying the Sparkshire students to Ashmar crossed the border at dawn on the fourth day of travel.
Silas watched through the reinforced window as the landscape shifted from the Republic's ordered agricultural zones to Ashmar's more rugged terrain. The difference was immediate and stark—fewer settlements, more military installations, watchtowers dotting the horizon like sentinels.
The Federation of Ashmar didn't believe in wasted space. Every piece of territory served a strategic purpose.
Arjun Hagar sat across from Silas, his expression unreadable as they approached. The first-year from House Hagar hadn't spoken much during the journey—none of them had. The ten students selected for Ashmar deployment had been strangers to each other before boarding the transport, and four days of travel hadn't changed that.
Marcus Vale, the first-year true military recruit, broke the silence. "How far to Crownspire?"
