They picked up one more uncle and aunt at Sarin before making the last stretch of the duchy to Rythwith. Alister contained his boredom for the ride, if only barely.

Views of wilderness swiftly gave way to brick and mortar, the wide coastal ducal capital coming into view as trees disappeared. Alister’s face was glued to the windows, as were the faces of most of the children including Neth and Wisteria.

Brick and mortar melded with vine and frond as they marched into the station. Even the cool air of the noble cabin struggled to keep up with the humidity and heat of the air. Alister hadn’t considered it, but this area was a swamp. A marsh. Who the hell would build a city in a marsh!?

All the same… it was beautiful. The station itself had a wide-brimmed mangrove tree built into the building as a centerpiece, its branches breaching through small windows into the light of day. Alister’s white hair, while mostly straight, was long enough by now to fit into a tiny ponytail. The humidity was already making whatever curl he had inherited from his mother cling to his cheeks and forehead, tied hair tickling the back of his neck.

They had amassed a crowd of onlookers by the time they disembarked the train, mostly commoners who were curious to see them. His mother, much to his chagrin, had a vice grip on his hand like a child. It made them look like a cohesive unit, or so she claimed anyhow. The others, his cousins and aunts and uncles, however distant, walked behind the Duke and Duchess like a well-oiled procession. Wisteria was the only one who looked a little out of place, but she put on an air of nobility as best she could as she walked alongside him and Alliana.

They left the finely tiled train station into the muggy humidity of the city, the light of the early midday sun blinding him for a few seconds as they adjusted. As spots faded into color, he realized how incredible it was… the marvel of the city.

The first thing that he noticed was the finely paved roads of pale stone that held with them the thrumming of the carriages that passed by as he tried to give his eyes respite from the sun. Second were the plants. Everywhere that there was space, cracks in the stone, or a hollowed dugout, there were plants. Ferns, moss, ivy, a few mushrooms that looked neatly groomed, it was dazzling. He knew that elves were a major race in the nation but he had yet to feel it. Was this place built by some sort of swamp elves?

Third that he noted, but certainly not least, were the canals.

Alongside the roads were canals dug into the swampy dirt, tied in among roots and brick that made the foundations of the city. The whole thing, homes and businesses and all, built on a root system. Fascinating.

Alliana yanked Alister back when he tried to move forward to get a closer look at the foundation system.

This only chafed his pride but briefly, as another amazing sight passed. A great manatee at least half again as tall as most pedestrians passed in the canal, with a magnificent system of straps and rope tying it to a large, colorful water carriage. It was made of rich wood, with a bell hanging on the front beside the driver. The manatee itself, despite the labor, appeared content with the harness and carriage, occasionally dipping below the surface to graze on marsh grasses.

Blas let a smile creep onto his face, “You know dear, I’ve missed this place.”

“As have I… if not the humidity,” she replied, fanning herself, “Your brother hasn’t bothered to greet us at the station I see. How predictable.”

“I didn’t think he would. It’s not like he and I are on good terms… but he has been acting as the lord of the city in my absence so don’t be too hard on him, love?”

Alliana hmphed, and stepped to the edge of the canal in place of a response. Blas hid an eye roll and walked up beside her. There, he gave a “come hither” gesture to the water. To Alister's practiced eyes, he could see a thin strand of mana leading from his father to some unseen target. This creature made itself known shortly after, as a turtle's head the size of Alister's entire upper half surfaced and made eye contact with the duke.

The monster's beak could easily snap any of them in two if it so desired. Alister found himself tucking unconsciously behind his mother, the child instinct of “this could kill me” winning out over his pride.

Mounted to the back of this goliath snapping turtle was a couple of benches made of rich mangrove wood, as well as a table at the center. A canopy was atop all of this, to protect it from the frequent rains or the sun, and this was attached to the snapping turtle by a series of simple hooks such that it could be taken on and off.

The duke put a hand on top of this creature's head, and all majestic allure was lost immediately as he began to baby-talk to the turtle. “Terry! Oh, I missed you, little cutie, what a cute moss patch you've got growing there! Look, it's my son! Who's a good boy? Want some fish?” He babbled at the great beast, gesturing to a servant to fetch him some fish.

Alister was… disappointed in himself for getting afraid. The man tamed a wyvern and was in the process of taming a double-headed basilisk king. In comparison, this turtle really was a “cute little baby”.

The turtle gave a deep “merrrr” and nudged closer to the side of the canal so that they could board. Interestingly, the structures on the turtle's back were completely dry. Alister's only protest to boarding the turtle gondola was that his father lifted him up and placed him thereon. He knew, of course, that his tiny legs would have made mounting the creature a challenge where he could fall into the water, but it was so… undignified. This made him pout slightly.

Alliana had to pull Blas back into his seat as they began moving, the duke wanting to continue to rain affection upon the turtle. They sailed along the canal rather uneventfully until they reached the duchy’s castle. It was a strange sight, a castle in a swamp, but it was a beautiful structure.

The canals ran right up to the base of the castle, and here the roots mixed with mud and dirt topped with the grassy lawn to make a thicker foundation than anywhere else Alister had yet seen. The building was gigantic but clearly built for its defensive qualities rather than its aesthetic ones. Around the castle in the winding maze of canals were other people, no small number of which were city guards and knights mounted atop various aquatic creatures.

The crème de la crème however was certainly the castle itself. It was a masterful mix of human and elven architecture. The very walls of the castle were made not just of wood, but trees shaped into place with brick interwoven to fill in the gaps.

The castle had multiple docks, and they stopped at the nearest of them. At the base of this dock was a set of large, fancy double doors made of mangrove wood and decorated with stained glass. The glass matched the swamp around it, full of amber, brown, and vibrant greens. Alister was once again lifted, this time off the turtle. Once free of passengers, the turtle swiftly ducked away from the presence of far larger ripples than it had made.

A snake's head peeked up from the water, dark green almost to the point of brown, eyeing the duke. What amazed and unnerved Alister about this was that the creature's head alone was bigger than the entire turtle they had just ridden on.