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As they descended the steps and neared the edge of the city, Taj began to feel a change in the air. And smell it, too.

This familiar freshness. It wasn’t quite the same as being back up on the surface, but it was definitely much more comparable to it. Thus far, the Undercrust’s air had been, at best, stagnant and stale. At worst, it had been filled with deadly fumes that threatened to burn his eyes out of his skull and his lungs out of his chest.

And for a few of the others in their group, those fumes had succeeded in doing both. More than once, even.

But this place. This feeling. It was hard to call it comforting when the temperature was still so damn high, but after everything they’d been through lately, he couldn’t think of a more appropriate word.

If nothing else, it was certainly a welcome surprise. Almost like the city itself was inviting them in.

The first proper street that they found seemed to be empty. No Hun’Kui in sight yet.

That was both good and bad, Taj felt. Good because it meant no one was barring them entry and bad because it meant there were no crowds to hide in. They had to keep pushing. Acacero wouldn’t make for very good cover if they couldn’t find anyone.

Whatever had caused the city look like this, Taj prayed to the Eternal Oasis that it hadn’t made all the inhabitants evacuate.

‘Can you sense anyone in these buildings?’ asked Taj privately.

‘They are infused with ardor, so no,’ said Orolix. ‘And these trees are not helping, either. Everything is so clouded.’

Not what he wanted to hear.

The number of trees only seemed to be increasing as they continued onward. Denser and denser forest. Soon, he could see the root systems taking over the ground. Where before it had been only rock and pavement, now roots covered the ground.

And yet it was not entirely gnarled and uneven. The edges of the road were indeed so, but the middle remained perfectly smooth and flat. Maybe even more than before. Little saplings were sprouting along the edges, too, providing an extra line of illumination for the road.

In spite of himself, Taj slowed his pace a bit in order to inspect the wall of glowing trees more closely. And he saw something peculiar. Or thought he did, at least.

The lights made it hard to tell, but he could’ve sworn the bark had a slight sheen to it. The metallic kind. But there was clearly wood in there, too. He could see that much. And even feel it, upon reaching out and touching it.