In the countryside, the imperial road was wide enough for two carriages to pass. As it approached the holystone wall that surrounded the inner buildings, it narrowed to the width of a single lane. It was an effective way to control traffic in and out. Their carriages passed beneath an arch in the outer wall.

Elen had never been to either South Flat or North Flat Vigil. She and Ao had fled from Woodfall far to the southwest, via a different road that crossed Flat Pall in a different place. But the layout of every Vigil was much the same. In order to proceed on a road across a Pall, travelers had to check in with the magistrates, show their travel permit, and have their cargo approved according to its manifest. Those coming out of a Pall had to have their vehicles and livestock inspected for Spore before being granted permission to go on.

Inside the wall, the road became a single-lane street. It led past an inn, a stable, a carriage house, a magistrate’s office, a hostel for officials, and finally to a plaza.

Here, the carriages halted. Everyone disembarked. Elen looked around, getting her bearings. To the left, and thus the west, rose a Heart Temple with its usual courtyard and fountain. To her right, and thus the east, stood a large kitchen and storehouse compound. Directly ahead, the plaza ended in the northernmost side of the holystone wall, its gleaming stones rising to the height of a two-story building. Planted at the centerpoint of the wall was the Vigil tower, a blocky edifice that rose a full six stories.

Kem craned his head back to stare all the way to the top of the tower, mouth agape. The west wall of the tower glowed softly where the rays of the setting sun painted a shimmering glamor along its holystone. His gaze dropped and, instinctively, he looked over to Elen with a grin, wanting to share his delight and amazement with her, as they always shared the wondrous nature of the world. She nodded, allowing herself a small smile in answer. He was too astonished to remember that he was so very angry with her.

Maybe the most astonishing thing about the Vigil tower wasn’t its impressive height but the way the road ran directly beneath—through—the massive base story of the tower, as if through an arched tunnel. A lowered portcullis currently blocked the tunnel.

To get to the main entrance into the tower, a visitor had to climb a ramp to a terrace, where double doors led into the second floor. The Vigil’s warden captain waited on this ramp, flanked by more wardens and high-ranking menials.