Outlined in the first rays of the rising sun, a number of massive, dark shapes climbed up slowly into the sky, in the close vicinity of Avalos. The titanic, airborne juggernauts cast vast shadows over the sprawling city, bringing the bustling of many outdoor markets to a complete halt as the winged monstrosities lumbered by overhead.
Thousands upon thousands of pairs of eyes looked up in awe and fear at the skyward behemoths. They found relief only in the fact that they implicitly knew that the creatures were of the realm of Avanor.
The gargantuan creatures had been seen in the skies before. They were commonly known to be in the service of the Unifier, though not a few startled individuals shrieked with fright, trembled in place, or ducked back inside homes and storefronts.
None that looked upon the winged giants would dispute an assertion that there was not a power in the known world that could even hope to wage war with the Unifier. In their minds, nothing could contend with a ruler that could put forth such incredibly formidable powers into the skies above.
The bold sights evidencing such an unprecedented amount of power helped the majority of Avanor’s populace put up with the annoyance of the increasingly heavier taxation that they had all been enduring. It also dampened resistance and objection to the many changes that had more recently come into their lives on the insistence of the Unifier.
Most felt that it was now quite futile to consider any form of opposition, even in outwardly expressing their displeasure at the ever-growing burdens. The vivid demonstration of sheer might flying above them did little to discourage that view.
As the hulking shapes gradually passed towards the far, eastern horizon, the people of the city began to turn their thoughts back to more immediate and mundane matters. The areas of the city that had come to a virtual standstill began to ebb and flow once again.
Before the winged forms had entirely passed from view, the people had fully resumed their focus on trade, pleasure, and progress within the streets of Avanor’s powerful and wealthy capital. Few bothered to consider the plight of those dwelling in the lands that were the destinations of the winged giants.