their bases, the layering of planks that would allow them to endure not just travel but storms.
The waves crashed nearby, relentless and rhythmic, as though testing every creation before it even touched the water.
He said nothing.
But he noted everything.
At the markets, the scene shifted entirely. Colors spilled across the streets in fabrics, spices, fruits, and ornaments. The voices of merchants rose and fell in practiced negotiation, laughter mingling with argument, the clinking of metal coins punctuating every exchange. The scent of roasted grains, sweet jaggery, and coastal delicacies lingered in the air, thick and inviting.
