Hours passed, sunlight shifted and changed as the party walked and walked through the day, winding down tracks and paths, as the droves of travelers began to thin, carriages and other wheel bound effects, becoming more and more sparse. Until the evening wind bit, chilled moon rising high into the clouds, higher into the night sky. Galena had promised that they would make it to the capital by dawn, so there was no real need for camp to be made, or rest to be had. Although Al's feet were starting to get sore at this point, Every had resorted to bribery, begging, crying for Sonne to carry her, which the warrior had obliged too, until the witch scolded the both of them.
The boy had dropped back into the pack, after the history lesson he had just hours prior. Until a noise snuck up on him, “hey, hey” a voice sailed out from behind, a thud hit the young warrior’s back before a pale flash rounded the boy.
“I don’t suppose you would carry me, Al? Pretty please” Every asked with saucer sized eyes, filled with determination. A slight color touched the boy’s cheeks before his mouth opened, uttering a quiet voice, “I don’t think that’s a good idea…” Galena’s stark accent cut him off, “get in line child, please, we are almost to our destination.”
Multiple heads all turned to the sky at one, pondering darkened purpled and blued clouds, following a pale curtain which teased itself across the horizon, barely visible from the forest’s shield of thickened trees. Have we really been walking for that long already? Al thought to himself, scratching at the back of his neck, glad that Galena had saved him from letting the wired girl down. Al didn’t even know if he had the strength to carry Every in the first place, not because of her plush stature or anything like that, but because of the pure fatigue that plagued his shaken frame. A deep pierced burning wormed its way into the boy’s muscles as he worried. Al muttered to himself, stomping round a bend, the light above shining its pale reaching hands across the sky.
They walked, robes swathed, keeping the cold at bay, still thrust deep into what felt like the icy heart of midnight itself. It was only when Al saw the massive gate, did he snap free from his own self-reflection. A barrier, behemoth in size lay dormant before the waves of braking morning which began to reveal the thing’s true form. Massive was the gate, at least three oaks tall, slabs of polished stone and burnished metal, sent the light scattering in every direction. Casting rainbows across white, slate, walls which the construct was joined to. Shimmers crested cracks, blowing out the emerald ivy which crawled up the giant installation's blank form.
“Oh wow” Al exclaimed unknowingly.
A shout roared out, reaching them from the back, “if ya like that, you should see the rest a the capital” boomed Sonne from the rear, as Every nodded furiously in agreement.
The boy’s musing was broken once again as if on cue, a clanging rang out as the large gate swung open, doors marching smoothly, roaring through its cold mechanical hinges, before groaning with a sigh. The massive barriers settled themselves in the dirt as a secondary vertical gate of metal bands, began to slide itself upwards, swiftly, being pulled until the path was clear. Doors open like welcoming arms, Al could see masses of people waiting inside, standing on smoothed white cobble, tainted blue by shadow. All while a small line made its way in their direction, proving to be the only opposition, as our adventures approached in kind.
Al’s jaw held firm from its dropped position, only sated by a large hand, which clapped itself upon his back to keep the boy moving.
“Aye boy, keep walking and gawking” Sonne whispered, “race you guys in!” Shouted Every before Galena threw a robed hand out to halt the girl’s rushing charge.
“No, no racing, we will be civil, and move as one, we have things to do remember? Or have you already forgotten why you are here, why we all are here” the witch countered, fixing the young girl with a steely purple gaze, “sorry ma’am” Every replied, head hanging low.
“Good” sighed Galena who continued head forwards, nose high, “now we march.” and march they did, padding under the massive arches that signaled their arrival.
Through the singing shade into a veritable stone wonderland filled with the likes Al had never seen before. The kingdom, appeared to be built upon steppes of varying levels, buildings, roads, streets, walls, all different heights and slopes, different angles and slants. Certain structures spired up towards the heavens, others stretched long and low, a multitude of different styles lay basking in the morning shade. Pale walls tied everything together, pushing, welcoming the party as they entered, many shops and homes were built with the same stone material, capped with their own little flashes of foliage. Al’s head spun like a top, a vehicle driven by clopping horses traveled by the boy who was nearly stunned with awe, spinning, twirling like a dancer Al tried to take everything in at once, the sights, the smells, all the sounds, nearly overwhelming. Nauseating senses began to dull slightly, as their marching took them through small corridors and darkened alleys, every time they reached the road’s apex, more and more streets splayed out in every direction.
A net of spider legs, walled off by angled mis-matched houses and off kilter towers. Walking paths rolled out, stranded on either side of the street, every corner marked with a peculiar metal pole that Al had never seen before. It was all too much, like a stacking of cheese wheels, numbering in the hundreds, all different sizes, shrinking as they reached towards the sky.
“Can someone hold his hand, or at least put him on a leash? I’m worried, he’s going to explode” the witch called out from quite a ways off, which snapped Al sharply out of his dreaming.
“I got him” Argjend said gruffly, raising his voice over the bustle of morning life, using his cape to shoo Al like some sort of herder, pushing the boy back into the line as they continued.
The young warrior saddled up to Sonne’s large meaty shoulder, shuddering as her armor pricked at his ribs, Every skipped in front, Galena lead as always, and Argjend was already gone, probably hiding again. Yet faces of all different kinds passed by, as they were thrust into shade once more, arches rose above, clad with their own busy streets, all heading towards the upper city. Walking, the cobble loomed, seeming to curl and stretch up and out forever, through darkened ravines and even streets where the buildings hung over the road itself.
Truly alive was this place, even at the small hours of the morning, every shadow, every speck moved like an anthill, shutters were thrown, damp clothes were pinned, and wooden floors were swept to the cacophony of human noise. Person after person, smiling, gruff, greeting, young, perhaps old, people of all different sizes, all different shapes, and all different colors. Al had already seen a hundred times more people than he had ever seen in his village, and that number was only growing.
Al spoke out loud, to the wind, to anyone who was listening “wow, so many people all in one place.” The boy marveled as they slanted down, winding over a waving bumping street, “and, they’re all from different places too, some come here from the furthest reaches of the kingdom, and sometimes outside of the kingdom” Sonne said, leaning in, to wink at the young man.
“Whoa, really? That’s interesting” he continued, “for work mostly” Sonne cut back in, “and safety, but regardless, there is always so much to be done at the heart of humanity” finished the warrior woman, gesturing more with her hands than her lips.
“Uh but Sonne” Al started, lowering his voice while shuffling closer to the larger adventurer, “yes Al?” the half orc asked, “uhm” whispered the young man.
“All I see is humans,” Al whispered, putting his hands up as a divider, “I mean I thought I saw an elf, but I don’t know, where are all the extra-humans?” He paused and Sonne straightened, pondering for a second, her hair burning as it caught the ascending light.
“Hmmmm, well, like Galen said, all the extra-humans, orcs, centaurs, gnomes especially, they all kinda hate us… well they all kinda hate you humans” she leaned in, “however there is a dwarf milling about here somewhere, we’ll have to see if we can take ya to see em later.”
Al smiled up as the taller warrior finished, the boy grinned before looking at his feet, feeling the weight of the woman’s hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry” peaked Every who was now somehow ingrained in their conversation.
“If you are nice, then they’ll all like you, no problem” she finished with a massive face-sized smile. “If only it worked like that girl… if only” Argjend replied, almost startling Al as he appeared on the right of the walking parade, “if it was like that, then maybe we wouldn’t have any conflict” the older man said, slightly darker than usual. Sonne nodded to that, “don’t scare the young ones” the woman added, “but am I wrong?” Agj replied, the orc shaking her head no, she closed her eyes, feet still moving, stroking her chin in thought.
Traveling still a deepening shadow caressed them, rushing with cold as an outcropping came in from overhead, an arch like all the others, although more gate-like in appearance. Large metal grating was deployed, blackened and ornate, a small cutout was created in the barbed web, complete with its own hinges and spined door. A small opening so that the iron facade would not have to waver for the likes of small adventuring bands. Galena walked up to one of the four guards manning the station, the head of which was a shorter male (Al presumed), whose face was hidden in shadow.
Comments (0)
See all