The Imperial City was magnificent by Nona’s standards. The roads were broad, completely paved, and clean, and each building was made of the same pristine white marble as the wall. Blue balls of light floated in divots set inside the Wall and each building, so that oval pools of light shined on the roads. Near the wall, the buildings were low, kept at a three-story minimum, enough to where Nona could see the silhouettes of massive spires and towers in the center of the City, even in the dark. After wandering around the Outskirts for a night, walking the streets of the Imperial City felt like walking around a picturesque statue garden. There were no shady alleyways or shoddy ladders to climb; each turn was clear-cut, and the roads curved so gently the two travelers did not even know they were changing directions. There was signage everywhere, on every building was a plaque containing the owner’s name and the purpose of the building, whether it be a house, shop, or anything else. Even though the entire City was carved of the same stone, residents were allowed to decorate their places: some had small balconies with ivory handrails, some had banners or flags, and others still had small, decorative awnings. Nothing they saw protruded out onto the road, and nothing was gaudy enough to stand out.
Luckily, Reke was paying attention to the guard when he was giving them directions to the Praying Mantis, unlike Nona, who was too busy staring at the pretty Elven architecture. The lizlai had misgivings about following an assassin’s orders, but the elf’s inn must still be open if Jerome sent them there, which might not be the same for any other in the City. Reke did not have it in him to go Inn-hunting again tonight, even in the Imperial City, so he followed the guard’s directions faithfully, preventing Nona from taking no less than five wrong turns. In no time, they found it, a small, nondescript location with a wooden placard tipped with a limp flag swinging over the doorway.
Nona entered, and there was still a small crowd this late at night. The bar was directly in the center, and extended to the back of the building, while a combination of round and wooden tables dotted the rest of the common. Booths lined both walls, except for in the back: the back-right corner had a low-burning hearth, while the back-left corner of the inn held a wooden staircase that led upstairs. Next to it, a Thespian in an obnoxiously bright coat strummed a lute and gently sung a ballad of old. A table across from him, two lizardfolk sat next to another fellow playing a peculiar card game splayed across the table involving dice. The third fellow was round, and he seemed to have no neck, rather his frog head attached to a scaly, torso directly. Because of he was only four feet tall, he sat on a keg instead of the customary chair to match his adversary, and his webbed feet swung against the barrel. A golem sat straight up at the bar, completely motionless, he could’ve been sleeping, except that there was a drink in his hand and dark stains on his rocky face. Waiters and barmaids made their way around the crowd, serving steaming bowls of stew and drinks to the strange folk of the inn.
After a brief search, they found the elf, a lonely figure watching crowd with aloof interest. He wore a white stole above a white, long-sleeved tunic that covered his hands, and there was an untouched bowl of stew sitting next to him, but no drink. Everything about him was perfectly straight, his posture was ramrod, his hair fell down his back in precise, combed lines, and it was pinned behind his elvish ears, which were like two straight valleys that both ended in a sharp, centered point almost at the back of his skull. There was no other elf in the room, and they were definitely at the Praying Mantis, so walked over sat down at the booth across from him. He regarded them with a small, dimpled smile without saying anything.
“Hello,” Nona said.
“Are you Ahsante?” Reke challenged simultaneously. Nona gave him a look, and the lizlai mouthed [i]“What?”[/i] aggressively back. Ahsante watched the two with an unwavering, peaceful gaze, then opened his mouth.
“Would you like something to eat?” he said, gently pushing the bowl of stew towards them. Nona raised a brow, but accepted anyway, taking the bowl and spoon, feeding himself two bites and Reke one over his shoulder. It was a bit of a challenge trying to balance the spoon without spilling any, but, by Reke’s first three bites Nona was starting to get the hang of it. Ahsante continued watching them with that unnerving, which was a little strange, and disturbed Nona’s appetite a little. It didn’t look like he was going to say anything else, so Reke told him:
“Jerome sent us.”
“How kind of him,” the elf responded, without elaborating.
“We were wondering why he sent us to you,” Nona clarified.
“I do not know why he sent you to me, for I have not Read his thoughts.”
Nona and Reke glanced at each other. This guy was weird.
“We’re looking for somebody, an elvish Healer named Lusahn that would’ve been here about three months ago. Do you know anything about it?” Reke asked directly. Whatever it was the assassin had in store for them, Reke didn’t care.
“My old apprentice is not back with you?” Ahsante said, his gentle smile wavering.
“No, he left three months ago, and hasn’t come back.”
Ahsante’s smile faded from his face, and a thoughtful look glazed over his eyes as his brows knotted in concentration. Reke stayed his tongue, and let the old elf think. Nona dug into his meal wholeheartedly, completely forgetting about the conversation. He managed to save a few bites for Reke by pushing the bowl to the side but ordered another from a passing server while Reke was discussing missing persons with the elf. Finally, Ahsante said, “I think this is a discussion better left to another day. The room next to mine in this inn shall be prepared for you. I fear your search will last many nights in the City, little lizlai, so you may both lodge in my manor for the foreseeable future. I must reflect on this new information.”
With that, the elf swept away form the table and ascended the staircase, and Reke huffed in annoyance. No matter, he’d get his answers soon enough. A moment later, a lycan waiter with another bowl of stew found them. Before he left, he dropped off a key, telling them that the third room had been paid for, and so had the second helping. Nona quietly cheered, but Reke didn’t like it one bit. All this kindness came with a price, and Grak’s advice about the Empire floated back into his mind. Still, it was the only lead they had, so he was forced to follow it.
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2 RepliesEdited by Merribor: 3/15/2022 9:38:23 PMThe next day, Ahsante collected Nona and Reke, and they left the Inn after a brief breakfast, courtesy of Ahsante. The Imperial City was quiet for a city; it did not compare to the complete silence on the streets at night, but the hubbub was kept to a minimum. People glided past each other on the edge of the road in slippers, keeping their small conversations hushed and private. Even the mounts pulling carriages, slow, plodding furry beasts with deep chests; short, stubby legs; long, swaying necks; and floppy ears that covered nearly their entire head, quietly bobbed along with the morning crowd. They exchanged pleasant greetings from a few jolly locals, but, for the most part, City folk minded their own business. Ahsante naturally took the role as a tour guide for his companions, and though Reke slept through most of it on Nona’s shoulder saddle, the human gobbled up the information, peppering the old elf with questions. They passed through the Commercial District, a series of long roads with consecutive buildings, broken by intersections that split anywhere from two to even seven more pathways. The buildings were so closely packed together that it seemed like the commercial district was one massive block with the roads cut into them. Most folk lived in the upper story above their business, advertised by the flags, placards, and other small decorations allowed by the City Council. Though he couldn’t see it at night, Nona discovered the network of tiny, lace-like, silver roads that hung above his head for tiny folk, such as Reke. Ornamental cages dangled above Nona’s head, with tiny spiral staircases leading up to the road above. He began to ask Ahsante about them, but a young lycan man in a sturdy leather vest, dyed a brilliant red, ran past them and stopped at one of the cages. He unhooked it from the tinyfolk road, secured it tightly to his vest, and jogged off into the middle of the road, dodging carriages and mounts on the way. As he left, Nona spotted two other cages filled with tiny folk hanging off the back of the runner’s shoulders. The Commercial District was also broken by what Ahsante called Markets, which were open plazas filled with long, one-story buildings except for in the center, which held a fountain surrounded by a small, open common area. Each Market had its own distinct statue in the fountain; this one had an elegantly carved cluster of mushrooms from which the water poured forth, so it was known as Mushroom Market. There were often street performers and newsmen hanging around the Market fountains. Each building was cut with two long windows that spanned almost the entire length of the building on each side, and as many vendors as possible crammed into the longhouses, displaying their wares on the wide sills of the windows. Most folk meandered by the stalls, picking baubles, trinkets, fresh produce, clothes, or whatever else there was to buy. The prices were fair, and there was little arguing or jostling among the vendors. As the left Mushroom Market, Nona thought he saw a familiar blue feather in a large hat, but Ahsante whisked them away towards the center, where glistening domes, towers, and mansions rose above the rest of the City. They arrived at the edge of the Commercial District, where the constant buzz of conversation dropped to a low murmur. The border was marked by a glimmering, silvery wrought iron gate, and beyond was a lush, beautiful garden with bright splashes of color among deep-green bushes. They walked along the gate for a short while until they came to the gatehouse, a short, cylindrical tower of place brick that nestled in the flowing gate. Ahsante opened the wooden door, and the tower was one large chamber, with a spiral staircase climbing up the edge of the wall. One guard, a puppet-like person who seemed to have skin carved of wood, leaned against the edge of an open arch covered in vines. Ahsante breezed by him without so much as a glance, Nona on his heels. The Garden District was like a small pocket of jungle that inserted itself into the City. Instead of people, birds and insects called to one another, fluttering from willowy tree to tree. Even the air seemed lighter, freer, and more tranquil than the hustle and bustle of the cramped City past. Small mammals and other creatures darted across the thin marble path, which was the only sign of civilization in the District. They must have passed by every plant imaginable in the Garden District, and Nona couldn’t help but wonder how much more was beyond, in the deep wood. There were dirt paths that led deeper, but Ahsante stuck to the marble. Rarely they passed by the stewards of the Garden District, flower-headed Pixies whispering lullabies to late bloomers, or the slow, deliberate, wood-carven Dryads with mossy hair that kept a close eye on the travelers, or flighty, winged Sprites that dashed errands that must’ve required swift action. Aside from the gardeners, they also found a handful of elves, who simply enjoyed the small bit of nature in their City, clearing their minds or muttering thoughtful notions to themselves. As they moved closer to the edge of the District, the magnificence of the Mage District peeked out beyond the leaves of giant trees. Soon, they exited the Garden District via another gatehouse, and soon they were in the Mage’s District, the center of the Imperial City and the centerpiece of the Elven Empire. They were on the western side of the District, the residential side, where estates were scattered about to their owner’s liking. Some were quite ostentatious, with as many glittering turrets as they could possibly fit, with skybridges, observatories, and a small army of servants constantly keeping it clean. Others were bizarre, with sideways rooves, and contorted towers twisted in shapes impossible for regular stone, with floating rooms gently spinning above the strange structure. Others still preferred a more natural aesthetic; few structures, but filled with open air pavilions, courtyards, and atriums. One “house,” if it could even be called that, was a giant tree, with rope ladders hanging off its branches and doors dug into its bark. But no matter how strange the buildings were, each home was large enough to dwarf the folks milling about them. Here, Nona felt a great pressure settle down on his chest. It got harder to breath as they moved in deeper, and Nona began to feel light-headed. He stumbled once against Ahsante, and the elf paused, steadying his human companion. Reke nearly slipped off Nona’s shoulder, but the sudden movement woke him, and he was able to grab a fistful of the human’s jacket before he took a tumble. “What the-? Are you ok?” the lizlai exclaimed, scrambling back onto his saddle. “I- I don’t- I don’t know. I feel- quite- ill,” he panted, holding on to Ahsante’s shoulder. The elf tilted his head curiously, then explained, “I see. Your body must be adjusting to Everstone. The whole City is built of it, but Thread is only Spun here in the Mages’ District. Come, we must get you swiftly to the manor.” He threw Nona’s arm over his shoulder and practically carried the human the rest of the way. For the Mage’s District, Ahsante’s manor was small, only a three-story, blocky mansion with a neat lawn in front. The heavy double doors, emblemed with a stylish A opened automatically for Ahsante, opening to a carpeted main hall with two broad staircases curving up to a long second floor balcony. Two golem servants wearing yellow surcoats swiftly arrived to relieve Ahsante of his burden, then helped Nona up the right-hand staircase, disappearing into what Reke assumed to be guest rooms. Before they took off, Nona leapt from Nona’s shoulder to Ahsante’s, then when they were gone, he looked at the elf and said, “I need to ask you a few questions.” Next Chapter: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/260763524 Previous Chapter: https://www.bungie.net/en/Forums/Post/260585663?sort=0&page=0