Sonnet: The Cities of Steam, Brass, and Aether

Prologue

17 Years Ago- Tower Sesi, most southern watchtower

Violet swung her legs off of the bed on the second floor of the lookout tower. Blankets were strewn haphazardly along it, with pillows scattered across the sheets, and she began to survey the room. She stood there a moment to take in the rays of a nearly full moon that shone through the nearest balcony.

It was a large and barren area, resembling an empty, coliseum-sized ballroom more than a watchtower; with a single bed closest to the southernmost railing that allowed for an easy view of the countryside below. There were no walls within this monstrosity, for it was instead held aloft by a plethora of meticulously carved columns; each archway was engraved with battles depicted from the earliest times of history.

This floor allowed her to constantly survey from the balcony, for any injured soldiers who may have found their way to this side of the country. Like anybody would intentionally skip one of the other towers just to come to the one furthest away from the war... she rolled her eyes at the thought; each tower currently houses a healer proficiently trained in both natural and magical healing arts after all.

It was taught that all twelve of the towers surrounding the city of Sonnet were constructed by man, but why they made everything as if it was fit for a person twenty feet taller than herself was something she had never understood. Each of the towers stands an equal distance from the next, like a group of hoary sentinels ever vigilant in their guard duties. They reached thousands of feet into the sky, overshadowing everything laid out before them.

She was currently stationed in tower Sesi, although based on her grades and final performances at graduation, she should have been stationed at one of the three towers that lie closest to the war: Viena, Venolyk, or Dyvlika would have all been unsurprising posts for somebody of her healing capabilities, she would have even settled for tower Trys or tower Devyna; at least those have towns in the surrounding areas that have formed over time, where she was now however didn't even have a farm or any pastures surrounding it.

She needed to travel to another tower at least once a week just to keep up on supplies in her first few months here; until she realized it was easier to grow her own food and raise a few chickens and sheep, than to make that awful trek on foot every week.

She touched her feet upon the cold, marble-like stone that made up these towers, and with a shudder she slowly made her way to the northernmost railing; but before she even made it halfway she was stopped by a noise.

"Vi? What are you doing?"

The husky words slur from a voice that was still thick with sleep.

"Come back to bed, where are you going?"

The drowsy elf asked her through moist, bleary eyes that were now attempting to blink the sleep away.

She ignored him and continued walking forward, causing the full-length, sheer, sleeping gown she wore to cling snugly to her hips as she moved.

She carried herself with a dignity and grace few could muster; upon finally reaching the guard rail of the northern balcony and placing both hands on it, she leaned forward into the moonlight which caused her sleek strawberry-blonde hair to tumble over her shoulders, like a cascading waterfall tracing the contours of her soft, angular face.

She turned her head towards the moonlight, revealing her piercing emerald green eyes; which sat evenly above a small button nose, complete with plump lips that held a sultry disposition.

Standing at the balcony and peering over at the plethora of empty plains and fields between here and the other towers, she was able to just barely see the ever-growing city that was Sonnet; even from this distance she could see the familiar luminescent dome that came from hundreds of lights reflecting off the towers brilliantly.