Ashfall: City of Shade (UNDER EDITING)

Chapter 48 | The Stairway

GRETA

Brommy said there was some kind of celebration for advisors today down in the city. It's one of the few times I've seen him excited.

I wish I could make him that happy.

Usually, he is back by now.

The streets are dark at night. The paved stone is cold beneath my feet. It's too busy to go where I hoped. The road to the market is blocked by so many people and the people are not moving.

Loud whistles and clambering pots makes me cover my ears. Not to mention, all the Eyu people shouting and laughing. Many are drunk. A lot of couples stand together holding hands or hugging while their children run around free and giddy to throw their flowers and candy wrappers in the air.

Empirical soldiers line the crowds and encourage the excitement by raising their overflowing mugs.

The ground is filthy covered in greasy sludge and stomped-over food.

Suddenly, my vision fades sharply to shades of grey and black alerting me of the late hour.

What joy is it to pretend to be part of something I can never be part of? This community, these families, these feelings they share...the belonging.

When do I ever belong?

With a sluggish heart, I veer off the main street and down a much narrow road. It's the perimeter of the city walls. Only shrubs and trees line this path. The further I go, the quieter the noise behind me gets.

Brommy said he would come back to get me. I suppose he forgot or maybe I was just too impatient and should have waited longer. He is a young man. It's not fair of me to expect him give me all his free time. I wouldn't...I wouldn't have enjoyed going to the celebration anyway. There were too many people. I would not have been comfortable. I wasn't comfortable when I went to see it myself.

Now I am here.

I'm not sure where 'here' is. A large expanse of slate covers the ground ahead of me but there is no structure in place. This stable quarter looks new. Why are there no guards here? Anyone could go in and take the voltak.

The wall here is different. A very long piece of flat stone sticks out of it providing seating for many people, but why would so many people need to sit down together out here? There are barely any homes.

I sit down on the bench with the intention of leaning back against the wall.

"Wah!" I gasp.

I nearly fall backward. I just manage to use my feet to anchor myself on the ground. Behind me is not a wall, but another bench, only just high enough to rest my elbows on...but there is another bench even higher. No, not a bench, but a step...more steps. I crane my neck looking all the way up to the very tippy top of the city wall where the steps lead.

As if pulled by an invisible string, I begin to ascend the steep steps.

Eventually, I make it to the top. A large fountain is situated in front of a massive column temple. Curious, I walk around the fountain to get a better look. The top of the temple is very pointy. There are no guards here.

I wonder if it's abandoned? There's no need for temples anymore.

Brommy said Enoch had every one of Zard's communes destroyed so they couldn't be converted into places of worship.

Best not to get too close. Now that the shade of the day is pure dark, I can make out some guards lining the structure.

They don't care that I'm up here. It might just be an advisoral home or empirical property of some sort.