Book 2, Chapter 17 - Entering Skycloud City (1/2)

Chapter 17 - Entering Skycloud City

Cloudhawk rode into Skycloud City inside a merchant’s cart.

Setting the stupendous and seemingly commonplace miracles aside, Skycloud was still an incredible city.

The buildings came in many styles. The ones with steepled roofs were homes, but there were also ovals and rectangular buildings strewn without. The most common colors were white for holiness, silver for purity and golden accents to represent divine glory. When the sun shone on the glimmering architecture it was like walking the streets of heaven.

They picked their way through the city until the cart reached a crossroads. There, stretching all along the block, was an arcade that had to be ten thousand meters long. It was so wide that eight horses could ride abreast through it, and on either side was a procession of beautiful sculptures. They were tall and dignified and full of majesty – images of the gods as imagined by master craftsmen.

All throughout the city there were idols, altars, fountains, markets, and doves to populate them. Every corner had a unique style, and every building, paving stone, mural and statue had unique flavor.

Cloudhawk could exhaust every word he knew and still couldn’t describe one one-thousandth of the holy splendor that showered him.

Squall sighed deeply. “It’s always so chaotic out there. It’s good to be home.”

Cloudhawk couldn’t help but respond. “Have you ever been to one of the other domains?”

“Other domains? Never even heard of them!” Squall shook his head. “There’s nothing but wastelands for thousands of kilometers in all directions outside of Skycloud. How could normal folk like us cross that kind of distance? I just want to be a demonhunter like you someday, then maybe I’ll have the chance to see other places. Really though, Skycloud’s great in and of itself, I doubt there’s any place better.”

Truth be told, Cloudhawk was pleased with what he saw as well. He could tell by the people walking the street that they were different from the outside. From their clothes to their bearing the people were elegant and noble, and their eyes were full of spirituality.

Yes, spirituality.

Cloudhawk believed that a person’s eyes were a window into the truth of their soul.

In the eyes of a wastelander you could see blood and madness, but in these people he saw tranquility and peace. They were eyes he’d only ever seen in old pictures from the ancient times. The people here were similar. Maybe this was the place he’d been looking for all along.

Cloudhawk trundled along the road surrounded by the vitality of the city. It wasn’t just that the streets were busy, he could see all manner of family crests, shops, and artisans prospering on every corner. It was clear green spaces were also an integral part of the city’s designs. There was everything from small potted plants to towering trees that filled the streets with life.

There was a sense of harmony in every building, tranquility in every street. From the color to the style to the materials, everything was in balance. A single, unified work of art that needed nothing added nor taken from it. Simply exquisite.

The flora around the city was also unique.

Cloudhawk saw a tree slender as a mushroom a hundred meters tall whose canopy tickled the clouds. Its surface was etched with lines which pulsed like veins, full of a glowing fluid. It was veritably gushing with vitality.

The plants were chiefly for decoration and lent a vibrancy and beauty to every corner. However, they also played an important role in the city. During the day they gathered both light and warmth so that at night their peaks glowed like street lights. They turned Skycloud City into a golden paradise when darkness fell.

In addition, some of the plants discharged water into the air to regulate humidity. A few of them with big leaves and thick branches bore fruit. They grew amidst the flowers, glittering and juicy, coming in any number of colors, so numerous it could feed an army.

All of them were edible. Sweet, tasty, and practically endless. All could be picked today and by tomorrow they would return. As such they were a principle part of the peoples’ diet.

A waterfall tumbling from the heavens, a beautiful holy city, inexhaustible food… Cloudhawk didn’t know how many incredible surprises this place had in store, but what he saw already was more than he could fathom.

He’d spent so long fantasizing about a promised land. Now that he was here he realized how inferior his dreams really were.

Cloudhawk’s eyes suddenly went wide as before him was revealed the center of Skycloud City. Therein rose a soaring temple that was so large it took up a tenth of the total area of the city. It was pure white and whatever it was made with had the texture of polished jade – a colossal white-jade pyramid. The space around it was empty, a large public square lined with smaller churches and magnificent buildings of all sorts. Scores of devout surrounded the structure, kneeling in prayer.

And the pyramid itself? The whole thing floated a hundred meters above the ground.

That’s right! It flew!

This grand and magnificent structure, silently dangling overhead, cast a light over the whole city. It served to deepen the feeling that all were in the presence of the divine. No wonder the citizens revered the gods, they were gifted this magnificent city to display their glory. Even the least pious would shake and fall to their knees in awe.

“Eh?”

Cluodhawk hadn’t made a sound, afraid that he would give away his ignorance and surprise. However what he saw next forced him to voice his shock. People… or, something. They surrounded the floating temple awash in halos of golden light. Held aloft by iron wings, they flew back and forth above them.

To the citizens of Skycloud City this was no unfamiliar sight.

They were the seraphs; defenders of the temple sanctuary, keepers of the peace, and guarantors of safety. They were also the holy city’s greatest artisans and technicians. After establishing the holy city, the gods left these treasured servants behind to maintain their creation. They did not age or grow weak, and were eternally loyal. So long as the holy lands existed they would watch over the city.

Cloudhawk felt them even from far away. The seraphs – they were relics.

He could hear the resonance from the bodies of the automatons, there had to be some special power directing them. However this did not in any way make them less capable city guardians.

“Ahead is the temple square. No vehicles are allowed to enter. The governor’s castle is beneath the sanctuary, we can only bring you this far.”