Chapter 659: "Witnessed their absurdity" (2/2)
”I don't care much for thy wit,” he glared the tavern-mother, ”-tell me,” he leaned to her ear, ”-was he the strongest?”
”Y-yes,” said a childish voice.
”What about the rule?”
”What rule,” she gulped.
”You know damn well what rule I mean,” cold fingers ran up her neck. Her knees danced, the face glistened in sweat and belligerent bystanders held their weapons.
”Enough.” Such a brawl ruckus didn't befit their station. The princess stepped in and justified the misunderstanding. Title and name begot admiration and hate; they knew of the Devil of Glenda. The adventurer reawakened after a mid-tier healing spell. Confusion bit his tongue and he bit his words. So long and so forth, Julius gathered intel from the many crowded tables. Igna, Vanesa, and Eira were given the VIP treatment, also referred by '-loner's room.'
Simultaneously in Rosespire, the scenery differed tremendously. A heavily lit and lively street held the trio. Advertisements were wild, the shops were wilder. Busy sidewalk and busier traffic, the adventurous walk sparked Thena's creative side. He had yet basked in the modernness of the human world.
”Nike, look, this device lets you draw anywhere and anytime.”
”I know,” he said, ”-Igna has one at the manor…”
”Stop being a buzzkill.” Couples checked in and out, students were also a sight to behold. Besides the wide entrance waited for Aceline, the mind, and body lost in thought.
”Look at this,” two jovial men jumped out.
”Mind it,” returned she, ”-people are watching.”
”Who cares about them,” shrugged Thena, ”-this tablet lets me draw how I want and when I want. The human world is truly amazing.”
”Human world?”
”Ignore her,” refuted Nike, ”-my friend's a little too excited.”
Apexi's logo branded a foreign car, plan switched halfway across. Windows rolled to the pink-haired Nona, ”-Aceline,” she hailed, ”-over here.”
”Nona?”
”The one and only. Stop gawking and get in, we're headed to the company hotel.”
”Company hotel?”
”Don't worry about it,” the vibrant trio vanished into the busy capital. The driver showed no interest at first, not until the focus met the passengers'. ”I know you…”
”ACELINE!”
”SCOTT?”
”Aceline… it's you, I never thought we'd meet.”
”I was dead for the most part. Scott, oh, I forgot, you're a manager for Apexi right?”
”Hey, listen, I'm sorry for the way our relationship ended.”
”I was a pain too, don't sweat it.”
Company hotel was an understatement. Once inside the commercial district, Apexi's tower, which reached the heavens, hosted everything the commercial district might offer. A shopping mall, multiple gymnasiums, full-sized pools, and even tennis grounds on the side of the immense infrastructure. Compartmentalization saves plenty o' headaches. The bottom area was for the shopping mall, the mid harbored the other facilities as for the top, a hotel for visitors. Another side, one complete with a helipad and garage, was grounds for Apexi's workers, staff, and leaders. Stack it to their fortune, workers were free to buy, eat, and do whatever they wanted for naught but efficient work and higher morale as payment.
'Continues to amaze.' The long way involved a promenade through the mall. Surprisingly, the place was very active. Families and friends alike kept smiles. Occasionally, some would have pouts and looks of dejection. Obviously, those were children who didn't get a toy or ice cream. On the topic of children, Thena jumped at the notice of an art gallery. They could but follow his whims, the conversations lasted hours on end until the rooms.
Morning rose, the renamed capital of Arda, Awei, silhouetted by the rising sun, held woe. The roads up to said tree were scarred and left to ruin. The foliage, once green, was but a reflection of the past. Dust and other wastes layered the leaves. A few rodents of the church lingered to and fro, the main entrance had been cemented in.
”Why's that there?”
”To stop the residents from fleeing. See the path up there,” she pointed, ”-tis the only point of access. They controlled what went in and what went out.”
”How did people escape?”
”Look on higher, there's another concreted hole. A runaway mage, driven by madness, killed himself to open an escape route. I remember the day vividly, reports of screams had reached the cathedral. I curiously went to look, what return was a pit of dead bodies. Few survived and escape, the injured were shot, and the mad erratically left the moral realm.”
”Why are we just wandering around the tree, there could be soldiers…”
”Don't worry,” said she, ”-I've said it before, the church's out of Arda. The capital is without a leader.”
”Why are you staring at the main entrance, Igna?”
”Don't you dare,” warned Julius, ”-I swear to god, don't you dare blow open the hole. Let it be, we'll follow Eira.”
”Fine, fine.” '-Imagine if Draconis or Saniata were here… they'd have burst in without warning.'
”Pops, danger. I smell myself…”
”What she say?” frowned Eira.
”Let me translate, she means there's an Aedric curse or some kind of plague.”
”Cousin…” they slowly made to the entrance; ”-I have a bad feeling. Why's the capital so quiet, should it not have people's shouts and presence?”
”Potent,” she smirked, ”-the stench of sickness and disease… hehe,” her lips contoured sadistically, ”-I feel it, pops, they're mad, very mad.”
”Eira… are you hiding something?”
”Yeah,” they arrived, ”-the reason why I know the church left…” the sealed barrier cracked, ”-is because one of my attendants witnessed their absurdity.
”By the heavens…”
What couldn't be described in words and details lingered at the bottom. Buildings were smashed into a rectangle, the ground floor, once a town, was a broken remain of tried and tested torture methods. The ultimate cleansing, to the side, a stair had the charred remains of escapees. Pests and diseases bubbled in the pool of black miasma, the entire residence ship of the capital was killed mercilessly and thrown to decay. ”-what the hell…” for the first time in ages, disgust, and irritation nearly forced a gag. Julius's fled for fresh air, Eira fell to her knees, ”-I never expected this…”