Thread: The Masked City (Sylvene & Erebus)

The young Nomad had been afraid that even with a mask in her possession and a forged citizenship, she would still be denied entry into the City. After all, how much could a scrap of paper really be worth in the face of some unknown magic? There was nothing markedly different about her her dusty outfit and heavy boots suited the outdoors more than behind walls but the gleam of the mask meant that she was to be inside, not beyond. It was a striking contrast and one that attracted an uncomfortable amount of attention as she twisted through the crowd to the front gate. Confronting one of the masked guards, she pulled out her papers from her satchel and handed them over wordlessly. She was sure to lift her head up slightly so that they might see her face. The description on her documents along with the numerous inked stamps and signatures seemed to satisfy their requirements, much to the Nomad's relief. A pen was produced along with a stamp, noting the time and day before passing the worn sheaves back to her. Not a single word was spoken, only an intense regard for her form as she passed by. Their eyes bore onto her cloak, onto the thin rope of leather around her neck drilling into her back as she stepped into the promised City of Tera. Everything hit her at once. It was like stepping into a hallucination an oasis in the middle of the unforgiving desert. Children with their own faces covered, dressed in loose clothing, skipped and ran about rambunctiously and oblivious to what was happening outside the walls. She remembered the dead man and grimaced. One small child, naked except for the brown mask that covered his entire face, clambered up a series of stone steps to jump feet first into a shallow fountain. Before long, the rest of the children were there, screeching and splashing cold water over each other. The Nomad hurried along as their mothers ran toward them. While the City was built with structural integrity in mind, stone eventually wore away but it looked as if it had only been built within the last year. Even running her hands over the surface of one brick, there were no scars. She wouldn't put it past the builders of the past to have placed several enchantments on their work. Numerous inns and taverns lined the winding pathways along with shops and market stalls selling trinkets. It seemed there was something to be bought and sold on every turn. Before long, the young Nomad knew she had found the main marketplace. It was a mass of smell and sound, and the hustle-and-bustle of it all was near overwhelming. She brought her hand up to her mask, readjusting it and reminded herself that she was here for one reason. Under all the glamor, she was confident that there was something of value to find here. The City seemed to care not for the god in the sky like Tahurov might, nor were there any ornate statues erected in honor of the mighty dragons that once roamed the lands. Tera truly was a city centered on their own purpose and it was that she wished to seek. With one last deep breath, she tugged her hood further over her head and wormed her way into the ever flowing crowd. She was immediately taken by the tides past stalls calling out their wares, their voices climbing over each other. One sold handwoven carpets and rugs another crafted rings made out of real silver, he claimed. Another offered exotic animals as pets a bird with a blunt beak but feathers that looked like polished metal cats with three eyes and two tails prowled around their heavily reinforced cages spined frogs, hairless rodents and the Nomad swore she saw a creature with a mouth so large and full of teeth, it could have swallowed its own body before she was taken away once more. The smell of cooking meat and spices was instantly noticeable and her mouth watered without a second thought. Her meal over the past weeks consisted of cheese, hard bread and dry fruit. The thought of an exotic meal almost made her stomach churn queasily but she swallowed the excess saliva and broke from the masses. With the coins she had, she purchased a bite of what she presumed was meat and popped it in her mouth piping hot. She ignored the heat burning her tongue and savored the taste, using the back of her hand to wipe the juices as they seeped from the corners of her mouth. She had to save what she had left in her pouch if she was to survive in this City, and so with a remorseful glance back at the stall, she dropped her purse back into her satchel and moved on. All around her the delightful aromas continued to mingle and tempt her but she was determined. It was only when the scent faded did she finally concentrate on where she was. There were stalls and people all around her but it appeared she had made it to the center, where she could glimpse a large fountain stood proud and high. On the very edge of it was a cup made of glinting gold and encrusted with jewels of all sizes and colors. Sapphire, topaz, ruby, emeralds and diamonds lit the goblet up, a robber's dream. Yet the fact that it still stood there with the City's citizens passing without a glance, made her wonder. ...you can still hear him tapping on the stone for someone to free him... The voice was faded, a low whisper among the loud voices but it was there. The Nomad turned, her eyes immediately latching onto a mother and her children, and a woman with long black hair. They all wore masks, but there was something different. The Nomad shivered and hurried away once more, intending to be rid of the feeling crawling down her spine. She wondered if it was the magic that knew she did not belong, but her feet carried her to the fountain and to the goblet. She stared down at the gleaming gold almost defiantly. It was all too confusing. Even in Tahurov, something like this would most certainly be spirited away in the dead of night. A goblet like this belonged behind a glass case in a museum, not sitting out in broad daylight. It made no sense! The Nomad turned, but the people around her did not even seem to notice her. It was a strange feeling. She reached out to touch the lip of the cup, but something stopped her. A sound, like nails on stone, reached her ears and she balked. The Nomad shook her head and ran.