City of Spirits

  “So you used the wall to guide you to Eric?” Sam asked besides Xavier. The tall white leafed trees and thick dark blue underbrush surrounding them as they trekked their way through the dense forest that surrounded Perineum. Apparently they had landed in a park, though there seemed to be no direct path connecting it to the city.

            “I suppose you could say that.” Xavier answered absentmindedly. He was still not comfortable with the whole experience. Atara hadn’t spoken to him since, but he still felt the sickening feeling of having had the voice in his head.             

            “You really scare me Xavier, you know that?” Sam said looking straight at him, his eyes searching Xavier’s. Through the corner of his eye, he could faintly recognize Fin and Eric’s figures up ahead seemingly in deep conversation.

“What do you mean?” He asked tentatively.

“To be able to reach someone telepathically from that distance……..I train my magic every other day when I climb the wall, but I could never do anything of that caliber.” 

            “I’ve never really explored the limits of my magic…..it’s always been something I’ve hidden.” He said, throwing a glance at a sullen looking Eric upfront.

            “What did you do to him?” Sam asked following his gaze. “He seems spooked.”

            “I told him to jump.” Xavier answered as blatantly as he could. 

            Sam seemed to want to pry more into the matter, but was interrupted as Fin let out a gasp of excitement.

            “We’re here! I can see an opening!” He said ecstatically.

            Xavier tore his gaze away from Sam and levelled it in Fin’s direction. Indeed, up ahead he could see a small gap within the trees and underbrush letting in a small ray of light to their otherwise dark surroundings. He felt his own excitement bubble up within him as he jogged to level with Fin and Eric, Sam lagging behind him.  

            Fin kneeled before the slim opening before prying apart the thick bushes. Almost as though a curtain had been lifted, Xavier became conscious of an array of sounds and smells erupting from the hole in the underbrush.

            “You guys have to see this!” Fin said, having already shoved his head through the opening.  Before Xavier even made a move to get closer, he could already make out the familiar sounds of a bustling city. The stomping of feet, the chatter of voices both male female, old young, and what Xavier could only call “animal” noises. It reeked of dampness, as though it had just rained, but mixed in with the humid air Xavier could smell the potent smell of spices.

            He crouched down near Fin and Eric, while Sam stayed back seeming uninterested. Grabbing a hand full of leaves and branches, he began to split them apart, further enlarging their peep hole. He was blinded by the bright light that hit his eyes, but his vision quickly adjusted and he found himself unable to stop from releasing a small sound of astonishment at what he saw. 

            Intense red, brilliant silver, and creamy peach. The colors jumped at him, vibrant and striking. The road before them was paved in solid gleaming silver, the sky and radiant sun reflected within it. Across the street was a maze of creamy peach buildings with pointed red roofs. The buildings, tall and cylindrical, their walls as smooth as the road itself.

            But what caught Xavier’s attention was the amount of perfects he saw. They wore robes of blue, green, purple and red, their uniquely colored hair embellished by bejeweled necklaces and bracelets. It came to Xavier’s attention that they were looking at a market. There were stalls and stands as far as the eye could see, spread out at least 2km in each direction.

            The noise level was overwhelming as stand owners screamed and shouted words in a language Xavier knew not. He noticed strange things too. Floating objects that trailed certain better dressed perfects behind. At further inspection Xavier realized that they were collars, dark crimson with golden symbols inscribed on them.  

            “It’s huge.” Eric said sounding awestruck. They had but one market in Abscond and it could fit several times within Perineum’s. Not to mention that by the looks of it, Perineum’s market was stocked with many more exotic items than theirs was.

            “Before we go in let’s make a couple of things clear.” Sam said speaking up from behind them. “You see how every one of them have different colored robes? Well, all you need to remember is to stay away from people wearing white robes with black embroidery.” He said slowly.  

            “Why?” Eric asked pointedly.

            “Those are the mages.” Sam said, as though it answered all of their questions. But before they could ask anything else, the boy stepped out from their hiding spot and began to make his way towards the market.

            “Wait! Sam!” Eric said panicked, “Should we really be getting closer!? What if we’re seen?”

            “Trust me, that won’t be a problem as long as we stay away from perfects wearing white robes.” He answered nonchalantly.

            Fin, as exuberant as ever quickly made his way through the underbrush trying to catch up to Sam while Xavier, having come to trust Sam’s every words found himself already out onto the silver road. Eric on the other hand, had a brief moments of hesitation before conforming to the group.

            Xavier found himself feeling anxious. He never thought he’d ever be casually strolling into Perineum. All his life he’d feared perfects, and had been warned to stay clear of them, especially as an enchanter. But here he was, walking into the lion’s den with no means of escape. He looked at Sam quizzically, his demeanor was beyond relaxed and though this did reassure Xavier, he still found himself plotting his various means of escape.

            The silver paved road ran far to either of their sides, leading to different areas of the city. To his right he could see an area of tall official looking buildings, the roofs tinged in a fluorescent blue. While to their right, the buildings looked smaller and more rural. Was there some sort of economical divide? He wondered to himself.

 As they neared the closest market stalls and crowds, Xavier made sure to take in all that he saw. Here the ground was paved in cool black tiles that reflected the images of the perfects who walked on its surface. They all seemed purposeful in everything they did, from what they wore, to what they said, and even how they moved. He identified four main colored robes present within the crowd. Blue was common amongst the vendors, while green, yellow, and purple made up the majority of the crowd. They walked brusquely through the market bartering on prices and filling up silk and leather bags with various produce. Both women and men seemed to wear jewelry and certain individuals brandished weapons. He caught a glimpse of a woman with a crossbow and a man with a beautiful set of twin daggers.

            Before he even realized it, they were swallowed by the market, and had become a part of the mass of swirling bodies. “Br�"ĝir! Sƍkar ño parįm!” A nearby merchant yelled at the crowd before him, showcasing an assortment of animal heads he seemed to be selling. Xavier recognized the distinct features of catfish and monkey heads but was bemused by the fundamentally alien heads of the other displayed produce. Horned creatures with no mouths, heads with multiple eyes, others with no distinct features to them apart from dark dry brown skin from having been smoked.

            “Kalŀé! Kalŀé!” A woman with bright yellow hair shouted to their left, drawing Xavier’s attention. Her stall was stocked with old books made of various atypical materials. From stone and bark, to what Xavier believed to be skin. They all seemed old and ragged with miniscule foreign writing and crude depictions, but many seemed to crowd around her stall.

            Xavier became aware of people around them making space for them, moving aside as they passed, but never actually looking at them. It seemed as though there was a force field between them and the people of the market. Occasionally he caught some of the stall owners staring, but whenever he tried to meet their gaze, they would look away.

 He looked to his left where Fin and Eric were gawking at a nearby stand brandishing various gruesome looking weapons. A battle axe encrusted with red jewels, a scythe with satanic looking symbols etched within the blade and a golden shield that seemed to radiate a powerful aura.

            Xavier was violently awoken from his reverie by a loud inhumane shriek to his right. Alarmed, he brought his hands up to his face to protect him from the creature that had emerged while he wasn’t looking.

            Having braced himself for a blow that never came, Xavier lowered his arms embarrassed and scrutinized the beast. It had the head of an eagle, with beautiful white feathers and a sharp yellow beak, but the muscular body of a lion. The creature regarded him serenely before shrieking once more. 

“That’s a griffin I think.” Sam said from besides Xavier, slightly startling him.

They had stumbled across some sort of animal stand it seemed. The griffin was tied up to a wooden stall looked after by a plump woman with curly green hair. She waved at them animatedly, “Kalŀé! Kalŀé!” she said enthusiastically.

Sam, grabbing Xavier’s arm tugged him towards the lady, “I think she wants us to come.” he said matter of factly.

 Xavier was awestruck by the assortment of creatures in cages and jars the woman had put in display. He saw a cage full of small insects that later on he realized were in fact hissing flying spiders. A large water filled aquarium was set at the back of the stall, housing a six headed black python. What caught his attention most, however, was an ominous chest that would open and close of its own volition. Xavier could have sworn that it were breathing.

The woman pulled out of her blue robes two fruits resembling apples. Bowing her head almost reverently, she extended the fruit out to them.

Xavier, perplexed, stared at the fruit blankly. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to take them. Could he even eat them? Were they even meant to be eaten? Sam on the other hand, carefully took the fruit before similarly bowing his head in return. “Déąjį.” He said softly.

The woman, looking pleased with herself, moved her attention to a client that had stopped to examine her griffin.

“What did you say?” Xavier asked Sam intrigued at his ability to speak their language.

“It means thank you I think. I picked it up a while ago.” Sam said handing him one of the fruits before taking a big bite out of his.

Xavier looked at it dubiously. He’d never seen anything like it. It was a blistering blue and its skin soft and fuzzy like a peach. He took a tentative bite of it and his mouth exploded with flavor. The fruit was an amazing mixture of sweat and tangy, the juices coating his tongue thick and creamy. He couldn’t help but shove the rest of it into his mouth, letting the juices dribble from the sides of his mouth.  

Xavier had to take a minute to recompose himself after having been consumed with euphoria. Fruit were rare in the Black household, so he’d never really been exposed to sugar.

“Why are they all just avoiding us? And why did she give us food?” He found himself asking.

“I’m not actually quite sure,” Sam said contemplatively, “but I think they think we’re some sort of spirits.” He said sounding amused.

“Spirits? Like ghosts?”

“Yeah, something like that. But like spirits that inhabit the land they’ve settled on and can thus sometimes physically influence it.”

“That makes no sense. The perfects who come to Abscond know we’re humans, why not them?”

“Well, I thought that too. But then I realized that only the mages come to Abscond. Only the military, not the civilians.”

“Are you saying that these people don’t know that humans exist?” Xavier asked bewildered. How could that be possible? They’d been enslaved by these people, and yet they didn’t know of their existence?

“Possibly. That’s why I told you guys to stay away from people wearing white and black robes. Those are the colors of a mage.” Sam said calmly. “I think that their government or administration or whatever told them that the only other somewhat intelligent life forms in this land are spirits.”

“But why?” Xavier asked perplexed.

“Well, think about it. Wouldn’t it be more likely for all the perfects to consent to enslaving a whole country if they believed that only ghosts inhabited it in the first place?” Sam asked matter of factly.

Xavier felt a swarm of emotions. Anger, shock, and weirdly enough, hope. If the civilians didn’t know, then perhaps by getting across the message that they were in fact living and intelligent life forms, Valore would be liberated.

“I already know what you’re thinking. And no, that won’t work. For one, there is the language barrier to think about. And two, the mages seem to have told them quite the convincing story.” Sam said pedantically.

“But, we gotta at least try.” Xavier said halfheartedly.

“They think we’re animals Xavier. Perhaps a little smarter than the average monkey, but still animals. They’ve been convinced that we aren’t capable of higher thinking, let alone procreation.” Sam said.

“That’s because they’ve never seen any adults right? You’ve only ever brought kids here. If you were to bring a parent and a child, then they would see we aren’t simply a bunch of sterile ghosts.” Xavier said annoyed. He was trying hard to grasp at the small ray of hope he’d found.

“Believe me, they’ve seen plenty adults. And so have we. You just haven’t realized it yet.” Sam said before pointing behind them.

Xavier followed his finger and found himself staring at something red floating behind a perfect dressed in purple. It took a while before he realized what or who in this case he was looking at. “Those are the collars the adults wear.” Xavier said silently.

Sam nodded slowly. “I think it’s some sort of magic. Turns the wearer invisible as well as speechless. Not to mention that they can’t seem to be able to recognize other humans either.”

Xavier felt his stomach fall as he realized the severity of the human race’s predicament. He stared at the floating collar, trailing its perfect master behind.

“I don’t like to think of it much. It’s rather depressing.” Sam said softly, “Let’s find Fin and Eric and resume our tour.” He said, but Xavier had already turned away disgusted.

 

            Having found both Fin and Eric, the quartet continued to make their way through the maze like market. Each time they thought they’d seen everything there was to be seen, they found themselves dumbstruck by something even more amazing in the next stand. They came across a man selling potions, some of which bubbled, steamed or changed colors and a couple of which moved on their own. Once they passed what they guessed to be an eating establishment. Fin was sure he’d seen them filling their goblets with some sort of dark red steaming thick liquid that he claimed to be molten rock. This didn’t shock Xavier much as he’d caught a glimpse of a woman eating skewered multicolored eyeballs. Each deriving from a different animal it seemed.

            He wasn’t sure for how long or how far they had walked when they had finally escaped the markets crowded streets. They found themselves walking through the throng of red roofed buildings they had seen earlier on. Judging by the position of the sun, they still had a good four hours before it set.

            “Did you see that group of musicians?” Fin was saying energetically. “The only instrument I recognized was a violin! But they were plucking it with their nails!”

 They had in fact passed a small group of musicians wearing festive orange robes and a group of overly flexible female dancers. They had played a multitude of stringed instruments, the rhythm having been fast paced and what Xavier could only deem as ‘abstract’. Nonetheless, it had made Xavier want to dance like those around him. 

            “The women dancing were quite beautiful too. Too bad I had no idea how to dance to those songs.” Eric said wistfully.

            “I’m glad you enjoyed yourselves, but it’s probably time that we head back home.” Sam said pausing to stretch.

            “About that, how’re we getting out?” Fin asked sounding genuinely intrigued.

            “You’re standing on our escape route actually.” Sam said unceremoniously.

            They all looked down at Fin’s feet. At first Xavier wasn’t sure what they were looking at, but then he realized that Fin was standing over a closed pothole.

            “The sewers?” Eric said sounding disgusted.

            “Yes, the sewers. They lead out into the fields. Apparently, that’s where we get our………‘fertilizer’.” Sam said reluctantly.

            “If we can get out through the sewers, then why didn’t we break in through them?” Xavier asked.

            “Well I did try. But there is some sort of enchantment blocking things from coming into the sewer. Though it seems as though the enchantment only affects the sewer entrances outside of the wall.” He answered matter of factly. Xavier was once more bewildered by how much Sam knew about the city.

            “But still, the sewer of all exits?” Eric asked pointedly.

            “What? Is the sewer not good enough for you?” Sam asked derisively.

            Xavier concentrated on the pothole, sending his energy into it before tugging at it gently. Obediently, the circular piece of stone popped out of the ground, leaving behind a dark hole.         

            “No, it’s fine. It’s as good an exit as any.” Xavier said as he dropped the cover besides him.

            “So we head south from here right?” Fin asked staring into the dark abyss below.

            “Yeah, no rights or lefts, just keep walking straight for about an hour.” Sam said suddenly sounding tired.

            “You know, considering what we payed you, and the fact that you’re an ‘enchanter’ and all, you’d think you’d have a better escape route than this.” Eric said. It was probably more out of spite for Sam rather than out of genuine concern Xavier knew.

            “I promised to get you in and out. I never mentioned the means, nor did you ever ask to know of them.” Sam answered sounding slightly annoyed. Xavier was once more reminded of the fact that he knew not of the pact the three of them had made.

            “Well, the means suck. Guess enchanters aren’t all that.” Eric said offhandedly.

            “Just get in the sewer already Eric.” Xavier said before Sam had a chance to retort.

            “Or what? You’ll force me again?” Eric retorted.

            This caught Xavier by surprise and he found himself speechless. Eric turned to look at his brother for the first time since they had entered Perineum. Their eyes met and Xavier felt a wave of anguish go over him. What he saw in Eric’s eyes hurt more than any retort. Pain, sorrow, and fear. He could see it clearly. 

            “I had to do it. I didn’t want to leave you up there.” He said lowering his gaze in embarrassment.

            “But I told you I couldn’t Xavier. I told you. And you forced me anyways. I don’t have magic like you. That fall could have killed me. And ever since dad died, I’ve been scared of it too. I don’t want to die. You know that, so why did you force me?” Eric said, his voice breaking with emotion.

            Xavier was aware of Sam and Fin staring at them with undisguised interest. Eric was right. It had been wrong. He had transgressed his own brother, and had abused his own magic. His heart panged at the thought of what he’d made his brother endure. But it hadn’t been him! It had been something else! It had been someone else’s emotions forced upon him!

            “I think that’s enough Eric. If he hadn’t done what he did, you’d still be stuck on that wall, so stop making him seem like some monster.” Sam said into the silence that had issued.

            “Well, he’s no ordinary human now is he?” Eric said softly.

            “Aren’t you his brother�"” Sam started to say, but Xavier had already ran. He’d bolted without having even realized it himself. Tears were flowing out of his eyes and pain spread across his torso. “Monster.” “Monster.” “Monster.” Why was the word so familiar? Why did it hurt so much when he heard it? It was as though he couldn’t help but fall apart each time he heard the word.

            His mad dash came to an abrupt end as he ran into a dead end. His breath came in gasps as he quickly took in his surroundings. The floor was made up of white rocks compacted together, and the houses around the cul-de-sac were relatively normal compared to the buildings he’d seen beforehand. Apart from the occasional bush and bench, it was a rather plain area.

            “Xavier, you shouldn’t go off like that.” Sam said from where Xavier had just come in from.

            “I’m sorry. It was too much for me. He looked at me like I was some sort of a monster.” He said clenching his teeth.

            “He didn’t mean to. He just feels betrayed.” Sam said putting his arm on Xavier’s shoulder.

            “He feels betrayed? I feel betrayed! He told Fin about me!” He said shrugging Sam’s hand off.

            “Well, then you’re even.” Sam said shrewdly.

            “I’m glad you find this funny.” He said annoyed.

            “Well, actually, it kind of is.”

            “And why’s that?”

            “Well because you care so much about what he thinks.”

            “Of course I do, he’s my brother.”

            “Adoptive. And he’s not one of us, not an enchanter.”

            “Why are you so prejudiced against non-enchanters?” Xavier asked annoyed by the sudden shift in the conversation.

            “No reason. They’re just inferior to us. Both physically and emotionally.” He said, jaded.

            “Stop saying that. You sound like a perfect.” Xavier said disgusted.

            “It’s the truth and you just gotta accept it.” He retorted heatedly. 

            “This has to do with what I heard doesn’t it?” Xavier asked abruptly.

            “Let’s change the subject.” 

            “No, tell me what happened. Why is your aura so corrupted?”

            “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            “When I opened my mind back at the park, I heard the voice of your soul. It was crying Sam, crying. It kept on saying ‘I didn’t want to do it’, ‘it forced me’, ‘he should have been stronger’.” Xavier said patiently. He had heard the voice of Sam’s soul, he was sure of it. He couldn’t forget what he had heard. The melancholy that had emanated from it had been overwhelming. What had Sam done that had caused him so much pain?

            “I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Sam said grudgingly, his eyes betraying traces of recognition and sorrow.  

            “What did you do Sam?”

            “You don’t want to know.” 

            “What did you do?” He repeated more urgently then he meant to.

            “I killed my father!” Sam shouted in anger. “He killed my mom for being an enchanter. She didn’t even see it coming. He sliced her throat while she slept. He kept on saying ‘it’s safer this way’ and ‘she betrayed us’! Then when he learned that I could use magic too, he tried to kill me as well. Tried to persuade me to suicide or let him kill me. Then when I refused he tried to kill me like my mom! And�"and I got so mad, so disgusted that I couldn’t control myself! The next thing I knew he flew into the wall behind him and stopped moving. It wasn’t me though Xavier! It wasn’t me, it was as if�"”

            “A voice in your head was telling you to do it.” A deep masculine voice said from above them. 

            Both boys froze where they stood before slowly raising their gazes towards the roof of the house in front of them. Xavier felt a wave of fear pass through him worse then he’d ever felt it happen before. He felt as though the bottom of his stomach had fallen out and could taste bile in his mouth. Fear was pumping throughout his veins, coating his bones, his muscles, and his joints, paralyzing him in terror.

            “Or at least, that’s how I presume your story was going to end.” Said the green haired perfect who hovered serenely six meters above the ground in white mage’s robes.

            

Author's Note

haven't really edited it yet.......