1 The City of Vesperum

The distant screeches of bats echoed in the narrow alleyway. The brown leaves on the ground rustled with the cold evening breeze. The wind carried the first cold of the coming winter.

A young woman stepped into the alleyway. Her simple brown woollen dress swiped the stone streets as she walked. She wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as the cool breeze blew her short hair back. There were dark circles under her eyes.

She paused as she passed by a window and sniffed the air. Her lips opened ever so slightly and for a split second, a somewhat lost expression settled on her face. It only lasted a moment though, as she quickly shook her head and hastened her steps. Her fingers clenched around ends of the woollen shawl. She licked her lips and kept her head low. If anyone were watching her, they'd think she was worried about something, that she was in some kind of danger.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the narrow alleyway ended with a narrow turn. A faint smile touched her lips as she touched over her heart and whispered a silent prayer.

"May your prayer be accepted half-blood." A voice whispered behind her. The muffled voice of metal brushing against metal sounded before her lifeless body fell onto the stone road.

He dug his teeth into the bright red apple. It tasted wonderful, as all fresh things did. That taste was rare nowadays. Too rare for his liking. He wiped the apple juice with a torn piece of cloth. His lips curled down with a frown as he gazed upon the city in the distance.

The City of Vesporum, also known as the citadel city, looked rather dark and gloomy at dusk. He expected to see lights dotting the cityscape, yet the only lights were around the cathedral at the highest point of the city.

"Ugly." He mumbled as he jumped off the rock he was standing on. The dirt path before him led all the way to the city gates. He sighed as his steps began carrying him along the path.

Vesporum was built leaning against a tall mountain. Its peak was always white with snow throughout the year, or so he heard. He raised his head as he tried to look at the distant peak of the mountain. It was definitely white, and with that incredible height, he could easily believe that peak stayed white throughout the summer as well.

His steps carried him to the front gate of the large, vast city. The tall, dark walls surrounding it had only a single gate, and as he passed under the massive metal gate, he couldn't help but feel like he was walking into a dangerous place.

A single exit, he noted in his mind with a frown. The wet stone pavement felt odd to walk on. Slippery, almost. As he walked beneath the gate, he furrowed his brows. He couldn't help but feel like he was walking into a trap.

Before him, the city stretched far and wide. The main street he was standing on stretched all the way to the massive cathedral at the highest point of the city. Rows of stone houses lined the streets, crooked ever so slightly towards the stone roads.

Tall metal torch lamps lined the pavement, though they were devoid of any light. The only light illuminating the streets was coming from the houses with still open shutters. In contrast to the dark atmosphere here, the higher areas of the city had begun to light up already. The windows of the large mansions let the soft, warm light escape. The cathedral was like a second sun, brightly lit up with no concerns about fuel.

His lips twisted with a wry smile as he slowly walked the streets. Of course the rich weren't concerned, why would they be? If the fuel ran low, they wouldn't lose their light. If the food became scarce, they wouldn't be the ones to starve.

His gaze wandered about, lingering on the people going about their days. Everyone wore dark, pale clothes. He pulled the hood of his cloak up. While his dark green clothes weren't exactly vibrant, he still wanted to keep a low profile for as long as he could.

He walked past the people dragging their feet, his gaze scouring his surroundings, looking for an inn. He didn't need to look for long, thankfully, as a wooden signpost reading 'Dancing Rat Inn' caught his eye. Though the letters were almost too faded to be legible.

"As good as any place, I guess." He whispered to himself as he shot a glance to the narrow alleyway the signpost pointed towards. He stepped away from the main street, into the narrow alleyway.

Immediately the air seemed to change. The two-story tall buildings on either side seemed to be looming over him. The gloomy weather only grew worse as the damp air and the smell of moss filled his nostrils. He could feel the dirt on the stone paved road sticking to his leather boots with each step he took.

The only light in the alleyway was coming from the windows of a run-down building. The shutters of its windows were broken, and they constantly creaked open and close with the cold wind. A somewhat faded signpost was hanging over its wooden door. 'Dancing Rat's Inn', it read. He shuddered and pulled the hood of his cloak further down. This city felt more unwelcoming with every passing moment.

He was already regretting coming to this city. He paused by the entrance to the inn and shot a quick, longing glance to the sky. Even the stars were out of sight, because of the dust, mist, and smoke looming over this great city.

With a deep breath, he placed his palm on the wooden door and gently pushed it. The door opened with a loud, ear-piercing creak, to reveal the inside of the inn.

He counted four tables, two of which were missing a leg. A small group of people were huddled together at the third table, and the fourth was taken by a pair of middle-aged women. They seemed startled as he stepped inside, and as he closed the door, they quickly got up and left, brushing past him.

One of them paused to sniff the air, but then followed her friend with hasty steps.

"Filthy ruts." A voice sounded. "Welcome, sir."