We finally found a way down the mountain. A narrow dirt road twisted along the side, and I almost slipped a few times. My ankle nearly gave out, but I guess I got lucky. When we reached the bottom, everything just kind of opened up. A huge field of red flowers swayed in the wind. White bushes were scattered around, and the trees had weird white leaves. I noticed some bright red fruits hanging from the branches. They looked kind of like apples, but I wasn’t sure. I even saw a few small animals hiding under the trees, probably looking for food or just trying to stay safe. The breeze was nice, too. It smelled sweet, and I could hear the leaves rustling.
“Wow…”
“It is quite a sight, is it not?” Kia said with a faint smile. “These are the Plains of Gehenna. The flowers you see only grow here, and I have heard that people come from all corners of the world just to see them. I suppose we are rather fortunate.”
It didn’t feel real. It was like something out of a storybook or a dream. I wanted to just stand there and look, but Kia said we should keep going.
As we walked, I kept noticing new things. There were these animals that looked a bit like rabbits, and some birds flying around that were way more colorful than anything I’d seen before. Every once in a while, I saw a blue flower among all the red ones, but they were easy to miss if you weren’t paying close attention. Honestly, this place was almost too nice. Maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more if things were different. After dying twice, seeing something this beautiful just felt weird. Like, I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to be happy about it or not. It kind of felt like the world was messing with me, showing off how great things could be right after I’d lost everything.
Out of nowhere, a gust of wind blew a bunch of leaves right into my face. I panicked and started waving my arms around like an idiot. When I finally stopped, I realized Kia was laughing at me.
“What’s so funny?”
“Forgive me,” she responded, wiping a tear from her eye. “The way you were waving your arms about was simply too amusing.”
My face went red.
Was this just another way the world was messing with me? If so, its sense of humor kind of sucks.
After that “accident”, we continued and reached a wooden bridge. Below it, a narrow stream twisted through the valley. The sound of flowing water was strangely calming, but when I looked down, I saw it wasn’t water at all. Instead of the clear blue I expected, the stream was a bright orange.
“What are you looking at?” Kia asked me.
“What’s that?” I asked, pointing down at the river.
“This is Ignis, the lifeblood of all living things,” she answered before adding, “It is especially pleasant now. You really ought to try dipping your feet in—it is quite lovely, I assure you.”
I stared at the orange stream, not really convinced. Even though Kia sounded pretty sure, it still looked way too much like lava for me to want to touch it. So I just shook my head and mumbled something about being fine.
…
We finally reached the wall around Gehenna. It was huge—probably twenty meters tall. The stone bricks looked old, with moss and vines everywhere, like they’d been there forever. A big archway sat at the bottom, but a black metal gate blocked the way. In front of it, a bunch of soldiers had set up camp. Tents and banners were everywhere, and soldiers in shiny ivory armor walked around, some with swords, others with spears or maces. The gold on their armor caught the sunlight, which made them look even more intimidating. I tried not to stare at the archers and ballistas on top of the wall, but it was kind of hard not to. My hands felt sweaty, and I was pretty sure I looked as nervous as I felt. Kia must have noticed, because she tapped me on the shoulder.
“Do not fret. I promise, there is nothing to worry about.”
I saw one of the guards coming over, moving faster than the others. His armor looked a bit different, and his purple cloak stood out. When he got to us, he took off his helmet. He was… well, honestly, he looked more like a magazine model than a soldier. His hair was curly, and a kind of maple brown, and his eyes were a weird mix of green and yellow. He had three earrings in each ear—two silver, one gold. I couldn’t really imagine him fighting anyone. Then again, I had thought the same thing about Kia.
“Welcome back, Lady Kia. May I suggest limiting your excursions outside the city? My men are already fully engaged, and I would appreciate not having to send them to search for someone of your standing.”
Kia made a small bow.
“Thank you for your concern, Captain Andromedus, but you need not worry about me. I assure you, I can look after myself if it comes to that.”
The captain made a sound, kind of like a laugh, but not really. I wasn’t sure whether he was annoyed or just found Kia’s confidence funny.
“I understand. However, as captain of the Tenth Brigade, it is my duty to ensure your safety.”
Then he looked at me. I tried not to fidget, but it was harder than it should have been.
“May I ask who this young man accompanying you is?”
Before I could speak, Kia answered for me.
“His name is Shako,” she said before pausing. “I found him unconscious in Sharp Peak and thought it best to bring him back to town.”
“I understand. I am sorry to hear that. In that case, I will not keep you waiting any longer.”
Andromedus started walking toward the gate, so we followed. He stopped right in front of it.
“OPEN THE GATE!”
The gate made a loud racket as the metal bars rose. Kia bowed again and walked into town. I hurried after her, trying not to look too out of place.
When I stepped out, I stopped and just stared. The whole town lay before me, with busy streets and buildings that looked like something out of a history book. Trees dotted the streets, and narrow streams—Ignis, I think—ran along the sides, with streetlights lining their banks. The buildings had wooden walls and slanted roofs, and some of them were decorated in ways I didn’t really understand. Their windows were so bright, it was almost hard to look at them. The streets were packed. People were everywhere, moving from stall to stall, talking, carrying baskets, and kids were running around like they didn’t care who was in the way. Vendors kept shouting, trying to get people to buy stuff. I saw fruit, weird food, expensive-looking clothes, and a bunch of things I couldn’t even name. The smell of bread and grilled meat hit me, and my stomach kind of growled.
“Welcome to Gehenna!” Kia said proudly. “So, what are your first impressions?”
Kia turned around and looked at me in suspense.
“It’s beautiful!”
“I am glad you think so! Gehenna has changed a great deal over the years. You might not believe it, but there was a time when it looked nothing like this. Yet, I digress. Shall we go on?”
I got distracted pretty much immediately. Every stall had something weird or interesting, and I kept stopping to look. Kia had to grab my arm a couple of times so I wouldn’t get left behind. While we walked, she started telling me about her people’s customs and stuff. Apparently, Elysium got most of its money from trade. Merchants traveled everywhere, making deals and meeting people. They were so good at it that people started calling them the ‘hagglers of the world.’
“Wherever trade thrives, prosperity is never far behind. At least, that is what I have seen,” she clarified.
Honestly, it didn’t seem that different from how things worked back on Earth. Maybe that was just a coincidence, or maybe not. As we walked, I started noticing people acting kind of weird around Kia. Many moved out of the way when they saw her, and some kids pointed at her like she was famous or something. I heard people whispering, and a few of them stared at me like I didn’t belong.
“Um… Kia? Is something going on here?”
She glanced toward the crowd before shifting her gaze toward me.
“The people here can be a little cautious around newcomers, but you have nothing to fear.”
We finally reached the town square. I couldn’t help staring at the castle in the middle. From Sharp Peak, it looked massive, but up close, it was even more ridiculous. I kind of felt like an ant. Huge towers stood at every corner, and an iron fence surrounded the whole place. Between the fence and the castle was a huge garden with trees, fountains, and a bunch of flowers.
“We have arrived.”
“Huh?”
Kia pointed at the castle in front of us.
“This is my home.”
I just stared at her. Then at the castle. Then at her again. Then the castle. And then her. My brain kind of froze. Was this some kind of joke?
“…What?”
“This is my home,” she repeated.
It took me way too long to actually get what she meant.
“WHAT?! T-This is your home?!”
Kia covered her mouth, trying desperately to suppress a laugh.
“I am sorry I did not tell you sooner. I suppose I wanted to see how you would respond.”
I glanced at the castle again, just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things, then looked back at her.
“Kia, who exactly are you?”
“I imagine you have already guessed who I am. Still, it would be rather rude of me not to introduce myself properly.”
She stepped back and straightened her posture.
“Listen closely, Shako, as I do not often say this aloud. My name is Kia Asaria Sacramentia Unophia Diablo, daughter of His Majesty Azazel Barebaros Armus Unom Diablo the Third, and heir to the throne of Elysium. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”