“What are we doing today?” The excitement of adventure made her brown eyes sparkle. He loved how much life and hope was in them.
Frath ran fingers lovingly through her soft hair. “Well, that depends,” he replied mysteriously, more focused on the raspberry scent emanating from the strands.
Sheela’s mouth twisted in curiosity, but she leaned into the hand, obviously enjoying his touch. “Oh? . . .”
“There are three places I want to take you, but two of them are dangerous even with me protecting you,” he told her, the look on his face suddenly grave.
She looked up at him trustingly. “Yes.”
Frath studied her for a moment, his eyes soaking in every detail of her beautiful face and petite nose. He briefly wondered why someone so wonderful would like him. “You don’t want to know the details?”
“As long as I get to be with you, I don’t care.” A thoughtful look crossed her face, and then she grinned. “Actually, I like the idea of doing something dangerous. I can feel the blood racing through my veins already.”
He debated for a moment before speaking grimly. “Things could go badly and we could die or be hurt terribly. I’ll defend you with my very life . . . and by that, I mean that I may actually lose my life. If that happens, bad things will happen to you, too . . .” He left the words hanging in the air.
Sheela nodded slowly, taking his words and tone very seriously. “I would rather be in danger with you than safe without you.”
Frath held her close, never wanting to let go. He had thought long and hard about the places they were going. The first had a specific type of danger, but they should be safe as long as they didn’t do anything stupid. The second place was safe, but the third was a deadly, murky place people weren’t supposed to go. He had a need to take her so perhaps she would understand things about his past, even if it meant she wouldn’t love him anymore. “The first place we’re going to is Wraith Park near the center of the city. Have you heard of it?”
Sheela’s eyes widened. “Only a little bit. It’s supposed to be the source of all magic in the world? . . .”
Frath held his arm out for her. She took it instantly and they walked to the gate while he explained. “It’s not the source of all magic, but the lake in the middle has a great deal of power and creates unusual effects.” They smiled at the guard as he held the gate open.
“That’s what you mean by it being dangerous. I heard people get turned into ghosts or something if they drink from it.” Sheela’s face scrunched up as she tried to remember the tales.
“Actually, that part is true,” Frath admitted. They turned on a different street that headed westward toward the center of the city. “The lake has a path along it with a wall that’s magically warded to keep anyone out. There are sitting areas everywhere, but it’s not wise to go there very often. The magic warps everything nearby, which is part of the attraction and the danger.”
“Is that where the Deformed come from?” Sheela asked, her face etched with concern. He liked watching the different expressions that crossed her pretty features.
“No. People warped by the forces of Wraith Lake are different. They’re called Ghost-Touched.” He guided her to the other side of the street they were on to avoid some of the heavier crowds that were moving about their day’s work. “Not too many get that way. Special members of the guard watch for that and keep it from happening, even if it means taking the people out of the city to a monastery.”
Sheela gave a little shiver and moved closer, which pleased him to no end. The snow still fell lightly and rested atop her hair like a halo. He liked snow when it wasn’t blowing or black from soot in the air. The sky had been mostly clean the past couple of weeks though. “So it’s dangerous, but we should be alright if we don’t drink the water or stay too long?” Sheela asked.
“Right,” Frath confirmed. He pointed to the street ahead where towers of various heights started to appear above the rooftops. We’re about to enter the Tower District. Everything here is crazy so don’t let go of me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” she replied shyly. Looking ahead, she noticed the air starting to become hazy, as though a fog was creeping in. “I know the Tower District is where most of the wizards live, but do the streets really move?”
“There are a few beliefs about that, but only the most powerful wizards and the Grand Assembly know for certain,” Frath said as they crossed into the district. Much like Carnival had been a sudden change, entering the Tower District was an abrupt experience. It felt like the entire world shifted to the left just a tiny bit. “The streets are always in different locations, making it hard to find anything. The wizards like it that way and cast numerous illusions to add to the effect.”
“Will we get lost?” Sheela asked, suddenly anxious.
“No. Specific runes are sewn into every guard’s uniform to protect against illusion and some basic magics. In addition, we spend a year training in the Tower District, learning how to navigate our way through it.” He led her back across the street, avoiding a red robed man juggling yellow balls of lightning. A couple dropped, their little bolts running along the cracks of the cobbled street. Each time it happened, a new one would materialize to replace it. The man’s eyes were glowing green and he was laughing like a bird whistles.
“What’s wrong with him?” Sheela asked, unable to turn her gaze.
“I don’t know, nor do I care at the moment. It’s my day off.” Frath winked at her. “Even if I were on duty, I wouldn’t want to know.”
She looked back at the mad-eyed wizard and decided she didn’t want to know either. Frath turned down a street heading south and became quiet for a few minutes while watching people around them for any sign of danger. There were a lot of wizards on the streets in addition to a few common workers and other people of various professions.
The snow gave every indication it was going to spend the day with them, but Frath didn’t mind too much. He liked snow better than the unbearably hot summer days when the city seemed to melt. While walking, he carefully scanned for pollution. An extraordinary amount of magic was wielded in Dralin, but nowhere more than the Tower District. They were on a main street that was kept clean unlike many of the smaller streets in the district with their puddles of corrupted magic. He definitely didn’t want to expose Sheela to that.
Every tower was different. All were at least three levels high while the tops of many disappeared into the sky. “How do the towers stay up? They’re so tall it looks like they could tip over any minute, especially the ones that are leaning,” Sheela asked, pointing at an especially precarious one that tilted over the street. She covered her head instinctively as they walked under it.
“Some of it is illusion, some is extraordinary craftsmanship and most is magical enhancements,” Frath answered. “Most of these buildings have been here for centuries. Each wizard that moves in finds it necessary to add more and the only way is to go up.” He pointed to a tower that disappeared into the low clouds above them. Snow fell gently upon his face. They stopped a moment and stared at the white flakes drifting down between the looming towers. Sheela giggled as they landed on her long eyelashes.
She hugged him happily and they continued. Frath told her more details of the district. “Wraith Lake, Dralin Academy, and the Estate of the Grand Assembly surround and hide the City Center. Around all of it in a giant circle is the Tower District. It’s as close as wizards can get to the City Center unless they’re in the Academy or work for the Assembly.”
“What is the City Center? I haven’t heard of it,” Sheela asked out of curiosity. Her arm wrapped around his waist as they walked while his was around her shoulders. It felt good having her so close.
“I don’t know. No one really does except members of the Assembly and some of the heads of the academy. It’s one of the most closely guarded secrets in the world. Look out!” he said in alarm, holding her back. A misshapen figure in a robe lurched out of an alley in front of them. It lo
oked disoriented as it crossed the street and headed for the alley on the other side. People on the street backed away from it in dread.
Frath held Sheela tightly when she gasped in fear. The figure had once been a man, probably a wizard judging from the tattered robe it wore. The left side of its face looked like melted wax and the eye was missing. The right eye had a crazed look. Sickly green light emanated dimly from the mouth and nose.
“That’s one of the Deformed,” Frath told her very quietly. “Stay away from them. If they bite you, or if their blood gets into your eyes, ears, mouth or any open cut, you could catch some of the infection. Once a person is infected, they start craving more of the raw pollution. I’ve seen Deformed on their hands and knees eating it out of gutters.” The tone of his voice was ominous as he remembered some of the things he had seen.
When Sheela buried her face into his chest and sobbed, he realized he was being unintentionally scary. Frath held her. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t my intention to frighten you. I’ve just seen some bad things.”
She quickly wiped her eyes and shook her head. “No, it’s alright. I just didn’t realize it would be as bad as everyone said. Looking at that man made me sick and I hated feeling like that,” she admitted guiltily.
“Don’t be ashamed. Deformed are hard to look at even for seasoned guardsmen,” Frath said earnestly. “We’re not allowed to do anything about them by order of the High Council. I don’t like killing people, but sometimes I wish we could put them out of whatever misery they must be in.”
Sheela stared at the alley the Deformed had entered and nodded slowly, her face ashen. It was obvious the incident had upset her terribly. “If you don’t want to go on, I’ll understand . . .” Frath told her, concerned for her well-being.
“I do want to go on,” she replied quickly. “Just . . . stay close?”
“Yes, of course.” He guided her on, moving quickly past the alley. Frath went back to the previous conversation to get her mind off it. “Anyway, nobody really knows how big the Tower District is for certain or how many wizards live here.”
“Does anyone know how many Deformed there are?” Sheela asked solemnly. She hadn’t let the experience escape her mind.
“No. Every once in a while, someone orders a census done of them in addition to a census of all the people in Dralin. It’s impossible to count everyone for a lot of reasons.”
“Such as?” Sheela asked, looking fearfully down another alley while hoping nothing would come out. The snow had lessened to a few light flakes and the streets they were traveling had quite a bit of foot traffic. Occasionally, a carriage would go by or a peddler with a handcart full of exotic goods to sell to some crazy wizard.
“Well, the wizards don’t like to be counted, many of the commoners are transient, a lot of the people are homeless and it’s hard to pin them down, but worst of all there’s a lot of crime in the city and rogues don’t like government officials counting them.” Frath grinned and winked at her. “The last few officials that have suggested a census be taken disappeared mysteriously and the City Guard has been discouraged from looking too hard for them.”
Sheela’s eyes widened in surprise. “That’s terrible.”
Frath hadn’t really thought about it before. “Well . . . yeah, I suppose it is. Maybe this was a bad idea. I didn’t really think about . . .”
“No!” Sheela cut him off, stopping him with a hand on his chest. “This is a wonderful idea. I want to see more of the city and everything you’re telling me is fascinating!” She closed her eyes and did a little spin. “I’ve always dreamed of being in the big dangerous city and now I’m here.” She stopped and put both hands on his chest. “And the best part is you, Frath. I feel so safe when you put your arm around me. You know so much about the city. Listening to everything you tell me and seeing everything you show me is so wonderful.” Sheela became very serious. “Thank you for taking me out. Thank you for being my friend and . . . just thank you for everything.” Once more, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her cheek against his chest.
Frath ran his fingers through her hair and kissed the top of her head, closing his eyes to savor the sensation of having her close. “I love you,” he told her earnestly.
“I love you too, so very much,” she responded, looking into his eyes again. They kissed, ignoring the disapproving looks of people passing by.
A moment later, they were walking again. Frath took up the conversation once more. “So you have the City Center in the middle of Dralin. You have Wraith Lake, Dralin Academy, and the Grand Assembly Estate around that. Both the Academy and the Grand Assembly Estate are larger than most royal castles or palaces,” he said. “In a wide circle around that is the Tower District. Beyond that are the older districts like the Noble District where the Shining Shield Inn is. The Mosh District and Carnival District used to be much different, but have changed into their current forms. There are three other old districts around it too, for a total of six. Beyond that are more than I can easily name, all spreading out in every direction.”
“Dralin is the biggest city in the world, isn’t it?” Sheela asked.
“Well . . . No one’s really certain. It might be. Oimryi, the capital of Mayncal may be the same size or larger. Some say there are larger cities on other continents across the oceans, but I don’t know if it’s true.” He gestured ahead, to where the towers stopped and an open park took over. “Wraith Park is just ahead.”
Once again, the transition between districts was abrupt. One moment, there were buildings on either side. The next there were well-maintained grassy areas cut by meandering paths. Sheela stopped shortly after they entered. It was easy to understand why. Wraith Lake had powerful magic that disrupted everything around it.
The grass was pink instead of green, not a pleasant pink, but the sort that shocks the eyes and makes the stomach turn. The leaves on the trees were odd colors as well. Even more bizarre were the shapes of the trees. No two were alike and all were twisted in different ways. One on their left was as tall as the wizard’s towers nearby, but all of its branches grew downward. Another one was low to the ground with branches a hundred feet in every direction, defying gravity by not touching the ground. There was no rhyme or reason to any of it.
“The flowers are glowing,” Sheela said softly, pointing at a row of luminescent blue blossoms lining the path. “Is it safe to touch them?”
“It’s safe,” Frath said. “Don’t eat anything that grows here though. You’ll likely lose your mind.”
Sheela went to the flowers, squatted down next to them and ran fingers carefully along the petals of one. Frath squatted next to her and ran his hand gently up and down her back. Rather than looking at the blossoms, he stared at the curve of her spine through her burgundy dress. He couldn’t believe his fortune at finding someone so wonderful.
When Frath had first seen her coming into the city, Sheela’s thinness had alarmed him. At the time, he could see bones pushing against her skin through the tattered dress she had worn. Smudges of dirt had covered her delicate features and knotted her hair. In the short time Sheela had lived and worked at the Shining Shield Inn, good food had softened the curves of her bones and added a healthy color to her smooth skin.
He moved his hand to her side and enjoyed the feel of her against his palm and fingers as he ran it up and down to her hip. Frath suddenly realized that Sheela had frozen completely still. “I’m sorry,” Frath said, pulling his hand away and standing.
Sheela slowly stood and turned. The look on her face was unreadable. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. I like it when . . . when you touch . . .” She brushed hair back over her right ear and gently bit her lower lip. “How far away is the lake? I don’t see it.” She looked up the street.
Frath didn’t answer right away because he was too busy staring at the curve of her jaw. When she looked back at him, he shook his head to clear it. “Umm . . . how far? It’s about fifteen minutes away. This is one of the main
streets to it, used for heavier traffic. I thought we might walk along the paths awhile,” he told her, pointing to one that rounded the low tree.
“I’d like that,” Sheela replied, neither smiling nor frowning. Her brown eyes held mystery in them and Frath was intrigued. He took a deep breath and put his arm around her shoulder again, tentatively, not certain if it was wanted. Sheela put hers back around his waist and let him guide her to the path.
They walked in silence for a bit, looking at the different flowers, trees and multihued grasses that were on the sides of the paths they strolled along. One of the trees was translucent and they were able to see through its trunk and leaves. The effect was surreal, causing both Sheela and Frath to rub their eyes and temples. Frath knew they would get headaches if they looked at everything for too long.
Statues had been placed around the park. Originally, they were statues of important people. The Lake warped them too, although it took much longer than it did for the plants. The formerly important people became malformed clones of what they once were, each twisting in unique ways. Only two statues never deformed. Both were of individuals who had dedicated their lives to the welfare of humanity. It was said that they had been pure of heart, while every other statue had been twisted to reveal the corrupt hearts of those they had been dedicated to. After a while, only abstract sculptures and statues dotted the multihued grasses.
“It’s just so . . . weird,” Sheela finally stated. “Nothing is as it should be. It’s making me a little sick, Frath.” She took the opportunity to bury her face into his chest again, much to his delight.
Frath closed his eyes and soaked up the closeness. “The lake is just over there. Let’s go take a look at it, and then we’ll leave.” She nodded and moved to his side again. They walked a little quicker, no longer stopping to stare at all the plants.
One thing Frath had always noticed when in the park is that there wasn’t a single animal of any kind, not even insects. For some reason plants and trees could grow, but any attempts by government officials to introduce animals either resulted in the animals getting out as quickly as possible, or dying within a few days if trapped in the park. Frath could relate to how they felt about it. The park was unnatural and there was something about it that made him want to run away a little more each time he visited. Patrolling Wraith Park was the least favorite duty within the City Guard, even more so than some of the more violent neighborhoods or the perilous sewers.
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