[Chapter 12] - Light and Shadow - Part 1

From the top of the cliff, Roldi fills his lungs with as much air as possible and shouts:

– Time to leave, children!

Children stop laughing and playing at the same time and swim up the cliff. Once there, Kahyu raises a platform that goes up to Roldi. They dress and everyone walks together through the woods to the city. In an hour's walk the wall and the houses outside are already visible. Approaching the road, they see wagons and people on horseback going to town and leaving town all the time.

As night fell, a cart approached the group. A simple old farmer guides two horses. The uncapped wagon is very humble, as is the blue-eyed man who wears it. Her cargo is wooden boxes attached to a rope, leaving space for just six people.

– Would you like to go up? I'm going to the other side of the city. – Asks the farmer.

Children's eyes sparkle with emotion. Whiger is interrupted by Roldi before starting to run behind the wagon. The strong gray-haired man looks at the farmer with a kind and happy look, saying in a calm tone:

– We're stretching our legs, sir. Thank you very much for your kindness.

The old blue-eyed man says goodbye taking off his hat.

A few more minutes walking and they arrive in the city outside the wall. On top of most stores there are one or two houses. The houses and shops are completely made of stone and all painted in the most varied colors. Some with a wooden plank facade, the most chic with glass showcases.

Close to the sea, the cold of the moonlight and the sea air make everything refreshing in the northern hemisphere of the continent, which, even in winter, is still warm.

Children cannot walk normally as they are very excited to see so much movement after so long in quiet places. Two men, one on each side of the sidewalk, ascend the lampposts with a torch.

Just over an hour walking and finally arriving at the city gates.

– Let's turn right and continue parallel to the wall. We cannot enter here because it is the commercial or nobility entrance. Entries for commoners are among the three main entrances. – Says Roldi.

– All right. – Kalui replies.

The further away from the shopping area, the less beautiful and clear the place becomes. The houses are still made of stone, but the crowd walking to one side and the other does not exist. The view is filled by people with no shine in their eyes. Blue, green, brown, gray; regardless of color, most have no life in their eyes. Most of the people they pass by are left at the door of the house or in some corner, thin and quiet.

"Now I understand why we came so close to the wall. If it's already like this, imagine if we were inside. I don't like to see that side of things ... " , Kahyu thinks.

The children walk in silence, glued to Roldi. Kalui closely observes all the misery that surrounds him on his right side and the greatness of the wall on his left. The boy's eyes fill with water.

"What should it be like to live like this? Why are they like this? How horrible ... " , Kalui thinks.

Whiger just keeps walking. Do your best not to look to the side.

"We already have our problems ..." , thinks Whiger.

A few kilometers seem absurdly long when the ride is not pleasant.

The sad scenario finally begins to change and they arrive at one of the secondary entrances. The street is bustling with more humble people and the gate is guarded by two soldiers equipped with gray and heavy armor, which cover the entire body except the head, as well as a vest in the middle of the breastplate, with a red crowned lion ledrawn on it. A thin, blue-eyed guard; the other with brown eyes and very muscular. They keep their spears crossed, serving as a barrier to passage through the gates.

– Identify yourselves and tell us the reason for coming.

The three children hide themselves behind Roldi, afraid.

– My name is Larkin. – Roldi answers. – I'm a metamorphic worker from Mercy and I came to visit the city by the beaches and by the spring festival.

– I understood. – Says the elemental guard. – They know that as non-citizens of Ruhm, they are prohibited from looking for or getting a job in our territory. They also know that the laws of their country of work and, or origin, are not valid here. They must follow the laws of Ruhm. If in doubt, the first building through the gate is a mural with our laws. Read so as not to cause confusion.

With his impeccable standard posture, the strong gray-haired man nods and replies:

– Understood Sir.

– You can pass. – The two guards say as they raise their spears.

Children pass through the gates facing the guards.

"Adults can be so ... frightening ..." , thinks Whiger.

Entering the city within the wall, the world changes color. All stores seem to be cleaned every day. People dressed in an orange jumpsuit made of light and thin material, clean the little dirt that exists on the street. Houses do not stink of waste even though one house is on top of the other. A man on the terrace of a house moves his arms while a mantle of water from the manhole on the street levitates in the air and fills the water tank.

The population that walks everywhere on the wide streets has, for the most part, hydrated and well-maintained hair, different from the group that has just arrived.

Roldi needs to hold the three children on a tight leash, because at all times something catches their attention.

"If they want to go to Elfen, which is much bigger than here, they will need to be used to a normal and busy society. I have to get them ready. " thinks Roldi.

After a long walk, they finally stop in front of a five-story polished stone hotel. It has a façade with white marble carvings, as well as a large and wide door. The windows in the bedrooms are round and wooden, opening upwards.

– Let's go in and get a room soon. – Says Roldi. – Be still and pay attention.

Kalui pauses for a moment looking up as his friends enter the place.

"How do you get a room?" , thinks Kalui.

The interior of the hotel has its walls all painted in white, the floor is black marble and some carpets in certain areas. Children look around in wonder. Arriving at the counter, the clerk dressed in a red wool suit asks:

– Good night sir. How can I help you?

– Goodnight. – Roldi answers. – How much is a room with four beds?

The young attendant hesitates a little to answer it.

– Unfortunately we don't have a room with four beds. Would you like to rent two rooms with two beds?

– How much would it be?

After sorting things out with the attendant, the group heads to the hallway on the first floor. Children are unable to act normally in such a new environment. Everything very clean and shiny. Torches scattered at strategic points keep the whole place lit up, as well as the city at night. They stop in front of rooms 106 and 107.

– Children, Kalui and I stayed at 106, you two stay at 107. Anything, shout at me. Right? Kahyu! – He hands her a key. – Don't lose that key! Your room key is your responsibility. Kalui! – He hands Kalui a key. – Same thing for you. – He opens the door to his room and exclaims. – Sleep well!

Inside the bedroom, in the bathroom, Kalui pulls a small lever that is above a tap, less than a meter from the floor. In doing so, clean water starts to come out of it and fill the bucket. After a few seconds, with the bucket almost full, the tap stops pouring water.

During the bath, the boy realizes that the water runs down a hole in the stall.

The place to do coc ô is also different in the hotel. Instead of straw or things like that, it's just a hole just like the box.

Later, Roldi explained to the boy that the two holes connect in a single giant tunnel that goes underground to the distant ocean. All houses, both inside and outside the wall, have a system similar to this and they all connect in the same tunnel. Water from the tap is stored in the water tank. To replace, the owner of the place needs to fill up somehow.

.

.

.

.

Year 953, day 079, Ruhm territory, City of Ruhm, 10h.

.

.

In these last days, Roldi always leaves after lunch served by the hotel and comes back at night at bedtime. The first weeks in the city were fun even without playing with anyone your age, as they explored everything within the wall in search of new landscapes and adventures. But now they are completely bored.

On the hotel's terrace, amid large water tanks, the children are entertained by playing chess for three. The board is made of wood, as are the pieces. Roldi even made the game for them and taught them how to play.

Everyone looks tired and hopeless.

– Why is there no child playing in this city !? – Kalui exclaims.

Kahyu moves a piece and replies:

– Apparently, this is for adults to have fun ... The children go to school and then stay at home, just like we do now ...

– If Roldi hadn't forbidden us to train ... – Whiger moves the bishop and eats Kalui's rook. – I would be happy now.

– My tower! Don't eat my beloved tower while you look bored!

Kahyu uses his horse to eat Kalui's other tower. She says with a boring face:

– Yeah, if we could train, we would be happy now ...

The boy with long black hair looks at the board in amazement. His pieces have already been almost all eaten.