Chapter 3: Entering Aerisfall – The Loneliness of Strength

The first thing that struck Kaiden about Aerisfall was just how enormous it was. On the hillside overlooking the city, he got a glimpse of the gargantuan walls that rolled out in every direction as far as the eye could reach, their fronts inscribed with symbols of otherworldly and underworldly power. Behind those, gold and obsidian towers whipped the horizon, long shadows thrown upon the crowded streets far below. City din in the distance greeted him—a mad symphony of cries, laughter, and clangs of steel.

He wrapped his frayed cloak tighter about his shoulders, protecting himself from the slashing wind. His wild wounds were healed to all but a trace, but the bite of weariness remained. Aerisfall stood before him, a shining embodiment of promise and peril. A city where gods and devils and men strolled together, each of them trying to gain the upper hand in a fine dance of anarchy.

As he walked down the winding street to the city gates, the acrid stench of metal and fire filled the air. Merchants competed with one another, calling out their goods from carts stacked with everything from shimmery trinkets to odd, unfamiliar meats. Soldiers marched, their polished armor adorned with sigils of the gods or devils, depending upon which faction held sway in that part of the city.

Kaiden kept his hood down and his head forward, blending into the throng. His two-blood status was a target—a secret he couldn't hide. The city gates towered ahead of him, their iron gates decorated with carvings of heavenly and hellish beasts fighting one another. Two guards blocked the way, their spears crossed.

"Speak your business," one of them growled, his voice sharp and commanding.

"Just passing through," Kaiden said, his voice detached. He produced the pouch of coins his mother had shoved into his palms. It was everything he had, and he did not wish to relinquish it, but there was nothing else he could say or do.

The guard lifted the pouch against the palm of his hand before admitting Kaiden. "Welcome. Aerisfall," he said, but without sentiment.

Kaiden entered the city, and pandemonium closed over him.

Roads pulsed with life, every corner gasping with vigor. Peddlers lined the streets, stands stacked with wares from all corners of the realms. Half-man, half-surreal creatures loitered in backstreets, their eyes aglow as they watched everything. Under the heavens, winged creatures flapped through the air, their feathers or leathery membranes sparkling in light.

Kaiden's eyes shifted towards a massive statue in the center of the city. It showed a devil and a god, their arms struggling against each other in a perpetual battle. On its base it bore the inscription:

*Harmony through Conflict.*

He snorted quietly. Harmony? Here? The air vibrated with tension, every encounter flavored with the threat of violence. Aerisfall was not a city of peace. It was a war zone, concealed behind gold and stone facades.

Kaiden's gut growled, shoving him out of his daze. He hadn't eaten for two days, and the odors drifting from around food stands were agonizing. He leaned forward to one who had skewers of roasted meat glistening with grease atop an open flame.

"Two copper pieces?" he rasped.

"Two copper pieces," answered the vendor without looking at him.

Kaiden frowned. He had no copper, not since he paid the guards. He unzipped his satchel, rummaging through its contents. A gemstone glinted in his hand, drawing the vendor's eye.

"That'll cover it more than twice," the man said, his tone changing to one of excitement.

Kaiden hesitated. The gem was one of the few things his mother had wedged into his backpack—a remnant of her past that he did not comprehend. But hunger prevailed. He yielded it and took the skewer, eating a bite into the meat without glancing back.

The flavor was bitter—not the food, but the process of giving up something valuable to live. He gritted his jaws, forcing down the meal and the fury building inside him.

And now the sun dropped below the skyline, Kaiden found himself on the outer edge of Aerisfall. This section of the city wasn't like any of the stalls and tall towers he had been walking through. The buildings around him fell to pieces, walls smeared with grime and ash. Shadow filled every alleyway, and the smell of rot hung heavy in the air.

Kaiden's eyes fell upon a dilapidated inn at the boundary of the district. Its signboard over its door was worn and cracked, but the gentle illumination of candlelight behind it beckoned him with the promise of shelter and warmth. He entered, the door creaking noisily in protest.

The interior of the establishment was no worse than the outside. The wood floorboards were warped, and the furniture looked like it would fall over at the slightest blast of wind. A handful of customers were dotted around the room, drinking their booze and grumbling to themselves. The innkeeper, a thick-set individual with a scar above his cheek, stared at Kaiden menacingly over the bar.

"Rooms three silver a night," he informed him straight out. "No coin, no bed."

Kaiden scowled, then pulled the last silver coin out of his satchel. He placed it on the counter. The innkeeper grabbed them both and slapped a rusty key into his hand.

"Room's upstairs. Second door down the hall," he growled.

Kaiden nodded and climbed the creaking stairs, the weight of the day weighing heavily on his shoulders. His bedroom was small and spartan—a thin mattress on a narrow bed, a wobbly table, and one chair. But it was quiet, and that was all that mattered for now.

He placed his satchel on the floor and sat beside the bed, his head in his hands. What had happened over the past few days recurred in his mind—the gods' attack on Rynhill, his mother's death, the awakening of his bloodline. Everything had happened so rapidly, and now he was alone in a city that did not care for him.

He bunched his fists together, his fingers digging into the palms of his hands. Power within him began to stir, a buzzing of strength that would not be still. Celestial flame and devil's fire, in perfect counterbalance. His curse, his birthright.

But it was also his advantage.

Kaiden heaved himself back up onto the pavement, his purple eyes blazing with resolve. He was not going to let his mother's sacrifice go to waste. Aerisfall was deadly, sure, but it was also a place of chance. He would become stronger, learn to control his powers, and discover where he belonged in this mad city.

He went up to the window and gazed out over the streets in shadows. Out there, somewhere, lay the knowledge he sought—the truth about his origins, about the devils and gods that pursued him. And he would uncover it, no matter what it will cost.

For now, though, he would start small. Tomorrow he would join the adventurers' hall, take employment, and commence building his ability. Alone if need be. The city had no compassion, and friendship cost too much to afford.

Kaiden shut the window and turned his back, the thrum of his power a reminder always of the path he had walked. The isolation of power was a weight, but one he would carry. He had no other option.