Arisé: the Hands of the Maker

In green fields embraced by the wind

Through flowing veins made blue by light

Atop the mountains of white ice

Across the desert, in fire red

They shall walk with resolve

Run with the air by the skies

Travel to every land

And see all that exists beyond

And darkness shall come from the end of the world

Engulf the souls that brim with life

The Titan lives, to claim all that is

Break the threads to sew them anew

With awakened eyes they ascend

As heralds of His will

With awakened eyes they ascend

To beam the light, supreme and golden

With their forces turned to steam

Their spirits burning in the darkest night

Even if crawling, with hope crushed and buried

One shall remain, to carry the burden to the end

Delicate petals, the first two shall rise

To seal the power profaned by the dark

Beacon the way the others are bound to tread

With their fates recorded in the walk of time

Prince, amazon, knight, thief

Four to hold His hands in unison

To wage the battle, suffer its thorns

Inherit the legacy of the Five

Among the stars they fly

To the city beyond the Sun

Among the starts they fly

To take the thrones beyond the Sun

-Hymn to the gods of Mimante

Prologue

The storm dominated the black sky, and neither the moon nor the stars could penetrate the thick veil of clouds sewn with lightning thread. The rain cut the ocean surface like diamond blades, waking its ruthless wrath, but the knight dared to challenge the chaos. The dark cloth covering the whole of his body blended into the mane of his mount, a winged, eight-legged steed of red eyes that flashed through the night.

The roar of the tempest grew louder, and the knight soared calmly, as if he were close to the downpour and knew all its secrets. He flew among the darkness until a small piece of land appeared shyly upon the vicious sea. He made a gesture to the horse, and the animal slowed the flapping of its ebony wings to descend towards the tiny island. When the strong hoofs touched the wet grass, the knight’s feet followed suit, and the cloth around him vanished in black steam in the rain. His imposing armor was then revealed, with pieces that fit among themselves in an intricate fashion, adjusting perfectly to the body they were meant to protect.

In the middle of the island, a tall stone house looked as if it had been built and left behind a long time ago, the green arms of the earth reaching the apex of the pillars that kept guard over the front door.

So, in the end, this was to be the place for my rest.

A subtle smile was drawn by the knight’s lips while he walked across the house, tailed by his flying steed. There were remains of furniture all around, and some torn pictures still decorated the cold walls with decayed images, impossible to identify. The back door fell to the floor when it was opened, turning into chips of rotten wood when the horse stepped upon it.

They arrived at a dying garden, with ruined benches and lifeless tree trunks attacked by the storm. The man walked with the horse and came to a halt between two low trees, with full verdant crowns. They were the only things that really lived in that garden, softening the rain under their leaves.

May the wrath of the ocean guard me. Here I shall lie until the Awakening, when the Solars shall reveal themselves. And I shall conquer what is rightfully ours, great Adam.

These words echoed continually in the knight’s mind, but out of his mouth came only cryptic sounds that slowly distorted his voice, until it became a guttural howl. Lightless thunder roared from the sky, the rain stopped and pale flames burned strange symbols on the surrounding earth.

Everything was in absolute silence, and even the wind became inert. On the island there were now only the statues of an armored knight and an eight-legged horse.

Chapter I

The lost bodyguard

Mist was awakened by the warm sun rays touching his face. He got up and opened the curtains covering the large window in his room. He was used to getting out of bed early, but today a pleasant dream kept his head on his pillow for longer. As always, he checked his appearance in the mirror before leaving the room. The reflection showed an athletic boy, of medium height. His hair was straight, long and completely white; a trait exclusive to his lineage. Some wild strands fell over his clear blue eyes, passing by a respectable nose to reach thin lips. Mist fixed them and went out to the corridor still in his pajamas, which, truth be told, were his favorite clothes. He wasn’t the wake-up in-the-best-of-moods type, but he felt curiously inclined to smile at the people he met on his way to the kitchen. Usually he would have his breakfast in the dining room with his father, but it would be a pity to waste such a clear morning inside the house. Well, in his case, inside the Angel’s Palace.

Mist was the only son of Shine De’Hearet, the regent of the city-state of Abridased, which made him kind of a celebrity in the nations of the Helena continent. Ignoring the fact that the city wasn’t a monarchy, the press took to calling Mist the prince of Abridased. That bothered him a lot at first, but he had no choice but to get used to his newly shoehorned title, since the magazines and tabloids perpetuated and disseminated it throughout Arisé. Even so, the prince preferred to keep away from the reporters that often approached him. He remembered too well how inconvenient photographers ruined the inconspicuous get-together he had planned to celebrate his eighteenth birthday, on the first day of last Winter.

Morning, friends, he greeted at the kitchen.

Morning, sir, the staff said in unison.

Guys, if it’s not too bothersome, could you serve my breakfast on one of the terrace tables?

As you wish, sir, answered a young and cheery maid.

The terrace he was referring to was the biggest one in the Angel’s Palace, where you could have a 180 degree view of Abridased’s splendor, made possible by the hill over which the Palace had been erected. Some called the place the last sight, saying that after seeing the city from up there, one’s eyes would never gaze something more beautiful. The day was clear and sunny. Sitting at one of the tables protected by parasols, Mist lost track of time while admiring the city buildings shining on the light. Before he knew there was a big tray loaded with toast, bread and a slice of strawberry pie that could easily suffice for two.

Thanks, Maerin! he said in genuine joy, gawking at the food.

Call me if you want more, the maid said before leaving.

Mist was surprised by the skills of the Palace chefs on a daily basis. It was no secret to anyone who knew him that he loved to eat. The people close to him not only asked themselves how the prince didn’t seem to gain any extra weight, but also how he was able to eat so much so fast and not choke himself to death. When he was younger, he taught everyone that nobody could ever best him in a who-can-eat-more contest, and he carried that reputation with pride.

That cannot be good for your stomach, a deep voice alerted behind Mist. A tall and slender man walked towards him, his long white hair fastened with a kerchief close to the neck.

Da..., Mist tried to say with a full mouth, looking at his father with a pinch of embarrassment.

You got up late today, regent Shine remarked, sitting across his son.

I trained until late yesterday.

So you’re taking the art of fencing seriously, huh? I think it’s great, and a lot safer than messing around with magic books.

You and your fear of magic. That’s a little funny, given the place you’re from and the way this Palace and a great part of this city were built, Mist needled.

That’s beside the point, mister know-it-all. What I mean is that you need to have a lot of natural talent and training to master the field of energies and elements. Have I told you of the time your mother was your age and...

Tried to use pyrokinesis to cook and almost burned the house to the ground. Yes, dad, you did, like, forty six times already.

That’s it. And since you’ve inherited Athena’s absent-mindedness as well as her bottomless tummy, you’ve got to be very careful.

First of all, I’m not that absent-minded. Mist made a pause when he saw the ‘yes, you most certainly are’ expression on his father’s face. Second, pyrokinesis isn’t magic, and third, you’re very late.

Late for what?

The regent of Merald in coming over for lunch, remember?

Shine jumped from his chair.

By the Angels! Thanks for the reminder. There’s something I need to tell the cooks right now! See you at lunch, son, he said and ran off.

Yeah, right, only mom was absent-minded, thought Mist. Shine went away before the prince could ask him about something that had been teasing his curiosity for days. On a random evening, Mist was heading to the Palace library, where he spent a good part of his time. The corridor that gave access to it was filled with pictures, some of them portraits of his parents’ relatives. A particular photograph got the prince’s attention. It depicted a fine lady, blond with dense blue eyes. Mist had never noticed that little portrait before, and something made him want to know more about the woman immortalized in it. Under the picture, as was the case with all the others, there was a small plaque with a name on it. Esperance. And that was all. No family name, birth or passing date, nothing. Mist spent hours upon hours combing through old genealogy documents to try and find something about that woman, and all he found out was some great aunt whose middle name was Esperance. There was also a picture of her in a family album: she wasn’t blond, and she surely wasn’t fine.

After finishing his breakfast, the prince went to the library once again, determined to solve the mystery of the portrait once and for all. The library was a huge rounded hall, with two floors. On the lower one there were thousands of books covering every subject one could possibly be interested in. Fiction of all genres, philosophical essays, religious stories, culinary recipes, sensationalist magazines about obscure topics; there was a lot for all tastes. On the upper floor there were access terminals for the G.E.A., the Grand Encyclopedia of Arisé, a humongous database in constant update. It could be accessed in the whole world using computers known as navis, and the bulk of its memory was stored in Liberaá, capital of the Austral Kingdom of Prisma, holding information about everything that can be explained (and even some things that can’t). Apparently, that Esperance woman was a being beyond these two categories, for Mist had already looked her up on the encyclopedia and got no search returns. He then decided to go back to the good old books. Another trait he got from his mother was the ability to forget the world once he started reading something, which was naturally enhanced when he was in a desperate search for a specific bit of info. But it seemed like no document in the Palace had Esperance in it. And so the library clock long hand completed a lap, and it didn’t take long to complete two…

Unbelievable. How can a person be so... Mist stopped when he saw the clock. Only five minutes to the lunch with the regent of Merald, and I’m still in my pajamas! he thought with horror.

Mist left his papers on the floor and made a dart for his room. There was no way he would be late for lunch. Not because it would be rude to the visitor, and not because his food would get cold (maybe a little), but because, if that were to happen, he would have to bear Shine’s annoying remarks about his absent-mindedness forever. He found his formal garb ready upon his bed. In seconds, Mist was wearing a white high neck shirt under a navy-blue blazer with Abridased’s crest embroidered at the chest, and matching trousers. He didn’t usually had such thoughts, but he found himself very fancy when he looked at the mirror before going down to the dining room.

Just in time, he said, watching the clock in the foyer.

The dining room was wide and well lit by two big windows on the east wall. A fair wooden table engraved with fine arabesques extended from one end of the room to the other, and over it hanged an intricate crystal chandelier, with more lamps than could be counted in a casual glance. Shine sat by one of the ends of the dining table, accompanied on his left by a plump gentleman. The man was very short, with a black wavy head above a dark blue, flower-embroidered suit.

Look who’s here, spoke Shine when he saw his son.

I almost got late, said Mist, sitting on the chair on his father’s right.

This is Brilho Demond, Shine introduced.

Nice to meet you, mister Demond, said Mist, shaking the hand of the regent of Merald.

By Tân! How you’ve grown, boy!, Brilho scanned Mist with his narrow, beady black eyes. Last time I was here, you were just a little thing in your father’s arms.

So we knew each other already?

It was on your first birthday, which is truly a shame. I owe your father many visits.

I’ve always wanted to go to your city; it’s a very beautiful place.

Now that he’s finished school, Mist and I are planning a big trip, Shine said, his gray eyes big with excitement. We want to fly over the whole continent, and maybe even cross the Sea of the Flowers so he can know my hometown.

Berco, said Brilho, a place most pleasant, good to relax. The lands of Mimante hold many wonders. If you can, make sure to cross the sea with Mist. This world has so much beauty. I think it’s sad that many of us go through life without enjoying most of it.

We’ll follow your suggestion, then, Shine winked at Mist. I can hardly wait!

I envy you, friend, said Brilho, with a heavy face. The last days have been a little rough in Merald.

Shine’s expression hardened immediately.

I read about the sea serpent that attacked the workers at the harbor, said the regent, not knowing exactly how to act.

I’d be lying if I said that everything's been sorted. It was the third incident in sixty days, and the most serious until now. The Archangels are doing what they can to contain the damage, but nothing can fix lost lives.

I didn’t know the situation was that bad. It’s a pity Abridased can’t do anything to help. The closest thing we have to an elite fighting force like the Merald Archangels are the Palace guards.

I’d say it’s a blessing not needing such things. Brilho gave a heavy smile.

The lunch lasted one more hour, and a lot was said about the problems in Merald. The coastal city-state had always had issues with dangerous wild sea creatures, but the number of occurrences had been rising consistently, some with disastrous outcomes. Shine and Mist did what they could to distract their visitor from such matters, and they were successful. By the time the desserts where served, Brilho was laughing vigorously with the prince and his father, reminiscing about funny stories. Eventually, the regent of Merald left his chair.

One of the best gastronomical experiences I’ve ever had! Brilho complimented, his hands over his bloated belly.

I’m happy you liked it, and that there was enough food too, said Shine, watching as Mist helped himself to his fourth piece of cake.

Well, I think our jobs call for us, right?

They most definitely do, friend! Let me see you to the door, yes? Come with us, Mist, Shine called, making Mist swallow his dessert a little faster than usual.

Brilho’s vehicle was parked in front of the Palace main doors. It was a carriage, and it looked as flashy as its owner. The cabin was a golden pot-pourri of conflicting ornaments, and it was pulled by two winged horses, with no conductor. Mist had no idea those where still used as a means of transportation.

What a peculiar way of moving, Shine commented, trying to grasp the carriage’s aesthetic statement.

That’s Hera’s doing, Brilho justified, seeming rather embarrassed. Thank you so much for the banquet, Shine, he said, bidding farewell to the prince and the regent with a kiss on the cheek.

Come back whenever you feel like it, said Shine, waving to his friend as he entered the carriage. The horses took flight swiftly, and the vehicle dove into the blue above. Well, now for tomorrow’s preparations.

I almost forgot tomorrow is the big day! said Mist.

Yes, one more Awakening Day. It came fast this year. Ready for the party?

I sure am.

Shine stopped himself and gazed at his son. There was something in the regent’s eyes that Mist couldn’t quite define.

Something wrong? the boy asked.

Not at all, Shine answered. It’s just that…no, it’s nothing, really.

Dad?

Don’t worry. Got to go, now. See you later, the regent said, and sprinted inside.

Mist went for a walk by the Palace’s front garden before following his father. It was a splendid day of Spring. The sun shone strong at this time of day, but the temperature was mild and pleasant; one of the virtues of the season. The golden rays made the five cubic towers of Palace glisten against the sky. According to Shine, they had been built as a tribute to the five Angels of Arisé, protectors of all life, who were specially revered by the cultures of the Helena continent.

What do we have here?

Something had landed on Mist’s shoulder. A tiny butterfly, with sparkling blue wings. The prince delicately tried to reach for it, but the minuscule being got scared and fled. He pursued it through the Palace doors, climbing the stairs to the second floor and turning corners. He was almost close enough to touch the little one, just a feel inches more...

Ouch!

The prince bumped hard into someone on the way. Recovered from the shock, he saw that the blue critter had vanished, and in front of him there stood a person hidden by a long red hooded cape. In one hand they carried a great spear that had two blades, one an inch shorter than the other.

I-I’m sorry, sir...your excellence, radiance, eminence, prince of Abridased! a female voice came from under the cape.

It’s I who should apologize. I was distracted chasing a bug. And you can call me Mist, said the prince, trying to catch a glimpse of the stranger’s face.

Since you at least had the decency to admit that it was all your fault, I accept the apology, the lady crossed her arms.

Mist chuckled. For a moment, someone treated him like an equal. Surprising.

May I know who you are? he asked curiously. You’re not going to steal anything, are you?

For your information, I am not a thief, the stranger answered. But, if I wanted to take anything out of this place, I would have done it without anyone seeing me.

Alright, miss not-a-thief, let’s try this again. I’m Mist De’Hearet, pleased to meet you. The prince held out his hand. She looked at it and snorted.

I know who you are, she spoke and took the red cape off.

Mist just stood there with a stretched arm. The young woman before him was extremely pretty. Her eyes were fiercely green, as if they had been painted a second ago and were still wet. The hair was all strands of pale gold, held together in a braid. At first, Mist thought she was a member of the Palace guard, for he had already spotted sentinels wearing similar capes in the Winter, but her clothes discredited this theory. The woman wore a short, detailed top and tight blue trousers, which highlighted her slender figure. The get-up was completely different from the sober clothes worn by the guard’s female units. Mist found her face quite familiar.

My name is Beltrant Mellinie Topaz, member of the Merald Archangels, order of Tân, she introduced herself rather smugly, and shook Mist’s hand.

Oh, so you’re of the Archangels? You must have come here with mister Demond.

Right, and I’m late. The carriage must have arrived already, Beltrant said, walking towards the stairs to the first floor. I ended up getting lost in this huge Palace.

The carriage has arrived, indeed. It has already gone, too, warned Mist.

The girl turned over and stared at the prince, incredulous.

What did you say? Brilho...left me here?

I think that’s a possibility.

How could he? That... Beltrant shouted the foulest insult she knew so loud that even the Palace gardeners were startled." What the hell am I supposed to do now?

First, you should calm down, Mist suggested serenely.

I don’t want to calm down! Belrant screamed. It will take days to return to Merald on my own, and tomorrow I had a girls night out all set up!

I am sure that won’t be necessary. Brilho will be back tomorrow, for the festivities. Meanwhile, you can stay here, said the prince.

Beltrant looked at him as if he had uttered unspeakable words.

Come again? she said, frowning.

Stay here as a guest of the Palace, so you don’t have to spend money at an inn.

Beltrant didn’t answer right away. She stared at Mist, with a raised eyebrow.

"Haven’t your parents taught you that it’s wrong to trust strangers? I could be a killer or some kind of psycho or whatever, and you offer me a place to stay at your Palace, without even knowing me?

You are a member of the Archangels and came here with mister Demond. I have no reason not to trust what you told me, said Mist. "And the fact that you’re talking to me right now without needless ceremony already makes me like you.

Beltrant blushed. She wasn’t used to hear world class celebrities saying they liked her.

But... she started, trying to find some way to refuse that senseless invitation, you, I mean, I...

What’s the matter now? inquired Mist, not getting her reaction. You didn’t like it here, is that it? Or am I the problem? Look, that nonsense about me trying to hit a photographer on my last birthday was not true...

Of course not! Beltrant interrupted him, answering both of the prince’s questions. It just isn’t right for a person like me to be a guest at the regent of Abridased’s Palace.

Why not? questioned Mist, already imagining the response. "So you’re saying that if the situation were the opposite, you wouldn’t let me stay at your home?

Well, if I knew you for less than five minutes, no.

But you probably would know that I am the prince of Abridased. You wouldn’t offer me a place to sleep even then? Mist tried to get into her logic.

Of course I would.

There you have it. The situation is the same here. You are of the Merald Archangels, and I liked you, so even knowing you for less than five minutes I can invite you to spend the night at my house, concluded Mist, breaking any argument that Beltrant thought of using.

Beltrant stood there for a moment, weighing reasons to accept or refuse the proposal.

I accept, if you insist, she said at last, with some reluctance.

Great, said Mist, satisfied. I’ll see that you have accommodations immediately.

Mist chose one of the best guest rooms for his new acquaintance. He wasn’t sure why, but he instantly saw a person with whom he could get along very well in that beautiful girl of the Merald Archangels. Beltrant marveled at her new accommodations. The room was airy and smoothly lit by natural light, which came in by the glass terrace door. There were wooden closets and cupboards, and a tall canopied bed with white satin sheets.

Make yourself at home, Mist said, scanning the place to make sure that all was in order.

It’s perfect. Beltrant sat on the bed, her hands feeling the softness of the sheets.

You can find bath towels in the closet on the right, and the bathroom is behind that door.

I think I’ll have to thank Brilho for leaving me here. She smiled at Mist.

I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Do you work for mr. Demond?

When I’m not exterminating krakens and sea serpents with the Archangels, I’m his personal bodyguard.

Beltrant took a small device out of her pocket and pressed the only button on it twice. She put it over the spear she carried, and the weapon disappeared in a flash. The molecule reductors had become available to the general public just five years ago, and it was already rare to see people wearing purses or backpacks on the streets of most big cities -- at least the ones on Abridased’s side of the Sea of the Flowers. The most popular models were capable of reducing objects down to twenty times their original size, but there were cutting-edge ones that could give microscopic measures to pretty much anything.

You must travel a lot, then, assumed Mist, feeling a pinch of envy.

That’s true, but this is my first time in Abridased. I couldn’t see much, but I found the view from here amazing.

Really? the prince asked. Wanna go for a walk around town?

An Abridased tour with Mist De’Hearet?

I’ve got nothing better to do anyway, the prince shrugged.

The guys back in Merald are gonna go crazy when I brag about this, Beltrant said, laughing.

And the two of them went down to the first floor, with Brilho’s bodyguard letting out dazzled observations at each step they took. On the far end of the boulevard that lead to the Palace entrance there was a small station, which housed water-based vehicles called sirenas. They moved along the innards of two translucent metal tubes built around the hill atop which the Palace stood. On the outside, the sirenas were big silvery spheres glistening in the sun. In front of one of them was a tiny man with a projecting belly and large onyx eyes. He was one of the Palace conductors, whom Mist was very fond of.

Good afternoon, Klopras, Mist saluted. The man was almost half his height.

Hello, sir. Who’s your friend? asked Klopras, smiling at the girl.

Her name is Beltrant. She is Brilho Demond’s bodyguard, and will be staying here at the Palace.

"Welcome, miss! First time in the city?

As far as I know, Beltrant replied.

I’m going for a quick walk with her, the prince said. Can you take us down to the city?

Klopras opened the sirena door. The vehicle was much bigger than it looked on the outside, with three passenger seats placed before a sizable round window on the opposite side of the conductor’s seat.

Please, make yourselves comfortable, said Klopras, closing the vehicle’s door and assuming his position.

The conductor handled some holographic buttons projected from a panel. The sirena ascended a few inches and crossed the edge of the transparent tube. A floodgate closed behind the vehicle and a synthetic female voice spoke: Beginning aquatunnel overflow. Then, several liquid jets squirted out from circular holes around the gate, quickly filling the tube with water. Overflow complete. Initiate water stabilization. The distortion caused on the window view was corrected, and the city of Abridased appeared for the passengers of the silver sphere, while it descended slowly around the hill.

By Tân! said Beltrant, with her eyes glued to the window. I’m starting to get why people drool over this place so much. It’s crazy how a place that popped out of the blue had grown so much. Your dad must be pretty good at what the does.

Well, he had a lot of help. But I also admire him for having left his town to start a new life so far from home. His motivation for that is one of the mysteries of Abridased even to me, Mist spoke with an ironic smirk.

Oh, right! Beltrant said, as if remembering something important. Now you can explain all these oddities to me!

Mist found all that very amusing. There were many people who obsessed over what they called the mysteries of Abridased, so much so that some media outlets of dubious credibility dedicated spreads upon spreads to highly imaginative speculations on the topic. The prince understood the fascination exerted by his city, since it wasn’t every day that a man arrived from a foreign continent to build a village on a piece of land previously ignored by the nations of Helena. The history of Abridased was a little clouded even to him. Mist knew Shine had inherited a huge lot in the Gardens of Demando, an unclaimed region with no major geological appeal, crammed between the southern Demando river and the northern Alps of Frei. The regent, then a twenty two year old youth, crossed the Sea of the Flowers with eleven families and settled in his father’s land. In two decades, what started as a hamlet became a glorious city-state, boasting firm and immaculate diplomatic and commercial relations with all the neighboring nations. When asked about the reason that lead him to do all that, Shine always gave some superficial answer, blaming all on chance and an improbable conjunction of factors, which gave even more fodder for crazy stories about his city’s development. Depending on who you listened to, Shine was an alien from another galaxy or a supreme being, sent by the Maker to build a haven for the good and fair to be spared from the end of the world (the date of which was subject to haphazard change).

I can assure you most of those mysteries have a very logical explanation, said Mist. Those that don’t, well, those not even I can solve for you.

Is it true what they say about the five Palace towers? About the passage between dimensions? Beltrant asked with inquisitive bliss.

I’m sorry, but that’s a big lie. The towers are just towers, and it’s been a long time since I or anybody else went up any of them. All there is to see at the top of each one is a sculpture of one of the five Angels. There is no secret treasure or door to the beyond.

Seriously? Beltrant seemed disappointed. That was one of the most intriguing stories. There’s a mag in Merald that stayed on it for many issues.

It’s called Hyper Fait Divers, isn’t it? I read all the issues about Abridased. It’s fun to enjoy the editor’s unhinged imagination.

We have arrived, sir, Klopras announced, while the synthetic voice spoke: Initiating evaporation.

In an instant, all the water in the aquatunnel became clouds of steam. A floodgate opened and the sirena left the tube, pulling over beside a wide platform.

We won’t be long, Klopras. See you later, said the prince.

They came out of the station to Abridased’s residential district, on a street near the south city exit. That was one of a hundred boulevards that had the exact same length. Throughout their pavement was spread another one of the great mysteries, which took the form of tiny crystals that inexplicably appeared only within the boundaries of the city. They had never been noticed before the establishment of Abridased, and became precious stones that were a crucial pillar of abridasedian economy. Through the last decade, mining companies from the whole world had set shop at the crystal city, with some of the most renowned contemporary jewelry designers owing their successes to the little glittering stones.

Walking by the crystal-varnished streets, Mist and Beltrant saw nice houses fronted by the blossoming gardens of the Spring. They were under the shade of trees that sprouted over the sidewalks. Some people were sitting on their porches with laid back faces, reading or simply gazing into whatever passed.

The park at the center of the residential area was the zero milestone for all the streets that converged there. The tallest trees in the district formed an organic dome, under which the city folk roamed while enjoying the song of many birds that shared the branches overhead. Around the park one could find the fanciest residencies in the city, with elaborated gates ornamented by family crests. The Palace hill belittled the whole district at the background, the spiraling tunnels encircling it like twin snakes.

Beltrant looked as if she were reveling on her own senses.

It’s really true, she concluded. You can’t come to Abridased and not feel different. Everything here gives that feeling.

I’ve heard Merald is not bad, either, Mist retorted. ’The tropical gem’ or the ‘port of dreams’, as it reads on the postcards my dad brings me.

I love my city, but no place I’ve ever been to has made me feel this way.

Have you been to that many places? Mist asked curiously.

I’ve traveled a lot because of my job, Beltrant said. I’ve been up and down around Prisma and Angrace, I’ve been to Mimante for the third time last Fall and once they sent me to Herea.

Mist’s eyes widened.

Basically, you’ve travelled the whole world, he said with admiration.

You must get around a lot, too, assumed the bodyguard.

Not really, the prince replied, a little embarrassed. The farthest I’ve been from Abridased are the Demando Falls. But I have a big trip planned, he added, wishing dearly for his father to act on his vacation plans.

Who needs trips when you’re the prince of Abridased anyway? Beltrant said quickly, feeling bad for having rubbed all the places she’d been to on the face of someone who had seen so little of the world.

Would you switch? Mist proposed. I’ll be the Merald Archangel, bodyguard to the regent, and you will be the princess of Abridased.

Anytime, honey, Beltrant answered, excited at the idea. Beltrant Melinie Topaz, princess. Awesome!

Mist laughed, thinking of the irony. Not that he was serious. After all, even though he used to even dream of the places he wanted to visit, Abridased would probably always be his favorite place in the world. It’s just that there was something inside him that stirred when Beltrant talked about her trips. Mist imagined all the action she must have had in her life. Maybe it was something he got from Shine, who in his day had been a famous hunter of dangerous creatures, a true guardian of his hometown. All so unlike the life of a regent, or the son of one, that Beltrant seemed to idealize.

As they walked north past the central park, the houses got more and more scant in number, replaced by modest stores and restaurants. The street was also becoming wider, and when they turned the last corner of the residential district, Beltrant gasped. They were at the edge of a plateau, and before them were some of the most magnificent skyscrapers Beltrant had ever seen, with mirrored windows that fed on the sunlight. Many elevated roads made their way among the buildings, thousands of vehicles flowing like fish shoals over them. Down there, crowds of people walking in every direction could be seen.

This is the city’s commercial district, said Mist, having fun with the astonishment on Beltrant’s visage.

Way cooler than the pictures! That’s all she could say.

Come, let’s take the elevator.

Beltrant followed Mist to a large platform a few feet from where they were. The passers-by gave conspicuous stares when they noticed the prince’s presence. A slight shake was felt before the platform started descending diagonally towards the streets, the buildings growing above them.

I’ve never walked around with a celebrity before, Beltrant commented, feeling the eyes on her back. They must be thinking I’m famous too, or maybe your new catch.

Look at that tower, said Mist, pointing at one of the tallest buildings fading into the sky. He really didn’t want to talk about how famous he was. "It’s called Lumina Loriné. That’s where all the city