Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress of Ashtown

Ashtown

Ashtown was a very industrial city.

Made from a combination of brick and steel, numerous towering structures rose into the sky, monolithic creations that kept the sunlight from filling the streets below. Automated wagons charged by Spirit Crystals moved across paved black top streets, the gentle thrum of crystallized energy like the migrant humming of a bird in the background. If one were to look overhead, passed the giant buildings clawing at the domain reserved for celestial spirits, they would see the smog, thick and putrid, rising from large chimney chutes, as various factories worked almost nonstop.

Caspian stared at his newfound surroundings with the gaze of an excited child. Naturally, he tried to appear nonchalant, but everyone there could tell he was in awe of the place. Just like a kid visiting a paradise resort for the first time.

"How do you like my city, Caspie?"

His head turned toward the woman sitting in the seat opposite of him. Caspian regarded Erica with what he could only hope appeared to be a neutral gaze.

"It's all right." He paused, a vein suddenly throbbing on his head as his glare hardened. "And it's Caspian, not Caspie."

"Fu fu fu. You're so cute when you try to act cool and nonchalant like that."

Caspian's cheeks turned pink. "Shut up," he mumbled, looking away in a vain attempt at keeping Erica from noticing his blush.

He, Cassidy and Erica were traveling to the largest structure in the city, Dorehan Tower, via one of the many automated four-wheel wagons that drove through the city. Known as Magically Automated Four-wheeled Transportation, or MAFT, these vehicles were a recent creation, having been built only within the past two decades. There were also MATTs, Magically Automated Two-wheeled Transportation, which looked like bicycles with a spirit engines attached to them.

Caspian knew a little about MAFTs and MATTs. It was required of a Knight to at least learn the basics, so he knew what they were and how to operate them. He didn't know how they worked, however. While it was important to understand the basics behind magical technology, the finer points were not necessary.

The MAFT they rode in was one of the nicer ones. Actually, that was something of an understatement. It didn't just look nicer, it kicked the crap out of every other MAFT they had come across. It was that extravagant. Painted in reds and golds, the interior looked like a miniaturized version of a castle's sitting room. Posh seats of a dark crimson, soft leather and low lighting gave it an almost romantic atmosphere. It even had a new cooling unit to keep their refreshments chilled.

As he continued glancing out the window, the streets became less populated, the buildings more sparse, and Caspian finally caught his first true glimpse of Dorehan Tower.

To say that it was colossal would be like saying humans were taller than ants. Standing at what must have been several hundred meters, it loomed over the city, a giant among giants. He couldn't even see the top it was so tall.

The tower itself was cylindrical, and appeared to have some kind of spiral ring wrapped around it, which traveled from the base all the way to the top. At least, Caspian assumed it went to the top. The structure did not gleam in the light, but seemed to absorb solar radiation like a sponge, soaking up all forms of illumination. The Stygian stones that composed the massive construct were almost pure black, darker than anything he'd ever seen. Several spires protruded from the sides, each one dotted with windows that led him to assume they were rooms. They didn't seem to be in any sort of set pattern or specific order, but appeared to have been placed around the tower with an almost sporadic nature.

How odd. The tower looked out of place among the more industrialized structures, but Caspian supposed that was exactly what Erica wanted. Someone like her would definitely desire her place of residence to stand out.