City of Bridges

The Messenger

1

Leonie waited silently, blending into the shadows, aided by her fine layer of glossy black fur and dark clothing. Her view encompassed the centuries-old palace, its walls rough quarried stone, the windows on the upper levels blocked up.

From her vantage point on the rooftop of a large warehouse in Portside, she looked north-east across the harbour over the sprawling island city of Delta. The wealthy and elite lived on this side, with the poor, the unclean, the crossbreeds and half-breeds shunned to the low-lying eastern sector where the swamp was most prominent. All other citizens lived in-between; their location dependent on their social standing.

It took a little time to get over here; bridges linked the many islands making up the bulk of the city. If you knew your way around like she did, you could avoid the guarded checkpoints.

She did not visit Portside often. It was too open, too clean and the streets too well-lit and patrolled. It was regarded as far too dangerous for most, unlike the shadowy backstreets of Dockside; her familiar grounds to the east. But the pickings are much better over here, she reminded herself. Any unauthorised crossbreeds found in the area were subject to severe penalty; branding was the initial punishment, fingers and toes went next.

The Grand Plaza, jutting into the harbour, was where the bulk of trading took place, and therefore deemed neutral territory, open to everyone. When strolling through the Plaza, Leonie often heard travellers comment on how picturesque the port was, some comparing it to the ancient and glorious city of Reenat, the capital of Athglenn.

Delta might look beautiful, but beneath the façade lay a cesspool of greed, intolerance and corruption. Religious sects constantly vied for dominance. Opportunists were there for whatever information they could sell. And half-bloods were less than nothing. As a crossbreed and thief raised in the slums, she knew the seedier side. Any tainted lineage was despised by the full-blooded, bringing disdain and ridicule mostly, or violence if they could get away with it.

The Eternal Gardens stood near the base of the palace outer wall closest to the water. They had been created as a remembrance for those who perished in the blaze which destroyed the city's most elegant structure, the Temple of Eternix.

Leonie shivered. Cold despair washed over her at the disturbing memory of children and women losing their lives in the smoke and flames; her mother one of them. Leaning against a chimney, she took a moment to calm herself and restore her poise. It was dangerous enough travelling the roofs at night. She didn't need any mental distractions.

A large obelisk stood at the end of the street. As Leonie watched, the crystal at its peak began to glow with a magical aura, as did other monuments scattered around the city.

Unexpected movement distracted Leonie's contemplation of the obelisk. Two shadowy human figures made their way along the tiled rooftops of the buildings to her left, heading towards the waterfront. Her uncanny balance enabled her to use the sloping rooftops with ease, but humans usually stuck to the gloom and shadows of the alleys below.

Over the years Jade, her mentor and boss, repeatedly warned her; curiosity was her biggest weakness. Leonie agreed. Who these two figures were and what they were up to consumed her. No other thief in the city matched her skills, but this pair showed remarkable speed and agility. I need answers.

Swiftly paralleling their course, she kept one lane between them, her bare paws making little noise on the slate tiles. What are they doing? The figures furtively moved with a clear purpose. Who or what would call for such scrutiny from these two?

Her attention snapped back to the Palace. Five armoured riders were exiting through the main gates.

"Interesting," she muttered, curious what could make guards leave the palace so early in the morning and in such a hurry. She rhythmically balled then flexed the fingers of her paws, claws extending and retracting reflexively as she gazed across the streets below. The guards were making their way down the road, turning at the junction, heading towards the docks.