A World With/Out Home

Chapter 5: A Garden with Something Else. (Part 1)

"I thought you might like a front seat view. After all it's your first time heading to Central," Valandus smiled. "Here we go."

The truck began turning circumventing the nearby hill. Then it was there and Kyle almost couldn't believe his eyes. When he had turned twelve he had taken a trip to Trentheim city with his father. Back then he couldn't believe the size of it or the number of people that were always in the streets and yet the city in front of him made that experience seem so small in comparison. To put it simply, it was immense and the perfect representation of the centre of their world. They were still far away and yet the sight covered almost the entire landscape. Arriving with the setting sun the city was dyed in a fading orange. Row upon row of buildings and streets turned and twisted creating a strange mosaic of life. The city stretched from flat plains and steadily rose towards a small mountain, each point seemingly covered with something new to witness. At the top resided a building he had only seen in pictures, the Hero's Cathedral and home of the Hero's Guard. Even from a distance he could make out some of the detailed architecture. Pressed against a cliff face the building morphed into the peak of the mountain and marked the point of a wedge that was the Midnight Forest. The contrast of the dense forest on one side of the mountain with the full city scape of on the other painted a strangely poetic picture.

"It's... it's amazing," Kyle could only mumble the words and blink as Valandus drove them closer.

In Trentheim City the roads exiting and entering had been full of traders many of who were using vehicles like trucks to carry their goods. Central was yet again on another level as even a good distance away they could see the line of people waiting to be processed into the City. Several entrances had been created and though there was no defining wall the process was neat and orderly.

"Ah, the train line," Kyle gasped as he saw the fast moving vehicle exit the city. His eyes followed the exceedingly long accompaniment of carriages leave to places unknown. He had heard of it before but even during his visit to Trentheim, he and his father couldn't get too close without tickets.

Lillia poked him in the side causing him to jump, "You look like a kid in a candy store. Is it really that amazing?"

"Of course it is!" he leaned forward towards the glass as if pushing himself even a few centimetres closer made a difference. "There's so much going on here I can't even begin to catch it all. Like over there, why are there so many entrances to the city and the train, do you think I can get on it? Oh and up on that stage. Wow you really can see it from far away." His eyes locked on to the giant statue of the Eternal Hero that stood proud halfway up the mountain. He wanted to get closer, to see it all, to experience it but just as his excitement began to peak Valandus pulled off the main road and away from the City entrances. "Wait where are we going?"

The Captain answered, "If we try go in like everyone else it'll take us more than an hour to even past the checkpoint. We're going through the back."

Valandus steered the truck along a side road leading around to the opposite end of the city where the Midnight Forest lied. With casual ease he took a series of turns and headed into the forest. Soon the tall trees blanketed the sky and the already fading light was gone. The further they travelled the thicker the flora became to the point it became obvious why they called it the Midnight Forest. Still, aside from Kyle who continued to fidget and gaze about, no one reacted. Finally after what could be considered a maze of manoeuvres the truck began to make the climb up the mountain not stopping till near the top where the ground suddenly evened. A rocky outcrop stood in their way but after a flash from the truck's headlights, the stone itself began to shift revealing a hidden entrance.