The Sword Saints

22. The Red City

(Melias)

"And oh, how the sun painted the red steel in its light, washing the land in an unholy red. The color of blood was the air and the acrid smell of it filled every nostril. If the city wasn't covered in blood, then the possibility was always close."

- Menlis Rayfor: The Six Realms Definitive: Ch. 23.

Melias had always heard stories of Redwall, read accounts in books about the place, but he never believed them. How could he? They all painted a city of unholy fervor and one that seemed about as alien as any he could imagine, a city so far removed from the standards and culture of more refined places that it may as well have been its own realm. He didn't believe these things, until he saw them himself.

The Sword Saints and Abigail heard the city before the saw it. As they rounded a path in the mountain pass, they could hear the chorus of merchants and revelers, of steam pipes and whistles and gears churning, the music of Redwall's industry. They heard the clanging of distant pickaxes on stone, echoing up from the deep mountain mines that riddled the nearby slopes. It was a city that was always alive, it was said.

They came around the bend and caught a sight of the large brass wall, slick and cold, looming over them. They walked along it until they found a gate. The guards posted there said nothing as they passed through. That was when Melias got his first real look at the famous haven of debauchery.

The city was aptly nicknamed The Red City. It was built of red steel, the rare alloy made of combining red iron and various other elements. It was the strongest metal in the world and made for excellent weapons and superior building material. Unfortunately, red iron reserves had dried up two centuries ago, so now finding a red steel or iron weapon was indeed a sight to see.

It was a sharp city, with very few rounded edges. The city almost appeared as a mismatch of red and glowing boxes, piled atop each other, with no order or organization. It was Chaos, pure and simple, and Melias realized that it fit the people and the culture of the city perfectly.

The paved streets were tinged with red, whether it be blood stains or prolonged exposure to the red light of the city, he didn't know. Trash was rampant, and it was evident that the good people of Redwall had no qualms with emptying their chamber pots right onto the streets. The smell was beyond anything Melias cared to allow inside his nostrils. He pulled up his shirt and held it over his nose.

Gelion chuckled. "You don't like the smell, Mel?" He took in a deep breath and almost seemed to enjoy the experience. "That's the smell of life, my friend." He winced with each laugh.

"The fact that you like it says so much about who you are as a person," said Melias in a muffled voice.

The dawning sun cast a light red glow over the city, leaving the air almost blood red and ominous. That didn't seem to bother the citizens of Redwall. Many were already up and about, heading to their jobs or setting up their shops. Some appeared to be still be up from the previous night, drunk men stumbling from taverns, whores and their customers emerging from their evenings together. It wasn't an uncommon scene, one that could be seen in most cities across the realms.

"This is definitely my favorite city," said Gelion with a smile as wide as an ocean.

"You've been here before?" Abigail asked.

Gelion laughed. "I come here so frequently, they ought to name a street after me." It was almost childish how happy and amused he was.

"As opposed to the people who have lived here their whole lives?" Melias said as he rolled his eyes.