The North Star (Draft)

Chapter 6: A small break

They had gone through the city streets, the dirty and smelly alleyways of Central Compass had begun to lessen in severity as they went away from the glowing Needle. Aliyah looked around for the first time since coming here. It was like she was leaving the center and seeing everything for the first time, which she was. Compared to her manor, the streets here and the glimpses she caught of the people were far dirtier than any sailor on a ship. It seemed as though it was impossible to tell whether any of the citizens here were homeless or not. Everyone wore tattered clothes; she saw someone casually taking coin pouches and wallets. Other events to witness were krakenrats squirming around and crawling through holes in the ground, dozens of elves and humans bartering with each other, and lots of hats. This was the liveliest, dirtiest, and evidently the most exciting part of town for her.

"You used to live here, right?" Aliyah would ask, the two walked in a line, with Sally leading the way and herself watching the rear. The sensory overload of the lantern lights, smells beyond description, and even the taste of the polluted air was getting to her. Sally looked back and smiled, which was rare to see and probably worth gold. "Yeah... Not the prettiest place for a noble like you. Are ya holding up alright there princess?" Aliyah fumed and went up as close as possible to her lead. She pinched Sally's back and somehow discovered a way to make the brute flinch and wiggle in pain. "Ah! Fuck! That hurts! I'm sorry!" Aliyah released her death pinch and continued to trail behind the woman. Sally decided she may as well make their little tour through downtown slightly amusing, despite walking through the back alleys. Clearing her throat as best as she could, the bartender spoke up, and her voice bounced through the claustrophobic path and flowed like a river.

"Welcome, oh dear girl named Aliyah, to the darkest, grimiest, and most disgusting part of Compass."

"Oh dear. I never knew the strange bartender I met just yesterday was a part-time bartender."

"Oh just shut up and listen. We've got an hour of walk to do before we even get out into the far bridges." Sally turned back forward, refusing to face Aliyah as she led the way to the connecting area between inner and outer Compass.

"Far bridges?" Aliyah scratched her head with her left hand, bringing it down and noticing that her fingers were covered in black soot and tar.

Her hair looked a lot like Sally's, lakes of natural hair and ponds of blackened and corrupted strands. Perhaps that was how the bartender's head got so polka-dotted like a strange carpet. Hopefully, this change in her hair wasn't permanent.

"Yeah. Far bridge. They got made after the council decided to lock us all in the center. Takes a lot to get across, courage and possibly coin. A lot were built in a hurry, many of them abandoned. The ones that seem decent have gangs controlling them, and not even the authorities will get near them. Some bridges look terrible like they're gonna fall, and a lot of them do."

Aliyah gulped. Hopefully, they weren't going to one of those, surely.

"People don't go on those. Surely... The government must know, right? They wouldn't just leave these terrible bridges up."

Sally sighed and shook her head to deny that thought. Aliyah looked in confusion as the bartender answered her question.

"The government don't care. They tried once, just out of the public image, but it's too much trouble for them 'cuz the bridges get built quicker than they tear them down."

"So... They forgot?"

"Yes. Maybe? They didn't forget. They just... stopped trying I guess."

"Terrible."

"Obviously."

They reached the point where the marble finally appeared similar in color to the outside, although still remarkably grey. The vast expanse between the cluttered homes and sheer cliff came before them. A steep drop down into the ocean. Compass was apparently sectioned off, with the inner parts barely connected by four main bridges and various shoddy ones. The Undercity, which hid only under Central Compass, wouldn't catch them from this fall. There was just a drop, and nothing after it to come. Who knows how many elves, half-elves, and humans fell into the glowing sea, trying to get away from this place. Not even their bodies would remain, dissolved by magic and swept away by the waves. Those thoughts made Aliyah shuddered, but Sally had already moved on towards the weak link and motioned for Aliyah to get on. It would be easier for them to move together, as neither were very heavy and the bridge looked stable enough.