Path To Radiance; First Ascent

Chapter 5 - Southern Ascension: Part 3

"Come on, we're falling behind," I say, moving forward. I originally thought we were going to be in line for hours, but it moved quickly.

The only holdup we encountered before we made it to the front was a large beast-man who had cut the line. He proceeded to argue endlessly with the guard, who refused to let him through. The beast-man ended up going to the back of the line like everyone else.

He is an actual cat man, unlike most of the others. Nothing about him looks human except his shape. He has fur over his whole body, at least what is exposed. His eyes are yellow with vertical pupils, like most cats, and his face is more of a muzzle. Although we could hear his grumbling, he didn't cause any more problems.

When Brick and I reach the front, the guard stationed there is dressed in plate armor with a long cape attached to his shoulders. His entire face is covered by a helm except for his mouth. The helm itself looks like a lion's head.

"State your name and reason for entering Southern Ascension." His voice is very deep.

"We're Adventurers looking to enter the Tower. I am Brick Almight."

"And I am Jut Zoak," I add to Brick's declaration.

"Place your right palms on this, one at a time. All new Adventurers must register before entering the city." The guard instructs while holding out a square stone tablet that has a blue handprint on it.

Brick reaches out first. When he places his hand upon the tablet, it flashes like a copy machine doing a scan. The handprint turns green for a brief moment then fades back to blue. It did the same when I placed my hand on the tablet right after.

"All clear, please proceed." We do as commanded and pass into the city.

The city is, and isn't, exactly how I expect it to be. Players and NPCs are going about their business everywhere we turn. It seems that the buildings are arranged in concentric circles out from the Tower. Most are two to three stories tall. Some are much taller. None match in color or material of either, very patchwork.

Some of the buildings are shops and some seem like apartment buildings. Some have laundry hung out to dry from the windows or plants are placed on the balconies to get as much sun as they can. Some buildings had large windows while some have none.

What is strange about the city is how filthy it is. I am accustomed to cities being dirty, but this is horrible. Even Las Vegas isn't this dirty. There is trash and rotting food scraps on every corner. Waste and other filth lines the gutters. The air makes me queasy and everywhere I look there are homeless people, crowding ally ways, on street corners panhandling, or just milling about. It makes me feel very uncomfortable. I can only imagine how the citizens felt who had to live that way.

The Tower entrance is at the heart of the city. It's impossible to miss. We just keep walking in that direction. After every block we pass, the quality of the city improves dramatically. The buildings begin to appear better cared for and there is nowhere near the filth cast about. Less and less homeless are visible too.

"Why would the slums be so close to the city's gates? Wouldn't the government want that kept on the down-low?" I wonder aloud.

"Maybe that entrance is the least favored for the city's main traffic. Or maybe the wealthier inhabitants live closer to the Tower. Whatever the reason, there's nothing to be done at this point." Brick says. "Let's get to the Tower first, then look for a tavern or inn."

"Sounds good to me." I agree and we continue to the Tower. With the foot traffic and the distance, it takes us another couple hours to get there. The sun has dipped below the city walls, making it feel darker than it truly is.