Retchid, Calgari
Wilson's robe dragged against the earth as he ascended to the top of the hill. The vegetation had grown since the last time he was here. The fledgling grass was now a blanket. The small trees now had towering canopies.
He stepped the final step. He was winded but the scenery took his tiredness. He could see the entire city from here. The wide streets and bustling alleys of Retchid was an alluring sight. The tall houses, the old towers, the lofty walls- he had grown fond of this city despite being here for a mere three days.
"Is the city more beautiful than me for you to stare at it like that in my presence?" A woman's voice said.
She was leaning against the trunk of an oak overlooking the city. Her legs were hanging on the cliff where a steep drop awaited below. A crown was on her side, the diamonds on top glinting under the sunlight.
"Should I address you as Your Majesty now?" Wilson asked. He went to her side and sat near the crown. She was still looking at the city below.
"Well that is how you should address monarchs. Your Majesty, Your Grace, My Queen. It gets tiring you know. By the way, condolences and congratulations. I heard your brother died but your nephew now has a son. Strange luck."
"Timothy named the boy after Leopold. Strange indeed."
"Must be hard for you." She turned her head to him. "Hearing about your brother's death."
"I was devastated. Leopold and I shared memories."
"And yet you are here, talking with me. Tell me, why are you not in Nirvana with your nephews?"
Wilson sighed. The breeze was cool. The leaves were rustling. The sun was beautiful. "Ever since I was a child, I had a memory of this place. It confused me for years. I have never been here and yet the scene of a hill overlooking a small town was so vivid. I always felt that something was missing, that I wasn't really a prince of Castonia. I searched for this place. Years, I spent. I traveled everywhere. I even abandoned my wedded wife. I finally found it after all those years of searching. Now that small town had grown into the capital of Calgari. I want to go back to Nirvana but I am not one of them. We are not one of them."
"So you now remember?"
"Every terrifying thing."
"Good for you then. The self-righteous man inside the mountain has started a cull. He thinks it would be the solution" She looked up, childlike mannerisms showing. "That is so dumb and boring."
"So," Wilson said, bending close to her, feeling the jarring loss of intimacy. He looked directly into her eyes. "What now?"
"What indeed." She pushed his face away and sighed. "We need to find the others."
"The others are gone. Dead or missing."
"Not all. And what choice do we have but to find them? It is coming again. No, not this stupid cull. I can feel it. All those tragedies are going to happen again. The cycle will repeat and it will be soon. Oh it will be soon."
"Do we have time? It would take us long to find them."
"It will take us longer if we slack around." She rose, teetering in the cliff before finding her balance. "Well come on. We better get started."