The sun beat down on Arash's skin as he fallowed Zara up the river, stopping only for a small drink of the river's water and to relieve themselves. They had been walking for only a couple hours but it felt like days to Arash as his muscles ached and creaked, not to mention the damage he had sustained during the fall.
His body begged for rest but he pushed onward. He could not stop now though, not after one of the sacred deities had given him their blessing and guidance.
Arash found himself examining Zara's features to keep his mind off of the exhaustion. He saw how her dark brown hair flowed in the wind, he would have thought it black if it weren't for the sun cutting down through it like water through thick linen. Her shoulders were broad and her muscles toned. her hands were callused and her knuckles were scared. everything about her screamed warrior, to the last minute detail.
As Arash became lost in thought he had barely noticed the sun disappearing behind what seemed like a mountain. Then Zara stopped.
"Behold Arash, champion of the trickster god and warrior of the forest tribe, the city of Ret!" she said gesturing towards the looming structure ahead of them.
All he could do was stand in awe at the sheer size of the city. It was many miles ahead of them but it blotted out the sun like it were child's play. The city stood on an island set in the middle of the river, which caused the river itself to split in half. What was most compelling about the city though was not that it was large, but that it was built upward rather than outward.
"why is the city built up like that?" Arash asked Zara.
She gave him an odd look, "do you not know?"
"No." Arash shook his head, "My village never traveled beyond the borders of the forest, why would we when all we needed was provided by the forest itself?"
She chuckled at his childlike wonder, "Well if you must know, it is built up to both offer more space AND collect the rainwater that falls from the sky on rare occasions. They consider the river to be a blessing by the gods and should anybody not of royal blood drink from its water it will dry. Leaving the city to ruin"
"Is it true?" Arash asked, not being able to peel his eyes from the incredible monumental city ahead.
"No." she said bluntly, "The truth is, the king is greedy and collects the water from beneath the earth so that the rich may thrive as the poor wait for the sparse rainfall that comes once every now and again. Though trailers do bring water here to sell, it's never very much as it's difficult to transport more than a few gallons on a packrat. A carriage would never fit on the thin passage of land between the water and the cursed sand."
"Why not bring it via boat?" Arash inquired, "Wouldn't it be easier that way?"
"No" Zara shook her head, "In-between Ret and the capitol farther up the river is a great lake passage, the king has hired bandits and thieves to destroy any cargo ship that goes through it containing water and says that a great Leviathan attacks anyone who brings unholy water over the blessed river."
Arash's heart fell to his stomach like a stone in a pond, "Then this place, it's touched by the goddess, your aunt?"
Zara said nothing. The just stared defiantly at the city. she began again to walk, while no words were spoken, Arash understood the look in her eyes and the strength of each stride she took. This wasn't just about her godhood, it was about something more.
Again Arash set those thoughts and questions aside for later. They had a job to do.
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There were no solid entrances to the city, only a dock that was lined with ferries that would take visitors or tradesmen to and from the city. Each Ferry cost 1 gold per person, enough to buy 10 days rations from any tradesman. It was practically extortion since it was the only way into and out of the city. Even worse so, neither Arash nor Zara had any money.
Yet, despite their predicament, Zara laughed and grinned at the water.
"Why are you laughing now?" he inquired with a concerned look on his face, had she gone mad from the sun during their walk?
"I'm a half-born remember?" she said as she raised a hand, "My father grants me power over sand and all things like it as it is loose and can trick the mind, much like my father."
As Zara's hand rose above the water, a path of sand appeared. Then with a swift movement of her hand, the sand solidified into stone with a hard thud that rippled the water.
She began to walk and, with some hesitation on his first couple of steps, Arash followed suit.
They reached the gates in a short few moments. As they did, the guards stared with disdain at them. The gates were opened as they reached the large iron bars that rested above a sandstone foundation which seemed to be holding the entire city above the water.
Arash then thought Zara could eradicate this entire city with one swift motion of her hand, dispersing the sand into the river and causing the city to collapse. So why doesn't she threaten the king with such power?
Yet another question that Arash knew he would have to wait on an answer for. So he held it back and focused on the towering city that had pipes clinging to the wall like a bunch of old rusty vines that reached into the heaven that was the high ceiling above.
Then Arash had noticed where the city opened up into, the marketplace.