The capital. My father used to tell me stories about it. When I went to sleep he would describe some of his trips as a merchant across the Empire, but he would always put a special emphasis on the capital of Gleighmourn.
"The city" he used to say "is covered in the shiniest marble and the most amazing technology like you have never seen."
I didn't know what he was referring to but now I was experiencing it for the first time, The buildings weren't particularly tall, dad once said it was because beasts used to roam the world and the first cities had to protect their citizens by building underground, I had never seen beasts or even heard a description of them before, but the world was once covered in them. But that was a long time ago, the Empire adapted and built a massive wall to separate the citizens from the beasts.
This wall divided the continent in two, the habitable part, and the exterior. The wall itself was pretty thick, you would have needed at least 10 of these massive vehicles to cover it. And it was as wide as the entire continent. This wall was an engineering feat at the time, covering an entire continent on a brick layer while being surrounded by the beasts on all sides, across every environment; from tundra to rainforests to deserts.
This was only a job fitted to the borrowers, not only did their physical abilities surpass those of humans, but they were also capable of doing something entirely unnatural with the environment surrounding them. change terrain and even create matter. That is why the empire revered them so much, as a borrower you had a duty to use your gifts and help the empire. Practically every recognized borrower became a public servant by joining the army, and by doing so they worked on defending the border at the north and protecting the wall against surrounding beasts that still roamed around.
While I was looking at the window the woman who saved me from the kingdom approached me.
"So, how are you doing?" she asked.
I stared at her face, I didn't know how old she was, she looked young, maybe 19 years old? I wasn't sure. She had a pretty face, her skin was dark and her curly hair looked funny to me.
"I like your hair." I said.
She gave off a small laugh and covered her mouth with her left hand. She then took a seat next to me at the window.
"It's beautiful isn't it?"
I nodded.
"You know that wall over there?"
I nodded again.
"Did you know it was built by my ancestors?"
"Where they borrowers as well?"
"Yes, some of the best even, My whole family produces some of the best borrowers in the entire empire."
"WOAH"
We stared at the window some time more as we were approaching the entrance to the capital.
"Hey, wanna see a fun trick?" she said as she took off her gloves.
"Sure."
Her eyes shone blue as she created a crystalline blueish plate out of the same material that covered her hands, and then a small ball of fire appeared on her right hand. She smiled and began bouncing the fireball from plate to plate. I was amused by such a trick. How were these people so amazing? I thought. I looked at her hands and noticed that they weren't burning, I recalled the sensation that was being inside a bubble of such material. It provided cover from physical attacks and fire.
Fire. I remembered, my parents were killed in one.
While I looked at her trick, tears began to flow from my eyes.
"Oh no." She pondered out loud. "Did I do something?" would you like some water?"
Her panicked expression was what pulled me back to reality, I didn't want to make the person who saved me panic.
"It's just that-" I said as I was sobbing. "Those people from the north killed my parents."
Her expression was blank after I said that, she tried to get closer to me, she was clearly trying to comfort me but didn't know how. She finally just hugged me, as I began to cry.
"I am so sorry to hear that. Do you have any other family?"
"I only knew my parents, and there were my sister and my other two siblings."
"Were they in the town as well?"
I nodded.
"Let me contact some of the other members of the team, What were their names?"
"Pat, Abreigh, and Kate."
"Alright then, we are almost arriving at the entrance to the capital. I'll talk to you once I know in which carrier they are. Sound good?" She said as she stood up.
"Yes."
"One more thing, what is your name?"
"Viktor."
And with that, the carrier stopped and we were all in the capital.