Tale of Four

Another week of travel, and Isis saw Danmor, a city in the middle of the plains. Like all other cities, it was surrounded by large walls, protecting the city and overlooked by a large marble pantheon with a statue of a kneeling titan carved onto its roof, looking down upon the city. Isis’s eyes widened as she stared. It wasn’t just the large pantheon that was the only wonder of Danmor, but also a large white colosseum, as well as a massive tower, covered in vines that made it look green from a distance.

Spread between them, large manors nestled deep within the city near the Pantheon, peaking over the wall, whilst the rest of the city remained largely hidden. Isis turned to Seth and saw his face show a mixture of disgust, hate and slight admiration for the city.

”Is this really a slave hub?” Isis had to ask, unable to believe that somewhere with such grand architecture was really a den of the worst horrors. Seth clicked his tongue and bitterly laughed.

”Don’t be mesmerised by it. The Pantheon, Tower, and Colosseum are all relics of the Old Kingdom. Danmor was part of it and a major trading and religious centre. When the kingdom fell, they didn’t destroy anything but simply changed who managed it all.” Seth said, almost reminiscing about the Old Kingdom. ”Anarchy ruled during the fall, but Danmor was lucky. Although it had its own issues during that time, the religious leaders had a lot of sway and good favour with the people and lords. They kept the peace.”

”You say as if you saw the fall.”

”I did not; I only saw the direct aftermath. Even then, it was when I was still a student of my teacher. The reason I know these things is that he saw it.” Pointing to the tower, Seth smiled, ”That building is a massive market. If you want soemthing, you can buy it there. Many of the materials my teacher needed to make his magnum opus, he acquired there.”

”His magnum Opus. To give it such a grand title, it must have been something amazing. Tell me, are you the one who owns it now?” Seth stayed silent and looked down with a slightly hateful and sad gaze.

”No.” With a quiet voice, he said, full of regret. ”I understand why. My teacher wasn’t like me and believed in fate to a certain degree. Not in the normal way, but more in the sense that things and people are pulled to one another. Then, if two people or a person and an object meet, it is up to people to ensure something happens, not an arbitrary force like fate willing it.”

Isis stayed silent, watching Seth’s mind spin with annoyance and anger at being denied his teacher’s most prized possession. ”I really wanted it, but it wasn’t that I wasn’t worthy, but my teacher was the worst person. He said if I find it, then it was meant to be; if not, then make it myself.”

”Have you tried?” Seth smiled and pulled out his pen, which he used to create runes.

”I tried, and failed. I think I understood his reason after so long. I am good at runecraft, but terrible at the arcane. I couldn’t handle it. People have said I am a genius, but I disagree. My teacher was a genius, no, he was the apex. He wanted that, not me. How it will be decided who inherits it, I can’t be sure, but knowing him, it will likely be the most tedious, annoying and luckiest thing someone has to do.” Isis leaned close to Seth and placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a faint smile.

”Seth.”

”I don’t need pity, Isis. My teacher was a scumbag in all the ways he shouldn’t have been and great in the best and worst ways. I can hate that I didn’t meet his standard, but at the same time, I always knew I was never meant to have his legacy.” With a sigh, he looked ahead at Danmor. Isis continued to watch his gaze and face, showing a myriad of emotions. ”It’s the problem with geniuses. They think differently; they don’t understand normal emotions or things as such. They can’t becuase they don’t see the world like you or me. They have their own moral framework and worldview, one we don’t fit in unless we can impress them.”

”There is always the chance you will find it. You may not believe in fate and such, but that thing your teacher created is connected to you. As your teacher said, you might be attracted to it one day, and if you are, won’t it be the funniest joke of them all? A student deemed unworthy, proving he always was.” With a thin smile and dry snort, Seth shook his head.

”A funny joke, but the punchline came too late. I think I only have a few decades left in me now. One of my eyes is already blind. And my brain.” Seth reached up and touched the side of his head before brushing a hand through his hair, ”It’s getting slower. I can’t work as quickly nor think as I always have. I’ve seen men and women who lost their minds, forgetting even their children’s names.” Grabbing the reins, he looked to the sky, ”I don’t know when that time is coming, but it is. I won’t live like that. Life is meant to be enjoyed. I have yet to decide how I’m going to end it. Find a quiet corner of the world and hang myself, or make a grand spectacle of it. Who knows?”

”Well...” Isis softly chuckled, ”It’s still a few decades away. Maybe you will get inspired by our travels.”

”Maybe.” His words dragged as he looked to Danmor, the two falling silent as they slowly trudged along. Staring at the city, Isis took a deep breath as they got closer until the distant walls became an overarching shadow atop the two. At its gate, heavy armour patrolled the walls, uncaring about the heat as officals took tolls and waved people in.

Paying the toll, Seth led her in, and Isis finally got a clear look at the city. The slavery of Triee that was hidden and the slvaery of Cras that stripped a human of what made them were gone. Men and women all walked around in fine clothing, one that would make someone mistake them for slaves, but the collars around their necks that covered their tattoos made it clear. They wore smiles, joked and laughed with one another, whilst bowing towards free men. Many were well fed, even better than some commonfolk of Veston.

Around them, the city, a marble metropolis full of life and colour, disguised the horror of what it was built upon, filled with deep history and ruins, showing an era that had long passed, preserved as best as it could. She didn’t realise when, but her pen had already started scribbling away as she looked at everything.

’Slaves bow to their master, smiling, without hate, a look in their eyes that only the most devout men of the cloth usually wear. Their collars, the thing that degraded them, proved they were worth less than others, have become a symbol of pride.’

Isis couldn’t help but shudder as her pen stopped. Looking at Seth, she saw him staring at the slaves with a deeply unpleasant look.

’They are happy. Happy in a cage, happy to be deemed less. Cras was a horror that stripped a person of themselves, leaving behind a product, a grey city designed for the sole purpose of oppression that didn’t discriminate. Danmor.... Damnor is a flowery path that leads to hell. Seth was right.’

Her pen stopped for a moment as she watched. The slaves interacted with masters and customers alike, building a city that seemed to wish to continue growing. The ruins of an old, maybe better world surround them. Atop it all, a titan, kneeling, watching, making sure that this way of life was enforced, looking ready to stand at any moment. Distant cheers came from the colosseum, obviously applauding the blood being spilt, yet no one paid it any mind, but rather were drawn to it to try and see what was happening, hoping they wouldn’t miss the climax.

’This is the worst. The punchline of whatever joke is being told is too dark to be considered funny.’