Chapter 135: Pride and Prejudice

After a little over a week of travel in total, we finally made it to the Fortress City of Revenge. I saw it from the skies, and it was as chaotic as it was glorious. The uneven and vaguely circular walls were tough and thick, but they also suddenly cut off at one section and merged into a pyramid that was taller than it of all things. The layout of the city only got crazier from there as only the nominal center seemed to have a coherent more utilitarian style. Otherwise, the roads were well-placed and undisturbed, but the houses were of all different kinds. From the fences and more open construction the crustecars loved, to the treehouses of the belfegors, right next to normal-looking buildings. There were a bunch of apartments that I could make out, and I saw that they had the sense to at least isolate the military districts from everything else. This was the warfront, and I was sure the settlements would only get more creative from here.“Do you like what you see?” Zora, the very first harpy I had met, asked.

“Oh yes. I’m in love.” It was perfectly my kind of style, and I flew back down to friends to tell them all about it.

“Wait!” Angerly protested. “Let us see it for ourselves. No spoilers!”

“That’s right, that’s right!” Granuel joined her protest. “I’ve been wanting to see this place for a long time! Don’t spoil it for us!”

“Okay, okay!” I raised my arms. “I’m just trying to share the joy here. Not my fault you’re a bunch of land sniffers.”

“Carry me,” Moonwash commanded. “I want to see it from above too. Sorry I’m a land sniffer.”

“Aah…. That’s not what I meant, Moonwash. You’re a good land sniffer.” I took her in my arms and then took flight. We watched the city flourish from above, and noticed the great mass of soldiers patrolling or doing drills outside the walls. Many other people roamed outside, such as the harpies who hunted along the forest near their pyramid. The older kids and even some adults played outside near the soldiers, confident that they would probably be safe. I wasn’t sure if that was the wisest move, but they certainly looked like they were having fun, and I was not about to take that from them. I would only enjoy watching them from afar, as I and Moonwash remained there, until the main mass of our caravan finally reached the city of revenge.

“The Fortress City of Revenge!” I announced imperiously as were waved through the gates. I had landed among my friends at the front of the column once they had arrived near the city, and after causing a bit of an uproar with my beautiful unblemished appearance, we were allowed to enter before anyone else alongside the leaders of the army. The people around us were unsure how to react to my sudden declaration, and their expressions ranged from confused, to proud, and sometimes embarrassed.

“A bit too on the nose,” Therick commented.

“It describes the function of the city perfectly,” Granuel argued.

“Yes, but what if that function changes?” Berry argued back. “I think it’s too negative to build a city on.”

I whispered ominously.

“People honored their leaders and founders in Edengar,” Angerly looked around at the many different people who walked the streets around us. Some were scurrying out of the way, while others were here to welcome the returning soldiers. A worrying number had stopped in their tracks just to gawk at me. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, but I do wonder what… hmmm… enshrining(?) an idea like this, like revenge, does for the people who live here and their psyche.”

“The name will probably be changed in the future,” Moonwash informed. “It’s happened before. If New Grandera expands or shrinks, and the borders are reshuffled, then the city names like this will be passed on to whichever front is right at Edengar’s throat.”

“That makes sense,” I shrugged, and then pounced on the nearest food vendor. What I found was a stall selling fat rabbit-meat-like skewers of all kinds of unique and different flavors. I had never even heard of some of these, for why the fuck would you bury the meat in soil for a week and a fortnight, and what did it mean to minerate something? And they had some that were doused in literal poison!?

“Ah, that’s treated to be safe! Don’t worry!” The crustecar woman said joyfully, uncaring of my appearance unlike the many other people who were currently openly staring or loudly asking questions.

“Hey! What’s that!”

“A monster?”

“No! She’s speaking! She’s clearly a person.”

“Mommy I’m scared!”

“I am your Mommy!”

“I heard she’s the granddaughter of Golex!”

“Haell Zharignan?”

“What…?”

“But that’s crazy!”

“Why would she be here?”

“Is she an enemy!!?”

“LEMME AT ‘ER!”

“Fucking idiot! You can’t even cross level 10!”

“She’s on our side!”

“I heard she leveled an entire army of the Edengarians single-handedly! Thousands dead by her blade!”

“Amazing!”

“That’s so cool!”

“Bullshit!”

“I heard the same!”

“Even their heroes have abandoned them!”

“Fuck Edengar!”

“Fuck Angelore!”

“Kill them all!”

“YEAH!!!”

“It’s still bullshit though!”

“LEemMEAtHerR!”

“Oh, okay then! Silly of me to worry! I trust you!” I ignored all the rabble and addressed the shop-owner. I ordered at least one of everything she had on offer with a big smile on my face. It ended up taking quite a while to cook the hundreds of skewers for me and my party, and some human woman tried to attack me out of some heavily misguided notion that I was a spy before I got to taste even a single one. I tossed her away in a way that I was non-lethal, after which the city guard apologized and soon got the situation back under control.

Finally, after only a quick minute, the first of our skewers were done. I found the whole multi-course meal to be a worthy introduction to this city and New Grandera as a whole.

Some of the skewers were admittedly shit, while others were simply amazing.

I burped and laughed as we left the stall. We got the owner’s name, which was Martha, and she had even set up some nice tables and chairs for us to enjoy our prior meal. The hundreds of soldiers we had traveled with had all gone into the city during that time, except for the ones that intended to set up camp outside. Their passage had generated a lot of buzz and excitement, with some people choosing to duck away and leave during all of that, but now the streets were beginning to quiet down once again. They had gotten somewhat used to me, as the soldiers and adventurers we had traveled with had quickly spread the word, and some very official announcements had been made. Now they understood that I was a strange new species called a demon, even if it hadn’t yet totally sunk in.

I took this opportunity for of calm to appreciate from up close the city that I had observed from far above. Here, I could see the people who walked among the larger structures, and they were a varied lot. The clothes they wore came in a wide variety of styles that ranged from authentic traditional cultures, to new things that people came up with, and even some that were directly inspired by Edengar.

The buildings around us were another thing that I observed as we walked through the streets. I noticed that most of them had kept the tradition of having carvings over every wall, but the things they liked to depict were certainly different. Angels were no longer the common protagonists of their homes, but were often the villains if they were depicted at all. Depictions of normal people doing normal things or working normal jobs were a popular choice for homes, while some went for the fantastical by borrowing the imagery of terrifying monsters, and the people tasked with the impossible to kill them. And in keeping with city’s name, there was a mildly disturbing number of artworks and decorations geared towards the fall and the slaughter of their greatest enemy. Even a bouquet of flowers that I reflexively bought as a gift for Moonwash ended up meaning that all the lands we hated should get flooded and drown.

“How romantic,” she deadpanned, but I could tell she genuinely appreciated it.

I didn’t know if she should… but I wasn’t about to take it from her now.

Our tour of the city took us to many more places, from shoemakers, to dojos that promised great martial prowess and enlightenment, to even the red light district. Prostitution was just publically and legally done, especially in a place like this where soldiers regularly passed through. The stance of Edengar on the issue was of course that it was highly illegal, which in the end resulted in a whole lot of people being arrested and exiled, usually both the buyer and the whore, but sometimes only the latter if the customer was important enough. Even Angelore was not able to completely eradicate the practice.

The accommodations here were actually a little bit more expensive than in other parts of the city, but it very quickly degraded as the intense and mildly oppressive buildings gradually transitioned into the slums. People of all species lived here in poverty, and for the second time I met shepherds and their characteristic mental tug in this city. The first was in one of those brothels.

“Fuck,” I intoned, staring at the very obvious failings of the people I had chosen to throw my lot in.

“Isn’t that what you wanted?” Therick muttered.

“What?” I whirled around on him. “What the fuck do you mean!?”

“Nothing!” he blanched. “It’s nothing.”

“No.” I grabbed his shoulder. “Tell me.”

“Haell, please,” I felt a tug, and found Berry’s big claw gently trying to pry me off. Only then did I notice that Therick’s face had scrunched in pain.

I let go and walked off a good distance away from them. I sighed for I could easily guess what he meant.

“I don’t hate the shepherds, you know? Or at least, I try not to. There’s probably some resentment in me, I’ll admit, but I’m aware that not all of them are at fault, so I try not to blame literally every one of them.” I looked at the people in question, and saw how everyone was treating them with hostility, sure, but also a not insignificant amount of caution and outright fear. Well, most of the people here were focused on us instead and our large amount of luggage, to be fair. “I understand the suspicion, though. Not that it’s right or just, and I wish it aint so, but they have passive mind control! How can you trust that!? It’s just such a terribly fucked situation, and I don’t know if there is any solution to be found…” my gaze trailed over my friends, and then landed squarely on Moonwash. “UNLESS IF THERE IS!”

“...What?” they asked in unison, except for Moonwash who was only ready to listen to my new idea.

“An enchantment! I know you’ve been experimenting with mind magic over the years! How about you make something they can wear to just counter their passive mental influence? They can supply the mana themselves!”

There was a pause.

By the time I finished my tirade, the attention of all the people around us who were already wary of outsiders intensified.

A crustecar child took this as an opportunity to try and swipe something from me, which led to me reflexively swatting her hand away, only to find that I had used too much force.

“Fuck! Sorry!” I said in a panic as everyone seemed to get more tense. I healed her myself with nature magic, and then handed her a few gold coins before sending her off on her way.

“You know that’s illegal right?” Granuel asked as Angerly stopped the girl.

“What, giving her money?”

“No, not that. Although you also shouldn’t have because now she’ll be targeted by everyone else here.”

“Ah, shit.” I looked around and noticed the hostile greed in the people around us. “What do we do?”

“I’ll take care of it, don’t worry,” Angerly reassured.

“But what’s illegal is ‘experimenting’ with mind magic. Even more so than in Edengar. They hate that here,” Granuel finished his explanation and I gulped.

“Fuck. I got too comfortable.”

I was finally able to bare myself as the demon that I was, but in the process, I’d forgotten some of the secrets I had to keep.

“It’s okay,” Moonwash held my hand. “I’ll be fine.”

I nodded and squeezed her hand back. “Yes. You will. I’ll make sure of it.”

The sun had almost set by the time that we’d circled around to the big pyramid, minus Angerly who was talking to the… slum people? A pair of large open steel gates sat within a depression on the second step, and a great wave of smoke and heat constantly poured out of it. Harpies flew above us, and they often came down to interact with the many dwarves stationed around the lower steps of the pyramid.

We took the smaller stairs upon the center of the structure and walked right up to the gates. A pair of dwarven guards greeted us curtly, before promptly getting to business.

“Greetings. What is your business here?”

“Oh, we just want to take a look around. Maybe order a few pieces of gear. You guys are skilled blacksmiths, right?”

“Yes. There are many skilled blacksmiths in the dwarven district. You will need to present your identification if you wish to enter.”

I handed him my adventurer’s badge.

“This is from Edengar. We only accept identification from New Grandera. Are you a spy?”

“No,” I reflexively said. The dwarven guards did not react to my statement at all.

“Crap. I forgot,” Granuel scratched his head. “The cities here are mostly fine to enter without need for any of that, but the dwarves would’ve normally preferred to be left alone. A compromise was reached, and they still won’t just allow anyone inside.”

“I see.” I looked up at the rapidly darkening sky, then turned to Moonwash. “It’s getting late. Do we take care of this today, or leave it for tomorrow? We still have to find an inn for tonight.”

“We can do it tomorrow,” Moonwash answered. She was the one who wanted to explore the pyramid the most. “Let’s check out their inns.”

We left the two guards who had remained quiet this entire time, and then found the most expensive rooms we could buy. I ended up sleeping in a quaint and comfortable place with all the necessary enchatments, and some really neat configurations for lighting that made it feel like we were floating in the night sky. The establishment wasn’t as luxurious as the best we’ve had, but it was remarkably cheap for what was on offer.

Morning came. We enjoyed a wonderful meal of oryganor in the darkness of the morning. There was a dining area set up on the rooftop of the inn, and it remained a quiet affair despite the few other patrons here. The sun had not yet truly risen for us because we were incredibly close to the Impenetrable Barrier Range now and those mountains loomed over us all like long-dead gods. We would remain in their shadow for an hour longer.

“Thanks,” we thanked the centaur owner just before we left the establishment, though our luggage would remain in their care and protection.

I appreciated the morning chill outside as I walked the streets in a simple dark tunic and a matching skirt. People still gawked at me, but no one was freaking out or attacking, which I saw as some really good progress. Soldiers jogged in the streets, and people began to open their shops as the city of revenge woke up. People of different species still favored certain professions more than others, but there was at least no official force holding them back from chasing after their dreams. Well… except for maybe the shepherds.

“We’re here,” Granuel said, and I looked up to see a governmental building of wood and stone that somehow managed to look both utilitarian and very well-decorated. It featured great imposing blank walls interspersed with only the occasional statue or carving. The insides were much the same, except cozier with plenty of serene and soothing imagery. People of different walks of life had gathered here, either sitting in the various waiting areas, or lining up for one of the four great receptionists.

We joined the shortest line, and after only a few minutes, we got our case heard. I allowed the others to take the lead here for I had no idea what we were supposed to do, and Granuel talked to the lady about getting general identification cards for all of us. An ID, basically. In order to do so, it was explained that we had to be registered as actual citizens of the country. We were led into a different room for that, and after a few questions from a different centaur secretary, our registrations were completed unreasonably fast. I was pretty sure that the process had been gravely expedited because of who we were.

After those registrations came the IDs. Even regular citizens could afford the basic one, but we went for the more expensive option which would include portraits of ourselves. It was the better option as guards and the like were less likely to find fault with it than the other ones that did not include a photo.

We spent another few hours in the building to have a fountan man paint our photos on our cards, and I felt that the work was very good for the amount of time the artist actually worked on it. His one hand had been a blur, and his hook prosthetic was used quite well to adjust his equipment and shift the IDs around as he worked. The results truly resembled us, and I found myself grinning as I looked at the demonic face on my card from every angle.

I promised the man, Lator, that we would visit his place later and take a look at the paintings he had for sale.

“I like my job, but I would like to make my own art, my own vision, someday.”

“You may enter.”

“Please enjoy your stay.”

The dwarven guards checked each of our new IDs, and then waved us through to the pyramid. We walked up to the wide open gates, and already I could feel the heat and smoke getting worse. My friends started to cough as the sweltering environment made itself known. That was when a human man called out to us from a booth just near the gate. We walked away from the heat just for a little bit just to meet with him.he ceiling was a bit too low, and I and definitely Angerly had to duck. A dwarven woman was at the back, working on a sword, and it felt rude to disturb her when she was so focused, so we waited.

And waited.

And waited…

“Should… we leave?” Berry hedged. “She seems busy.”

I looked at Moonwash, and saw how she almost as engrossed in the forging process as the smith herself.

“You guys can go. We’ll stay here.”

“You sure?” Therick asked.

“Very. Go.”

“Okay…”

I walked up next to my girlfriend, and since no one was stopping us, we just found a seat and made ourselves comfortable right next to the blacksmith who paid no attention to us at all.

Finally, after an hour, she quenched the sword and finished the weapon she had been working on.

“What can I do for you?” she asked without missing a beat after setting down the sword in some stone table right next to some others.

“What kind of alloy did you use?” Moonwash immediately asked. “I can tell that it included fantastreel, but that was definitely not all.”

“You are correct. I added the claws and teeth of a warsymbol into the alloy at a ratio of…”

I just sat back and listened to their conversation peacefully as they talked more about their two separate forging processes. At some point, Moonwash did some demonstrations, and I walked off to go buy us food somewhere.

It was bland and simple and frankly I’d had so much better.

We explored more of the dwarven village/town/district. It had several levels, all built into the pyramid, but it seemed like their most important governing bodies and businesses were actually built a story underground right at the center of the pyramid. Their building styles were overall very strong and blunt, but they also seemed to like carving into walls even more than the Angelorians. Their art made liberal use of sculptures as well, but little else, and few of those creations ever used paint. If a dwarf wanted color in their home, then they shall find minerals of the proper color and find a way to stick them all together! Like a good dwarf!

The subject of their art was often the exact and specific anatomy of themselves or other creatures. They also liked to depict weapons and the many other things they liked to forge, including the common and mundane items like frying pans or horseshoes. And the imagery of beautifully cut gems were often present, sometimes literally as they would be embedded into their workings of stone, if not entirely made from them for the smaller affairs.

It was a fun and unique aesthetic that I enjoyed.

What wasn’t fun was when we finally found an inn for outsiders in the upper stories of the pyramid. I got to find out first-hand just how hard and bare dwarven rooms were.

Easily the worst inn experience I’ve had. Err… in Varyala. I’d stayed in some nasty hovels back on Earth. But still! I had better accommodations than this back when I literally lived in the middle of an isolated forest all those decades ago! What the fuck dwarves!!

The next day, I woke up with Moonwash cuddled and awake on top of me with not a single strand of hair touching the hard bed. It wasn’t like we were actually bothered by it considering how many times we had slept in the great outdoors, but it was just weird how this was the best they had. And they only had the one inn for outsiders, at the very least blastedly cheap.

We fully woke up, got up, and then took a bath. That at least wasn’t bad, if weird, because they included a whole bunch of products that I had never even heard about. Moonwash examined them and concluded that it was all for hair or fur, which made some semblance of sense. The dwarves just put in there what they thought was important and everyone would want. Out of any city I’d ever visited, this place might just lack the accommodations for other species, which was saying something because I lived in Edengar.

The dwarves did not give a fuck.

We politely had a light breakfast at the inn, and then we exited to the greater mini-town of the dwarves. The constant noise immediately redoubled, and those of us who still did not have their faces covered immediately did so. Except for me. I just walked with my head held high as we made our final exit. I’d likely find myself in there again in the future because of Moonwash, but I could not say that it had been a great experience at all. I did not have fun. They didn’t even have alcohol! They were dwarves!!! WHAT THE FUCK!!???

…Okay. I shouldn’t say that. No shit they weren’t like the fictional characters from Earth movies. What the fuck was I thinking?

Once we had gotten out of the pyramids, we walked up to one of the many harpies coordinating with the dwarves near the lower area of the massive structure.

“Hello there!”

“Greetings,” he returned my own greeting as if he were announcing the arrival of a king. “What can I do for you?”

“Ah, well, I was just wondering if we could visit the harpy district atop the pyramid.”

He stood a little straighter. “Of course you may. Follow me.”

The smaller stairs went all the way up to the top of the pyramid, and we followed the harpy man as he led us up to their home. Along the way, I observed vents and air mills built along the lower steps, with various industries setup therein that were run by both the dwarves and harpies, and the occasional person of another species. The mills spun, grains were ground into powder, and various other forms of food were crushed into a finer form. It was an interesting and efficient setup, but I saw that only a few were actually in operation.

“Why is that?” I asked. “There’s a lot of heat and smoke inside, and it seems like the vents are really overloaded with the amount that rushes out.”

“That is because we do not want the smoke to reach our wonderful home and affect our young. The mills themselves redirect it, and we sometimes do it manually, but it would still be overwhelming if we opened all the vents. The dwarves are more than comfortable with the conditions in their town anyhow.”

“I see. What an interesting setup.”

“It is,” he puffed his chest in pride. “The dwarves have worked hard on the ingenious design, and we helped to implement it.”

After a few more minutes of walking, we finally arrived at the lowest point in the pyramid where the harpies lived, and I found the air to be weirdly fresh for how close we were to all that smoke belching out. Healthy soil had been deposited and fenced within these steps, and atop them, trees grew and houses were erected.

“Welcome to our home,” the harpy man announced, so proud that he actually flew for a few seconds before dropping again. “If you would follow me, then I shall give you a tour.”

“I shall,” I could help but respond in equal gravitas, and that seemed to please him greatly.

He showed us around his little mini-town. Harpies and visitors of other species walked or even lived amongst the sturdy constructions of wood. There were plenty of perches and high-up entrances, but most buildings did not neglect to have a door for those who could not fly. Children played in the streets or in the air, and with them were these small and incredibly fluffy animals who could float and chirp cutely at them from the air. Arlanor, our guide, explained to us that these animals were called the cutiyos. They were a common household pet, and almost every harpy had at least one. They came in all varieties of bright colors, and they had these two glimmering antennas atop their incredibly ball-like bodies. The only way they could move was through magic, for they truly were just balls of fur with even smaller bodies within.

I looked at Arlanor, and the other harpies dressed in colorful clothes. Even their soldiers had some color on them, and I realized that it was because the colorful antennas of these creatures were woven into what they wore, along with green gemstones. They seemed to truly love their pets, every single harpy that I could see, so I found it incredibly curious how their tools of magic and war were made from the remains of the creatures that they had once loved.

“I thought focuses had to be made of a harder material,” I settled on and spoke conversationally.

“Indeed. The cutiyos are very unique and beautiful in that regard. Their focuses are not as powerful, therefore they need our protection, but it is no lesser than any other staff if incorporated into our clothing. We just need to use a little bit more.”

“...I see.” They saw nothing wrong with making use of the carcass of their pets. And I supposed that was fine. They lived a good life. The dwarves probably did something similar, although I believed they actually preferred to use materials from monsters other than the burydile, and just had them recharge their mana.

“How do you guys feel about that?” I decided to just ask directly.

“What do you mean?”

“About, you know, incorporating the remains of your uh, deceased pets into your clothing.”

“It is a practice that most other people dislike, I’m aware. But I and many others find it comforting. It’s not just our pet cutiyos.” He pointed to several white, grey, and black sections among his noble-like attire. “This is from my friend who died way too young. This is from my grandmother, my father, and other important relative who have passed throughout the years. You and many others may not understand, but it is a way for those who have departed to remain with us in a way, and I would hope that there is someone who cares about me enough when I die to allow my memory to live on.”

“No,” I shook my head and smiled. “I think I understand. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

“You can have everything of me if I die,” Moonwash commented casually as we checked the various stores owned by the harpies. They sold a lot of raw stuff, plenty of meat from their daily hunts, or fruits that might also be crushed and at least partially processed. Their anatomy did not lend very well to complicated crafts, as even their houses, clothes, and other structures were built with the help of the dwarves or the many other people down below.

I finally processed the bomb that Moonwash just casually dropped on me. “Wha… don’t die!”

“I don’t intend to,” Moonwash clarified. “I know our goal is to reach the very peak and never die, and I am in the lead there.”

“Gee. Wow. Brag more, why don’t you?”

“But I am saying this just in case,” she completely ignored my attempt at humor… “If you find someone else, then that’s fine, but at least keep a piece with me with you. The harpies are true romantics.”

I watched as plenty of merchants came up to sell to the harpies in their bazaars, and the winged people proved to be very tough negotiators with how high-and-mighty they acted. The children were less-so, but even they talked like that. Granuel stepped up to do business with them from our side, and even he found himself humbled against the masters. Of this partnership between dwarves and harpies, the latter had always been the one willing and excited to trade, and they had no problems dealing with even Edengar until they had grossly overstepped by doing a whole invasion. I was surprised the harpies even gave them the benefit of the doubt when Edengar had conquered half the continent by that point. What did they was going to happen?

“Um… Sure. Okay. I will,” I answered once I had finally caught up again to the twists and turns this conversation had taken. My voice had started unsure, but it was definitely resolute by the end, because I found that I did not quite hate the idea myself. “I’ve no plans of dying either. I’ll be the very strongest this galaxy had ever seen. I will slay the angels and bring down their very god from on high. But… I know exactly how quickly death might come. So if I die, then make use of me. I’m sure you can not find any materials greater than this.” I switched on an enchanted device that created a barrier of wind around us.

“Okay,” she clung to my arm as we ascended to the very top of the pyramid.

The city looked nice from here, not that it was anything I hadn’t seen before thanks to my power of flight. The harpies’ governmental and managerial buildings were here, along with a tower shrine at the very center to worship their god.

“Aneuscara?” I asked Arlanor, tasting the name.

“That is correct. She is the wind spirit. Always with us, her presence felt with every breeze.”

“Hmmm,” I thought about it. I had no problems with what I’d seen of them so far, so I probably had no reason to scorn their religion. They could do what they wanted. Additionally, I had the option to evolve into… at some point. Maybe this Aneuscara actually existed. “Is she a real historic figure?”

“Of course she is,” Arlanor intoned, affronted.

“Hey, I’m just asking,” I raised my hand, holding myself back from responding with the same kind of offense. “I know of cultures who worship things and people whose actual historic existence is in question.”

“Hmph. Aneuscara is most certainly not like them. Her tales have been passed down for many generations by the ancestors before us.”

“Right… okay.”

“We shall be hosting a play about her in a week. Come see it, and you feel her presence for yourself.”

“Sure,” I shrugged. I always loved to experience art. And, while annoying, I really had no reason to be an asshole here. Not unless they try to force me to worship this Aneuscara, because simply being real did not entitle to my worship. “I’ll be there.”

We passed by the shrine which was quite beautifully made with dozens of harpies perched across the many stands along its sides and admiring the various depictions of wind that were all, apparently, Aneuscara. Our group then reached the other side of the pyramid, and from there we beheld the forest outside the city bounds.

Except… it was different. Subtly so. The trees were different, there were new plants that were either much rare or not found in this region at all, and the animals too did not conform to what I had experienced of the region. Over a hundred harpies flew through the skies above, and they swooped down to catch prey… or to cull and trim some of the plants, for some reason.

One of those harpies suddenly shot towards us at an aerial speed that I could only dream of.

It was Zora.

“Haell. We meet again.”

“So we do, Zora,” I smiled at the familiar woman, and she landed right beside me on the uneven soil.

“I welcome your visit to our home. What do you think of it so far?”

“Pretty cool. I like it. I’ve heard about your people for so long, and it’s good to finally meet you all.”

“That is good,” she nodded satisfactorily.

“What are they doing?” Berry stepped up after a moment of silence and pointed at the forest below us.

“Ah. We are tending to our part of the forest.”

“Tending?” I tilted my head.

“I believe the other people here would call them farming, or hunting, but it is neither of the two. We simply call it tending, the process in which we interact and shape our environment to better shape our needs.”

“Better shape your needs…”

“Do you mean that you’re making sure the forest produces what you need?” Granuel asked.

“A part of it, yes. You should see what we could do in our mountains. But here, we make sure that the plants grow efficiently and without stifling others. We introduce what we need and what would make our part of the forest better for us. We cull the animals to keep their populations at a level that we like, and make sure that our favorite ones outbreed the rest.” She gestured about halfway down the pyramid, and we saw the large warehouses where harpies went to and fro to deliver their catch. Chief among their prey, from what I could see, were the oryganor that we had eaten so much of in our little time here. The harpies were the main producers of that fat rabbit-like meat, a particular species of tree-climbing rabbits that I didn’t think should be that large. “And then we kill them, like you do your farm animals.”

“I see that loud and clear,” I nodded sagely.

“...But aren’t you in a warzone?” Angerly asked. “What stops Edengar from coming in and burning down your hardwork?”

“Our armies,” Zora answered simply, but still with unwavering pride. “And should we fail, should we be sabotaged, then we will make sure to return the favor tenfold. And then we will rebuild.”