Yatro: I was so happy to see you again ~ Present

Yatro had become the vanguard of the world by default, when all the better options inevitably sunk into the sea. Once a place invaded and invaded again for its strategic value in the economy, wall after wall had been built around it after each successful invasion in a futile attempt to protect it against the next invader. As a result, it had now become the best fortification available to protect against an attack from the beasts. Even more, once people noticed that the city was on the highest terrain in any of the surrounding countries, everyone had fled towards it as quickly as they could.

More people in the vicinity meant more able bodied men to draft into the ever increasing army that protected the city. But at its core, the men weren’t truly warriors, but mostly poor peasants that had no other choice if they wanted their families to have any space in the “safest” city the world had now.

Ases arrived in the city and for the first time since he started this journey, he was received like a hero. In a sense, he always was, but he could hardly feel that he was treated as so. Even when he was called to protect Perdida, as his presence seemed to work as a beast deterrent, he was treated more like a protective charm that scared the monsters, but also the people he was supposed to protect.

Here, the admiration from both the people from Yatro and the people who he had led to it was something he had never felt before.

There were some people who decided to stay, not finding any reason to go on, or others simply were unresponsive at this point, unwilling to listen to any kind of reason. Maybe, shutting off was the easiest answer they found when things had reached such a hopeless state. People who did this eventually fell asleep, which permanently solved the problem for them, even if they could not feel it happening.

Now that all those people were left behind, the remaining survivors had finally reached their destination.

Yatro had five different sets of walls, separating the city in five different circles. When the multitude with Ases arrived they were received by a retinue of servants that guided everyone to a place in the outermost circle. Ases wanted to go back to the house he once shared with Raz and Herm, to deliver both Herm and Yke, the kid his wife had taken such a liking to, to rest in a safe place. Unfortunately, the assistants called them, telling them that the head of the city had summoned them.

“You go, I can deal with this by myself.” Ases told Raz, trying to leave no space for any retorts.

Retorts he would have received, but after several days of travelling Raz no longer had any motivation left to force herself to accompany him. Especially now, when it seemed she would be due at any moment, and they had two sleeping people to send home. At the very least, the assistants had also offered to carry them the rest of the way.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll accompany him. I was called too, as strange as that actually is.” Said Mors

In fact, that unnerved Mors more than she wanted to admit. Not only the gall someone would need to have to call a Goddess like that, but the fact that whoever was in charge seemed to know they would arrive before they did. Such a level of organization could only be done with a lot of time beforehand, and considering that everyone who knew what happened in Medio arrived with them, the whole situation was deeply discomforting.

The fact that she was still physically inapt and would not be able to run away only exacerbated her fears. But alas, it was still better to comply and discover what was going on, rather than avoid it and be kept in the dark.

Ases and Mors were brought into a carriage that slowly, but surely, brought them into the city.

The exterior walls were a chaos, to put it mildly. The streets were shock-full of people, and by the looks of it, more and more people kept arriving. The exterior that used to be covered with fields was now covered with tents and improvised refugee for the endless amount of refugees that kept arriving. When they entered the innermost circles, the great crowds disappeared to give way to an almost barren city center.

“Why is everything so empty?” Asked Mors, looking around. She forced his eyes as far as he could, but only managed to see a couple of people in the distance.

“Maybe they all fell asleep, or maybe they don’t find any reason to leave their homes now.” Said Ases, also looking out the window, but far more bored than Mors was.

“How can they? I mean, they got to work, and buy things, and all of that, right? At the very least I know that if I spent all my time in my home, I would probably go mad.” Retorted Mors, disquieted by the contrast with the outer circles.

“The city government is in charge of rationing food and everything else, or everyone outside would have rioted already. Everyone receives a daily delivery to their homes, to avoid crowding and people trying to get things twice.” Replied Ases again, as if it was the most obvious thing there was.

Mors sat and thought about it for a moment. It didn’t make sense to her. No city had been able to pull off something like that when the world was still working, but somehow they did it now?

Well, in a way, it made sense. That may as well be the only way to keep a stable society at this point. Hell, considering where they were, it was only logical, this was the only place something like this could be pulled off.

Mors was astonished by the idea, but somehow, Ases seemed to be the more disquieted one even when he was the one who said it.

“I know it is like that, although personally, I never understood how this all works. Living without working, bartering or even going outside? Then what the hell do they do with their lives?” He asked, rhetorically, not really hoping for an answer.

Fortunately for him, Mors had just arrived at one.

“If I had to guess, it's not the distribution that’s taking away their meaning, it’s actually the consequence of it. The people outside the city had to fight tooth and nail to survive, they are forced to be active and give their all. If everyone who already lived in Yatro is already safe and in the best place they could be from the start, what are they supposed to do then?” Asked Mors, no longer looking outside, but now looking Ases to the eyes. Or at least, pointing her face at him, as her eyes were still closed as if she was sleeping.

“I don’t know, tend the fields to not die of hunger? Produce clothing for everyone who needs it? If no one does anything, society wouldn’t collapse on itself?” He said, saying anything that came to mind.

“There are no more fields than those we crossed in our path here, the food they are using are probably what they had stockpiled in case of siege. And in any case, how much food do you need, when you know that next year won’t come? Or how much clothing would we need, if the amount of people to wear it is only going down? Why build anything, create anything, do anything, if we all know how it ends?”

Mors was looking at him, closer each time, and Ases could only feel uncomfortable seeing those closed eyes examining him closely. At the end, only one thing came to mind.

“If the end is the same, then what truly matters is what comes before it” He said, repeating word for word what the Goddess of Wisdom had told him.

Mors didn’t move at all, as if trying to determine how honest he was with that answer.

“That we can agree on. But by how you look, I would say you don’t truly, fully understand those words yet.”

Without saying anything else, they remained in uncomfortable silence until they arrived at the great palace. The heart of the city of Yatro.

They came down from the carriage and were received by a butler doing a bow. Without a word, he started walking inside, as if inviting them to follow him. Without much option, both of them followed.

They went up the stairs, going up and up until they found an enormous room that had a dinner table in the center. Half the walls in the room were painted with a variety of circles, runes and similar symbols that screamed of an enormous spell being prepared.

In the middle of the room, on the other side of the enormous dining table with a feast already prepared, a woman was sitting in the chair of the host.

It wasn’t until she rose up and walked towards them that they noticed that the woman was the Goddess of Wisdom. Smiling them with that all knowing smile she always wore.