False Sky

Some time has past since we departed with Serrum and Dente. We have ascended a couple more floors once again. As we traveled upward, the industrial aesthetic from below dissipated and greenery had returned much more concentrated than at the lower levels we came from. The trees here were many times taller and wider, thick vines grew and hung from everywhere, and there were larger clumps of grass and moss with wild flowers stick out in a multitude of colors. Appreciating the newfound nature, I had also realized that this level lacked infrastructure when compared to the previous floors. There were way fewer buildings far and wide, and the buildings we would come across were overtaken by fauna to an extent that they had become beyond repair. New sounds have also began to emerge as the distant songs of birds and chirping of other wildlife filled the air. Small streams sparkled in the distance where small, other worldly looking animals drank from. It was by far the most beautiful level Fesha and I have passed through.

Another thing that had began to emerge within the past few days was our memories, albeit, ever so slightly. Fesha had began recollecting bits of her past, to which she would tell me about sometimes over dinner. She would tell me stories about her occupation as a dragon slayer. She recollected her battles with the dragons that she claimed happened just outside of Caelum's walls. Seems like despite this city's thick walled structure, dragon slayers were still needed to stop them from fully breaking in. She would tell these stories wondering how she could have forgotten her core memories. Needless to say, it seemed that the dragon tooth truly might have been the antidote, but we still wonder how. 

As for me, memories of my old life resurfaced as they came to me in more dreams. My mother's face was becoming more and more clear, but still somewhat hard to make out. Her hair was long and black, and through the blur, her face seemed sweet and caring. Though I had not remembered much about her, I knew that I missed her. I would also occasionally have dreams about the two boys I would always see, their faces also still a blur. It seemed that we had spent lots of time together in my old world, messing and pushing each other around, though it felt like I was getting pushed around a lot.

As I was lost in thought, Fesha had stopped in front of me, gazing through a clearing between two large trees. I looked ahead to see what had caught her in a trance. There I had seen something that I had taken for granted for a while now. Above us, the bright emptiness of a deep blue greeted me. Somehow, a section of a lightly clouded sky was just within reach. Though I appreciated the view, there was no way the azure sky should have been here. I knew we were still far below the top of the spire so it was impossible, yet the sky was just right there. I was thoroughly confused, though Fesha seemed to already know what is going on.

"Ahh, its been a long time since I've happened upon this." She spoke with nostalgia. "The miracle of the false sky, truly what a blessing."

I looked over to her in confusion, to which she began explaining herself. "It's one of the earlier miracles of the god I covet with. The land around Caelum is not suitable for any harvest, so those blessed by the sky god prayed, and this was what our god had given us. A way to provide light to groweth crops, even in the depths of this dark city." Fesha said.

Once she had finished, I looked down from the false sky, only to finally realize the tilled land at our feet that had been over grown with crops of all types. Vines and flowers also overtook the farmland, but grew in harmony along side the abundance of crops. Perhaps they were able to grow to such an amount after years of neglect. Finally, Fesha and I began walking forward and around the field. Its growth was far too thick to travel through without putting in massive amounts of effort to cut it. As we made our way around, a question came to mind.

"So how has the false sky stayed here for so long? Don't you need someone to keep it up?" I asked.

"Hmm, well the only offering required to sustain such a miracle are some of the crops it yields. Perhaps it has stayed here for so long in an eternal cycle of growing crops and taking some as offerings." She answered.

As she had finished her explanation, we rounded a corner of the field to see something that had confirmed her hypothesis. The side of the field we had now walked along had crops that were on the verge of death. A line of them had gone brown and wilted, while the row of crops next to them were still so full of life.

"Seems like we have foundeth the offerings." Fesha said.

We continued past the field, the light of the false sky above burning the dark away. I had almost forgotten this feeling, the warmth of sunlight, and the calmness of staring into the clouds. Even in such a dreadful place, there were still moments of peace and hope, and that was something to remember.

Soon, we found the stairs leading to the next layer. I looked over the edge of the crumbled floor below to see how far we had come. Staring down the seemingly endless hole, I could see just how dark it was near the bottom. The sky light that shown through the spire's entirety had shifted into dusk, allowing little light to make it to the bottom. I looked back at the false sky we had passed, which seemingly matched the time of day as the true sky at the Caelum's peak. As we climbed the stairs, I took in the view of the false sky, watching the edges of the illusion move like waves on a shore. Though it was fake, I found peace knowing that I was able to see the sky so close again. Closing in on the next level, I knew I would need to cling closer to this feeling of peace as the faint scent of death grew stronger and stronger.