City of Cloud and Charm

Had the circumstances been different, Camellia and her friends might have leisurely spent their time sightseeing, enjoying the novelty of a city built in the sky, discovering all it had to offer. These three, however, were on a mission. For two reasons, the only target in sight was the temple at the highest point in the city.

That isn’t to say, of course, that they didn’t get a little lost along the way. The streets, as windy and chaotic as the blackstone alleyways of The Bed, dumped them in dead ends, circled back in on themselves, and tunneled through clouds seemingly at random. Seeing Camellia and Damos grow frustrated, Lynn suggested they stop and try to find something to eat. Knocking on a nearby door — one of pure polished mahogany, with a stained glass design of the sun embedded in — they prepared to ask where they might find food. The woman who answered kindly gave them directions to a large plaza, and they thanked her and left.

Guess I was wrong about the people up here. Doesn’t seem like they look down on the people of Sylvios, or anywhere else.

The square reminded Camellia of her first time in The Bed. The people shuffling around the tiled plaza were attired in clothes similar in design to Camellia and Lynn, though their elegant robes were lined with glittering silver and gold, an opulent contrast to the simple blues and greens from The Bed. A marble statue, much like the one of Tethys holding the shield high above her head, stood tall as the centerpiece of the neighborhood. This one depicted a woman more elegant than pretty, a serene look of contentment on her face. She held two giant circular shields in her hands, one defending each side, tilted downwards at a forty-five degree angle.

When Camellia gazed upon her visage, something stirred within her. A strange feeling, not quite of familiarity, but of comfort.

Guess that’s what she’s here for. To comfort people.

“Hey, Cammy,” Damos called, breaking her from her trance. “There’s an outdoor grill thingy there, wanna try that?” He pointed to an open-air restaurant, the dining area walled in with trellises covered in bright green ivy and flowers of every shade of blue.

“Sure,” she agreed, then stopped in her tracks. “Wait, do either of you have money?”

Damos patted his pocket. “Worry not, squire Camellia. I always keep some on me.”

“Let’s just hope it’s the same money we use down in The Bed,” Lynn said, biting her lip.

Luckily for the three, the currency appeared to be the same, though the tavernkeep remarked on the appearance of the coins, as well as that of their clothes.

“Where on earth did you find such a style?” she asked. “It’s simply ravishing. My daughter’s in need of a new, feminine wardrobe since she discovered her true self. She would love some colors like those!”

Camellia didn’t know how to answer. Did they not know much about the sea, down here? Quick on her feet, Lynn commented something about it being a self-tailored design that they received as hand-me-downs. When Lynn explained she had no idea where they came from, the tavernkeep relented, leaving the three to eat in peace.

After a gourmet meal of some form of fried meat — Camellia thought it was chicken — they asked for directions to the temple above, and soon continued on their way.

The sun barely began to dip beneath the horizon as they arrived at the temple, the endless ocean in the distance reflecting an infinite watercolor rainbow across the sky. Nobody else appeared to be there, as it was likely past the typical operating hours of the temple.

As they stepped up the wide steps into the gigantic temple, Camellia’s heart began to thump in her chest. What would she say? Would she actually receive the answers she sought?

Soon enough, they found a chamber with a brazier, with a massive statue of the same comforting woman behind it.

“Oh, no.” Camellia spun around. “Do either of you have an offering we can burn?”

Damos dug through his pockets, “Uhh, nothing of any significance to a goddess of the sky, I don’t think—”

“I’m not sure it’ll be necessary,” Lynn interrupted, pointing at the brazier. “Look. There’s something in there already.”

Camellia peered in. Inside, a piece of parchment sat, neatly folded, on top of the ashes. She picked it up and unfolded it, reading it aloud: “Camellia Renoir. I see you and your dearest friends approach. The location you seek lies on the top floor of this temple. You will know the door when you see it.”

“Well, that answers that, I guess,” Damos laughed.

Without wasting a second more, the three swiftly found a grand spiral staircase in the center of the temple, their sandalled footsteps echoing against the marble walls. As they ascended, butterflies swirled in Camellia’s stomach.

Finally, at the top of the staircase, they came upon a floor with nothing but a wide hallway, leading to a single, massive set of double doors extending from the floor to the ceiling. Hesitant, Camellia stepped forth, and tried to pull the handle. It didn’t budge.

“Locked,” she announced with a frown.

“But look, Cammy. Isn’t that hole really weird?” Damos pointed in the center, the crack between the doors.

Camellia looked up to Damos’ finger. The dark slot in the door stood out with a strange shape, a sort of curved triangle with a cross.

“I could swear I’ve seen that shape before,” Lynn mused.

“Yeah, me too,” Damos agreed.

With a gasp, Camellia realized what it was. Slowly, she unsheathed her dagger — not the sharpened one she used for combat, but the crusted, corroded artifact she fiddled with when she was nervous.

The one she found in The Crags, what felt like a millennium ago.

She held it up to the door. The shape matched perfectly, the curve of the blade lining up exactly, the metal engraving of feathers on the handle guard unmistakably distinct. Hand trembling, she slowly pushed it into the hole.

The winged dagger slotted in, then disappeared into a puff of smoke.

The doors began to creak open, and…

Well, Obbie, it’s been wonderful. Truly.

But this is where I must say my goodbye. I wouldn’t want you getting confused, now, would I?