Empyrean

Chapter 14

Chapter 14-Serena

The Back of the Palace, Zenith One

Morning, 6th of Pachon, Year 612

            This is my second time walking through Zenith One, the first being early this morning. The rain has drenched my clothes. They cling to my frame like when you have just gotten out of a pool. I still wonder what it is with these people, these “Zenith” that make up over forty percent of the population of the city of light, that makes them something to be afraid of. I guess I have always wondered that. The first Zenith I have ever spoken to was Mentor as far as I can remember. He is a man, a weird one albeit, but a man. When I came earlier there had been people sitting outside looking starved, but strong; I guess they have holes to flee to when it rains. I don’t understand how Mentor believed that any average man of these people could beat him up, Mentor is well fed and fit and most of those people seemed fit, but also way to overworked and underfed. I decide to ignore it. This is the way of the Zenith, that is the only explanation. This place though, it still smells wretched.

            After I have walked another couple of minutes my eyes are pulled to the people that live on top of the palace. I cannot see them, but I can see their home. It seems pretty risky to me, that’s probably a death sentence or something to invade the private space of the Emperor, especially this one. The rain is so persistent that I probably couldn't make out someone dressed darkly, not unlike myself, from three meters in front of me. But somehow I can still trace, with my seemingly tearful eyes, the path with which the people probably reach the top. It looks slippery, but my curiosity is too much for me to handle. I jump on top of whatever this building is without too much trouble, but attempting the next jump isn’t as easy. When I try the jump the first time I smash back down into the wooden roof of the first building releasing a huge sound that is even heard above the rain.

            “What was that?” It’s a woman’s voice but I can’t even tell which direction it comes from. The rain is so hard that I can only hear the words; voices are not carrying.

            “Probably thunder or maybe something fell on the roof.” A man’s voice this time, or maybe a boy’s. I can’t really tell. There is something special about his voice, but I can’t come to think of it.

            “Should we check it out Fenix?” So the man’s name is Phoenix, like the holy bird? That’s strange, and probably illegal.

            “No. You are just jumpy. But war can make anyone jumpy.” War. It is true. The Zenith are involved in this. These people, who are almost nothing but servants in the eyes of the rest of us, are ready to fight.

            I hear the woman say something but I can’t understand it. I think it’s a different language! How would a Zenith have enough resources to learn another language? A lot of them can speak a native tongue and Common Speech, but they always have a ridiculous accent that I can barely understand with contractions all over the place. There is just so much I don't know about these people. I am beginning to wonder if these two are even Zenith.

            Then the man replies in what seems to be the same language but finishes in Common Speech, “you are a special kind of stupid Eris.” I have never heard of anyone named Eris before. What is with their names? I should actually get out of here before they discover me.

            I jump onto the palace, successfully this time, and start to make my way over to the structure that I saw the people go into earlier. They are probably still hiding there from the rain. Maybe I can talk to them. Whatever we might talk about I don't know, but in my experience, no conversation with a Zenith was a boring one.