Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade

50 | Her Final Hunt Epilogue

- 50 -

Pandora gasped as Lily rushed off into the distance. With a huff, she dropped to a walking pace. No point in chasing, it took too much energy. Sure, she had recovered from their intimacy, even repeated the cycle a few more times, but Eden's shadow had begun to peer through the fog ahead. Lily was practically vibrating. Full strength wasn't enough to keep up with her when she was this excited. Pandora would join her at the front of the ship where she was getting a better look. Eventually, anyway. It would just take her a bit longer.

        Eden's outline cut into the sky like a thousand knives stabbing at the heavens. The image fit the city well. Built brick by brick by believers trying to reach God.

        Lily's voice echoed across the deck. "It goes all the way into the sky!" Pandora doubted she meant to shout, but excitement had announced her wonder to the entire observation deck. Pandora eyed a pair of wrinkled crones giggling to themselves about it as she passed. Their laughter stopped when she said, "I can see how that would be amusing if you'd never felt joy in your life," without breaking stride. They scoffed at her back, but they were beneath her attention.

        Finally catching up, Pandora pressed herself into Lily's back and locked her into a hug. Holding her eased the tiny voice in her head saying, She'll lean too far and fall into the ocean, and eased the considerable voice screaming, I want to feel her in my arms.

        "Impressive isn't it?"

        Lily nodded. The ship wasn't close enough to see the city, or the plateau it was built upon, as anything more than a silhouette just yet, though with a bit of focus, the texture of the cliff faces stood out around the edges.

        "The main city sits more than half a mile above sea level," Pandora said.

        "So we'll have a long walk up hill from the port?"

        The question lacked the reluctance it deserved. Lily's desire to explore likely blinded her to how unbearable that hike would be. Thankfully, it didn't exist. There was plenty of walking to do, but the city didn't have any hills.

        "No. Eden is sheer on all sides. There were stairways carved to the top, but steam elevators have stolen most of the traffic between the port and upper city."

        Lily went still, her brimming energy replaced with contemplation if her face was any indication. "If it's massive cliffs all the way around, how did the people get up there?" A deep breath rose and fell in her chest, then her face went red. "Err, a settlement I mean. I understand the concept of climbing."

        Pandora choked on a laugh. "Hell if I know," she said. "I couldn't tell you who discovered this place or why they decided to drag their ass to the top. But whoever it was managed to convince everyone else it was holy ground."

        Lily craned her head up to meet Pandora's gaze. "Holy?"

        "They say the plateau is the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, felled by God himself. That concept sounds more cursed than blessed to me personally, but people think living here puts them closer to the seedbed of humanity, and in turn closer to whichever version of God they believe in."

        Lily's voice dropped low, nearly to a whisper. "And what do you believe?"

        "I do believe it's a tree stump. Fucker's big, but it's definitely made of wood. But if you mean what version of God I believe in, I don't. Not really. If some creator did make this world, they've moved on. They're certainly not some benevolent deity protecting all his people."