A Girl and Her Demons

The Arrival

Chapter Five: The Arrival

                As they approached the main gate, they heard a call from above. “Identify yourself!” Scarlet looked up to identify the voice. In one of the towers that rose on either side of the gate was a small window about twenty feet off the ground. She could just make out the person standing in the window. He was wearing a long red robe with the symbol of Capitol etched into the middle. The man’s spiky red hair stood out against the torchlight within the window.

                “Elder Greenhorn from Village Four escorting three Elementalist children.” When the man in the window heard this he left. The gate began to rise and the four of them entered the city. Scarlet wished that her first visit to Capitol would be spectacular but now the only thing she could think about was the shrill cries of the enemies they had just faced. Even as she looked around at the massive stone buildings that dated back thousands of years, she could find little pleasure in their splendor.

                Greenhorn met the man from the tower just inside the gate. “What was all the noise? Sounded like screaming in the distance.” The man questioned.

                “I have an urgent matter that I must discuss with the council. Could you raise them?”

                “Certainly, Elder Greenhorn. It will of course take a while as we must get them from their chambers. Wait in the Council chamber, I will send the message for them to meet you there.” The man robed in red took off down the street and disappeared around a large stone building. Greenhorn rounded on the three of them with a stern face.

                “I had hoped that we would not run into anything on the way here but it appears that the enemy is more informed than I had thought. Are you okay to continue without any assistance, Tempest?” Tempest nodded slowly. His wounds were not deep but these were some of the first battle wounds he had ever sustained. His mind was still in shock however from the death of the creatures that had attacked them. “Very well. Are you two okay to continue? I know that was not the journey you were expecting. I must stress the urgency of us meeting with the council however so I will not force you to come with me but it is highly advised.” Greenhorn loved to give them a choice but Scarlet was not coming this far just to sleep in some strange bed alone from everyone and not figure out what was so important that she had to abandon her family.

                So, Scarlet and Volde both acknowledged that they could continue and Greenhorn hesitated no longer. He turned and walked in the same direction the man had. The three of them followed closely behind him, wishing to not get lost in this strange city called Capitol. The buildings were all old stone and the paths were simple cobblestone. Scarlet had expected much more from the grand city that everyone spoke so highly of.

                They went by many well-crafted buildings. Carvings in the stone on the sides of unidentified buildings depicted history of the world. The war between the two Elementalist factions, the first warrior caste born, the treaty of the Elementalists being signed, and the founding of Capitol were some of the pictures they saw on the way to wherever they were going.

                Scarlet was enjoying the storied history on the buildings, lit by torch. She was looking at a carving of the duel between a light master and a dark master of which she knew not the name. She was looking at the panoramic carving and ran into Greenhorn who had stopped walking. As she recovered she looked around Greenhorn to see what he had stopped for. She did not need to look hard.

                They had stopped at a giant golden set of doors. The walls connected to the doors were made of a shiny marble that stood out from the rest of the buildings. A large palace towered over the marble walls. The palace was made of the same marble the walls were made of. Towers extended high into the sky and several touched the clouds and were lost to natural sight. This was the magnificent structure that Scarlet had been looking for.