Ascendants: Tides of the Morn

Chapter 10

(A picture of Vittoria Palladio, here comes chapter 10. Enjoy!)

I sat beside Leonide who drove the automobile through the city I knew so well but which also was completely foreign to me. I remember the city before the bombardments during the Second World War. I cherished that city but as it was destroyed we rebuild the broken building making each building seem new even as it was hundreds of years old. The city grew as we rebuilt, we were determined to build it better than it was before. Maybe, as a way to heal our grief over the lost city. We have bestowed the nickname Miracle City as we grew into one of the most successful cities in Italy in mear years. A testament to the perseverance of the people of Torino.

"What's the matter,bambina?" Leonide asked as he noticed my aloof gaze.

"As a human, I was proud of my city. All I saw was the wealth. We rebuilt from nothing and raised ourselves above our mournful past," I said solemnly.

"And now?" he asked and I snorted.

"All I could see in the past was the wealth. How could I miss what was right in front of me?" I muttered while watching all the beggars and protesters filling every corner of the city as we drove by.

"Why are there so many poor people? Why are so many angry? We fought off the communists, we rebuilt our city. We amassed great wealth, We should be contented with our lives."

Leonide snorted as he listened to me. "You fought off a communist. The rest of the world still suffers from the real beast which you people let live."

I turned to Leonide and studied his bitter face. "You are talking about the Soviet Union."

"Of course I am. My land suffers underneath there threat. Starving and fearing for our lives while other countries pretend like they aren't threatened by nuclear war and poverty."

"You speak as you are still a human," I concluded and he laughed humorlessly.

"I have only been an Ascendant for mere 30 years. I lived through the First and Second World War. I have seen the hubris of humans and their inability to see beyond their border."

"Tell me, bambina! Have you ever left your city? Seen what life is outside of this glorious city of yours? The people are starving. They have no wealth to rebuild and has no modern conveniences. People still use horse and carriage while trying farm food for the winter to survive. There are no hospitals, no schools, and no work. You can walk to the cinema and watch Hollywood show you the glamorous modern time but this decade will not be defined by wealth and glamour but of poverty, strife, and fear."

"You are quite the pessimist, Leonide!" I said leisurely while watching the rebuilding of a local church before giving him a soothing smile.

"Maybe it will also be defined by change and advancement."

"And you are quite the optimist, Signora Di Santis. All I have seen is a larger gap between classes and dangerous idealists getting far more destructive weapons," Leonide replied with a dreary smile.

Leonide parked the automobile and we walked to San Francesco d'Assisi. The building was not the largest of churches but not the smallest either. Columns were carved into the marble façade in order to give the building the look of a Roman temple. Three giant entrances with crest decorated above them, stood open for guests and the oval window reflected the sky as they approached. They had decided to avoid the crowd of Sunday service and went on Monday instead. The sun was high, much to Leonide's dismay, but it was necessary as it gave me strength before we went down into the dark catacombs.

We approached the main entrance to enter San Francesco d'Assisi when I heard a familiar voice sound behind me. I turned around to come face to face with a friend of my mother. Signora Di Bernadone was a bit older than my mother but had been a constant presence during my upbringing and a dissident to my family's decision to allow me to study at the university. She always told them that a lady doesn't need higher education, it would wither my mind and dissuade potential husbands for wanting me.