S a l e t é I I

XIII - Cheveux - Sept

Monet came to a halt as she stepped out of the final gap between the last two buildings she'd led the others around, allowing Cassia a moment to take in the view below; they'd emerged in a small area at the top of a slope, revealing that their zone within the underground existed on some sort of raised section, with the remainder of the district spread out before them. They weren't especially high up, and Cassia couldn't see everything, but there was quite a lot to take in nonetheless.

Directly below, at the foot of the slope they were now stationed atop, was a road much wider than any of the others they'd navigated thus far; it must have been wide enough for three lanes of traffic at least. There wasn't actually any sort of vehicle-based activity, and everyone below was on foot, though there must have been a time when that road had accommodated a lot of traffic, if its size was anything to go on.

Much of the actual road surface was gone, broken down and worn away, devoid of any efforts to sustain it, leaving only more sand like dust and dirt.

The people below were what caught her attention first and foremost, however; crowds had formed, and there must have been over a hundred or so folks at least, the chatter she'd become aware of earlier emanating from these groups. Much of the activity centred around various stalls that had been put up - all of them clearly handmade, many put together hastily, practicality taking priority over style where most were concerned. Signs and boards were also present, again handcrafted, featuring pointers, advertisements and directions, all in various coloured paints.

Those painted words actually appeared rather vibrant, as many had only come into being recently, the colour itself striking to Cassia.

Most of those in attendance were adults of various ages. Cassia could spot a few other children here and there - many of them forming small groups of their own, sticking together, something that seemed to be a conscious effort.

Regardless of age groups, everyone present shared at least a few similarities; outfits appeared haphazard or weathered, many looking as if they'd not been changed or washed for a good while, and many more featured basic repairs like the ones Zisel made back at the warehouse, with simple patchwork and the like, the mismatched nature of much of it making such features visible from even a distance.

Across the road itself was a large, walled off area. Whilst these walls weren't as high as the ones that served as the foundations for the warehouses in their own area, they were still far too high to be climbed, and iron spikes - largely intact - ran along their tops. A large gate of a similar iron design marked the entrance into the space that they enclosed, this pathway sealed, chained up almost excessively.

The space within held a vast structure, however - one that couldn't possibly be ignored, and this one put even the warehouses to shame.

It appeared to be a large factory, no doubt the one she'd heard of earlier. Pipework ran along its exterior, emerging from the earth and wrapping around at least two of its walls, slowly rising to join onto its ceiling. Various stairways provided access to different levels of the building - it must have had at least three floors, perhaps four. Cassia wouldn't have liked to climb them, as even from where she was now stood, she could see that some were missing portions, or were bent out of shape and obviously rickety.

Many windows lined those walls, most of them cracked or smashed in places, and several smaller buildings - probably used for storage - also occupied the grounds it stood upon. Its main doors were tall, rounded at the top, their metal appearance complimenting the building's stonework in a rough overall image.

Other factory like structures were visible in the surrounding areas, none of them anywhere near as notable as this one. It dominated the view that she was now before, its form looming over everything around it almost menacingly, and yet it too appeared as if it had simply been left to wither.