In the company of the two Aeon priests, Shroud had found
himself heading back towards the Undercroft market shortly after Eryn and Chloe
had disappeared. He had been told that they were under strict instructions not
to let any harm to come to him. At first Shroud had struggled against them,
with the intent to follow his companions. He knew if these two were under
orders then they probably had ways to stop him regardless of his intent. If he alluded
them in the foundations of the city, he would most likely be found again, just
like he had been found in the first place. He tried to question them on who
their employer was, as no true Aeon Priest would follow such orders. They kept resolutely
silent. The only thing they mentioned to him was the direction of their travel.
As they approached the Undercroft it was already mid-morning
and to Shoud's realisation, he had completely forgotten about taking Neave with
him as he tried to make his way to being a Merchant Lord. He tried get them to
go to where Neave had said that she would wait for him but they refused. The
only reply was that it was not necessary as things ad been ‘taken care of’ for
him. Now Shroud started to panic a little. His first impression that perhaps it
was his lost love who had sent them but this seemed a little more calculated,
devoid of emotion. If she was trying to protect him, she definitely wasn't
allowing the situation to be traced to her. There was nobody else in the city,
that he remembered, that had the resources and interest to find him. He was
surprised to be left by the priests in the company of Dehart. He apologised for
the ruse but he had been given strict instructions, as well as being driven by
his own guilt over the Guldspar. They were also with Dehart, not the same ones
that had delivered him to the Atrium but
still marked by the same visible golden veins that linked the monks together.
As a favour to him he allowed Shroud to use, what he called, the Sky-Sling. A
device at the heart of the market that allowed decorators, painters, sculptors
and mechanics to access the open area above the market. It was rarely used,
only for maintenance and specific celebratory events but it provided the quickest access to the bottom
of the Merchant District on floor five. He showed Shroud over to the platform,
although Shroud could not see why it was called a sling, there were no cables
or wires that seemed under tension, nothing to catapult him upwards. His gaze then
fell towards the platform itself. Neave was sitting on top of a cloth bag,
singing to herself. She certainly didn't seem as phased as Shroud was. When she
caught sight of him she smiled and quickly walked over to him and to his
surprise hugged him. He kept perfectly still, looking around him for some kind
of help. She quickly shied away from him after realising her transgression
between servant and master and explained that she had been brought here from
her house by Dehart himself. Although Shroud questioned why she didn’t query
the situation, he decided there were more pressing matters. He asked Neave if
she had all of her belongings and she nodded and she motioned to him to stand
with her on the platform.
Underneath them a circular metal plate started to vibrate.
The sound of teethed cogs grinding on each other could be felt from underneath.
Shroud looked intensely at the floor, in preparation for something to go wrong.
Neave just smiled and waited with her arms behind her back. The plate started
to lift from the ground, Shroud leaned on Neave to steady himself. By the time
he caught his balance they had already been lifted over the billowing market
canopies and were now heading towards a platform directly above them. A solid wooden
platform. Shroud started to panic again, the situation was out of his control. Neave
tried to calm him down, reassuring him that they wouldn't be crushed. Within
seconds the moment of truth came upon them. Shroud quickly looked down, the
market below seemed insignificant in the
grand scale of the city and yet their rise above it had not drawn any attention.
The wood above them became insubstantial as they passed through it. Shroud
swore to Neave that he could taste the wood, she smiled.
They stood now in the merchants district, the metal plate
was nowhere to be seen, only the planks beneath their feet. Shroud mention that perhaps it would be time
to gain better garments, to look more convincing to the discerning citizens of
Auspar. Neave agreed and directed him towards floor six, where the textile
trade was more prominent. Up here the rotting smells from below had
disappeared, the darkness was now only the shadows cast down in-between the
light rather than the light breaking through into the dark. Gilded banners and
bunting adorned buildings and the air in-between. Exotic rock gardens floated
around the spires. Waterfalls steamed in
all directions like floating rivers linking gardens to each other. Plants
seemed in a continuous fight to find the sun, not knowing up from down. There
was even the odd bird or two. One flew straight over head, its breast made of
clear crystal revealing wires rather than veins. A shabbily dressed man
approached them as they walked and opened out his coat to reveal pockets in the
lining. Each contained a vial of a different coloured liquid, some glittering,
some opaque, some swirling without cause. He offered memories under his salt
and pepper beard, memories linked to emotion, either his or someone else's.
Shroud’s interest was piqued. He questioned himself for a moment, did he really
want to know what he had forgotten? Shroud asked for a price. He was in turn
asked how much it was worth to him. The seller's lack of definition of prices
infuriated Shroud, all he wanted was a simple answer. He was never given one
and so was dismissed as a fraud and they moved on. The merchant started to rant
and rave as they left. Hurling abuse at them from afar and vowing that the
offence that Shroud has caused him would cost him more than he could imagine.
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