Chapter 3: Chapter THREE

The young woman thanked him, still smiling. She was relieved to find that the visit that had been imposed on her would only be with Shaun. The vampire's presence made her feel uneasy about recent events. Her guide's laughing eyes gave her a sense of normalcy she hadn't expected to find anytime soon after the tournament debacle.

A dirt road a few meters long separated them from the entrance to the town, which was surrounded by high wooden palisades to distinctly separate the two areas. Mia could only make out white brick and a few windows from the top floors of the houses. An open door awaited them along with two guards each armed with a shotgun that, to Mia's modern standards, looked ancient. They stood at attention, motionless, their gaze directed towards the city, and chatted calmly as if nothing had happened. The heart of the canyon was certainly guarded, but no one seemed on a war footing as she had first expected.

Shaun walked briskly, half-bounding with each step, eager to cross town and introduce it to the newcomer. Mia followed him, observing the surroundings, curious to discover what the city looked like from the inside. Passing the guards, the teenager turned to give them a rude, hilarious grimace.

"What a clown,” chuckled one of the guards, waving his hand to tell him to get out of here, not without a curious look in the blonde's direction.

For rebels who declared a general war a few hours ago, they are very carefree...

Her concerns were quickly swept away by the panorama offered by the first dwellings in the city. The entrance to the neighborhood led to a wide boulevard paved with white brick, the sidewalks of which were dotted with trees resplendent with green foliage. The houses were built of the same dazzling white stone. They were no higher than two or three floors at most, and some had large bay windows that reflected the street like a mirror. The rays of the sun bathed the district in a warm and luxuriant atmosphere, and the trees and the white rock added a heavenly side to the landscape. Many humans were strolling on the boulevard which hosted a few stalls and carpets covered with objects of all kinds, reminding Mia of the small wild markets in her own world. The neighborhood resembled a wealthy, industrialized 20th-century city, with streetlights and vibrant signs hanging from the facades. The city provided an interesting contrast between ancient architecture and futuristic technology through the use of magic.

"Impressive, huh?" Shaun began, turning back to the blonde. "We are in the Inner Circle, but we call it the Pupil. This is a wealthy neighborhood. It stretches from the Heart to the river there. The Heart is the big rock from which we come. It is not accessible to just anyone. You have to have a good reason to go there since you can find all the official institutions and the military quarters there."

Following the teenager's instructions, Mia looked around. If she squinted enough, she could see at the end of the main boulevard a small alley of tall trees that skirted the transparent water. The river was about twenty meters wide and was crossed by brick bridges for traffic and wooden ones for pedestrians.

How is it possible that I can see from so far away? she wondered when the obvious hit her. I hear a lot better than before too...

"Basically, the first inhabitants had settled near the Heart, then the city grew little by little all around, to extend well beyond the river. The closer you are to the Heart, the more modern and rich the city. The further you go, the worse it gets. Up to the outer cliff, it's still fine... But I advise you never to set foot in the Caves."

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"Why?" Mia asked curiously.

Her concerns about her over-developed new senses could wait, especially since Shaun was probably not the best person to answer such questions. There were more pressing matters in the immediate future, like the inquisitive and almost indiscreet looks of the inhabitants of the Pupille on her person, for example. Mia was trying to ignore it, but her exposure was way too much not to be uncomfortable. Judging by the few disgusted pouts that greeted the mention of the Caves, the ears of the locals were equally attentive to their conversation. It made her feel like a freak.

"It's not a very... recommendable place. It is a maze of endless caves dug into the cliff. As it is far from the Heart, it quickly became a haven for criminals and traffickers of all kinds."

Human cities have the same problems everywhere apparently.

"We are going to the Vitreous, the Principal Circle. It is the largest part of the city which concentrates the majority of the population. It is divided into two parts: the Fovea, on the Heart side, and the Macula, on the cliff side. I live on the border of the two, on the Macula side. It's also where we are going for a bite to eat because that's where we find the best food!" Shaun explained, visibly proud of his neighborhood.

The young man, therefore, lived on the edge of poor neighborhoods. She hadn't paid attention to it before, but the teenager's clothes contrasted sharply with the silky, colorful fabrics of the inhabitants of the Pupil. He wore black overalls over a white tank top and worn leather boots, a simple and effective style devoid of ornamentation. It didn't seem to bother him in the least, since he walked with his head held high, gesturing all over the place as if the space belonged to him. Sometimes, certain disapproving glances fell on his person when he raised his voice a little too much or when he did not hesitate to jostle passers-by to make his way through the crowd, but the young man was imperturbable. His whole attitude screamed that he had nothing to prove to anyone. His confidence commanded respect, at least in Mia's eyes.

An indecent gurgling sounded at the mention of food. The culprit – the blonde's stomach – had just reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything in over a day. Shaun laughed loudly in response, visibly amused by the situation, and quickened his pace towards one of the wooden bridges to cross the river.

"You won't be disappointed! These snobs don't know what they're missing out on with their sanitized "healthy" food. In my hood, it's street food heaven! It's raw, it's greasy, and it's most of all tasty!" he cried, his eyes shining.

Sounds like junk food... Could it be... the Holy Grail? marveled Mia whose mouth had started to salivate.

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