Vice and Virtue

Chapter - 2

The sky was a gradient of red and yellow with flashes of blue and green. It was really bright but also kind of dark and eerie. The clouds were huge but irrespective of the colors of the sky, they are as white as snow. The sun was nearly the same color as the sky but at the same time I can also see the stars as bright as they are at night. As I turned my gaze downward, I realized I was on a pitch black tower that spanned more than a few thousand meters in height but the land around was even more surprising. I was reminded of how descriptions of the underworld are so specific. The land was a dark shade of brown all around with odd colored streams in between buildings that were pitch black just like the one I am standing on but only smaller.

As I looked closely, I could make out a few flickering lights that seemed to be moving around. They reminded me of the monster I encountered below but I brushed that thought aside as soon as I caught something above me from the corner of my eye. I quickly looked up and as I realized what I am looking at, all the fatigue of mine seemed to have faded away and a gleeful smile painted my face. There were dragons in the sky. Not the typical ones from the myths but nevertheless they are dragons as far as I can understand.

With so much going on, so much that made no sense in reality, I wondered if I was still me. I quickly looked around to make sure it is safe and took of my shirt. I don’t know how to describe it but the least I know is I am still human. My whole physique is different except for the pain from burn hand and my hair is longer too. I was in thin dark clothes which were nearly torn and I also had a fox tattoo on my lower left abdominal area. I wanted to check something else but I stopped as soon as something in my left pocket started to buzz. I shuffled around and found a mobile in my pocket. The call was from someone named ‘Renae’. I was confused if I should actually answer it, so I just ignored it for the time being. It rang a couple more times before it went silent again.

I slid it back into my pocket but now I am not sure what to do now. I am safe for now and also in a place where I could actually see myself and my surroundings, I am not sure what I am supposed to do. Now that I am alone again, my thoughts went towards how I am to get down from this building.

I turned towards the sky again to appreciate the dragons and the beautiful sky. The cold wind made my arm hurt even more but at this point I am more concerned that I did not think I was in a dream till now. My common sense says this is not reality but the rest of my senses say something completely different.

A tap on my shoulder made jump out of my pants and I certainly was not expecting a fist on my face as soon as I turned around to get knocked to the ground. I shake off the pain, only to find myself lying on my butt in front of the most stunning woman I have ever seen but man can she throw a good punch. She was holding her right wrist up with a look that says she is clearly really annoyed and certainly not happy with me.

‘That hurt!’ I exclaimed. She did not change her expression but instead, she took a step forward and kicked me in the teeth. ‘It better hurt’ she whispered to herself. My head felt like it might explode any moment but I gathered myself and sat up with my legs crossed. She turned around and even though she hurt me, I was still drawn towards her. Her expressions changed from anger and annoyance to that of sadness and concern.

‘Who are you and wh-’ she cut me off before I had the chance to complete the sentence and then lifted me up and threw me off the tower without any time to spare. All my memories flashed before my eyes as I was falling down to my death. There were a few that I did not recognize, a few that are not clear enough to understand and the woman who potentially killed me was present in most of them.

It was not just memories that were coming back but also the pain of all those years combined that made me speechless but twisted my body in unbelievable agony and misery and the hot air enveloped me, making me drowsy. Just when I was about to black out, I started to decelerate and then passed through something cold and soft and before I knew it I was on my back in front of her again.

‘It’s good to have you back Ryan’ she sighed. ‘I would like to take this slowly but we do not have much time, we got to get back to the gale before we get trapped here’. With that she turned her back towards me again. She was slowly wrapped in the faintest bluish-green light as if the air itself is glowing around her. She rose gently of the ground and extended her arms beside her, ever so graciously. Soon, the space in front of her seemed to warp and even in pathetic state, I understood what was unfolding before my eyes. She helped me up to my feet. ‘Ready?’ she asked me in a low voice. I just gave her a nod, closing my eyes in anticipation of what is to come and together we walked through it without any warning or hesitation.

   As soon as I opened my eyes, I was standing a busy, medieval themed street with all kinds of shops with people of all cultures on their own errands. The clothes seemed modern on few, while some were simple and rustic. I saw middle-aged women with baskets full of fruits and vegetables, young men and women with crossbows and swords and the occasional rifles, women with escorts having fun with their shopping and there were also kids running around innocently, playing with each other.

The Gale was the complete opposite of wherever I have been till now. The sudden change was a bit too much to take in but I kind of appreciate it. ‘Follow me Ryan, we do not have time to lose’ were her last words before pulled me into the crowd and dragged me through the middle of the town. I barely kept up with her as we hurdled past the busy crowd. I kept writhing around whenever I grazed my burnt arm on something but managed to keep silent.

I tried to wrap my head around my whole situation but there was too much information to process and too much happening at the same time. After a short walk, we were in a peaceful neighborhood with medium sized villas and small porches. It looked pleasant but the woman showed no signs of slowing down. Finally, we stopped in front of a somewhat decent house with sturdy walls. I was panting hard but standing beside her like this was harder than I thought.

I followed her inside and was immediately greeted by the warm and cozy atmosphere with a hint of sweetness in the air. The girl left me in the living room and disappeared upstairs. My whole body relaxed and fell in a slump as soon as I took a seat on one of the cushions lying around. The girl came back, just as I was about to fall asleep. ‘I know you are tired but wear this, before you sleep’ she went ahead and placed a metallic disc on my forehead. The disc buzzed up and with it, I fell asleep.