Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 51: Cidade dos escravos

The silence outside felt too perfect– too still for a city under siege by an army reputed for its brutality. Whatever game was being played here, Luz intended to play it aggressively rather than passively reacting to whatever surprises Cidade dos escravos had prepared. Meanwhile Darm made his way upstairs and climber out of one of the small dormer windows protruding from the roofline. The roof is worn and uneven, textured with age and exposure to the elements. Surround the Estate is a tightly packed cluster of smaller buildings arranged within a fortified inner courtyard. These building vary in height and design but share a similar aesthetic, they have steep roofs, dark stone walls, timber accents, narrow windows and layered construction that feels organically expanded over centuries.

Some rooftops are patched and irregular, while chimneys, tiny spired and weathered shingles decorate some of the rooftops. The entire district is enclosed by enormous stone walls that are colossal in scale, dwarfing the inner buildings. Thick parapets, towers and defensive walkways run along the perimeter. It looks like the city is divided into sections by the wall, the houses further north look smaller and more narrowly placed. From his position Darm can see the enormous cathedral in the southeast. the cathedral walls are incredibly detailed, filled with gothic arches, buttresses and vertical stone ribs, and towering windows. Blue banners drape vertically from parts of the cathedral walls.

Darm looks down at the streets, noting how empty they were and he sees the tiny patches of greenery that appear sporadically along the floor and the wall edges, but nature feels secondary to stone and architecture. Darm makes his way south, towards the tall wall that seem to separate the area he is in from the area leading to the Cathedral. Using hooks and robes, he makes his way up the wall carefully, surprised by the lack of guards. From his new position higher up he can see the entire city, including the docks to the north. The harbour is crowded with black-sailed warships approaching from the sea. Their hulls cut through the cold grey water while fires burn aboard several vessels, casting orange reflections across the waves.

Smaller boats weave between the larger ships, suggesting troop landings or naval skirmishes. The battle is already underway. Flaming projectiles arc through the air from both ships and city defences, leaving glowing trails of sparks and smoke. Fires burn across multiple parts of the city and harbour. Thick columns of black smoke rise from rooftops, dockyards and shattered buildings, drifting upward and partially obscuring sections of the skyline. To the west, the corrompido army gathered at the main gate can be seen as patches of black and further fire and smoke suggest that a battle rages on there. Darm shook his head, recalling his objective and turned to look at what is on the other side of the wall.

Several smaller buildings and what looks to be a marketplace, stand between two sections of massive wall and leads to the main entrance of the cathedral. Whether there is another entrance would take more time and more climbing to discover. Darm mutters an enchantment and closes his eyes, when he opens them, they glow slightly. He looks over the the cathedral and with his ability sees a magical boundary of some sort surrounding the building, making entry of any kind impossible. Then his gaze shifted to the surrounding area, noting that the massive wall dividing up the city and surrounding it had similar magic that seemed to be embedded in the stone itself.

When Darm returned to the estate when Luz and others were, they were ready for battle. “The rooftops are empty and so are the guard towers… the western gate is under siege by the corrompido army, and the docks are under siege from Mestre Escuro’s fleet. Darm reported. “But there is some sort of boundary spell around the city. It is reinforcing the walls somehow… there is another boundary spell around the cathedral.” Luz’s amber eyes sharpened at his report of boundary spells. “A magical defence,” he mused aloud, his tactical mind already processing the implications. “They have fortified the city with some sort of wards instead of conventional defences.”

He paced away from the window where he was standing, black armour creaking softly with each step. “The cathedral must be their command centre– using it as both spiritual and strategic stronghold.” Turning back to his team, his voice carried new urgency. “This changes our approach. Leo, Cassandra– you will lead the ground assault on the cathedral entrance. Created a distraction while I handle this magical barrier.” His gaze settled on Darm with renewed purpose. “You will come with me– we need to locate the spell’s focal point. If we can disrupt the boundary before they realize we are targeting it directly…” Darm nods and everyone heads for the front door, Luz stops them before exiting. “Lua, Sol– go up onto the roof. Give us a heads up if there are any guards along our path. Just because the streets are empty now, does not mean they will stay that way.”

…

Back in the watch tower, Amelia stood near the railing and looked at the city of Cidade dos escravos through a spyglass. Heavy grey clouds hang low overhead and patches of mist drift across the rocky landscape. The city itself is enormous and densely packed, enclosed with immense stone defensive walls that follow the contours of the rocky peninsula on which it stands. The walls are reinforced with countless towers, battlements and gatehouses, making the city look impregnable. The sight alone is enough to make he feel scared for Luz. In the southeast corner of the city an extraordinary complex rises and dominates the skyline. tall gothic spites and jagged towers pierce upward dramatically, far taller than any other structure in the city. The highly intricate architecture makes Amelia wish she could see it close up.

Several secondary tower cluster around the building, forming a massive royal citadel elevated above the rest of the city. Below the towering castle sprawls a labyrinth of tightly packed buildings. Thousands of stone and timber houses crowd together within the walls, their rooftops creating an uneven sea of dark slate and weathered brown shingles.