The ten-year-old girl was in awe, peering around but realizing nobody except her was excited about the prospect of seeing beyond the gate—as if they were immune. She saw vegetation, not the sparse kind, but endless greens, the likes of which she had only heard of. The road took on a marble texture, and she giggled at seeing her reflection on the floor.
"Let's go. Don't…touch anything." Just as Nasir was about to lead beyond the gate, he abruptly stopped. "Hey, expensive statues don't move their eyes. Next time I see you useless scumbags move your eyes, I will take them and feed your remains to the powder scavengers." There was a shiver from the armored guards as if somebody was above them, even though they were close to the center of power in the city.
Her father placed her neatly upon the marble road, saying, "Let your feet feel what cleanliness is." It was cold, but not having to account for debris felt freeing. With each step, the girl left little dirty imprints upon the reflective marble.
Nasir continued, even his shoes leaving imprints, but the cleaners behind him diligently cleaned each step. Not even an ounce of annoyance grimaced their faces; they were more than happy to do it. The district beyond the Sky Gate was upon a hill with two large rock formations bordering either side. It was the city's highest point, and at the very top was another blinding structure.
She couldn't quite fathom the beauty that came into view. Sure, each of the large and meticulously maintained Manor houses was beautifully designed with drawings of all the Gods, but it was that large Dome-shaped building at the end of the marble road that shined across the landscape. It didn't seem plausible for humans to have created it, an unbreakable golden structure laced with silvers and bronze. In the center of the marble road, just before the massive doors, was a strangely lime-colored rock with etchings.
"Bow before the Foundation. Forehead to ground." Her father quietly knelt and placed his forehead on the ground before the strange lime-colored rock. She mimicked his pose, as did Nasir. "The Foundation brought life to nothingness, brought safety to chaos, and brought wealth to poverty." Nasir mumbled the same chant before standing up.
"Mina. The doors will open. Go through the first set, but do not go through the next set until your name is called. When your name is called, the door will open, and when it does, crawl to the center of the Dome. It is easy to see there is a nice path for you. DO NOT look up. Your eyes should remain on the ground. DO NOT talk. Unless spoken to. Only answer what is asked. DO NOT leave until told to leave. Crawl back. DO NOT stand until the doors close." Her father was particular, but it didn't make much sense to her. She could tell he was nervous, making her regret following Nasir.
"Do not look up. Do not leave. Crawl. Do not stand." She repeated it back to him for her own sanity. Mina did not wish for this to be the reason for her to have to run again, nor did she want for this to be the reason for them to die. Her eyes did enjoy watching herself upon the clean marble. Her gaunt expression, disheveled ill-fitting tunic, dusty burned skin, and frail body returned her to her senses. She was a scavenger at heart, a thief, and this was an opportunity to change things in her life. Since when was she ever invited to meet wealth? In ten years of life, she always came to the meeting uninvited and with a bunch of stolen items.
Once again, the front doors parted. Not a sound was made—just large, complex doors moving as if by magic, revealing more wealth. For when you are already amazed by wealth, there comes a time when seeing more of it starts to dull the senses.
Two bald-headed gold-buttoned aristocrats quietly exited the building, their caramel skin glistening in the Tianz sun, but their expressions were feigned happiness.
"Welcome, welcome! I see you brought the first little child. How indulgent for you to come through the Sky-Gate. Anyhow, The Five are ready to make your acquaintance. Nasir, next time you come here with…..lower guests…clean them." Even Mina took offense at the tone. It didn't take long for her to see that Nasir bowed to the two bald-headed aristocrats.
"The Five will receive." Nasir mumbled.
"Zor, how perplexing to receive you. Home is where the heart is, eh? Nasir, next time you come here, bring only those…requested." Her father also lightly bowed; she wasn't surprised by his response, but it was easy to forget that he wasn't always a drug addict from the dregs of the Mud District.
"The Five will receive." Her father mumbled.
Nasir had gone from the highest-ranking, most dangerous individual in all the city to a servant within a few hours. It was terrifying to think what influence two bald-headed non-athletic people had, but it did not matter. What mattered now was that she moved into the gigantic Domed building, which now felt more and more like she was being pushed into The Depths.
The two bald aristocrats looked at her with that feigned expression of happiness, which made her more fearful. However, they did not follow her into the building, remaining outdoors and in front of Nasir and her father. It was strange to be put inside such a large building alone, amongst dozens of priceless paintings and hundreds of etched, priceless gem-carved statues. Mina was hungry but not entirely stupid.
For the first time ever, her feet felt comfortable. It was something she had only heard about…carpet. It was strange but relaxing. If The Five took days to call her, she would be fine sleeping in such comfort. However, this little bit of luxury was only a sliver of the true scale of the building itself. She couldn't explore, as the front door was only twenty steps in front of the door into The Five's Chamber.
'Do not look up. Do not leave. Crawl. Do not stand.' She reminded herself to not be overtaken by the smell of incense. It was off-putting that she had not been cleaned for this occasion; it made her realize how badly she smelled in comparison. What would it be like to grow up in such luxury?
"Mina of the Mud, you may enter!" The massive ornamented door slid open with the help of gold-chained servants. In the center of the chamber, it was revealed that the Dome was open, letting the sun into the room but bringing shadow to those who looked down from their Council seats. She reminded herself again not to look up as she got on all fours and crawled to the sunlit center of the room. The texture of the stone was warm, not hot, but the sun's power seemed to be magnified upon her skin.
Within the chamber, faint whispers could be heard. Nothing loud was heard, just discussions between each seat and the servants.
"You are Mina?" An old voice ripe with privilege and authority quieted the rest of the chamber.
"Y-yes. I am Mina." There was an attempt to show confidence, but she did not like how she felt—exposed. In the center of a room, people likely showed contempt for her existence.
"Did you…see…a nest of…demons?" He purposely avoided the use of large words.
"No."
The chamber erupted into a fury of conversations. Initially, they weren't loud enough to hear, but they reached a crescendo, and all the voices could now be heard.
"She is lying! Has to be lying! There is no way that many exist without a nest!" An old woman's voice cracked at speaking with such a loud voice.
"WHERE ARE OUR SCOUTS!? THEY SHOULD HAVE RETURNED!"
"The Scouts could have easily been killed by the Shaykal nests; there is no reason to peer into the thoughts of a child."
"We sent out nearly a dozen scouts. Do you doubt our Guard Corps this much? Bring in Nasir, then! Let's inquire about the level of training a scout gets!"
"Silence! There is still another child left. We are all in agreement, that currently we cannot conclusively acknowledge that this child's account is accurate."
"What else could it be?"
"The Empire.."
"Silence! You always aim to blame the Empire."
"Hasib, you were the one that alienated us from the Temple! YOUR FAMILY CURSED OUR LANDS!"
"Easy to blame- let us conclude our business with this parasite. The stench is honestly…"
"Mina, are you telling the truth?"
"Yes"
"Mina, you may leave. Thank you."
Crawling backward was no small feat; she tried to remain on the path but came close to running into the gold chain servants.
"Zahid of the Mud, you may enter!" Another child swiftly crawled, that limp leg dragging slightly, as she recognized the other surviving runner. She could only feel bad as those doors were pushed shut. As the door closed, she stood up, her knees aching from having had to remain against the marble flooring for so long.
Luxury was a great thing to have an abundance of, but communicating with nobility seemed more hassle than it was worth. The rules were simple, but the etiquette wasn't something Mina could stomach. There was a happiness to reaching the front door; something longed for her to return back to her shack, back to where corpses rotted and putrid stench fumed in the air. Nothing was quite like home.
Not wanting to look weak and show confidence meant she couldn't cry as she saw that tall, malnourished form waiting by the Foundation rock. There was only one person in this world who didn't detest her existence—it was her father. She ran up to him, joyous, realizing the long day had come to a close, and they could hopefully get a sliver of the prize she had risked her life for.
"Let's go home, father!" Not wanting to remain in a place like this was something she tried to hide. She would if she could run back through the gate, but a street urchin like her had long learned that such a move drew attention.
It was strange how easy it was to read the emotions of a given situation. It was one of the reasons she was such a prized thief by the gangs. She could read a bad situation easily, avoiding many traps set by Merchant Bodyguards and the Akat Guard. It confused her when that feeling washed over her.
Her father's movements were strange. He moved to show his back to the Dome building and did not even come to embrace her like he would every time he saw her. This set off an alarm bell that she couldn't trace the origin of. Feeling like a mouse just before a trap was about to be sprung, she wondered if it was her father. Where were Nasir and the two aristocrats?
"Yes, yes, we can go home." The voice quivered, and she moved to her father, slowly but purposefully, assessing what aspect she was missing. There was something uneasy. "Demon meat for my demon-eyed princess." She could barely make it out, but from beyond those torn-up brown rags that were his clothes, signs of color dripped. Yet, he continued to smile, that toothless smile, until the blood finally dripped from his mouth.
"Dad..dy…..?" The realization that the signs of color were blood, that there was now a blade sticking out from beneath his clothing was difficult to believe. Like a nightmare. He coughed, blood spews, as another wound was jammed into his back.
"Aim in the area just beyond the ribs next time you nitwit." It took her a long time to realize that the Aristocrats had been behind her father.
"Seek better than this life." There was a momentary lack of processing, unable to adjust as she felt her father slump over onto her small shoulders. She attempted to stop the bleeding with her hands, cutting them on the stuck blades that jutted from his torso. Her father's copper eyes had been snuffed of life, but there was disbelief.
Thoughts seemed to stop, emotions unable to comprehend; a ten-year-old child stood motionless as time stood still and her father's corpse hung on her body.
A large onyx hand, smaller than her father's, effortlessly picked her up and placed her over his shoulder. Mina could only make out the other runner leaving the Dome happily with prizes, ignorant and blinded from the events that had blood-staining marble. She watched as the aristocrats wiped their hands on the back of the servants that now rolled the lifeless corpse of her father into a straw mat.
Would he see the heavens at the edge of the Red Lady's River?
She still felt as if time had paused, unable to come to any reactions, no tears, no crying, just an emotionless, lifeless doll.
"Nasir, clean her up. She will be prime for selling. You shouldn't have lied." The aristocrats were insane, their speech filled with only happiness tinged with annoyance.
Nasir was quiet about the whole affair, bringing the girl to the left of the Dome, where stairs led to a basement beneath the building.
"Rumors as they are, the Mud is correct to fear the Sky, they like to sell you lot." There wasn't much language that was easily deciphered; her mind felt trapped in a fog. "The Management will clean you up in the morning, then you will be placed on the auction block." Nasir sounded resentful of the whole affair, but he was as trapped as she was.
Two large locked doors later, the cries and sniffles of children could be heard. She hadn't the mind to count how many she saw, but they seemed to line up infinitely in cages.
"Place her in cell five hundred and three, row two, " an older woman nonchalantly said. Peering up momentarily and fixing her glasses. "Actually…..what unique eyes….place her in cell eight, row one."
Nasir didn't walk but ten paces before Mina was lightly placed into an iron cage with nothing but hay lining the bottom. He wrapped her hands in a gelatin-imbued cloth wrap; she forgot that she had cut her hands.
"Survive. It is the most you can do for him." The onyx-skinned man's strange jade eyes were the only thing Mina could see in the darkness. Whatever sadness that was supposed to wash over her hadn't, she just wanted to sleep.