Arrival in the City of Arts
Inside the carriage racing along, golden eyes gleaming.
"It's been a while since I've been to Ramisel," Monica said from the seat across from me, gazing out the window. We were heading to the warp gate right now. That's right—today was the day we were going to Ramisel. It felt like just yesterday we'd been planning it all out, but time had flown by, and here we were, setting off again.
"This is my first time."
"You should get out more. I even invited you last time."
"I was super busy then."
"Busy, my ass. You were probably just tinkering with instruments in the basement workshop."
I shut my mouth at Monica's words. Attacking me with straight facts like that was low. Still, my heart was pounding with excitement. No matter what, I'd always wanted to visit Ramisel at least once.
"We'll be there soon."
Not long after, Monica pointed outside. I looked out the window and saw a massive building looming ahead. That was the warp gate facility. The carriage soon pulled up in front, and Monica and I stepped out together.
"Arden! Monica!"
No sooner had we gotten out than someone called our names. I turned toward the voice and saw a familiar face. Light brown skin. Grass growing right out of her head. And I mean literally—grass sprouting from between her hair. On Earth, it'd make you jump back in shock, but not here. People might glance curiously now and then, but no one freaked out.
"Long time no see!"
"Temi! It's been forever!"
"Yeah, really been a while."
Her name was Temi, a spirit half-blood. She beamed at our greetings.
"Two months!"
"Longer than usual this time!"
"Things just piled up."
Temi had been a close friend since we were little kids. No direct family ties to ours, but Monica's mom was from Temi's family, making them cousins of sorts. I'd naturally gotten close playing with Monica. Oh, and just to clarify, Monica wasn't a half-blood—her family didn't carry spirit blood.
"You went to Cartenon this time, right?"
"Yeah! It's way up high—tough to get to, but totally worth it once I was there."
I saw Monica all the time, to the point of boredom sometimes, but with Temi, months could pass between visits. She had a serious wandering bug. Her time in the capital averaged less than half a year.
We chatted as we headed inside the building. The warp gate area was pretty quiet. The fees weren't cheap, after all. Unless it was a really long trip, people usually skipped warps and took trains or airships. But for Ramisel, the warp gate made sense. The capital was at the eastern edge of the continent, Ramisel at the western end.
"Welcome."
A neatly dressed receptionist greeted us inside. After confirming our reservation, we headed straight to the warp gate area.
"This way..."
"Please wait in front..."
"In five minutes..."
After going through all the warp gate procedures...
"We're here!"
Finally, we'd arrived in Ramisel. Sure, it was only a ten-minute trip from one end of the continent to the other, but still. Seeing Ramisel with my own eyes, I couldn't hold back a gasp.
"Whoa."
Ahead, sharp white buildings pierced the sky. Looking up, I spotted aerial bridges connecting some of them. Plenty of folks were flying around too—their shoulders bore wings. And down below? A city teeming with all sorts of races.
"Amazing," I said in awe. I'd heard tons about Ramisel, but seeing it firsthand was something else.
"Totally different vibe from the capital, right?" Temi asked, noticing my wonder.
"Yeah. So many other races."
"Can't compare to imperial cities."
I nodded. Humans were definitely in the minority—maybe one or two out of every fifteen people?
"Let's head to the inn first!"
I snapped out of it at Monica's words and started walking again. Of course, even on the way, my eyes kept wandering. It wasn't just the exotic scenery or the mix of races. What really grabbed me were the scenes popping up everywhere.
Ting-a-ling-
Music from somewhere drew my gaze—an elf playing an instrument, a siren singing beside them.
Dong-dong-dong!
A grand beat pulled my head another way—a dwarf pounding drums. In the city center, there was even a massive hologram-like projection.
Aaaaaahhh-
Up close, it was a famous musician's performance, projected via illusion magic.
"Cool, huh? This is everyday life in Ramisel," Temi said with a grin. She'd been here a few times.
"That's why they call it the city of arts. Not just musicians—painters and all kinds of artists too."
As Monica added, the streets weren't only full of musicians. Some had easels out, painting portraits; others danced freely. A vibrant, uninhibited street scene.
"Fascinating. Ramisel's heavily influenced by southern elves, right?"
"Yep. Lots of artists because of that—their chief god oversees arts too."
About ten minutes of walking and talking later...
"There it is!"
Temi pointed ahead. A large building of white bricks—that was our inn for the stay.
We checked in, unpacked in our rooms. Monica and Temi shared one; I had my own. After, we met back in the first-floor lobby. We still had plans for the day.
"Now we head there?"
"Yeah, let's go."
There were fancier inns in Ramisel, but we picked this one for a reason. Just five minutes away was a great spot: Selenie's Play.
A two-story wooden building. Inside, it opened into a hall that went up to the second floor. Selenie was a legendary southern elf musician, and this was her place.
That's right—Selenie was still alive. Like, 674 years old or something?
"Whoa, packed even in the afternoon."
"Told you."
"All these people here for the music?"
"Some to listen, some to perform."
Think of Selenie's Play as a live music bar. They served drinks too. Places like it existed in the capital, but this one was special.
"Now, who'll take the stage next?"
Anyone could hop up and play or sing. And Selenie's fame drew a ton of musicians. The area around the central stage was packed with instrument-toting hopefuls.
"Whoa, look—it's Maniel."
"What? For real?"
Some were famous enough to spot instantly. Wait, Maniel was really here? I thought he'd taken a break! Next to him, just as big a name: the carillonist Behel. And beside them... more. And more. And more...
"See? Told you you'd lose it if you came."
"Totally!"
I ignored Monica and Temi whispering and smirking at me. Man, this place was incredible. Should've come when Monica first suggested it! Why didn't the capital have something like this? Guess I'd be glued here all day.
As I thought that...
"What're humans doing here?"
A conversation drifted from a nearby table.
"Yeah. Huh, they even brought instruments."
"What? Hilarious. Do short-livers even know music?"
Vile stuff. I glanced over—pale-skinned elves. High elves, or northern elves as they're called. Infamous among non-humans for looking down on us.
Our eyes met, and they stared like I was trash, smirks laced with contempt.
Sigh. Ignore them. No need to stoop.
"Any famous human musicians?"
"Dunno. Never heard of any."
But those bastards...? This I couldn't ignore. I shot to my feet on reflex—
"Fascinating opinions! You must be very confident in your skills."
Suddenly, someone cut in, addressing the trash-talking elves.
"...!"
"Wha—?!"
The elves' reactions were wild—faces paling like they'd seen a ghost. I soon figured out why.
"Se-Selenie!"
Monica's mutter beside me clued me in. That's when I recognized her. Long ears. Sparkling golden eyes. The owner herself had stepped in.
Selenie turned to us. "What do you think of what they said? Planning to show them something?" Her golden eyes twinkled.