Soothsayer of Pontis
There's a city out there that is quite unlike all other cities. Built on the largest of bridges, the city is vast with a numerous population. Like many cities, her economy relies heavily on trading and bringing in rare goods from distant countries. Unlike many cities, she never stays in one place for very long.
No one knows how, but the strong, large stone bridge the city sits on has the inconceivable ability to travel across the ocean it was built in. She travels slowly and steadily to any country or island she pleases, driven by the needs of her economy, her people, and her militia. There are many tales and superstitions surrounding this unusual city--to wake up in the morning and find the gigantic city situated just outside of your seaside town is considered a very lucky, fortunate happenstance. There are countless citizens who have only ever heard of such a city, and have lived life until death without ever once happening upon her.
She arrives and disembarks with little notice, and the decisions as to where she goes and when she leaves are ultimately made by her three Pillars. The Pillars are the backbone of her governmental system and their decisions are what maintain the city as the well oiled machine she is. Entirely independent and self-sustaining, she is a peacefully amicable merchant's republic.
She was the city they call Pontis.
At this moment in time, she was unhappy.
Mana moved swiftly down the corridors with a sense of urgency and an air of annoyance. On most days, her blue eyes were open and welcoming, her numerous, short, buoyant blond curls took years off her age, and her tall, delicate, pointed features offered a strong feminine comfort. But today, her stare was cold and hard, her curls failed to combat with her surly expression, and her pointed features only contributed to sharpening the expression carved by her bitter mood. Right now was a bad time for anyone to approach her--and no one dared to.
She pushed her way past a series of doors and fluttered up the several staircases of the military tower. It was one of the three main towers that made up the large citadel which played home to the three Pillars of the city. Without hesitation, Mana ushered herself through the semi open doors which filled the space of the largest doorway in the entire tower.
The room she entered was lit solely by sunlight this time of day. The ceiling was untouchable even when standing on the tallest ladder one could find, and the six narrow windows spanned the entire length of the walls. The room was very lightly furnished, and rich, elaborate carpets covered almost every inch of the ground. In the very center was a large, round, polished red wood table where there sat two men having a very quiet conversation over tea. Without concern over whether or not she was intruding, Mana briskly made her way over to them.
"Julian," She called to make her presence known.
The man rose his eyebrows over his thin, round glasses as he took a quiet sip from his cup, "Hmm?" In contrast to Mana, he looked rather nonchalant, "my dear, have a seat, relax, tell me what has you looking so tense."
She narrowed her eyes at him, unmoved by his disposition, "No, thank you. Why are we headed east? I talked to Natalja, she doesn't know either. Which leads me to believe you made the order."
Julian waved his hand dismissively, "It's in the military's best interest. Don't worry about it, my dear."
"Everything we've been doing for the past countless months has been 'in the military's best interest'," Mana seethed, "we need to visit some of the western shores, the slums are collecting numbers, we need to go back to some of their cities and dissipate the numbers or we will have a problem on our hands."
Like every city, Pontis had it's cons. Being a city that moved constantly from country to country, people who lived on land would sometimes find themselves stranded on the city as it pulled out away from their home. Often, these people were reunited with their homeland and their families within a year. Some, however could go a good decade before the city ever revisited their former home. It was these unfortunate people who predominately made up the population of the city's slums.
Greatly, to Mana's concern, the slum's population had recently reached a number that had never been seen before.
"You worry too much about the people, Mana," Julian cautioned.
Mana cut in before he could properly finish, "It's my job to worry about the city's people. Just like it's your job to worry about the city's military. Just like it's Natalja's job to worry about the city's finances. No area is more important that the other, and lately there's been a terrible imbalance, Julian. And that--is a concern."
Julian put down his cup and ran a heavy thumb across his brow, "your concern is being considered. Please, we'll discuss it further once we arrive at the next location."
There were many terrible choice words Mana wanted to hit him with in her overwhelming frustration, but she refrained and maintained her composure, "you are not taking me seriously, Julian. You're unconvincing." Through clenched teeth she added, "I will make you see the consequences of you negligence before it's too late."
Julian replied only with a smile and a curt nod.
Before she was prompted to say something she would regret, she turned to take her leave. She nodded in acknowledgment to the much larger man who had remained silent since her arrival, "nice to see you again, Gabe."
"Take it easy, Mana," He replied courteously and flicked his fingers in a quick wave before Mana left the room.
Feeling even more bitter than she did before confronting Julian, Mana retired to the main hall where she met up with an expectant Natalja.
The girl was as young as she looked--but she had a very admirable talent with numbers. It was unfortunate that she was a person who was easily taken advantage of. Mana had felt Natalja would greatly benefit from developing a tougher skin and more confidence around people, but was unable to find a way to help her with such. She was a short, delicate, mousy girl with long hair colored brown, leaning to a redder hue. She was always wide eyed and quiet spoken.
"Did you talk to him?" She asked in an almost hushed voice.
Mana snorted indignantly, "might as well have been talking to a brick wall." She wanted to say more against him, and had to bite her tongue hard to keep the words from slipping out.
"Didn't go so well, then," Natalja concluded for herself in a crestfallen tone, "and you know me, I try--but god forbid I can ever get a word in. I know he means well, but he has a serious case of tunnel vision. There's no arguing with him!"
Mana bit her lip in displeasure and shook her head, "What bothers me most, is neither of us have a clue as to what he's trying to do. He has a secret agenda. None of us should have a secret agenda. For all I know, he's trying to run the city into the ground and we've not been trying hard enough to see it."
A mildly sarcastic smile crept across Nat's face, "That's not what's worrying you the most,"
"In the end, it really is," She corrected, "he's the most recent of all of us, and he's managed to grab a controlling position that I can't even talk him out of. What do you suppose he's trying to do that he can't even communicate properly with his two fellow Pillars? It's absolutely bothersome."
Natalja shifted her weight from one foot to another, "Well, if you're really that concerned--really desperately concerned, there's a guy who could tell you the future of the city, you know. A soothsayer."
Mana furrowed her brow at the younger girl, "Actually, I didn't know. Where?"
"Oh come on," Nat threw her hands up, "You wouldn't, really. That was supposed to be a joke."
"Well, for one," Mana began, "the people are my duty, and I had no idea we had such a person in the city, and two, I have no shame in admitting that I'm beginning to feel a little desperation in getting through to that dense rock masquerading as our military Pillar."
Natalja shook her head in ridicule before explaining, "he's really quite a figure in the slums. That's where he stays. I'm somewhat surprised you weren't aware of him, but not entirely since I don't think he ever leaves his shanty little shack. I doubt you would have ever actually met him."
"How do you know about him, then?" Mana inquired.
The girl shrugged, "Avery told me about him. Told me he's the reason young girls like me shouldn't ever be tempted to stray into the slums. Of course, Ry wouldn't tell you that kind of thing."
"Avery..." That made sense. Avery was a good man, a concerned man. He worried most about the people who treated him well, and made life difficult for anyone who posed a direct threat to those favored individuals. Avery--Mana considered him a son.
"Yes," Mana concluded, "You know what? Maybe I will go find this soothsayer, then."
"Suit yourself," Natalja replied, "Just don't tell Avery I gave you the idea. Because I didn't."
Mana shrugged, "Well, if the soothsayer's a sham, I wouldn't stress Ry with the knowledge that there was ever a confrontation involving me."
"Avery won't ever know then, rest assured," the young girl concluded.
:]
Just the beginning.