the era of calamities

Carla listened attentively to the chatter of the two elderly women. She had managed to catch up with the thread of their conversation, which had already covered half the road to Invictus. Now in the final stretch of their walk, they could talk without running out of breath. Thérèse took a moment to think, trying to decide where best to begin her story.

She took a deep breath. The scent of the trees tickled her nose. A woodland melody floated through the air. Then she spoke, addressing Carla:

"A tale as old as time, my dear girl... It all began on a starless night. The moon barely lit up the shadows when, suddenly, a shooting star appeared in the sky. It looked like it had torn through the fabric of night. It was so bright that those who saw it thought the sun had risen. And then it fell, right there, onto this land, leaving behind a crater several kilometers wide.

Every time such a thing happened, people would set out to find it. They said whoever discovered the star would have a wish granted... and their life would change forever, because the star brought luck to its bearer.

So, when word spread about what had happened that night, many left their homes to venture into the crater in hopes of finding the star. Along with the adventurers came tourists, many of whom grew fond of the place and settled down. Several decades later, what was once a forgotten village in the middle of nowhere became a city. It was named Astoria, the City of the Star."

Carla, intrigued, asked:

"So where is this famous crater where the star fell? I don’t think I’ve ever heard of such a story, or such a hole."

Thérèse and Marguerite exchanged an amused glance at the question.

"Where are we going?" Marguerite asked her.

Carla replied without hesitation:

"The fortress."

To which she responded with an amused smile.