Chapter 35 - Introductions
It took a while for them to get from The Coins district to the Old Quarter. They had had to return to the Sunset Walk and drive along the trafficked highway further south to The Docks—Elystead's harbor district—and almost reached Rellaria Lake itself before turning off the large road. The Old Quarter was situated close to the water, and built on a higher ground than most of Elystead, so as her carriage traveled up along its timeworn streets Scarlett was afforded a great view of the sprawling metropolis, along with the Dawnlight Palace itself.
Like a massive fortress, the palace was built upon a set of high cliffs, protected from all sides by tall walls that were of a polished, bronze-red stone, with the Sunset Walk itself branching off as a large bridge to connect the island to the rest of the city. The palace was built mostly of the same bronze-red stone, giving it a bright sheen in the afternoon light, and had two extensive wings with high towers to the east and the west, the area in the middle of the two sections being only half as high but with a walkway of pure gold connecting the two wings. Similar to when she first arrived in the Ascendant Court, Scarlett felt a sense of admiration surge up from deep inside her at the majesty of the sight. The feelings might not truly be hers, but she felt them as strongly nonetheless.
As they continued further into the Old Quarter she eventually lost sight of the Dawnlight Palace and instead turned her attention to her surroundings. Most of the buildings in this district were made of stone and—as the name implied—had a much older appearance than the rest of the city. Despite that, the architectural style of these buildings wasn't that different from most of Elystead — reminiscent perhaps of structures from the early Middle Ages.
She wasn't actually quite sure if this part of the city was older than the Ascendant Court, or if it was the other way around. It wasn't a matter she gave much thought to in the game, but the difference in styles between the two districts did raise some questions.
The carriage kept traveling through the Old Quarter for a while until it finally drew near a large building that looked much like an old church, with tall vines crawling up its walls. The stairs leading up to its entrance, however, were guarded by two tall stone statues with arms raised to the skies, although the features of those statues had long since been worn down by the long years. The mouth of the building's entrance also had a large stone protrusion above it that, like the statues, had not fared well under the passage of time, but might have once been in the shape of a head.
Soon enough the carriage stopped at a space not far from the building and the coachman opened the carriage's door for Scarlett.
"My Lady, we have arrived at the House of Fire."
She took the antique church in as she stepped out, giving the man a slight nod. "I will not be long. Wait here until I return."
He bowed. "Of course, my Lady."
Scarlett walked towards the building, past the worn-down statues, and up the stairs to the church's entrance. The old wooden doors let out loud creaks as she pushed them open and entered. The inside wasn't too different from a traditional Catholic church, with high vaulted ceilings and pillars with archways to the sides. There were signs of murals on parts of the walls and roof—what might have once been depictions of flames and ancient people—but most of it was indecipherable with how much the paint had faded.
Turning her head downwards, rows of wooden seats lined the long hall of the church, some of them filled with people who seemed to be occupied in prayer, and at the front of the gallery on a small platform stood a marble altar with several objects on it that was in far better condition than the surfaces around the altar. As Scarlett crossed the hall, she got a closer look at the gold reliquary that rested on it. It had a gilded sun at its center and was surrounded by many other minor relics and objects with what she recognized as the Follower of Ittar's symbol on them.
Behind the altar was a wall made of wooden planks that reached all the way up to the roof, but with the way it intersected with the arched ceiling, it was clear that the wall hadn't been part of the original design. There was also a door in it, leading to the space Scarlett knew was behind it, but with the way the door fit into the wall it blended in quite well and wasn't apparent at first glance.