The Forsaken Hero

The city within the inner walls was completely different from the rural sprawl without. The buildings were neat and uniform, set on streets of polished obsidian cobblestones and gutters. Crystal lights floated above light posts, illuminating the premature twilight cast by the spire’s shadow.

The city was built on a shelf that spiraled up the mountain, bringing it almost a quarter wide and slowly narrowing as it neared the palaces resting on the peak. Viewed from afar, it was like a tiny city wrapped around a needle shaft.

But with a bigger city came more people. As soon as the gates opened, a tide of panic swept through the bear by men, women, and children, scattering them in all directions. Guards constantly rushed to the commotion, only to be turned back with a glance at Elaine.

The people here wore loose, flowing clothing dyed in bright, even garish colors. The men wore loose trousers and coats with trains that touched the ground, while the women favored tight bodices, loose sleeves with long slits in their sleeves, and dresses slit from the hip to the ankle, tied once midway down the thigh.

"You look great," R’lissea said, folding her hand over mine and pulling it away.

I looked down, finding I’d been gripping my skirts.

"Thanks. It’s just... their dresses are beautiful."

"The slits are really unique. I almost bought one a few years ago when the imperial princess showed up wearing one at an elvish ball I was attending," she said.

"Why didn’t you?"

She shrugged. "The slits in the skirt are a little high for me. I don’t like a skirt that shows my thighs."

I nodded and, as subtly as possible, tugged the hem of my skirt over my knees. As much as I would have loved to wear a longer, more modest dress, they were too restrictive for my tail.