A faint voice whispered to Donarenzo. It was warm, soft, and made him feel nostalgic—and filled him with a great sense of sadness.
You know what you need to do… Why are you running away?
"I'm not running away, I'm being careful."
Being careful? Has being careful ever worked out for you?
"..."
Don't lose sight of the path you chose… please… extinguish everycorrupt soul…
"..."
Donarenzo gasped, his eyes snapping open. He jerked his head up, shaking away his exhaustion. He had fallen into a brief sleep beside his desktop in the tavern he was occupying.
"Divide and Conquer."
Those words echoed through Donarenzo's mind.
"That fool…"
Donarenzo stood up and grabbed his coat off a hanger. He was heading to the Upper Spire, the northern part of Luvino. He walked at a brisk pace, then began a light jog. He was hoping to catch a train and arrive there before midnight.
Those at the top always have secrets. One of them is bound to know the Wraith's true identity… the problem is, how will I get them to tell me who he is… or at least point me in the right direction?
Donarenzo was still jogging to his destination, deep in thought, playing scenarios in his head and preparing for what might come.
THUD-
Donarenzo lost his balance, snapping out of focus.
"Look where you walk. If I had been anybody else you'd surely be dead."
Donarenzo dropped his gaze to the voice that threatened him. What he saw was a boy. He had bronze-like skin and looked no older than fifteen, yet he had ink on both his arms—a pattern of a viper moving from one arm to the next—and he carried a curved short blade. Its craftsmanship was not that of Luvino.
"..."
Donarenzo was in awe at the sight.
"Are you deaf or mute?"
Donarenzo shook his head, gathering himself.
"That blade of yours, where was it made?"
"Excuse me?" the boy responded, confused.
"That blade, I've never seen one like that. It's curved and seems very impractical when attempting to stab someone."
"It's called a panga," the boy said, watching Donarenzo observe his blade without showing any concern for him at all.
"A panga, eh…" Donarenzo reached out to get a feel of it, but the boy jumped back.
"Don't lay a finger on this blade. Unless you really want to be cut down."
Donarenzo returned his hand to his side, still in awe of this boy.
"I'm sorry. That blade must mean a lot to you."
"Heh. You're correct. It never leaves my side," the boy said, the irritation fading from his face.
"Well…" Donarenzo extended his hand for a handshake. "Hopefully you'll find it in your heart to forgive me. I'm Donarenzo."
The boy stretched out his arm slowly in response to Donarenzo's formality.
"I'm Isani."
"Well, I'll be off then–"
"Actually, I'm not familiar with this place. Do you know how I can get to the Upper Spire?" Isani asked politely.
"Well, you're in luck. There's a train that will take you there, and it just so happens that I'll be boarding it as well."
"Great, I'll be joining you then."
Donarenzo continued to run, and Isani followed. After running through the cobblestone streets of the capital, they made it to the train station just in time. Donarenzo bought tickets for two and they boarded the vehicle.
They spent their time on board in silence. Isani stared out the window, taking in the view of the fog-filled city, while Donarenzo fell into a light sleep, with Archibalt on his mind.
"So, what's different about the Upper Spire?" Isani asked the half-asleep Donarenzo.
"It's where most of the rich live. There's no litter on the streets, criminals get dealt with instantly, and all the buildings look new. It's also restricted for us commoners to travel to, unless we have a permit or are a person of title… I'm the latter."
"I don't mean to be rude, but you don't give off any sense of importance…"
"Well, I'm not. It's what I do that's important, really."
"I see… so what is your business in the Upper Spire then?"
"I'm just looking for someone to point me in the right direction. What about you?"
"I'm looking for answers."
"Well, it looks like we'll be sticking together for a little while longer. When we're there, refer to yourself as my apprentice-it'll save me a whole lot of time."
"I understand."
Donarenzo shut his eyes, getting light rest while still staying aware of his surroundings.
After a while, the train came to a halt and Donarenzo woke from his sleep. Isani was already standing, eager to see what the Upper Spire had to offer. They both exited the train and took in a breath of fresh air. It already felt much cleaner than Luvino.
They walked for some time through town and noticed the streets were clean. The concrete paths were well maintained and the houses looked new and grand. Almost everything was built with the intention of going up, stretching skyward. It was also much quieter-not from fear, but from peace. The weather was also a lot calmer; while Luvino was drenched in heavy rains, the Upper Spire enjoyed bright sunshine and a cool breeze, further pushing the idea that the Upper Spire was the perfect city.
"Wow…" Isani said, his breath taken away. "It's beautiful."
"Yeah, it really shows how far Luvino has to go," Donarenzo said in an exhausted tone.
"So, where do we go from here?"
"Well, we've been on the train for a while. I'll rent us a place to sleep for the night, and tomorrow we'll go talk to the mayor."
"Do I have permission to explore in the meantime?"
"Go ahead, but I'll tag along so you don't get lost."
"Understood."
Both of them walked endlessly, looking at the fancy clothes displayed through store windows. They got quite a few odd looks because of Isani's tattoos, especially given his young appearance, so Donarenzo bought him a new set of clothes primarily to cover his arms.
They continued to wander until nightfall, eventually making their way toward the lodge where they would be sleeping. However, on their way, they came across a fortune-telling stall. Pink and purple light escaped from beneath the door, catching their attention.
"Have you ever had your fortune read?" Donarenzo asked.
"No. Isn't it all a charade?"
"It is, but it's nice to go at least once, just to experience it."
"Are you suggesting that I go?"
"Only if you aren't scared of the superstition becoming true," Donarenzo said sarcastically.
"You severely underestimate me."
Donarenzo and Isani stepped through the entrance and were greeted by a sweet scent, with smoke filling the air from the incense burning inside.
"Who goes there? A boy with the mark of a viper and a man who follows death… or rather, death follows him," a soft voice filled with mystery spoke to them.
"What am I meant to say…?" Isani asked, confused.
"We've come to have this boy's fortune read."
"I understand. You wish to see what the future holds for your young apprentice… How shall the reading be done? A crystal ball? Runes? Tarot? Or maybe you prefer palm reading? Whatever it is, I can do it all."
"He'll do the Tarot reading."
"Hmm, a splendid choice. May I have the boy's name and age?"
"I'm Isani, and I'm fifteen."
"I see."
The woman eventually revealed herself from behind the curtain. She wore numerous pieces of exotic jewelry–her fingers adorned with rings of various colored stones, her neck draped in gold. In her hands was a deck of tarot cards, which she shuffled with extreme accuracy.
"Remember that the cards are simply foreshadowing your future, as your fate is already written in the stars."
"I understand."
"Then let's begin."
The lady's rings clicked against the wooden table as she lined up four cards face down. With a slow, deliberate movement, she flipped the first: The Chariot, landing upside down.
"A journey driven by love," she murmured, "but the reins are already slipping."
She flipped the second: The King of Cups, also inverted.
"A gentle heart, forced to lock its warmth away in the cold."
The third flipped: The Three of Swords. She winced slightly, looking up at Isani.
"A piercing grief. A sister's fading light."
Finally, her finger snapped the last card upright: The Tower. The image of a grand structure collapsing in flames stared back at them. The fortune teller closed her eyes, leaning back into the shadows as the true prophecy took hold of her voice.
When she spoke again, her tone was distant and abstract:
"Beware the quiet water, for it hides the deep current that drowns the world. A rootless sprout climbs into the sky, hunting the locusts that blighted its grove. He leaves his iron behind, yet his hands will forge a furnace. When the twin blossom withers in the mud, the quiet water will boil. The high cage of glass will shatter into a thousand teeth, and the feast of crows shall begin."
Silence filled the room. The pair didn't know what to make of the telling.
"Is that it?" Isani asked.
"You asked for me to give you a glimpse as to what your future holds, and I did so to the best of my ability."
"Thank you."
"That'll be two Pures."
"Well, that's blatant robbery, but here."
Donarenzo pulled two gold coins out of his coat and placed them in the fortune teller's hand.
"Thank you for buying my services."
The pair left the woman and made their way to the lodge, where they freshened up and settled down in their room.
"I'm sorry that we're sharing a room. I wasn't expecting an accomplice, and it's too expensive to rent separate rooms."
"I already owe you for how much you've been helping me, so I don't mind sharing."
"Heh, well then, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll get what we want, and don't worry about fortune-telling. Those things never come true ninety percent of the time."
"Huh? Did you understand what it meant?"
"Well, it was meant for you, so no. But I can see it's bothering you. Just get some rest–once we're done here, we can figure out what it means. Sounds good?"
"Yeah. Let's take it one step at a time, I guess. See you tomorrow."
"Night."