Snippet #883903

The sea lay still beneath the weight of the night sky, draped like lovely velvet over the dark water. Creaking, groaning, bellowing like a hungry animal were the hulls of several ships, bobbing just as still along the surface, going neither forward to the new land, or back to the deserts they were built in. The sailors and merchants upon them began to stroke the oars to fight against time, to make it to shore by dawn, stirring the waves and waking them from their slumber. Beneath the liquid glass, the eyes of Aisu were always resting on a single island that was floating like a burning jewel beneath the stars. With its residents on the streets for a summer festival, the torches from the celebration lit up their capital city for miles beyond the harbor. The passengers looked on in wonder at the small fire on the sea, so isolated against the shadows as if it were struggling to stay alight.

The Kethadrian people, tonight, were merry. They drank wine and sat in public bath houses, joking about the Persians, joking about the Greeks, joking about the Chinese---oh, they had no faults of their own. They were utterly perfect, naturally; they were chosen by Poseidon himself. They were descended directly from him!---or so they believed. They drank until they were happy, and those that were happy drank until they were angry, and those that didn't continue to drink until they were tired began to fight. There were hoorahs rising from the streets as men of little wealth scrapped in the alleys, pummeling eachother into the torch-light where the wealthy looked on in horror. It was like any other society; they would always say, don't let a few bad figs spoil the harvest.

A small band of soldiers paraded down the walkway, followed by upper class thesbians acting scenes from plays about their nation. After the festivities, and the food and drink, the merchants pulled into the harbor at dawn to unload their goods. Not but an hour later, merchants were selling souveniers from as far as east Asia to Kethadrians that had never even left their capital city. It was then that the work day started---the King was awake doing business, the Council was busy advising him, the merchants were selling their goods, the craftsmen were finishing projects, the servants were serving their families. Amongst all of this, the newcomers---who would possibly someday be citizens---wandered about amazed at the circular waterways that fenced their city, the ships pulling in and out, the large bronze statues, stone walls, pillars---and the technology that ran it all. The doors opened without a touch, and the fountain in the center of the city had no visible pipes, but sprang beautifully from the carved stone basin. In the gardens, little bronze birds turned in their places and tweeted to greet the visitors each time they passed, and each time they did, a large bronze owl would open its eyes to peer at the birds. It was a thing of wonder!

They would always say, "This place is blessed by the gods themselves!" in a tone of complete awe, but in jest.

And little did they know---it was.