[03:08] 30 March, in Zahilia, with Gherico
It was already three in the morning, and I couldn't sleep. It's a common occurrence when you lead a stressful life (the bill collector is constantly after me).
I work as a port-loader, and as you can imagine, I am not paid well. It's a difficult job, but here, there are thousands of people ready to work even for low earnings, so I have to endure it.
Currently, Zahilia is divided into three rings; each represents the social class based on the contribution you make to the city. The closer you are to the center of the city, the more privileges and amenities you enjoy.
However, it's not just an economic divide; while those in the first ring earn the most, it's an oversimplification to assume they are all rich, some people are just famous, or have a high militaristic value, but they often last little time there.
Currently, we are in the third ring, also known as the "foreign ring."
As Gherico was lost in thought in his room, the sun rose, and it was time to meet up with the others and leave Zahilia.
"Oh sh*t, I am late!" These were my first words of the day, not a beautiful start. Being late meant only one thing, and it was terrible.
"I think you are overreacting, Gherico. It's not that bad," Abello said, chuckling.
"Don't worry, Gherico. I will make this journey very smooth." Orite reassured me with a thumbs-up. We are used to this other rule for our journeys. The one who arrives last after the departure time has to ride in pairs (behind) on the horse.
For those who have never tried a similar experience, I don't recommend it because it's literally a pain in the a*s. After three long hours, we arrived at Ensham. Right in front of the gate to the second ring, there was such a long line.
To enter the higher rings, you simply needed to pay a fee, and the money collected at the gate was distributed annually to every single citizen of the ring.
"This line is crazy long," Orite remarked. "We are lucky to have the pass that Ensham's family gave us," I replied. Therefore, we approached the gates, jumping the line. I felt observed, probably because some people had been waiting in line since the morning, but who cares?
The gates were magnificent, with black stone interrupted by golden lines. The gate itself was white as snow, with gold accents on its spikes. It felt like entering a king's castle, even though it was just the second ring.
The guards looked strict and professional, wearing blue and black uniforms and black leather boots, and one of them also had a brown badge with a big D on it (maybe it was their captain).
"You three, show me your plates! I believe you have some reason for jumping the line." A guard said, clearly not someone to mess with. She was asking for our "plates" which are basically identification documents; every citizen has one.
In these plates are included the ring where you live, your name, and your occupation.
"Sure, Miss, here you are." Abello handed over all three of our plates along with a certification granting us permission to enter any gate of Ensham, signed directly by the family.
As she saw the permission, the guard's tone changed, becoming more polite.
"I must have misjudged you; accept my apologies." The gate will be opened for you very soon. Have a great day, traveler. She said she was allowing us through.
It was 11 in the morning, and the sun was scorching. We decided to grab lunch before entering the first ring and meeting Ensham's family. Despite the early hours, we searched for a nice restaurant.
"I don't know any place where we can eat this early," Abello said. He was our last hope since he had visited one of his friends here before.
"Sorry, sir, my friends and I are from Zahilia. Do you know of any place where we can eat right now?" I asked a passerby. I made it clear that we were from Zahilia because foreigners weren't always well-received in the more central rings. But since Zahilia has a good relationship with Ensham, the reaction was quite the opposite.
This man appeared to be old; you could tell this just by looking at his face. He was probably close to 80 years old, a bit short, wearing a stylish black business suit with a golden-colored embroidered "H." He also had some really expensive-looking glasses.
"Oh? Of course, my dear. Head in that direction; it's about 200 meters away from here. Go in and tell him you're Hamman's friends; he'll take care of you," he said, pointing in a direction.
We thanked him and followed his instructions. The moment we mentioned Hamman's name, the owner (presumably) went crazy, preparing a room just for us. I ordered a sandwich with anchovies, Orite opted for a salad, and Abello chose sautéed clams and mussels.
I must admit, the food wasn't the best I've ever had, but the service was really efficient. After lunch, it was already 12:10 p.m., and we headed to the first gate. It was the most luxurious thing I've ever seen.
As we approached the gate, some differences became evident. There was no line; all the guards wore the D badge, and some of them wore different colors of uniforms.
The gate was made of pure crystal, and I could see my reflection in it. The wall of the gate was white stone with many gold flower decorations. Also, the excessive use of gold in the decoration was due to the presence of Theora's Bank of Gold here.
We felt very out of place, but we had no choice. However, entering the gate wasn't as easy as we expected. We presented our certification, but the guard asked us to leave our plates with him since these were the procedures.
We were also prohibited from carrying weapons or money inside. It was getting pretty weird, but still, we had no choice.
After following all the rules without question, the guard opened the gate with a smile and allowed us to enter.
The first word that came out of my mouth was "shiny." Abello looked at me and replied, "This must be some kind of paradise." Orite was the least impressed among us; he probably had seen something similar since he lives in the second ring in Zahilia.
Every house was new and modern. Every street was lit, shiny, and made with precious materials. Our certification didn't grant us the chance to go straight to the "Royal House," where the family resides.
We had to meet a family member who was the tutor of this child in a restaurant near the gate, so we quickly headed to the place. It was called "Royale Blossom Restaurant," and you could tell it was important just by looking at it. The outside was full of black chairs with red silk padding; each table was numbered with a white marble statuette.