Barbican

After 12 hours of travel, Podellin's high towers can be seen from the carriage windows. They make their way towards the city gates as it comes into view.

Ahead of them, there is a huge moat built up against the city walls which is completely covered with spikes. Behind the gates is the largest fortified castle she has ever seen. This must be their Barbican. 

They stop at the city wall, where there are guards standing guard. Meisa and Kaleo get off the carriage and approach the gate.

"Wow, it's my first time here."

Kaleo looks her in the eye."If anything happens, I will protect you to the best of my capabilities."

Meisa snorts as they enter the city. The city is colourless and gloomy, its narrow cobblestone streets winding their way like tangled threads through the ancient stone buildings. The heavy clouds hang low in the sky, casting a perpetual shadow over the city, as if the very heavens are mourning some unspoken tragedy. 

In the heart of the city, there stands a towering Barbican, its walls adorned with fading symbols of some long-forgotten royalty.

Human cities have grown without restriction. Podellin itself might have around 200 thousand to 300 thousand people in it. Mostly poor peasants who breed like rabbits. 

In the outskirts of the city, the population continues to expand, with makeshift shacks and hovels sprawling outwards, forming a chaotic maze of poverty and desperation. The air is thick with the sounds of children playing in the dirt, and the pungent scent of burning wood and cooking fires. The people here are bound by the struggle for survival, and their lives are a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Well, resilience is nothing in front of an elf like Meisa. 

She walks through all these small houses with just her knight until they finally reach the gates of the Barbican. 

Inside the Barbican, a different type of people live inside. The houses are nice and symmetrical, polished stone and tiled roofs. The residents of the Barbican have long enjoyed a life of comfort and luxury, shielded from the hardships of the outer city. Their streets are wide and clean, adorned with lush gardens and decorative fountains. The noble families of the city reside in grand mansions, their opulent lifestyles a stark contrast to the squalor beyond the walls. 

Meisa looks around the place and notices that the people in the Barbican look different from the people outside. Some of them have darker skin, or are taller. Their skin is unblemished and they have a higher standard of beauty over all. These 'people' are perhaps not human. 

She walks past these homes towards the centre of the Barbican, the Krall Castle. 

The Krall Castle, a magnificent structure of towering spires and glistening marble, dominates the heart of the Barbican. Its grand courtyards are adorned with intricate sculptures and vibrant gardens, a showcase of opulence and power. The Krall family, esteemed rulers of the city, hold court within its formidable walls, their influence and authority extending far beyond the borders of the Barbican.

After a few hours of sightseeing, Meisa arrives at the imposing gates of the palace. 

 Before she even steps foot inside, a group of armed guards, wearing full chainmail and carrying swords and shields, stop her advance. But upon seeing her attire, they let her pass without problems. 

Meisa walks into the palace. She enters a hall, the yellow lighting really illuminates the area in an ominous red. If there is something in this palace, it's the halls.

As Meisa continues further into the palace, she encounters a large group of nobles, dressed in extravagant outfits and carrying weapons. They wear masks, concealing their faces. Some of the nobles are looking at her curiously while others are glaring at her, clearly upset that she has intruded their private quarters.

Meisa looks at the human women sprawled around on the couch, or tied to wooden contraptions. This must be the male wing clearly.

 The female section must be in the East wing.

She sees that one woman is struggling violently against the rope binding her. She is yelling loudly, demanding to know where she is. 

"What a noisy rabble." Meisa snorts. "Right, Kaleo?"

 "Yes, my Lady. But... should we do nothing about the captive screaming and yelling at us?"

"That's their toy."

"What do you mean by that, my Lady?"

"I know you're new to our society, but don't ask questions."

Kaleo looks down. "Yes, My Lady. It is best not to ask further questions."

"Let's go to the East Wing now."

 "Yes, my Lady." Kaleo follows her lead as they're moving toward the East Wing of the palace. 

Entering the cooler air in the East Wing, Meisa immediately notices the piano playing loudly in the corner of the hall. For some reason, the sound just gives you a sinking feeling in your gut. All the elves in this room, wearing their masks, as if the entire function is a masquerade. 

Meisa feels naked as she enters the wing, she's the only one there without a mask, and in the sea of emotionless guests, she feels the raw atmosphere of detachment hitting her squarely. It doesn't help that the cold breeze blows from the veranda on the south side.

The pianist plays slowly, encompassing the slow scenery in the hall as all the attendees, like puppets on a string, slowly and mechanically take food and drink, and add to conversation.

Like as they rise from the dead, the atmosphere is similar and as cold as a coffin. The dirt on her face as if she's buried in a hundred pounds of soil, the naked pretence for her to see. 

Everyone here is pretending to be sane, behind that mask is a husk that's experienced a hundred years, minds staying the same, never changing. 

Meisa is just too immature to understand all this, all that is in front of her. She is young and stupid. She knows too little.