~~~~
The massive city of Latrec was the
jewel of the empire. It attracted the wealthiest and most influential people in
the world to its doorstep. The streets were said to be clean as white marble,
it's building stretched into the sky and its people dressed in the finest
threads. Living within its walls was considered a sign you've made it to the
highest station in life. However, this is not a story the story of Latrec, but
of the village that sat in its shadow.
Latrec was built on top of a
tremendous cliff that overlooked a gigantic lake. A dozen colossal arches
extended from the city above into the lake below. Beneath these arches were
several outflow pipes, connected to Latrec's complex sewer system. While the
city above was a shining jewel, its sewers below were wretched without compare.
Even a swamp would be more pleasant to traverse than any stretch of these
underground tunnels. Yet, a few poor souls found themselves living within. They
could never hope to afford living on the streets above, nor did they have the
ability to survive outside the city's walls. Thus they were trapped in the
putrid halls of the sewer, packed like sardines with their numbers growing
every day.
"I can't stand it any longer,
we must do something," Albert declared, the young man's body was healthy
despite the conditions. However, his clothes were tatters, and he was covered
in filth.
"There's nothing to do, boy,
this is simply how it is," his father Arthur explained. The older man's
body was far worse than his son's. He was missing most of his teeth, his hair
was falling out, and his clothes were reduced to a few rags.
"I'm sick of hearing that
excuse old man," the son spat. "Soon there will be no room left in
this horrid place," Albert gestured to their surroundings. Along every
wall and structure in sewers were several people huddled together. Their
"homes" were no more than small rags they sat on at best, their
possessions few to none. Some were barely even conscious, others near
starvation. A few might have been dead, but no one had realized.
"And you have a solution,
boy?" Arthur coughed.
"We could expand our
space," the younger man proposed, "few live outside along the
arches."
"That's because few wish to
live near the edge," the father scoffed. "If you want to spend every
day one step away from falling to your death, so be it, but leave me out of
it."
"Foolish old man," Albert
stormed off.
"He'll be back," Arthur
wheezed and leaned back against the wall.
~--~
Albert would never see his father
again, he became too focused on his master plan. He gathered some like-minded
individuals and procured whatever materials they could find. They scoured
through trash heaps, dumpsters, and refuge. They stole from above or delved
deep below. They traversed the whole length of the lower depths of Latrec. They
learned a great deal of Latrec's construction and sewers through observation
and exploration. By the time they finished, Albert knew every nook and cranny
of the sewers like the back of his hand. He and his fellows could easily
navigate from the sewers above down to the lake below and back again.
With plans in motions and materials
gathered, they began construction of their simple expansion. With rotted,
decayed, and all-around poor quality wood, they built bridges and platforms
along the upper arches. With all they had learned, their project went by rather
smoothly. Their buildings were ramshackle, but by their standards livable. For
once in their lives, space was no problem.
"It is beautiful, is it not?" Albert
asked his friend. The young man had aged several years, his body became broader
and well-muscled, but his clothes were still ragged and filthy. He had lost a
tooth and finger in the construction, but in the end, he deemed it worth the
loss.
"Not the word I would use, but I do feel
proud," Joseph said and patted Albert on the back. The other man was the
same age as Albert, not as muscular, but certainly cleaner. "The tide of
new arrivals has let up, for the time being, I say we sure up what we got
before we suffer an accident."
"I see your point," Albert agreed
and looked upon the work already done. It was no more than a few wooden
bridges, platforms, and a couple roofed structures. All of it was slapped
together in the same ramshackle manner. The construction was amateurish but
worked well enough. Each structure was suspended in the air, with supports made
from the most durable wood they possessed. They would take no chances, for if
one of the structures fell, it was a long way down.
~--~
"Things are looking well for a
change," Albert commented. Their construction had grown so much in a short
time, and it was alive with activity. Dozens of the poor and destitute sang,
played, and lived along the new structure. It was like a small, happy village,
which made Albert smile more.
"I know what you're saying, but some are
less eager," Albert's friend Gordon replied. The older friend's face
covered in facial hair, complete with a tremendous and filthy beard,
contrasting his balding head. Gordon pointed to the outflow pipes, where a
handful of the less jovial watched with mixed expressions. Concern,
disappointment, confusion, and aggression were spread equally along their
faces.
"They'll
understand one day," Albert assured, "and if not, they can live in
those sewers the rest of their lives. As for me, I'll enjoy the fresh
air."
"If
you say so," Gordon shrugged, "but there's still work to be done,
Joseph is bringing up more wood from below now. Says he has a plan to get water
more easily from the lake."
"I can't wait for that,"
Albert stood up and prepared for his friend's arrival. He glanced up at the
sky, where the clouds swirled and danced. 'Of course, there's still that matter
to prepare for.'
~~~~
Oh boy, this was a story that came out of nowhere for me. It just sort of hit me at the end of a week and I had to write it. The other parts will be uploaded over the course of a week. Until next time, Read, Comment and Enjoy
~~~~
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