Fantasy World - Chapter 10 (Older Edition)

Sally woke up from her nap, looking around at the grungy and fragrant alley where she would often sleep.

Taking off her blanket, which was just several vegetable sacks sewn together, Sally stretched out her arms and rubbed her arms to help warm them up. Though the day would get swelteringly hot, the nights tended to be the opposite with being frigid. The blanket was only used for psychological support considering how much shivering she did as she tried to sleep.

Barely registering the smell of rotting garbage, she looked next to her to spot several rats staring at her. Half-heartedly waving her hand to get them to leave her alone, she sighed at experiencing another day.

Getting up, she wiped away the wet gunk that stuck to her legs and arms, using her blanket to try and wipe it off of her.

"I'll just wipe off the rest when it dries during the day," Sally muttered to herself.

Rolling up her blanket and using string to allow her to carry it, she headed over to the market to see if she could swipe some breakfast.

"If I'm lucky, one of the shop owners will be recovering from the night before, letting me get a decent breakfast." Sally tried to be optimistic.

Life in the Kingdom wasn't an easy life, especially in the southern parts where resources were limited. Being near the desert, the scarcity of supplies meant that a premium had to be paid to acquire anything.

The town primarily served as a depot for nearby villages and towns, so many headed to this slum to find a living but often failed to receive one.

Though it was early in the day, Sally could smell breakfast being readied in the houses she passed by. A woman yelling about breakfast being ready was heard by Sally, making her stomach rumble.

Hearing the sound of the children fighting their siblings, made her think about her childhood.

Chuckling to herself, Sally said, "Though it would usually be me that was cooking breakfast, considering how mom worked nights dealing with clients."

"Though she did try," Sally thought to herself sadly, remembering the condition her mother would be in after seeing a client.

Even though life was difficult for Sally's mother, she did a great job of raising Sally. The two of them lived in the slums but were happy to have a roof over their heads and each other. Sally learned that even without money being happy was possible, as long as there were people who cared about you.

"If only she stopped. I hated seeing all those bruises on her body." Sally gripped her fist, remembering how she would apply medicine to the wounds on her mother.

Even though Sally would beg her mother to stop the work she was doing, Sally's mother would just smile and tell her that everything would be alright. Compared to the rest of her face covered in bruises, Sally's remembered how her mother had a beautiful smile that lit up the entire room.

They would hold each other as they went to sleep, while her mother sang a lullaby to help Sally go to sleep.

Everything seemed to be going great, even with their difficult life until one night her mother never returned home. Thinking her mother was with a client, Sally had gone to sleep, but the next day her mother still hadn't returned home.

While Sally went through the day doing her usual routine, a fellow resident of the slums came to her house and informed her that her mother was found dead in one of the alleyways.

One of the prostitutes that worked around where her mother set up shop on the corner had seen a passing noble pick her up.

After the body had been discovered, many thought that it was likely that this noble had become angered and had Sally's mother killed. This was a common occurrence where prostitutes were murdered by the people that used their services.

Sally remembered crying in her home, knowing that she had lost the only person that cared about her. Never again would she get to enjoy the feel of her mother brushing her hair or laugh when her mother said a lame joke.

When the end of the week came, the person they were renting the home from had kicked her out. With Sally's mother being dead, Sally could not afford to stay there and was removed from the premises.

She quickly learned that the streets were unforgiving and had to adapt quickly. Everyone was trying to survive, not able to be concerned about other people's problems. What allowed people to make it through each day boiled down to finding a skill that could be leveraged.

Initially, as a young girl, Sally was able to use her age to catch people off guard and steal their possessions. Neighbors would often tell Sally's mother how adorable Sally looked, so she knew that manipulating people would be an easy task.

Targeting visiting merchants and travelers was her bread and butter, especially since they didn't know that Sally was a thief.

As she got older and became a young woman, it became harder to catch people off guard. Most of the people knew who Sally was and would be wary of her. But she soon learned that she had something else which could be offered.

Though her innocent features were lost, there were other tools that she discovered. With her body developing into a woman, Sally learned that she could get guys to help her out if she gave them a little attention.

Flirting became her strongest weapon, allowing her to survive in such a harsh environment. But there was one line she didn't want to cross. Not wanting to end up like her mother, Sally stayed away from being a prostitute.

Using the fabric of her tattered clothing, she wiped away tears that began to form. "Focus on the now, Sally," She told herself once again.

Entering the market, Sally kept to the shadows and observed the various stalls. With the sun still low and the many obstructions, there were plenty of places to hide.

"Hey Tim, looks like you got into a bit of trouble with your lady, after staying too long at the tavern? I'm sure, from your expression, that you head is also giving you some trouble, huh? HAHAHA!" A neighboring stall owner teased the poor man, who was resting his head on his arms and looking miserable.

The fruits and vegetables that he sells were on display, so the owner was taking a short break before residents came into the market.

"Tim, I just want to let you know that I'll appreciate your donation," Sally whispered to herself, grinning at the opportunity.

As she maneuvered herself closer to the stall, she took extra care in not being spotted by the stall owners. There were too many times she had gotten too eager and revealed herself. It would usually end with Sally running away while being chased.

Swallowing the saliva building in her mouth, anticipating the sweet juice from the fruits, Sally softly placed a foot in front of her and inched closer. Just when she was near her goal and about to grab some of the delicious fruits, Sally noticed a large wagon making its way into the market.

Compared to those she had seen entering this town, the number of goods it was carrying was immensely different.

"You don't have time to get distracted," Sally yelled at herself and quickly snatched several apples from the stall.

Instead of running madly away from the stall, she maintained her stealthy movements. Running away was a tactic which had little success. Moving in reverse, carefully placing her foot in the same spot, Sally was able to fade away from sight like a shadow.

Even with the apples in her arms and away from the market, it wasn't safe for her to take the time to eat the fruits of her labor. Sally made sure that no one was around as she carefully made her way behind a nearby store.

Behind the building was a tarp that covered several empty crates. Removing one of the restraints from the tarp, Sally revealed several smaller crates that she found around the town.

Setting her apples down, Sally began stacking the crates on top of the larger ones still covered by the tarp. Not wanting to make any noise that could attract someone's attention, she moved deliberately.

With the crates stacked up properly, there was now a way to access the roof of the building. Sally grabbed the apples and made her way to the top. Stepping effortlessly on top of the makeshift steps, she reached her objective.

Now that she was on the roof, the stress inside her lowered to tolerable levels.

It wasn't long before she was sitting on the edge of the roof, taking bites out of the fruit.

Enjoying the sweet flavor of the apple, she spied on the owners of the wagon. The owners looked like a young couple, both of them were very beautiful and eye-catching.

"What do we have here?" Sally wondered, seeing something not often seen in a rundown place like this one.

The wagon was maneuvered into one of the open spots. Once some type of brake was used on the wagon, the man got off from his seat and released his two horses that pulled the wagon.

While the man was taking care of the horses in the front, the woman was untying the ropes for the horses following the wagon.

Seeing that the man and woman had used horses, instead of mules, Sally's eyebrows rose, "These two must be extremely wealthy, being able to have two teams of horses."

She watched as they led their horses to the communal watering hole used by merchants for their animals.

After the animals were taken care of, she was in for another surprise when she saw the method in which they set up shop.

Instead of unpacking the wagon, the couple removed the tarp covering the wares and transformed it into a roof. From inside of the wagon some shelves were revealed, making it look like a mobile stall.

On the shelves, there was a wide assortment of goods placed onto them. Sally saw clothes, fruits, meats, vegetables, and an assortment of household products displayed. The number of goods that were shown was larger than the size of the wagon, making it seem like some magic trick was being revealed in addition to their wares.

As people started to flow into the market, the various stall owners were advertising their goods, shouting out special deals and how amazing their products were.

The couple's stall was slowly garnering interest from people, as people started to crowd their wagon. Customers could be heard shouting out offers and counter-offers.

Intrigued by the display of interest into this couple's goods, Sally licked her fingers, enjoying the remnants of the apples and proceeded down to the market.

Entering the market, Sally noticed many of the stall owners glaring at her. Sally's reputation proceeded her, causing the stall owners to be on guard when she showed herself.

Walking through the crowd that appeared in front of the wagon, she pushed her way to the front and looked at the numerous items on display.

When she saw the goods, her mouth gaped open due to how great they all looked. The fruits and vegetable glistened as if they were just picked moments ago, while the meat appeared to still be fresh with zero graying of the flesh.

Looking at the fish, the eyes still looked clear and not clouded, with gills that were still a vivid red. Being so far away from the ocean, they rarely received fish in the market.

A few times, traders would bring fish though it would be heavily salted, to preserve them. After cooking the fish the taste was often soft and mushy.

"Sir and Madam, where did you get such fresh goods?" A customer asked, his voice conveying how amazed he was with the quality of goods.

Both the man and woman smiled at the customer, happy to hear the review.

The man said, "We traveled from a city called Felicitas deep in the desert. Inside of the city, it is overflowing with wealth and opportunity. After learning about such a paradise, both of us headed towards the city and were amazed at all it had to offer."

Hearing the man's tale, the crowd was mesmerized and imagined what such a place would look like. All the nearby places were the same, looking abandoned and rotting from the lack of opportunities.

"If the city is in the desert, how are they able to get such goods?" A lady asked, sounding confused.

There were murmurs of agreement, with some voice stating, "Though we aren't in the desert it's still a nightmare to acquire anything. What allows them the ability to gather such quality of goods?"

Both the man and woman looked happy from the reaction they caused. It was as if they expected things to proceed in such a manner, making Sally a little suspicious.

"The master of the city is one who has access to great abilities and resources. Though no one has him, those who work under him talk about all that he has accomplished. It was if the city was like a mirage that was made into reality." The man answered the crowd, raising both hands as if to mimic the appearance of Felicitas.

Listening to the man's words, Sally became interested and wanted to visit this place. Though she was still suspicious, compared to life inside of the town, where every day was a struggle to survive, Sally wondered if this, Felicitas, was somewhere she could find solace.

Making her way out of the crowd, she returned to her alley where many of the outcasts were awake and chatting about various schemes. Some of the people called out to her in greeting, though Sally was too lost in thought to acknowledge them.

----------

After the first day of seeing the couple, Sally slowly began to become obsessed. Each day, Sally would watch the couple sell their merchandise.

The entire time, she listened to the stories of the place they came from. Hearing so much of the city known as Felicitas, Sally even began to dream about a magical city in the desert, causing her to want to hear more.

Once a week had passed, they seemed to be getting ready to head out of the town. Seeing them getting ready to leave left Sally with an empty feeling in her belly. No longer would she be able to listen to tales about a place that didn't feel possible.

After the couple had finished getting everything ready for departure, the two of them walked away, likely to get food before they started the long journey in front of them.

Thinking that this was a great opportunity, she silently headed towards the back of the wagon and maneuvered her way between the remaining crates.

There only looked to be a few wooden boxes left, which were filled with fruits and vegetables. These were likely the supplies the couples would use to reach their destination.

Sitting in the dark, Sally hoped that they were heading to Felicitas, where her life could finally begin.

----

Inside of the palace, Fredrick, assistant to the King, was worrying over the latest news. Lately, there were rumors of a mysterious city which had magically appeared in the desert to the south.

As far as anyone knew, there was nothing inside of this desert, and its only purpose was to define the territorial limit of the kingdom.

Initially, when Fredrick learned about this city, he thought it was the usual rumors that merchants spread to encourage the sale of their wares. Often they would make up fantastical stories about finding their products inside some lost labyrinth or ancient city, to increase the mystery of a product. These tales were usually made up, scams for unsuspecting customers.

Paperwork alerting him of these tricks would occasionally pop up on his desk, making him send guards to deal with these merchants.

The problem this time around was how these new dealers popping out of nowhere, with vast amounts of wealth. All of them were selling high-quality goods and caused an uproar in the local economy.

Goods that were sold varied greatly, from food items to common wares used in households. Many of them were never seen before, causing confusion among consumers.

Guards were sent out, but when they returned all of them talked about how fantastical everything appeared. Each one talked about sending their wives to look at the products.

Some of the shops had fancy items, such as scented soaps and perfumes, at low prices compared to other stores. This caused their wives to go mad, buying up everything.

As time passed, people began to purchase products from these new stores and stalls.

Initially, Fredrick was happy considering how incoming taxes would increase. As many in governments understood, a nation was only as strong as its military and economic power.

To fund a growing military, a nation needed to find methods to encourage growth, both the number of successful businesses and their population size. These two items helped to increase the amount of tax revenue a nation could gather.

With an influx of business, the kingdom would have a prosperous future.

After a month, Fredrick heard that the population in the slums was decreasing, drastically decreasing crime in the city.

This was unusual and when he tried to investigate what had happened to the people inside of the slums no one knew. Going to the various gangs and underground organizations, he heard whispers about a city called Felicitas, located deep in the desert.

Assuming that these people had immigrated to this city, Fredrick no longer gave it a second thought and happily reported to the King about the criminal activity being at a record-breaking low. Receiving praises from the King, Fredrick headed towards the nearest brothel to celebrate his great success.

The problems didn't start until a couple of months later when he learned from the city guards about a large number of families who looked to be leaving. In addition to families moving out, there were a large number of slaves being purchased.

Cities were always seeing a change in population size, as people coming in were unable to find opportunities and returned to where they came from. This was a natural process that all nations faced.

The issue wasn't that people were leaving the city, but the number of individuals that were pouring out. Without a census being performed, he couldn't know the exact figure of those leaving, but estimates had it to where fifteen percent of the city's population had emigrated.

There wasn't a specific reason as to why families were leaving, which was another problem. Without understanding the problem, Fredrick couldn't find a solution to fix this mess before the King learned about it.

He knew that many of the citizens were unhappy due to treatment from the nobles, creating concerns about riots taking place. With the slums nearly empty and the economy getting stronger, he concluded that these were no longer issues. It wasn't until he received reports from the guards that Fredrick worried.

"Smith! Get in here, immediately!" He yelled for his secretary.

The door to his office quickly opened, and a thin man dressed in a pompous outfit rushed in. "My lord, is there anything I can assist you with?" Smith asked, looking nervous at Fredricks angry expression.

"I need you to schedule a meeting with the leader of the Shadows, immediately! Tell her that she needed to be in my office yesterday!" Fredrick ordered Smith.

Nodding his head and telling him that it would be done immediately, Smith closed the door behind him.

Shadows was a group inside of the kingdom that handled covert assignments, such as infiltration, spying, and assassination. The leader was a woman that always wore a mask, so no one knew her actual identity, aside from Fredrick and the King.

-------------

As Fredrick was getting ready to leave for the night, he heavily sighed about what he was going to report to the King. A decrease of fifteen percent would have a heavy impact on how much the crown would receive. Even if six percent of that figure were made up of those living in the slums, it would mean that nine percent were tax-paying individuals.

After locking up all of his documents into a safe, the lights within the room went out. Plunged into complete darkness, Fredrick said, "Shade, it looks like you received my summons."

A velvety voice answered him, "A bird told me that you wanted to see me."

"Could we do without the theatrics?" Fredrick said, sounding annoyed by Shade blacking out the room.

Fredrick watched as a floating flame appeared, and lit one of the many candles in the room. The warm glow cast shadows all across the room; the hidden meaning wasn't lost on him.

"Have you heard of the new city in the desert?" He asked.

"Felicitas." She answered, indicating she knew of the city.

Gritting his teeth, he said, "Yes. I need you to investigate this city and find out why there's such interest surrounding it. The pay will be twice the amount, so I expect a detailed account."

With the mask on her face, Fredrick was unable to discern her expression but imagined that she was smiling.

A gust of wind blew out the candle and once again plunged him into darkness.

"Fucking, bitch...," He cursed.

----

Sally woke up as the tarp was abruptly removed, flooding her eyes with blinding light. Rapidly blinking her eyes, trying to get them to adjust, she slowly saw the image of the young couple looking at her.

"Did you enjoy your trip?" The woman asked her, in a pleasant voice.

Raising her arms defensively, Sally cried out, "I'm sorry for sneaking into your wagon! I just wanted to see the city you spoke about!"

"Looks like you picked up a hitchhiker," A voice chuckled, off to the side.

"The girl was watching us in the town that we visited," The man explained as he grinned at Sally.

"Wait... You knew that I was watching you and that I snuck into your wagon?!" Sally asked, shocked that they would allow her to just go with them and not say anything.

"Why do you think we had all that food in the back that was not secured?" The woman teased Sally.

"But why?!" Sally stammered, confused about their motive.

"We knew that you wanted to come to Felicitas. If we invited you, we knew that you would be suspicious, so we just gave you the opportunity." The woman answered.

Now that her eyes fully adjusted to the light, she looked around and saw that they were in front of a massive wall.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Welcome to Felicitas!" The couple congratulated her.

------------

After separating with the couple, Sally headed to the entrance. The entrance was massive, looking like it could fit six wagons side by side.

Approaching one of the guards stationed by the entrance, Sally said, "I was told by the merchant couple that you would be able to help me? I'm not sure what I need to be doing."

The guard was covered in some kind of armor. There were a lot of edges and completely black, looking more formidable than the ones the guards from her town wore.

Raising his arm to the side of his helmet, the guard said, "this is Rick from unit Alpha. I have an individual who is requesting for citizenship."

As if he was listening to some kind of command, the guard turned towards her and in a gentle voice said, "I am sure you have already guessed, but my name is Rick. Welcome to Felicitas, I will be guiding you to the Welcome Office where you will be getting your citizenship status."

"What is citizenship, and why do I need to get it to come into the city?" Sally asked, confusion written on her face.

"Citizenship means that you consider Felicitas to be your permanent home. Most people, like yourself who approach the guards by themselves, are looking to find a place for themselves."

"Once you become a citizen of Felicitas, you will be qualified for the many benefits given. To get into the city, being a citizen is not required but to enjoy all that the city has to offer is." Rick explained to Sally in a patient manner.

After Sally was satisfied with Rick's explanation, they headed into the entrance. Waiting for them was a small wagon with several seats in it that was hooked up to a metallic looking horse. It took her a moment, looking at the horse move as if it was alive before Rick gently nudged her to enter the vehicle.

Sitting down on the seat, Sally thought it was the most comfortable seat that she sat on in her life. Without any directions given to it, the horse started to trot at a decent pace.

As they entered into a long tunnel, the light from the sun transitioned to an artificial one. On either side of the path, there were giant crystals the lit up the interior.

Seeing Sally look at the crystals, Rick said, "Those are mana crystals, and they provide light when mana is inserted into them."

Looking to one side, she saw several wagons and people heading in the opposite direction. A lot of them had a similar appearance to the couple she had met earlier, making her think they were merchants.

"Our city gets a lot of people stopping by to try out the wares and promote their own. This city has a special economy, making it an attraction for merchants looking to get a better idea of how their products will sell." Rick explained when he saw her looking at the people.

Turning to face Rick, Sally asked, "What makes the city so special?"

Not answering her question, he raised a finger to his lips and gave a wink. It was clear that he wanted her to discover the mystery for herself.

Soon the carriage slowed as a line of similar-looking vehicles waited in front of them. All the carriages stopped in front of a wall. There was a light on the wall next to it that glowed red and several guards below that looked to make sure no one rushed ahead.

Facing Rick to ask what was happening, all she got was him grinning and pointing a finger ahead.

Pouting at not being let in on what was happening, she noticed people walking past, entering a hallway off to the left. There was another hallway past the first one with people walking out.

A guard carried a red glowing wand and held it in front of her, while the people walked behind her. Once they were in the other lane, they followed in the same direction as everyone else.

Once the people had all cleared, the woman lowered the glowing wand and returned to standing next to the two smaller tunnels.

Seeing people going down the hallway and looking ahead, an idea began to form inside of Sally. It was at that moment where the light in front of the line turned yellow and a rumbling noise was heard.

The wall in front of them began to move and soon Sally saw a hallway emerge.

"How?" Was all Sally could say, seeing such a scene.

Chuckling at her reaction, Rick explained, "The mechanism is set up to allow wagons to easily enter the city. With the way the entrance is set up, a wagon would have a difficult time making the turn, so they created this system."

Sally merely nodded at Rick's words.

Once the light turned green, everyone in front began to move.

There was a slight jolt before the carriage she was sitting in began to move. Soon they were inside of the giant mechanism.

The interior was washed in red light. When it began to move, again, the light switched to a yellow.

Soon, she saw a line similar to the one she was just in facing them. When the light inside turned green, people motioned for their vehicles to move.

At the end of the tunnel, it opened up into the city proper. All Sally could do was be amazed by everything she saw. The buildings were vastly different, compared to the town she lived in.

A big difference was how clean everything looked. There were plenty of people casually walking around as they appeared calm and happy.

"There are so many people here!" She stated to Rick.

Chuckling at her wonder, Rick said, "Compared to the large cities in the Kingdom and Empire, we are very small regarding how many people there are. But the size of this city is several times larger than the largest city in either the Kingdom or Empire."

Sally continued to stare at all the people, as she listened to Rick. There wasn't the same feeling of struggle and hopelessness that she became used to seeing on these people's faces.

Each one looked like they were walking around with a sense of purpose, even if they were casually relaxing in front of a cafe, drinking tea.

As they made their way deeper into the city, she enjoyed the smell of delicious food being cooked or baked.

"When we finish at the Welcome Office, I will take you to the Shopping District where we can get some food to eat," Rick told her.

"District? What's that?" Salley asked.

"The Master of Felicitas separated the city into five districts, each having their specialization. The current section we are in is the Housing District where those who have just arrived in the city and residents live." He indicated all of it with a hand.

Pointing at the places where people were sitting and sipping on drinks, he said, "There are several small shops for those looking to grab something to eat or items they need."

"In the center of the city are many of the governmental buildings, such as the Welcome Office," Rick explained to Sally.

As the vehicle moved past people, several called out to Rick, asking if he was finished with work and if he wanted to head to the Shopping District to get some beer. Rick would shout back he was still working, but to save him a seat if he was able to make it.

Based on the exchange, the people here seemed to be very friendly and welcoming, as they laughed and chatted with one another. It felt like a warm place to live in.

Sally looked in front of them and soon saw a giant rectangular building with no windows. It was the largest building by far compared to the others, and almost rivaled the wall surrounding the city.

"Mister, what is that building there?" She asked Rick.

Looking at where Sally was pointing, he said, "That is the Stronghold where the Master of this city resides. It is where all those who follow him also live."

"Why are there no windows?" She followed up.

Scratching his helmet, Rick answered, "No one knows why the Stronghold has no windows. Some think that it is for protection, against those that would wish him harm. Others think that it is related to the challenge he sent out to adventurers stating that anyone that reaches a certain floor would receive a reward. With having such a challenge, having windows would defeat the purpose of the challenge, so the Master did not include any."

"The Master challenged adventurers to enter the Stronghold?" She questioned, thinking that this was a silly thing to do. Why would a noble ask adventurers to infiltrate his home?

Understanding what Sally was thinking, he chuckled, "The Master is a very powerful mage, and his followers are just as formidable. No one in this world would be able to fight against him." Rick's voice was overflowing with admiration.

At the end of the district, there was a building with a sign that said, "Welcome Office." It was a pure white building, with trees and flowers planted in front of it.

Sally thought it was such a pretty building, and felt that it accurately portrayed the city's priorities as being a peaceful city.

When the wagon stopped in front of the office, Sally and Rick got off and walked inside.

The interior was open, with a large window on the ceiling facing the sky. In front of them was a large table with several people waiting behind it. Each of the workers had a cheerful smile and looked happy to see Sally.

Rick motioned for Sally to go ahead towards the counter.

When she reached the counter, one of the workers asked her, "Hello, how may I help you today?"

"I want to become a citizen of Felicitas," Sally said in a shy voice.

"Is this your first time inside of the city?" The lady asked Sally.

Seeing Sally nod her head, the woman said, "Well, I would first like to tell you 'Welcome to Felicitas.' We are happy that you have decided to make this wonderful city your home, and we hope that you enjoy your stay. All we will need from you is your name and your age."

"My name is Sally, and I'm fifteen years old." She answered.

"Hello, Sally. I am glad to meet you." The lady said cheerfully.

Looking away to face some kind of display, the lady turned to face Sally and said, "You will be living inside Building G, in room 45."

Motioning with her arms, she said, "If you proceed to the room over there, we will create your citizenship card. Your card will also be what you use to enter into your room."

"How do I pay for the room?" Sally asked sounding concerned.

She remembered how she was kicked out of her home after her mother had passed away. Being homeless, she couldn't raise any money aside from what she was able to steal so she was worried when the woman talked about a room to live in.

The lady smiled understandingly and said, "Sally, there is nothing to worry about. Your room will be provided to you at no cost. As long as you are a citizen of Felicitas, you will not have to worry about whether you will have a place to sleep."

Sally was stunned after hearing what the lady had said.

"What kind of place is this city?" She thought to herself as she made her way to the room.

A woman approached from behind Sally, saying, "Hello, Sally. I will be guiding you to where you will be receiving your card."

Seeing the woman behind the counter smiling and nodding her head, Sally followed the new lady.

Inside the room, a man was sitting behind a desk.

While Sally stood by the door, the woman said, "Hello, Steve. I have someone who would like to get their citizen card made. Do you think you could help her?"

The man looked at Sally, saying, "I think I can make that happen. Hello, my name is Steve. What is your name?"

"My name is Sally," She answered, not feeling nervous from meeting so many new people.

"Hello, Sally. I will be creating your card, today. If you will come over here and look at this tube, I will use the crystal inside to take an image of your face and place it on your card." The man gently told her and guided Sally to where she needed to stand.

The process was very quick and shortly after Sally had her official citizenship card. Waving her hand at the people who helped her out, she made her way towards where Rick was sitting.

Seeing Rick sitting in such a nice looking lobby with all his armor on, Sally giggled.

Hearing Sally giggle, Rick looked up from the thin book he was reading. Instead of a leather cover, the front of the book had a person's face on it.

"I see that you are finished with getting registered," Rick said cheerfully. Getting up, he placed the strange book down on a counter that had more of such things on it.

"Let us head to someplace where we can get a delicious and hot meal," He suggested. "When we get back, they should have your room ready with all the necessities."

"What do you mean?" She asked him.

Raising a finger to where his mouth would be, Rick said, "It'll be a surprise."

When they left the building, Rick raised his arm at a passing wagon. It looked similar to the one they had ridden on but this time it was driven by a man."

When Sally and Rick entered the carriage, Rick said, "Shopping District, please."

The man gave a smile and signaled the metallic horse to move forward.

As they headed towards the Shopping District, Sally looked at the sky and saw that it was close to evening with the sun beginning its descent.

Even though it was getting late, there were still plenty of people walking around in the center of the city.

Just like in the entrance, there were people wearing uniforms and waving glowing sticks. They helped to direct the traffic going into the center and moving to the other districts. All the carriages moved in a single direction.

Even more impressive was the network of walkways above the road with people walking about.

"With a clear view of the city, this area is a popular spot for kids to meet up. I am sure that you will be hanging out here soon, making friends." Rick said to her, gently laying a hand on her head and ruffling her hair.

Seeing the kids, many of them close to her age, Sally felt herself get a little emotional. She looked forward to the day where she can hang out with people and call them friends. No longer would she be around others who only approached her with aims to get something from her.

As they made their way around the inner circle, the carriage made its way into the Shopping District.

Going into the district, she saw tons of stores of varying types. There were stores just for women's clothing, restaurants, housing supplies, men's clothing, and much more. This area was several times busier compared to the Housing District.

"What type of foods do you enjoy eating?" Rick asked her when they entered the section.

Sally lowered her head after Rick asked her. "I don't know," She answered in a depressed voice.

Living on the street, Sally never had the luxury to think about what type of food she enjoyed. A meal was whatever she could manipulate out of a boy or steal herself.

Seeing that he had touched a sore subject, Rick said, "Why don't we go to a hamburger shop?"

"Hamburger?" Sally asked, never hearing that term before.

"It is a type of food that was newly created. Many kids enjoy this type of food, so I think you would also think it is delicious!" Rick said, trying to cheer her up from his earlier blunder.

When they reached a colorful building, Rick and Sally exited the carriage. Waving to the man in the carriage, Sally looked at the restaurant and saw a lot of people inside through the numerous windows.

As they approached the door, workers from the restaurant opened up the doors and welcomed them inside. Going into the restaurant seemed like she was transported to another world. Just like how the city looked amazing, the inside of this restaurant blew her breath away.

There were mana crystals attached to the ceiling, lighting up the interior. All around were tables with people laughing and enjoying themselves. The material used to make up the building looked very expensive, making her wonder if they would be able to afford the food.

The two of them approached a woman, who asked them, "Would the two of you enjoy a booth or table?"

"We will be taking a booth," Rick answered the woman, who led them to a table with two couches on either side.

Sliding onto the couch, Sally enjoyed the way that it enveloped her. The material used was very comfortable and made her think that she could even sleep on it.

It wasn't long before another woman approached them, with some paper in her hand, which she laid on their table.

"Hello. Welcome to Terry's Burgers. My name is Venessa, and I will be assisting you." She greeted the two of them, given them a bright smile.

Pointing at a device attached to the table, Venessa said, "If you have any questions about the food, just press the mana crystal on the table, and I will come over. When you are ready to order, feel free to press the crystal."

"Would you like any drinks, as you are looking over the menu?" Venessa asked them, in a cheerful voice.

"Could you bring us two strawberry and banana juices?" Rick asked her. The lady nodded her head and walked towards the back of the restaurant.

Seeing Rick order something that sounded expensive, Sally said in a quiet voice, "Mister, I don't have any money on me." She felt guilty that this man would have to pay for her, and worried that he would get angry and kick her out.

Removing the helmet off from his head, it revealed a kind older man. He looked like some of the soldiers that would occasionally stop in the town before they headed off to another destination.

Rick had dark brown hair, which was slightly receding from age. There was a scar over his left eye, likely from a vicious fight. Even though he looked like someone who knew about fighting, he didn't seem like a bad man.

Sally imagined him as what it would be like to have an older brother looking after her.

"Sally. I can guess that you have had a very rough life. I am sorry that you had to go through such a thing." He placed a hand over hers and gently squeezed them.

"You are now in Felicitas. No longer do you need to worry about having a roof over your head or wonder where your next meal is going to be coming from. In this city, you are a kid so you should start acting like one." Rick gently said to her, his voice sounding emotional.

"I don't understand. Do kids not have to pay?" She wondered.

"No. In this city, a citizen is not required to pay for anything inside of here." He said, smiling.

"How...?"

"It has something to do with the Master of Felicitas," Rick said, scratching his chin while thinking how to explain it to her.

"Using his abilities, he made it so that this city would not have to worry about lacking any resources. Regardless of what happens outside of the city, inside Felicitas, everyone will have enough resources to take care of them. In the Supply District, you can enter into other worlds that are filled with resources. To help gather the resources, the Master of this city has created armies of golems that can do all the work that normally people would do." Rick said to her, grinning.

"These golems go throughout these worlds and bring back the materials to be used by all the districts. Whatever you need there is a world full of resources and golems that are tirelessly gathering them and making into various goods." He waved his hands, looking like an excited kid.

"But if golems are making everything, then what do people do all day?" Sally asked.

Rick nodded his head, impressed by Sally's critical thinking. "People are free to pursue what they enjoy doing. If you want to work on something that a golem is working on, all you need to do is show up and have someone teach you. Even the golems can interact with people and teach them how to complete each task until the individual becomes comfortable to take on the task themselves."

Seeing how lost Sally still was, he continued, "Inside of this city, each person can receive an education. After a person goes through the school system, they can go on and learn a skill they want to work in. If that person does not want to learn a skill, they will receive assistance if they want to create a new skill or business."

"What happens if that person doesn't want to do anything and just go shopping all day," Sally asked.

Rick nodded his head some more, impressed at how Sally understood the key issues. "If a person does not wish to contribute, he is initially taken to see a doctor. In this city, there is a medical facility located in each of the districts."

"Someone that does not wish to contribute is first sent to the medical facility to determine if there is anything physically or mentally wrong with them. If the doctors determine that there is something medically wrong with him, then they determine if it is possible to solve it.

"Sometimes a person may be depressed and just needs to have a strong support base, to reach their potential. After all, this takes place, and doctors can not determine a specific cause, for the lack of desire to contribute, that individual is free to do what they want to as long as it does not conflict with someone else." Rick said.

"What happens if what they start fights with others?" Sally asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, Rick said, "If after all our efforts the person wants to cause trouble, they are removed from the city and forbidden from returning."

Rick pointed at the crystals, "These crystals have multiple purposes. Not only do they serve the obvious purpose, like asking for a server, they also keep track of a person's mana signature.

"Each person has a unique signature, and these crystals can detect and observe a person's signature. If something happens inside of the city, these crystals can create an image of what happened. This is something no other location has. It also helps to make my job easier." He laughed at the end.

Pointing at his helmet, Rick continued, "Inside of my helmet, I have a screen that lets me see all around me. When I need to see what happened, I can get permission from the owner or the City to view the incident. It lets me know who was involved and where they are inside the city."

"The best part is that every citizen has the power to report anyone they feel is abusing the crystal network. Near the Stronghold, there is a building that is in charge of looking into people abusing their privileges. If anyone is found abusing their power, they are sent into the Stronghold to talk with one of the Master's followers." His voice grew serious as he explained this.

"Inside the Stronghold, one of the followers would find out what that person's motivations are and determine if they can stay or leave the city. If a banished person tries to re-enter the city, the mana crystals will flash red and alert everyone that an intruder is inside of the city." He crossed his arms in front of his chest, looking satisfied by how the city handled crime.

Hearing Rick's explanation, Sally was amazed at how this city operated. She wondered how the Master was able to figure all this stuff out and create such a peaceful city where people could live.

Opening the menu, Sally looked through each of the dishes. Almost all of the dishes that were listed were very foreign to her. In the corner of the menu, there was an area that was for those new to the city.

There were two types of burgers, a beef and a chicken one. A brief description helped explain what was included and how to eat it. Sally ended up deciding to get the beef one, to see what it was like.

"Have you decided?" Rick asked her.

"I'm going to have a beef burger." She said.

Agreeing with her decision, he pressed the mana crystal. In a matter of moment, the woman that was there before came with their drinks. They told her what they wanted to eat, and enjoyed the juices that were placed on the table.

"This is delicious!" Sally said, wide-eyed.

"Haha. I am glad that you are enjoying the drink. The fruits that are used come from the supply district, so they were likely picked this morning." He informed her.

Sally enjoyed the naturally sweet flavor from the fruit and thought back on how much effort she would have had to put in getting the number of fruits required for this juice. Though the memory did bring up some painful feelings, for the first time she felt like she was safe and belonged.

-------------

Sally enjoyed the wagon ride away from the beautiful looking restaurant. Her belly was full from the delicious food, and she was starting to doze off.

When she was awakened, she saw that she was in front of a tall building that had dozens of windows. Rick helped her in going through the building and reaching her room.

Pulling out her card, she swiped it in front of the mana crystal and opened the door. Once she was inside, Sally saw all the furniture set up. When she got further into the room, she realized how large it was. There was a living area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. Each room was filled with stuff that she would need.

"What do you think of it?" Rick asked her, smiling at how she was spinning around the room.

"Is this all mine?" She asked, still not believing it to be true.

"Yes. All of this is yours. If there is anything that you do not care for, just go to the Shopping District and select a replacement. The people there will have your item delivered to you," He explained.

Dashing into the bedroom, Sally started to cry when she saw the giant bed that was covered by a fluffy blanket.

When Rick entered the room, Sally turned towards him and started to cry. This was the first time that she would be able to sleep on top of a bed. In the past, she always wondered what it would be like to sleep on top of a bed. Even the place she lived with her mother didn't have a bed.

They stood there for a while, as Sally released all of her pent up emotions. After some time had passed, he wished her a good night and left her room.

Standing in the middle of the living area, she looked again at all the furniture she had. She felt like a noble living inside of the capital. A part of her thought that she would wake up, and this would all be a dream.

Going into her bedroom, Sally went to the closet, and upon opening it, she discovered that it was filled with various types of clothing.

Inside the closet, there was an envelope. Taking out the envelope and opening it, she saw that it was a letter.

[Hello Sally,

We hope that your first day was a magical experience.

Even though you feel that you have reached your destination, we want to let you know that you have just reached the beginning. Arriving at Felicitas was never the destination.

Being here is where you will learn about who you are and where you are meant to go. The Master of Felicitas created this city to allow people the ability to pursue their dreams, and we want you to know that we will be here to help make sure that you have all the tools necessary to accomplish your dreams.

Sincerely,

Everyone in the City of Felicitas]

Holding the letter, Sally saw teardrops falling on the letter.

Pressing the letter to her chest, she quietly said, "Mother, even though I miss you every day, I want you to know that I'm okay now. Everything is going to be okay."

----------

Climbing one of the many dunes, Shade looked towards the city. With the stars shining down and both of the moons hanging in the sky, the city truly looked magical. Thinking about all the fun that she was going to have, Shade smiled to herself.

"Leader, we are ready to infiltrate the city," One of her followers said to her.

Behind her, a dozen Shadows were wearing innocent-looking merchant outfits. They had purchased various types of wares to resemble a merchant train traveling the desert. The number of Shadows assigned to a wagon was random, appearing natural as they approached the city.

Looking back at the city, Shades removed her mask and said, "Let the fun begin."