Entrenched
It was long ago, longer than anyone can remember, that the glorious city of Estium was built. The many peoples that populated the city held the belief that it would last even longer, that its sky-touching spires and sprawling landscapes would never fade from memory as had the construction of it all. They all believed that it would never have a chance to fade, it would last. The Unending City, they called it, and were right in a way.
The spires did come toppling down eventually, and the landscape of Estium sprawled no longer. The forest reclaimed the city, tress grew side by side the buildings and no more did the people call it the Unending City. In fact, there was no one left to call it that. The only feet to tread the ground of Estium were those of the beasts of the forest. The only chatter heard was that of the birds resting in the branches of trees. No one saw this fate for Estium, they didn't have a chance to.
The entirety of Estium's demise, occurred in less than a day.
There were survivors, though, they had not been among the prosperous citizens who dwelt in the upper of Estium. The city had its fair share of the poor, though few knew about them. They were tucked away where the citizens didn't have to worry about them. They were given what they needed in exchange for being quiet, and so quiet, they remained. These people lived in the bowels of the city, the underground, the Trenches as they were called. A series of tunnels connected the whole of Estium, though one could assume that they covered more ground even, than the City. Homes were built into the ground, necessities were provided for the people. There was food, water, and light.
Those who lived in the Trenches did not complain about their situation, for most their situation had been handed down from parents, and had never even seen the City. It was the same with the people living up top, though they were even ignorant of the existence of the Trenches. It had been this way almost as long as the City had stood, it was always meant to be a temporary solution to their poverty issue. Temporary stretched out for a long time though.
The people of the Trenches changed over time, generations of living in the dark could do that. They could not escape, the doors were locked to them, and so were forced to accept their predicament. Unusual qualities popped up in children, physical as well as mental. It soon became commonplace to possess these qualities.
When the City fell, the Trenches did not. They were tightly sealed away within their tunnels, protected from the rapid expansion of the forest. Even the roots of the trees did not reach far enough to penetrate the tunnels. They never knew what happened.
It wasn't long until the supplies stopped coming though, it wasn't long at all until the lights started flickering out one, by one.
The spires did come toppling down eventually, and the landscape of Estium sprawled no longer. The forest reclaimed the city, tress grew side by side the buildings and no more did the people call it the Unending City. In fact, there was no one left to call it that. The only feet to tread the ground of Estium were those of the beasts of the forest. The only chatter heard was that of the birds resting in the branches of trees. No one saw this fate for Estium, they didn't have a chance to.
The entirety of Estium's demise, occurred in less than a day.
There were survivors, though, they had not been among the prosperous citizens who dwelt in the upper of Estium. The city had its fair share of the poor, though few knew about them. They were tucked away where the citizens didn't have to worry about them. They were given what they needed in exchange for being quiet, and so quiet, they remained. These people lived in the bowels of the city, the underground, the Trenches as they were called. A series of tunnels connected the whole of Estium, though one could assume that they covered more ground even, than the City. Homes were built into the ground, necessities were provided for the people. There was food, water, and light.
Those who lived in the Trenches did not complain about their situation, for most their situation had been handed down from parents, and had never even seen the City. It was the same with the people living up top, though they were even ignorant of the existence of the Trenches. It had been this way almost as long as the City had stood, it was always meant to be a temporary solution to their poverty issue. Temporary stretched out for a long time though.
The people of the Trenches changed over time, generations of living in the dark could do that. They could not escape, the doors were locked to them, and so were forced to accept their predicament. Unusual qualities popped up in children, physical as well as mental. It soon became commonplace to possess these qualities.
When the City fell, the Trenches did not. They were tightly sealed away within their tunnels, protected from the rapid expansion of the forest. Even the roots of the trees did not reach far enough to penetrate the tunnels. They never knew what happened.
It wasn't long until the supplies stopped coming though, it wasn't long at all until the lights started flickering out one, by one.
