Eliyen

"It seemed like, we are the last ones," said Ulban as we stepped out of the building and saw two hundred girls already there with their bags in their hands.

Since the circle was destroyed; all the girls never stayed in the same place. Madam Onaz said, there was no place big enough in the city to keep us together. There is also, a thing about us needing different things.

We have grouped here based on the hobbies we have selected, our levels, and a few other factors.

Finally, the carriages came and stopped in front of us.

Immediately, the girls rushed toward them. Forgetting all the lessons and discipline; they had been taught in the past half a year.

"Don't rush girls!" shouted Madam Onaz and a moment later, I felt her skill.

I am not moving, but I felt the powerful compulsion. It hit the girls even harder as they slowed down. They moved slowly and in order.

"She is Lv. 25+, might even be level or two away from the Lv. 30," said Yani. I couldn't help, but nod.

Madam class is hard to level-up, but every madam, I had come across here, seemed to be at Lv. 25 and above. The only one who is not is young Madam Gloria, but she is young.

She is barely eighteen, but she has not only got the madam class but is also able to take it to Lv. 20.

It is extremely hard to achieve something like that. First and foremost, such young girls, don't get such responsibilities, and even if they do, most cave under the sheer pressure of the job.

I wanted to take my Prostitute class to Lv. 20. It had many privileges attached to it, including the private room; Madam Onaz had said the rule that the private room would remain the same.

The carriages filled one by one and the new ones took their place.

Finally, the last carriages came, and we walked toward it.

I didn't rush toward the carriages. I didn't see the point of doing it. We all were leaving for the same place; it didn't matter if we reached there a few minutes later.

The eight of us sat in the carriage, and the driver closed the door. A second later, it started moving.

In the past few months, rapid changes have occurred in the city.

From bustling, a growing small city to nearly deserted after the battle, to the bustling again. I read the newspaper earlier and the headline was the city's population had reached to level. It had been before the battle.

It shocked me because I know how hard it is. Cities like these get ruined and abandoned after the battles like those.

It happened in my city.

The name of the city was Ekri, and it was on the eastern side of the Oksall; one of the closest to the Navr. The undead attacked, and they had broken through the city like they did seven years earlier.

I had lost them in that battle, I didn't even remember them; I was three years old when it happened.

Nineteen years ago, when I was ten. They attacked and broke through the city, once more.

Oksall and the whole merchant state didn't think the city was important and didn't provide any reinforcement.

The city and its people fought bravely but lost.

The undead did what they always do; they took people. This time, it was my grandmother. I still remember as it was yesterday. The undead broke through our little house and dragged my grandmother away.

I still hear her screams in my nightmares.

The city tried to get on its feet after but failed and was abandoned.

I had spent a few years in the orphanage and when I was fifteen. I had sold myself to the brothel.

It is not like, I didn't try. I did, for almost a year, do all kinds of jobs, including begging, but even in a place like a merchant state, it's hard. Especially two decades ago, when the war against the undead got especially bad.

So, I made a choice between starving and a brothel.

Soon, the carriage turned and entered the square. My expression changed and turned somber.

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"This place," said a blond woman, whose name I can't remember, but everyone nodded.

The explosion is still fresh in my mind.

When the undead attacked. We were moved to a safe zone; we were in that building on the left. I was terrified as it brought back the memories of what, I had suffered two decades ago.

I was also cursing myself for not leaving when I had time.

We were given the chance to leave when the news of the undead spread. Many girls left, but I was too terrified to make a decision and went along with what madams had said.

Though, when I saw the undead through the window, I had decided, that I would leave the city. If I had survived.

"It was glorious and sad. If I were to die; I want to die like that," said Ubal, wiping the tears off her face.

I was terrified seeing the undead attacking the building, with guards barely holding them back. I thought it was about to end, when I saw, the familiar woman, being chased by hundreds of undead.

The same woman, who had greeted me when I came to the city and brought me to the safe zone.

She was leading the undead, attracting more.

It was a horrifying sight, and I expected her to get swallowed by them when she stopped at the dead center of the square.

She didn't. Instead, she brought out hundreds of bombs and threw them all around her before activating them together. The blast that was produced was so strong that it shook the buildings.

When the smoked cleared, every undead died. She had sacrificed herself to kill them all, and it is because of her sacrifice, the thousands of people, including those orphan children for whom, she had sacrificed her life for alive.

It was then and there, I decided, that I wouldn't run away. Give a chance to a place that forged a soul like her.

The somber mood stayed for a few minutes before the vibrancy returned to the conversation and the girls became excited again.

"The tower," "The canals,"

The guards called out as the carriage entered the mason road. Providing the view of the tower at the center of the park and the canal, which is beside it.

I could even see the faces of people on the boat.

"Did I tell you before that my father was a boatman. I could rove the boat," said Yani, looking at the boats excitedly.

"Many times," replied Ubal and me in unison.

It is especially true in the past two weeks since they filled the canal. Currently, only police and important people can boat, but in a week, it will be open to the public, like the park and the tower.

The bright boats looked good, and I heard the whispers that we might be able to ride it. I don't like water much, but I like to ride in a boat, at least once.

The carriages moved through the road by the canal, passing the bridge, leading to the park. There are four bridges leading to the park. Three will be open to the public, while the fourth will be restricted.

A few minutes passed, and another bridge came into view. Past it, is the collage.

Soon, the carriage reached the beautiful stone bridge across the canal and moved toward it. Everyone moved their heads toward the windows, trying to see as much as they could.

The carriage passed through the bridge and entered the collage.

"Look, there is a huge garden around the buildings," said Ubal and everyone looked harder.

I had heard about the garden and couldn't help, but feel excited as I saw it.

It looked even bigger than I had imagined.

Click!

The carriage stopped at the entrance of the garden surrounding the buildings. We nearly stumbled as I got out.

"Thank you," I said to the driver in a hurry and moved toward the gate to the garden. Which is being guarded by the man and woman. They didn't stop us as we entered inside, admiring the most beautiful garden I had ever seen.

There were gardens in Oksall and other cities, but I never got to see one, other than the small one in Ekri.

There are hundreds of girls, moving around the garden, looking at beautiful plants and flowers. Some didn't even listen to signs and plucked the flowers.

I wanted to do that too, but I controlled the urge.

As I looked at the garden, I could imagine spending my days here. Studying, working on my stitching, under the shade of a tree or one of those beautiful benches by the fountains.

It is truly beautiful and the more I look at it, the calmer, I feel.

I looked at it for a few minutes, before turning to the buildings.

"Classical Harsorthian mixed with Geasik. Architecture Amellus has really built a work of art," said Yani and I count help, but nod.

There are four big buildings. I turned to the biggest one.

It's a seven-story building, and it is beautiful. It will take the breath of anyone, who would look at it. Especially those massive wooden doors.

It will easily be able to hold eleven hundred and thirty-seven girls. It is bigger than the circle and will be our residence; the lessons will be held in other buildings.

If I am not wrong, the five-story building of similar architecture is where the learning will happen.

"It is a good thing; they have kept the residence and school separate. There is a need to be a space between them," said Yani.

She is interested in architecture and has been taking classes. She had even gone to visit a couple of projects that Elar and Amellus were working on.

"That should be a magic suit, right?" I asked. Looking four-story square-shaped building. It is the smallest of three big, but just as beautiful.

"Yes," replied Yani.

"I thought it would look more like a tower," I said. She turned and looked at me as if I had said the most idiotic thing.

"The mage tower is only built when there are elemental pools. It is considered an affront to tradition, to build a magic tower without them. Mages took a great offense to that and destroyed such things," she replied.

Her words left me bewildered. For a moment, I thought, she was joking with me, but she was dead serious.

I turned to the last building. It is five stories tall and in the shape of a tower. It is the only thing, that didn't follow the similar architecture as other buildings.

It is a spa, and it is built nearly the same as the previous one in the building. Only bigger in size. There is a spa in the tower, but that is for the patrons.

This one is only for us.

I admired it for a few seconds before turning to the small buildings. There are several of them. I don't know their purposes, but I will know soon.

"There are pools, big swimming pools behind the building,"

Screamed some girl and many ran toward it. I didn't move and explored the garden. I would have liked to enter inside the building, but the doors are closed.

I explored the area and even checked out the pools; there are three of them and all of them are big. Far bigger than the ponds that used to be a small garden in the circle.

Many girls have already removed their clothes and are swimming, not caring about the cold. The temperature may be cold, but the water is warm.

I wanted to swim too, but I didn't want to catch the cold. Especially not at an important time like this. It could derail my debut in the legacy.

It is not a price, I am willing to pay for a few minutes of fun.