Om

I walk the stone-paved streets of Paradisum, I'm fascinated by the geometry of the individual blocks interlocked to make the pavement. Construction is still taking place but everything feels like it grew up from the ground overnight. I've been watching the city grow but my mind is still boggled by everything I see. The main streets are wide, wide enough to walk a team of twenty horses shoulder to shoulder comfortably.

There are lanes of grass between the stone and dirt walkways with a stream canaling down the middle in a continuous fountain. A plane of water, a land of earth, a land of stone, and a lane of grass which I have taken to walking on barefooted. The grass lane is bouncy, easy to run on as a two warriors do chasing each other down the street. A deer-beast fae prances down the dirt lane exuding splendour, people get out of his way as he passes unarmed. I can feel everything from everyone when I focus hard enough but generally, I can feel a general everything from generally everyone.

[MHhhh], a deep breath in.

I can taste the mood and breath of my surroundings and this city is deliciously wholesome. The mood is hungry, excited, hopeful, growing, pregnant. I stare at a group of hoofed fae galloping by, people with hoofs, will wonders ever cease? I put my boots back on and get back on the stone lane, I find it more comfortable to walk on soil or grass than stone barefoot but I can run fastest on stone.

The bouncy golden grass is also where most of the horses that have been introduced into our society by the Highlanders walk, I like horses. A few enterprising tribesmen catch them after battles, some of the Sandie units ride them, very fast beasts, strong and feirce too. I like horses, I'm yet to catch myself a warhorse personally but I'm on the lookout. There are Tribesmen everywhere working together with other races building things everywhere I look.

Each building has its own latrines and a cistern attached to it that flows with clean water washing down the soiled water through the underground sewer tunnels. The cistern collects water used for cooking, cleaning, drinking, washing and now flashing away our shit down to the sewers. It’s an ingenious design that has already resulted in more of us keeping clean than is usual for the tribes, it unnatural having everyone so clean for so long. The women especially love it.

Inside each structure there is either a courtyard with bare soil or a garden or orchard planted in it. Or bare soil within the house itself where a small tree is allowed to grow either for coco-wet leaves or whatever else the family there finds most convenient.

We would have never thought to plant bushes, small trees and such inside our houses. But the fae are tree lovers and just designed it that way with coco wet-leaves make stocking on it to wipe your ass and hands an easy convenience. The houses are made of stone bricks the dwarves designed and enchanted somehow. Not wanting to be out done, the dwarves used their 'lego' design.

A way of making bricks such that one fits into the other to make a solid wall even before the concrete is added. When the concrete is added, both between each brick and also paved onto the walls. Making the walls nay impenetrable. And these are just the houses. The city walls are on another level altogether.

This interlocking 'lego' design and concrete allows them to build high. Higher than usual, making wide pentagonal buildings with five sides and an open courtyard in the middle.

These building are at least 160 feet tall and have five different floors. A behemoth of a building the dwarves call apartments that are designed to house 250 people comfortably.

Each apartment within these buildings has its own latrine, two separate private chambers, an anteroom, a room where an oven and a cooking area can go and a balcony designed to be filled with soil for planting. There are currently 12 such buildings in Paradisum, 6 housing some 3000 tribesmen who've crammed in with their families. So far there is one in each district.

Behind each of these buildings is a three mile swath of land dedicated to trees, grass and a training area. What the fae call 'parks'. Each district was initially divided into Norse, Viking, Scavenger, Savages, Saxons, Jotnar, dwarf and fae. With the dwarven apartments mostly underground, leaving two stories above ground as opposed to the other living complexes.

I have taken an avid interest in the construction. Going so far as to participate as a brick layer for a few months. The work gained me the respect and tenuous friendships with a group of Highlander relatives. Seven cousins that travelled here with the fae and are currently thinking of staying. Though some of the highlanders are only here to build, trade and return home some are looking for better prospects.

All those that stay are expected to fight at some point, and that is where their hesitation is. The group I met has a little sister they protect above all else. A quiet soft spoken young woman with red hair and a quick wit once she gets comfortable. I like her, and if I take her as a mate she doesn't have to be a fighter. She will be a Norse by mating and belong here.

The girl has already met with Divina and ma. They both like her and her overprotective family. But to be honest I had eyes on Ava and I was disappointed to learn she had left for other lands two years ago. But Kiera is nice, clean, and we've gotten along well so far.

I reach the growing market area and look around. Here is another building project that was debated to exhaustion. Where to have a dedicated market or build store fronts for specific products. We ended up doing both. There is a market made from permanent wooden structures, trees and treated grass everywhere.

There are even trees designed to be pissed on that absorb the piss and use it to grow in conjunction to water. Where the fae found such things I don't know but they are put to work in the marked area. Mostly human urine isn't good for the treated grass, so the piss trees have became necessary.

There are a few public latrines in the market but already they seem to be too heavily used to be naturally kept clean. They will either need dedicated cleaners soon, or we will need a lot more of them. Public paying jobs are things we are slowly being introduced to. Things are changing quickly out here in the front lines but things are still mostly the same out in the villages deeper within the Tundra.

Paradisiam is supposed to be an experiment in adaptation but even Hill-town is trying to adopt some of these changes and designs, just slowly. The new longhouse designs are the most revolutionary by my opinion.

Between each district are 'traditional' long-houses, where discussions, drinking, mass feasting and even sleeping still takes place. We Barbarians are a social people after all. The long-houses bring the different tribal communities together. But the divide can't last long within Paradisum anyways. Not with the intertribal fucking, fighting, mating, friendships and families popping up from such close proximity to each other all over in the last two years.

War and blood makes for a horny, thirsty people. But to be honest we are all having the time of our lives. Even the more traditional that say things are changing too quickly hesitate to leave lest they miss another big battle.

The new houses the fae built for themselves are big. What they call mansions. One was built for each chief and smaller ones for some of the elders and seers. By smaller I mean big enough to house 20 people easily instead of the sprawling monstrosities the main mansions are. The scale with which the fae and dwarves work is astronomical to us Barbarians. But we accept. From mansions to complexes to the more 'normal' houses for the masses having room to comfortably house 4 people.

Most young warriors and small families live in these smaller houses. Every Tribesman and woman has a unit of their own with more being built everyday.

But with possessions comes greed, something I heard a few of the women discussion how they could try to mitigate. We Barbarians are a greedy bunch, selfish as well. But never before to the detriment of our tribes. Nowadays betrayals, challenges of ownership, and other issues have been popping up.

Especially while the Sandie's have been inactive. But already another potential threat is being noticed by the Seers. The Maori, tough stocky coastal people found on the other side of Sandoria; one of the few people not to have been conquered by the Sandorians this side of the Titans seem more intent on the ore than in upcoming the fight.

I walk through the market, the stalls and sounds and haggling still novel to me. The smell of the sweet cakes enticing as it wafes from the bakers block. Bumping into a few people as we all jostle to go somewhere, the grilled meat sticks mouth watering as I pass by the butchers and meat sellers. I grin then wipe the grin from my face, I like watching people. I always have, and this many people don't even notice eyes on them.

Most of them anyways as Tosting the White look at me with a raised eyebrow. Then starts walking to me, I curse inwardly. This has happened a few times already since I Awakened to Aura. Not even a true awakening but apparently something all the Awakened warriors and some of the veterans can sense. I've already had this conversation on two separate occasions.

"Boy. Why is your aura so bright and thick?" He says slapping me on the back.

The man was never small but he was stooped slightly with age before Awakening. Now though he has regained his vigour and something extra. Tosting is a very handsome elder man with snow white hair, a white beard and a very well developed muscular body.

Every other woman gives him a look and I already hear he is expecting two more sons and a daughter was just recently born. The man has been busy planting his seed making up for lost time. His first and previously only son having died decades ago.

I shrug. "The fae said I am Awakening to Aura," I say and let him interpret that as he likes as we weave through the market.

He nods, "well let's go test that out shall we?" He says with a grin. Leading me towards the training grounds of the Awakened.

I swallow both in nervousness and excitement. The mostly underground facility is heavily warded by both the dwarves and the fae. Designed and built specifically for Awakened warriors to duke it out without worry of breaking anything.

The speculation among the youth about what's down there are wild and most likely inaccurate. I nod as we go the building known only as The Breaking Arena.