I have made a big mistake.

The walls of the building are luckily not vertical, but they are still extremely steep. Even if the walls weren’t covered in a thick layer of ice, they would be too steep to walk down safely.

I carefully turn around, pressing my body against the ice sheet, and look downward.

The building from which I just escaped is located on top of a mountain. The walls extend down for dozens of meters and merge into a massive maze of houses made of the same blue stone. The houses stretch across the mountainside. There do not appear to be any streets connecting the houses; instead, the roofs of the various houses are linked by a maze of walkways, stairs, and bridges. I would be amazed if I were not afraid for my life.

In the distance, I can see several large towers. They remind me of lighthouses, but taller and completely white. They even shine a blinding light that is brighter than the sun.

Behind it, in the distance, I can see other mountains covered in dark green forests, white snow, and grey rocks, which contrast with the blue, clear sky.

If it was cold inside, it is definitely cold now. My dress and scarf, while heavy, barely seem to insulate me from the cold. The cold bites down on my exposed skin, causing pain in my hands and face.

My fingers lose their grip, and I begin to slide down slowly. I kick against the ice with my boots, attempting to stop or slow down. I do not seem to be able to break or brace against the ice. Nothing works. I slide faster and faster, watching as the ground, or rather, the roofs of the houses at the bottom, begin to grow larger. Grow closer.

I grab my right boot and tear some of the felt from it. It is not made of feathers, but it should perform similarly. I cup my hands and gently whisper an incantation.

It appears to work, as I slow down and eventually come to a stop, landing gracefully on one of the roofs.

I gaze down at the mountainside. The entire city lies before me, with buildings pressed together, like blocks glued to the mountain's natural incline. Stairs connect buildings in a zigzag pattern across the landscape. Because of the incline, each roof serves as a street to the building a level higher up the mountain. Everything is made of the same blueish stone, but unlike the palace from which I just came, the walls are flat and lack carvings.

I straighten my dress. I start down the nearest stairs. I figure that if I keep walking downward, I will eventually reach the city's border.

A shadowy figure is sitting near the bottom of the stairs. A dwarf. They are dressed in a dark cloak and a similar coloured hood. A copper pan stands in front of him, containing a few copper pieces.

I walk past him as quickly as possible, trying not to look at him or attract attention.

He lowers his hood and sneers at me in broken elvish. "Yes, simply walk past a poor beggar. All you royals are the same."

I stop in my tracks and turn around. “I am not a royal.”

He snorts loudly. “Yeah, sure. The fancy dress in royal blue with golden fringes, the white scarfs, the high boots. You are fooling no one, princess.”

“I am not... These aren’t my clothes.” I stammer. “I just borrowed them, because...”

The dwarf stands up, throwing his cloak back, revealing his left arm. Where his hand should be, there is a bloody stump.

"Pretty Princess, I lost this hand in a battle under your family's command. The least you can do is give me some gold pieces. I know you won’t miss them.”

I stutter, carefully stepping back. “I am not carrying any gold. I swear.”

I take another step back and misstep. I lose my balance, and I roll down the stairs. The featherfall spell appears to be still active, as I land softly at the bottom of the stairs. I look up at the dwarf as he runs down the stairs, following me.

He reaches for his belt and pulls out a large iron dagger. "I will not ask again. Give me one gold piece. Just one. You can keep the rest.”

“Gravel!” I hear someone shouting behind me. “Are you robbing people again? Please leave the girl alone.”

When I look behind me, I notice a frost elf standing there. He looks about my age, with long white hair and a strong jaw. He is wearing a long grey felted cloak. His deep blue eyes, however, are what really captures my attention. They appear kind, but also like they are about to shoot lightning at the dwarf.

The dwarf backs off. "But she is a royal!" He shouts. “If anything, they are stealing from us!”

The elf sighs. “Look at her. She is not a royal.”

Gravel shakes his head. "Look at her clothing. And she used magic. She is a sorcerer. Just like everyone in the royal family. Their bloodline carries magic.”

The frost elf smiles. "What kind of elf is she?”

Gravel freezes and stares at me. He thinks for a long time. “I don’t know.” He says.

The elf nods. “Exactly. She isn’t a frost elf. Contrary to the entire royal family."

Gravel returns his knife to his belt. “Oh.” He lowers his head, puts on his hood, and walks away.

The young elf extends his hand to help me stand up. "My name is Marl, by the way. Nice to meet you.”

I smile at Marl. "Thanks. For saving me.”

“It’s my pleasure.” He unties his grey coat and pushes it into my arms. “Here, take my coat. It will help you blend in. Additionally, it will shield you from the cold. You are not a frost elf. If the weather turns, you will freeze to death in these clothes.”

I hesitantly accept the cloak from him. “I, I can’t take this.”

“It’s okay.” He says. “I have multiple; I won’t miss it.”

He turns around and starts to walk away.

“Wait.” I yell.

He turns around. “What is it?”

“Sapphire.” I stammer. “My name is Sapphire.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Sapphire. I hope our paths may cross again.”

He turns around again and begins to walk.

“Actually, I need help.” I yell after him. "I need somewhere to stay."

He halts, turns around, and smiles. “Go to the silver dragon. It's an inn in front of the citadel. "The finest inn in town."

I hang my shoulders. “I, I don’t have money for an inn.” I shuffle my feet and swallow twice. "I hoped I could stay with you."

He tilts his head and looks at me. “Stay with me? We just met!”

I sigh. “I just, I have nowhere else to go. And because you were nice to me, I figured that...” I shake my head. “Just forget, I asked. I’ll find somewhere else.”

He sighs deeply and steps towards me, scanning me with his eyes from top to bottom. “You are going to get yourself killed, aren’t you? Fine. You can stay with me if you want. But I want something in return.”

I scoff. “I am not going to fuck you, if that is what you are hinting at.”

He snickers. “No, don’t worry, nothing like that.” He points at my feet. “I am more interested in the magic boots you are wearing. You can stay at my place as long as you want, in exchange for those boots.”

I extend my hand. “We have a deal.”

I. 4. The fall

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