Chapter 69: Uruk, The Legendary City
The second I stepped up to the stone railing... my breath caught in my throat.
Spread out beneath an endless, glowing sky steeped in permanent, shimmering golden twilight was the grand metropolis of Uruk.
It was a staggering, boundless ocean of ancient architecture stretching all the way to the distant horizon. Everywhere I looked, colossal Mesopotamian ziggurats carved from dark stone and shimmering electrum rose into the heavens, their layered terraces decorated with lush hanging gardens, cascading waterfalls, and glowing blue aqueducts.
Enormous fortress walls, centuries old and reinforced with glowing abjuration runes, stretched through the city in sweeping concentric circles, separating ancient districts from bustling plazas.
Yet, this wasn’t just a preserved historical relic, it was a thriving, supernaturally evolved civilization.
Floating stone platforms and intricate, clockwork-enchanted transit constructs glided silently through the air between towering spires, shuttling goods and passengers across high-altitude skyways.
Enchanted streetlamps ignited with soft golden flames along the paved avenues below, casting a warm glow across ancient limestone structures that stood seamlessly alongside sleek, modern marble towers built by contemporary Awakened.
High above the skyline, massive mythical beasts like feathered serpents with iridescent scales, towering stone gargoyles, and giant eagles, soared gracefully through the golden sky, their cries echoing over the city like distant thunder.
Dominating the absolute center of the realm, drawing the eye no matter where one stood in Uruk, was a monolithic, impossibly colossal ziggurat of pure obsidian and radiant gold. It towered so high into the sky that its upper terraces pierced the clouds, radiating an overwhelming pressure of primordial authority that felt like the beating heart of the entire world.
Looking up past the central ziggurat, I could see the sky itself subtly distorting, a shimmering hexagonal lattice of translucent crimson light stretching across the upper atmosphere. It was the planetary barrier, far more visible and concentrated here than anywhere else on Earth, pulsating with rhythmic, godlike power.
It was an absolute visual masterpiece. It didn’t feel like a hidden city on Earth, rather it felt like stepping straight into a mythical realm of gods and kings.
I stood at the railing for a long time, completely awestruck, my mind struggling to process the sheer scale of what I was looking at.
I leaned over the stone ledge slightly, trying to peek down at the streets below, but the central spire was so insanely high that the people walking along the avenues looked like tiny, microscopic dots.
Alistair walked up beside me, resting his hands on his silver-headed cane as the warm, mystical breeze ruffled his hair. He looked out over the golden skyline, a quiet, nostalgic glint in his dark eyes.
"Do you find the view to your liking, Seth?" Grandfather asked softly.
"It’s... unbelievable," I admitted, a bright, excited grin spreading across my face as I turned to him. "Grandfather, can we go down there and explore? I want to see what the streets look like."
Alistair offered a gentle, fond smile and shook his head slightly. "You shall have ample time to explore the markets and districts, my boy... but first, we must attend to the primary task for which we came."
I tilted my head, slightly confused. "Task? I thought we were just doing a quick tour of the supernatural world?"
Alistair merely gave a mysterious, knowing smile, turned around, and gestured for me to follow him toward the opposite side of the circular tower balcony.
As we walked along the outer perimeter, I noticed a distinct lack of foot traffic. Aside from rigid, black-armored guardians standing at attention every fifty paces, we didn’t encounter a single soul. Looking up, I also noticed a grand spiral staircase carved from dark marble leading to an elevated upper floor above our current level.
"Is there another floor above us?" I asked, pointing upward.
"Indeed," Alistair said with a nod as we walked. "That upper sanctum houses the primary spatial control array for this transit sector. It monitors and regulates every individual who utilizes the grand teleportation pathways connected to Uruk. I shall show you the control matrix later."
Finally, we reached an extended, open-air stone platform jutting out from the side of the spire like a massive landing dock.
Alistair stepped into the center of the platform and brought his silver-headed cane down against the stone floor.
TAP.
I blinked, waiting for some grand magical reaction or glowing rune circle to appear on the floor. But five seconds passed, and absolutely nothing happened.
I looked at Grandfather, raising an eyebrow in complete confusion. "Uh... did the cane misfire, or something—"
Before I could finish my sentence, a sudden, explosive gust of wind swept across the landing platform, whipping my hair back.
SCREEEEEECH!
A sharp, piercing screech echoed through the clouds above. I looked up just in time to see a massive shadow descending from the sky at terrifying speed.
With a heavy, thunderous CRASH, a colossal mythical creature landed squarely on the stone platform right in front of us, its razor-sharp talons scraping against the floor.
It was a magnificent griffin. It had the powerful, muscular body and golden fur of an oversized lion, combined with the head, wings, and talons of a massive, razor-beaked eagle. Its plumage shimmered with metallic gold and white feathers, and its piercing amber eyes locked onto us, radiating an immense, beastly aura.
The giant beast lowered its massive eagle head, letting out a soft, affectionate purr as Alistair reached out and gently stroked its feathered beak.
Alistair turned his head toward me, his dark eyes twinkling with playful amusement as he gestured toward the magnificent creature.
"How about a sky ride, Seth?"
I couldn’t help but swallow back. "Grandfather, I’ve never done this before and honestly, I’m scared of both heights and also animals... especially ones who could rip me apart casually."
Alistair just chuckled at my words and replied, "Trust me on this. I have full control, so nothing will happen to you."
There wasn’t much I could do after he put it like that. So, I took a deep breath and went to sit on the legendary beast’s back.
It was time to ride a Griffin.