by Vizyous Aconitum on December 17th, 2010, 5:02 am
3rd of Winter, 510 AV
Vizyous walked a path that had clearly been taken by others, yet the others weren't around. He was heading to the city of Alvadas alone, unsure of what to find. He'd heard that the City of Illusions, was not something that one could prepare for. He hoped that the rumors were true.
After years of roaming, Vizyous finally ended up heading to Alvadas. Some turn to religion and order to find their inner selves. He turned to Alvadas, hoping to find answers from it's House of Broken Mirrors and everchanging illusions. Vizyous did not care whether he lived on the street or in shelter within the city.
As he approached the walls of the city that shut it in, sealing it from the outside world, Vizyous knew how he lived didn't matter as long as he was shut tight inside the illusionary world of Alvadas. This was where he belonged, for now, and he knew so even before he set foot through the entrance that appeared to not be there.
Before him was only a lone statue, it's eyes trained on him and a smile gracing it's stone lips, although he didn't mistake the look for welcoming. A smile can mean many things, and this particular one looked cruel and sadistic. Only a sadist would derive delight from creating a city which forever played with it's inhabitants minds.
"You have come in search of the City of Illusion." The voice surprised Vizyous, although his surprise was quickly replaced with delight. Surely, this experience seemed promising.
"Tell me, stranger, why are you here?"
"My name is Vizyous Aconitum," the man spoke, raising his eyes to stare the into the statues peering ones, "and I come to seal myself away inside this City of Illusions until I have found my true desires." Vizyous became quiet, watching the statue intently and waiting to see if it would acknowledge his answer.
The statue seemed to be considering his answer until a moment later, the statues mouth began to drop, rocks falling to the ground to pile on top of other rocks that had fallen in the exact same way. After the dust had settled, Vizyous saw stairs that seemed to lead to nowhere until he approached them.
"Welcome to Alvadas, Symenestra."
Without hesitation, Vizyous turned his gaze from the stairs to the statue, whose eyes still were trained on him. "I trust Alvadas will not disappoint me." He began walking towards the stairs, his stride steady and unwavering. "I expect no mercy."
As he walked through the mouth of the statue, he could still feel its heavy gaze on him. He dismissed it from his mind and began his way up the stairs, ignoring the entrance that shut behind him, mind now intent on seeing what illusion lay before him. Eagerly, he climbed the steps to Alvadas.
In his sight lay a city covered by heavy fog. Even his Symenestra eyes had trouble seeing through the mist, and it was this that peaked his immediate interest. This was not a physical fog, but one of the mind that his physical body could not overcome. To the right was a building that seemed to be most important, as it wasn't touched by the heavy mist clouding the rest of the city.
He made a step towards it but paused and looked down when he moved his foot and heard a sloshing sound. Beneath him, his mind immediately registered, was mud. It creeped into his sandals and Vizyous regretted wearing them. The warm feeling wasn't comfortable at all, but he brushed it off and removed his sandals, picked them up, then continued on his way barefoot through the mud.
'The Sanity Center', the building read. Vizyous hadn't come to Alvadas exactly for sanity but decided to go in anyways.