Chapter 455 - 423: Entering The City Heliopolis...

(A/N):

Drop a meme here that you find funny. Or reflects your mood.

-------------------------------------------------

After another half an hour of walking, Devara finally caught sight of the city the enormous guardian had mentioned.

He stopped at the crest of a particularly large dune, looking down at the magnificent settlement spread across the vast desert landscape.

Heliopolis.

Even from a considerable distance, the city was an impressive sight.

Its enormous walls stretched across the horizon, interrupted by towering gateways decorated with intricate carvings and golden ornaments.

Several massive statues stood along the main approach, depicting powerful figures with the heads of falcons, jackals and other animals.

Their enormous stone bodies were adorned with precious metals and jewels that reflected the sunlight.

Beyond the walls, Devara could see several towering structures resembling pyramids, some already completed while others were still under construction.

Huge obelisks were being raised, temples were receiving their final decorations, and enormous stone blocks were being transported by teams of workers.

The entire city appeared to have been built to demonstrate the wealth and authority of its rulers.

Devara slowly descended the dune, taking in the sight as he remarked.

"Quite a city,"

The black serpent lifted its head, looking towards the enormous structures.

"Even from here, I can tell that whoever rules this place has a considerable amount of wealth."

However, as he approached the outskirts, his expression gradually changed.

Something about the construction work caught his attention.

There were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of workers scattered across the construction sites.

Some were carrying enormous stone blocks, others were digging foundations, while several groups were carving intricate designs into pillars and statues.

Their clothes were worn, their bodies covered in dust, and many appeared exhausted beneath the scorching sunlight.

A few workers stumbled while carrying heavy materials.

Others struggled to lift stones that seemed far too large for them.

Yet nobody was allowed to stop.

Armed guards stood at regular intervals throughout the construction sites, watching the workers closely.

Some carried spears, others held whips, and a few rode horses while inspecting the labourers.

Whenever someone slowed down or attempted to rest, a guard immediately approached and shouted at them.

One worker, who appeared barely older than a teenager, dropped to his knees after carrying a heavy basket of stones.

Before he could recover, a guard approached and struck the ground beside him with a whip.

"GET UP! YOU HAVE NOT BEEN GIVEN PERMISSION TO REST!"

The young worker hurriedly struggled to his feet, trembling from exhaustion.

Devara stopped walking.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the scene.

He had seen poverty, exploitation and inequality before.

Even in his own world, despite all the reforms he had introduced in Trivenivrata, he understood that changing an established system was never easy.

But witnessing hundreds of people being forced to work under armed supervision while enormous monuments were erected around them left an unpleasant feeling in his chest.

He looked towards the completed statues and golden decorations.

All that wealth and all those magnificent structures.

And yet, the people responsible for building them were barely being allowed to rest.

"Interesting,"

Devara muttered as the black serpent shifted around his shoulders, sensing the change in his mood.

Devara continued observing the construction sites.

He noticed that the guards were not merely supervising the workers.

Several groups appeared to have their hands bound, while others wore distinctive markings around their wrists.

Some were clearly prisoners, but many others seemed to be ordinary labourers who had been brought there against their will.

He had no intention of judging an entire civilisation based on his first encounter, but he could not ignore what was happening in front of him.

"Looks like this city has a rather complicated situation."

He resumed walking towards the main entrance.

As he approached, two guards standing near the road noticed him.

One immediately raised his spear while the other examined his unfamiliar clothing.

"HALT!"

Devara stopped.

The guard approached, looking him up and down before glancing at the black serpent around his shoulders.

"State your name and purpose for entering Heliopolis."

Devara looked at the guard, then briefly glanced beyond him towards the city.

"I’m a traveller. I came here to visit the city."

The guard frowned hearing his words.

"A traveller? From which settlement?"

Devara paused for a moment and he had already anticipated that explaining his actual origins might invite unnecessary questions.

"From somewhere far away."

The second guard exchanged a glance with his companion.

"That is not an answer."

Devara offered a faint smile.

"Then perhaps you should ask me something I can answer."

The first guard tightened his grip on his spear.

Neither of them appeared particularly amused.

And as Devara stood before the entrance of Heliopolis, he began to suspect that his visit to the Egyptian divine territories might turn out to be considerably more complicated than simply finding a bracelet.

The two guards exchanged a glance before the first one gestured towards Devara.

"Turn around. Keep your hands where we can see them."

Devara raised an eyebrow but followed the instruction without protest.

The guards began inspecting him, checking his clothing and the belongings he carried.

One examined the weapons concealed beneath his garments, while the other paid particular attention to the black serpent resting around his shoulders.

The serpent raised its head and stared directly at the guard.

The man immediately stepped back.

"Keep that creature under control!"

Devara glanced at his companion.

"He’s perfectly harmless unless someone gives him a reason not to be."

The guard looked unconvinced, but after completing the inspection, he returned his attention to Devara.

"You may enter. However, there is an entrance fee."

"An entrance fee?"

"Four gold coins,"

the guard replied, holding out his hand.

"If you don’t have gold coins, you must surrender something valuable of equivalent worth. Those are the rules of Heliopolis."

Devara looked at the extended hand.

"Four gold coins just to enter the city?"

"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No particular problem. I was merely curious."

The second guard stepped forward, his expression becoming impatient.

"Then pay and move aside. There are other people waiting."

Devara glanced behind him and there were indeed several merchants and travellers waiting to enter.

Some were handing over gold coins, while others were presenting small ornaments and precious objects to the guards.

A few appeared to be negotiating over the value of their possessions.

He also noticed something else.

The workers entering through a separate passage were not being charged anything.

Instead, they were being directed towards the construction sites under the supervision of armed guards.

Devara’s eyes lingered on them for a moment before returning to the guards.

"Fortunately, I have something that should cover the fee."

He reached into his clothing and retrieved four gold coins from his storage.

The guards immediately examined them.

After confirming that they were genuine, the first guard collected the coins and stepped aside.

"Welcome to Heliopolis. Follow the main road once you enter. And keep that serpent away from the marketplace."

Devara gave him a small nod.

"I’ll keep that in mind."

He walked past the entrance, finally stepping into the city.

The moment he crossed the enormous gateway, the sounds of Heliopolis surrounded him.

Merchants were shouting about their goods, carts moved through crowded streets, and the smell of freshly prepared food drifted from nearby stalls.

Beyond the marketplace stood magnificent temples and towering statues, their golden surfaces gleaming beneath the afternoon sun.

It was a city overflowing with wealth and activity.

Yet Devara couldn’t forget the exhausted workers he had seen outside its walls.

He glanced at the four remaining coins in his hand before returning them to his storage.

"Well, at least entering the city was straightforward."

The black serpent flicked its tongue.

Devara smiled faintly.

"Come on. Let’s find an inn first. Then we can learn a little more about this place."

He began walking down the crowded street, unaware that his seemingly ordinary arrival in Heliopolis had already attracted the attention of someone watching the city gates from a nearby elevated structure.

As Devara walked further into Heliopolis, he began paying closer attention to the people around him.

The city was far more diverse than he had initially expected, and almost every street seemed to offer something unfamiliar.

Unlike Trivenivrata, where the clothing, architecture and customs had developed around the traditions of his own world, Heliopolis possessed an entirely different atmosphere.

The people dressed in garments made from fine linen, with men commonly wearing short kilts or long robes while women wore flowing dresses decorated with colourful beads and elaborate jewellery.

Many had their hair braided or covered with decorative headpieces, while others wore elaborate wigs adorned with gold ornaments.

There were people with different complexions, facial features and appearances.

Merchants from distant settlements travelled alongside local traders, while sailors, craftsmen, soldiers and travellers crowded the streets.

Devara even noticed a few individuals whose clothing suggested they belonged to lands far beyond the Egyptian territories.

The languages were equally fascinating.

He could hear conversations in several unfamiliar tongues.

Some people spoke loudly while bargaining with merchants, others exchanged greetings using gestures that Devara had never encountered.

The sounds of musical instruments drifted from a nearby marketplace, accompanied by the occasional ringing of bells and the calls of street vendors.

Devara slowed his pace as he passed a stall displaying colourful pottery.

"Quite different from home," he muttered.

The black serpent lifted its head, observing a group of children playing near a fountain.

"Even the way people dress, their customs, their architecture... everything has its own identity."

*******************************

(Author note:)

I hope you guys give me your opinion and idea’s.

-->

Don’t forget to review guys...