Story:Invisible Cities/Alta

Infinite wastes, a sea of sand. A world torn apart. Cracked earth swallows the horizon.

Water and green are monopolized by cacti. Animals rarely come larger than insects. A place where only warring, nomadic tribes can live.

Yet, within this vast nothing lies a lone forest. From within that forest can be seen a tower reaching to the heavens. Such a place has caught the eye of many.

Those who wander into it are rarely heard from again. Survivors speak of a mighty wolf. One with fangs the size of a man's head, claws as sharp as blades, and fur that conceal it within the trees. This wolf keeps out those who cannot contribute to that which lies within.

For once one gets through the forest they see signs of civilization. Follow the river and you can find a garden filled with herbs and vegetables. Part ways with it and a shrine can be seen. Venture along the forest and an orchard of apples, figs, and nuts becomes present.

Deeper in and a ranch appears. Pigs, sheep, and goats roam the land. Men with smooth skin and strong hands tend to their flock. These men are a stark contrast to those outside the forest with scarred faces and leathery skin. Tools of iron are all the two share, and even then the nomads only craft their iron for killing and foraging.

Along the ring of livestock includes farms growing corn and wheat. A grainery houses what hasn't been used, a mill crafts what has.

A lone workshop sits in this ring as well. Machines sound off day and night. Crackles of lightning are heard within. Between the two lie the ramblings of a madman.

Venture inward still and houses appear. Gathered between them lie dining halls, firepits, bath houses, and opened buildings for the public to use as they please. A school, a church, and a museum of the town's art decorate but a few of these free spaces.

The only place left deeper still is the mighty tower. Along its outer walls lie inscriptions none remain to read. Within are murals that nobody understands. Yet it climbs upward. Up, up, and up. Piercing the clouds and reaching the stars.

No one knows how high it goes. None know what is at the top. Even I return with no knowledge of what this tower's secrets. Only time may tell when someone comes to solve the mystery of Alta's tower.