Navigating the Heights of Dragonthrone

Written by DoStuffZ

Lyris paused at the foot of the staircase, her gaze sweeping upward. The stone steps, worn smooth by centuries of use, wound their way toward the street level above. She was already late for her appointment, but rushing through Dragonthrone's maze-like streets was a fool's errand. The city had its own rhythm, one that only locals could truly understand.
With a sigh, she adjusted her satchel and began the climb. The stairwell curved steeply, hugging the inner walls of the cliff that Dragonthrone was built upon. To her left, the harbor shimmered in the distance, the smell of salt and fish heavy on the wind. Far below, she could just make out the dockworkers hauling crates from merchant ships.
"Go up to go down," she muttered to herself, remembering the phrase her mother had drilled into her when she was younger. It was a basic rule of Dragonthrone: direct paths were rare. The city's design was vertical as much as it was horizontal, with staircases and bridges leading residents in seemingly illogical directions.
As she reached the next level, the hustle of the city enveloped her. Here, vendors lined the streets, calling out to potential buyers. Sun Stones glowed softly from their pedestals, casting an even light across the bustling square. She weaved through the crowd, careful not to lose her balance on the uneven stone beneath her feet.
Lyris knew she needed to reach the Third Hill—a section of the city two layers above her current position, nestled in the sunlight. But her route was blocked by a row of towering mansions that cast long shadows over the narrow alleys behind them. She could either try and find her way around, which could take time, or...she glanced up at the rope bridge swaying above her.
The bridge, strung between two upper-level buildings, was narrow and worn, but it was a known shortcut—if you had the nerve to cross. A small airfaring boat floated lazily below, ferrying a few passengers across the gap between the levels, but the rope bridge would get her there faster. Lyris hesitated only for a moment before gripping the wooden railing and stepping onto the planks.
The bridge creaked under her weight, swaying gently in the wind. She glanced down to the market two levels below, a wave of vertigo threatening to unsettle her balance. But this was Dragonthrone. Heights were a fact of life here.
Halfway across, she spotted a shadow above her—a set of ropes attached to a pulley system. The city's rope ferries. From time to time, the system would carry messages, goods, and even people between the levels. She watched as a young boy was hoisted from one platform to the next, a quicker mode of transport than most staircases could offer.
With a quick breath, she made her way to the end of the bridge and stepped onto solid ground once more. Another steep set of stairs awaited her, winding between two towering buildings that blocked out most of the sunlight. From here, she could just make out the tops of the mansions that lined the sunlit street above. One final climb.
Lyris took the steps two at a time, her legs burning with the effort, but she was close now. As she ascended, the air brightened, and she could feel the warmth of the sun as it peeked through the rooftops. She emerged at last onto a wide, cobblestone street lined with manicured trees and opulent homes. The sun cast long shadows over the lavish facades, but here, the light was plentiful.
She had arrived at the Third Hill.
Looking back over her shoulder, Lyris could see the city stretching below her—the layers upon layers of Dragonthrone, staircases winding between levels, rope bridges connecting distant points, and the ever-present hum of the Arcane Pathway. For a moment, she felt the strange allure of the city, the way it pulled you in and made you a part of its intricate web.
She smiled. Getting lost in Dragonthrone was easy, but finding your way through it... that was the real adventure.