Aerlia of the Aether - Ch 1
On the outskirts of Azys Lla stood a domed building made of rusted metal. The old doors appeared broken, hanging off the hinges at an angle leaving the entry way partially open. Inside was around 10 odd shaped pods. They were triangular in shape and surrounded by a translucent glass with a dim yellow glow to them. Most were intact. Three, however, were broken open. Shattered glass littered the metal floor and the remaining arms that held them together remained propped up, moving erratically as if trying to close non-existent pod.
Within one such pod laid the body of a petite woman. She wore nothing but a black body suit. Her body was adorned with black scales. Her hair a pure white with two sets of large horns protruding from her head. Her limbs jerked occasionally for a short time. Then, when it seemed she had laid motionless, her eyes began to open. Slowly, her pair of purple orbs opened as she stared at the ceiling. Unlike most, her sclera was black in tint. Her eyes glanced around, trying not to turn her weak head to see. She realized her body was almost numb. Yet she could feel herself lying in a puddle of water that trickled down the side of the pod. The sound of dripping echoed throughout the building. After a few minutes it stopped, having run dry. This grey skinned woman laid still. Her mind, nearly empty in though sprang to the conclusion she had to move. With all the energy she could muster, she was able to prop herself up. This gave her the chance to better understand her surroundings.
She could see the rest of the pods. The air was stale and slightly warm. Any sound was carried throughout the whole room. Having enough of sitting, her hands reached the floor and propelled her body upwards. It was a process. Stumbling a few times and feeling unbalanced when she succeeded. Her foot nicked a piece of broken glass. A small high-pitched gasp escaped her lips. Only a small trickle of blood came from it but it stung enough to cause her discomfort. She brushed her arms, warming herself up from the cold water. Seemed her suit had soaked up most of it. With another burst of energy, she stumbled over to the ledge. Pieced of spiked glass hung onto the metal arms. She broke off a few bits on the ledge enough for her to safely sit and scoot herself to the ground. After readjusting she held onto the arm and looked around again. Across the room behind another broken pod she could see the doorway. Through the space between the hanging doors she saw the world outside. The land seemed reddish, with a gross looking sky. As she made her way past all the other pods, she could feel the heat in the air dissipate. The semi-enclosed space made it much warmer than the world beyond.
“What is this place,” was the first thing she muttered. Her hands pushed the broken doors weakly. They sprung up with that bit of propulsion. This surprised her, jumping back a step. Sounds of distant creatures became clearer as she stepped out into the open. It was difficult to pinpoint the time of day. All she could do now was keep walking, until she came across something or someone of interest.
And thus, she set off.