Following a long winding road strewn through the pale green
fields one will find themself reaching the edge of the land and the beginning
of the ocean. Just teetering over the edge off the sea sprayed cliff lies the
city of Tenger, poised upon the rocks stands the legs of the city, propping up
the different levels of Tenger, allowing for it to stand tall and unmoving
against the stormy winds which are swept up from the vast ocean that each
citizen of Tenger wake up to and view each morning. On a sunny day the city can
be viewed clearly from the boats that float delicately on the ocean’s surface,
Tenger’s bright colours of reds, oranges, yellows, blues and greens all
patterned in stripes and spirals along the buildings and foundations of the
city. Along with these bright colours large triangular white sails can be seen
decorating the city atop of large posts, reminding the fishermen out on the
ocean that they alone provide for the city and all who resides in Tenger.
Each building that resides in Tenger is both basic and
unnatural, while on the different levels of the city hold different varieties
of houses. The closer the buildings gather towards the sea the more rounder and
smaller they become, allowing the salt speckled gusts to roll over the smooth
roofs and rounded walls. These semicircle homes house most of the fishermen
within the city, placed in a spiralling pattern to fit as many homes as
possible. From the crack of dawn until mid afternoon at the centre of this
spiral is bustling with life of the city folk who swamp the fish market, buying
and trading the previous night’s haul, as well as other stalls who sometimes
slip in between each fish decorated booths. Behind the hustle and bustle of the
fish markets stands peering over taller, more rectangular buildings, housing
those who are also busy during the early mornings, but rather than buying their
fish for their dinner they are buying and trading the fishermens’ catch to the
rest of the world. These buildings stretch far back to the cliff face and closer
to the road connecting Tenger to land.
Down below on the shore of the city resides a long wooden
pier, with several stubs of wood along each side to attach each of the many
boats that accompany the dock during the day. As the sun disappears and the
night covers the city, each boat leaves the pier until it is finally alone,
with but a few passing seagulls who rest on the wooden legs. Over the years the
pier had become damaged due to strong waves and howling winds, but was
frequently repaired and improved on. During one of the improvements, the idea
of making the transporting the cargo of fish easier came to mind, and rather than
hauling each heavy box up the tall and winding staircases, a stair lift-like contraption
was installed. Now each morning several paper white seagulls transport the
fishermen and the many boxes of fish up and along the wire to the city, and
return back down to the dock ready for the next shipment.
Dotted around the lower level of Tenger are the four proud
legs which robustly hold the city up from the rocks and waves below. These
thick cylinder structures built out of broken and smashed rocks along the
shoreline encase a tall winding stair case, of which now has been left derelict
and unused, becoming shelter for crabs and seagulls who have been caught in a
storm, due to the new method of transportation to and from the dock and city.
However, the upper half of these staircases are still highly valued as it still
provides a link with the lower level citizens of the city to travel up to either
trade higher up or visiting the lighthouse, and also allows for many higher
citizens to visit the fish market and other stalls of crafts for sale, from
hand crafted jewellery made from the shells of crabs and whelks to house
ornaments made from fishing nets and broken pieces of driftwood.
The crowning jewel of the Tenger lies at the topmost point
of the city, emitting a familiar bright, glowing aura that brings home the
fisherman, safe and sound, through the thickest of fogs and through the darkest
hours of the morning. The lighthouse early in the morning is a glorious sight
to behold, with the sun rise high up directly behind it. Down on the docks it
appears as though the hopeful light from the lighthouse has been pluck and
placed straight into the sky. Tenger experiences two sunrises each day, as when
the light drowns at dusk, a new glow is born from the lighthouse, and with it
the reassuring guide for the fishermen to follow to return home safely is born.
The lifeblood of the city is the ocean, as it provides the
fish for the fishermen to catch and trade, and becomes the main export the city
trades out to the rest of the world, however as much as it provided it easily
took away. Many fishermen never returned home from a routine trip, lost out in
the fog or devoured by the sea-beast that haunted the city each and every
night, only it’s ghastly fin being glanced at as it slipped back into the water
as soon as the sun’s lights hit the water. Thus the lighthouse was erected, to
guide home the fishermen safely in the dark, although the brilliant light not
only acted as a guide, but also drove away the monster that lurked around in
the dark. For several years the lighthouse began to act as a small shrine for
those who had been lost prior to the lighthouse’s construction, but over the
years it developed into a large scale cathedral-like building, with sails
decorating the building like gargoyles, while on the interior fishing nets and
prized fish are mounted on the walls, along with several broken planks of wood
of ships who never came back.
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