The Floating City🔊

Once upon a time, in a world not too different from our own, there lived an odd, enigmatic city known as the Floating City. It earned its name not for its physical placement, but rather its ability to exist between different universes. It was a place of great wonder, where the impossible was simply part of everyday life. This is a tale of Mantius, a humble, down-on-his-luck cobbler, and his fantastic adventure in this dreamlike realm.

Mantius, by most people's standards, was considered unremarkable. He had spent countless years working diligently yet anonymously, crafting the finest footwear the people of his small village. Unfortunately, his finest was never good enough. Despite the blood, sweat, and tears, he barely made enough to feed his ageing mother and himself. Life was all about survival, and dreams were merely that: dreams. Mantius yearned for a different existence where he could create freely and be recognised for his skills. One night, a mysterious traveler, draped in flowing robes and a strange aura, arrived at his small shop.

Mantius stared wide-eyed at the stranger, the most vibrant being to ever set foot into his shop. The man did not exactly ask for shoes — he requested crafted dreams. Mantius didn't understand, but he realised that the strange man was his chance. He crafted, for the first time in his life, not a sturdy boot, but an elegant slipper glittering with what little hope he had left. The stranger was pleased and offered him an odd coin in return, a small slither of iridescent metal unlike anything he had seen.

The moment the coin touched his hand, the world shifted around Mantius. The shabby walls of his shop melted away, replaced with sparkling towers and floating platforms. It was the city from his dreams. Mantius had arrived at the Floating City. The coin was not a mere piece of metal; it was a ticket to the unobservables of the universe. His heart pounded as he found himself standing in the hub of the city, surrounded by the expanse of reality and yet, entirely out of it. His hands were shaking, but he clenched them tight, willing himself calm.

In the Floating City, he met all manner of beings — from creatures he couldn't name to people who regarded him as an equal. Each day, Mantius crafted a new pair of shoes, pouring his heart and soul into each creation. He started getting noticed; his shoes weren't just shoes—they were portals into stories, lives and secrets that only their wearer could see. And as his fame spread, his belief in himself grew. Every morning, he woke up, excited to bring another pair of dreams to life.

But success was not all roses. With the city came the allure of power and greed. Fronson, a powerful figure in the Floating City, saw Mantius's fame as a threat and plotted to ruin him. He ordered Mantius to make him a pair of shoes that would let him rule over all realities. Pressured by Fronson’s menacing threat, Mantius agreed. However, he had a different plan. He decided to create a pair of shoes that revealed Fronson’s darkest deeds to the city's denizens.

The day Fronson put on the shoes, everyone saw his corruption and lust for power. His plot was laid bare, and he was promptly banished from the city. Mantius’s courage and integrity became the stuff of legends in the Floating City. His shoes were no longer merely a novelty but symbols of truth and justice.

In the end, Mantius, the humble cobbler, found his place among the stars. His story echoed throughout the city and bled into every universe, leaving a legacy of a man who dared to dream and stood against oppression. And so, he lived, not bound by survival, but thriving in the marrow of creation, in the very essence of existence, leaving footsteps that sparkled amongst the cosmos. The Floating City, imprinted with his spirit, floated on, watching over dreams, realities, and the echoes of a humble cobbler named Mantius.