The Tower (Part 1)

...a prose poem Standing at the edge of the canyon, its crest wreathed in swirling clouds of fog the tower looms on the plain, incongruous, like blood on a bridal gown. Zedar has come to investigate. As Grand Sovereign of the New Republic he takes his responsibilities seriously, and besides, he wants to take charge of this mission personally, to remove all doubt concerning his effectiveness as a leader. Not much is known about the tower. It is an architectural curiosity, constructed from sheets of metal and wood with ornamental granite buttresses. Built in the Seventh Epoch it was thought by some to have religious significance, but Zedar thought it might be used for munitions storage for the Deviants to mount attacks against Moqaffa. The monolith intrigues him. It sucks him in and swallows him whole. Feeling his way he finds a staircase spiraling upward, disappearing into darkness. He begins to climb. One, two, three, four...