[ WP ] A mountaintop city resides in an otherwise featureless sea of clouds . Every evening at sunset , the city seals itself off from the outside world until morning . Your main character is stuck outside one night when the doors close .

`` C'mon! We're going to miss the closing!'' 
 
 I was running as fast I could in these damn cloaks they had given us. They never tell you that the outfits you need to wear as a Scout are some of the worst to run around the mountains in. Or maybe mine was just two sizes too big, I was a *late* addition after all. `` I'm coming!'' I yelled a I tumbled over a rock, `` I'll be right there!'' 
 
 It was six minutes to sundown and we were only a few minutes from the main gate. Every day at sunset, the city seals itself off from the rest of the world, for good reason too, only the Warriors are allowed to venture out into the night. Apparently the mountains fill with enemies of the living, at least, that's what they tell us. 
 
 I have a simple job. If you could call running around the mountain searching for the hiding place of these enemies simple; which most people do. It's nothing like farming on a mountaintop, or running a brewery for the Warriors. Something I've always wanted to do. 
 
 `` Let's go!'' My partner yelled from the gate. I could barely see him, he was just an ant in the distance and I could already hear the grind of the gates beginning. They were automatic, some magic left over from our ancestors ran the damn things. Not even the Magi understood how it worked, and they were *direct* descendants. 
 
 I ran up to the base of our City and he was still standing there, waving me on as the gate got closer and closer to the ground. Then I tripped. Of course I tripped in this overbearing mess of an outfit. I hit my head on a rock and felt something wet form atop my head as I looked up to the gate and saw him, trying to stick his body under the gate to come save me. 
 
 `` No.'' I whispered and shook my head, `` No.'' 
 
 The gate shut, leaving him and the entire City on one side, and me on the other. Instead of passing out like I probably would have, something inside of me clicked. Call it adrenaline, call it fear, whatever it was it probably saved my life because I darted to my feet. 
 
 I knew I could n't stay near the Gate. By the time the Warriors got here, I would be dead by whatever clawed at it each night. And even if Drew was running to the Hall, begging them to search for me, I was just *one* Scout in a sea of hundreds. Why would they bother to save me? 
 
 I knew the mountain fairly well, even if it was my first day on the job. I had studied the topographical maps dozens of times over and Mapping was about the only class I aced at the Institute. If I went to South-East about half a kilometer, I would reach the river. I did n't know if the enemies were attracted to it, but if I wanted to survive the night, I at least needed water. 
 
 The trek there was n't as *hard* as it could have been with my cloak. Then again, I did rip about a third of it during the expedition back up the mountain. What really concerned me was the ruffling of trees and bushes all around me, the moments when a few rocks would tumble towards my feet, and the faint chirping noise of a bird. 
 
 I did recognize the birds, but they sure as hell were n't causing the rest of the anomalies. I did n't know what was, but I knew damn well that I needed to get to a clearing. 
 
 The river started from the base of Lake Wunho, named after one of the first Scouts and a courageous man. He was probably my inspiration for even taking the offer to join the Scouts, in all honestly, I just wanted a normal job. I did n't want to be remembered, let alone, be venturing *alone* in the mountains past sundown. 
 
 I was n't used to the dark either and I walked slowly through the woods. The City was always lit, a beacon of light atop a mountain devoid of all; it was some magic again from the Academy, that always kept us shining. Other Cities had it too, and you could see them atop mountains far from us. There was Okolo in the Indrian Valley, a quick cloud ride away. Again, the Magi had learned how to control those, which may have been the reason as to why they only came around when we needed to fly away. 
 
 Come to think of it, they would probably use those to find me tomorrow. So I would need to get a fire going. 
 
 The bark on the trees were good to start it, and the mountain had plenty of rocks to make some spark. Unlike the Magi, I did n't have the power to just call flames into existent. Although, at that moment, I wish I did. 
 
 I saw the Lake and immediately stopped in my tracks. A few hours ago, when my partner and I were out here, it was devoid. Water collection only happened when the Magi summoned clouds, and luckily for me, that was tomorrow. But today, no one had went to the Lake besides the Scouts, and it was empty when we got there. 
 
 Now, though, the edges of it were filled with something. I could n't quite make out what they were, but they looked almost like me, a human dressed in a cloak. Yet, they just stood there, at the edge of the river. They did n't move, they did n't take sips of water. Some of them even looked like they were staring into the sky. 
 
 Then I heard it, the crack of a few branches behind me. 
 
 I turned around rapidly and saw it, coming at me fast. It was a human, but its face was *melted* almost, as if nature had taken its toll on the body faster than the mind and started eating away at it. Wait a second, the undead? 
 
 Then it hit me. Literally and metaphorically. The undead grabbed me in a tight bear hug and that, combined with the rock from earlier, caused all the adrenaline in my body to just disappear. It was like I was a dish rag and he was draining me out. My vision went blurry, and then everything faded to black. 
 
 ____ 
 
 My head pounded as I grabbed it with my free arm. 
 
 `` Oh, oh, do n't move.'' A strange voice filled my ears, and slowly, I started to open my eyes. Blinking a few times at first before my vision came to me. 
 
 I groaned loudly and then remembered what happened to me last. I was trapped outside the City, and something grabbed me. `` Where am I?'' I said. 
 
 `` You're safe. Pod brought you in.'' 
 
 Pod? I knew almost everyone in the City and there was n't anyone named Pod. 
 
 `` You're not in the city though.'' 
 
 I took a deep breath and turned my head to face the man talking. He was a brute of a man and had a large black beard that went to about mid-chest. His face was scarred, dirty, and he looked drained, almost pale in the light. The light? 
 
 `` Where am I?'' 
 
 `` You're in my Keep,'' the man shrugged, `` I mean. If you can call it that.'' He looked around, `` It's more of an underground safezone.'' 
 
 `` How is light?'' 
 
 The man laughed, `` Oh, that'd be our dear friend Pod. Good Magi, better friend.'' 
 
 Pod grunted behind the man as he came into the light. His face was still as *melted* as I saw it the first time, and part of his eyes was sticking out of his head. My reaction to seeing him again must have been noticed because the man laughed again. 
 
 `` I never get tired of that.'' He pointed to Pod, `` Yes, he's an undead. If that's what you're wondering.'' 
 
 I nodded. 
 
 `` But he remembers his past life. His time as my second.'' 
 
 Pod grunted again. 
 
 `` Pod, can you *say* something?'' 
 
 `` I do not think this is her.'' 
 
 The man nodded and looked back at me. `` She does look rather *small*.'' 
 
 My heart pounded, my head started hurting again, and I was genuinely worried as to what was going on. `` Who are you?'' 
 
 `` My names Noah,'' he leaned back in his chair. `` What's yours?'' 
 
 `` Would n't you know that?'' 
 
 `` Answer the question.'' 
 
 `` Leanora.'' 
 
 The man nodded, `` You come from the City?'' 
 
 I nodded. 
 
 `` And your family?'' 
 
 I lowered my head, `` My parents are both dead.'' 
 
 Pod took a step forward and glanced at Noah, `` What is your profession?'' 
 
 I looked back up and fluttered my cloak, `` Do n't recognize the cloak of a Scout?'' 
 
 Pod scoffed, `` A Scout. She could n't possibly be her.'' 
 
 Noah leaned forward, `` How did you come into that profession?'' 
 
 I raised an eyebrow, `` Why?'' 
 
 `` Just answer the questions.'' 
 
 `` But why?'' 
 
 `` Because I'll feed you to Pod here otherwise.'' 
 
 Pod stared at me, his eyes unblinking and I swallowed the lump in my throat, `` They offered it to me three weeks ago. I was supposed to train with the Magi originally, but well, the Warden rejected me.'' 
 
 Noah bellowed, `` I knew it!'' Pod just nodded his head. 
 
 And I sat there, with the urge to scratch my head, `` Uhm, what?'' 
 
 Noah smiled a bright smile, `` The Warden. His name is Jeralt?'' 
 
 I nodded, `` Yes.'' 
 
 He clasped his hands together, `` I knew it! I knew it from the moment I saw you!'' 
 
 `` Knew what?'' 
 
 He took a deep breath and nodded, `` Yes, you do n't remember I am sure.'' Whatever he was saying was obviously hard for him, but he looked at me with genuine eyes, unlike the eyes of Pod, and smiled, `` I'm your father. And I've been trying to get to you for quite some time now.'' 
 ___________ 
 */r/BlankPagesEmptyMugs for more stories! Great prompt OP! *
