Demobata

'I was happy, once' said the old soldier 'And now?' I asked.
 'Now I have Demobata, the city, and all its temples and palaces and towers, all its streets and markets, all its sand, wind and salt and all its memories.'
 'Follow us, my friend, you can leave this place.' 'I can move somewhere else with my body, but nothing more. No, thank you, young man.' he remained silent for a moment 'live well and dream.'
 'Tell me what happened' I continued, feeling a strange, unnverving attraction for the place 'Oh, some may tell you that the drought caused the fall, other that it was the illness, some historians may blame the War against the Arimaspi and the priests will tell you that it was a Curse from the Salt God and the White Spirits' 'what will you tell me, then? You were here when...when Demobata collapsed.' 'I think it was sadness, my friend, just that.' 'The people were sad?' 'Oh, yes, they were, but why? I think the City was sad, and maybe tired, they all left except me and the Blue Keeper'