“How would we go about getting a ship? I saw them earlier and I didn't even know they existed until then. We don't have anything like them on the mainland.” I tried my best to keep up with him while Beru stayed a few feet back, looking around with an alertness more suited to a battlefield than exploring a new place.
“Oh! They are simply the best way to travel. I couldn’t imagine not seeing them in the sky every day. Most of them are luxury boats with captains for hire. I’m sure I could get you passage aboard one, if you're interested.” He stopped, visibly vibrating with excitement at the idea.
“That sounds exactly like what we need. We could avoid any contact with ur’gels on the way down.” I looked to see if Beru agreed, but he was looking at the ground and seemed uninterested in my conversation.
“You wouldn't be able to steal one though.” When I gave Beore a sharp look, he smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, I was listening in on your story earlier. Your adventure sounded extremely dangerous, although I think what you did was wonderful. You must be highly popular with the poor in your land.”
“I'm not sure I’d use the word popular, but people seemed to appreciate the help we were able to provide.” I smiled at the guide’s interpretation of our story. “Don’t worry. We wouldn’t steal one. If you can find us a flying boat to the mainland though, it would help immensely.”
“I will do my best. I heard you mention you’re a dreamwalker. We have protections against all forms of magic here, which includes the abilities of dreamwalkers. If you attempt to use your abilities here, they simply will not work. It’s one of the many protections we have to help lower the risk of attack by outsiders.” Beore continued along the path through town, chatting as he occasionally pointed out interesting places.
That explained why I’d been unable to check in on my parents. I couldn’t even enter the dream realm, which I’d only thought was because I was overtired. But realizing I was blocked made me wonder about other things. Did they have healers? Could any of the residents do magic? I had a difficult time imagining what a land without magic would be like.
“Could you take us to our friends? We’ll pack our belongings while you find us a ship.”
“Certainly! Follow that path to the large stone house beside the water wheel. Your friends have been given food and lodging there.”
We left him, following his limited directions easily. Neither of us attempted small talk, and I couldn’t help but wonder why he had been acting so differently since our arrival. Had something happened? Finally, I couldn’t hold my questions back any longer.
“Were you surprised by the king’s decision?”
“I thought he would have known about the Light Woman, but it has been a long time.” He kept his hands in his pockets and walked at a slow, relaxed pace without looking at me.
“You seem pretty nonchalant, considering this was your idea.”
“What does that mean? Should I be acting more emotional, like you?” He stopped in the middle of the street, narrowing his eyes at me, waiting for a response.
“Emotional like me? We’ve traveled weeks to get here to see this Light Woman, which you told us about, but no one has ever heard of her.” I flung my hands in the air, frustrated.
“I knew her two hundred years ago, and she was ancient then. I can’t help if she no longer walks upon Lynia.” Beru turned away and began to walk faster.
It looked like he had finished answering my questions the way he stayed at least three paces ahead even as I jogged to catch up. We arrived at the stone house just as our party waw leaving.
“That was a long supper,” Sade adjusted her pack, raising an eyebrow. “We received a message we’re leaving by airship and to meet our elf guide at the wharf.”
“We packed your stuff. We weren’t sure if you were going to meet us there or come back.” Iri smiled, handing me my bag.
“Thanks,” I muttered, surprised they’d heard the plan before we’d gotten a chance to tell them. We’d only just left Beore. Suddenly suspicious the airship had been prearranged, I glared at Beru.
He ignored me, focusing instead on the hand-drawn map Iri was showing him of the town and plateau area.
“The docks are on the other end of town from here. Let’s go.” They led us away from the house, into the city.
As we walked, I was still amazed by how tall the buildings were, up to five and six stories. The sidewalks were made from some sort of hard material they had painted bright red, and color was everywhere.
As we walked, we passed elves and humans, all going about their business. The elves we passed were speaking what I assumed was Elvish, but overall it seemed to be a place of harmony.
I was impressed, as elsewhere in Lynia humans and elves often had strained relations with each other, let alone other creatures. But here, all signs pointed to an integrated, welcoming society.
Maybe things weren’t so bad without magic.
We paused at a waterfall and I soaked in the relaxed atmosphere it provided in the small square. The gentle humming was soothing to my frayed emotions. When it met up with the gentle bubbling of a small river, I laughed out loud as a fish jumped out and nearly hit me as we crossed over one of the many small bridges.
“This way.” Sade pulled on my arm to direct me.
I was so busy looking at the architecture, I hadn’t been paying attention to where we were going, and I realized we were at the end of the street and Iri was almost out of sight.
“Right!” I jumped over a stone marking the end of a street and jogged to keep up with his long legs.
“It should be just over this hill.” She broke into a run as she reached the top, then began to jump up and down. “You’re not going to believe this!”
I ran to join her, my own excitement swelling. It wasn’t every day she looked excited about anything. As I rounded the top of the hill, I thought I was in a dream.
The docks weren’t like anything I had ever seen before. There was no water for the boats to float on, instead clouds shimmered where the water should be, and airships filled the docks as far as I could see. Ladders, ropes, and nets flowed off the sides of them to the docks below. Instead of anchors they moored them to the docks via an assortment of ropes to a central attachment near the boardwalk on the island. It was breathtaking.
Astor grabbed my arm tightly. “I’m scared of heights.”
I laughed at his expression before shaking his arm off to run down the hill after her. Wet red dust covered my feet and legs as we pounded down the roadway and I felt more alive and freer than I had in a long time.
“It’s boat eighty-nine,” she was almost gasping by the time we reached the boardwalk, and we searched what seemed like a hundred ships for the number.
Her eyes sharpened, and she ran over to a post at the end of the dock where I saw Beore waiting for us. “Over here!”
“Is this us?”
“No. Your vessel is one of the largest here. The edge is silver, the body is green. Trust me, you can’t miss it.” The elf shaded his eyes from the sun with a hand as he leaned over to peer through the port. “I don’t see it yet.”
“Does it always park in the same place?” Sade walked over to look in another lane.
“Wherever she can fit, generally.”
“They know we’re waiting for them?”
“Yes, commission already purchased, compliments of the king.” His eyes twinkled, leaving me with the feeling there was something he wasn’t telling us. “I’ve got to get back to court now, but I wish you the best of luck on your journey.” He bowed, then darted off again.
“This place is amazing. The boat can be as late as it wants.” Sade’s eyes were big as she turned from side to side, trying to drink it all in.
I glanced at Beru.
He stood off to the side, seemingly uninterested in any of the amazing sights around us.
I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was because none of this was new to him.
“Let’s walk around. I’d like to get a b
etter look at some of these boats.”
Iri didn’t bother to wait for a reply. He headed over to the fancier, multilevel flying ships, some of which appeared to be lived on. The guys followed him, but Sade and I hung back to wait.
I was content to enjoy the view, and Sade didn’t want to miss our ship.
“This is pretty freakin’ incredible!” She sat on the edge of a bench on the boardwalk, shaking her head in wonder. “I still can’t believe we get to go up in one of these.”
“Yeah.” But as beautiful and awe-inspiring as the docks were, I couldn’t stop thinking about Beru. I should have been studying the details of Bruhier to tell my grandchildren one day, but here I was, fixated on his past.
Chapter 21
“Don’t look now, but I think that woman is staring at us.”
I followed her gaze to a human who stood across the boardwalk, doing exactly what she’d just told me not to and earning a smack on the arm. I winced. “Maybe we remind her of someone?”
“Or maybe she’s a crazy stalker killer lady.” Sade inched closer, her gaze darting between the woman and where the guys had meandered off to.
“You’re scared of a human, but you’ll fight and kill monsters without flinching.” I pulled back to see her expression better, amused at the unexpected new quirk she’d revealed.
“She’s not moving. At all. She’s literally just standing there, staring.” Sade clutched at her hands as she leaned in closer on the bench and I laughed.
“Why don’t we put your imagination to rest and go talk to her?” I stood, letting out an impatient huff when she shrank back. “Oh, come on. I’m sure she won’t kill us in broad daylight.”
“Fine.” She stood but pushed me ahead a few feet. “You’re going first.”
I rolled my eyes, turning to walk confidently toward the woman.
She didn’t move even after it became clear we were approaching her.
“Hello!” I called when we were closer.
She didn’t respond, however her eyes remained firmly fixed on us.
Sade pulled on the back of my shirt, her steps faltering. “Are you sure we should do this?”
I looked back curiously, confused by how genuinely scared she seemed of a mere human, and one who was smaller than either of us at that. “Are you serious right now?”
Sade folded her arms, setting her mouth in a firm line. “It’s your death.”
I wrinkled my forehead, wondering what had gotten into her. Now even more curious, I turned and extended my hand as Sade kept her distance.
“I’m Aria. I noticed you seemed to be watching us. Is there something we can help you with?” I stepped closer, and she stepped back.
“We can’t talk here.” The woman looked around, fiddling with her necklace as she checked for eavesdroppers. “Follow me. We should speak somewhere more private.”
I looked back at Sade. She was several feet back now, her arms firmly crossed as she watched with wide eyes.
“Before I do that, I need some information. Like your name to start with.” I wasn’t clueless enough to go anywhere with this woman, even if I thought Sade was overreacting.
“I’m the captain of the ship hired for you. You may call me Captain Rose.” She finally extended her hand, but still seemed skittish.
“We were just looking for your ship. Our guide thought you hadn’t landed yet.” I exhaled in relief, feeling completely foolish for letting Sade get in my head.
Abruptly, she leaned over to hug me. Caught off guard, I instinctively tried to push her away, but she held on with a surprisingly strong grip for someone so delicate.
“I know where you need to go.” She whispered in my ear. “I know about the Light Woman, but we can’t speak of it in the open. Too many ears.” She pulled away, almost wild-eyed, smelling of dirt and roses.
I sneezed as the scent aggravated my nostrils and before I could react, she took off into the crowd. Sade joined me, linking her arm in mine as she whispered in my ear.
“Why did she hug you? Who is she?”
“She says knows the Light Woman but doesn’t think it’s safe to talk in the open. She’s also the captain of our ship, apparently.”
I kept my eyes on the woman as she wove her way through the crowd, trying not to lose sight of her. She moved fast, considering the boardwalk was full of people milling about.
“So, we have to go up into the sky with her?” Sade halted abruptly, eyes wide.
I coaxed her to continue, practically dragging her for a few steps. “Yes. But we aren’t going back to the mainland. She said she knows where to go to find her.”
“Yeah, to the gods in the sky, where she’ll sacrifice us.” Sade huffed, grudgingly resuming her previous pace even as she sighed dramatically.
“Look, this is exactly why we came to Bruhier in the first place. I’m sure everything is going to be fine. She’s not that scary.” I turned to look for Captain Rose and found her standing under the most beautiful vessel I’d ever seen. Beore had told us it was big, but I hadn’t been prepared for how massive it actually was.
As we neared the ship, I could make out scrollwork on the bottom. It was intricately carved with scenes depicting people and places in a way that made me want to read it. The carvings were interconnected, and I knew they told a story.
I was distracted from my attempt to read it by the presence of three giants loading the boat with supplies. With three jumps up the rope ladder, they could make it to the top with ease while carrying supplies in both hands, singing as they worked.
“Looks like you beat us!” Iri waved from across the boardwalk as the guys walked toward us from the opposite direction.
“I’m not going up there.” Astor’s face was pale, his entire body trembling as he watched the giants on the rope ladder.
“Just don’t look down.” Iri slapped him on the shoulder, a broad smile on his face. “I’ll even go behind you, in case I need to catch you.”
“Either die falling or get murdered on board. I’d rather take the fall. At least it’s a nice view.” Sade shivered.
I gave her a pointed look which she ignored, then turned to the others. “Let’s go. I’m eager to head out.” I called out to Captain Rose, who was still supervising the giants. “Can we board yet?”
She held out her hand. “You must pay the fee first.”
I reached into my pack my eyes narrowed. “I thought the fare was already paid by the king?”
She shook her head absently as she looked at my bag. “What do you have in there?” She peered into my pack. “That’ll do.” She grabbed the entire bag of coins out of my hand.
“Hey, wait a minute. That’s all that we have.” I reached for her, but she pulled away.
Leaning over so she could speak low enough only for my ears, she gave me a warning look. “Do you want me to take you to the Light Woman or not? He may have paid for the ship, but not my time. If I take you to her, I’m risking my privilege to land in Bruhier, and it needs to be worth it.”
I searched her eyes, relaxing my shoulders as I nodded. After all, it was only money. I stepped back, allowing her to take it without arguing further.
She smirked, then pointed to the rope. “Hoist yourselves up the best you can.”
She flung my pack up to a giant who caught it in his hand, then lobbed it up and over the side before following close behind.
“That was all we had.” Sade’s voice was full of dismay.
“We can get more later. Let’s go before her fee gets any bigger.”
I went first. The giants made it look easy, but the moment I began the climb I knew it was their weight doing it. The ropes were flimsy and moved with the wind, and with my lesser mass it swayed uncomfortably. I regretted filling my belly at supper as it lurched into my throat.
As I climbed higher into the clouds themselves, I looked down. I couldn’t see anything past my feet. Stopping to enjoy the cool mist making my skin tingle, it seemed to me I was floating in a puff of col
d cloud.
I closed my eyes to enjoy the sensation of clean freshness, noticing a whooshing noise which seemed to be getting closer. I opened my eyes and looked around but saw nothing. Suddenly it began to get warmer, and I felt a large gust of hot air pass, before the broad wings of a dragon entered my field of vision. I clung to the rope as it flew by, causing the ladder to sway alarmingly from side to side.
It was the motivation I needed to move faster. I climbed the rest of the way as quickly as I could, ready to stand on something firm. When I was almost at the ship, a giant leaned over to grab my hand, pulling me aboard with my entire arm between his thumb and forefinger coincidentally.
“Thank you.” I watched as he pulled my friends over the railing one by one, Astor last.
His eyes covered, I realized Iri must have had to climb the entire way hobbled by Astor clinging to him by the way he was acting.
“I’m never leaving this boat,” he moaned loudly, wobbling over to a bench and collapsing onto his back. He closed his eyes and draped his arm over his face.
I looked at Iri with a raised eyebrow, but he was stoically brushing himself off, and seemed unbothered by Astor’s rendition of a dramatically dying goat.
Captain Rose was the last to board. She swung herself over and headed to the helm without looking at us.
“That’s probably where she kills people,” Sade whimpered.
“Seriously? Can we get over the murder stories already?”
I walked to the edge of the ship to peer over the side as the giants pulled up the rope ladder. There was no turning back now, even if we wanted. We were at the mercy of Captain Rose.
The roar of the engine drowned out both Astor’s moans and Sade’s whimpers. A large puff of grey smoke plumed out of a metal tube, and after a clunk, it smoothly pulled out of the harbor.
As we flew away from the mountain, the sky cleared of clouds and the vista opened wide below us. It was clear for miles, and for the first time I was able to clearly glimpse Bruhier. It was stunning. Above the veil it was possible to see the island was composed of a multitude of plateaus, not just the one we’d been on.
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