Circumstellar

by J. W. Lolite

  I watched as she gathered herself and started in the direction Emba took. A strange feeling overtook me as I stared after her. She was putting herself into danger, and it was all my fault. When I ran off into the woods to find a way to Lesia, I knew on some level that I would most likely be risking my life. That was fine by me, if that’s what it took; my life wasn’t worth much to begin with. I hadn’t planned on dragging anyone else into the demon’s lair with me. But now, Loxley and Emba . . . they got pulled in with me.

  “I’m sorry!” I cried after Loxley, watching as she jerked to a stop and looked back at me. “I didn’t mean to get you involved in all of this! You don’t have to risk your life for me!”

  I blinked in surprise when from across the room, she grinned widely at me. “Don’t be absurd!” she called back. “This isn’t just about you. This is about all of us! We’ve been trained to defend our world against the Ankida, and that’s what we’re going to do. But if you’re really sorry, then do me a favor.” I waited for what she had to say. It didn’t matter what it was; I would do it. “Don’t do anything stupid!” Except for that.

  “You’d think these people don’t know me at all.”

  To be fair, Loxley had only known me for a day and a half, but still, my totally unprepared venture into the forest should have tipped her off. In which case, I couldn’t be held responsible for my next actions. I mean, come on, the warning signs were there.

  Leaving my spot against the wall, I chose, perhaps in the most unwise of ways, to go in the opposite direction Emba and Loxley had disappeared to. I didn’t want to get in their way, and this way we would be able to cover more ground. Who knows? Lesia could be locked in a cell down here just at the end of the corridor. I didn’t believe that, but it was a nice thought.

  I ventured onwards, deciding my best option would be to at least find the source of light. Looking down the hall as far as I could, that didn’t seem to be anytime soon. I suppose when the population can see in the dark, there isn’t a great need for nightlights. After several hundred feet, I finally came to a small lamp hanging on the wall at the foot of a staircase. This could be useful, I thought, eyeing the little light. I reached out and grabbed the frame with the intent of pulling it off the wall. It didn’t budge. Well, you know what they say: when intent fails, force works just as well. I gave the light a few sharp tugs. Nothing.

  “What the hell is this?” I asked, taking a closer look. “Well, I’ll be.” I had noticed the lack of flicking light, but somehow, I didn’t quite expect this. I mean, every fiction or fantasy novel about other realms was always the same. Medieval magic and fire. This was impressive. “Electric lights.” I murmured, looking at the frame running into the stone wall. “Guess I won’t be taking this.”

  I shrugged and looked up at the staircase. The choice was easy. My only other option was to go back, and I already knew Lesia wasn’t there. Here goes nothing.

  I did try at first: darting in and out of the shadows, creeping around silently like a crazy stalker, and checking around corners for any monster snakes or some crap. All discrete and shit. But after several hallways of nothing but my own company, I just gave up and starting wondering around casually. Emba really wasn’t kidding when she said their guard would drop after a few hours. I just wish they had dropped a map on their way out. Or at least had the courtesy to put up one those “you are here” boards.

  I growled in frustration and rounded a corner to come upon . . . another staircase. What a surprise. That’s all this place was: dark, narrow halls and stairs. That’s generally what towers are, I could hear Ty’s voice ring in my head. “Shut up.” I smiled, not caring that I was talking to myself. That’s what this place was doing to me, driving me bonkers. Thankfully, it was Ty’s voice in my head and not some stranger’s. I could live with that kind of crazy.

  Already knowing what to do next, I ascended the steps and nearly had a stroke when I reached the top. This room was different! It was an actual room! There was even a fine purple rug on the floor, and could it be? I looked around the walls and saw a large hole cut into one. A window? I ran over to the hole. I doubted it would offer any kind of route, but perhaps it could help me see where I was in this tower.

  I looked out into the darkness and let out a loud gasp. This was definitely a tower all right, and I couldn’t just tell that from looking at the building I was in; it was the view. I could see it all. Far below and extending out into the distance was a city. It wasn’t like a human city with neon signs, bright lights, huge skyscrapers, and intense traffic. No, this was much more . . . subtle. But that’s not to say there was nothing going on. Stone buildings littered the ground as far as I could see. Some were small like little houses and others enormous and covered in pillars and stacks, steam billowing up into the pitch black sky. It was so dark. Not a star in sight. Not even the moon.

  “What the hell is this?”

  I didn’t even have time to react before a huge, crushing force pinned my arms to my side and pulled me against what felt like a boulder.

  “Doing a little sightseeing?” a voice I almost recognized in the vague reaches of my mind rumbled behind me. “The Lady’s been waiting for you, little girl.”

  Chapter 27

  Precious Metals

  It was all so familiar: the crushing force against my back, the big stupid-sounding voice. I knew who this was.

  “Sorry, Hoss, I think all the toilets on this floor are working fine.”

  “Toilets? The hell’re you talking about? I guess living with the humans turned you into a real dumbass, huh, dumbass?” My back began to vibrate violently as the big oaf behind me started to . . . what’s the word I’m looking for? The one that means loud, idiotic laughing. Gawffa? Guffaw! That’s it! He started to guffaw.

  “Yeah, stupid me, ha ha!” I yelled over the noise. “You said the Lady wanted to see me, right? I wouldn’t want to keep her waiting. So, if you could just put me down, I’ll be on my way . . .”

  “Not a chance.” Damn. Why couldn’t this buffoon stick to his stereotype? The brute’s not supposed to be intelligent. “Your dumb ass would just get lost and walk right into one of the others, but I found you first. I’m taking you to Lady Aureliel myself and getting all the credit.”

  “Good for you,” I sneered. “Can I at least walk on my own?”

  “I don’t have a leash.”

  All of the sudden, the room spun around, and I was heading further into the tower. So, this was the end of my great rescue mission, huh? There had to be something I could do. My arms, having long since gone numb due to the pressure of being clamped against me, were useless. That left me with no other option. I squirmed feebly and kicked my legs, hoping to hit something sensitive. I kept up the act for a good minute, but it soon became apparent that for all my effort I may as well have been tickling him.

  “Stop that,” he grunted, squeezing my torso. I halted my assault and coughed as the air forced out of my lungs. The pressure eased and I gasped, taking in harsh breaths. Perhaps it would be wise not to try that again, I thought, waiting for my vision to clear. Well, if I couldn’t escape now, I should at least pay attention to the way out for later.

  We were ascending the tower. The giant spiral staircase was a pretty solid hint. I stayed silent as the Plumber carried me up the great expanse of stone. Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t get to walk. After what seemed like ages, Mario managed to haul both of us to the top.

  We traveled down a short hall that came to a massive metal door. Golden figures decorated the silver surface; numerous, intricate people littering the base of the door gathered in awe of the giant feminine entity dominating above them. A tall, thin being with cascading hair; it could have been a queen or perhaps a goddess. She paid no mind to her subjects on their knees. The figure’s face, a heart-shaped design with a tiny nose and mouth offset by enormous, blank, almond-shaped eyes, tilted upwards to look at the sky. It was beautiful.

  Two guards in deep violet, full sets of armor
stepped forwards and looked at me. I couldn’t make out their faces because of the helmets, but brown and white lights seeped from the eyeholes.

  “En Plumbarco –”

  “I’ve got a present for the Lady. Open the damn door.”

  “But, sir –”

  I didn’t know these guys, but all I could say was I’m sure glad I didn’t have their job. Plumbarco stepped forwards, putting me less than six inches in front of the guard before us. The light from his helmet illuminated my face, and I could hear his breath rattle inside of the metal. I felt Plumbarco’s legs shift behind me before the room whipped around. I tilted to the side, the guard in front of me gone. An agonizing yelp filled the air before I was set upright. Looking down, I saw the guard slammed into the floor, the metal of his breast plate sizzling and bubbling. What? What just happened? Did Plumbarco do something?

  “You want a taste, too? Open the fucking door!” Plumbarco barked at the second man. I watched in shock as the guard ran to the center of the door and pushed with all of his might. With a great scrape across the stone floor, the door shuddered open. Plumbarco strode through the new opening, nearly stepping on the unfortunate guard still writhing on the ground.

  “Be sure to close it,” he ordered to the other man.

  We entered into the room, and it was all I could do to not gasp in amazement. It was, simply put, quite extraordinary. Enormous dioramas and scrolls adorned the walls along with weaponry that could only be made from solid gold. Golden vases and marble statues were scattered around the room, the style reminding of me of a museum display I had once seen for ancient Greece and Rome. Purple curtains dangled from the ceiling, almost like banners. An accompanying purple rug with gold bordering expanded the length of the room, and right in the middle of it, the back of a large marble throne surrounded by four tall torches commanded the attention of the space. Or it would for anyone else. I was more captivated with the sight just beyond it. The whole wall was open like a balcony with pillars supporting the roof. Even from back here, I could see a grand view of the city below us. Incredible.

  “What did I tell you, dumb shits? I said she would come, and I was right! Look!” Plumbarco announced in pure glee. “I told you she would, and you didn’t believe me.”

  I’d been so caught up in my awestruck sightseeing; I hadn’t realized that we weren’t the only people in the room. How oblivious can you get? Apparently, very.

  “You can’t be serious?” a snide voice rang out. “You mean someone was actually fool enough to try and invade the tower.”

  I followed the sound. From behind one of the curtains, a young man emerged. Wild, spiked copper hair and blazing ruby eyes stood out against fair skin. His long face was centered by a straight nose between high cheekbones. The copper and blood red armor he wore matched him quite well. The material was strewn with swirling blazes of fire. He couldn’t have been more than twenty, but the air and confidence with which he carried himself suggested that of a brazen general. Though I hated to admit it, he would have been very good-looking if not for that haughty expression marring his face.

  “I am right here you know,” I said to the new man, feeling the need to say anything. I had a tendency to do that when I was nervous or tense, and let’s face it, I was in way over my head right now.

  “That was the point,” he replied.

  He looked like he was about to say something else when a figure in black brushed past him to stand in front of me. I blinked in surprise, and even being held by the big idiot, I still had to look up at the new stranger. His long obsidian hair was pulled back into a smooth ponytail, and his armor was the same color with crooked lines cut into the metal. Sharp, handsome features stared down at me, led by a set of piercing emeralds set in a bronze-colored face. This was no stranger. We had met before.

  He opened his mouth, and the room was encapsulated in fine silk. “So, you did manage to capture her,” he said, the strangest hint of something akin to disappointment tinting his words.

  “How dare you step in front of me!”

  The curious moment shattered in the wind at the furious snarl. I turned to look once again at the copper-haired man, who was most definitely seeing red. Pun very much intended.

  “Who the hell do you think you are, Farron? You’d think after all this time, you’d have learned your place,” he hissed, taking a few menacing steps forward.

  “It’s unfortunate, Cupraius, but old habits do die hard. I’m sure you’ll get to discover that yourself in the near future.”

  “Is that so you –”

  “Boys, boys,” a low, sultry voice danced through the room. “There’s no need to cause such a fuss. Especially over such a plain, filthy girl. You should kill each other over me instead.”

  Please be ugly, I thought, looking towards the approaching woman. She wasn’t. Damn it! She was about as far from ugly as you could get, and I didn’t even need to be able to read her eyes to know she knew it. Long, silvery-white hair flowed in a mysteriously sudden gust of wind. She, like the others, wore what I assumed was supposed to be armor, but it could have also been a very fashionable medieval bikini. It was pure silver; the top and bottom cut into jagged edges that looked like fangs ready to devour her milk chocolate, toned stomach. Thin, flimsy pieces of chain mail dangled from her waist and shoulders in what might have been a piss-poor attempt at modesty, but more likely just a fashion statement. The whole outfit was topped off with a rather intriguing pair of silver stilettos. A blacksmith who specializes in women’s ware, who knew? I looked back up to her face and stared into her smug golden eyes.

  “What?” she asked, feigned innocence coloring her voice. “Did I offend you?”

  I ignored the bait and went straight for the hook. “What do you want with me, Lady Aureliel?”

  She opened her mouth, the strangest look crossing her face. I couldn’t tell if she was appalled or fearful that I just called her out. I stayed focused on her, waiting for some kind of reply, but all she did was stand there, shifting in the uncomfortable attention. All right. Enough of this.

  “Well?” I yelled at her. “Are you going to say something?”

  “You’ll have to forgive her, Ingrid Fairheit. Argentissa isn’t used to receiving such high compliments.”

  I got my reply, all right, but not from where I expected. My eyes shot to the back of the great marble throne in the center of the room. I couldn’t see anybody because of the high, wide back, but I was sure that was where the voice had come from. Cold, refined, and deadly. Whoever was sitting in that throne was without a doubt the one I’d come to stop.

  Lady Aurelia was right in front of me.

  Chapter 28

  All That Glitters

  “Come forward, girl. I want to see your face. Plumbarco, put her down.”

  The lead grip that was keeping me levitating above the floor instantly unwound, allowing my body to drop the few feet to the floor like a brick. My feet hit the floor hard, causing me to take a few stumbling steps forwards in order to save face – figuratively and literally. After successfully managing to steady myself, I straightened up and turned around to send my lummox captor the most hateful look I could imagine.

  I was almost positive I’d seen this guy before. It was back a few years ago. Yeah, that’s right. This guy was famous. He was a heavyweight champion! Oh, no, wait. That was a pro-wrestler. It was an easy mistake to make. Plumbarco was a lumberjack – a mountain of a man with a rugged, masculine face and a jaw like a cinder block. His black hair was cropped short and slicked back, and the light from his sapphire eyes almost seemed to glint maliciously as he locked his gaze on me. When it came to armor, it appeared the man was one to keep things simple. Dark blue-gray pants, greaves, and chest plate, all heavily scarred and ingrained with gashes. It seemed Plumbarco wasn’t one to turn the other cheek. Hell, he was probably the one starting the fights.

  I crinkled my nose and sent him my favorite middle finger salute, which only seemed to tickle his amusement. As he c
huckled at me, I spun on my heel and started making my way around the room. To my disappointment, the sound of heavy footsteps and sniggering followed close behind. I traversed around the edge of the rug trying to keep a safe distance away from the foreboding non-comfy chair in the center of the room, just in case whatever was sitting there was hungry. I glanced out of the open wall again, trying to use the spectacular sight to distract me from my nerves. Coming to the center of the view, I stopped to take in one last look, and then I turned around. Here goes nothing.

  “You truly are Uturik’s child,” she said upon seeing me.

  A bizarre, intense feeling of pride swept through me, though I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why. I couldn’t even remember the man, and I certainly didn’t hold any pointless familial feelings of affection for him. In fact, this was the first time I had even heard his name. And yet, there it was, bold and unwaving. Trying to shake off the unwelcome feeling, I took in my enemy for the first time.

  Looking at her, I recalled the mural molded onto the great metal door at the entrance of this room: a mighty queen, or perhaps, a terrifying goddess. Orange eyes glowed in the center of her elegant face. It held no warmth or humor, and may as well have been carved from the marble of her throne. The visage was topped by a crown of long, straight, and fine golden hair. Her clothes would have made any Roman empress pitch a hissy fit with envy. Royal purple cloth flowed down the length of her body, the upper half covered by the most intricately decorated golden armor. It was as if the whole piece was made from thousands of feathers. Glancing at her hands settled on the arms of the throne, I noted her nails were long, like golden painted talons. Beside her sat a glittering statue in the figure of man – the Orion Keystone. I looked back up, knowing full well she was studying me, too. Her pale face tilted upwards, and she stared down her nose at me with those sharp orange eyes. A hawk staring down its prey.