by Brindi Quinn
“All’s in order,” he said.
“Aaaalright!” said Kantú.
We exchanged a look of excitement similar to the one still on Grotts’ face.
Shaaa. The glassy gates opened, sliding smoothly against whatever material lined their grooves. I let out a gasp when we passed through them. I wasn't the only one to do so, for inside was a grand sight, even greater than I'd imagined.
The miners had constructed great brick buildings that towered high into the air. Metal pieces, similar to those of the machines, extended from the sides of these buildings as platforms and bridges. Street peddlers, playful children, and a wide array of other people – all Sapes – filled the streets and teetered on the rickety platforms.
So many people.
Hundreds of people; no, it must’ve been a thousand or more, were shopping, walking, talking, laughing. It was indeed the most colossal collection of buildings and people I’d ever witnessed, stretching off into the distance farther than I could see. And, true to its name, the entire city sparkled with crystal.
“What do ya think?” asked Grotts, grinning because he knew the answer, for Kantú and I were staring, with mouths hanging in astonishment.
“Grotts, it's unlike anything I've ever imagined!” I said. I spun around, trying to take it all in.
Rend and Nyte were just as impressed and awed, and gaping in a similar manner, but it was clear that Scardo and Ardette had visited the city before and didn’t share in our blatant shock.
Kantú wiggled her nose and scurried around the city’s entrance. “It’s even neater than that old Yes’lech fortress!” she said. “It’s so sparkly!”
Scardo stiffened at her comparison to his beloved headquarters.
“The caves are that way.” Grotts pointed down one of the side streets. “They’re filled with miners right now.”
“They’re mining more crystals?” I asked. But why, when there were literally thousands just outside the city gates?
He gave a large nod.
“What do they use all of them for?”
“The city’s always expandin’. Plus people use ‘em in home remedies, as weapons, to trade. We import lots ‘o food. The crystal sand doesn’t make for the best growin’ conditions. Luckily, the farmers outside the Crystallands need crystals fer stuff too!”
“Wow!” I couldn’t help it. “Just WOW!”
“Really, though, the crystals they just haul out in search ‘o the rarer gems. Crystals are abundant, but it’s the earthstones what the miners are really after. You won’t find any ‘o those thrown around carelessly. They’re only in the caves; much harder ta get to.”
Earthstone paint. That strange glowing substance.
“Do the caves glow, then?” I asked hopefully.
He scrunched his forehead and contemplated. “Sorta. If there’re effulgence flowers, then yup. But the earthstones themselves aren’t usually exposed. The Crystairians devised a system of pulleys and levers that allow them to scoot along the ceiling and mine the earthstones from the caves.”
Pulleys and levers?
“Of course there’s lots ‘o other stuff they mine too. Like moonstones and obsidian and such.”
There was something in the way his eyes twinkled. This was Grotts’ western moon. Crystair was Grotts’ true love. The crystals were his moonlight, rejuvenating his spirit by just being around him. How great he must feel to be home. I watched him tenderly stare off in the direction of the caves. There was a surreal beauty about the great man. For once, his hammer was loose in his hand, resting against the ground. He felt safe.
“This is all terribly interesting,” said a cynical voice, “but do you not wish to get this over with?”
I grimaced. Leave it to Rend to ruin a lovely moment.
“Eh yeah.” Grotts sent her an unappreciative shrug.
“We aren’t going to the place of the Inscription until tomorrow,” said Scardo. He still hadn’t told us where it was exactly. “So it might be a good id-”
“Really?!” Grotts took the news like Scardo had just announced that Druelca had been defeated. He dropped the hammer entirely and clapped his hands together. “There’s a great little inn fer us to stay in, then!”
Scardo eyed him warily.
“We’ll be safe there, trust me. The keeper’s an old friend ‘o mine. He’s a good man by the name ‘o Kugar.”
Scardo didn’t look convinced. After all, up until then he’d been in charge of all of the planning, and he wasn’t the sort of person to let things willingly go outside of his control. I could understand his reservation, but none of it rubbed off on me. I didn’t mind Grotts’ idea at all. To me, an inn sounded great. The sandy ground had offered a change from the hard tunnel floor, but the beds at Yes’lech now seemed like a distant dream. How nice it would be to sleep somewhere other than a tent.
“I’m in. Lead the way, then.” Ardette’s interest had also piqued at the thought of a bed.
Ever since seeing him in his princely getup at the ball, I was convinced that he was anything but rugged and much preferred a life of lavish luxury. He was, after all, the only one of our guard that’d taken the clothing with him. Clad in a frilly under-blouse, he stood out in the midst of the rest of us ragged travelers. He didn’t refrain from flashing his brilliant smile at any of the Crystairian women that paid him mind.
Most of them did.
Grotts beamed at the approval. “I’ll take ya there, but first, a cafe.”
“Cafe?” Kantú and I asked in unison.
“Would you allow me to educate you on the ways of the modern world, ladies?” Ardette swooped in and hooked his arms around our necks.
“Modern?” I asked, glancing at Kantú. She raised her shoulders.
He laughed. “Never mind. A little at a time, I suppose.”
“You can count me out,” hissed Rend. “Such an outing does not interest an Elf of my standing.”
“Cousin, it would please me greatly if you would accompany us.” Nyte’s words were polite, but his tone was harsh.
Rend scowled, but then she looked away and nodded. What had Nyte had said to her during their ‘talk’ that would make her so compliant? Maybe it was a sign of better things to come. Was it foolish of me to get such hopes up?
Probably.
Grotts led us through the glittering city.
I felt like a bottom feeder, scooting between the large buildings and beneath the jutting metal awnings. The hums of conversation grew louder when we neared various groups of people but died as we passed.
Aside from Ardette’s attracting of the women, none of the Crystairians paid us much mind. It seemed that travelers were an uninteresting and everyday occurrence in the bustling city.
Alley after alley we winded through, until we reached a part of town where few were stirring. At this point, the alleys became tighter and darker, shadowed by the leaning buildings and mismatched juts.
“Don’ worry. We’re almos’ there.” Grotts sought to ease Scardo’s rapidly tensing hunch.
He led us around another curve that ended in a particularly long alley. At its end there was an old man crouched against a shabby corner. The others quickened their pace, but I stopped when his crazed ramblings reached my ears.
“ThE whistLIng SegUe oCCupies THE hobNOb teLEmarKeTER,” he said. As he spoke, his nonsense words sporadically changed pitch and volume.
I stared at him, having never encountered babblings like those before.
Telemarketer? What’s that?
“Just keep movin’,” whispered Grotts. But I couldn’t help myself.
“Are you alri-” But my question was interrupted by my own gasp; for when the man looked up at me, his hazel eyes contained no pupils.
What’s wrong with him!? What happened to his eyes?
I couldn’t help but stare.
Grotts stepped between the perplexed Kantú and me and the man and ushered us along. Still captivated by the unusual state of this person, I let him pull m
e, but didn’t consciously move away on my own.
“A SpACEcrafT BURnS thE NewsPAper . . .”
A spacecraft? Newspaper? What were these mad mutterings?
“Completely off his rocker, that one is.” Ardette walked right past the man with no intention of stopping.
He groaned when, despite Grotts’ ushering, I again paused at the alley’s exit.
“Is there anything we can do for him?” I asked.
Grotts shook his head and explained, “There’s nothin’ anyone can do for ‘im. He’s gotten lost in dimensions. It’s called dimensia.”
“Dimensions?” I asked.
“Or so they say. Dimensias show up here every once in a while mumblin’ nonsense about alternate realities and the crystals bein’ tied to another world and all sortsa other crazy talk.”
Another world?
“Where do they come from?” I asked, walking back towards the man. I felt bad talking about him like he wasn’t even there, but the look in his eyes made me believe that indeed a part of him wasn’t.
“Were you not listening, my cherry pit?” Ardette’s tone was uninterested. “Another world, of course.” He circled his finger around his temple, gesturing the man’s insanity.
I shot him an annoyed look.
“THE sPire’S raDio alERts thE MaSSEs to ThE GoVERNmeNt’s plAn.”
Radio? Government? The man was still spewing all manner of foreign words.
“M-Miss Heart, you do not need to be bothered with such things.” Scardo placed his hand on my back to push me along.
“Wait! Grotts, where do they really come from?”
Grotts rubbed his head. “They wander in from the crystal sand. I’m not real sure where.”
“Is it possible, though?” I asked.
Rend looked at me with disbelief. “That there is another dimension?! You are far more foolish than even I imagined. What stupidity-”
“I believe there is,” said Nyte quietly, cutting her off.
“You do?”
Face contemplative, he nodded. “The world of angels is another dimension, is it not, cousin?”
Rend’s face fell. For sure the traditionalist Elf believed something like that to be true.
“I think so too!” Kantú looped her arm through mine. “So there!” She stuck her tongue out.
At the rude gesture, the Elf’s eyes lit up with fury. She flexed her hands and appeared ready to pounce on Kantú. I let out a groan.
Why’d you have to bait her?
But Kantú was spared from Rend’s wrath, for at that moment, she stiffened in my arm.
“Uh-oh! Grotts!” I’d just beckoned to him when a vacant stare crossed her face.
“Kantoo!?” Grotts grabbed her other arm.
Now, Spirit of In-between? Really? Why did he always pick the most unfavorable times to appear?
We pulled her away a safe distance from the rambling man, but it was probably unnecessary since he seemed quite content staring at nothing and muttering insanely.
Kantú straightened up while the Spirit of In-between got ready to deliver its message.
“A Judas has made its way into your heart, Aura Telmacha Rosh. BEWARE!”
After that, Kantú slumped to the ground, and a downfall of feathers drifted from one of the awnings.
Was it just me, or were there more than before?
“A Judas?” I looked around the group, but none of them seemed to know what it meant either.
“It’s quite unsettling when she does that, you know.” Ardette inched away from us, an open frown on his face.
“Like the weird crap you do is so much better!” growled Grotts. He had a point. Nyte and Rend nodded in approval.
During all this, the background hum of insane babble continued to fill the alley. “AuTOMoTivES . . . bUrgunDy FRAmEs . . .” But the dimensiad man’s voice suddenly grew to shouting. “JuDas: THE saVioR’S BETRAYER!”
We’d been blocking out the man’s mutterings – preoccupied with worrying over Kantú – but at the word ‘Judas’ we all fell silent and turned to him.
The . . . savior’s . . . betrayer?
With a shiver, I stood up, letting the full weight of Kantú rest against Grotts.
“Heard the squirrel’s possessed utterances and decided to copy?” Ardette stared at the man accusingly.
But something made me doubt that was the case. He couldn’t have heard the Spirit of In-Between’s message above his own ramblings, could’ve he?
No, I didn’t think so. Was that really what a ‘Judas’ was? A betrayer? There was a betrayer in my heart? The Spirit hadn’t been wrong before.
“I don’t get it,” I muttered, my eyes fixed on the man.
“Aura . . .” Grotts reached out to me, but Kantú was still against him. I was out of reach of his touch of comfort, and I didn’t move closer to allow his pat. Instead, I moved closer to the dimensiad man.
“PoRTAL DROppiNgS iN ThE RaIN sOAkeD maNgA . . .”
“Miss Heart?”
“Let’s get away from this lunatic, shall we? It’s giving me a headache.” Ardette tugged on the bottom of my shirt.
Grotts nodded, eyeing the man uneasily. “Yeah, I think that’d be best.”
“But . . .” I wanted to stay and find out more.
“Miss Heart.” Scardo was practically begging now. I looked around, and the others were all just as ready to be done with the strange man.
“Fine.” I reluctantly tore my eyes away from the stranger.
“Finally,” said Rend. She rolled her eyes like the five minutes had been an incredible inconvenience to her.
Nyte had remained entirely silent during the outburst, but he now walked over and scooped Kantú into his arms. He seemed to be thinking hard about something.
At least someone else is taking this seriously. I’d have to ask him his opinion on the matter later.
“Come along then, Miss Heart.” Scardo looked over his shoulder at the man with eyes narrowed.
“Well, I think we all know who that crazed person was talking about, don’t we, my cherry pit?” Ardette spoke into my ear when I turned to leave. “See how he now broods? It is because he’s been called out.”
I shrugged him away. In that moment Ardette seemed to me like some hissing snake, still seeking to uproot my trust in Nyte. Even after everything, he was still at it. I wouldn’t be swayed so easily. But still . . .
The people in my heart. One of them will . . . betray me?
~
“Isn’t this just like a pub?” Kantú scrunched her nose and looked around the cafe.
“Course not. They don’t serve ale ‘ere. Just food and tea and stuff.”
“Cheese and meat! Cheese and meat!” Kantú started up a victorious chant that no one joined in on.
“Fool,” said Rend. “I cannot stand to be in such a casual setting with you. I will wait outside.” She started to get up.
“Have you decided?” A young woman with long yellow pigtails and a green apron walked up to the table that we were all kneeling around. She had several piercings at the top of her right ear – an incredibly cute person.
Rend looked at the girl for a moment then sat down, scowled, and looked away with crossed arms.
So much for waiting outside.
“Oh! I’m sorry if I was interrupting something.” The girl quickly started to back away.
Rend’s scowl deepened. “Leave us.”
How rude. Confused, I studied the Elf’s cross face. What did she have against the waitress?
“Jus’ give us a moment more,” said Grotts apologetically.
The girl bowed and scurried back towards the counter. Her yellow hair bounced as she went. Rend stared after her, looking sinister.
Ardette stuck his finger into his cup of water and tapped the surface, creating a small ripple.
“My, my, Rend. How surprising. I think I’ve grown slightly fonder of you.”
Surprising?
He tapped the water again.
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Rend’s stare snapped over to him, her eyes murderous. “Shut your mouth, Daem, or I will shut it for you.” She scowled yet again before looking away.
“What?” Kantú looked between the two of them.
No kidding. What?
“I am leaving.” Rend started up again, but Nyte grabbed her wrist.
“Do not. Ignore him,” he said, glaring at Ardette.
“All you need do is ask politely. See that, my cherry pit? How touchy your boy is?” Ardette smiled brightly. It only served to annoy the Elves even more. Nyte’s glare grew to match Rend’s fury, but neither of them said anything else.
There were a few minutes of tension where even Kantú was quiet.
Why does it have to be like this? I shook my head, looked out the window, and tried to ignore the stormy atmosphere. It was much more pleasant outside.
From my position, I could see a group of children a short distance away playing some sort of game with the crystals. The giggling youngsters were circled around a large round one.
I observed for a while as one by one they took turns spinning the gem. I couldn’t hear the words they chanted, but it seemed there was some sort of rhyme that went along with this spinning. As the crystal fell, they’d laugh or cry out depending on how long the spin lasted. I figured that was the goal: to make the spin last as long as possible.
One of the girls gave the gem a good push, and it spun for a minute or more. She was awarded with a large handful of smaller crystals. Apparently, these were the prizes based on how long the middle crystal’s spin lasted. Another girl stepped into the middle of the circle, and the other children giggled and danced around the outside, awaiting the crystal’s fall.
If only I could go out there and play with them instead.
The short time of silence served to bore Ardette, for he suddenly started up again, breaking me away from my calm observation.
“You know, Rend, I think you should just give up on this one-”
“I said shut your mouth!”
Nyte placed his hand on her shoulder and started in. “If you do not leave her alone, Daem, I will take that saber of yours and-”
“Please remain civilized, you three!” Scardo hit his hands on the table, a move that was startling coming from the proper man. Even I, who’d determined to stay out of the drama, was taken aback.