by Trevor Booth
Te’oma and Ariana look at each other, impressed. “Well, if he can do it,” said Ariana, as she threw her backpack to Julius.
Ariana glided across the water like a gazelle, and easily reached the other side. Te’oma looked at the water with fear. He never really had the chance to be a kid when he was growing up. This was the kind of thing he always wanted to do, but was never allowed.
“Come on, it’s really easy,” said Ariana.
Te’oma walked up to the water’s edge and looked down at the tree roots sticking out. The wood was old and rotten with slime covering it. He nervously put his foot out onto the root. His foot quickly slipped off and splashed into the water. Te’oma jumped back.
“Don’t think about it. You just have to do it quickly,” said Julius.
Te’oma gathered himself, then leapt out onto the tree root. Before he knew it, he was halfway across the swamp. He leapt from root to root, his confidence growing with each jump. On the final root, he lost his balance and landed face first in the grass. Ariana and Julius looked down at him laughing. Te’oma looked up. “I made it,” he said, with a smile on his face.
With the night settling in, the three happily lay down and stared up at the cloudy night sky, each of them revelling in the comfort of the soft grass.
Te’oma whistled a soft, happy tune. Ariana and Julius lay next to him with their eyes closed, letting the song echo through their relaxed minds.
“How did you know this place would be here?” asked Ariana.
“What do you mean?” said Te’oma.
“You pushed us all day to keep walking, almost as if you knew this little island paradise would be here,” said Ariana.
“When I was a boy, my parents brought me past here once. I only remembered it last night,” said Te’oma.
“Well, I’m glad you did,” said Julius.
The three lay in silence, soaking up the moment. The clouds above slowly dispersed and the Star of Alentia came into view. “It’s so bright,” said Ariana.
“The Star of Alentia. My father told me that was the one star you could always rely on to guide your way,” said Te’oma.
With an almighty crash, a large tree branch from the old oak tree fell to the ground behind them. They spun around to see that it had not fallen far from their heads. “Boy, that was lucky,” said Julius.
A dull light from the tree caught Te’oma’s attention. Buried behind the moss and dirt, something was glowing.
“What is it?” said Ariana. Te’oma wiped away the moss and the dirt, revealing a round, crystal disc, glowing with green light. The disc had gorgeous inscriptions carefully carved into it. It was the language of the Intari.
“I think you should push it,” said Julius.
Te’oma carefully pushed the crystal into the tree. As he did, the crystal turned and the light went out. Te’oma looked at Ariana and Julius, wondering what had happened. Then, suddenly, the ground next to the tree started to rumble and shake. They stepped away from the tree and the ground below opened up. From the ground rose a large crystal chest, covered with more Intari inscriptions and drawings, woven with blue, green and red patterns.
Te’oma opened the lid and the three peered inside. Dozens of gold and silver coins covered the bottom of the chest. On top of the coins was a stunning dagger, slender in size but sculpted to perfection. It had a silver handle with green stone wrapping around it. The blade was solid crystal, which glistened in the light and was deadly sharp to the touch.
Next to the dagger lay a small tablet. Julius took the tablet out of the chest. It was covered in Intari script, which read:
To my fellow Intari, there are places like these spread all over the lands of Sentari. They will only activate in the presence of a descendant of the Intari, and it is our hope that these places can help any surviving members of our people.
Please only take what you need. Leave some, in the hope that there are other survivors.
Good luck my friends, and may we all meet again one day.
Julius stared at the tablet for some time. Te’oma and Ariana grabbed at the coins and started stuffing as many of them into their pockets as they could. Julius grabbed Ariana by the hand. “Only take a handful. We don’t need any more,” he said. Ariana looked at Julius. He had a strange, sad expression on his face.
Te’oma looked down at the chest. “He’s right. This chest is a blessing. We should leave some here so that it might help someone else in need someday,” he said.
Te’oma and Ariana put all but a handful of coins back into the chest. Te’oma walked over to the crystal in the tree and pushed it again. The chest started to lower itself back into the ground. Julius reached in, took the dagger out and quickly put it under his clothes.
The chest sunk back into the ground and the light from the crystal faded. The ground covered back over as if nothing had ever happened.
***
The three had the best night’s sleep that they had had in a long time, so good in fact that they slept until quite late the next day. It was only the sound of animals fighting in the distance that woke them.
Julius stood up and stretched his arms and legs out as far as he could. He looked up and noticed where the sun sat in the sky. “Hey. Hey. Wake up. We’ve slept for too long,” said Julius.
After struggling to say goodbye to their comfy beds, they continued their march through the thick forest. For three more days they walked. Each night they could barely sleep. No bed seemed quite as comfortable as the one they had slept on back on the island. Finally, they reached the end of the tree line and, nestled in the valley below, was the city of Yen-Dori.
Somehow immune to the cold that surrounded it, the city of Yen-Dori was warm and inviting. Its buildings glistened in the sunlight. A golden tower at the centre of the city towered above a stone wall that circled the city, keeping watch over its lands. On top of the tower was a giant orb that emitted a dull light.
There was but one gate to the city and it sat directly below Te’oma, Ariana and Julius.
“It’s going to take us days to walk around this place,” said Ariana.
“We could always go straight through it,” replied Te’oma.
“Do you see any way through?” said Ariana.
Te’oma took some gold coins out of his pocket. “Money can open many doors,” he said, with a smile on his face.
“What do you think Julius?” asked Ariana.
“I think Te’oma is right. It’s too far out of our way,” said Julius.
They approached the giant wooden gates that protected the city. Two men dressed in very raggedy clothes, carrying old, scratched and dented swords stood in front of the gates, blocking the way.
Te’oma approached one of the guards and showed him a gold coin; the guard looked at the coin and then grunted, “Two.” Te’oma handed a second coin to the guard.
The guard put the coin in his pocket then banged twice on the gate with his sword.
The doors to the city creaked and rattled, then suddenly opened. A gust of warm air came racing out of the city, blowing their hair back as the city of Yen-Dori came into view.
Cobblestone streets weaved their way into the distance, lined by large, stone houses. The stone had been crafted by the finest builders. The joins between each stone were almost indistinguishable.
Far off on the horizon, the mighty cliffs that separated these lands from the Yen-Gyle Forest imposed themselves over the city.
The spire that stood in the middle of the city appeared like a sun in the sky. The light that beamed throughout the city spread warmth to all corners.
Te’oma, Ariana and Julius walked through the gates, which slammed shut behind them.
“Where is everyone?” asked Ariana.
They walked through the empty streets. The whole city had an eerie feeling to it. There was no one around, yet they felt as if they were being watched. They passed the giant spire in the middle of the city and, on the other side, stood a man watching them intently. Next to him were two
guards wearing makeshift armour and carrying old, rusty swords.
They walked up to the dishevelled-looking man. He had raggedy, brown hair with an equally raggedy beard. He smelt like a mix of sour milk and wine. He looked them up and down.
“Hello. My name’s Julius. This is Te’oma and Ariana,” said Julius apprehensively.
“One moment,” said the man, as he walked around them, looking at them intently. “Right this way,” he said, walking towards a small building on the edge of the street.
“Wait a minute. We’re not just going to blindly follow you. Who are you?” asked Ariana.
“My name is Kyest and, if you want to pass through my city, you must spend a night here,” he said.
“Your city?” Julius queried.
“Yes, my city,” Kyest confirmed. “And you must stay for a night - unless you prefer to go back?”
The two guards stepped forward and pointed their swords towards Julius.
“I guess we have no choice then,” said Julius.
“I would prefer it if you considered yourselves our guests,” said Kyest.
The three followed Kyest and his guards into the small building. Inside lay dozens of small, wooden beds. On the walls were small crystals giving off light. At the centre of the room was a large wooden table with many bowls, filled with meat, vegetables and all sorts of fruits. Te’oma and Ariana saw the food and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads.
A small, almost invisible door at the back of the room opened like magic. An attractive, yet disgustingly bubbly young girl whom Kyest introduced as his daughter, Lorain, came bursting through the door, carrying a large tray of sweet smelling pork in one hand and a large jug of juice in the other. She walked past the three, making sure that the wonderful aroma caught their noses, before placing the food and drink down on the table. She smiled at Te’oma. Te’oma smiled back with a goofy look on his face. Ariana rolled her eyes.
“How much is this little banquet going to cost us?” asked Ariana.
Kyest smiled back at her. “That depends on how much you have, young lady,” said Kyest.
Julius, Ariana and Te’oma huddled close and discussed their situation. They hadn’t eaten properly for a long time and they knew that they may not get another chance any time soon.
Ariana collected all the money the three had left and laid it down on the table. Kyest looked at it and smiled. “I think we can make some room for you,” he said. He motioned to Lorain to help them with their things.
Lorain took Te’oma’s bag. “You can sleep right over here, near my bed,” said Lorain. Te’oma smiled and followed her blindly. “That’s ok, I’ll find my own bed,” said Ariana sarcastically, as she looked for the furthest bed she could find from Lorain.
Kyest collected the coins from the table. He held one of them up and inspected it closely. “That’s interesting,” he said.
“Why is that?” replied Julius.
“These coins are a very rare. It’s not often we come across them,” said Kyest. “But that’s not the interesting part. You are the second group of travellers to pay with this type of coin in the last month.”
Julius stared at him intently. “Who were they?” he asked desperately.
“Nobody special. Just a young lady with two older men. They kept to themselves mostly. The old men watched over that poor young lady like a hawk,” said Kyest.
“Where were they going?” enquired Julius.
“Well, they never did say, but I overheard them talking about the path of Yen-Dori,” said Kyest.
“The path of Yen-Dori?” Julius prompted.
“Yes, I’ll tell you all about it over dinner. Now, why don’t you and your friends freshen up in one of our splendid baths,” said Kyest.
The day passed and the three were each treated to a bath, although Kyest’s description was a little bit of a stretch. The stone must have been hundreds of years old and was covered in green algae. The water would be lucky to be considered warm but, still, if there was one thing that this journey had taught them, it was to be grateful for small blessings.
The evening arrived and so did Te’oma, Ariana and Julius, fresh from their baths. The three were looking more alive than they had in a long time. Te’oma was taken aback by Ariana. Her washed hair flowed down her back, all soft and smooth. Her skin glowed in the soft light coming from the crystals that lined the room.
Lovely crafted seats had been laid out around the table, and the abundance of food could only be described as a feast.
Te’oma pulled a seat back for Ariana. Ariana smiled and sat down. She could get used to this kind of attention. Lorain entered the room, looking equally lovely, but Te’oma’s eyes were fixed on Ariana.
Kyest entered the room and sat down at the head of the table. Julius sat as close as he could get to Kyest. Christian, his ever-reliable yet very inexperienced teenaged guard, walked in and stood to attention in the doorway. Kyest’s eight-year-old twin sons, Jesse and Isner, walked closely behind him and sat next to Kyest at the table. Te’oma sat down next to Ariana and Lorain made sure she sat directly opposite Te’oma.
“You can leave now, Christian,” said Kyest, rather bemused by his military-like demeanour.
“Yes, sir!” said Christian enthusiastically. He left the room, closing the door on the way out.
“He’s a good boy, that Christian, but I’m afraid he’s not all there,” said Kyest cheekily.
There was an awkward silence at first, but a combination of the good food and drink soon loosened their tongues. Te’oma did his best to muster up a fake smile as he forced the food to slide down his throat. He must have been the only person in the world who could not stand the taste of chicken.
In a moment of silence, Julius decided to take the opportunity to question Kyest. “How long have you lived in this city?” he asked.
“I was born here, as were my children, and nearly all of the people that live here,” said Kyest.
“It’s a very advanced city. Do you know who built it?” asked Julius.
“What makes you think we didn’t build it?” Kyest returned.
“I mean no disrespect, but the disparity between the table and beds you sleep in compared to the technology that surrounds it would suggest that your people discovered this city the way it is,” said Julius.
Kyest smiled, surprised. “That’s very observant of you, young man. My great-grandparents found this city by sheer chance,” he explained. Back then, it was overgrown with weeds and trees but, over time, we managed to restore it to its former glory.”
“I’m more interested in how you managed to work out how to use the technology,” said Te’oma.
“To be perfectly honest with you, we did nothing. It’s only been in the last few days that all the lights have started to turn on. If you look at the walls, you’ll notice that we used old wooden torches to light our way at night. Now, we no longer need to,” said Kyest.
“Aren’t you worried that this will attract the dragons?” asked Ariana.
“It already has but, as long as that barrier above the city continues to work, they have no way of getting in,” said Kyest.
“It seems pretty dangerous to assume it will keep working,” replied Ariana.
Silence fell over the room. Lorain jumped to her feet, walked around to Te’oma and grabbed him by the hand. “You must come see the city at night. Ever since the power came on, it has become the most wonderful of sights,” said Lorain, pulling him out of his seat with more force than he would have thought possible.
Te’oma grabbed Ariana by the hand. “Will you join us?” he asked her.
“I’d love to,” said Ariana.
“Would you like to join them?” Kyest asked Julius.
“No, thank you. I would like to know more about this path of Yen-Dori,” he said.
“I thought you might,” said Kyest.
Te’oma, Lorain and Ariana walked the streets through the night, the spire at the centre of the city rippled waves of
light from its centre, all the way out to the far regions of the city.
Lorain did her best to get Te’oma’s attention, but her advances went unnoticed. He only had eyes for Ariana. The longer the night went on, the more Lorain became a third wheel. They returned to the spire.
“I’d best be getting to sleep,” said Lorain, looking longingly at Te’oma.
“Good night, then,” said Te’oma and Ariana, without even glancing in her direction. Lorain walked away to a nearby building and disappeared inside.
Te’oma and Ariana were left outside alone. The light from the spire sparkled across Ariana’s face. The warmth it generated made it feel like a hot summer’s night, not that either of them had ever experienced one.
Te’oma and Ariana slowly reached out to take each other’s hands, almost as if they had the same idea at the same time. They looked deeply into each other’s eyes. They had both known for a while that they liked each other, but something about tonight had drawn them together. They stepped towards each other, getting as close as they could. Te’oma leaned his head down. Ariana closed her eyes in anticipation but, just as they were about to kiss, a noise came from the spire. A door that had previously been invisible suddenly opened at the base. Te’oma and Ariana both looked across at the door, curious.
A small, crystal light inside lit it up and revealed what looked like a small lift, barely big enough to fit two people. Te’oma and Ariana walked up to the door. “What do you think?” asked Te’oma.
“I think we go in,” said Ariana boldly. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she walked through the door, but nothing happened. Te’oma walked in and stood next to her. As he did, the door sealed shut and disappeared into the wall. With a jolt they began to ascend the spire.
The lift moved quickly up the spire, yet they could not feel the motion. The walls and floor turned clear and the city came into view. Te’oma grabbed onto Ariana for dear life. They continued to ascend. It was like the lift had become invisible, but they were still inside it.
The lift reached the top of the spire and stopped. A portion of the glass opened, letting a soft breeze in. The moon peeked out through the clouds, lighting up the night sky. They were so high that they could see for hundreds of miles in every direction, across the forest and past the icy desert they had so recently crossed. From here, it looked so beautiful. In the distance, the glaciers and the mountains shimmered in the moonlight, and the snow that they had escaped covered the lands as far as the eye could see.