by Tristan Vick
“All the reason to let things play themselves out. See where your emotions take you. Don’t force it or fight it. Just move with it.”
Suddenly the door to my chambers flies open and Leif rushes into the room, his face completely panic-stricken. “Lisette is missing!” he shouts. But just as soon as he has said it his eyes fall upon Lisette lying beside me. “I mean…um…”
“It’s all right,” she says, sitting up on the end of the bed. “I’m here with Arianna.”
Leif puts his hand over his heart and walks in a circle to calm himself. “You have no idea how worried I was. I must have dozed off in the chair beside you and the next thing I know is the sun is shining in through the window and you are gone.”
Lisette walks up to Leif and interrupts his pacing by throwing her arms around his neck. She gives him a peck on the lips. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”
“That’s a huge relief,” says Leif. “You have no idea.”
Standing up I notice that my shoulder straps are still down and my dress almost slides off. I grasp fast to my chest and hold it firm. Then, walking over to the bath at the back corner of the room, I bend down, placing one knee on the ledge of the bath, and twist the faucet.
A stream of piping hot water pours out and begins to fill the tub. Water heated by the thermal fissures which run underneath Koroth and feed into the volcanic chasm at the center of the city. This glowing chasm, with a singular rock island, with nothing but a staircase which goes deep into the heart of the earth, sits at the center of the lava lake.
It is said that at the bottom of the stairs is a large chamber with lava falls. The lava falls are said to surround the entire underground cavern, all but for a rock bridge which leads to a giant iron door—the door to the Nether Realm.
Although I’ve not seen it for myself, like all Bellerans, the stories are rife with exaggeration. That is, until I look out my window and see the lava lake glowing in the distance.
“Will you be okay, sweetie?” Lisette asks me.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine,” I say, glancing over my shoulder at her and Leif. “I’m just going to take a bath and change.”
“So, we’ll meet you later, at the celebration?”
“Celebration?” I ask.
“Today is the coronation of the new high priestess. Mother of Koroth, as the locals refer to her. Supreme enchantress. It’s the highest position one can achieve in Koroth after the title of Grand Magus.”
“Yeah, sure. I’ll stop by your room once I’m all made up,” I inform them both. Leif bows and then, arm in arm, the two lovebirds head back to their quarters. Just before they leave me entirely, however, Lisette pauses in the entrance and looks back over her shoulder. “Thanks for rescuing me, by the way.”
I nod my head regally and watch them leave. Once they’re gone, I suck in a deep breath, flatten my stomach, and let go of my tattered dress. It slides off my body and falls to a heap at my feet. I step out of the bundle and into the steaming pool-sized bath.
Hot water engulfs me as I sink down into the steaming hot bath. Finally, I’m able to let my hair down and just relax. As I think about how best to deal with this whole situation between Zee, Alegra, and me, I stare out the window at the dark spires and the gray and gloomy skyline.
The city beneath the shroud is completely the opposite, however, with its dark and glistening towers. Many of them lit up with flecks of light in random assortments revealing rooms bustling with activity.
Koroth has a calm and familiar feeling. It feels ancient and peaceful and reminds me of the times when I’d pray at the temple of the north where the twin statues of El Lunaria and El Novette stand facing one another. Between them, they raise a giant chalice that pours water that’s brought up from the mystic lake below.
When I hear the door, I turn around, covering myself as not to be immodest. Standing in the doorway is Alegra. She looks tired. Her platinum hair is a disheveled mess and there are dark bags under her eyes as though she hasn’t slept a wink in days. More than this, though, there are tears in her eyes, which trickle down her cheeks to her quivering bottom lip.
“I’m so sorry,” she says, breaking down into sobs.
“For what?” I ask. Admittedly, I’m completely unprepared for her reaction.
“For all the terrible things I said when I wasn’t myself.”
“Oh, sweetie,” I say throwing open my arms and beckoning Alegra to come to me. “That wasn’t your fault.”
She slinks over to me, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand and sniffling. She looks away from me, as though she’s ashamed. Even though the only one who has anything to be ashamed about here is me. “I just want you to know it wasn’t me,” she says. “It was vengeful spirit saying those horrible things. And the whole time I was screaming at the voice in my head to silence itself, but it would not.”
I stand up, the bath water rolling gently down my skin, and place my hand upon Alegra’s cool, tear-stained cheek. I gently guide her face back toward mine till we’re facing each other. I wait for her to find my eyes and, when I have caught her in my gaze, my eyes settle upon her lips. I pull her face into me and kiss her.
“It wasn’t your fault,” I whisper.
She closes her eyes and smiles and we touch our foreheads together.
After a moment, I say, “Now are you going to join me, or do I have to tear your clothes off and force you into the bath?”
She looks up at me with her bright amethyst eyes and laughs. “I’d like to see you try it.”
“Oh, you would, would you?” I wrap my arms around her and start to lean backward.
“Arianna, wait…what are you…?”
I pull Alegra into the bath with me, clothes and all, and there is a horrendous splash. Almost instantly she sits up and coughs up a mouthful of water. “You’re crazy!” she laughs, and slaps the surface of the water, sending up a spray, which splashes me in the face.
I wade over to her and press my body against hers, pinning her against the back edge of the tub. “Yes, yes, I am.” I giggle. I gaze into her half-open eyes and begin to strip her clothes off underneath the water.
Alegra wraps her arms around my neck and raises her face toward me. Finding my lips with hers, she kisses me long and hard. Locked in an embrace, we sink down into the hot water.
“I love you,” she says while gazing longingly into my blue eyes with her purple ones. And for the life of me, I can’t figure out how to respond.
More than anything, I want to say the words back to her. I do. But I can’t bring myself to say them. The moment I even try to muster up even a whisper, I freeze with a crippling, gut-seizing fear. The fear of her finding out that I’m in love with Zee, and that I rushed into things with her, and I have no way to tell her without breaking her heart, overwhelms me. So, instead, I say the only thing that makes sense to say. “I know,” I reply, and then I silence her mouth with another savory kiss.
23
It takes longer to get myself ready than expected since I’m not accustomed to doing my own hair and makeup. But Alegra helps me with the girly stuff and when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror I barely recognize myself. It’s not every day that a barbarian girl gets made up to look like a proper lady.
Once we’re done, however, I hasten to ready myself for the evening’s festivities. Alegra opts to sit this one out, as she’s still exhausted from the previous evening. I don’t blame here. Demon possessions can’t be fun. So, I give her a peck on the forehead and leave her next to the fire reading a book.
I say goodbye to Alegra and head down the hallway. Lisette and Leif should be waiting for me so we can go to the coronation of the high priestess together. When I get there they’re still scrambling to get themselves ready and I feel better that I’m not the only one running behind schedule.
Lisette rushes to the vanity table, plucks out a couple of glittering earrings from a drawer, and shuffles back toward me in an amazingly tight dress that forces her to take an exceedi
ng number of small steps.
Threading her arm through mine, she hooks me around the elbow and excitedly says, “Come on! We don’t want to be late for the ceremony!”
Lisette practically drags me out of the room and down the hall. I look back to see Leif trailing after us. He can only reply with a shrug.
I smile at her and then we come to the elevatorum chamber.
“I really hate this thing,” says Leif as we pile inside the tiny room. The doors close and Lisette taps one of the piano-like hammers with the number one printed on it. Immediately the mechanism lurches and then begins descending at a safe rate.
Leif grips the side railing as though we’re going to drop out of the sky and scarcely breathes the entire way down. Once the doors open back up he rushes past both of us and out into the lobby. He can’t seem to get out of the elevatorum fast enough. Once free of what he calls the death chamber, he places his hands on his knees and gasps for air.
“My hero,” Lisette teases as we walk buy.
Leif merely responds with a sour face, then immediately checks to see if anyone is watching. Relieved that nobody caught him acting like a terrified fool, he puffs up his chest and follows us, taking big, confident strides.
We exit the tower complex and step out onto the Korothian street. Many others dressed in their finest gowns and double-breasted suits litter the streets. The entire throng of Korothians seem to be headed in the same direction, toward the emporium. Lisette pulls on my arm. “Zee said there would be food vendors and booths with all forms of games unique only to the realm of the mages.”
“There’s plenty of time before the festivities,” Leif adds, taking a whiff of the broiling scent of sausages that lingers in the air.
“Okay,” I say without any protest. I too am curious as to the kinds of attractions we may find, and together we head off down the street.
A tall, slender gentleman wearing a top hat and a monocle, who is busy checking his fancy silver pocket watch, accidentally crashes into Leif. Poor Leif takes a nasty spill to the ground. The gentleman manages to steady himself and then apologizes humbly.
“I beg your pardon,” he states in a rather majestic manner. “The fault is completely mine. Allow me to remedy the situation.”
The man reaches down with his pointer finger and stops the minute hand on the clock watch. Winding the hand counterclockwise, he places it thirty seconds earlier. Then the strangest thing happens: Everyone and everything around us starts moving backward. Even Leif and Lisette aren’t immune, and they walk in reverse. It’s the most peculiar thing I’ve ever seen.
Once the time is reset, the man removes his finger and lets time resume its normal course.
Leif and Lisette walk on as though nothing ever happened. The man, making sure not to collide with Leif again, steps to the side.
I stand, mouth agape, in the middle of the street, watching this. I’m about the ask the man how he did that when Lisette calls my name. “Arianna? Are you coming?”
“Oh, yes,” I say. “I was just…” When I turn back, the tall gentleman is nowhere to be found. “Um…never mind,” I say. Then I hasten to catch up with my friends.
There are people everywhere. Children run in and out of the spaces between shifting multitudes. A couple of brothers are chasing a magic dragon toy that leaves a trail of sparkling dust behind it. The dust changes from pink to purple to green as it flies by. Another child, a small girl, is sitting outside a shop licking a candy apple that changes colors each time she gives it a lick.
All these bright colors of the festivities are a stark contrast to the dark clothes and drab fashion of the Korothian people, who love nothing better, it seems, than to dress in muted colors, including far too much black.
Leif and Lisette stroll up to a white tent where a vendor is selling sausages on a stick. I wave at them not to worry and continue what they’re doing, then I carry on roaming the narrow streets with booths and vendors to either side shouting at the top of their lungs to advertise their wares.
I travel along with the flow of the crowd and after several blocks the street opens onto a massive square. Just beyond the square is the largest colosseum I’ve ever seen. By my estimation, it is at least thirty feet high and over three hundred feet wide. Although Koroth is replete with towers that stretch over a thousand feet into the sky, there’s nothing that is as large or domineering as the colosseum.
The rush of people head to the side gates and I follow them. I walk past the guards at the arched entrance and step into a long dark corridor. It would be creepy if there weren’t such a jovial atmosphere about the place with the cheerful voices of men, women, and children chattering all around.
After a few meters, I see a light at the end of the tunnel and finally step out onto an expanse of tiered seating that overlooks a giant arena. I look out across the arena and see, opposite me, a viewing box three levels high. Close enough to see with uninterrupted sight the goings on in the arena, but a safe enough distance to remain unaffected by those same goings on.
Standing in the box, with her own personal entourage of handmaids, guards, and noble supporters, is none other than Zee, in the flesh.
I stop a young man passing by and point at the viewing box. “Who’s that woman?” I ask him. Although, I full well know who Zarine is, I want to know why she’s here.
“That’s Zarine Xankandi,” he answers. “The new high priestess.”
“High priestess?!” I gasp. He nods in confirmation and then continues on his way.
Suddenly, a deluge of bothersome worries rush into my mind. If Zarine is coronated the high priestess of Koroth, will I ever be able to see her again? What will her duties be like? The high priestess is regarded by the other realms equal to a queen. Which makes sense, seeing as Zarine is engaged to be married to Queen Sabine.
Lost in thought, my cheeks flare up with jealousy and I instantly feel a strange sense of betrayal to my queen for even entertaining the notion that Zee would want to be with me over her.
Not knowing what to do, I turn and race out of the of colosseum. As I dash out of the tunnel and back toward the main entrance gate, Leif and Lisette spot me. Leif calls out to me, “Hey, Arianna! Where are you going?”
“The coronation is about to begin,” shouts Lisette, her voice stressed to the max as she shouts above the noise of excited chatter.
Without slowing down, I pretend not to have heard them over the din of the crowd, and wipe the tears from my eyes as I run away from the colosseum, the coronation, and the festivities of Koroth. I run down the winding streets until there are no more throngs of people or vendors trying to sell their goods. I run until I’m sweating through my dress, and I keep on running.
Somehow, without meaning to, I manage to find myself standing at a large glowing lake of lava. I’m at the center of Koroth. All the roads lead her. To this place. The entrance to the Nether Realm.
There is a long stone walkway which heads all the way to a stone gateway. It, in turn, leads into a courtyard. At the center is an opening, inside which a series of stairs descend into the dark mouth of a mysterious tunnel.
I begin to climb the stairs to the platform bridge, but my dress keeps preventing me from taking normal steps, so I take ahold of either side at the slit and tear it all the way up to my waist.
After arriving at the top of the platform bridge, I look back over my shoulder to see if anyone is watching me, but there is no one around. I let out a sigh and then make my way toward the stairs at the center of the lava lake.
Orange light radiates from the glowing lava, and the extreme heat causes me to perspire even more than I was doing. I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand and stop at the top of the staircase. I peer down into the black void.
“If you go down there, you’ll face three challenges,” a voice says just behind my shoulder.
I startle from the unexpected closeness of the voice and spin around to find Zarine standing behind me. A fine gossamer fabric clings to her skin.
It has an iridescent quality in which the greens and deep purples swirl and blend in the light. Around her mid-section is a polished black leather corset that tapers her already incredible narrow waist down to an hourglass shape.
Although her neck and shoulders are bare, she is wearing a large collar necklace replete with shoulder armor that is cut in just the right fashion to allow her cleavage to be shown off without interruption. In addition to this, she has on a black leather cape with a maroon lining on the inside, which provides a nice contrast to her dark dress, kohl eyes, and darkly painted lips.
“Zee?” I ask. Admittedly, I have a hard time believing it’s her. I just saw her waving to the crowd at the coronation, and by the distant sound of the trumpeters the event is already beginning. “Are you even supposed to be here?”
“I’m right where I need to be,” Zarine replies.
I think maybe Lisette was right about Zee being my guardian angel, so I just accept it. “What about the coronation though?”
“There’s plenty of time yet. Besides, it’s merely a formality. I was already made high priestess in a secret ceremony three nights ago.”
“But that would mean…”
“Yes…” she says, urging me to complete my though as I piece recent events together.
“That means you’ve been the high priestess the entire time we’ve been in Koroth.”
Zee smiles at me. “Surprised?”
“Yeah, a little,” I admit, trying not to sound overly impressed by it. She raises an eyebrow and shoots me a skeptical look. I laugh. “Okay, a lot, actually.”
“It’s no big deal,” she assures me. “I still will have time for personal relationships.”
“I wasn’t worried,” I say.
She squints at me, her narrow eyes seeing right through my lie. “Right,” she says, her tenor of voice relaying the fact that she doesn’t believe me.
She takes a step toward me and then stares at me as though she wants to say something. I match her step with one of my own, hoping she might confess her thoughts to me. Instead, she takes one more step closer. We continue in this fashion, matching each other step for step, until we’re holding each other in one another’s arms in what appears to be an inevitable embrace.