A spirit of excitement was growing in Penny’s chest as they approached the department where they could find the airship to Hulver. She was getting closer to Della, which meant she could be closer to getting home. The idea of riding on a magnificent airship above the foreign oceans of Elydria seemed rather romantic.
Hector bounced in his step as the transcontinental travel desk came into view. The woman greeted him and as he began to question her about the airship, Penny took interest in a mammoth, cerulean blimp tethered to the ground outside the window. Lettering and designs were painted all along its ribbed body, coupled with a splendid wooden compartment at the base.
Excited, she ambled back to where Hector stood, and felt a pang of dread upon seeing his face. His brows were knit together and he was rummaging through his belongings.
“Well, let me see…” she heard him mumbling. “Is there a more, erm―economic rate, by any chance?”
The woman shook her bushy blonde head. “I’m sorry, sir. The Airships that cross the oceans only run on magic, and with the shortage…”
Penny’s heart sank. “How much is it to ride the airship?”
“A hundred diamond Yuebells―per ticket.”
Penny’s jaw dropped.
The clerk kept a straight face. “We take bank note or transfer paper.”
“Um, isn’t there a boat or something?” Simon interjected from behind Penny.
The woman raised her eyebrows as if she were trying to suppress a look of disbelief. “Um…no, sir. Sea travel is far too dangerous, as I’m sure you must know. Because of the fomorians, of course,” she explained with a nod.
They excused themselves, and Penny wondered for the second time exactly what a fomorian was, recalling when Armonie had spoken about them in a spooked tone.
“This shouldn’t be too much of a problem. Hector can just summon up the money? Right?” Penny prompted Hector. He shook his head at once and she grimaced at him. “Why not? You took all that money before, why should it be a problem this time?”
“Because last time I took mere pocket change from a large amount of people. Would you notice if fifty cents disappeared from your wallet?” He allowed a moment for her and Simon to think. “Now, would you notice if fifty dollars disappeared? And wouldn’t you think it odd if fifty dollars disappeared from every person you know? I’m almost positive that someone would be able to track it back to us somehow―it might be a slim chance, but I don’t want to risk getting thrown in jail.”
“But how are we going to get to Crescia, then?” Simon frowned.
Hector remained firm. “Look, we’ll find some way to get there. I’m sure with enough research―”
“Screw your research. I want to go home,” Simon spat, breaking from their huddle and huffing down the hall. Penny shrugged at Hector and they followed.
Back in the harbor area, they all felt lost. After sitting by the lakeside in heavy silence for a while, Penny requested they find a meal of some sort. They wandered into a fishy-smelling restaurant on the boardwalk and ordered crispy fried fish with a mound of crunchy, bite-sized vegetable rounds. The food made clear-headed conversation much less laborious and they launched into a debate of what their next move should be.
Though there were many ideas between the three of them, nothing was to everyone’s liking and they went on arguing even after they left the restaurant. They sat on the boardwalk watching the fisherman pull in a number of alien fish, their shimmery rainbow scales flashing in the last light of the day. For a while they busied themselves with asking vendors and shop owners if they knew of any other way to get across the sea, but learned nothing of value. At the end of a long and unproductive day, there was nothing to do but stand shivering in the chilly evening breeze.
The air above the horizon was illuminated by the ever-burning lamps of the city, creating a halo of light that diffused into the deep inky darkness of the sky. Penny rubbed her arms, trying to fend off shivers as she stared out at the rippling reflection of the twin moons on the lake. It became apparent they would have to stay somewhere for the night, and they moved through the dark district in search of an inn. The inn they found was shabby, but Penny didn’t care. Her legs and feet ached from all the walking and she wanted nothing more than to collapse in a bed and forget everything.
Their room was filthy and noise from a neighboring public house blared in through the thin walls. The tub in the bathroom was so grimy that Penny was sure it would only make her dirtier if she chose to bathe in it. A single bed in the room was stained in places. Hector and Simon both refused to sleep on the floor, so they were all forced to squash together in the bed. Penny made a point of placing Hector in between herself and Simon, trying to avoid the chance that Simon might try to get a little too friendly in the night.
After a very uncomfortable night-long attempt at sleep, which contained an excessive amount of elbowing, they dressed and washed up as best they could. Still wooly-headed, Hector led them out into the brilliant morning.
“We are not staying there again,” Penny proclaimed after they had eaten breakfast. Simon and Hector did not need to be told twice. They walked back to The Tunnels, and this time took a Spider-Car to the southern-most area of Iverton, the Shopping District. They emerged, reeling and yet exhilarated from the ride through the dark, subterranean world.
This district boasted the largest and most intriguing open-air market Penny had ever laid eyes on. Glittering jewels, sacks full of fragrant spices, animals both feral and friendly, fantastical balloons, lamps laden with mirror shards and dark beads, roasted nuts glazed with sugar, and fresh fish of every shape and color flooded her vision and bombarded her senses. They drifted through the stalls, gazes stolen by the clamorous bursts of motion and color that surrounded them. Hector tried to get Simon and Penny to move along, but they kept getting distracted by the various oddities. He gave in and bought each of them a sort of bowl-shaped cookie filled with ripe fruits and berries, drizzled with syrup, and topped with fluffy cream.
They ate their treats with contentment, chewing and wading through the dazzling crowds. After at least twenty minutes of traversing the narrow alleyways and escaping the inviting calls of salesmen, they emerged into a more manageable part of town. Hector used his map and brought them to a cozy looking inn with pink and violet flowers spilling out its windows, separated from the crowded street by a white fence. They all filed in, Simon and Penny talking in low voices, as Hector booked them a room.
The innkeeper was a plump man with a tangled red beard and spectacles, who told them for an extra few Yuebells a night they could have dinner alongside his family and their other guests. Simon agreed to this as soon as he caught sight of the innkeeper’s daughter, who was young, tall, and had the same shade of luscious red hair, with cream-colored skin and an hourglass figure to boot. Penny frowned at the statuesque girl as she moved past them with swaying hips, sighing as she imagined how her own short, boyish frame must look in comparison.
When they got into their room, Penny sighed with relief to see they’d each have their own bed. Only a few hours after settling in, she wasn’t surprised when Hector said he was going to take a trip to the library, nor when Simon insisted on staying at the inn. Penny, curious to see more of Iverton, announced she was going with Hector.
Back outside in the lively Shopping District, Hector looked down at Penny. “Ah, I’m so happy that you decided to accompany me!” he beamed, strolling briskly forward. Before Penny had time to blush at his comment, he continued, “Now I’ll be able to use magic to read even faster!” She couldn’t hide her look of dismay.
They passed through the central Business District first, and Penny noted with interest that the large coliseum she had spotted before turned out to be a theater. Posters advertising an upcoming play were plastered all around the entrance of the huge structure. South of the Sophotri Stone was a rather odd sort of post office. Mailmen with large red bags and cloaks entered in and left through the rotary doors, some riding atop
griffins. They wore goggles with their crimson uniforms, clinging to the magnificent beasts with bravery blazing in their eyes as they took off from the dizzying heights of the post office’s roof.
Hector and Penny found the large white bridge that connected the Business and Royal districts after a two hour walk, and decided to take a rest on the bench outside of the Grand Cathedral, speculating what day it would be back on Earth. Hector guessed it would be around the end of October by this time, and then gasped. Penny gave him a curious look and he explained that his birthday had passed and he hadn’t even noticed.
“Oh! How old are you now?” she asked with a smile. He shook his head as he got up from the bench and helped her to her feet.
“Older than I was before,” he said with a shade of despondency, and they resumed their walk.
The colossal gray stone of the library soon poked out above the roofs and steeples of the district. The building itself was made of nondescript rock and was about the height of a small skyscraper. A large stone sculpture of a scroll and quill was set above the tall wooden doors and engraved with Elydrian writing.
“It’s called the Archillion. Strange name for a library,” Hector commented.
“You’ve got to enchant a pair of glasses for me so I can read, too,” Penny pestered him as he strained to open the heavy wooden door. He looked at her and considered this.
“But your vision doesn’t need correcting. It’ll give you headaches,” he said as she scurried in. She thought about this and shrugged.
“I’m sure I can find a pair that’ll work,” she said, but Hector looked skeptical.
The Archillion smelled just as a library should: musty and dry with a hint of aged wood. A man sat on a raised stone desk, scribbling something with a quill. His face was tired and pale, and he wore an expression of agitation. He squinted down at Hector and Penny, perturbed.
“Can I help you?” he snapped, looking back down at his scribbles.
“I’m looking for books about magic, demographics, geography, law―” Hector stopped short when the man pointed to his left. Hector stared at him for a moment, realized he wasn’t going to get any other help, and stalked away. Penny scowled at the man and followed Hector.
The bookshelves were packed with tomes, volumes, and lexicons aplenty. Hector weaved through them like a child in a candy store, plucking up heavy books and piling them into his arms. Penny helped him arrange them at the table where he was hoarding his collection. Stacked high with towers of books, Hector sat down to read, his eyes speeding back and forth for what seemed like hours.
“Do you need me to stay here so you can read at that unholy speed? Or can I go explore?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
“Just stay in the building.”
Ambling off, Penny decided she’d try the next level, and endeavored to climb the rickety steps up to the second floor. Penny got to the top of the stairs and found the second floor identical to the first. There was not a soul in sight, so Penny began humming. Some of the books she looked over caught her eye and she flipped them open. They were filled with spindly text, and few of them had pictures. As her humming threatened to turn into a full-fledged song, Penny noticed an old man farther down the aisle, studying her. Self-conscious, she stopped humming and wandered back to the stairwell. The third and fourth floor proved uninteresting, but Penny was pleased to discover the fifth floor had something new to offer.
Here most of the shelves were empty. It was a bit unnerving to tiptoe through the lonely bookcases; to Penny they felt like skeletons without any meat on them. For no real reason, Penny felt unwelcome in this place. She was about to give up on exploration and turn back to find Hector when something in the corner of the room caught her eye. From behind the barren shelves, a pair of dark, wooden doors loomed. Penny felt drawn toward them and found herself crossing the room with no conscious decision to move.
A small plaque sat beside the doors. Penny guessed it was some explanation as to what lay behind them, but could not read the fancy lettering. This only piqued her interest further, and with a quick glance behind her to check for the old man, she pushed on the door. It creaked open with no struggle.
This is a public place. I’m sure if I wasn’t supposed to go in, they’d be locked, Penny rationalized. Behind the doors was a gray corridor that stretched on into darkness. With a leap of excitement Penny saw that oil paintings adorned the long and empty corridor, each one illuminated by weak lamplight and paired with a plaque. Feeling silly for being so apprehensive before, Penny entered the hall.
The first painting she encountered was a depiction of a tree in a snowy field. Penny considered it for a moment, trying to decipher its meaning, then shrugged and moved onto the next. Most of them showed chiaroscuro Angels, complete with flowing white robes and wings, always set in dramatic poses, each of them strikingly realistic. She halted as her eyes fell on a disturbing piece.
The wave of revulsion that spread over her was unexpected and caused her to inhale sharply. In the painting was one of the Angels, but this time he was not shown to be heroic or noble. The Angel stood above a mangled corpse, his hands soaked in blood, his expression hollow. The legs of the corpse had been torn off at the knee, as had the hands at the wrists. The head lay shrouded in darkness in the background, but Penny could just make out the stream of blackish-red flow coming from the mouth, and the absence of eyes. A huge hole gaped in the chest where the heart had been. Penny gaze flicked over it for a few seconds before she turned away, her stomach clenching. She walked away, trying to wipe the image from her memory.
The next painting wasn’t interesting enough to distract her from what she had just seen, but she stared at it anyway, trying to force herself to think of something else. It showed a stone door with three stone holes set into it in the shape of a triangle. Just as Penny gave up on it providing distraction, a heavy hand fell on her shoulder. She shrieked and batted the hand away, turning to see who had grabbed her. With a surge of horror she recognized the old man from the second floor. He grabbed her by the front of her jacket and shook her before Penny could scream again, his expression just as terrified as hers.
“What are you doing in here?! How did you get in?” he rasped with a voice like dust.
“I’m―I’m sorry! It was unlocked!” Penny shrieked, trying to justify her honest mistake.
The old man tossed her back, shouting in his harsh, sandy voice for her to get out. Penny scrambled away, her body shaking as she fled. The old man followed behind, wheezing as he gimped down the hall. She continued running down all the flights of stairs, eager to distance herself from the sound of his footsteps, which were never far behind. Once she was back on the first floor, Penny cried out for Hector. She sprinted through the entrance hall, and the man at the desk stood up in shock and choked as the old man thundered down the stairs behind her.
“Pop! What are you doing?” he demanded of the old man.
“I found her on the fifth floor, Clyde. The gallery on the fifth floor,” the old man spat. All the color drained from Clyde’s already pale face. With a pounding of footsteps, Hector rounded the corner and rushed to Penny’s side.
“What’s going on here?” he shouted at the two men.
Clyde approached, his hands waving toward the entrance. “Get out, both of you,” he said in a quiet rage. Before he shoved them from the Archillion, Clyde looked at Penny and rumbled a low, dangerous warning. “Don’t you dare tell anyone what you saw in there. I don’t want to see either of you back here ever again!” The door slammed in their faces with a boom.
Penny’s heart was doing jumping jacks in her chest as Hector looked at her in disbelief.
“What could you possibly have done to elicit such a reaction?” he breathed.
Penny couldn’t find the strength to answer him and buried her face in her hands. The raw hostility of the old man and his son had shaken her. She felt tears threatening to spill over, but forced herself to swallow them.
&n
bsp; “I…I just,” she mumbled, lifting her face and looking toward the sky. She tried to fix her hair, but ended up slumping down on the steps. In a trembling voice, she told him what had happened. He pushed his glasses back up his nose and fell into deep thought.
“Hey―I’m really sorry. I didn’t know it would get us thrown out,” she apologized again.
Hector lifted his head and sighed, shrugging. “It’s quite all right. Anyway, your well-being is more important than―mountains and mountains of glorious knowledge ripe for the taking...” Pain coursed through his voice.
Penny chanced a hopeful question. “Well, did you learn anything at all in there?”
Hector’s look of despondency brightened a little. “Well, I had to connect the dots here and there, but I believe I’ve confirmed a theory that I’ve had for a very long time. Back when I began studying magical theory, I was originally was under the impression that there could be hundreds and thousands of different worlds in existence, but now I know there are only evidence of three―or at least three that are directly connected to each other. Here, let me try to explain…”
Hector reached into his pocket and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pencil. He drew three small circles, labeling the first circle Nelvirna, the second Earth, and the third Elydria.
“Now, here are our three worlds, yes? Supposedly, they are each connected by an invisible realm that cannot generally be reached in physical form. This is the place Madam Elise referred to as the Dawn Mirror. From what I’ve guessed, magic flows in a pattern through the Dawn Mirror, like this―” Hector scribbled three arrows onto the paper between the circles.
“You see, it’s really rather exciting. When magical energy is expended here in Elydria, for example, the by-product will pass through the Dawn Mirror and into Earth, where it becomes raw dream matter. After being used up on Earth it travels to Nelvirna, my home. Then the process starts over until the magic comes back to Elydria, ready to be used again. The magic flows through our different worlds, constantly recycling itself.”
The Angel of Elydria (The Dawn Mirror Chronicles Book 1) Page 14