by Shelley Cass
Aeron’s translation stopped and he gaped in awe, looking as if it was the first time in his life that anything had ever taken him by surprise.
I felt a sudden rushing of rippling air before Kiana’s wings had appeared and were lifting her so that she hovered on an equal level with King Durna and his astounded archers on the gate to the City.
I could feel her magic raining down upon me, and it was almost as if I could see it beaming like the rays of the sun upon every person that beheld her.
“We have come to ask if Jenra will rise and unite with us, so that the threat to our world can be ended.”
The whole of Jenra was struck mute as the unmistakably glowing golden horn shone with a light even more brilliant than before. It throbbed and sparkled as if the power in it was somehow rejoicing too.
Then as the light faded, the City erupted with a cacophony of almighty cheers that seemed to shake the mountain even more than the drums had. Even if people didn’t appear to be using Aolen yet, it was clear that they had understood the message.
Kiana lowered back down to earth, settling between Dalin and I as Durna raised his voice once more.
“Welcome to Jenra!” he called. “We have much to discuss, but let it be known that the Three and their comrades are as kin to our people and free to roam our halls!”
More cheers punctuated his announcements.
“Enter our City, friends. For we have long awaited you!”
Chapter Sixty Seven
Dalin
I felt my stomach lurch at the King’s words.
“What?” Tane asked in confusion. The King and his archers were quickly disappearing from the top of the gate and there was the groaning sound of its mechanisms while it was pulled open.
“There is another population that has ‘long awaited’ us?” Noal exclaimed over the thundering crowd. “I thought only the Lady and the Forest dwellers knew about the Three.”
Thorin was frowning up at the City as if the Jenrans were all mad. “We just delivered as much ghastly news as good news. You’d think mention of war would result in a more subdued response.”
Kiana simply shrugged. “The King did announce that there would be much to discuss. We must wait and learn.” She started toward the fast opening gate as the vast City of Jenra opened before us and we followed her while our Jenran guards dismounted and fell in at our sides, guiding us through the gates like a royal procession.
The gates hulked over us for a moment, before we passed into the incredible mountain kingdom, and were instantly overwhelmed by the sheer size of the endless cavern before us.
The mountain’s interior appeared to be made up of a number of expansive, hollowed levels of cool, artfully shaped rock. Light poured in from large balconies and windows in the mountain walls, illuminating the level we were on, which spanned for as far as the eye could see. There were sprawling markets and village areas, dwellings, gardens, stone fountains, stalls, sheds and workplaces all built inside.
And everywhere people were crowded, craning to see us, their voices intensified and echoing excitedly under the high roof. Our Jenran guards parted a clear way for us, and soon the multitudes of voices began to quieten – with people clearing the way and bowing as King Durna approached.
I noted that he was taller than the Jenran officials flanking him, with a frame that suggested he was a man of strength. His dark, short beard was flecked with silver and covered a strong jaw, but despite his steely looking exterior he greeted us with a wide, welcoming smile and the people he passed looked upon him with respect as he drew to a stop before us.
Our guards bowed and Noal and I swept ourselves into a similar stance that the warriors of Krall quickly copied. But as we straightened from our bow Kiana was already stepping forward.
“Before we begin, you have heard and understood Aolen, but now I will also give you the gift of being able to converse in the language,” she said to the King, her voice carrying across the now hushed crowd. I felt the power laced within her musical words and felt the magic as if it were plucking at my soul, pulling me to step close to her. “Now you may remember the language of your forefathers and spread this gift to others.”
By pouring power into her words, it seemed that her magic was spreading outwards in an expanding blanket as the people closest to us shifted and murmured in amazement, and the people beyond them slowly began to react too. I saw a young girl nearby clasping her ears in shock, as if she’d suddenly been granted the gift of hearing, and King Durna’s eyes widened along with those of the officials behind him and the guards around us.
“I thank you,” the King gasped in halting Aolen. “You can truly perform miracles if you are able to so quickly teach a nation a forgotten tongue.” The King gazed at Kiana with admiration while the people around us seemed entirely enchanted by her. “Your presence lightens our hearts,” he told her, the shock still hardly concealed on his face as he spoke in a new language. “And you are all most honoured guests in Jenra. You will be treated as kin here and will be taken to rooms where you can rest.”
“We thank you for your hospitality,” Kiana answered. “And will look forward to meeting with you to begin our deliberations before we must cross back through the mountains.”
“After today’s undisturbed rest the discussions will begin,” Durna promised. “Then, perhaps, there will be little rest for any of us.”
Durna gestured to Aeron then, who stepped forward.
I couldn’t fail to notice the striking resemblance between the King and his Warlord, and realised that they must be siblings. “Warlord Aeron will show you to private quarters that are already being prepared so that you may have peace. I myself will eagerly wait to speak with the Three in Council tomorrow morning, and in the night we will ease our minds from meetings to feast in celebration of your coming.”
I noticed Aeron’s men ringing us in more closely when the King smiled and farewelled us before turning to make his way back through the crowd with his procession. Then I immediately felt the eyes of every member of the public fall upon us once more. There was the deafening sound of everyone beginning to speak animatedly at once again as every citizen in the market place eyed us in fascination, or tested out the Aolen tongue.
We unquestioningly followed the looming Aeron’s lead through the thronging, gaping crowds, moving towards a section of the mountain wall that had a lavish stairway.
I noticed that long ladders ran up the wall that we were drawing closer to, and I craned my neck to see that those ladders stretched so high upward that they disappeared through faraway openings in the roof, continuing into the level above us. I realised that there were confident, flitting figures of different Jenrans on those ladders, and they scurried up and down them without fear now that the show was over. In the distance some people had even stopped to have casual conversations with those on the ladders neighbouring them.
“I’m glad we’re taking the stairs,” I murmured to Thorin, who was cringing as he watched a child sliding down a nearby ladder to the floor. “I’ve had enough of heights and scaling.”
“What are those?” Noal asked with wonder, and I diverted my attention toward what looked like a cage. It was being lifted up toward another hole in the roof by a series of incredibly thick, oiled ropes. It looked like heavy cargo was inside the cage and there were similar cages all along the wall, getting pulled upward or downward with their burdens.
“Elevators,” Kiana said.
“What are elevators, then?” Noal asked. “How are they going up and down like that?”
“A pulley system lifts them up and down. They hold things that are too heavy to carry up to the highest levels of the mountain,” Kiana explained as we reached the foot of the smooth stone steps.
There was a short flight of stairs that led to a wide, upward slanting passage looking out upon the market level on one side, and also looking out toward the valleys on the other side. The passage was like one giant balcony winding up the mountain, carved into
the inside of the mountain itself.
“Even though it’s inside, this City seems like such a wholesome one compared to the cramped living in Krall,” Phrixus commented, wide-eyed as he stared down into the spectacular market.
We reached another spurt of steps and Cadell ran his hand along the cool, neat stone of the balcony ledge. “Everyone lives together inside one giant mountain palace, and even the lowest ranking people appear to have clean water and paved streets. Did you see those fountains?”
“The King probably lives separately in the highest rooms of the mountain, but he came down to the lowest levels and walked among his people comfortably,” Tane added with an impressed tone. “I think he will be a reasonable leader to meet with.”
“It would be nice to have a King like that,” I heard the reserved voice of Lydon from the back. “I didn’t have such a pleasant experience when I was once in a crowd that happened to be where King Darziates appeared out of thin air.”
“Did you all get blasted out of the way?” Thale asked sympathetically.
“No,” Lydon answered bleakly. “He didn’t need to use magic to clear the way. The automatic surge of people running for cover cleared the market quickly enough, and a few people were crushed in the stampede.”
“Which sector was this in?” Aiolos asked.
“South Krall Domain,” Lydon replied, still looking aggrieved at the memory.
“In North Krall Province, when I was a child,” Aiolos started a memory of his own, “it was rumoured that Darziates would disguise himself and spy on citizens, listening for betrayal.”
“Who knows if that’s true,” Rendor added beside him. “But unexplained disappearances were common enough that people kept to themselves and kept their mouths closed.”
“There were similar stories in Western Sector,” Wolf said.
“And in the Eastern Region,” Roth affirmed, breaking his usual silence.
Purdor spoke up then. “I never heard of him checking up on the border villages though. Those people are too exhausted to think up ways to betray the Sorcerer.”
There was a mollified silence for a few moments as we all took in the clean, well cared for society blossoming on the next level that we passed into.
“That’s the kind of life Darziates hopes to impose on every other land as well,” Vulcan said at last. “Gods, I hope the Jenrans agree to an alliance.”
“Well,” Kiana sighed, “absorb all you can about the way this nation functions anyway. Because you are the only people of Krall to have seen that there are other ways of life. You are the ones who have to carry word back home.”
“I’m no good at explaining politics,” Nikon shook his head.
“We’re warriors, not ambassadors,” Phobos agreed. “And no Sorcerer infected citizen would listen.”
“Nevertheless Krall will need all of the help it can get,” Kiana answered.
“Relax comrades, old Wilmont ensured that the Raiden and I are well trained for such tasks as setting up a country’s ruling system,” Noal announced. “We’ll help.”
“Oh Gods,” Tane remarked.
Jenrans that we passed as we climbed stared and politely bowed or curtsied as we reached higher levels, but most traffic still seemed to take place on the ladders and at one point a loudly mooing cow swung upward past the balcony in one of the elevator cages.
Each level we wound around was lined with indoor streets just as busy as the last, though the levels finally began to grow steadily smaller and were filled with grand homes and offices, along with people who were each officially or ornately dressed. And then at last the hallway opened out and stopped at a level that was simply made up of a circular room. There were four stairways leading in different directions.
“No wonder the Jenrans are so fit looking,” Noal commented to me quietly. “With so much climbing.”
“We’re not even anywhere near the peak,” Kiana told us with her slight smile. “Or we would be freezing and struggling to breathe.”
“I do have a stitch in my side,” Thorin puffed.
“Your rooms are on the southwest stair, overlooking the valleys,” Warlord Aeron said, breaking his silence and leading us to that stairway. “The other stairways lead to the rooms of Council members, the King’s offices and quarters, and homes of high ranking soldiers.”
We started up the southwest stairs where there were no longer the sweeping windows, but doors to rooms instead, and we all stopped with relief as Aeron halted at these doors.
“These are the apartments of the Princes and Princesses from generations past, but King Durna has no children,” Aeron informed us. “You, as our honoured guests will have these rooms as your own. Lady,” he said to Kiana, “I pray you find this chamber comfortable.” He crossed to one door and opened it for her so that I caught a glimpse of a wide balcony and silk decorating the room’s roof and walls, shimmering gold and red.
Kiana smiled. “I thank you Warlord Aeron. At last some privacy and a bath.”
For her, his serious face seemed to relent, producing a smile.
“This quarter can be for Your Majesties,” he said, turning to Noal and I while opening the door to the next room so that I saw another elaborately decorated space.
“And for the Krall guardians of the Three, each of you may choose to share any of these other chambers, with four beds to a room.”
We all thanked the Warlord before he descended the steps, and then at last we were alone again – all twenty of us, and we allowed ourselves to droop our shoulders and sag with the fatigue we felt.
“Rest time,” Kiana stated, before wearily stepping through to her spectacular room and closing the door.
“Agreed,” Thale muttered, trudging towards the closest door and already loosening his roll of armour. A few others followed him and the remaining men began to choose rooms of their own.
Noal and I entered our own chamber, where red silk adorned the golden painted walls and red and gold cushions covered two majestic beds. Wooden doors behind golden, veil like curtains led out onto a glorious balcony, and at the base of one wall there was a small, pristine pool lined with sparkling blue tiles.
However Noal and I regarded our surroundings with only dull wits, dropping our bags onto a plush, crimson rug before we both sprawled luxuriously on the beds.
Chapter Sixty Eight
Dalin
My eyes opened to see the blazing sun setting through the open doors to the balcony.
I blinked as I remembered where we were, and squinted across the room to find that Noal still slept contentedly.
I rose from the bed stiffly, and followed the warm sunshine out to the balcony that continued around to Kiana’s chamber.
I found that the doors to her own balcony were open and Kiana was sitting on her bed, combing her freshly washed hair with a golden comb that matched the spectacular dresser against one of the walls.
The red jewel at her throat glittered magnificently in the light as she glanced up with a smile while I leaned in the doorway, watching her movements.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked when she put the comb down.
“Almost as well as I used to in Sylthanryn,” she answered, looking resplendent in the golden light as she rose to lead me out to the balcony ledge. “There is a different kind of ancient magic here that I can feel running all through this mountain. It makes me feel safe, and as though no malice could live in the City because of it.”
“I wondered if somehow this whole place had been made by pure magic,” I answered, leaning against the balcony beside her. “The mountain City is too colossal and too impossible to be of mortal make.”
She nodded, and I relished the warmth and the slight ticklish tingling of her power dancing from where her arm made contact with mine.
“I am sure the golden horn that tested us is a clue,” she mused, now leaning her head upon my shoulder to gaze at the meadows below in the late afternoon sun.
“You seem to be gaining greater understa
nding of your own magic,” I commented and felt her nod.
“The effort of channelling the power from the atmosphere and earth became a tiring task as we descended,” she stroked her tourmaline stone. “But I think as long as I am surrounded by the elements I will be able to channel their power. The greater the energy around me, the greater I will be able to achieve, and perhaps it will be only the limits of my own mind that gives me any obstacles.”
With that, she reached out her hand, and suddenly an orange ball of wispy fire was flickering upon her palm, not seeming to burn her skin at all.
My eyes widened. “You have only ever made spheres of your own magic with the help of a spark or another flame,” I gasped. “You are progressing quickly.”
With a flicker of her fingers the flame extinguished. “The tiniest bit of the heat of the atmosphere and the light of the sun were all I needed. And at night I’m sure the heat of rubbing my hands together or breathing into them would be enough.”
I leaned forward and gingerly put my hand into hers where the flame had been, and her brilliant blue eyes were on mine. But we stirred when there was a drumming knock on the heavy door to Kiana’s room.
After a pause Kiana broke away from me and crossed back into the room to find Thale at the door.
“I hope you are well rested,” Thale greeted us rather politely, appearing pensive as Kiana invited him in. At once I joined Kiana in sitting on the silk covered bed, both of us watching Thale questioningly.
He cleared his throat and rubbed at his beard, his deep brows almost meeting. “The lads and I, we’ve all agreed, that now that the Three are revealed, and are obviously so revered in Jenra … Well we’ve all decided that we will be your guards. In fact we are adamant about it. We wish to be aware of everyone around you from now on, because you are too important, we owe you, and we like you too much to let anything happen to any of the Three.” Thale now faced us squarely. “From now on there will be a guard when you are in your rooms, and when you leave those rooms more of us will accompany you without question. We will take shifts and keep each other updated. I wish to hear no objections.”