With a few powerful beats of his wings, Nathaniel had departed the ship. Amnur carefully balanced himself upon the railing of the deck and stretched his wings, feeling the direction and strength of the wind against the fleshy membrane. Using his legs to launch himself, he dove through the air, the tips of his wings quivering in the air current as he went. With a fast twitch, he extended his wings, slowing his dive and landing in step to the King below. The resulting blast of air seemed to impress him. Evidently, not everything about the outside world had been hidden from the young mage.
“Shadekeep isn’t a far walk from here.”
“Walk? Why not fly there?”
“Flight makes you too easy of a target during the light hours,” Nathaniel replied; it made sense to Amnur now he thought on it. Dark skinned demons would be easy to spot from above, more so if they were flying over open grassland. Considering the port was located outside of the demon heartland, it wasn’t so far-fetched to believe that angels were prowling for victims; picking off individuals straying out of the fortified capital was safer than targeting Shadekeep directly.
He turned his attention skyward, scanning the horizon for any sign of strange flying objects. It looked clear for now unless the angels had any tricks for keeping themselves hidden. The information served as a warning, however, going out during the daytime was going to be dangerous. He would have to stick to night-time.
***
The rest of the journey was monotonous. Amnur found himself struggling to keep pace with the overly eager demon as they marched on. Once they reached the edge of the Umbral Forest, familiar beings started to appear, and they reduced their speed, comfortable that they had now entered safe territory. To think it entirely safe was a naïve move. Not all angels were sensible enough to ignore the bloodlust that came with killing their kind. A few individuals spoke to Nathaniel as they passed through, engaging in a short conversation before departing again. They all left in the same direction Amnur noticed, towards what he would assume to be the capital. The trees surrounding them blocked any view of what was ahead.
Tilting his head side to side, he noticed that the locals were watching him, curious as to the new individual. His appearance was different; the curving horns which adorned his head were a prominent trait of the southern heritage while straight or slightly curved horns showed a native to the Isles. The fact he was in the company of Nathaniel added to the curiosity, they had known that he had left for a period of time. Whether they knew the reason why was something else, the answer to which he suspected to find out soon.
Soon the impressive obsidian structure that was Shadekeep came into view. Even with all the ornately carved homes that resided in the South, nothing compared to what was growing before his eyes. The pitch black walls truly spoke about its inhabitants, down to the roughness that became apparent as they neared.
“Are there no houses surrounding it?” Amnur spoke up. Considering it was the capital city, it was strange that it lacked the characteristics of one.
“Not on a permanent basis, no. What population that doesn’t reside within the keep itself exists in a ring around the outside if you don’t count Springhollow or the Western settlements.”
That would explain why there were so many demons around the outskirts. They had entered near some settlement. The woods were a difficult place to attack; they kept intruders blind from the sky and the locals hidden within, a perfect natural defence system. It contrasted to the castle in front, which sat in a clearing and thrust towards the skies. Even the most oblivious angel would be able to spot it and from some distance. He imagined the dark colour of the stone and its pure solidity made it an impossible task to penetrate. Angels weren’t capable of seeing in the dark while their demon counterparts commonly had night vision. Even if there were any light present, distinguishing demons against the black walls would prove exhaustive.
“Are there any named villages, or do they all fall under the name Shadekeep?”
“Mistlyn, Stonevale, Valwynne and Swynfield, anything between the four major settlements comes under whichever it exists closest to,” Nathaniel responded, not breaking his gaze away from the keep. He appeared to scrutinise something, but exactly what Amnur was unsure. The height difference made it difficult to follow his eye line as he could only see the bottom of his chin. Amnur wanted to ask questions, to enquire further about the place he would now be calling home, but it was evident that Nathaniel was preoccupied with something else.
It didn’t matter too much he supposed. Soon he’d have new individuals to talk to and potentially barrage with enquiries. He’d also have access to a wealth of new texts to research, and the thought excited him greatly. Just the mere idea of being able to go outside when he wished was joyous also. The grounds of Shadekeep were well tended to and yet still held a level of wildness.
Flowers blossomed in the open field, lavishing the sunlight that bathed the soft grass. Considering its proximity, it was also safe; he might be able to enjoy a refreshing nap outside, something he had never done before. Relaxing breezes wafted past, creating a hushed chorus of leaves as they waved in the air. This was something Amnur could get used to. He could well see himself settling down here.
Chapter 5: A Welcome
A grand set of doors lay between Amnur and the interior of the impenetrable castle. The guards protecting gave the approaching King a bow of respect before dragging the heavy doors wide. Demons were gathered at the entrance, huddled around the edges of the room to give Nathaniel an open path to walk through. Amnur regarded them with eager curiosity, to which their wandering eyes expressed a similar interest. Their statures varied; from demons of a similar size or smaller to a great, towering old blood demon he could spot regarding him from the back. One thing he did notice was the armour the majority of the demons were wearing. They served as soldiers, creating the King’s main army.
Hushed whispers spread around the crowd, judging the individual that Nathaniel had brought back from the South, or so Amnur thought. He wondered if he could try and introduce himself to the crowd, but his voice was halted; he was in the presence of a King who was in front of his peers. It would be best to wait until later, or until he had permission to speak. The King stopped at the top of the corridor, stood before another set of ornate doors. Amnur watched as he spun around, before being pulled up to his side.
“It is time to give a welcome to our new Court Mage.” Nathaniel’s voice reverberated around the expansive corridor. Amnur found himself becoming nervous as the crowd focused on him, with a still silence hanging in the air. “This is Amnur, a prestigious young mage from the southern continent.”
“This is a great pleasure,” he spoke to the crowd. A smile emerging on his lips once he finished. “Your King has told me much, I look forward to living here.” The eyes continued to stare, their continued gaze became warmer as his humble introduction reached their ears. They had expected someone with some arrogance, that much was plain, given the events leading up to his arrival. To receive someone amiable was a relief, or so he hoped.
“I have some personal matters to attend to, I will return soon,” Nathaniel whispered to Amnur before performing a sharp turn and opening the grand doors behind him, disappearing behind their obsidian hue and leaving the mage alone with the crowd.
Now he was alone, Amnur felt comfortable to try and approach the crowd. However, now the King had left, the soldiers had begun to dissipate back out the main hall or down the expansive corridors. A few had reminded behind: the towering old blood demon he had spotted at the back of the crowd, a short, wingless demon of notable age, a younger, fully armoured male demon and a female hanging around by the entranceway he had not spotted before. He cleared his throat and strolled up to them, unsure where to direct his focus. The new blood demons were all shorter than him, but the old blood was so tall that it would strain his neck even to look at his face.
“Hey,” he started. It was a simple phrase spoken with a light-hearted tone. The rest, however,
would be harder. “My name is, well, you already know that, right. Uh, well, do you mind if I ask your names?” It was hardly a smooth introduction, but he had always been taught to introduce himself first. Although in this case, that had already been done for him and like a fool, he just repeated himself. The problematic statement appeared to amuse his onlookers, which relaxed the demon.
“My name is Dumon, my role here is as head healer,” the shortest demon spoke up, a smile present on his aged features. “This is Kyrith, a higher up in the King’s army,” Dumon gestured to the armoured demon to his left, who gave a slight bow on his introduction. “The tall, muscular one is Kaiser, Sebastian’s friend and guardian, and the lady in the back is Shae; the Army commander and Kyrith’s older sister,” the healer continued. Shae offered a wave and Kaiser bent down which was a relief to Amnur. Glancing up towards him was making his neck stiff. “There are others, but they’re either busy or didn’t bother to stay around. There are tasks to be carried out after all.”
As he went to speak, the distinct creaking sound of the King’s chamber doors filled the hallway. Shae looked up and excused herself without a word, disappearing out the main entrance before the King had even emerged. Amnur stared at the empty space where she was stood. Why did leave so urgently? It could be that she shouldn’t be dallying around in the castle, which came over the most logical option to Amnur. Kyrith’s expression remained firm and unwavering, although a sigh escaped his lips while the demon mage watched him.
“Shall we continue introducing you to your duties then?” Nathaniel announced, patting Amnur on the back, an act which made him flinch. He thought about requesting if he could stay talking to the others, but the firm hand that had been placed on his shoulder told him that request would not be appreciated, or accepted. The others could wait for now, that fact had become obvious.
With purpose, the King directed him away from his audience and down the corridor, his pace slowing once they had distanced themselves from the others. As he departed, Kyrith followed them to the start of the passageway, cocking his head at the abrupt exit. Kaiser pardoned himself, curious as to the manner of discussion between Nathaniel and his family. The reunion after his trip had been rather short. Dumon came up behind Kyrith once the old blood demon had left, giving him a pat on the arm.
“That’s a first for Nathaniel to be so interested in an individual, to the extent of purposely shutting out our conversation,” Kyrith commented, dubious at the behaviour. “The Central Isles has plenty of capable mages, why deliberately outsource that individual?”
“Hold any accusations you may have until you have more evidence, for your own sake,” Dumon warned the young demon with a stern tone, receiving a simple sigh in response. “The best course of action would be to watch for now. Approach Amnur more in the meantime if you can.”
The answer was a reasonable one. If Nathaniel actively decided to try and keep the mage separated, then it would be obvious if Kyrith persisted in the matter.
Away from the sceptical demons, the King had stabilised his pace and had directed Amnur to the most distant place of interest for one of his talents: the library. Tomes were stacked up to the ceiling, held within towering bookcases that held a deep red tone within their woodwork. Dim flames threw dappled light over the books; a curious choice of lighting considering the room had no windows to remove the smoke, along with the flammability of the paper. A few carved stone tables sat in the middle of the chamber, their benches lacking any occupants. In fact, the only other soul within the vast chamber was a male demon, and his slender body was obscured by a loose-fitting tunic and frayed trousers. He sat within an enclosed area, watching their actions with hesitant eyes, wary of their purpose.
“This is our library, filled with any and all texts you may wish to research,” Nathaniel gestured out to the room, not that Amnur needed much directing. The vast number of books far outnumbered that of even his parent’s collection. It would take a long time to read them all, but the idea of it excited him. “One of your routine tasks you may have already spotted,” he continued. Amnur cocked his head, unsure what he was indicating to.
“The flame lamps,” the library curator spoke up, keeping his head low, so the hood of his tunic obscured his face. “Fire is merely an appearance; aether lamps change based on the magic used to enchant them. It is a smokeless, self-replenishing light; ideal for these enclosed halls.”
Nathaniel scowled at the interruption, displeased that the statement had been stolen from his lips. “Self-replenishing yes, but they do need their seals maintained. These lamps have not been seen to in quite some time,” he replied, an undertone of a growl present in his voice.
Amnur, however, was fascinated by the lamps and had his focus directed towards them. While he imagined that the lighting in his family house was similar, he was never taught how to operate them. Their function appeared obvious enough to him now he gazed upon one; the self-replenishing nature would be a result of converting aetherial mana into light, the natural flow of aether would prevent the local source from becoming depleted.
“Shall we visit the next location?” the King enquired, snapping Amnur out of his trance.
“Ah yes. These beautiful tomes are still going to be available to me after today, I need not spend the rest of my day here,” he smiled, eager to see what else Shadekeep had on offer. “Thank you, library curator, for allowing our presence.”
Nathaniel scoffed, shaking his head side to side. Amnur was going to prove a curious one; that much was apparent.
Once they had departed from there, Amnur was shown the relevant amenities of the keep: a shared, male-only bathing room with numerous magically heated showers and a single, large bathing pool which was filtered by water based enchantments. After that was the dining chambers and chef’s kitchen, with enough seating to comfortably house upwards of fifty new blood demons at once, Amnur reckoned. The next brief stop was the healing chambers, although Nathaniel prevented him from entering. Further down a side corridor, he was eventually shown to a single door.
“Your individual room. It may be a tad small compared to what you’re used to, but even personal rooms are a rarity within Shadekeep. We have many men and few rooms, the majority live in shared accommodation.”
Amnur nodded and pushed the door, changing his strength to a heave to force the stiff door open. The room inside was indeed small. It possessed only a bed, which took up half of the room, a stone desk and an undersized bookcase, with no gaps between the three. In fact, if he spread his arms wide, he would likely be able to touch both side walls at the same time. After all of the furniture had been accounted for, he could cross the room in just two to three strides. Still, based on what Nathaniel had just told him, simply having his own room was an honour. “Thank you, my King. It is a quaint chamber, well suited for my needs.”
Nathaniel cracked a smile at the reply, before turning his attention to an object sitting on the bed. “Those will be your robes. A Court Mage needs attire fitting of his rank after all,” he gestured to the clothes, which sat bundled together. “Dinner shall be soon, so I’ll take my leave of you for the time being. I assume I’ll be seeing you eager and ready in the morning?”
“Of course, Sire. Is there any time you wish me to arrive?”
“I’ll leave that up to you to decide what time you deem appropriate.”
Amnur knew that Nathaniel was giving him a test. Turning up late would be frowned upon, and it would leave a bad first impression, but showing up too early could just make him a nuisance. Given that the King had just returned from a journey, he would be keen to get some comfortable rest which hinted to Amnur that he shouldn’t arrive at the crack of dawn. A few hours after came over as a suitable time. It would give him enough time to get breakfast also.
Silence remained for a few minutes as Amnur picked at his robes, examining the fabric. It was iridescent in nature, the rainbow of hues becoming present as he tilted a section back and forth. The robe was, however, trans
lucent, a fact of which embarrassed him. He would have to remember to wear suitably coloured and covering underclothes, to prevent the robe showing everything. Nathaniel gazed at the mage as he investigated his clothing, waiting to see if he wished to discuss anything further.
On seeing that Amnur had nothing more to say at the moment, he stood up and cleared his throat, departing through the single door with no further sound. The young mage was left staring through the open doorway, a fact which he rectified by standing up and pushing the door until it clicked back in place. He went about changing his attire to his newly ordained robes, but he soon noticed a problem. Due to the size of the room, he had nowhere to stash his old clothes. With a period of thought and a few twists of his head, Amnur opted to grab the backpack he had taken with him and emptied the books from inside, ensuring no damage occurred to them. Taking his old clothing, he folded it into a pile and placed it inside, before sealing it up and sliding it under the bed. He then slotted his books in among the other books present in the bookcase, sorting out the only belongings he took with him.
Now that was done, his mind wandered to the rest of the evening. Nathaniel had stated dinner was soon, and he was indeed hungry, it would probably be a good starting point.
Chapter 6: Affairs Outside of the Keep
Life had progressed with ease within Shadekeep over the last few months, Amnur had managed to settle in successfully and without incident. His punctual and diligent nature when it came to his role had impressed Nathaniel, who still often took the time to come and discuss matters personally with the demon, regardless or not if Amnur was occupied to start with. The majority of his early career had revolved around the need to tend to the aether lamps within Shadekeep; the structure contained many, and several were in a poor state. Obviously, the obsidian halls had not been blessed with a mage in some time. That fact alone was curious, but considering the small population of the Central Isles and the need to outsource the search to the Southern continent, Amnur just put it down to a suitable mage not existing or wishing to serve in such a role.
Skies of Fyir Box Set Page 4