by R A Lindo
“Ready to head to The Royisin Heights?” I ask Lucy who keeps her gaze on the water.
“A few more minutes,” she replies, lifting the hood on her coat in the way she does when she’s brooding on something.
I wonder if mentioning Noah is a good idea but decide against it. It would confirm if her sullen mood is linked to his date, but that’s a fairly cruel way of testing a friend’s emotional radar, so I decide to keep conversation casual. “Odin’s left The Shallows like we thought he would.”
“Where to?” Lucy asks, her pixie face studying the swirling water below.
“Don’t know yet. He’s using the Invisilis charm to stay hidden from prying eyes. Surveillance devices will pick him up soon enough. He’ll make the same mistake Alice Aradel did, making an appearance when he’s run out of places to hide.”
“Yep,” Conrad echoes, stroking Erivan as his feathered companion flaps its wings, rising from the bridge to inspect the still water below.
I then have an idea to cheer Lucy up, uttering ‘Exhibius’ to activate my penchant, watching as a soft blue light runs from my hand across the bridge, connecting with the yellow glow Lucy’s created.
Conrad picks up on the idea, tapping his right hand to activate the ring on his forefinger … a slow flood of tanzanite meeting our two colours until the bridge is lit up like a rainbow, drawing looks from witches and wizards occupying the snow-covered streets of The Winter Quarter.
We stand on the bridge a little while longer, allowing Lucy the time she needs to process whatever’s going in her head. It only takes a few minutes for her to snap out of it, laughing as the three of us walk arm-in-arm across the bridge, mirroring the romantic gesture of couples who will soon be doing the same. I can tell she appreciates the moment: the enigmatic pixie girl struggling with the mysteries of the heart.
With a whistle, our Williynx are ready, rising off the bridge as they expand, a single feather released to add their own decoration. The feathers rest on the surface of the water, creating three strands of connected colour … yellow, powder-blue and turquoise … the final touch of magic before the night ranging begins once more.
“Apparently, we need to signal our arrival in The Royisin Heights,” Conrad says as we rise into the air. “As long as we do, we’ll be left to roam freely.”
“Why do we need to signal our arrival?” Lucy asks.
“They’re sort of recluses,” I reply, “meaning they like to be left alone.”
“Which means it’s going to be hard to track Neve down,” Lucy adds.
“Yep, but it’s more a case of information gathering for now,” I say as we bank left, the snow swirling around us. “We’ll probably meet other Society soldiers on the way who can hopefully tell us more.”
“But we’re not bringing her in?”
Conrad shakes his head. “We find out where she’s hiding and track her from there. Once we’ve got sight of her, we wait until she makes her first mistake, then the sleeping soldiers take care of the rest.”
“Quibbs Causeway?” Lucy prompts.
“If she resists arrest, yep. An uncomfortable meeting with The Orium Circle if she doesn’t.”
“Well, let’s make the most of things,” I suggest, thinking of another way to take Lucy’s mind off Noah. “I’m still the fastest in the air from a dead start, so let’s see if I’ve lost my touch.”
Lucy adjusts her hood as she checks our positions, patting her Williynx to slow down. With a confident smile, she turns to Conrad adding, “No games or tricks allowed.”
“What tricks?”
“Like suddenly swinging left and right, trying to knock us off because you’re losing.”
It’s a bit of fun, leaving the question of love to be answered another day. Matters of the heart are no easier in the S.P.M.A. than anywhere else, the only difference being you’ve got wonder to snap you out of depressing moments. After all, what’s more wonderful than flying through the sky on a majestic, colourful bird that can shape shift and blast ice … snow falling on your face as you race through a winter wonderland.
The Royisin Heights are situated to the east of Drandok — accessible by foot or air although Neve Blin hasn’t got the luxury of arriving on a Silverback this time. The taming of these creatures happens exclusively in Drandok, and now Neve has exposed her hidden resentment, she no longer has the benefits of being a Domitus.
Orgev, our bearded guide in Drandok, believes The Royisin Heights is the most likely place to find Neve, the nature of the inhabitants offering the ideal conditions of privacy required for a potential malev.
As Conrad said, we’re going to need to signal our arrival to be left to roam a place that stretches for miles, marked by mounds of earth, framing the dwelling places of the reclusive people who choose to live there. I’d go mad in a place like that, only the wind and sky for company when you choose to step outside.
It’s a bit like Drandok in that it draws Society members who’ve chosen a separate existence, although the inhabitants of The Royisin Heights aren’t broken, preferring isolation to Society duty in one of the many faculties and buildings making up the modern part of the S.P.M.A.
As the silhouette of the landscape comes into view, we ready our Spintz charms to signal our arrival — showers of multi-coloured light appearing in the night sky. I don’t know if I expected figures to appear from the mounds of earth dotted through The Royisin Heights, but no figures appear so we touch down, keeping the Spintz charms active to light the way.
The darkness is the first surprising thing, resting like a blanket over the place where with no sound or visible signs of movement: the perfect hideout for shifty character like Neve Blin.
“Here,” Lucy offers, handing me a vial of clear liquid: eye drops known as Crilliun to help you see in the dark.
I pass the vial to Conrad after administering the eye drops, blinking as a purple glow tints my vision: another magical touch in an infinite world of wonder. Wonder isn’t how I’d describe this place, though, looking more like a burial site than a land of the living.
“A bit creepy out here,” Lucy states, echoing my own thoughts.
It would be easy to get into a fire fight simply because you can’t see anything, making it easy to over react if someone suddenly pops up out of nowhere. We’re not here for another duel though, just to track down the lady who thought she’d got the better of us in Drandok: a mistake she’s going to pay for.
“So, what’s the plan?” Conrad asks, blinking as the Crilliun eyedrops begin to work their magic.
“We just wander, I suppose,” I reply, conscious that our Williynx have maintained their massive, majestic forms: a sign we need to be on our guard.
“A ‘hello’ would be nice,” Conrad adds, unbuttoning his grey coat in readiness for sudden action, should it be needed.
I doubt it’s going to be needed, judging from the blankness of the place — but looks can be deceiving so I ready a fire charm just in case, uttering ‘Smekelin’ to activate a circle of flames around me.
“That’s a bit dramatic,” Lucy says, glancing at me as we tread carefully across the silent landscape, decorated only by our Spintz charms and my fire.
“It’s about the only dramatic thing here,” I reply which leads Conrad to flash a streak of light into the air, triggering the Promesiun charm into action.
He’s funny when he gets bored, always thinking of something to add interest, and the circling string of tanzanite light adds another touch of drama to the blank landscape.
“Your turn,” I say to Lucy with a smile, hoping she can use some magic to let off a bit of steam.
Lucy does me proud with a blast of water, the utterance of ‘Leverin’ causing a flood to surge from her hands. She adds the ‘Iscillus’ charm soon after, gently forming two arches of ice ahead of us — arches in the form of an enormous bridge, suggesting she’s still got Noah on her mind.
With the ice arches dominating the landscape, we now have a touch of drama to pass
the time, and I’m hoping we either find Neve quickly or get out of here before someone takes offence at the way we’ve decorated their home.
“It looks like we’re in for a boring night,” I say, seconds before the ice arches explode and a figure appears through the falling shards: a silent silhouette arriving to offer an unusual welcome.
22
A Strange Welcome
As the final fragments of ice fall onto the ground, the figure steps closer, walking casually towards us to signal no active threat. I glimpse the face behind the long, greying hair … a female face with intense, grey eyes. I’m struck by the woman’s intensity, as if she’s moving towards an object rather than a group of people.
It’s the way she looks past us that’s most off-putting, making me turn back to check there’s no threat lurking behind us, but there’s nothing but blank landscape and a dark, starless sky.
Something tells me conversation isn’t what she’s seeking so I stand alongside Conrad and Lucy, trying to work out our next move. This becomes apparent when she gestures for us to follow her, her long, greying hair lifting as she turns back the way she came … her bare feet stepping onto the ice shards without drawing a trace of blood.
With our trusted Williynx hovering above, sniffing out potential threats hidden in the darkness, Conrad taps me on the arm.
“This is weird,” Conrad whispers, keeping his Promesiun charm active, swirls of tanzanite light circling around his arms.
“She doesn’t seem like the party type,” Lucy quips, glancing around to make sure there aren’t other silent silhouettes hovering in the darkness.
“So, do we follow or not?” I ask, feeling myself walking towards her before I get an answer.
“Maybe we should ask where she’s taking us,” Lucy suggests but I keep walking, wanting to find out more about this place, the silent figure and whether Neve is actually hiding out here or not. I mean, what’s the worst the strange woman can do? Attack us? It’s three against one and we’re confident our powers unless, of course, she’s drawing us into a cursed cavern hidden within the mound of earth she disappears into.
Sensing Conrad and Lucy aren’t as keen to blindly following the stranger, I offer a thought. “We could still be on the bridge in The Winter Quarter or having a quiet night roaming Society Square. Instead, we’re out in the middle of nowhere, tracking a person we’re not sure is even here — so let’s find out what we can and get out of here. At least we had the Domitus and Silverbacks to entertain us in Drandok.”
“We don’t need to go looking for trouble, Guppy,” Conrad adds, picking up his pace to catch up with me.
“True, but trouble seems to find us either way. Come on, let’s find out who the silent witch is.”
We reach the mound of earth but see no sign of the figure who waved us on, wondering what charm’s required to enter. After placing our penchants on the outer edge of the mound, we try the ‘Entrinius’ incantation but nothing happens, making me wonder if we should just return to The Winter Quarter, checking in on Noah.
Will he get his long-hoped from kiss from Zoe or not? Is the date going well in Velerin’s? Neither question really helps the current situation, and I doubt Lucy would thank me for taking us back there.
“Any ideas?” Conrad asks as we look around to see if the silent witch is evident in the darkness ahead, but there’s nothing but our active charms and other mounds of earth dotting the landscape.
If my understanding of The Royisin Heights is right, each mound houses reclusive Society members who rarely leave their dwellings, which doesn’t bode well for getting any assistance … assistance which finally comes in a line of soil that runs down the side of the large mound … forming around our feet and running up our bodies until it covers our penchants.
“Maybe we should give up on looking for Neve tonight,” Conrad suggests, his impatience getting the better of him. “I’m not really in the mood to deal with another group of people who can’t communicate without dragging us through places in silence.”
“You sound like you didn’t enjoy our little dance with the Silverbacks last night,” I joke, giving into my natural curiosity to find out more. It’s only a matter of time before the moving soil grants access or morphs into a dangerous creature: a typical night for a Night Ranger.
“I think she’s trying to help us,” Lucy suggests as the soil forms a rope between our penchants and the mound of earth, pulling us closer. Our feathered companions perch on the ropes of soil, fluttering their colourful wings as we approach the mound of earth.
“Really?” Conrad queries. “A woman appears out of nowhere, walking barefoot over ice fragments before vanishing back into the earth, and you think she’s trying to help us?”
“It’s The Royisin Heights, Conrad. The people are recluses, remember. What did you expect: a party?”
“We were actually having our own party in The Cendryll …”
“Shut up, Conrad,” I say, my stern look warning him not to rub in the fact we’ve got each other. Lucy’s still hurting and taking out his impatience on her isn’t fair or kind. “We’ve signed up for this, remember, ranging at night to keep the peace, so let’s get on with it and get out of here. We’re almost in.”
With that, we grab onto the rope of soil pulling us closer to the large mound of earth … our charms still active … fire framing my figure and circles of light swarming around Lucy and Conrad’s arms … ready to be pulled through the earth into a silent witch’s lair.
The interior of the space is a surprise, to say the least, carpets adorning the walls and floors with a clear view of the sky on all sides. Like all magical spaces entered via Periums, the difference between the space you leave and the one you enter is striking. This space in The Royisin Heights is no different, candles on the fireplace that flicker, offering faint light.
It’s as if you’re standing in an open space — no sign of windows as you look out over the landscape with no sound either, meaning charms are at work to make a characterless land come to life from within. The figure who appeared in the dark outside hasn’t made an appearance yet so we take the time to look around, Conrad remaining on guard whilst Lucy and I study the intricate detail of the place.
A Follygrin rests on the small table near the fire — the shelves to either side of the fireplace lined with remedies of various colours. Pink and green powder marks the floor, suggesting our absent host hasn’t completely removed herself from Society business: the bottles of remedies suggesting magic is alive and well here.
Our Williynx inspect the coloured powder, maybe reminded of the role their species play in the testing of new charms, squawking if the charm is a success and passing out if it isn’t. No harm done, of course.
“Who do you think she is?” Lucy asks, always keen to understand the complex family ties weaved through the S.P.M.A.
I’m less interested in who she is than why she’s chosen to live out here. Like the Domitus in Drandok, there’s a story behind each wizards and witches chosen path. Kaira’s on one of these paths at the moment, choosing constant movement over static duty: a phrase she coined to explain the Society burden you carry as a sleeping soldier.
Kaira’s had enough of duty for now and so, it seems, has our strange host who finally appears from one of the passageways leading who knows where?
“Sit,” she says, her soft voice in contrast to her general look of wildness.
She’s still barefoot, dressed in a floral nightgown decorated by a silver necklace: her penchant, no doubt.
We do as she requests, taking up the three seats by the fire — as if she knew we were coming. Obviously, the fact there’s three seats doesn’t mean anything on its own, but then there’s the silver tray on the floor near one of the chairs. Three teacups rest on the tray, each cup filled with a Society remedy: one colour for each of our penchant stones. I’d say this isn’t a coincidence — what she says next confirming it.
“Your missing your comrade,” the lady state
s, her long greying hair hanging over her face as she wanders through the space, looking out at the sky.
“Noah, you mean,” I reply, shrugging when Conrad gives me an impatient frown.
Conrad’s much keener on direct action, wanting to do his duty before getting back to seeking out fun. Although this place is intriguing, fun doesn’t describe it, meaning I’ve got a limited time to get information out of our host.
“Yes ... Noah, enjoying the dizzying feelings of romance in The Winter Quarter …”
I keep my gaze on the woman, not wanting to see Lucy’s reaction. To say this visit hasn’t turned out the way I expected would be a mild understatement. I was expecting blistering winds and a brooding sky, trekking through The Royisin Heights and maybe bumping into a mumbling witch or wizard out on a midnight walk.
I mean, what else is there to do out here? Well, plenty, it seems, judging by the passageways, offering alternatives to a reclusive existence.
“Do you know us?” Conrad asks, tapping his feet impatiently on the concrete floor.
“Yes, Conrad; I know you. The question is, do you remember me?”
Conrad studies the face, looking for clues in the intense grey eyes. “Sorry, I don’t me to be rude … “
“Did you used to live in Society Square?” Lucy asks, a glimmer of recognition crossing her face.
The lady stops pacing, glancing towards the fire, never resting her gaze on any of us. “Yes. I lived in Society Square for many years.”
“Why did you leave?”
“To unburden myself of duty.”
“To the Society?”
“To my family name: a name which continued to draw unwanted attention after the last war was won.”
It suddenly dawns on me who she is … the striking grey eyes that used to be green … the lithe figure and pretty face that Jacob was once hypnotised by. I don’t know how I know, but I do. The mention of ‘unburdening herself from family’ and ‘unwanted attention after the last war’ makes me think of a family sharing a similar burden placed to the Renns: the Follygrin family.