by Lorna Reid
The wagon moved off and rattled down the road. ‘It looks so tiny from here,’ Katrina said, looking back at the fast-vanishing hall. It was set back into a low, wooded hill, only its face visible, scarred by vines and decked in tiny white flowers that trailed over lichen-encrusted stonework. The rest of the place lay buried deep underground. From the deceptive exterior, you would never know it was there, thought Russell.
He lay back and breathed in the smell of the straw, feeling the sun stabbing through the branches overhead. The wagon jolted and he grabbed the side as they gathered speed. No one else seemed concerned so he told himself that this must be normal, even if he had no idea how horses could go so fast.
He watched Knox lean over to chat to the driver while Thom lounged in the straw, eyes half-closed. His shirt had ridden up and Russell eyed the vicious scars on the man’s belly, one of which looked like a stab wound, while the other – a vertical dark line – vanished up beneath his shirt and also down below his belt. Russell shivered and looked away, feeling guilty for staring, yet shocked. Did his father have scars like that, hidden for years?
The wagon flung itself round the first of several bends, and Katrina leaned in beside him, distracting him. ‘Look.’ She pointed over the edge of the wagon. The wheels were glowing bluey-white as they blurred around, the pockmarked road presenting no challenge.
Looking ahead, he could see that the horses were also surrounded by a faint haze of colour. Katrina gave him a grin and shuffled to the front for a better look. Russell sank back into the straw. He couldn’t find the whole thing as wildly exciting as the others, magic or not. He kept imagining the wheels coming off. He closed his eyes and ignored the screams from the girls as Danny tried to bury them under a pile of straw.
They eventually broke from the cover of the forest and headed along a wide road between hills and rolling fields until they rounded a bend, swept past a large town and then, suddenly, ‘There it is,’ said Knox. ‘Lallial, grand capital of Lallienns.’
Russell pushed his fears aside and crawled to the front where the others were already staring at the sprawling city on the horizon. From there he could just make out spires and towers stabbing up into the blue sky.
Now that the wagon was on a straight road, Russell was starting to feel better. ‘Is this wagon a regular thing to the city?’ he asked.
‘More or less,’ said Thom, opening his eyes. ‘Joe goes back and forth, taking people and supplies, don’t you, Joe?’
‘That I do,’ said the old man, calling back at them. ‘Mainly supplies, and the odd bit of fancy cargo they need protected, or snuck in, but it’s cheap travel for the students, and the straw makes it easier to clean up when they come out stinking drunk.’ Poppy wrinkled her nose, and Russell hoped that the straw they were nestled in was fresh.
‘How can you go so fast and not turn over?’ he asked.
‘I know my team. I know my roads.’ He tapped his large nose. ‘Paid good money for a mage to see to my rig. Fastest around. Haven’t had an accident in, oh, two days.’ He turned and cackled at Russell’s aghast look, and Thom burst into laughter. ‘Not for years and years, lad, don’t worry.’
Russell settled down and half dozed in the straw while Thom and Knox chatted to Joe or traded the occasional insult. He was startled awake when Katrina poked him in the shoulder, and he sat up to find himself in the shadow of the city.
It was vast, stretching away on either side and dominating the sky. High, pale walls punctured by archways and gates towered above them as they rattled over bridges through smaller satellite hamlets of the city nestled in clumps of woodland.
People walked or rode, seemingly used to the faster traffic, such as the longer transports that sped by, like sleek land trains with curved, sometimes clear, roofs, pulled by brutish, lizardesque horses that made Russell’s blood run cold. Signs of industry and farming were visible, spilling from the city’s embrace and into the surrounding lands, adding texture, colour, and character amid the growing bustle of people and traffic.
Reaching into the sky beyond the city wall were thousands of buildings, with towers, turrets, and spires scattered among them, while unfamiliar flags and banners snapped in the breeze. The many pale hues in the stone gave it a soft look, which grew steadily harder as the huge stones, some taller than a horse, became clearer.
They drew up to a wide archway behind a line of other wagons, trucks and transport trains – laden with goods and travellers – and they couldn’t help but stare. Aside from the few disturbing lizard-horse things, most were drawn by either horses or strange hunchback dog-like creatures, with the occasional small elephantine beast hauling large loads of what looked like clay or ore.
Russell started when what looked like a small landship with sails glided past on a cushion of green earth magic and cut into the line in front of a double-decker wagon pulled by two elephant things. The wagon’s drivers leapt out and started kicking the ship’s hull in a rage and the ensuing fight was swiftly broken up by a pair of guards who were monitoring the line.
Foot traffic, horses, and nippy single-horse carriages streamed by and into a smaller entrance – no less heavily guarded, Russell noted.
Further along, traffic flowed out of another similarly vast archway and dispersed along the network of roads. They trundled past guards in silver and blue uniforms, through archways and compounds, all protected by thick gates and sheets of tingling magic, until they eventually arrived in a large, busy yard. Thom was first off, followed by the rest of them, and handed Joe a handful of coins before the man turned his wagon down a packed road and out of sight.
Chapter 8
◊
KATRINA DREW A HUGE breath and stared around. They were actually there. Her skin prickled in excitement and she gave Danny a huge grin. The city enveloped them as they walked, drowning her senses. A thousand conversations mixed with the noise of hooves and wheels on stone and a cacophony of other sounds.
The smell of straw, fresh bread, cooking meat, animals, cut wood, wet stone, overripe fruit, and more all drifted through the city streets and squares, snatching and competing for attention. All around, people went about their business; cloaks, tunics, hats, and helmets swished past in a riot of colours and styles.
Weapon hilts flashed at people’s sides; soldiers and guards stood, idled, milled, or gave chase. Traders called from beneath their colourful market stall canopies, entreating the crowds to look, to admire, to buy. Travellers meandered through the bustle clutching their possessions, parents lectured misbehaving children, and old people swore at giggling youths who pushed past without care. People swarmed around their group – insects caught in a current – and Katrina struggled to take everything in. The layers and textures of the city were overwhelming.
*
They stayed close to Thom and Knox, heads and eyes swivelling constantly, drinking in every sight and sound until Poppy wished they could just stand still and watch. ‘You okay?’ Thom paused a beat for her to fall in step, and she smiled up at him.
‘Yes. It’s … I’d love to see it all, take it slowly.’
‘Maybe you’ll get the chance soon,’ he said. ‘We’re heading into the old part of the city just now, to the Honorax – home and headquarters of the Sentrum of Lallienns.’
Poppy wasn’t sure who that was, but she didn’t care. She was busy noting the change in architecture. The buildings looked smaller here. They were more refined, even opulent, with columns and shaded balconies, while covered walkways crossed the roads above them. People lounged, dined, or drank on shaded patios, or in discreet restaurants. More idled in and out of quaint shops with elaborate signs.
Doorways were tall and thick, windows were slender and plentiful, with rich fabrics fluttering in the open spaces, giving tantalising glimpses of the lives within. The smell of oranges and other fruit hung in the air and blossom drifted down from the trees lining streets or stirring in gated gardens and shaded squares.
The streets were cleaner, Popp
y noticed, and the crowds had reduced to a more tolerable, less-rushed flow. Knox led them down small roads, cobbled streets, across bustling squares lined with curious shops, and through several narrow passageways until they arrived at a thick, spiked wooden gate in a tall, marble-faced wall. He thumped a large ring down several times and waited. Poppy and Russell shared a look, wondering where they were. Somewhere expensive, Poppy decided, looking at the outside of the pristine building.
Two guards in midnight-blue uniforms opened the gate and had a brief conversation with Knox before waving everyone through. They emerged into a quiet yard overlooked by a long row of stables, the horses eyeing them lazily over the doors, whuffling, and chewing hay.
‘I get the impression we just came in the back way?’ Poppy said to Thom.
He nodded. ‘Yeah, we’re old acquaintances,’ he said, letting Knox lead the way up a set of steps and into the pale stone building, swearing as the man let the door bang in his face.
‘Little bastard,’ he muttered, earning the finger as Knox looked back with a wicked grin.
‘Thom said that Knox is a powerful Time Mage,’ Poppy said to Russell, who had fallen into step with her. ‘He seems so young, though.’
‘Unassuming,’ Russell said.
‘He’s got a nice smile,’ she said. And he was handsome, but she didn’t say that out loud.
‘Doesn’t always go to the eyes though, like Thom’s.’
‘What do you mean? That he’s nasty?’ Poppy frowned.
‘No,’ Russell rushed to explain. ‘Just … sometimes he looks, I don’t know … haunted? Like he’s somewhere sad. Thom looks like that a lot, too.’
‘Maybe it’s to do with the Gatekeeper stuff,’ she said.
‘Maybe.’ Russell didn’t seem certain.
‘Hey, if we were Psy Mages, we could find out,’ she joked.
Russell gave her a frown. ‘That would be wrong.’
She rolled her eyes and he pulled a face.
‘Anyway, you’d not have any magic left after you pumped every living person around you for all their secrets,’ he said.
Katrina, who had been listening, laughed, earning a look from Poppy.
‘I just like to know stuff, don’t you?’
‘Not as much as you do,’ Danny chipped in.
Poppy gave a huff of indignation and caught up with Thom, just as they emerged back out into the sunlight, wincing at the glare from a pale fountain bubbling in the centre of a leafy courtyard.
‘You took your time,’ came a voice like deep velvet. A tall man strode to greet them, white shirt bright in the sun, contrasting against the gold belt buckle and dark breeches.
For a sturdy man, Poppy thought he stepped lightly, almost like a panther. His dark brown skin was complemented by the hints of metal inset in his leather wrist greaves, and his head was shaved, showing an intricate curving tattoo on one side.
Bet that hurt, she thought, finding herself unable to stop staring. Some of his imposing nature evaporated when his face split into a broad smile as he embraced Thom and Knox.
‘You’ve kept well?’
‘Not too bad,’ Knox said.
‘And your quest?’
‘Some surprising progress, part of which I’m sure Jack has briefed you about,’ said Knox.
The man lost some of his good humour. ‘Yes. The news about the Darklanders and the Reaper has not been well received. We’ll discuss it later.’ He looked over Thom’s shoulder and studied Poppy and the others, his dark eyes making Poppy feel self-conscious.
Thom introduced them. ‘Katrina, Poppy, Danny, Russell – this is Adalric Fernstrom, Sentrum of the city of Lallial, and ruler of Lallienns, General of the Five Armies, and very bad card player.’ Thom ducked away from a swipe of the man’s arm that Poppy reckoned would have knocked him out, had it landed, and Adalric laughed, the light catching a flat crystal embedded in his left earlobe.
A thick white scar, harsh against his skin, ran from his ear and down the side of his neck. It reminded Poppy of Thom’s scars that she’d glimpsed over the years. Adalric turned to look her in the eyes, and she blushed, wondering if he knew she’d been staring.
‘John and Josephine’s child, surely?’ His voice was hypnotic and she could just about nod, feeling her throat dry up at her father’s name. ‘Pleased to meet you.’ He bowed his smooth head. ‘I’ve had the honour of fighting alongside your parents. Your father was the youngest, most respected commander in the Five Armies, a legend. Not a day escapes us where he is not missed.’
Poppy’s heart beat a little quicker; it was odd, hearing her father so openly talked about and so highly praised for things she was only just discovering. Why did she feel like crying whenever anyone brought him up? How could she feel such overwhelming pride when she hadn’t known him? But she did, and it hurt. Thankfully the man moved on to Russell and allowed her room to regain her balance.
‘Jack’s boy?’ Russell nodded. ‘One of my most respected commanders. He knows you’re here?’
‘Erm, no, he doesn’t,’ replied Russell. Adalric raised his eyebrows and turned to Thom for confirmation.
‘Not yet.’
‘Perhaps you had better get a look at the city before he returns,’ the man said. Russell looked as though he were standing on a sinking ship, and Poppy felt sorry for him once again. Still, we were all to blame, so maybe he won’t be grounded for too long, she thought.
‘Father?’ Adalric spun at the sound of a girl’s voice, and striding toward them came a young woman wearing the same uniform as Knox. Her skin was dark, like Adalric’s, with rich amber undertones that conjured Autumn. Her long, dark hair was braided close to her head and cascaded down from a complicated knot to be captured at the ends by ornate silver beads that matched her delicate eye makeup. She must only have been eighteen or nineteen, but had an air of confidence that belied her years.
Poppy was impressed and couldn’t keep her eyes off her – or the long sword at her side and the hilt of a dagger sticking from the top of one of her tall boots.
‘My daughter, Isa.’ He swiftly introduced everyone and she nodded a greeting and gave a polite smile.
‘The Oracle requested that I remind Force Captain Kolton that he is supposed to be visiting her, not trading verbal blows with Lieutenant Dalgaard. She says to remind Lieutenant Dalgaard of the same.’ Her eyes sparkled and she grinned at Thom and Knox.
Poppy and Russell traded looks as Adalric shrugged. ‘I could boast of my secret sources and far-reaching knowledge,’ he said, ‘but the lady herself knew you were coming before I did.’
‘She has also requested the four of them join her in her chambers before she takes her escorted visit around the city,’ Isa said, gesturing at Poppy and the others. Danny made a small gurgling sound and Katrina shared a stunned look with Poppy.
‘How did she …? I mean …’
‘Don’t try and wrap your head around how an Oracle does anything,’ smiled Thom. ‘Guess you got your wish, Dan.’ Danny practically floated on air after Thom as they were led inside.
The passages were cool and relaxing, the floors lined with bright rugs and the walls decked with tapestries and paintings. Adalric seemed to enjoy having such enthralled guests, and took his time, much to Danny’s barely disguised chagrin, and pointed out paintings depicting famous figures and scenes from the history of the Lands, along with some elements of its mythology, which seemed to fascinate Russell and Katrina, particularly. Danny only paid attention to the nudes of both sexes, and Poppy found herself dropping back slightly so she wouldn’t get seen looking, either.
Just when Poppy thought that Danny would burst if they walked another step, they arrived in a heavily guarded corridor – wide and airy and more opulent than anything they had yet encountered. Rather than stone floors, the place was carpeted in a rich burgundy pile, while small bejewelled statues nestled in alcoves between magical lamps, weaponry, and elaborate face masks.
Soldiers straightened as they passe
d, and they approached a door guarded by four burly officers. Two women sat in an alcove outside, perched on a plush-topped bench. Their long emerald halter-neck dresses shimmered as though the fabric were constantly moving; it made Poppy’s eyes ache.
‘Look at those knives,’ whispered Katrina. ‘They’re like crescent moons.’ Poppy eyed the sheathed blades at the women’s sides and wondered if they were just accessories.
‘Those are Arranths – forged specially by the mountain dwellers. The Oracle’s personal bodyguards use them. And I mean use them,’ Isa said.
‘I guess this is where we leave you,’ Thom said. ‘We’ll wait here.’ He shrugged at Knox and raced to beat the Time Mage to the remaining bench, much to Isa’s amusement. Adalric chuckled and shook his head and motioned for the guards to open the heavy door.
Chapter 9
◊
POPPY NIPPED IN FRONT of Danny to be the first in, ignoring his muttered curses. She barely felt the draft of the door shutting behind her. The room was large and airy, despite heavy velvet curtains being drawn over the windows. Plush chairs and a rich, warm wooden floor, along with the ornate, carved furniture, lent the room a heavy, old feel.
‘Looks expensive. She really must be important,’ said Poppy, looking around.
‘What’s a birdbath doing in here?’ Russell pointed at the thick stone pedestal in the centre of the room with a wide, pale basin set on top, which appeared to be casting light.
‘I don’t think that’s a birdbath,’ Katrina said, moving closer. ‘It’s full of … something.’
Poppy joined her and eyed the shimmering, silvery liquid. ‘Well, it’s not water.’ She looked upwards to watch the reflections dance across the ceiling.
‘Where’s the Oracle then?’ Danny said, looking around.
