“News travels fast, as always,” Raylan said with a smile.
“It’s true. Well, I mean, not a monster. A dragon,” said Sebastian. “He’s called Galirras and he’s very friendly. He’s a very good friend of Raylan here—and myself. If you bring the children tomorrow, I’m sure Raylan will introduce you all.”
Elena looked mortified.
“You must be mad! Bring the children? Surely a dragon would eat them for a morning snack!” she exclaimed so loudly that Tobias pouted, deciding if he should cry or not.
“I can promise you Galirras won’t do anything of the sort,” said Raylan, reassuring. “He’s quite fond of children—in a non-food way—and I’m sure Galirras will be delighted to meet members of Seb’s family.”
Elena successfully delayed their departure with her questions until her husband returned from work. As predicted, he was happy for the chance to meet them both, and so the first stars showed bright in the sky by the time Raylan and Sebastian walked back onto the main street toward the Sailor’s gate.
“I can’t believe how late it already is,” said Sebastian. “I hope the lord is not easily angered.”
“Or Richard. He’s been trying very hard to fill my brother’s boots,” said Raylan. “But I wonder if he’s up for the task. I think he has his own doubts as well.”
They presented themselves at the Sailor’s Gate, where they were escorted to the castle.
“Wow,” murmured Raylan in amazement.
Up close, the complex was even bigger than he originally thought. On each of the three levels, a ring of pillars held up the wide balustrade of the level above. The majestic construction created a large, open hallway between the pillars and the wall on which the next level rested. On the balustrades were the next level’s double wall and battlements, their floor acting as the lower level hallway’s ceiling. Raylan’s trained eye immediately noticed the hundreds of trapdoors and murder holes, which allowed soldiers to attack any invader stupid enough to think the open hallway would keep them out of sight and out of harm. The pillars themselves were so thick they could not be moved or easily knocked down by human hands.
“There are three gates, each with its own stone bridge,” said Sebastian as they walked. “Most of the city is at sea level, so the south and the east bridge are low above the water. They merge together just ahead and act as the main route to get to the castle from the harbor, while the Old Gate on the left leads into the oldest part of town.”
Approaching the castle gate, a carriage passed them with rattling wheels. It turned left near the wall, where the water-level hallway held the stables. It was crawling with carriages, coachmen and horses dropping off guests for the feast.
At the end of the bridge was a large wooden drawbridge, complete with another set of portcullises. The heavy gates on the castle’s lower levels would easily stop any approach by land, thought Raylan. An attempt from the river would be equally difficult; the slightly sloped walls that rose from the river water were coated with slippery algae, gray stone turning dark green near the water level. It was, as Sebastian said, a strategic layout that had proved its worth for centuries.
Twin stairways separated by a slope led to the next level; the stairs split where they entered the inner hall of the battlements on each side. From there Raylan saw more iron gates; more fortified doors. Each ramp coming into the battlement could be secured by a thick horizontal iron gate, with on top, a heavy, wooden door.
“There’s no way to breach these gates. No battering ram can push up,” Sebastian said proudly, as he pointed at the uncommon setup.”
“But a few ghol’m might easily push through,” said Raylan.
He remembered the night in the harbor, when they had wandered into a warehouse; it held hundreds of ghol’ms to be loaded on the ships in preparation for the invasion.
“Not only that; every single castle in Aeterra—perhaps the world—is designed to withstand an attack from land or sea, but all the Doskovian soldiers have to do is step into their airships and fly over these walls. It’s going to be a slaughter no matter where they invade,” added Raylan.
“The castle in Dahalaes lies under a roof of trees,” started Sebastian.
“Yes, but trees won’t stand a chance against their fireballs. They’ll burn the entire forest down.”
With night setting in, the torches on the castle walls were lit, while the bastions had slightly larger fires. Hundreds of lights, large and small, burning along its walls gave the castle a magical feel.
Entering the first plaza, they saw a night market was ongoing. Small stalls displayed wares for visitors to admire as merchants tried to convince those with money to buy their uniquely qualified products. Further along, people in masks performed acrobatic tricks, and near the far wall a street play brought a loud laugh from the spectating crowd.
“Lord Algirio indeed has some exotic tastes in new discoveries,” remarked Sebastian. “There must be merchants from all around the world here to present their findings. Seems the weirder, the better.”
As they continued up to the next level, Sebastian pointed to the side.
“There’s the High Gate with its bridge connecting to the northern shore,” said Sebastian. “My father took me to watch the ships pass under it when I was very young. Its arches run a hundred feet above the water, easily, so boats can sail under them.”
Most of the city lay on the southern bank, yet a small part of the city was on the north side, like a stubborn child trying to go its own way. Historically, it had never grown much, as the steep incline of the terrain into the northern hills made it difficult to build, yet it was never abandoned. The cliffs ran for miles along the north side of the river, before the land finally lowered again to water level.
“He also said they used to hang criminals there, to act as a warning to those people traveling over and under it. But Lord Algirio’s father put a stop to that, thinking it was an unappealing sight for the city.”
“Don’t want to scare away your customers,” said Raylan, half joking. “Better to trade and make profit.”
“And the profit can be spent in the city right away. I never knew my hometown had so much gambling, whoring and drinking,” added Sebastian, sounding uncertain if he preferred this newfound adult view or his child's image of the city. “For those seeking to lose their money, Azurna sure has plenty to offer.”
They passed the official public auditorium and made their way to the third level, reserved for Lord Algirio’s keep and council chambers. It was there that Lord Algirio held tonight’s festivities, for invited guests only. By the look of things, Lord Algirio had invited half of Azurna.
Raylan and Sebastian followed the sounds of laughter and music to the great hall; the space literally crawled with people. Long tables stood throughout the hall. A small group of musicians were playing songs in the corner, where a few of the guests had gathered to laugh and dance. But most people sat to enjoy the plentiful food offered on overloaded tables. Potatoes, roasted pig, steak of deer, grapes and other fruit; the abundance of food was overwhelming after months of hunting their own dinner and getting by on minimal rations each day.
Quite a few people wore the same clothing style Sebastian had received that afternoon; the women in particular appeared to be in competition to see who could wear the most extravagant dress to the feast. But Raylan was glad to see other guests dressed in simpler clothes, although it did little to suppress the urge to turn around and run back out again.
They took in the festive scene in the hall, Sebastian in awe, Raylan wondering why he had not stayed with Galirras. He was just about to turn around when Richard appeared from the crowd.
“You’re late! Where have you been?” said Richard. “Lord Algirio has been asking for you constantly. Come and join us at the table.”
Reluctantly, Raylan followed Richard to the table at the end of the room. Sebastian refused to look at Richard, showing a hardness which Raylan had not seen before in his friend.
Lord Algirio’s private table stood slightly higher than the rest of the room. Raylan recognized several of the council members present. The Lord of Azurna himself sat next to a charming, dark-haired woman in a long, light blue dress.
“Ah, there’s my good man,” bellowed Lord Algirio as Raylan and the others approached. “I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten lost in the city. Swallowed up by the crowds, perhaps.”
“Our apologies, milord. It seems we lost track of time during an important errand,” Raylan said formally after Richard gave him a hard nudge in his side.
“Oh, is that so? I would be curious to know what was more important than my given invitation?” said Lord Algirio, with a small smile.
Raylan wondered if the man was genuinely interested, or if he was testing them to see how deep they would dig their own hole. The lord did not seem like the kind of man who was bothered much by the actions of other men—very few rich people were. On the other hand, there was the common phrase a rich man’s temper. All too often people with an abundance of possessions began to think of themselves as more important than others; better, smarter, more handsome, funnier, hungrier. When that happened, it was only natural that anyone who disrespected that self-touted importance—with words or actions—surely deserved the full force of their anger. Still, Raylan could not yet see if Lord Algirio fell in that category or not.
“It really was my fault, milord,” said Sebastian. “Azurna is where I grew up. I wanted to visit my mother and let her know I was still alive after ten years away.”
In Raylan’s mind it seemed ridiculous to apologize for such an important reason, but before he could react, Richard cut in as if he had been completely aware of the unplanned detour.
“I’m sure milord can appreciate the importance of family ties—especially after your announcement earlier this evening,” said Richard, giving a polite nod to the dark-haired woman beside Lord Algirio.
Raylan saw the woman put her hand on the lord’s arm. Her other hand lay lovingly on her slightly rounded belly, which she rubbed softly.
The lord looked at his wife, who met his gaze with a warm, loving smile. The woman’s green-brown eyes sparkled with love. Long, dark hair fell past her shoulders. Her face showed slightly rounded cheekbones, and fine lines around the eyes and mouth complemented her elegant appearance.
“This is true. Lady Leandra and myself met so late in our lives we did not know if we would even be able to have a family.”
He gave a soft, supportive squeeze of his wife’s arm.
“Please, good sir, join our table and tell us of the happy reunion with your mother,” Lord Algirio said, gesturing to the empty chairs. “The food is for all to enjoy. It is the time of summer abundance, after all.”
Raylan saw Sebastian swallow his newly discovered loss as they took their places. Then the escaped slave began his story.
It was not long until Lord Algirio voiced his regret for Sebastian’s loss, as did his wife, but he also had many questions about the Dark Continent and the people who had taken Sebastian captive. Both Sebastian and Raylan, who was quickly pulled into the conversation, tried their best to answer them without specifying the details of their worrisome discovery. On the far side of Lady Leandra sat Richard, watching them like a hawk.
Raylan still did not support his brother’s replacement’s decision to keep silent about what they had seen. Here they were, celebrating the summer while the enemy could knock on their door at any moment. He had to bite his tongue multiple times. Eventually, he calmed himself with the decision that even if he wished to inform the lord of Azurna of this possible danger, the festivities—and company—were hardly the right place to discuss these matters.
He looked at Richard, wondering why he was bothering to follow the man's orders at all. It dawned on him that his loyalty had lain mostly with his brother, and not the army ranks.
Raylan was glad he had at least asked Galirras to keep an eye out when flying along the coast. He just hoped Captain Whitflow would not object to it. It would give them only a moment’s notice to prepare in case they were attacked, but it was better than nothing. Apart from that, Raylan could only hope that word soon came back from the capital.
Later that evening, the conversation turned toward the flying airship. Such a unique vessel had not failed to pique Lord Algirio’s curiosity. And as Marek and Peadar had both chosen to skip the royal invitation in favor of exploring the city, Raylan was asked to explain all the details he had learned from Marek during the weeks of crossing the Great Eastern Divide.
“Can you imagine?” Lord Algirio said excitedly after hearing Raylan’s description. “A ship…flying! I wish I had been near the beach for a hunt this morning.”
Raylan saw Lady Leandra smile. She seemed fully accustomed to her husband’s excessive curiosity, although Raylan figured a flying ship would pretty much grab anyone’s attention.
“We don’t have to imagine, milord. We lived it,” replied Raylan politely.
“I asked Lord Algirio to send a few men to the beach to dig out the statue and ship. We’ll take the statue with us to Shid'el, and I've requested approval from the capital to let Azurna’s shipbuilders examine the ship, under Lord Algirio’s watchful eye,” said Richard.
“Which I have absolutely no problem with,” laughed Lord Algirio, clearly happy that he could indulge in his deep-driven search for novelties.
Raylan tore off another piece from a chicken’s leg. He took his time to chew the food, not really feeling hungry. In the meantime, the wine flowed richly all around him. The people grew merrier; laughter filled the hall from wall to wall. But Raylan found it difficult to enjoy any of it. His mind lingered on the bad news about Sebastian’s mother, and the realization that he had to confront his father soon while his brother’s murderer was still out there. His somber mood only deepened as the evening progressed. It did not matter how he looked at things; it did not sit right with him that they were not allowed to speak of the invasion.
All the while, Richard’s behavior was as pleasing and charming as could be. Their current leader even got on stage to perform a song or two on the flute when the topic of conversation flowed toward the musical skills that ran in the Brand family. Raylan only half paid attention, politely applauding at the end, but both the lord and his wife seemed genuinely pleased with the performance.
Eventually, their hosts excused themselves. Lord Algirio was to escort his wife to her chambers so she could rest. They bid everyone a good night and exited the hall, but not before Lord Algirio had made Raylan promise to invite Galirras to the castle so that his wife would have a chance to meet this unusual creature. Unable to decline under the social pressure, Raylan promised he would. Not that he felt much like showcasing Galirras everywhere they went, but he was certain Galirras would love to have a closer look at the castle. After all, the dragon had made several admiring comments about the river island and its buildings during their earlier flight.
“Would Captain Whitflow not object?” Richard cut in as soon as Raylan had agreed.
“Let me worry about the captain, Lieutenant Brand. It will not be the first time that a strange thing upsets the people of Azurna, and I promise you it will not be the last.”
The lord let out a loud laugh.
“You and your men just enjoy the summer festival and Azurna’s hospitality,” he added. “There is plenty of fun to be had in our wonderful city!”
Lord Algirio boosted his voice as he spoke the last part, triggering a loud cheer from those enjoying the feast. After that, the lord and lady left, leaving their guests in the capable hands of their staff. To be polite, Raylan stayed for a while longer, until he and Sebastian finally convinced Richard that Lord Algirio had no intention of returning.
“Fine, you two can go. I’ll see you back at the camp.”
They did not need to hear that twice.
The sound of Corza’s discontented strides thumped on the wooden deck of the Behemoth.
He
had been in the middle of discussing tactics with his commanders when the Stone King summoned him. Lord Rictor stood on the upper deck watching the city in the distance. Two of the Darkened carefully watched the shore and the ship, one on either side. It looked like a light guard, but Corza knew two Darkened were more than enough to hold off a sizable attack. Besides, the other skeleton-faced fighters were just below deck—ready to start a war, if the need presented itself.
“Ah, High General Setra, thank you for coming.”
“Your wish is my command, my lord,” said Corza as he greeted the Stone King with his fist on his heart.
“How is the day going? I trust most of the army will soon be able to move on from this island and make their way around the southern point?”
“They are no longer needed after the King of Iron’s public surrender—unless the south part of the island decides to revolt.”
“They will not if their king does not tell them to,” stated Lord Rictor. “When the time is right, you will join up with High General Cale in the far western seas. Taimila and Calissa will assist me here until it is time for me to depart.”
Corza cursed inside.
The twins? Are those bitches already here?
“A fine choice, milord.”
Taimila and Calissa were two exquisite and dangerous women. Of all the females in the world, Corza probably distrusted them the most. In fact, he loathed them, second only to his mother. Not just because they had flawless looks, or the fact that they knew how to use them. But they had the annoying tendency to interfere with his plans whenever they felt like it. There was a viciousness in their approach—hidden just out of sight—that equaled, or perhaps even surpassed, his own.
That white-haired, stone-armed freak will let them do anything they please.
In an army that never actually accepted women as soldiers, the twins had been remarkably effective in securing a position and moving up the ladder—all the way to the point where they achieved the highest honor possible as part of the Stone King’s inner circle. Everyone called them Mistresses of the Darkened, though they never officially received such a title. Lord Rictor’s personal forces had no obligation to any of the official high generals like Corza; indeed, it was the high generals themselves who had to take care not to accidentally get in the way of any of the skeleton-faced forces.
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