The gates were protected very carefully. I guessed that the people of Sybra lived without the fear of being harmed by the Larta in their city. Stellah must be extremely powerful if James left the gatekeeper position to him.
“You know when you transported us, Shay? Why didn’t you teleport inside of Sybra?” I asked.
“You think that we would let anyone enter our city without permission? Any fool that tries to get in here by magic gets cursed as well. They get cursed before they even get close to Sybra,” Shay laughed softly.
The only way into Sybra was the gates. I had to admit that was pretty clever. “When we transported from Earth, I landed hard on my back, but it only felt numb. Why’s that?” I remembered very clearly falling and hitting the ground hard.
“I used magic to soften our fall.” Emilie smirked.
Shay frowned at Emilie. “People have died transporting between Earth and Aughmortor. If Emilie hadn’t used magic to soften your fall, you might have ended up like the many others who broke their necks coming into Aughmortor.” I shivered. What if Emilie had forgotten the magic? We would have been killed, no doubt!
“Inside of Sybra, we can transport to different places, and we can still transport out of Sybra. You just can’t teleport into the city,” Shay added.
“How much further?” I didn’t want to whine, but I was really tired, and my legs were starting to ache.
“Sybra’s many miles long. I suppose we can transport to the Kartica, though.” Shay said, even though she didn’t seem tired from the walking. I suspected she was used to it. Emilie sighed in relief beside me. While Shay recited the desired Jakost, I looked up at the sky. There was no moon or stars, and light and feathery white fog covered the expanse above. I knew that Aughmortor didn’t have sun, and its form of light was a fog, but I hadn’t completely believed them. No sun? How could fog bring light? The fog seemed barely strong enough to cover the sky, let alone produce light. The torches around the city were making it easier to see, though; I remembered how dark it had been even with the small balls of magic when we first reached Aughmortor. Over time, I was sure my eyes would adjust to the differences in light.
Suddenly, I began to run in circles again, faster and faster. Was this the way I would transport always? The wind whipped at my face as I traveled, circle after circle. Dazzling yellow torchlight swept by me in streaks as the teleportation began. The blank whiteness surrounded me once more. I knew it would only last for a few seconds like it had when we had transported to the gate of Sybra, but I still felt uneasy in the pallid surroundings.
Chapter Six
A few seconds later, the whiteness cleared, and my stomach settled as I took in my surroundings. I was standing in front of a huge building that paled any building I had seen in comparison When they said the Kartica was huge; they weren’t kidding.The building was so massive that it seemed to stretch on forever without an end in sight. Hundreds and hundreds of people could probably live in this place, thousands even. The double doors in the front were at least three times my height, and the building also expanded several stories above where we stood. I didn’t notice that Emilie, Shay, and the Shadow Bringer had already joined me until Emilie walked up to the doors before me. “People from town are allowed in the Kartica. It’s split into several portions, one that’s specifically for the Ones of Within. It also has its own specific set of magical protection just like Sybra does,” Shay said.
We walked inside while I was still awed by the size of the building. The entry room was a sight to behold with a chandelier of dazzling crystals, elegant golden walls, and pearly designs covering the edges. I noticed a small, white desk to the side of the room with a bowl of exotic fruit I didn’t recognize.
“The Ones of Within have a large part of the Kartica towards the right side of the building,” Shay said.
“There is a significant amount of similarity to food on Earth in Aughmortor, but there is also a lot of new, unique options as well,” Emilie whispered, noticing my attention to the bowl of fruit.
Shay walked to the door on the right, motioning for us to follow her. She opened the door and led us down a spiral staircase into the next room. “I had Stellah inform the Ones of Within that we were here. They are probably all up and ready to celebrate.” Shay turned her head to the Shadow Bringer that was still following us. I could tell that the ropes were starting to dig into his arms.
There was another person in the room, dressed in a leather jacket and pants. He had short blonde hair, and he was holding a long piece of paper in his hand. “Tristan, may you please take this Shadow Bringer to the dungeons and find him a room? Make sure to get rid of his ropes and be careful with him. Don’t let your eyes travel away from him for a second.”
Tristan nodded once and waited patiently as Shay transferred the Shadow Bringer to him before walking out of the room with the man trailing behind him.
“Thank you. I appreciate your help.”
“We have a few people who work here for us. It’s their job. They are paid well, and they chose the job themselves,” Emilie explained.
Shay swiftly glanced at me, but I didn’t meet her eyes. It seemed fair if the people wanted to work here. I mean, I thought it would be awesome to work in a place this beautiful. For the next few minutes, we walked through a few more rooms until we reached a large room with a single door in it.
“This is the entrance to the Ones of Within’s part of the Kartica.”
I noticed the sign above the door said ‘Ones of Within’ in deep indigo letters. The room had paintings of people dressed like royalty, which I assumed were former Ones of Within leaders. Most of the leaders were male, and they all had their own pose and prop in the painting. It almost seemed like they were all looking at me at once as I stood before them.
“Come on. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the Kartica. For now, you must meet the others,” Shay said.
There were many things I was already missing from Earth, even though I found Aughmortor fascinating so far. It was like going on vacation to an exotic new place, but instead of it being a temporary event it was my new home. Shay opened the next door and quickly walked through it. The first room of the Ones of Within section of the Kartica was pretty big. It had royal blue walls with stripes of light blue evenly spread out across them. There were about five doors in the room with small signs on each one labeling where they led.
“These signs lead to the important parts of our quarters in the Kartica. The ones here lead to the dining hall, library, bedrooms, meeting area, prophecies, and the armory.” Shay recited the places, pointing to each sign. “The Ones of Within are probably gathered in the meeting hall waiting for our return.”
“Come on,” Emilie said, opening the correct door. I hesitated for a minute, trying to prepare myself for whatever was ahead.
“Natalie. This is what you have been waiting for,” Emilie reminded me. She gave me a welcoming smile, and I felt a flash of comfort from her presence. Having her bright aura around was good for me especially with my recent bout of frustration and loneliness on Earth.
The meeting room was filled with people. Some of them looked like teenagers, but most of them were probably in their twenties or older. The room was the size of about ten bedrooms combined, and three huge tables stretched across the space. Most of the people were talking while some of them had noticed we had come in and were staring at us curiously. I could have sworn there were at least a hundred people here, maybe more. The room’s walls were white, but they were covered in intricate paintings and torches. There were two long red carpets that cut between the long tables. Across the room was a huge chair that a dark-haired man was sitting on and two-midnight blue banners streaked across the wall with an elegant sun pattern.
Suddenly, silence fell upon the room with a clap from the man’s hands. All of the Ones of Within members were turned our way. Most of them were staring at me, much to my chagrin. Their clothes were foreign, made up of leather and pale-colored fabrics.
I felt like a complete idiot before them and wanted to disappear with all of this attention on me, but did my best to keep my cool. The Ones of Within members crowded close to each other to get a view. I could feel eyes following me as I walked beside Emilie.
“Relax,” Emilie muttered in my ear. “They’re just curious about you.”
Shay walked down the red carpets, leading the way. Emilie touched my shoulder comfortingly, understanding how I was feeling. I knew she must have had a similar experience when she first joined the Ones of Within. The walk towards the chair at the end of the gathering seemed to last forever. I tried to smile but eventually gave up as I was struggling to hold it due to my nerves. Finally, we reached the end of the hall. Shay bent her head ever so slightly, which Emilie and I quickly followed.
Apparently, in Sybra, bending your head meant respect. I remembered that the people next to the street had done the same thing as we walked by. After a few seconds, our heads came back up to meet the man’s gaze. I got to examine James intently like I had meant to do since Emilie talked about him. James had long, straight hair the color of a raven’s wing and deep sapphire blue eyes that seemed amused by my attentive gaze. There was no denying he was a handsome man who seemed much older than his age. His skin was pale, and the sides of his chin were lightly colored with dark scruff. There were permanent lines of worry etched into his face that were well beyond his years. Even though I knew he was only eighteen, he looked well into his twenties. James was examining me almost as closely as I examined him. It almost seemed like he was looked for something more beyond my features through his scrutiny. I forced myself not to flinch as I felt a strange, unfamiliar energy swarm around me that I guessed was magic.
“So you have returned!” James said finally, leaning back in his chair and regarding us with bright, interested eyes. His voice was low and powerful, so calmly powerful that I didn’t doubt every person in the room was hanging onto every single one of his words. “And in only a few days! Impressive.”
“Yes. Emilie did a wonderful job. It was an interesting one, however. We certainly have a story to tell. Have the other recruits come back?” Shay asked, taking a few steps forward. At this point, I was used to letting Shay do the talking for us.
“All of the recruits are here,” James informed Shay, before turning his gaze to Emilie and I. “And who is our new member? We have waited for the initiation for her appearance.” While James seemed kind, there was something about him that was dangerous. His gaze was so neutral now that I had no doubt he was hiding his true feelings under his carefully crafted composure.
“I am Natalie Quinn,” I said, ignoring my misgivings and projecting my voice to the best of my abilities. Being the center of attention in a huge room filled with people was intimidating and an unfamiliar experience, to say the least.
“Welcome to Sybra, Natalie. I hope that you enjoy your new home.” James smiled at me with a slight dip of his head before turning back to Shay. “How was the recruiting process? Did it go well?”
Shay shook her head, causing a few gasps from the silent crowd. James frowned deeply and muttered a few words under his breath.
“No. Early this afternoon, Natalie was attacked a Shadow Bringer. Luckily, we managed to get to her before the Shadow Bringer brought her to Lybrazil.”
Shay stopped for a moment, assessing the crowd’s reaction. There was hardly any movement in the whole room. “Emilie and Natalie transported to Aughmortor while I went searching for the Shadow Bringer, who disappeared. The Shadow Bringer connected itself to their transportation and joined them in Aughmortor.”
Shay inclined her head towards Emilie, motioning she should continue the story. “I summoned us two swords so we could fight the Shadow Bringer, and we began fighting. Shay transported to us during the fight and immobilized him in magical rope.” Emilie kept the tale brief before letting Shay speak again.
“We brought the Shadow Bringer here, and I handed him over to Tristan with instructions to take him to the dungeons and lock him up.”
James’s hand fell on his forehead and blocked the view of his eyes for a few seconds. “That’s remarkable. We’ve never had difficulty with recruiting before,” James said, before moving his hand away from his face. Even though his face was as indecipherable as ever, his hands were tensed at his sides.
“James, I think that the Larta have found a way to track our movements on Earth somehow. Perhaps they gained access to an object like the Definirati,” Shay said, easily copying the indifferent composure on James’s face. I realized that they both had to look professional for the Ones of Within.
“It doesn’t matter now. The last recruits of the Ones of Within on Earth have been brought to Aughmortor. Let’s celebrate our completion!” James said loudly, lightening the room with his words. His voice boomed against the walls like thunder. I almost wondered if he had used magic to project his voice louder because it made my own seem pathetic in comparison. The Ones of Within members clapped in approval at his words, many nodding their heads and smiling. “First, though, we must perform the initiation. Bring out the three other recruits.”
I turned frantically to Emilie. What was I supposed to do at this initiation? They hadn’t prepared me for this in the slightest. Emilie bent her head towards my ear so she could whisper to me without being heard.
“This ceremony means you are officially a member of the Ones of Within and willing to learn our ways. Basically, James will call you up, and you will take off your necklace as he bids and hand it to him. He will say a few words that you need to repeat. Then, he’ll give your necklace back, and you put it back on.” The ceremony seemed simple enough. I was ready to learn the ways of the Ones of Within, no matter how hard it was. The crowd parted in three different places to let the three other recruits out. Meanwhile, Emilie backed up a few steps with Shay.
One of them was a boy. He had long, wavy brown hair and blue-green eyes. While his skin was about as pale as mine, he was at least two inches taller than me. He seemed calm under all the stares of the Ones of Within, unlike I was. He came to stand next to me, giving me a welcoming smile. I couldn’t understand how he seemed unconscious of the fact at least a hundred people were staring at him. A girl also came from behind the boy to stand on my other side. Her straight, dark brown hair came only two inches past her chin, and her eyes were a unique copper color. She had such pale skin I almost thought she was anemic, and she looked fragile next to the other Ones of Within members. I judged that she was a year younger than me, at least, and the boy was probably around my age, if not older.
The girl seemed flustered, standing next to me. I was glad I wasn’t the only one feeling the pressure of all the stares. The last recruit was another boy with long, shaggy blonde hair. His eyes were like pools of honey, similar to the color of his locks. He stood next to the girl and even though he was a few feet away, I could see the strength of his jawline and his strong build. The boy barely glanced at me, yet I found myself looking at him for a few seconds before turning my attention.
When the other recruits had joined me, James stood up and raised his hands above his head. “Let’s begin!” He sat down with one smooth movement and looked upon the four of us, his face illuminated by the torches beside him. “Katherine Fletcher, come forward.”
The girl beside me gave me an involuntary nervous glance before walking up to James. She removed the golden necklace from around her neck and handed it to him with slight hesitation. He glanced at it, briefly smiled, and looked back up at Katherine.
“Kat, do you pledge yourself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use your Vatra to help them?” James’s eyes seemed to light up as he said the words. Somehow, I guessed the words had more than the preconceived impression I was getting from them. The girl must go by the name Kat.
“I pledge myself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use my Vatra to help them,” Kat recited to James. Any signs of visible discomfort didn’t show as she said the words without inflect
ion and with strength. I could see swirls of faint magic circling the air where she stood after she finished the words. James smiled again, handing Kat back her necklace, and watched as she joined us once more. She stood beside me, visibly more relaxed.
“Austin Smith, come forward.” The boy with the brown hair came in front of James. He also gave his necklace to him like Kat had. “Austin, do you pledge yourself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use your Vatra to help them?”
“I pledge myself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use my Vatra to help them,” Austin repeated Kat’s words perfectly. I prayed that I wouldn’t mess them up when it was my turn. That would be the easiest way to make a bad impression on the Ones of Within. The necklace was returned to Austin, who walked quickly back to the rest of us.
“Dominic Clemsford, come forward.” Dominic walked up to him, hands in his pockets.
James stared at Dominic’s necklace, scrutinizing it for a moment before handing it back. “Dominic, do you pledge yourself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use your Vatra to help them?” James looked deeply into Dominic’s face as he handed him his necklace.
“I pledge myself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use my Vatra to help them,” Dominic replied. I wished his back wasn’t to me so I could see the expression on his face. James handed him his necklace and watched him join us again before continuing.
“Natalie Quinn, come forward,” James said in his agonizingly indifferent voice. I walked forward slowly, each step making me more nervous than I had been the step before, if that was even possible.
I took off my necklace, glancing at it for a second, before handing it to James. He looked at it for a moment that seemed to last forever, and then looked back up at my face. “Natalie, do you pledge yourself to learn the ways of the Ones of Within and use your Vatra to help them.” The time passed slowly as I stared at that unreadable mask, thankfully remembering the necessary words. What an embarrassment it would have been standing up there and forgetting them right as I needed to recite them.
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