Dorothy had come and greeted her that morning, bringing her out to breakfast and fulfilling the role of host which Benjamin had so faithfully executed at prior times. Now, she sat in her bed, reading Benjamin's green covered book and thinking it much later in the day than she had expected him returning. In fact, everyone seemed to have expected him sooner, and breakfast had held an unspoken tension which caused her to feel slightly out of place. She thought of Benjamin, considering his continued absence, and becoming concerned.
'The day is half over, and Dorothy said his meeting was at dawn... no wonder they were all so tense, they probably don't know what's happened to him, either.'
At last, there was a knock at the door, followed by the sound of a familiar voice which caused her some relief.
Avera peddled hard, propelling her bicycle up the grassy hill until she at last broke free of the dense forest of trees on the loosely established path which she rode."Finally!" she sighed with great relief at the sight of the dark city walls which loomed ominous and threatening, their powerful appearance stretching far above her.She rallied herself, worn from the journey, and she began to peddle harder. She rode speedily alongside the southern wall of the capital, becoming only mildly aware of the change in atmosphere as she went.There was a dark haze which seeped up from the ground, lessening visibility and sunlight. It rose higher the nearer she came to the city and its gates, becoming darker and more prominent until it engulfed everything in sight with its grey spectral hue. The
The interior halls of the castle complex were vast with high arched ceilings. Again, a mixture of maurium and stone accents provided the opportunity for some artistic variation. The ornate stone work and marvel floors along with the decorative metal mesh which was found throughout the halls left the feeling somewhere between a medieval cathedral and a modern courthouse. The maurium was a centerpiece, from the luminescent purple cracks in the gray marble to the glow of the purple lamps, orbs of light hanging from the ceiling and ensconced like torches on the wall, to the small, carefully crafted gems which lined the halls, all was to show the prominence, power, and versatility of the fine material native only to Altruon.As they led her down the corridors, various officials could be seen going here or there about their business and foreign dignitaries walked about with King Zephyr's trust
The room was white, and it took some time for her eyes to adjust to the bright lighting. Struggling to regain her sight, Avera would have stopped if it weren't for Blackridge, who didn't seem to be having nearly the same level of difficulty and discomfort she now experienced. He kept her moving forward, his hand placed securely behind her shoulder, guiding her into the center of the room with firm gentleness and quiet urgency.'Blast it! Why can't my eyes get over this? His have, clearly.'She blinked, something she had done a great number of times since the moment they had entered the room and its blinding whiteness. They stopped, and she opened her eyes, the room finally coming into view as they adjusted to the light.She found herself standing in the midst of a vast room wi
"Avera," the King said, shifting his gaze, and considering his words carefully, "how is it that you came into the possession of pyrite?""To be perfectly honest, my Lord, I am not familiar with pyrite at all, and I was unaware I had it until now," Avera earnestly confessed.There were some glances, and one man nodded in the direction of the King."Very well, then," Zephyr said, watching her eyes as he spoke. "Master Iphor, as Master of the Magicians, would you kindly explain the origins of pyrite to our guest.""Yes, m'Lord," said a stout man with a gruff voice. He was one of the ten and seated in the place of the third. "You see, young lady, there is a known element called planetyroid. I'm sure you have some familiarity with it, do you not?"Avera nodded, watching the bald headed man with interest."Of course, it is extremely common. You can find it practically anywhere in the world provided you're looking for it, but the element is unusually common in Altruon. We have a particular ab
Blackridge smiled as he gazed upon the astonished faces of his colleagues. 'And now the performance turns to me.' Zephyr lunged forward. "Is that-""Blood," Blackridge proclaimed with a triumphant grin. "You see, Master Kallida, the arrow which hit the man wounded him severely. The shard which pierced him was covered in blood, and the man lost a lot of it. Had we pursued him, we would have run the risk of him dying, and he is far more valuable to us alive. Additionally, this blood sample can be scanned and referenced against our databanks so as to avail us to the identity of our mysterious visitor. This way, they won't know that we know who he is. We will be able to track and capture them all, rather than merely apprehending one of them. This is much bigger than an Armorial in a tree, Inquisitor. Thi
Avera followed Blackridge back through the hidden door and into the narrow corridor, retracing the halls they had come down. The cramped corridor seemed to devour the light which disappeared suddenly and without warning, and all turned to darkness when the door shut behind them. She kept close behind him, the maurium crystals lighting their path. They walked in silence as they went, and they continued on through the dark halls of the now familiar castle.Lord Blackridge was still giving off a quiet air of intensity which Avera
Avera followed him through the door into a cramped corridor, and he bolted the door behind them. The short hall presented one small doorway off to their right, its door standing open, and the plain white walls continued onward only to dead end within a few feet of the opening."In my office, if you would, please," he graciously requested, gesturing towards the lonely door frame.The two of them entered into an office, the small and simple room housing only a few bookshelves, a desk with two chairs, and the chaotic organization typical of his rooms or offices. Papers and notes were strewn about the desk beside mess of pens and inkwells. About a dozen books lay open to various pages scattered atop surfaces about the room.Avera paused to take in the room and all its charm, and he watched her as she did. "I am sorry for the mess," he told her."No. It's alright. How... cluttered is the mind of a genius," she remarked pleasantly."I suppose...
She followed him into the underground, down the stairs to the mysterious darkness of the passage below them.The tunnel, itself, was wonderfully built with high arching ceilings formed with chiseled stones, expertly cut and carefully placed. Despite the age of the pathway and some minor disrepair which had befallen the stones above and beneath them, the tunnels presented themselves as a reliable thoroughfare, stretching for miles ahead of them.There was a certain dampness in the air, and the occasional sound of water slowly dripping from a gap in the stones to the ground beneath them echoed through the vacant halls.There were torches placed every few yards, ensconced on either side of the hall just below the arch of the ceiling. The depths of the halls were utter blackness, but there