Chapter 19:

I leaned against the window, staring into space. I ignored the three men looking helplessly at each other. Gale sat close to me, hand on my knee, squeezing it for comfort. Come on, I’m not that fragile…

Still, the contact helped more than I thought it would. I put a hand atop his, holding it tightly. I sat back in my seat, and slowly let my weight fall onto Gale’s shoulder. He leaned his head on top of mine. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feeling, and slowly lulled to sleep. 

A hand nudged my shoulder, bringing me back from dreamless darkness. I started awake, looking up. Gale was staring  down at me with eyes so warm it made me feel uncomfortable. “Awake?” He asked. 

I blinked a few times, regaining my lucidity. I had shifted in my sleep, falling headfirst into Gale’s lap. I could see the roof of the carriage past him still wobbling. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. “Are we there?”

“Not yet, Askret thought you might want to see the city.” I nodded, shooting him an appreciative glance. I would’ve been devastated had I slept through the sight. 

I leaned out the window, taking a glance. The sun had moved across the sky a noticeable degree, turning morning into midafternoon. Had we moved that far in such a short time? Recalling our midnight run from Shortleaf to Leyland, I was suddenly appreciative of the carriage. 

I looked towards the direction we were heading, and furrowed my brows in confusion. Elanis, the capital, was such a small city? It looked maybe twice the size of Shortleaf, but unimpressive. Past it, I could see the vast body of water of what I assumed to be an ocean. The scent of salt on the air confirmed my suspicions. I looked at Askret, confused. “That’s Elanis?”

He laughed, a mischievous look in his eyes. “I would not dare spoil the surprise.”

I looked again, noticing something I hadn’t at first. Were there things floating in the air? I squinted, barely able to make out what looked like floating rocks, one of which was a bit past the city. I couldn’t tell its exact size from the distance, but it seemed large enough to hold another Shortleaf atop it. My eye widened. So it really was a city in the sky!

I grinned at Gale, wiggling in my seat. A flying city! Magic and spells! If only the carriage could move faster!

Still, why was the city so small? How could a capital hold so many with that size? I suddenly wondered if the country we were in was smaller than I expected. I elbowed Gale several times, unable to hold my excitement. For some reason, Askret was looking at me with amusement. 

The carriage approached the city, and Gale tried to calm me from my energetic movements. I ignored him. I stuck my head out of the window and lost my balance, only remaining inside when Gale grabbed the scruff of my shirt and dragged me back like a kitten. 

“Please don’t die in a carriage accident.”

“I’m not a child,” I said, throwing another pop rock into my mouth.

“Should you still be eating those?”

“Why not?”

Gale stared at me intensely. I turned my head. 

We passed through the city, and I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. The architecture was similar in construction to Leyland, though it seemed to be older. The carriage rode in silence, and my eyes dimmed. Geez, this was the capital? I shot an annoyed look at Askret. All that buildup for this? I looked out the window, pouting. 

The buildings cleared, and in front of us was empty space, with ocean beyond that. The incline we were riding up blocked view of the ground, but I couldn’t see the tips of any buildings. I looked up. That same rock was hovering overhead, the bottom of it craggy and brown, interspersed with glowing purple crystal. Was that Elanis proper?

“We’ve arrived,” Askret said. 

I looked forward, and what met my eyes dropped my jaw in shock. The carriage turned to the side, following a winding path, passing over the hill. Instead of empty field like I’d imagined, an enormous crater, enough to seat three entire Leylands side to side, was embedded in the earth. 

The vast gap in the ground was curtained with the seawater that surrounded it, arcing into a waterfall as it fell. Bits of glowing purple rock seemed to hover above it, and as the position of the carriage adjusted, I could see into the hole. Floating midair, suspended in the middle of the crater and surrounded by waterfalls gleaming with reflected purple light, was a massive city that put anything I’d ever seen to shame. 

It looked like an exquisite art piece, a city carved of amethyst and obsidian; it was multiple discs fused together with a spiraling staircase that connected to the path we were on, each layer a city on its own. I counted four of them, each teeming with buildings and lights. 

The stone itself gave a soft glow, casting a sparkling reflection on the water that covered the walls surrounding it. I looked down, and vertigo nearly overcame me. The water fell into endless darkness, a black hue that seemed to reach so far into the earth I couldn’t imagine it ever ended. 

The city itself was held aloft by an unseen power. It remained in the air, unmoving, like it was frozen in time. Only stray paths extended from it, reminding me of veins connected to a beating heart. My breath caught at the sight. 

Our carriage rode down the winding path, circling around the crater as it approached the city. The rush of the waterfalls near us was deafening, and the idea of riding such a long path held aloft by nothing made my stomach drop. 

We crossed by others who rode out of the city, each dressed in handsome clothing. Had the rumors been true? Were these common passers-by dressed in noble garb? I swallowed at the thought. Suddenly, it didn’t seem quite so ridiculous. I looked again at the city, ravishing it with gleaming eyes. The size of it was impressed upon me as our carriage approached. It fed into the first disc, the top layer, a checkpoint with hundreds of others waiting to be granted entrance to the city.

“Welcome to Elanis,” Askret said, “City of Fallen Stars.”

Our carriage pulled off to one side, skipping the line entirely. I looked at Askret in confusion. “Do we have permission to do this?”

His eyes brimmed with a strange look as he smiled. “I believe there are few who could tell us otherwise.”

I turned my head back to the window. I didn’t care how foolish I looked, the sight of the city before me was more enrapturing than anything I’d ever seen. 

“Wow…how does the city stay in the air?” Gale asked.

“The story of the city is that of the Star-Mother.”

“Star-Mother?” 

“There will be time for sermons later. Enjoy the scenery. One can only see the city for the first time once.”

I had never taken my eyes off of it. The road lead into the city proper; the path was seemingly crafted of exquisite amethyst, glowing with a hue that cast a purple light over everything. The clothing of those around us lit up in the glow, vaguely reminding me of blacklight, though not quite so strong. 

The fashion was far removed from what I’d seen anywhere else. It was thick-clothed with warm-looking style.With the elevation of the city, the sun’s light had long since been nothing but a backdrop were you to look overhead, casting a chill in the air. The briskness suddenly sent a shiver through me, and I regretted the system’s choice in miniskirts. Maybe I could pick some stockings up later? Gale might like that. Or he’d tear them off — I shivered again, for a different reason. 

The people around us milled around, going about daily life as if they weren’t living in a floating disc metropolis. My eyes furrowed a bit, and I complained in my heart. So mundane! At least do it while shooting fireballs or something. I looked at Askret. 

“Where are we going?”

“The church sits in the bottom layer — ‘closer to the Star-Mother,’ or so I’m told.” His voice came out somewhat mocking. I had thought this guy was a big-wig, but maybe he wasn’t as tight in the circle as I’d thought?

He smiled at me. “I always thought it was damn inconvenient.”

I raised an eyebrow. Should a clergyman be cursing? “Are we heading there first-thing?”

He shook his head. “The Church will take their time hemming and hawing before deciding on what to do. I suspect you’ll have a good deal of time to see the city before they finish dawdling.”

I snickered. Askret was pretty funny. He reminded me of my grandpa, and not just because he gave me candy. That might’ve had something to do with it, though. 

The carriage passed through each disc as it travelled lower into the crater. The top layer seemed to be relating to industries regarding trade, given its proximity to the surface. The construction, though differing in material to Leyland, still seemed reminiscent.

The same could not be said for the second layer. My eyes popped out as I saw the buildings crafted from more of the obsidian than the amethyst. Surprisingly, the residents seemed to be dressed in lighter garb, despite being lower in elevation. I raised an eyebrow at Askret. 

He gave me a doting look, infinitely patient. “The second layer’s specialization is largely that of crafting or blacksmithing. The third holds the college - Elanis’s collection of magic and its purveyors.”

“And the fourth?” Gale asked.

“The Church’s personal playpen,” Askret said, scoffing. “Which is precisely what it is — self-conceited fools playing at being important.”

Gale and I exchanged a glance. It seemed better not to get involved. I looked at him, a smile on my face. 

“Excited?” Gale asked.

I nodded my head rapidly. “Magic, Gale!”

“Yeah,” He said, petting the top of my head. His lips opened to say something, but his face blackened as he sealed his mouth shut, looking at Askret. 

I looked between them. What, were they secret lovers? I suddenly imagined Gale scooping up Askret in a bridal carry, stomping into an inn room. 

A light, coughing laugh came from the butler. My eyes flicked towards him. Wait a minute… No way. Surely there’s no such thing as mind-reading magic. There couldn’t be. Even if there were, this butler absolutely, positively could not have it, or everything I thought about earlier…!

I stared at him intensely, but he didn’t even acknowledge my glance. Was I wrong? Maybe he sneezed or simply had something in his throat. If he could read minds, I was going to kill him. Brutally. I’d toss him into a volcano.

I looked at Gale. It was his fault! If he hadn’t been such a depraved lunatic! I reached over and pinched his side. He flinched, looking at me wronged. I stuck my tongue out at him and turned my body away from the others.