The Blades

Chapter Eighteen

October 9th

I awoke, gasping for breath as a knock sounded on the door. I sat up, taking several intakes of air before registering that someone was speaking on the other side of the door.

"Atla? You've been asleep for a long time. It's just past lunch. Would you want to explore the palace a little bit?" I recognized the voice as the guard outside my door. She sounded concerned.

"Yes!" My voice cracked, "Give me a moment to get dressed!" I still felt winded, as if I had actually fallen from that cliff. Throwing my covers off, I placed my feet on the smooth stone beneath my feet. I dropped my head into my hands as I leaned forward on the edge of my bed. The dream had felt so real.

I collected myself and got dressed before leaving the room. The guard was waiting, "Airys said he would meet you in the library. If you will follow me," she said, giving me a soft smile. She was a beautiful woman with her darkened skin and ebony-colored hair. The circlet she wore as part of her uniform only brought out the green in her eyes. She raised an eyebrow when she caught me staring, looked me up and down, and then turned her gaze away from me. I could see her lips spread in a smile as she led the way.

I smiled to myself and chuckled, "I never got your name."

"Akinli, my lady. At your service."

"Atla. Just Atla. You don't need to call me lady," I said, looking at the back of her head, wanting to look at her perfect features once more.

She turned back and gave me a soft smile, "Atla, it is." She winked and turned back to the way we were walking. I felt a heat rise in my cheeks at her words. Like all Naryans she was charming.

The library wasn't too much farther ahead and Akinli stopped outside the door, "I will wait here, Atla, if you need any assistance, you need only shout." She inclined her head slightly and opened the door for me. I entered and immediately found Airys at a table with dozens of books surrounding him.

He spoke as I approached, "Atla, the knowledge of these people is fascinating. I mean, the art and the literature are astonishing! Far beyond anything in Dolonde's library. These people have a history! Just look!" he thrust the book up at me.

"Airys, I can't read Naryan." I laughed at him. The fluffy script was just dizzying on my eyes.

"Oh, right." He chuckled and went back to looking at the book. His eyes were gleaming as he looked over all the books that probably weighed more than I did.

I pulled up a chair and sat down beside him as he opened a book written in the Common tongue.

"Here, it says that the founder of Skystead and even Dolonde itself was a guy named Jonathan. Huh. Weird name." He shrugged.

"And then there was Jonathan," I read aloud, "Did he do anything else?"

"No, he seems unimportant otherwise."

"If history fascinated me, I'm sure I would love to stay in here all day," I said, chuckling slightly.

"But it's so amazing!" He looked at me with that childish glint in his eyes.

I smiled. He was just like the rest of us. He wasn't dark and mysterious all the time, he has this side that brought out his childish center. It was cute to see him bubble up like this. Ah, did I just think cute? I asked myself.

I finally convinced Airys to leave the library and go explore the city as we had meant to do. Akinli was going to follow us the whole day as our protection, not that we needed any but she had insisted and I felt like she could actually do her job. She was also nice company. Knowledgeable and kind.