City of Mages

Chapter 23: Alara

Alara was baffled to realize it was night when they left the hut. The city was now lit by torches lining the walkways, the moon still frail and dark above them in the sky. Despite the darkness, there seemed to be even more people wandering around, though the children now padded along behind their parents, instead of bounding around unsupervised.

Most of the bruyas headed in the same direction, toward a bright glow between the trunks.

"It's the communal supper," Khuno said, answering Alara's unasked question. "Lili can cook some food back at the house, so you don't have to worry about going there tonight."

Alara nodded, still unable to form words, and turned back to follow behind Khuno, whose fingers intertwined with Quenti's.

Alara lost count of the bridges and stairs and turns as they trekked through the trees, but after several long minutes, they finally arrived at their destination. Lili's house wrapped around the trunk of a particularly wide and flat tree, a bridge leading across to a small porch and bright yellow curtain covering the open doorway. The windows glowed from inside, and before they even crossed the bridge, a young woman darted out the door.

"Hello! Hi! Come in!" Her voice was clear and smooth and her eyes bright. They weren't quite brown—almost a mossy green—and her face was sprinkled with freckles, her skin still tanned beneath them. Perhaps the most noteworthy part of her appearance were the thick green vines that twisted around her arm, up her neck, and into her hairline. As they walked into the brightly lit house, Alara saw the vines were made of dark ink drawn directly onto the woman's skin. A tattoo. Something Alara had heard of, but never seen. They were considered taboo under Council rule.

"Sol, you both look exhausted. Come sit and get some food in you!" Alara let herself be led to a table against the wall and fell into the wooden chair pulled out for her. A steaming mug of coca tea was set in front of her, along with a plate of potatoes, corn, and some unknown meat. Lili continued to fuss around them and Khuno stood awkwardly by the doorway, watching them.

Alara ate instinctively without tasting the food, looking around as she did. The quaint home was split into a few rooms, with half of the circular building being taken up by the space they sat in. A tree trunk acted as one wall, its bark painted with vines and flowers.

Despite its small size, the room somehow wasn't cluttered with furniture. There was the table Quenti and Alara sat at. Nearby was a small cooking area set up, along with a small hearth, where a fire danced merrily under a pot of water. Across the room was a rug and a scattering of cushions, and beside that, a mess of small bowls and brushes Alara realized were painting supplies.

In the other chair, Quenti let out a sigh of contentment. "This is delicious. Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure! I actually love cooking, but don't often have anyone to cook for. It's a pleasant change of pace."

"You can always cook for me, Lili." Khuno said, smirking.

She only rolled her eyes at this. "Hold your hands out."

It took a beat for Alara to realize Lili was looking at her as she spoke. Her heart skipped a beat, and she wondered if they planned to tie her up again. But as she laid her hands on the table, Lili gently placed a warm, wet leaf on both of Alara's red and raw wrists.

Her skin gave a twinge, but as Lili laid her hands over the leaves, the burning sensation disappeared.

"You're an earth mage...bruya."

"Hmm, we're called tierren here." Lili placed two fingers on Alara's temple and in an instant, the deep ache in her bones seemed to drain away.