Bonds that Burn and Bind

Chapter 12 Part 3

We followed Roshni's red robes as our group trailed behind her through the door beside the altar. The passageway we found ourselves in was dimly lit by fairy lights and gradually narrowed until we were forced to walk single file. It twisted and turned at odd angles and often dropped abruptly at certain places. I had to concentrate hard on my feet so as not to trip, so much that I collided with Prince Orin's back when he abruptly stopped.

He spared a backward look before shuffling off to the side, revealing we had arrived at the observation deck.

The observation deck was a balcony carved into the side of the cave's wall. Orin took the corner on the far right with Roshni and the tall woman flanking him on either side while the rest of us crowded around the remainder of the available railing. The deck approached a gigantic archway carved into stone, which came together at a narrow point. Through the archway,  buildings carved out of stone towered high into the air, threaded through narrow, twisting roads lit by burning torches. In the faint glow of the fires burning throughout the city and several of the odd red runes that marred some of the buildings, small dots moved about their day—the Shadowlings themselves.

I had read about the City of Shadows. But seeing it up close in person was... terrifying yet captivating.

My eyes wandered along the buildings, picking out three golden domes that appeared to belong to a palace, but it was too far away to make out any more detail.

Some more movement turned my gaze to a stone bridge, which glowed with bright red runes, the likes of which I had never seen before, as runes were typically gold.  The bridge stretched over a black abyss and connected the City of Shadows to Thorn Temple, whose back exterior bore the same intricate carvings as its entrance. Two temple keepers, clad in their black robes, crossed the bridge. The one on the right held my mother's box, while the one on the left carried Prince Orin's offering. They stopped in the middle of the bridge like they had hit some invisible barrier. A hulking figure emerged from the city, towering over the temple keepers by at least three feet, and had two additional arms. Even from here, the greenish tone of his skin was evident. Its long black hair was woven into a long braid that hung down to its waist and wiggled like a snake with each step it took. It stopped abruptly as if it had run into a solid wall.

The two temple keepers held out their offerings to the menacing figure

"Remind me why those runes are red instead of the usual gold?" Prince Orin asked as if he had read my earlier thoughts.

"My sister, Rashma, may be able to provide you with your answer." She motioned towards the tall woman. "She is our expert on Shadowlings."

I glanced between the two women, noting Rashma's septum was also pierced by a gold ring.

Sisters? They don't even look related.

But then again, Viv, with her blonde curly hair and round blue eyes, didn't look like my kin.

On the stone bridge below, the Shadowling bent down to accept the offerings in its four arms before jerking in what seemed like a surprise. So did the other temple keeper.

The Shadowling turned and disappeared back through the gate, leaving the temple keepers still standing there with the offerings in their outstretched arms.

Rashma's grip tightened on the railing. "Why didn't it accept the offerings? We need to pull them-"

"Ahuka and Yusuf are fine!" Roshni interjected, cutting her sister off as she fidgeted with her hands. "Would you mind answering the Prince's question about the runes while we wait?"

"We believe the rune's unusual color originates from magic the Shadowlings themselves performed," Rashma replied.  "Although magic amongst their kind is almost unheard of. They often kill those that it manifests in."