The Princess and the Blood of Eternity

Chapter 29: The Sacrifice

The storm raged on as Cleo stumbled up a pair of stairs toward the domed structure that loomed in front of him. They'd made it through the city easily enough. Thanks to the chaos created by the storm and the sudden evacuation.

His mind reeled with the reality of a sandstorm. Experiencing it firsthand while trying to move around outside was not something he would recommend. Even with the rag serving as a headscarf, he'd still spent most the trip stumbling forward blindly in between swallowing and choking on sand. Luckily, the street they followed was large and perfectly straight, making the trip easy enough to navigate. The fact the city had been so open and flat was a marvel in itself.

Seeing the streets and buildings abandoned and caked in sand was enough to make him think the world was trying to end, and as far as he could tell, the citizenry had either evacuated to the docks or barred themselves indoors in order to wait out the storm. Not that he blamed them. For it to roll in and not leave, the behavior seemed supernatural. Almost like the weather was trying to punish the people of Gholand.

Shaking his head in disbelief, he eyed his uncle Marius as the old man came to stand next to him in a tall recess in front of a giant doorway. Shirtless, his pale skin now carried an orange tinge from the sand. It also caked his dark hair, which was strewn and tossed across his shoulders after being inside a windy sandstorm for an extended amount of time. Cleo spent a moment slapping the sand off his pants and straightening the braided tail at the base of his neck.

This had to be the Noble's palace. He wasn't certain, but it felt like a safe bet after realizing that this was the largest structure in the city. All roads lead to this building, and he could feel that Lilith was somewhere inside. Hopefully, there wasn't an army waiting on the other side of these doors.

Marius shook his head from side to side to dislodge the sand that had gotten caught inside his long black mane. He then discarded the rag that Ural had provided them. Cleo did the same, unwrapping the oil-smelling rag from around his mouth and neck. He couldn't stop blinking. The corners of his eyes had become teary and smeared with mud. The rest of his body had seen his sweat mesh with the sand, leaving behind these orange streaks that ran along his chest and arms.

The stone doorway was large enough to encapsulate his trade ship without the masts. He couldn't imagine why they would need such large doors.

Cleo moved closer to regard the large iron knockers. "This is it," he said, listening to the words leave his lips. He was trying to convince himself to be confident. "We have to get inside!" he gave one ring a pull only to struggle with lifting it.

He motioned for Marius to try. His uncle nodded as he moved up toward the stone arched barrier. Cleo resisted the urge to complain about his casual demeanor. He's being too slow, a voice said in the back of his mind. Another part of him warned against rushing into this blindly. He was of two minds, and each was warring for dominance inside his personality. They did not know what awaited them inside. If his eagerness got them killed, he didn't know what he'd do.

Moving up to the stone arched barrier, small-framed Marius took the ring in two hands. He played with his grip before he finally pulled. The process took several long moments before they saw any movement from the thick stone barrier.

Cleo watched the ordeal with fascination. The door fought against Marius, like the owners had sealed it with more than just weight. The skin on his uncle's arm bubbled as hidden muscles rose to the surface. It made him look thicker, stronger. Almost like the arm belonged to someone else.

Teeth gritted, Marius fought and pulled. He didn't give up. His lips peeled back to show a line of clenched teeth. The stone under his feet cracked from the weighted pressure, leaving behind foot-shaped craters as the stone fractured in concentric circles. His battle even seemed to vibrate the ground like a miniature earthquake.