The Myth - The Fading Eden

Chapter 2 - Emir

A warm gust of wind stirred the fine sand, pushing it into the crevices of scattered rock formations on the desert. The rough surface of the pale sun was nearly hidden behind a distant mountain range, tinting their snow-covered peaks pink.

"It's been a while since you had a free evening," Aliante remarked, carefully stepping forward. She braced her hand against a large boulder and arched her body, squeezing through a narrow gap.

"Sorry. I had to get back in shape quickly after spending a week in bed. The Master sent me for extra training," Emir replied without turning around.

They slowly moved away from the high walls of the Guardian Academy. Away from the main trade route, there was only the silent desert stretching around them.

"The first thing he should've done was let you fully heal," she huffed indignantly.

"Apparently, they didn't want to report it. I don't think Queen Shelaya would have been pleased."

"But that's blatant cover-up for the Mekeler house!"

They stopped in front of an entrance carved from light stone. The last rays of the Suns penetrated the tunnel, illuminating the walls and long rows of runes etched in the stone. The Power locked within them wasn't as strong as it was during the Siege of the Skull Eaters a thousand years ago, but its faint tension could still be felt in the air.

Emir glanced at Aliante. Her blonde hair glowed like gold, and anger sparkled in her dark eyes.

"Do you really think they'd let their name be tarnished? They live in the highest part of the city." He gestured towards the buildings that reached up to the sky.

Everyone knew about Vertus's origins. He was the emblem of an exceptionally prestigious part of the Kingdom, blessed by the Spirit of Milites. Emir watched Aliante as she turned in that direction. She silently traced her gaze over the long, hanging bridges connecting the buildings, even entire neighborhoods. Perched on floating chunks of raw rock, the districts climbed high up to the sky's vault. Trees clung with their roots to whatever they could, trying to support the weight of their flared canopies. Streams cascaded down the slopes, turning into misty clouds and filling the crowded streets with a pleasant murmur.

Emir tore his gaze from Aliante and squinted, trying to get a better look at the crystal pyramid that marked the peak of the Kingdom. Its perpetually rotating sides reflected sunlight off their crystalline walls. A perfect shape. Beauty that deceives the eye. A mirror image of the main temple of the Spirit of Milites, suspended between spaces and time. A paradise where miracles happen, where, supposedly, Power flows in streams, wetting the feet of the worthy. A tangible reminder of the purpose of life.

"Master Kadis may stand at the head of all Guardians and Inquisitors. He may be the pillar of the Kingdom's entire defense, but those who live in the Ruby District..." He paused, tasting the bitterness in his mouth. "They are above other people. They won't allow the insubordination of one of the great houses to stain their flawless image. They are too proud and far too vain for that."

"It shouldn't be this way."

"No. But it is."

Their eyes met. Emir immediately noticed the shift in the Priestess's mood. Aliante looked at him silently. She parted her lips slightly, but something held her back from speaking. Emir knew she wanted to find words of comfort. But how can you comfort someone who, in the eyes of the world, doesn't deserve a dignified life? Someone entangled in the roots of a past that wouldn't even grant him a name. Trapped in a cage with clipped wings, desperately trying to prove he could fly.

"Aliante, please. I'm not five years old." He flashed her a broad smile. With a pounding heart, he pushed away her sympathy, which weakened him, smothered him, and reminded him that he was nothing. But he had to be strong to become an Inquisitor. "Shall we go? I found a hidden passage leading to the Cleansers' Gate. We'll exit right by the Faithful Hatch's dungeons," he added convincingly.