Stormhaze

Chapter 10: Edras' trial

Edras noticed Gillien's trembling hands as they boarded the gondola. Although his father tried to conceal the worst of it, Edras could tell that something significant had happened, though he didn't know exactly what. He cast a concerned glance at his father before taking a seat and kindly signaling the gondolier to ferry them to the palace of Istendil.

It was a bright morning and the raging thunderstorm had finally subsided, leaving behind only the cold winds that carried the faint scent of ashes. Edras' fiery bronze hair shone like a beacon from a lighthouse, gazing at the enormous palace of Istendil where he had yet to set foot. Worrying whether his fellow graduates had survived the journey, he bit the inside of his cheek trying to maintain composure.

When Edras informed Gillien that he wanted to go to Alecaria to join in saving Kilas, Gillien's response was brief and detached, very much unlike himself. Now his father sat silently beside him, unmoving and staring blankly into the distance, pale as if his very body was withering.

Like his father, Edras had enlisted at eighteen and served as a loyal soldier for the mandatory three years of his Etherion training. He had always aspired to follow in his father's exact footsteps, inspired by Gillien's many stories of adventure since childhood, from the deserts of Mizdrak and the jungles of Farcas, to the eternal winter nights of Iruvia. Yet Ryken had for some reason quieted his father's lips. Is it because he's afraid I'll think less of him? Or is it something he fears will happen?

As the gondola drew closer to their destination, Edras felt his own hands shake slightly with anticipation. Yet despite his nerves, he himself placed a reassuring hand on Gillien's shoulder as the gondola stopped, taking him out of his trance. His father was startled for a moment but then gazed at his son with a warm, genuine smile before straightening up. They stepped off the gondola and thanked the gondolier before walking along the wharf, their eyes drawn upwards to the magnificent marble palace.

"What do you think?" Gillien said.

"Beautiful, even more so up close." Edras said, utterly captivated by the elaborate decorations. He marveled at the exquisite architecture, graceful archways, imposing pillars, lush gardens and fine statues that gleamed as slivers of sunlight pierced the thick canopy surrounding the harbor. Edras bit his cheek again.

Despite knowing he needed to contain himself, a part of Edras longed to run to the first person he met and ask whether they knew anything about his fellow graduates. It was also then Edras felt acutely out of place, walking past officers who all appeared to be four times his age.

"How many people work and live here?" he asked.

"A few thousand," Gillien said as they continued walking towards the upper levels where several landing platforms emerged into view. "The officers reside in the towers, while the Istendil family lives in the 'main keep' as we call it—that golden and multi-layered dome you can see from home. Haven't I mentioned this before?"

"Perhaps..." Edras said almost dreamily, admiring everything he could lay his eyes upon that Gillien seemingly had grown accustomed to over the years. "How do you even know where to go?"

"There are four wings. From above, the entire palace grounds resemble a butterfly. Keep that image in your mind. The golden main keep of Istendil forms the head, the harbor is the tail, and the wings are the platforms where the gunships land. Makes sense?"

"And what lies beneath the platforms?"

"I'm definitely sure I've told you this before," Gillien chuckled, "the structure goes down three stories, containing everything from banquet halls and ballrooms to old offices, libraries, and some outer gardens. I only have access to the two west wings, the east wings opposite and the towers are reserved exclusively for high-ranking officers, though they likely contain the same."