The Autumn Mage

Chapter Twenty-Two

     "Wake up, we're here." Aki flailed awake in a panic with his skin feeling prickly and hot. He patted himself over looked for injuries but found none. "Are you alright? You were talking in your sleep. Like, a lot." Aki could barely make out the shape of his body in the dark.

     "I'm fine," he quietly replied with a raspy voice. He cleared his throat and felt his way out of the carriage door. They grabbed their belongings and walked towards a large stone wall with a large and wide metal purple door with a brightly burning torch set above it. Orpheus banged his fist on it thrice and then shook his hand as it stung. A narrow slit slid open and a pair of beady eyes looked at him silently before suspiciously glancing at Aki. They turned back to Doctor Schnabel before disappearing behind the small opening. With a heavy groan the door slowly swung out towards them. The village was silent and dark and the moon barely illuminated anything. A few goats quietly stirred as they walked past the wooden slip board fences lined with wire. A few shadowy guards patrolled in silence but it was hard to tell just how many were roaming about. Aki could tell that most of the houses were small farm houses and the buildings were much tinier than the other cities in the kingdom, their white stone and thatch roofs a striking contrast to the large red brick buildings he was used to seeing. Most buildings had one or two round windows and almost all the homes had a cow or a goat tied up in the side yard. They made their way towards the far side where a taller building made of brown stone stood, Aki assuming it was a temple from its shape. He shivered, the air cooler here than it had been in Riverian. They were greeted by a hooded figure waiting for them in the flickering light of another torch who silently escorted them inside.

     After a few moments Aki's eyes adjusted and he found themselves inside a cathedral. A strong sense of peace filled the long ancient hall. The walls were built from oaks hundreds of years ago, as were the rows of pews. A deep forest green runner lay in the center of the stark white marble floor separating the pews. A faint glow burned from several rows of small red candles dimly lighting a large golden statue of Gia. Her torso was a large sturdy tree and her head was wrapped in a thick veil obstructing her face except for her kind eyes. She had four thick roots, one for each of her daughters. Gia's arms were outstretched in a motherly way and her eyes gazed downwards locking with whoever stood before her. Although beautiful the candlelight gave her an unnerving ghostly appearance.

     The Monk who had brought them inside wore the traditional brown hooded robe common among followers of Gia. When he turned to open a door for them Aki saw that he was elderly as most Monks are. Younger Monks exist but are typically there after leaving behind a sordid life. He led them up a narrow iron spiral staircase and through a simple narrow hallway lined with wooden doors. He opened the final one on the left and signaled for them to enter with a wave of his palm by his waist. Orpheus bowed his head and entered. Aki glanced at the small sparse room furnished with a simple wooden bunk bed, a tiny two-drawer dresser that was only a meter or so tall, a round window overlooking the town, and a small wooden stool. A faded and worn white square rug was in the center of the room lying askew on the wooden floor. They let their bags drop with a soft thud on top of it and Orpheus bowed his head once more over his clasped palms, and the Monk returned the gesture and closed the door behind him.

      "I call top bunk," Aki said annoyingly. Orpheus sternly glared at him and made a "sh" signal with his finger pressed firmly against his lips.

     "These Monks live most of their life in silence," he lectured angrily. "Keep your voice down while we're here."

     "Why are we here?" Aki asked quietly. He whispered as loudly as he could out of spite.