Avondale: The Golden Door

Clan Maretu

Śarat above, but it's only the skin color and the face. Śarat is black and of course has the reptile eyes.

Suruli helped me out of her room, pulling back her curtain and revealing the space outside. I was in a strange rectangular building that was made in four levels. The lowest level was a fire pit that currently crackled and burned as a silver haired man with orange reptile eyes tended it. The second level seemed to be a place to sit around the fire as I could see a few people sitting cross legged. The third level looked to be the walkway for people to get to the nine different rooms that lined the fourth level.

It looks like Neverland, I thought to myself. The land where children never grow up and fun and games never die.

"Still believe this is a dream then, Fledgling?" I turned to see Havala smirking at me from a room covered by a light blue sheet.

I scowled and crossed my arms, "It can't be anything else."

The serpent snorted and retreated to her room which was on the right side of the double doors.

The left-side opening was similar to the roof of the building, all but a small doorway had been blocked off by leaning timber that had grown together to create a wall of wood, leaves and branches.

Curiosity filled me and I moved closer, but then stopped myself.

"Go on." Suruli urged with a smile. "He will not mind."

I stared at her before moving to the opening. I looked in and saw a bed made from wooden posts grown together. To the side there was a table made of slate tablets and a large stone slab, its surface covered with charcoal drawings on dried animal hide. In the corner, near the end of the bed, hung a hammock, dwarfed by the large, sleeping frame of Sanna.

Suruli giggled from behind me. "He likes to take 'power naps.'" She said.

Śarat chimed in, having emerged from her room next door, "We call them his 'cat naps.'"

I couldn't help but laugh at that, causing poor Sanna to wake up and fall out of his hammock, leaving him sprawled on the earthen floor with one leg caught in the hammock. Me, Suruli, and Śarat burst into giggles.

He only grinned. "Hello, ladies. Hey, Kendra," In an instant he was up on his feet. "Feeling better?"

I stumbled back, my eyes wide in shock, "H-h-how did you do that?"

He looked confused for a second before his smile returned. "I'm a wyvern, remember? Wyverns were given the gift of speed in exchange for wings. Keeps us closer to Bhūmiya."

I blinked, less shocked and more confused, "Closer to what-now?"

Suruli giggled, "Bhūmiya. Goddess of the soil, trees and grass. In the old tongue it meant earth."

"Oh." I said, and looked back at Sanna. "So you're an earth dragon?"

He laughed. "An odd way to put it, but yes. I guess I am."

I was only getting more confused. "What is this place?" I asked, looking around the building again.

"This is the Head House of Clan Maretu." Śarat said.

"Clan what?" Each new term and word they spoke sent my head spinning like children going round a maypole.

A horn sounded and Suruli took my arm. "Nisvārtha will explain everything tomorrow, it is dinner time. Come on!"

Suruli, Śarat and Sanna led me out of the Head House and before me were two buildings. The one on the left was made entirely of wood. The one on the right, meanwhile, was made of stone, and attached to it was smaller structure that dozens of people were heading into.