Fate of Dragons

Chapter Twenty Part I

Derol spent most of his time on the deck of the boat watching the river around them change. It didn't take long for him to realize that Yennar Lei was a country that relied on water. They seemed to pass a stream or canal feeding into the larger river every few minutes, and along many of those waterways, small buildings crowded. Once they'd emerged from the great forests in the north of Yennar Lei, they began to see more and more boats, from sailing ships to magic-driven cargo boats like theirs, down to narrow canoes deftly paddled by one person.

Among the myriad waterways, houses and buildings stood on stilts like the large water birds that Derol had seen along the shallow shores of the lakes they'd traversed in the great forest. Farther back, more buildings gathered on the shores behind docks and around more canals that jutted off the river's course. Haphazard bridges passed between buildings at ground level and above. In some ways, it reminded Derol of the heights of the city of Areth with its winding mountain passages and bridges spanning the gulf between cliffs.

The sun beat down hard on them, and felt like it grew brighter the further south they traveled. They ventured ashore at one town to buy clothes more suited to the climate. The river between towns was still often filled with boats, but along the shores there were only occasional houses with small docks. Sometimes, there was enough distance between towns that the convoy of boats would not encounter many other watercraft for most of a day.

Despite the urgent task that lay ahead of them, Derol found the boat travel relaxing, and the warmth of the sun that bathed him while he sat on the deck reminded him of summer afternoons on the farm when he would take a break from work in the heat and simply enjoy the calm in the middle of the day. He was leaning back against the rail with his eyes closed, his arms stretched out across it, when a clanging arose. Voices called out around him and he heard the slap of water on the sides of more boats than just theirs. Derol rubbed his eyes and sat forward.

They had come upon a larger town, easily the largest Derol had seen on the river so far. Their boat had fallen in among a crowd of other watercraft. Derol cringed as it seemed that a smaller boat was about to collide with theirs, but the small craft spun about and fell in beside them. He shook his head. He still hadn't gotten used to the idea of the magic boats and the added maneuverability it gave them. Captain Askel had assured him that the boats still had their limitations, but Derol could only marvel at their strengths.

The river remained wider here, as what had at first seemed like a town bloomed into a large city. The grassy banks of the river transitioned into walls made of light-colored stone. At intervals the wall gave way to wide channels that plunged into the city. Boats left and entered the river by these channels, and Derol didn't doubt that more channels broke off from these further within the city.

Above the wall, buildings rose up at various heights. Many appeared to have been built practically on top of one another, all in different styles and colors. Lush flowers in vibrant colors poured from pots on balcony railings, and overall Derol found the view of the city riotous but pleasant. In almost every way, this city was different from anything he had known in Arethia. Even the city of Areth, its buildings clustered and crammed along the cliffs and rock ledges, hadn't seemed as large and overwhelming as this.

Torun, who had gotten in the habit of perching atop the cabin when he'd recovered enough to move about the boat, now slunk down from his perch and onto the deck. His presence still drew a lot of stares and pointing, but at least he could blend in a bit more on the deck.

Amina appeared around the other side of the cabin and stood before Derol.

"Captain Askel wanted us to know that we'll be making a stop here. I guess they have to recharge their magic stones." She smiled and shrugged.