The Rift in the Domain- The Auranos Stories Book 2

Chapter 19 - Many Eras Ago...

Ahkra

We kept flying, putting Mallow Creek and Jemano's cryptic smile behind us as we journeyed further east. Courier appeared on the horizon after a few days of travel- a crystal-like cluster of soaring towers encircled by a threatening-looking wall. Smog hung in the air around the city like a dusky halo, leading us straight into the city.

"Sceptervale is to the north," Relako's voice said as we came closer. "That's the town Courier always fights with."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I know a thing or two about navigation, remember?" Relako explained teasingly. "I saw traders' maps in our old village all the time."

"Bookworm," Cavern muttered, a laugh in his voice.

With high optimism we soared in, diving into the vast city from above. Dark, warm clouds of smoke and soot filled the sky. Buildings jutted out of the dust like icebergs, all embedded with mechanical veins, pipes and tubes. Electronic lamps buzzed cheerily as yellow power sparked through their coils, and growling engines could be heard from miles off. We three stopped to perch on a slanted rooftop, looking out over the crowded streets below. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before... spirits flashed through the dim air at intervals, tackling each other happily through windows or levitating, watching the ground below. Glowing creatures of all sorts flickered and flashed as they crept around the streets and hopped from windowsill to windowsill.

It was incredible.

I wondered how much of it the people could see.

"So, where to first?" I asked, turning to my friends with a grin.

We went straight into the heart of downtown, our avatars doing corkscrew leaps through the air and dancing through gutters. I saw a blue spirit creep from a door below, looking around cautiously. Something about it made me curious, so I crept forward, watching. The spirit put out a hand, as if to brush aside a curtain. The hand grew pale, then transparent, the further it was away from the spirit's body. Suddenly, a little boy with black hair and glittering eyes burst out of the doorway with a teddy bear held firmly in hand. The spirit grew opaque once again, and he grinned, following the boy down the sidewalk.

"Did you see that?" I asked the others, turning around. But they'd already taken off. I looked at the bird which was holding my talisman. Mossy had mentioned that there was a limit for distance that a spirit could travel from its talisman, but I'd never seen what would happen if a spirit was too far away. That distance was different for everyone, of course. I wondered at my own limit.

Then I realized that I was getting left behind.

"Hey, wait!" I shouted, leaping with carefree abandon from the rooftop and following the others towards the center of Courier.

There, we found a stone fountain with loops of grey water arcing up into the air like dancers. Spirits passing through would dive the fountain, brushing the jets with outstretched fingertips, and soar away. There, we found a spirit the color of maple wood, with eyes of wine red.

"Well, you're new," he said kindly as we approached.

"How'd you know that?" I asked. Hastily, I added, "Uh, sir?"

He grinned. "I know all the spirits in Courier. Thirty-nine of them, there are. But I don't know you three. Where are you from?"

"North," Cavern said simply.

"Well, if you're running from something, you've come to the right place," he said, grinning wider. "I'm Soroben. Something tells me you've got a more specific reason for coming here than that."

"We wanted to learn about Courier's fights with Sceptervale," Relako offered. "Perhaps you could tell us."

"Another set of kids trying to save the world, eh? Well, I'd be happy to tell you anything you'd like to know, but don't get your hopes up about some peace treaty," Soroben said resignedly. "It's not about to happen, I'm telling you."

"We're willing to try," I replied.

"Fair enough," he nodded kindly. "What would you like to know?"

"Well, when did the fights start? Why?" I asked.

Soroben shrugged. "It's like every other city-state grudge. Some old family feud blown out of proportion. It's gone back as far as we can remember around here."

"How often are there actual battles?" Relako asked.

"Once a week if the weather's nice," Soroben smiled cynically. "Death tolls rise every month. There were a dozen or so dead or missing last time alone."

"That's awful," I said, furrowing my brow.

"Sceptervale isn't as densely populated as Courier, but they've got a strong military force," Soroben explained with an apathetic shrug. "We're equally matched."

"Well, maybe something could tip the scales," Cavern's eyes glittered.

"It could happen," Soroben shrugged at the ground with a nod, having missed the mischievous grins on our faces. "I don't suppose you've got any other questions?"

"Nothing now, sir," I said, my confidence bubbling. "But I'm sure you'll hear from us again."