Re:Creation Book 1: Allegiance

Nine:teen

Reif followed after Vistara, eager to get away from the throne room of Castle Ralhana for one very specific reason - a tree. Towards the back of the room, just behind the throne itself was a massive tree with branches stretching through a large hole in the ceiling towards the sky above. Between the tree and the throne was a wall, the opposite side of which dropped down into a moat beneath the ground, preventing flooding from the rain and leaving the tree isolated on its own miniature island. More colored fabric had been draped from its branches and stretched to different corners of the ceiling. 

That very tree along with the soil it was planted in contained immense traces of Tererra's power - so much so that it was impossible for Reif to identify any other gods' powers so long as he was near it. It made him feel like a dog trying to sniff out one scent but getting confused by the overwhelmingly powerful scent that bombarded its nose. As far as Reif knew, the tree had something to do with Tiroi Ralhana, but whatever the reason was - Reif hated being near it and couldn't wait to get away to a less oppressive space. Therias followed along at his side while Telk brought up the rear, his posture and body language marked with reservation.

Vistara led the three of them back outside and down a pathway within the garden that lead them straight to the royal family's quarters and the guest manor nearby. Before long, the pathway Reif and the others tread forked as it wrapped around a large pond located directly between two buildings. On the left side of the pond were the royal quarters, and it the right - the guest manor. A narrow bridge had been constructed through the center of the water, providing a more direct route from one building to the other.

"And, here we are," Vistara said. She gestured to the building on the right side of the pond. "That is where you will be staying. There is not too much to warrant a tour of the entire building, and you have all been here before, so I doubt that everything will be too terribly unfamiliar, but I will gladly remind you of its facilities once we are inside.."

Without waiting for a response, she started down the path towards the guest manor,  not even checking to see if Reif and the others were following, which they were. The buildings the group approached were grand, stone structures, though they weren't quite as large as the keep itself. Truthfully, they each seemed like miniature castles of their own.

As the group neared the entrance to the guest manor  Reif instantly noticed the difference of decoration compared to the rest of Castle Ralhana. The most obvious difference was the usage of a banner depicting all the crests and colors of the Royal families of Aböl, as opposed to simply the Ralhanas' crest that adorned the rest of the castle. The section at the top of the banner contained the crest of House Arette of Mithro - an ashen border with a matching hammer resting over the face of a darker colored shield on a crimson red background. On the right side of the banner was the familiar crest of House Tyveren that Reif had come to know so well, with the amber book and sword, white snake and the blue background surrounded by a lighter border. To the left was House Ahtsu of Kinsae whose crest was a simple orange flame with a white core over a dark gray background and gold border. Lastly, the Ralhanas' crest was at the bottom of the banner, with the black stag's head surrounded with purple, which was then enclosed by a silver border. 

Normally, the banner depicting each of the royal houses was an uncommon sight in Aböl. Anywhere the banner was flown was deemed unaffiliated with any one kingdom and therefore was seen as a symbol of peace and represented neutral territory. Though Reif had been to Castle Ralhana before, he was nearly certain that the banners weren't posted before, and frankly, he was surprised to see them there at all. Reif would expect the banner in cities such as Lenrall or port towns around Aböl, not within the walls of a royal castle. Nevertheless, the sight was a welcome one. 

Upon entering the guest manor, Reif felt a small shiver of excitement. It had taken them quite a while, and they faced a few ordeals, but he, Lev, and Therias had finally arrived at their destination. It was such a relief step into the large foyer of what would likely be his home for the next few days, and the thought of sleeping in a bed similar to his own was exhilarating.