Through The Storm

t h i r t e e n

Murphy was right.

As the sun faded away into the tendrils of the night, bathing the surrounding forests in a rosy glow, I peered ahead to see the edge of a sprawling city. Colossal, narrow buildings of stone loomed not too far away, deep blue flags fluttering on poles at the top of each. I wondered how. There wasn't a wisp of wind outside. Must be magic, I supposed. The buildings were painted in shades of graceful gold, dainty pink and soft sky-blue. As we approached, I could make out ivy creeping up the stone walls of the buildings, amassing on the ledge of unusually wide windows, framed with what looked like black iron.

We'd finally arrived in Asten.

As the carriage wheels rumbled underneath us, the horses' rhythmic, quickened clip-clopping keeping pace with my thumping heart, I gazed out through the bars to marvel at the sights before me. I was well aware of Blake pointedly ignoring me and feigning disinterest in the city ahead, but I knew him better than to believe that his darting, widened eyes weren't keenly observing our surroundings.

The rough road below us smoothed into a paved path that led closer and closer to the city. The first thought that struck me was the apparent lack of security – the first houses in the city just stood, bare, at the edge of the forest. Open to attack from any race, any animal.

Was it the other races' fear of the Elves that kept them safe? A mighty gamble all the same, I mused.

All of a sudden, I felt the air pressing in around me, uncomfortably heavy. My head began to pound uncomfortably, as I began to feel as though my skull might implode...

And then I was released.

"What was that?" I gasped, whipping my head around to look at Kaya. I had to shake off the hair plastered to my face with sweat.

She looked back at me rather sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I forgot to warn you. There's a force field surrounding Asten. It tricks anyone foolish enough to launch an attack on the capital, thinking that we're unguarded."

"What's a force field?" I inquired. I sensed Blake listening raptly.

"It's an invisible barrier of magic- ancient magic. We've given it so much information and freedom and developed it so much that it acts as an individual now. It can smell hostility from a mile away and singes any attackers to ash."

I gulped. "I don't exactly feel too warmly about the capital- and yet I'm not ash."

"I don't think your entry was buttery smooth either, was it?" she quipped, tilting her head slightly. No, it truly wasn't. Unless that was a really intensive head massage I'd just received. "Either way, like I said- the magic is ancient. Perhaps longer than the Elven rule itself. It knows the difference between mere hatred and an outright intention to harm the city. But of course, there are loopholes that possibly could cause some to trick our force field itself. Perhaps that could happen – but you know, I could swear that it's become more intelligent through its years, feeding off information and magic we flow into it." I shuddered. Power let so free was always a risk. "Either way, we have other precautions in place inside," Kaya added, as if it would soothe me.

But I barely heard her explain the invisible Kshat warriors that were dispersed around the border, in the forest and well within the city too, affiliated with the Royal Guard, because we had finally entered the city.

At the base of the towering buildings were busy markets that put Bracken's market to shame. Enticing colours, scents, and sounds tickled my senses joyfully, almost yanking me towards them. Shops ranged from staunch stores of stone with massive floods of light and neatly stacked items, to mere rickety stalls that were seemingly no less popular with the Astenians.