The Fog of Airyll COMPLETE

Chapter 13

Annnd I'm back!

I'm so sorry it took me so long to update! If you are one of my followers and/or if you read the message I left in my profile, then you know I got sick. So, here was I thinking I had the flu, but it turns out it was a bad infection that evolved into bronchitis and very almost to pneumonia. So yeah. Took me forever (and more meds than I ever want to see again) to get better.

So, again, I'm really sorry! But I'm on the mend now and should be able to update frequently. As thanks for your patience and understanding, the next update will come June, 18th.

But then again, I babbled enough. I'd like to know if you guys would rather I write a note inside the story if something like this ever happens again (which hopefully, it won't.). But oh well.

On to the chapter!

Arriving in Gavril had been an experience in mixed feelings.

Not that the city wasn't impressive – what little Nephelle had been able to glimpse of it so far anyway - far from it, actually.

There wasn't any other description for Gavril, not in all honesty. Surrounded by huge golden walls with four imponent sentry buildings, the city was both majestic and beautiful.

And more than a little intimidating.

There were small flower beds filled with marigolds, not a single tree in sight. The stones paving the street were also painted in a bright shade of gold, as were each one of the two-story buildings. If walking into Airyll seemed to Nephelle that she was walking into a fairy tale city, Gavril gave an air of a work of art. Beautiful, in all of its cold, planned out perfection, but with little soul to it.

It was an undeniable truth, however, that the final effect was stunning: The whole city seemed to glow underneath the sunlight, sparkling with unearthly beauty.

And yet, her admiration at the sight in front of her was not the main reason she had felt mixed feelings towards arriving in the city.

Apparently, Gavril had been expecting Lord Alastair's visit - the whole city was decorated with flags and colored balloons, people seeming to follow the progress their carriage made.

People surrounded them as soon as their carriage came into view, yelling words of praise towards their Lord Alastair.

Far from appearing bashful or shy, the man himself had stuffed his chest and ran a hand through his glossy blond hair. "I must apologize for my rudeness, but I need to greet my people."

Nephelle instinctively crinkled her nose, even as Wade rushed to say, "Don't worry about us, we need to be leaving anyway."

And here, right here, was the reason she had been so happy to arrive in Gavril. Watching as Lord Alastair gave them a last smile and walked outside to wave at the people so loudly cheering for him, it made her sigh. Shoulders relaxed, Nephelle and Wade shared a small smile of relief before checking their backpacks and leaving the carriage.

Only to receive a wave of suspicious glares.

It was almost as if people thought they were some sort of threat to Lord Alastair!

That had been one of the downsides, she supposed - the fact that the whole city seemed to hate them at first glance for no other reason than they caught a ride. She had to hold back a laugh as she remembered an embarrassed Wade waving at people as they left, despite being unable to meet their gazes.

Shaking her head, a small smile on her lips, Nephelle glanced outside the window. The sunset was painting the sky with shades of yellows and oranges, the color hitting the city at just the right angle to make it glow...