Stormlands ( Book 2 of the Torrent Skies Saga)

Chapter Thirty-Five: Concerns, Pt 1

Alkyrindaun was awe inspiring. Tall, elegant marble structures blinded Katerin, and she struggled to find her sense of balance as the portal closed behind her.

A stout yet wild looking dwarf approached them with a skip to his step. "Ay! Hail, new visitors. Welcome to tha' city o' tha' clouds!" He coughed, looking them over and tugging on his ear. "You all look like ya' need a minute."

"I... sorry. It's—" Katerin began, and the dwarf laughed.

"Everybody and their mam's need a minute! Take your time."

Katerin nodded, and turned her gaze down the streets. They were wide, and the buildings around them were tall enough to dwarf the keeps, castles, and holds Katerin had seen and read about. Every one was easily large enough to accommodate any of the giants, and all were built of marble and granite with silver and gold adorning the buildings like jewelry.

It was as though every building, street, and sign had been perfected over a millennium—the sole focus of a master masons practiced hand. The stone of the roads was so perfectly aligned that Katerin could have spent days searching for a crack or imperfection. Giants walked the streets, and among them mingled other races, too.

Eventually the cheery dwarf interrupted their gawking, by clearing his throat. "Obviously you know where ya are, least I hope ya do. But cha' don't know me. My names Dementius. Dementius Ironbeard. Pleasure to have ya in tha' city. But if you'd plan ta be stayin' you'll need a tour, an explanation, and an audience with tha' Cyclone's Fist. Dependin' on how all o tha' goes, we can get cha set up in our guest quarters accordingly."

"An explanation?" Roahn asked, seemingly the first to come fully to her senses.

Dementius chuckled. "Aye! Ya think ya can just walk in like it's yer own closet and go after whatever it is tha' ya fancy?" He shook his head, looking over them with an appraising glance. "My guess is tha' you came to train, and in that case, there'll be some discussion ta be had."

"Alright," Katerin said, gauging his expression. "Will our arrival anger anyone?"

"Oh, no ones mad right now. You'll know as soon o' tha' are!" He gave them a grin that made Katerin wonder what he meant. "But, never ya mind tha! I've got ta take ya on a tour, and as it stands I don't got all day." He turned on his heel and started off without waiting for them to follow.

He lead them down the tall, cobbled streets and pointed out different shops, named a number of the giants, and told them of the districts of the city. It was split into thirds, it's three districts holding different amenities, though not the same as a standard city might.

The first district they saw was the Battlements of the Storm Forged. Every building there, despite its beautiful exterior, was built in such a way to act as a defensive barrier to any outside attack. Dementius explained that this district housed many a smith, and fighter. Dementius himself was a member, or so he said.

The Caste of the Elements, or the Caste as it was commonly called, housed a district for the sole purpose of higher learning, history and magical knowledge. It housed the library, a structure so large Katerin could hardly fathom it. There were dozens of shops where one might buy alchemical and magical ingredients, spells and other types of rarities, and it of course provided housing for those that studied such things.

The third district, and in Dementius' tour surely the most important district, was the Halls of Vengeance. The seat of the ruling body, the government and the cities upper echelon. The heart of the city, so Dementius said. Though, even in the very heart of the city the architecture and quality of building was no more stunning than it had been upon entrance. It's marble and silver and blue glass gleamed like a dream, but the whole city seemed to have an awe inspiring effect.