Land of Light and Shadows

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Lyv couldn't understand the flood of thoughts and emotions that ran through her as they flew toward the city of Arloerin. Cleo was leading the way on Ollyn with Odanth on their right. Thia and Gideon were on Erly just behind them, flying beside Allel, Mik, and Kalla. When Allel had shifted into her dragon form...gods, the looks on the Arloerians' faces were priceless, having apparently never know of a shifter who could transform into creatures. The shifters in Laria – who were either humans or mages called morphs – could only change their appearances to look like another.

As for Lyv, she was trying to keep her concentration on holding Elys, who was wiggling excitedly in front of her. Even Jai, who was at her back, was making sure the little boy didn't fly off with how much he was moving around.

The closer they got, though, the more of Arloerin itself they could make out. Lyv was absolutely fascinated by it all, rolling hills all around that elevated into snowcapped mountains in the distance, vineyards and pastures, the colorful stucco homes, the winding dirt roads that turned into cobblestone streets leading into to the main city. She was finally able to see that it was all built using the ancient ruins as a foundation and elements of it – the marble and gold, arches and towers and bridges. It was a mix that shouldn't have worked and yet it did.

Cleo lowered Ollyn and Odanth to just a few dozen feet above the clay tiled rooftops. From that height above the city, they could make out the people who looked up at them in wonder, especially when there were three more dragons in their midst.

Humans, mages, Fae, orcs, naiads, and dryads...they were all there. Their clothing reminded Lyv of those found in Ethran with the colorful fabrics of their gossamer gowns and cloaks, though they also had elements of Dalcaine also. The males were in either loose-fitting tunics or light-colored doublets, pants, and boots. And the guardsmen, both males and females, wore the same golden armor and red cloaks as the ones who rode on horseback through the city streets below them.

Cleo motioned for them to head for the palace just a short distance away, glittering gold and built with solid marble yet still incorporating the ruins of an older palace. From a distance, Lyv knew it was beautiful, but closer up it was absolutely breathtaking, especially with the surrounding gardens that weaved throughout and backed up to a smaller lake situated behind it.

It was a smaller section of those gardens they were heading for then, which held a vase expanse of grass in front of a large alcove carved into the hillside, so much like Roshan and Erly's quarters back home.

Ollyn and Odanth landed with such fluid elegance that it had Roshan trying to do the same, rather than his earth-shaking landing he usually did. He managed a bit, making Lyv laugh at his attempt, but still rattled the ground with Erly doing the same beside him. Allel let Kalla and Mik jump off before shifting back to herself, landing fluidly on both feet as Cleo marveled at her transformation.

"Kalla said you were a shifter, but I think that's going to take some getting used to," Cleo told her as they came together.

Allel smiled bright. "Says you and everyone else I meet for the first time. You will, though, just like they did."

Cleo gestured to the dragons' quarters behind them. "Roshan and Erly can stay here with Ollyn and Odanth and...forgive me, but Kalla, can you show them into the palace to the council room? I have to go reassure everyone of no impending attack, including those princes from Krahzara I luckily got to bolt out on when I sent Urell and the Elite out to the border of the Cagny."

"Of course," Kalla told her. "Go do your queenly duties and I'll make sure no one gets lost."

Cleo looked around at them all again before turning on her heels and strode for the archway leading out to the pathway toward the front of the palace. "Urell, get your ass over here!" she called out just as thundering hooves approached. The sound of the orc's grumbling laugh made its way toward them, along with the others'. "Send messengers out to everyone, though the people undoubtedly saw us come in. I'll have to go find our Krahzaran friends. Let them know we have guests. Family..."